simplified datebook from laura!

a couple weeks ago I entered Laura's Simplified Datebook Giveaway... and I won! when I came home late last night, there was a package sitting on my porch!!!!!

you know she wrapped it in pink paper ;)

♥

she even threw in a couple of extras. because she is amazing. how amazing is she?! this is not rhetorical. I actually want you all to tell me how amazing you think she is :)

and the datebook looks amazing. I go back to work for some training before the school year starts, so I will truly be able to report on how amazing it is after I begin using it!

Laura's blog is wonderful. a mix of photos, product shares/reviews, some birchblogging, and posts about daily life. not to mention her adorable pup, Riley! what's not to love? you should all go check it out!!

color club giveaway WINNER

and the winner of the Color Club Wanderlust mini-polish giveaway is...

congratulations Aimee! please check your email, so I can mail you your adorable little polish!

thank you to everyone who entered, and to everyone who reads my blog. this was a big success! I think I will certainly have to plan more giveaways in the future ♥

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

{closed} color club wanderlust mini polish giveaway!

I came home to a very pleasant surprise today - my Birchbox order came! so exciting!

for those of you who indulge in Birchbox as I do, you know that they sent each subscriber a mini polish from their Wanderlust collection in June. super exciting. I LOVE getting nail polish in my Birchbox. I have received a few really incredible colors. I loved my color so much (and I was so jealous of everyone who got all the other colors) I had to order them. the only problem is...I already received one of the 4 colors in my Birchbox, so...

TIME FOR A GIVEAWAY!

one lucky winner will receive this cute little "fiery coral" color called Reign in Spain from Color Club's Wanderlust Collection. this is my first giveaway ever, ever, ever. can you believe it??

all you have to do to be entered to win is:

• leave a comment telling me your favorite polish color, nail product, or tool. remember to include your email so I can let you know that you've won!

for extra entries:
*make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry!*

• follow me on bloglovin' or GFC
• follow my photo blog on bloglovin' or GFC
• follow me on instagram (@sofia_maria)
• pin this giveaway on Pinterest
• tweet about this giveaway containing my username (@sofiamaria) and a link back to this entry
• sign up for Birchbox using my referral link - it's super fun!

you have until Friday July 26th to enter, and I will choose a winner at random! good luck!

the winner is Aimee! congrats, and thanks to everyone who entered!

I don't give a fig

about a year ago, I won a wonderful book from a blog called Veggie Kids. then, everything we owned went into storage for 8 months. then, I began unpacking, found this lovely book, and promptly whipped up one of its recipes.

the book is Ripe by Cheryl Sternman Rule. the recipe is Fig and Wheat Berry Salad with Blue Cheese. except I hadn't the slightest idea where to get wheat berries, so I toasted up some pine nuts and threw those in. it was to die for.

if you ever have a moment to take a peek at this book, do it. it's organized by color, and it's just too cool. here's the Vine version for your viewing pleasure:

deuce giveaway

a few weeks back, I won a giveaway from Kinsey's blog. I was innocently reading a post about a glass bottle pendant DIY, and was surprised to see the annoucement of the winner at the bottom with my name! it took a minute or two to explain to Jordan why I was dancing around the room, but boys just don't understand these things ;)

I couldn't believe it! I was really excited about this giveaway, too. both because I adore Kinsey's blog, and because it was for a $50 gift card to Deuce Fashion. Jamie Cox is the shop owner and designer, and her pieces are gorgeous and, best of all, unique. I was drawn to her shop right away, and was over the moon when I read in Kinsey's blog that I had won!

it was such a tough decision, but I chose:

a necklace with yellow recycled sea glass and brass cylinders

and a necklace with dalmatian jasper inside a gold triangle pendant.

amazing! I wear them both all the time, and I have gotten so many compliments.

check out Kinsey's beautiful blog. it's full of fashion, DIYs, and showcases her amazing talent for photography. Jamie also has a blog and an etsy shop, where she displays her talent for jewelry design, as well as tidbits of her daily life :)

full glam ahead!

a couple weeks ago, I got a lovely surprise in the mail!

 

my lovely friend Laura hosted a giveaway at her blog, and being a long-time admirer of Benefit Cosmetics, I just had to enter. and what do you know, I won! I could not have been more excited about this. the only Benefit product that I own is their Maybe Baby perfume that I bought when I was stranded in LA. she even included an adorable card in the package. she's the best ♥.

I love all of these products. I was nervous about the High Beam and Stay Don't Stray because I have sensitive skin, but I have had no problems using them. the High Beam has been a lifesaver as the school year winds down. I'm feeling quite worn out and it shows, so I dab it under my eyes and it's amazing. the Stay Don't Stray is a primer for concealer and eyeshadow. I've only used it as an eyeshadow primer, and I love it. my eyeshadow lasts longer, wears brighter, and I don't end up with eyeshadow caked in the crease of my eye at the end of the day. and of course, the Bad Gal Lash is incredible. the brush is GIANT, and it makes me look like I'm wearing false eyelashes. I rarely use black mascara because my skin is so fair, but I have been using this all the time.

Laura is a sweetheart, and her blog is beautiful and interesting (quite a feat, these days... something I'm still trying to achieve with my own blogs). check out her blog, Laura Caffeine!

Anthropologie has arrived!

aahhh I'm sorry that I suck at updating.

last Thursday my Anthropologie package came in the mail!!! I was sooo excited (see, mom? blog giveaways ARE real! :D)!

even the packaging is beautiful and mysterious :)

the wavering glasses and latte bowls sit snugly in my china cabinet

the milk bottle measuring cups and the zigzag tights aren't pictured, sorry :\ I wore the tights out to dinner the night I recieved them, though. LOOOOVE. the the milk bottle measuring cups I wanted to leave in their nice packaging because I intend to re-gift them.

but everything is fabulous. I think we will break in the wavering glasses this weekend with some cocktails - who knows! they are so fun. and I love the color of the latte bowls. I think I made the right choice, going for the retro.

AND two days later, I was driving to East Grand Rapids and I found that AN ANTHROPOLOGIE STORE OPENED TWO MONTHS AGO, 5 MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE. very annoyed. I paid $14 to ship all this stuff, and I could have gone to buy it myself! ah well. I'm still happy with everything, and that's that.

I won!

...why, you ask? because back in November, a blog that I love reading, CAKIES, was having a contest. I submitted an entry, and then I was off to Australia! with my mind on little else but my travels, you can imagine my excitement when I got an email from a social media rep at Houzz saying that I won (that, and I've never won anything before)! what's better is that my prize was a $250 gift card to Anthropologie. amazing!

I received a $200 gift card and a $50 gift card by email. since I was relying a lot on others for accomodation after I left Darwin, I decided to re-gift my $50 gift card to Virginia, the daughter of my host parents, and her fiance Craig as a thank you/wedding gift. they let me stay at their place in Melbourne for three days, and they hadn't even met me before. such kind, generous people - they definitely deserved it. I think they really appreciated it, and I know they'll use it to get something super cute for their apartment :)

I waited until I got home to spend my card, thinking that Jordan and I could look at the house and home section and see if there's anything we'd like to have in the apartment.

here's what we bought:

I can't wait for it all to arrive! I loved shopping around on anthropologie's website. although their clothes are really nice, I wanted to get things we could both use (except for the tights - a little something just for me :D) and I think we did pretty well. another BIG thanks to Ruby - you should all check out her blog! it's full of beautiful photos, heartfelt sentiment, and creativity galore. you'll love it as much as I do :)