The PINacle of DIY Goodness Giveaway

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Roeshel

Hi friends! Did you have fun with yesterday’s Everything and the Kitchen Sink Giveaway? We sure did! In fact, we had so much fun that we decided that we just couldn’t stop there.

So today, this group of 16 DIY and home decor bloggers are back with a second amazing giveaway. This time, you’ll have a chance to win some jaw dropping DIY prize packages. You know you are just itching to get started on some new projects or {ahem} actually finish the ones that are already in progress. Are we right?

You already know the group of gals that are bringing you the chance to win the DIY goodies. But just in case you need a reminder, here they are:

Brooke from All Things Thrifty, Traci from Beneath my Heart, Emily from Decor Chick, Roeshel from DIY Show Off, Beth from Home Stories A to Z, Beckie from Infarrantly Creative, Melissa from The Inspired Room, Lindsay from Makely, Stacy from Not Just a Housewife, Brittany from Pretty Handy Girl, Cassity from Remodelaholic, Sandra from Sawdust and Paper Scraps, Rhoda from Southern Hospitality, Gina from Shabby Creek Cottage, Jen from Tatertots and Jello, and Mandi from Vintage Revivals.

Ready to see the prize packages? Let’s get started!

Grand Prize A:

A $500 gift card to national off-price Home Fashions retailer HomeGoods! Click here to find your inspiration! MSRP: $500.00
Two Black and Decker Platinum 20V Max* Lithium Ion Flex Vacuums {one for you and one for a friend}. MSRP: $149.99 each
A Mirror Mate kit MSRP: $250.00A $500 Visa Gift Card
Frog Tape Gift Basket filled with FrogTape goodies for your next DIY project from FrogTape. MSRP $550.00

Grand Prize B:

One 8×10 HGTV HOME Flooring by Shaw area rug, Grandeur collection (this includes: Exotic Journey, Luna de Luna, Nirvana, Nomadic Elegance, Good Karma, A Stitch in Time and Zybra). MSRP: $1299.00
A $150 gift card to D.Lawless Hardware for kitchen cabinet knobs and pulls. MSRP: $150.00
One Cordless Dremel tool from Dremel. MSRP: $139.99
A $100.00 gift card to Utah Truffles. MSRP: $100.00

Grand Prize C:

1 custom stamp, 3 Peel & Stick packs, 2-color ink, 1 color ink and 3 boxes of note cards from PSA Essentials. MSRP is $250.00
$1000.00 gift certificate to AZ Faux Beams. Good toward Old Timber or Sandblasted beams (can include shipping).
A $100 shopping spree to Royal Design Studio for stencils and supplies. MSRP: $100.00
One Silhouette CAMEO™ electronic cutting tool. MSRP: $269.99

How to enter, you ask?

Mandatory entry: Follow all 16 bloggers on Pinterest…{Yes, this means clicking over to Pinterest 16 times, after all the prizes are worth it!!}

…and then validate your entry by answering the question below {click “do it”}. In order to see the question, you need to click “do it.”. I’ve had a few readers also say that you need to also click “log in to Facebook.”

PLUS you can get two optional entries by completing the two other tasks. Don’t forget to validate your entry in the Rafflecopter Widget.

Also, Rafflecopter has had a few issues keeping up with the high demand of this giveaway So, if you don’t see the widget below, come back later. Thank you for being patient! {Not a Pinterest User? Alternate entry available by sending your entry e-mail to allthingsthriftyassistant@gmail.com}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This giveaway is in no way affiliated, administered or endorsed by Facebook or Pinterest. Winner will be notified by email on 10/23/12 and will need to respond within 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen. Winner must be 18 years of age or older and a US citizen in order to win. Winners are responsible for paying any necessary taxes on winnings. Alternate entry email: allthingsthriftyassistant@gmail.com with entry information. All prizes will be mailed by the sponsor and all participating blog owners are not held responsible if the prize is not fulfilled. A list of winners may be requested after the giveaway has ended. Questions and additional information can be requested by emailing: allthingsthriftyassistant@gmail.com

I Love Thrifting Day – fun, finds & friends

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Roeshel

#ilovethrifting

Groups from all over participated in I Love Thrifting day this past weekend. As you know, I had the pleasure to organize and host the North Pittsburgh event.

Our group was small, consisting largely of family sprinkled with a few friends

and the opportunity to meet 3 local blog friends!

Kim {Reposhture} and me. Love her creativity. I’ve featured her before. We just didn’t know that we were practically neighbors. Now I can ‘borrow’ her ski pole lamp or have her professionally DIY a piece of furniture for me! 😉

I don’t know why I didn’t get my picture with Susan from Oh My! Creative {so many fun crafty features}, but you can see her in her green/white striped shirt in some of the photos. Love her and can’t wait to get to know her a little better. I have local blog friends!

And dear sweet, Jessica who I actually met last year. Jessica’s a local pet sitter at Sittin Paws, providing an awesome alternative to kenneling. Now I can consider getting a dog {I miss Niski} because vacations won’t be a problem with a friend like Jessica in the neighborhood! She’s also blog author at Craft Frau Times…but she’s lacking the ‘time’ to blog right now.

Our scheduled was as follows:

9 a.m. we arrived at the North Hills Goodwill.

Lots of thrifty treasures!

Next up was Wexford GoodWill. It’s a more intimate store (not a donation center) but packed full of treasures and the service was a little more personal.

At this point, our entire group of lucky #13 was gathered…

Pittsburgh 2012 #ilovethrifting

Yep – there’s my aunt, my cousin, my GRAM! My sister, niece, daughters and friends!

We also had a scavenger hunt at each store. Just a piece of paper with one word. The more hideous, the better.

A little prize was awarded for those finding their “thing”. Ali won $5…

Some really fun finds…

Next up, we headed to Cranberry Twp. to another GoodWill and more shopping! If I had room in the vehicle, this would have found it’s way to Ali’s tiny apartment where I would give “painting a loveseat” a little DIY trial. It was like new!

Time for lunch! Place: North Park Lounge ClubHouse where seating was limited for a small group, but booths were all in the same location. Food was good. Company was amazing.

Last stop: Gibsonia GoodWill.

It was a long HOT {104 degrees} day…we shopped til we dropped…

Some of us headed to my house for a little thrifty show and tell…

What did I come home with? Surprisingly, very little, but LOVE

my thrifty treasures:

A pouf! Price: $15.
An old clip board for filleting fish – $2.99.
Target shower curtain $11
$2.99 ticking bed skirt for me to cut up for a project.
Garden gnome. A little pricey at $9.99 but I couldn’t resist his cuteness.
Picnic basket $4.99.
Pitcher – I don’t remember. Maybe $1.99.

A special thanks to Rashon at Mr. GoodWill Hunting, the brains behind #ILoveThrifting day. Remember, we finally had the chance to meet a few weeks ago at the Haven Conference.

And a special thanks to GoodWill of Southwestern PA for the discounts! If you’re local – the Butler GoodWill store is having a fun event this Saturday! I might even gather my friends and where our shirts and partake of some refreshments and sales!

Joining the party at Rhoda’s: Check out all of the fun thrifty treasures’ links. You’ll want to see her latest progress in her new home too!

My first blog conference experience ~ Haven 2012

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Roeshel

You’ve probably read several recaps about the awesome Haven Conference and mine is very similar, if not the same and I can’t NOT share. I seriously am so glad that I got over my anxiety and just went.

Haven was a highlight of the year type of experience for me. Blog conferences have never been in my budget {so many home improvements/so little $} but when I heard about the Haven Conference and how there would be sessions that would interest me (blogging and DIY) and most importantly that I’d have the opportunity to meet so many DIY blog friends in person, I made it a top priority. I can’t believe I was almost way too shy and nervous to go.

My favorite part was transforming e-friends in to real life friends. The best part for me is that I met so many amazing people. Bloggers, non bloggers, men, women. I was nervous. I was star struck. But every person there was super friendly. I recognized faces and blog names. Many times, it was like seeing a long time real life friend. I have “visited” many of their homes, read about their lives and even featured some of their DIY projects after all. It was a DIY reunion and everyone seemed to enjoy picking up their friendships were we left off in blogging earlier in the week. There’s nothing better than meeting a group of friends who share the same interests. There’s always something to talk about!

I’d like to thank the Haven team for organizing such a successful amazing event: Southern Hospitality, Kristin, Centsational Girl, Home Stories A2Z, Miss Mustard Seed, Beneath My Heart, Thrifty Decor Chick, Just a Girl. Their hard work was evident and they put together the best first blog conference dedicated to our favorite topics: DIY home improvement, decorating and blogging.

John & Sherry from Young House Love were the keynote speakers and had us hooked and laughing. They’re hilarious, such an adorable couple and were the perfect start to a dream come true event. Like most long time bloggers, I’ve “e-known” them from the start and I got to introduce myself but as you can imagine, there wasn’t a moment someone didn’t want to meet and talk with them and there was certainly no time to pose for a picture or talk for long.

I didn’t have the chance to attend all of the sessions but the ones I did were so interesting, informative and fun! The speakers were so smart and so helpful.

I Love Thrifting
I Like Big Blogs – tips on growing your blog
Beginning Paint & Stain
DIY Your Blog Design
Power Tools with Ryobi
Basic Carpentry
Advanced Painting
Blogging PR
Decor 101
Design Studio
Basic Photography/Photo Styling
All About Advertising
Slipcovers and Upholstery Basics
Hobby to Business

I didn’t take many pictures of the event in action and I didn’t have a chance to take a photo with everyone I met and believe it or not I didn’t get to meet everyone I wanted to meet either. I missed meeting some blog friends (so sad about that!) and even some of the sponsors. There was just so much packed into such a short time. Here are some of the friends I met, proof that these blog friends are real people: (if you’re pictured here, yes you have permission to borrow the picture!)

I was so excited to meet my friend, Rashon {Mr. GoodWill Hunting}! (Can’t wait for I Heart Thrifting Day coming up 7/7). As always, he was charming, hilarious and shared some awesome thrifting tips. I couldn’t wait to meet him and attended his session first thing, hanging on every word. 🙂

Me with Gina from The Shabby Creek Cottage.We did get to spend a lot of time talking and I have a feeling it’s the start of a lifelong friendship…

At the Picket Fence! Heather, me & Vanessa. I got to dine with Vanessa and talk about our lives, our families and our DIY. She’s lovely and her sister, Heather had me laughing so hard I was crying. These two sisters are such an inspiration!

Julia from Hooked on Houses and me. I’ve been hooked on Julia and her blog for years.

Ange {The Blooming Hydrangea}, KariAnne {Thistlewood Farms} and me. Both of these beautiful ladies were a hoot and so sweet!

Me with Becky from Organizing Made Fun. Becky’s always been an inspiration with so much helpful advice and meeting her was a treat!

Me and Beth from Unskinny Boppy. Beth and I have been friends from The Nest before blogging and it was super sweet to meet her finally!

Me, Brittany {Pretty Handy Girl} and Jessica {Decor Aventures}:

Me with Carmel at Our Fifth House…

Ange and me again…

Me with Cassie from Primitive and Proper. Cassie has an amazing talent with painting furniture (my go to blog for advice and beautiful furniture inspiration and fellow DIY’er at the DIY Club)…

Gail {My Repurposed Life} and me – so happy to finally meet! Our email/blog friendship is now real life! Woo hoo!

Deneen from Dreaming in Color and me…she is so friendly!

Sweet Deb from Bungalow with me:

Dusty (All Things G&D), Amanda (Serenity Now) and me:

Me with Ana White. I’ve admired Ana’s building skills from her Knock Off Decor days. Ana – if you’re ever in the Pittsburgh area, you have a place to stay (of course I may put you to work, but that’s a DIY girl’s idea of fun, right? Spa day to follow!).

Gail, me and Katie (half of the husband/wife team from Sew Woodsy). Katie and her husband were some awesome lucky winners at the conference!

Lesli (My Old Country House) and me. Not only is Lesli a super talented artist, she’s now my real-life friend. 🙂

Tonya (Love of Family & Home), me and Beth from Unskinny Boppy:

Me with Miss Charming from Charming Zebra. Great smile, great new friend.

I met Laura from Top This Top That – beautiful inside and out and I’m so happy we had the chance to meet!

And Laura from Finding Home Online is super model tall, gorgeous and so sweet:

Ellen, me and Vicki – maybe someday bloggers who were attending a fun girls’ trip. They called themselves “blog stalkers”. We had a great time chatting over lunch.

Me and Miriam from HomeTalk.

Me with Todd {we met last year here} from Shaw Floors HGTV Home:

Why I didn’t get pictures with Karah, flat Kelly or Debbie, Sherry & John, Layla & Kevin, Sarah, Maury, Jocelyn, Linda, JamieLyn, Lisa, Andrea, Kim, Sheila, Pamela, Vivienne, Kerry, Kelly and so many more friends…because it was that crazy of social/learning and we were too excited saying “hi” or didn’t find each other. 🙁 Next time!

There’s a picture of me with Traci over at Beneath My Heart. Isn’t she a doll? She is a sweetheart in real life too!

Thanks to Brittany for sharing this picture.

Front: Sandra {Sawdust and Paperscraps}, Roeshel (Me!) {DIY Showoff}, Brittany {Pretty Handy Girl}

Middle: Chris {Just a Girl}, Myra {My Blessed Life}, Marian {Miss Mustard Seed}, Stacy {Not Just a Housewife}, Wendy {The Shabby Nest}, Traci {Beneath My Heart}.

Back: Gina {Shabby Creek Cottage}, Beckie {Infarrantly Creative}, Beth {Home Stories A2Z}, Rhoda {Southern Hospitality}, Sarah {Thrifty Décor Chick}, Kate {Centsational Girl}

I swear I wore about 7 outfits in 3 days out of the 50 (slight exaggeration but I had no idea what to wear to a blog conference!) that I managed to squeeze into my carry on but you can tell from the pictures above that I only had my camera out for a small amount of time.

I was way to shy to play the part of paparazzi and not expert enough to have my camera settings correct in changing lighting. And it’s HARD for me to keep bugging others to use my camera to take my picture…ya know?

And the awesome sponsors had fun interactive booths and amazing giveaways including a swag bag packed full of DIY related goodies! Special thanks to: FrogTape, Purdy, Shaw Floors/HGTV Home, Home Depot, Apartment Guide, HomeTalk, Ryobi, Kreg, Minwax, Rustoleum, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, PureBond, Oreck, Royal Design Studios, 3M Tekk, Bondo, Homes.com, Moen, Mirror Mate, Fish Window Cleaning and Mail Chimp.

Here I am with the Purdy team after winning the amazing (OMGosh!) $1000 worth of Purdy products {thanks to Rhoda for drawing my number!}:

(I also won a Home Depot gift basket! I told you it was an awesome couple of days!)

Meeting others who share my DIY and blogging interests made for a great time! I left there feeling energized, empowered, motivated and inspired and can’t wait to dive into my next DIY project and to see my friends again. 🙂

See more Haven 2012 Conference recaps at Southern Hospitality.

DIY Show Off ™ – DIY Decorating and Home Improvement Blog

DIYShowOff – Budget Friendly Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement and Decorating blog

Tag Archives: blogger event

The PINacle of DIY Goodness Giveaway

I Love Thrifting Day – fun, finds & friends

My first blog conference experience ~ Haven 2012