Orange Box Jewelry Giveaway Winner!

I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to announce the winner of the Orange Box Jewelry giveaway! I could tell you that I was walking down the street when I saw a tragic looking puppy sitting in the middle of the street; how I shrieked in terror when I saw a car bearing down upon the poor thing. I could tell you that in a moment of absolute heroism I dove between the canine and the car, only to be mercilessly run down by the cruel, evil, would-be puppy slayer. I could finish recounting my tale of woe by explaining that I was laid up in the hospital for three weeks, recovering amidst a veritable garden of flowers, all sent by the sweet puppy whose life I saved. But alas, I can't tell you that. It didn't happen.

... (awkward silence)

... (more awkward silence)

Ahem, moving on. Rafflecopter seemed kind of dull, so I decided to draw a winner the old fashioned way. I wrote all of the entrants' names down on slips of paper, put them all in one of Mr. CP's fancy-pants fedoras, like so:

And drew a winner! Drum roll please... The winner is:

Kassi is absolutely hilarious. Her posts on her blog, The Closet Intervention, typically result in me alternating between giggles, and oo's and ah's. True story. Congratulations, Kassi! Shoot me an email at charmingpumpkin@gmail.com, and I'll send you your coupon code!

Giveaway: Orange Box Jewelry Necklace

I am so excited about this giveaway! My wonderful friend Krissy from Orange Box Jewelry is offering a free necklace of the winner's choosing, to one lucky Charming Pumpkin reader. Hooray! Huzzah! (Just imagine me twirling around throwing confetti in the air) Krissy specializes in repurposing vintage jewelry and other antique curios into beautiful, one of a kind pieces of jewelry. From charm necklaces to key babies (made out of antique German bisque dolls and vintage keys!), you are sure to find something you love in her store. You will find the requirements for entry listed below. Just follow the instructions to enter the giveaway. Good luck, my lovely friends!

Details

1. This giveaway is open to anyone, so to my international readers: feel free to enter!
2. This giveaway will be active for one week, so it will close next Monday (12/20/11) at 11:59 PM (EST).

Mandatory Requirements

1. Subscribe to Charming Pumpkin on Google Friend Connect or Blog Lovin. 
2. Like Orange Box Jewelry on Facebook here

Optional Requirements (one additional entry per requirement)

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me which Orange Box Jewelry item you will pick if you win the contest. Make sure you include a name, and email address where I can reach you if you win!
2. Like Charming Pumpkin on Facebook here.
3. Follow Charming Pumpin on Twitter here.
4. Tweet this message about the giveaway: "Check out this @Charmin_Pumpkin giveaway! Up for grabs: a free Orange Box Jewelry necklace of your choice!" Be sure to include your Twitter name in any comment you leave so that I know you have done this. =)
5. Leave another blog post comment telling me the most hilarious joke you know. Limerick, pun, knock-knock joke, bar humor: all is fair game. Have at it, my friends!

This giveaway is now closed!

Readers, Meet My Repurposed Vintage Jewelry!

It's no secret that I love vintage accessories, particularly brooches. I also have a soft spot for repurposed vintage jewelry, though, and I thought I share a few pieces from my collection with you. There's something enchanting -- poetic, even -- about giving an old, unused vintage element new life by reworking it into something new.

Mama CP makes jewelry, and has her own business selling bits and bobs at various craft shows. This bracelet is made out of vintage buttons, antique watch faces, and old typewriter keys.

DIY! These stones were on an old, old necklace I found at an antique store in Nebraska. They were dusty and dirty, but a quick turn in my rock polisher (yes, I'm awesome, I have a rock polisher) cleaned them right up. The bangle itself isn't vintage; I picked it up at Michael's on sale for a couple bucks.

DIY! My mom had this broken clip on earring in a box at home. I just clipped off the back, filed down the pointy edges, and strung it on a chain with wire-wrapped vintage pearls.

DIY! Antique keys, a sparkly crystal ball taken from a broken vintage clip on earring, and some gunmetal and silver chain are all it took to put this little guy together.

DIY! I was inspired to make this necklace when I saw this beautiful necklace on Anthropologie's website. They were selling it for around $468. Psh. The focal piece is an antique pencil that my grandmother used in grade school. I wire-wrapped smoky quartz, labradorite, and hematite onto several different kinds of chain (some vintage, some not). I couldn't get a terribly good shot of this necklace (it's reeeeally long), but I will be wearing it in Wednesday's OOTD post. 

My wonderful friend Krissy, owner and designer of Orange Box Jewelry, refashions vintage items into beautiful one-of-a-kind necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. I originally saw this piece at a local market a couple months ago, and somehow managed to walk away from it. I was still thinking about it two weeks ago, though, and thankfully no one had bought it. SO, it came home with me!

There is a really exciting giveaway coming up, so be sure to check back tomorrow morning! 

Kelsey vs. The Cropped Cardigan

Disclaimer: The wind was making my hair do some creative things.

Dress: Flared and Cable Sweater Dress/Anthropologie (on sale here)

Cropped Cardigan: Anthropologie

Tights: Hue/Nordstrom Rack

Boots: Enzo Angiolini/Nordstrom Rack

Head Band: Target

Belt: Target

Earrings: Forever 21

Brooches: Thrifted

Necklace: Orange Box Jewelry

Until today, I was utterly convinced that I couldn't and shouldn't wear cropped cardigans. I was adamant in my belief that they did one thing and one thing only: drew attention to an area of my body that didn't need any more attention (read: the chestal area). When I saw this sweater on sale at Anthropologie a while back for a a mere $25 (plus an extra 25% off!), I figured I'd try it on and see what happened. I was surprised at how much I liked it. The sweater is soft, it's a beautiful color, and it's fuzzy. Plus, for that price, I just couldn't say no. Once I got it home, however, I stuck it in my closet and put off wearing it. I'd see it, think, "Meh... still not sure whether I can pull that off," and grab something else instead. I am, however, a firm believer in getting over myself, so I pulled this baby out to pair with this beautiful dress that Mama CP got me when she and Papa CP were out here visiting earlier this week. I'm actually quite pleased with how the outfit turned out. I had several women stop me today to ask where I got the sweater and dress, so I guess I did something right! =)

I'm thinking I might make this "Kelsey vs. [insert article of clothing here]" an ongoing series. It's a good way to force myself out of my comfort zone. Plus, I have a bit of a THING (that's right... all caps) about letting fear and/or self-consciousness rule my life, so such a series would also speak to that facet of my personality. What do you think? Is a "Kelsey vs..." series a good idea?

I've linked up to the Fashionista Friday series over at Fashion by Alicia, so be sure to check it out! There are some amaaazing outfits being featured this week. You can find the specific post here.