The 1,000 Follower Giveaway #3

I can't thank you all enough for reading this little blog! You all are the best and if it were up to me I would visit each of you and give you a big hug (this is a big deal, because I'm not a hugger)! Since I cannot afford to visit you all and some of you might find me a bit creepy so I am offering you not one but THREE group giveaways! 


I couldn't have done this by myself I have a lot of fantastic shops and blogs helping me out. So let's get started with giveaway #3! All giveaways will be open for one week ending on June 6th at 11:59 pm central time. 

Local Sugar Hawaii

Blog- Facebook- Twitter

Lucy Baby Designs

Facebook- Blog- Pinterest

BubbleWrapp'd

Shop- Blog- Twitter

Wonton Mommy

15% your order with code: Elephant15

Twitter- Facebook- Blog- Shop

Jenni-Austria-Germany

Blog- Twitter

So Chick Handbags

Shop- Facebook- Twitter

To enter this giveaway please follow the directions below via the Raffle Copter widget. There are 5 mandatory entries, once you complete each of these entries you will be given many more options to complete to enter! So there is plenty of chances to win : ) Winner takes away all prizes shown above. If you have problems entering the giveaway e-mail me and I'd love to help! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The 1,000 Follower Giveaway #2

I can't thank you all enough for reading this little blog! You all are the best and if it were up to me I would visit each of you and give you a big hug (this is a big deal, because I'm not a hugger)! Since I cannot afford to visit you all and some of you might find me a bit creepy so I am offering you not one but THREE group giveaways! 


I couldn't have done this by myself I have a lot of fantastic shops and blogs helping me out. So let's get started with giveaway #2! All giveaways will be open for one week ending on June 6th at 11:59 pm central time. 

Hiya Luv

Blog-Shop-Twitter

Solo Art Works

Shop- Facebook

Eventually Cottage

Shop- Facebook- Twitter

LAX to YVR

Shop- Blog- Twitter

One Simple Place

Shop- Blog- Facebook

To enter this giveaway please follow the directions below via the Raffle Copter widget. There are 5 mandatory entries, once you complete each of these entries you will be given many more options to complete to enter! So there is plenty of chances to win : ) Winner takes away all prizes shown above. If you have problems entering the giveaway e-mail me and I'd love to help! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The 1,000 Follower Giveaway #1

I can't thank you all enough for reading this little blog! You all are the best and if it were up to me I would visit each of you and give you a big hug (this is a big deal, because I'm not a hugger)! Since I cannot afford to visit you all and some of you might find me a bit creepy so I am offering you not one but THREE group giveaways! 


I couldn't have done this by myself I have a lot of fantastic shops and blogs helping me out. So let's get started with giveaway #1! All giveaways will be open for one week ending on June 6th at 11:59 pm central time. 

Via The Chatty Mommy

Blog-Twitter-Facebook

Via Urban Dreams

Shop-Blog-Facebook

The Sweet Petunia

Shop-Blog-Facebook

Kassi of Truly Lovely

Blog-Twitter-Facebook

Me

Shop-Twitter-Facebook

To enter this giveaway please follow the directions below via the Raffle Copter widget. There are 5 mandatory entries, once you complete each of these entries you will be given many more options to complete to enter! So there is plenty of chances to win : ) Winner takes away all prizes shown above. If you have problems entering the giveaway e-mail me and I'd love to help! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Flamingo Nails

Lately I've been very inspired by what I like to call Flamingo colors- light coral and teal. I decided to paint my nails with these fun summer colors and kick it up a notch with some matching glitter. For this manicure I used Milani Neon in Fresh Teal, Milani Gem Tone in Teal, Essie Tart Decor, and Milani Disco Lights. 

I simply painted all my nails except my ring finger in the neon teal. I painted my ring finger in Tart Decor. After a couple coats on each nail I placed the coordinating glitter on each nail from the base up and gradually thinned out the glitter as I rose to the top of the each nail. After the glitter dried I placed on a top coat and I was finished! 

Sponsor Us?

It would be in your best interest not to disappoint this puppy : ) 


Stats:: 

The Elephant’s Trunk started in August 2010 and has drastically grown. 

-Monthly Page Views: 6,500+

-Google Connect Followers: 1,000+

-Twitter Followers: 1,000+

-Facebook: 475+
-Pinterest: 680+
-Hello Cotton (joined in Feb 2012): 55p+

Advertising Spots can be purchased any time of the month- your ad will run 30 days from the day it is posted. 

Etsy Love

I'm always scooping out Etsy for new items to add to my wish list. Some day I will actually pull the trigger on all my Etsy favorites (when I hit the lotto or become rich and famous- which ever comes first). Here are a few of the current pieces that I have been eyeing. 


1. Mr. and Mrs. Mugs
2. Heart Pillow
3. Clutch
4. Infinity Scarf
5. Yoga Bag

Linking up these finds to Yes, Teacher! Blog. 

1,000 Followers- How about a giveaway?

I'm creeping up on 1,000 GFC followers- thank you thank you thank you! 

I want to offer a giveaway to all of you. In order to do that I need help from any of you who might want to offer an item for a giveaway. That item can be a item from your handmade shop, a gift certificate to your shop, an advertising spot, or maybe you've got something else up your sleeve? 

What's in it for you? Free exposure. For each item donated you are allowed to select three different methods by which people can enter   (these methods could be: become a follower of your blog, fan you on Facebook, follow you on Twitter, etc...).

If you are interested please e-mail me at ElephantsTrunk42@gmail.com and let me know what you would like to offer as your giveaway item. 

In the mean time- I still need to get to 1,000 followers so if you aren't already follow away! : ) 

Card of The Week: May 21st-May 27th

We are celebrating our Dad's with this week's Card of the Week. 

In case you don't know the Card of the Week is a selected card featured each week in the shop. The Card of the Week will have FREE domestic shipping the entire week it is featured. You don't have to enter a coupon code the free shipping will already taken off for you. 

Make sure you are a follower of the Facebook page because from now on each week the card of the day will be posted there. Also each week the cover photo on our Facebook page will be updated to highlight the Card of the Week! 

Okay and now on to this week's card...

Happy Father's Day! (To one hell of a Dad)

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Engagement Style

Tomorrow Brendan and I get to get our Vogue on and attempt to look loving and cute in engagement photos. If you know anything about Brendan and I you will know that this is a major challenge. I wish our photographer Sada Lewis the best of luck! 

Sada please fix my winky eye, Brendan's ability to never keep his eyes open and our awkward prom hands. 

Brendan and I have been struggling with what to wear (seriously) and so here is a sneak peek of some of the pieces that I've put together trying to pick something out for myself (Brendan is on his own).

1. Trove Tank
2. Green Suede Pumps
3. Boyfriend Capris
4. Nude Pumps
5. Twisted Beaded Necklace
6. Denim Shirt
7. Navy Chino Shorts
8. Clear Beaded Bracelet 




Wish us luck- we're going to need it! 

My Aha Moment

Want to read about my A-Ha moment? This little 

shop started out as a jewelry shop and since then it 

has been wine accessories, canvases and now 

greeting cards. Find out the back story to discovering 

what made me really love my shop::

My A-Ha moment on By Aimee and Co 

My Pod Their Pea

I was so inspired by this story of surrogacy. I am so excited that Caryn and Ali are here today to share her story:: 

I am Caryn. I'm a mother of two gorgeous kids that are lucky they are SO adorable because boy are they crazy! I am also the wife of an amazing man who just so happens to be one of the Few and the Proud...a Marine. Thanks to the rambunctious, strong-willed children that we have produced, we have made the solid decision that we definitely don't want any more babies of our own.

Two years ago, I put an ad out on a military resale site looking for a new babysitter. I went through tons of responses and set-up quite a few interviews. This is how I found Ali. Just from the emails, I was pretty sure Ali was the one I would choose to take on the task of helping raise my children while I was at work. The day I interviewed her, I also interviewed a few other people. I knew right away that Ali was the one for our family. There was just something about her and how comfortable I felt with her around me and the kids. A few weeks later, she started watching the kids and I couldn't be happier with my decision. She has been such a blessing to our family with her flexibility and availability. We can always count on her when we need her and the kids just love being around her and Brian.

Ali(son) and Brian have been married for 5 years. Like my husband, Brian is a Marine. When they married, they made the decision to wait at least 5 years until they had a baby so that they could enjoy time with each other. About a year after getting married, Ali was diagnosed with an auto-immune liver disease. Last year, she found out that secondary to her liver disease, carrying a child would put her (and the baby) at significant risk of death.

When Ali told me that she couldn't have a baby, and why, I was so heart broken for them. I see how Ali is with children and I know how much she wants one of her own. Despite the craziness of our life since having kids, I cannot imagine not having mine. I especially can't imagine knowing that I have a fully functioning uterus, "great" ovaries, and everything else I needed to make a baby. Almost immediately, I decided I wanted to be a surrogate for Ali. I talked with my best friend about it a few times, and then talked to my husband. He gave his seal of approval (although he later stated that he thought I was joking) and I finally got the courage up to make it official and told Ali.

Now, almost 7 months later, we are in the process of putting their pea in my pod and making Ali and Brian a baby of their own. I have decided to do the surrogacy without compensation because I know that a military paycheck cannot afford a surrogacy. I'm not doing this for money, I'm doing this so that Ali and Brian can have the baby they deserve. That being said, they need a little help to carry the financial burden. Military insurance does not cover much, if any, of the fertility treatments that are required to make this baby! This fundraiser is intended to help cover legal fees and fertility treatments so we can all help make Ali and Brian's dream a reality!

Brian and I are so grateful for the amazing support of all our friends and family (and strangers!). You can read our whole story on my blog, Path To Our Miracle. Basically, my health issues that we have discovered over the last 5 years makes it too risky for me to give birth. We chose to wait to have children till we had been married for a few years, so when we started talking to my doctors, it was because we were ready. That "baby" was already there in my heart. Shortly after receiving this news, my friend, Caryn, offered to carry for us. She is also keeping a blog through this adventure, My Pod Their Pea. She is not asking for compensation. What an amazing, priceless gift she is giving us.
Unfortunately, even with this amazing gift, the cost is very high. We are looking at about $25,000-$35,000 just for the legal fees, medications for Caryn and I, and the In-Vitro. Then comes the normal costs of having a baby. Caryn, and her sister, Alyson have been so wonderful in helping with coming up with some fundraising ideas. Also, so many family and friends offering to help with fundraising. I am so excited to be able to share with our child not only how much we love and fought for him/her/them. :-) But also, the pulling together of prayers/good thoughts/love and yes... finances from so many people for them.

I have always wanted children. I have always loved working with kids. I loved babysitting when I was younger. I love babysitting now. I remember in high school, anytime I had the opportunity to go work in the elementary wing of the school, I was there! I have spent the last 15 years trying to decide "What I want to be when I grow up", and stressed through high school and college not being able to decide on a "career". I know now that what I WANT to be is a mom. Whatever job can prepare me for that, and make me a better person in myself is the job that I want. I have found many jobs that I love, and am so happy babysitting, and growing as a health coach. I have so much more about this that I have been running through my head this last week. With Mother's Day coming up, I am going to write more about it on my blog.

Thank you very much to all the sponsors that have donated for the raffle/giveaway. I am so excited for some people to win! There are some really awesome items, and gift certificates for some great shops. Thank you, and good luck!

If you were inspired like I was by this incredible story of two women than you can help. There are three separate giveaways happening right now and you can enter to win one or all of them. The more you donate the better your chances! 

Introducing: The Card of The Week

I am so excited to unveil the Card of The Week. Each week there will be a featured card for the shop. The featured card will have free domestic shipping for the whole week (Monday-Sunday). The card will already be adjusted in the shop for free shipping so no need for a coupon code! 

The first card of the week will be: 

Congrats Class of 2012

This card can be customized with any color combination of the graduates' school. 

Remember free domestic shipping for this card now until Sunday May 20th. 

Check back on my Facebook page next Monday to see next week's card of the week! 

Senior Hottie

                                                             

A Belle, a Bean and a Chicago Dog Blog is hosting a fun link up titled Senior Hotties.

I thought it sounded like a blast, basically you need to share some pictures from your senior year of high school and a current picture. 

I had my senior pictures taken and I was fairly confident I was headed for the pages of Vogue with my fierce poses I shot to the camera. 

                           

                               

                                         

I was thinking I looked pretty fly in my senior pictures that I posted them all over my MySpace page. 

Now I am haunted by these photos every time I visit my parent's house as they are plastered every where. Honestly my Mom purchased way too many of these things. If anyone is interested I still have many wallets that I could send you. 

I think I should have just stuck with the traditional senior portrait where I peek out from behind a tree. 

Here I am today 2012: 

                               

Dear Mom

Dear Mom, 

I want you to know that you are so much more than just a Mom.

You are my best friend. 

You made the sacrifice of a career that you loved to be a mother.

People may never understand how close we really are.

I could tell you anything and know no judgement would be passed. 

I can pick up a phone after a bad day, call you, not say a word and know that you will say exactly the right thing to make everything okay. 

I look up to you more than your will ever know. 

You are a beautiful woman inside and I. 

Your strength is encouraging. 

Your laugh is infectious. 

Your kindness is one of a kind. 

You are a brilliant mother. 

Mom I love you and would not be anywhere near who I am today without you. 

Happy Mother's Day Mom! 

Love, 

LoLo

Fur Babies

I am reading tutorial after tutorial in an attempt to really understand my DSLR. Luckily for me I have two great chocolate subjects. 

The Proposal

For those who may not aware I recently became engaged and I've been working on our wedding website this week. One part of the site that I completed today was the story of the proposal and I wanted to share that with you all- so here it is:: 

Brendan had told Lauren that they were going to be going out to dinner on Friday, March 2nd to Flemmings' Steak House because Brendan had won a gift certificate from work. 

Lauren had been really wanting a Dyson Vacuum and before dinner when Brendan said he had a surprise for Lauren she was convinced her vacuum dreams were becoming a reality. 

The pair got ready for dinner and before they were to leave Brendan asked Lauren to stay in the kitchen so he could retrieve her surprise from the garage. Lauren began to envision clean carpets when Brendan came in with a much smaller box than something a vacuum would fit in.  

Brendan presented Lauren with a necklace that he told her she could wear to a charity event they would be attending the following evening. She was not to keen on this necklace because to be frankly honest it was an ugly necklace. 

While Lauren stared and pondered whether she should tell Brendan her true feelings for the necklace, he went back into the garage. 

Carmelo (Lauren and Brendan's oldest chocolate lab) came in from the garage wearing a white bow tie and distracted Lauren's gaze from that hideous necklace. Behind Melo came Brendan back to the kitchen with yet another small box. 

Brendan dropped to won knee in the middle of the kitchen and asked Lauren to marry him. 

Lauren was so excited and shocked she forgot to say anything until Brendan said, "Well...you haven't answered me". Of course you know what Lauren's answer was, but there was still a small part of her that was upset there was no vacuum ;) 

Brendan then pulled out champagne and a big bouquet of roses. The texts, calls and Facebook messages began shortly after.