// A Very "Florken" Home + Amazon Giveaway

Hi Clueless Girl's Guide Readers.

I'm Kate. You probably don't know me. Yet. So let's change that, shall we?

I blog with my husband, Adam, over at the "florkens". 

I bet you're thinking -- "Why is "florkens" in quotations marks?"

You don't miss anything do you? 

Well, because I didn't take Adam's last name when we got married. Therefore, to be playful, we often mash up both of our last names and refer to ourselves as the "florkens". We also have this even more playful habit of calling everything we do "Very 'Florken.'" For example, when we got married, the tagline was, "A Very 'Florken' Wedding." Back in March of this year, we bought our first home and you guessed it, it's "A Very 'Florken' Home". How you might ask? Well, let's explore how one goes about having a very "Florken" home.

1. Seven Months Later You Still Need Boxes in the Closet

I know that most people find it perfectly acceptable to unpack boxes quickly. I get that desire. We had it too. But if you are "Florken" you start to kind of lose hope at about month 4 and decide that the two closets in the spare bedroom are a great place to store all that crap that you just can't seem to find a home for. Sure -- once day we'll clean it out. But that day is not today. Or tomorrow.

2. You Start Projects, But Don't Finish Them

"Florken" weekend warriors are a very specific breed. We have all the bravado and gusto necessary to tackle a project until 2 o'clock rolls around on Saturday afternoon. It's pretty much downhill from there. That's why you'll likely end up with a room with freshly painted walls but carpet that you swore you'd rip up your first weekend of renovations back in March. Or with a flagstone pathway that you randomly decided to rip out because it was so uneven and overgrown with weeds but have failed to "re-install" for like a whole month now... Opps!

3. You Own Exactly Three Throw Pillows. And None of Them Match.

If you have a "Florken" home, you likely got really, really excited about ditching the old tan microfiber sofa when you moved into the new place. You probably got even more excited when you found a sofa and loveseat online that coordinated so well of the precise shade of gray you planned on painting all the kitchen cabinets. However, you really let things slide in that whole "accessorizing" department. So you likely only have three throw pillows that you found on sale at different stores and thought to yourself, "Why the hell not?" As a result, your living room won't be rising on the Pinterest Popular board anytime soon.

4. You Had to Buy a Dyson Because Pethair is like Oxygen.

A "Florken" house isn't complete without more pets than people. That's why it is mandatory that a "Florken" home invest in a Dyson vacuum cleaner before it even buys proper throw pillows. You'll likely have to use it at least twice a day because those three dogs and two cats you have really tend to throw fur like it's going out of style. But if you're truly "Florken" you won't really care. You'll vacuum. You'll get over it.

5. There is More Fun to Go Around Than Imaginable.

The defining characteristic of a "Florken" home is that it is filled with love and fun and laughter. It will never be the nicest house on the block. It will never be filled with the finest things. It will always manage to have mismatched pillows and probably noticeable wear and tear. But when people start to look past those things, they will see that your "Florken" home is overflowing with the kind of things that money just can't buy and contractors can't install. It is filled with life. Oh yeah... that's the good stuff.

Speaking of good stuff, there is a LOT of it on Amazon. One of our favorite places. So, try to win yourself a gift card below and let's get "Florken"...

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enter to win a $40 Amazon Gift Card

Visit Kate and Adam's blog and leave a comment below 

sharing your favorite thing you saw on your visit!

Optional Additional entries:

Follow The "Florkens" on Bloglovin' // Follow The "Florkens" on Twitter // Follow The "Florkens" on Instagram // Follow The "Florkens" on Pinterest // Like The "Florkens" on Facebook

Overall that's six ways to win! Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry, and a way to contact you if you win! A winner will be drawn at random in one week and contacted shortly thereafter. Good luck! xo

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The "Florkens" are TCGG's current featured sponsor. If you're interested in the top advertising spot on the sidebar, get in touch and learn more! You'll get the option to write your very own guest post, too!

// SquareHue Giveaway : Be Stylish + Give Back!

For someone who doesn't paint her nails an excessive amount, I've amassed quite the collection of polish. To be honest, nail polish is what stopped my nasty habit (biting my nails!) in it's tracks almost exactly one year ago. The day before I turned 25 I just up and decided to not bite those pesky things anymore, and I honestly think it's because I kept them painted. Anyone else out there feel ultra guilty for ruining a perfectly good manicure?! I'm no polish-applying pro or anything, but I grew so attached to how nice my nails looked longer! Now I love to paint them up and show them off. And that was my tangent about how I used to bite my nails and now I don't... riveting, right?

Well, if you're into nail polish and subscription boxes, you'll love today's giveaway! I'm partnering up with SquareHue to bring you their Passport Collection! SquareHue's collection boxes are thematic! In 2014, the Passport Collection takes us to different cities throughout the world. (You can view their past collections like Paris and London the website! Those are the 2 boxes I got my hands on [literally!] and I love them. The lookbooks even have a playlist for each city!) Each of the boxes contains three full sized bottles with colors that are representative of that city.

SquareHue colors are long lasting and durable (Mine survived a pretty busy weekend already with no chips at all). They also dry really fast, too! (Bonus points: they're totally "clean" and don't contain anything like Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP, etc! And they're cruelty-free [Vegan friendly!] and made in the USA.)

If that wasn't good enough, SquareHue is also committed to helping others. Currently a portion of all monthly subscription proceeds are being donated for prevention awareness, the protection of trafficked victims and the prosecution of human traffickers, through The A21 Campaign. (Unlike some brands who vaguely mention their philanthropic efforts, SquareHue tells you exactly who benefits! I really appreciate that)

In terms of my personal experience and "review" of SquareHue, I'm a new, but convinced, fan so far! I'm loving the Paris collection for this time of year and my fingers have been donning the Notre Dame and Arc de Triomphe hues these past few days. I have a feeling I'll be wearing the London collection a lot come Summer since it's very patriotic (despite being UK-themed!). The Tokyo collection does not disappoint either! Those bold colors are perfect for the warmer months. I also really appreciate the size of the bottles. I feel like with a lot of other polish subscription boxes, you're only getting a tiny sample amount. Each SquareHue bottle is a full half-ounce so you'll be painting your nails for a while! Another major thing I loved about SquareHue: the packaging! Each collection comes in a small, subtle box and when you open it up the three bottles are nestled perfectly in a little carry tray. You don't have to worry about them getting broken in transit because the packaging is perfectly designed for it's purpose: to keep your items safe and secure until delivery. I know it's such a silly and small thing to mention, but it was the first thing I noticed upon opening them!

But don't let me try and convince you: See for yourself! SquareHue is allowing each and every Clueless Girl reader out there try their first box for FREE! Just use the code CLUELESS at checkout and all you'll be responsible for is shipping! (Only $5 - A savings of $14.99 - win!) That's a pretty sweet deal since you have nothing to lose. And while you're at it, test your luck! Check out how you can win a three month subscription below!

In order to be entered to win a THREE MONTH SQUAREHUE SUBSCRIPTION (!!! May-July boxes) of your very own, just pop over and sign up for their NailMail (email list!). Then leave a comment below letting me know which email you signed up with! (Bonus if you share your favorite color from the Passport Collections so far!)

You can increase your chances of winning by doing any/all of the following (optional, but encouraged!): Follow @SquareHue on Instagram - Follow @SquareHue on Twitter - Follow SquareHue on Pinterest - Like SquareHue on Facebook - Tweet this: "I just entered to win a @SquareHue subscription box on @kaelahbee's blog! thecluelessgirl.com"

Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry to ensure that it gets counted! A winner will be drawn at random next week and contacted shortly thereafter! Thanks so much for supporting the sponsors who help make TCGG possible, and for playing along! Good luck!

Congratulations Katie!

// You Are Good Enough

Today I have a special guest, Ebonnie, here to share her Tumblr project that aims to inspire girls and remind them that they are good enough. Ebonnie's idea is simple enough, and sometimes that's the perfect way to get your message across. Her project is accessible and far-reaching. I'm a huge fan of any and everything that helps promote positivity and self esteem. Today Ebonnie is going to tell us a little more about You Are Good Enough and share how we can all get involved!

Hi Ebonnie! Thanks so much for joining us today and for being our PRIME sponsor for this month! I want everyone to get a feel for what You Are Good Enough is all about.

What inspired you to start You Are Good Enough?

I started You Are Good Enough after I started to suffer from depression, I would go online and all I could seem to find were pictures and blogs about never being perfect, never being beautiful, never being good enough and it drove me deeper and deeper down into that black hole, and then one day I woke up.

I realized that none of that is true, and that for the sake of the girls and guys who run those sorts of blogs, and for the sake of the girls and guys who read them, there had to be something positive out there as well, so I created my You Are Good Enough Tumblr, in order to help me out of my depression, and hopefully will help others as well

Can you tell us a little more about you? The girl behind the project?

My name is Ebonnie and I’m a 19 year old makeup artist and body piercer living in the capitol city of Australia, I’m tattooed and pierced and believe that your body is a canvas for you to decorate how you please.

While I was in college I bought my first of many loves, my beautiful back Kawasaki cruiser Polly, who I rode until only recently when she broke down and I had to buy a car. One day I hope to move to New York and study fashion design, but I try not to make concrete plans in my life. I prefer to let life come to me and just enjoy the ride.

If you could sum up your message in one, short sentence, what would it be?

Every girl and boy on this planet is good enough for anything they could ever possibly hope to achieve

How has You Are Enough grown from the very beginning?

Well that’s the thing, other then a few people submitting when I first started it, life got busy, things got in the way and I stopped promoting it, it fell to the back of my mind and it never really became what I wanted it too, but that’s why I decided to sponsor Kaelah, so I can get this blog really going and hopefully brighten someones day.

Any specific reason why you chose Tumblr as your platform?

I chose tumblr because I think it’s the easiest site for anyone to access, you don’t have to have a tumblr account to few and get involved with this blog, you just need the url and a few minutes to snap a photo of yourself and upload it!

Do you have any “end goals” you’d like to reach with your project? Or is it more of a hobby you do for fun?

I would love to see people from all over the world upload pictures to this blog, I would love to have you are good enough written in all different languages presented on the blog from all different people of different walks of life, to have submissions everyday so the flow of positivity never stops

What do you hope your audience will take away from You Are Good Enough?

I hope that they will take away the knowledge and understanding that they are good enough, that people set their own restrictions in life and that doesn’t have to be the case, and that there are places you can go on the internet that won’t fill your head with negativity, that you can come to this site and not only help yourself but help others as well.

How can other people get involved? Do you only accept photos or do you have plans on expanding into writing at some point, too?

Getting involved with You Are Good Enough is as easy as snapping a photo of yourself, or you with some friends, with the words You Are Good Enough written on your hand, once it has taken off, I would love to expand into getting people to share their stories of success and achievement, but for now at the beginning I’d like it to be an easy thing for people to do and get involved in that will only take 5 minutes

Do you think the power of positivity has the ability to affect people and inspire them to live fuller, richer lives?

Absolutely, positivity has the power to change the world

Are there any last words you’d like to share with my readers today?

I would just like to say thank you for taking the time to learn about me and my project and I would really love to hear from you and see your pictures getting uploaded to the blog, it would mean so much to me to see everyone getting involved and spreading the word about it! I hope you guys have an amazing day!

Thanks so much Ebonnie! It's been an absolute treating having you!

If you're interested in submitting a photo or two to Ebonnie's project, be sure to visit You Are Good Enough and click "Submit" in the very upper left corner of your browser! (It's a little bit hidden but if you look you'll see it!) If you'd like to support her project without contributing yourself then you can always share the project on your blog or reblog straight from her Tumblr!

If you're interested in becoming a PRIME sponsor (or any size at all!), don't hesitate to get in touch! Email me within the next 5 days and get a special discount! xo

// Win $50 Credit to The Northern Sea! (TWO Winners!)

Today I'm excited to be bringing you a giveaway from one of my favorite sponsors, The Northern Sea. If you're into beautiful pastel jewelry and statement necklaces, The Northern Sea is your place! I own several pieces from TNS and love every single one of them. They're each so fun and different. If you're a girly girl or more of an edgy type, they've got you covered. I also love that it's just a small indie biz run by a husband and wife duo. And just between you and me, they're working on apparel for women and men, and they hope to launch these arrivals soon! The prices of TNS jewelry help you indulge without feeling guilty, and I can't wait to see what kind of clothing they'll be stocking. One more sweet perk? All orders ship FREE in the US! And now they're giving TWO LCH readers a $50 gift card to spend! Here's how you can snag one of those for yourself!

Visit The Northern Sea and take a look around! Leave a comment below letting us know what you'd spend your $50 on! (You'll be surprised at how much you can get!)

If you'd like some additional entries: (These are optional! Do as many or as few as you'd like. Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each!) Like The Northern Sea on Facebook ♥ Follow The Northern Sea on BlogLovin' ♥ Sign up for The Northern Sea newsletter

Two winners will be chosen at random next weekend and contacted shortly thereafter. (Please leave a way to get in touch!) This giveaway is open worldwide. Good luck! xo

Congratulations Ani and Tina!

// Just Say No To Chub-Rub! (and YES to giveaways!)

What a strange post title, yea? Well, unless you're a victim of dreaded chafing. In that case, you know all you want to know (and probably more) about this not-so-fun experience. Louise Hung wrote a really great XOJane article about chub-rub a few months back and she even included some of her own homegrown remedies. I've heard everything from deodorant to Monistat gels and baby powder. The (well, my) problem with all of these is simple: you have to reapply. And reapply and reapply. Imagine walking around an amusement park and feeling the sting resurface. You don't want to just bend over and start applying some strange salve to your lady trunks right? Haha Awkward!

Since I hate that aspect of those remedies, naturally I would gravitate toward bike shorts or Spanx under my dresses. Have any of you been to Tennessee in the summer? It's like walking around in a sauna. Hot and humid! All of that added moisture does us curvy folk no favors. This year it's simply been too hot to squeeze myself into contouring tube of Lycra. Normally I just do my thing in my dresses and let that be that (and then sometimes waddle my way into bed by the end of it all. Hey, we're being honest here, right?!) 

Anyway, once Julia from Bandelettes got in touch about sponsoring LCH I became intrigued. Bandelettes are stretchy lace "anti-chafing" bands that have two rows of "stay up silicone" that help keep them on your legs. They come in both nude and black. She wanted to send me some Bandelettes to try for myself and see if it was the right fit for blog. I took my thigh measurements and sent them in to Julia for her to send me the appropriate size garments. 

I wasn't sure if something so simple would actually be beneficial honestly. I'm a natural skeptic. However I wore mine around for a couple of weeks and actually found them pretty comfortable. Certainly much more comfortable than suffocating Spanx or nothing at all. They're designed to be quite sexy, even though that's the last adjective I'd use to describe me. You can wear them so they peek out under your shorts/skirt, or you can keep them hidden. As silly as it sounds, I don't stress over a small gust of wind if the lace shows for a moment. It's kind of a sexy/fun thing to wear under casual dresses.

Now Julia and her teams wants to give FIVE of y'all some Bandelettes of your very own! Sweet!

Just check out their site and leave a comment below letting us know what color you'd choose if you won!

If you'd like additional entries: Like Bandelettes on Facebook and/or Follow Bandelettes on Twitter! (just leave a separate comment for each entry!)

5 of you will be chosen at random next weekend and contacted shortly thereafter! Good luck to everyone who enters!

PS; If you simply can't wait to see if you won, or if you want to give Bandelettes as a gift, you can save 15% with the code 'Kaelah'.

Congratulations Mandi, Manda, Betty, Grace, and Marmeladas!

// Outdoor Summer Dinner Menu

Hi there lovely readers of Little Chief Honeybee! I’m Ashley from over at Rainstorms & Love Notes, where I write about things like being a newlywed, packing a carry-on bag with travel essentials, and making delicious (and easy!) food. Today I’m excited to share an Outdoor Summer Dinner Menu that I put together just in time for sunny weather and outdoor dining. My goal was to come up with an easy set of recipes full of light, fresh ingredients that all go together nicely. This menu would be perfect for a stay-at-home date night or an outdoor dinner party with lots of friends, as the portion sizes can easily be adjusted. I hope you enjoy!

 

Pico de Gallo

Serves 4-6

Adapted from here

Ingredients

1/2 medium white onion

1 cup water

ice

1 large tomato

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno

Instructions

Finely chop the onion, and place in a bowl of ice water; drain.

Chop the tomatoes and cilantro.

Remove the seeds from one half of the jalapeno, and finely chop.

Combine the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeno, and stir together.

Refrigerate, then serve with chips.

Chile-Rubbed Grilled Chicken

Serves 2

Adapted from here

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp chile powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

juice of 1/2 lime

1 tsp salt

Instructions

Combine the olive oil, garlic, chile powder, cumin, paprika, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl.

Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Grill the chicken over medium heat, turning once, until marked and just cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes per side.

Grilled Corn with Lime Butter

Serves 2

Adapted from here

Ingredients

2 ears corn, shucked

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp lime zest

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

Place corn on a grill rack coated with cooking spray.

Grill 10-12 minutes over medium heat, turning as needed.

Combine the butter, lime zest, salt, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and microwave until melted.

Spread over the corn and serve.

Strawberry Lime Sorbet

Serves 6

Adapted from here

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

1 cup frozen strawberries

2 small limes, peeled and quartered

2 tbsp sugar

Instructions

Slice the bananas and place in the freezer until completely frozen.

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until it has the consistency of soft serve.

Freeze until it reaches desired consistency.

 

Sparkling Cucumber Limeade

Serves 6

Adapted from here

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp lime zest

1 cup water

1 cup fresh lime juice (4 to 6 limes)

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

1 cucumber, halved and very thinly sliced

2 cups chilled sparkling water

Instructions

In a small saucepan, simmer the sugar, lime zest, and water over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. 

Remove from heat and stir in the mint leaves.

Let cool for 30 minutes.

Strain the syrup through a sieve into a pitcher. Add the cucumber and lime juice and refrigerate for at least an hour. 

Just before serving, add the sparkling water.

Major thanks to Ashley for putting in all of this hard work to whip up this amazing summer dinner spread! I can't think of a better post for a Friday morning... you can spend your last hours at work thinking about the delicious sorbet and refreshing cucumber limeaide... Then you can run out after work to nab all of the ingredients and invite your friends over Saturday! We've already been doing a crazy amount of grilling this season, but I think we'll be adding the chicken to our menu for next week!

If you want to witness more of Ashley's magic, pop over to her super cute blog Rainstorms & Love Notes! You can also find her on Twitter and Pinterest, and you can follow her blog via Bloglovin! I'll be back tomorrow with a really fun

// Summer of Kintage Giveaway!

This giveaway is so exciting to me! Aileen wanted a fresh new concept for this month's Kintage giveaway and her idea was spectacular: Offer up one lucky winner the chance to pick her favorite piece each month of summer and have them delivered in style! Yep, one of y'all will get to pick your favorite Kintage piece in June, July, and August! In case you're not familiar, Kintage is an adorable online boutique specializing in affordable, attainable fashion. Aileen works diligently to source and stock the most adorable styles for every day. Lately the "New Arrivals" and product sneak peeks have been out of this world! (Seriously: She posted the most adorable yellow and white dress on the Kintage Instagram and I'm counting down the days until it's listed for sale!) Whoever wins this giveaway is going to be a very very happy lady!

Visit the Kintage shop and tell me what you'd pick for June! 

(You can share your premature July + August picks, too - if you'd like!) Leave a comment below with your choices, and a way to contact you if you win!

(Totally optional! But please leave a separate comment for each!): Like Kintage on Facebook ♥ Follow @Kintage on Instagram ♥ Follow @ShopKintage on Twitter ♥ Tweet this: I hope I win the Summer of @ShopKintage giveaway on @kaelahbee's blog! KaelahBee.com"

Overall that's 5 ways to enter! I'll choose a winner at random next weekend and announce shortly thereafter! Good luck! Have a safe and happy weekend! xo

PS; Once Kintage reaches 1,000 IG followers, Aileen is giving away multiple $50 gift cards to the shop! Plus it's awesome to get a heads up about new arrivals, and help in the decision making process!

Congratulations JaeTea Skywalker!

// Win $50 to Kintage!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7

Today I'm super excited to be teaming up with Aileen over at Kintage to offer one lucky reader $50 to spend on pretty things! Kintage is an online ladies' boutique filled to the brim with dainty jewelry, pop pattern dresses, and the cutest scarves you ever did see. Aileen hand picks each and every item and keeps her style savvy shoppers in mind. 

Above are a few of my favorite pieces from Kintage. Each and every piece is well under $50 so you'll have plenty of prize money to spend!

Visit Kintage and have a look around! 

Leave a comment  below letting me know what you'd spend your winnings on!

Additional Entries: Follow Kintage on Twitter ♥ Follow Kintage on Instagram ♥ Like Kintage on Facebook

Overall that is 4 ways to enter! Please be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry, otherwise they will not be counted! A winner will be drawn at random next weekend and announced shortly thereafter. Please leave a way for me to contact you in case you win! Good luck! xo

Congratulations to Samantha!

// StickyGram Giveaway!

I'm super excited to be teaming up with StickyGram today to bring you a rad giveaway - three lucky readers will win their own pack of StickyGrams! Have you heard of StickyGram before? They take your instagram images and turn them into magnets! Our fridge is covered! I love being able to print them out and keep them where we'll see them always. You can bet that if it's a picture of a dog or a Toby, it'll end up in magnet form haha

To be entered to win your own 9-pack of StickyGrams, leave a comment below telling us about your all-time favorite IG photo that you've ever shot! 

For additional entries, feel free to do any of the following (just be sure to leave a separate comment for each!) -- Like StickyGram on FB // Follow StickyGram on Twitter // Tweet this: "I'd love to win a pack of @StickyGram magnets on @kaelahbee's blog! KaelahBee.com" // Follow StickyGram on Instagram

THREE winners will be drawn at random this weekend and contacted shortly thereafter! If you want to pick up a few extra packs "just because"- you can save $2 off your order with the code: FRIEND0WS5

Congratulations Heather (@motherofawesome), Brittany (@Bitty603), + Abby (@abbylaigh). Please email me at kaelahbee@gmail.com this week to claim your prize!

// Chantilly Songs // Feature + Giveaway

Hello, friends of Kaelah Bee!  My name is Chantilly.  I'm a singer/ songwriter and lifestyle blogger over at ChantillySongs.com.  A few years ago, I got into the blogging game with the intention of talking about and promoting my music more.  But somewhere along the line, I realized how much I enjoyed sharing everyday adventures, posting photos of daily outfits, and otherwise documenting my life.  Now I take pride in blogging these things almost every day, and chronicling my journey as a creative gal living in Brooklyn, NY.  

Today, I'm here to talk a little about my most recent (and proudest) accomplishment- my new CD, called the Up to the Moon EP.  It's a collection of five songs, which the producer and I worked hard on for a number of months (he's a pretty cool guy, being Ingrid Michaelson's keyboardist, and recently doing engineering work for the Beasts of the Southern Wild score!!)  The work we created has been called an "Acoustic curtsy for the pained at heart" by Performer Magazine, used in videos for Blowfish Shoes, and placed high in the recent Deli NYC's new Songwriter Poll.  :)

 

As such, I'm offering up a giveaway consisting of these items-

My most recent CD 

My previous cd, Caught LightA paperback journal(hand bound with ribbon & printed with lyrics from one of my songs)A $20 ad space on my blog

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

If you'd like to be entered to win this prize pack from Chantilly, take a visit to Chantilly's blog and let me know what your favorite song was from her Bandcamp page! 

If you'd like a few more ways to enter, feel free to do any/all of the following (just leave a separate comment for each!) -- Follow Chantilly's blog via GFC // Follow Chantilly on Twitter // Tweet "I'd really love to win @ChantillySongs new album on @kaelahbee's blog! http://www.KaelahBee.com"

A winner will be drawn at random next weekend and contacted shortly thereafter! Be sure to visit Chantilly's Bandcamp + YouTube pages to hear/see more of her talent!

PS; Did you win the Kitty + Buck giveaway? Check and see!

Congrats Rebecca!

Kitty + Buck // Feature + Giveaway

Hello lovelies, my name is Shell, also known as Kitty. I regularly blog over at Kitty & Buck, but I'm so happy today to pop my head in over here at Little Chief Honeybee and say hi. I'm currently living in Sydney, Australia, but I've also lived in London, UK and travelled throughout the U.S.A with my best friend and fiancé, who is an Arizona boy.

Right now I love traveling more than staying still and am itching to explore Japan (I'm heading there soon!), more of Europe (especially Germany where I have some family) and of course, more of the U.S! I've travelled a lot in Australia, visiting the tropical rainforests of Queensland, the snowfields in Victoria and the Outback of the Northern Territory. I have some really awesome memories of visiting Kakadu National Park and meeting the traditional land owners as a small child. It is such an incredible place, red sand, rock formations and hidden springs to swim in. We did swim where there were crocodiles, but it is a terrible idea, it's very dangerous! I suppose people were less worried about that in the 80's! It's not all desert in the outback and it's a beautiful place to explore if you ever have the chance.

When my fiancé (then boyfriend) and I moved to London, it was very spur of the moment. I had never left Australia before (!) and one day, we just decided to do it. Less than a month later, our lives were in boxes and we were on a plane. The culture there was quite different to Sydney, which I wasn't expecting! Once I settled in though, I loved it, and London really does feel like a second home to me. I would love to live there again, it has so much going on and is so close to everywhere, even New York! London is all about music for me, it was a productive time for our band and I met so many lifelong friends.

Here in Sydney I work in television as a graphic designer and animator, and while my job is pretty cool, I dream of having more freedom and working on my own creative projects with other passionate creative types.When I'm not hunched in front of my computer, you're likely to find me making noise with my bass guitar (and keyboards, ukelele, violin, organ - even drums sometimes!).

I'm a huge fan of nature and love nothing more than a nice long walk amongst the trees and perhaps a picnic lunch. I'm pretty lucky in Sydney to live right by the bush (forest) so I can indulge myself pretty often. I inherited a love of sewing from my mother, and her mother before that, and I can also thank them for my obsession with baking sweet treats! I used to dance a lot, I even ran a ballet school for a while. I still try to attend classes regularly, dancing is one of the things in life that makes my heart sing :) I'm a coffee drinker, antique hunter and a crazy cat lady, it's true. That about sums me up!

February marks my first year of blogging, and I've loved my experience so far. When I started out, I hadn't been reading blogs for very long at all, so I learned the ropes 'on the job'. What started as a photo-a-day project has emerged as a full blown lifestyle blog where I do my best to push myself creatively through photography, fashion and graphic design and hopefully inspire a few others along the way. I'm a firm believer in being yourself and I love the fact that the blogging community as a whole embraces this idea and encourages others to be the best version of themselves. Through my blog I have met the most open, friendly and caring group of girls all across the world. I'm almost scared to come back to the states, I think it might turn into a full-blown blogging-buddy-meet-up-road-trip. On second thoughts, that sounds amazing!

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Shell is offering up one lovely LCH reader their chance at a blog redesign! It's the perfect way to start 2013, don't you think? Here's how you can win!

Visit the Kitty + Buck blog and let me know your favorite thing about it! Just leave a comment below and make sure to leave a way to contact you if you win. 

If you'd like a few additional ways to enter, try these on for size (just leave a separate comment for each in order to be counted!): Follow K+B with GFC // Follow K+B on Instagram // Follow K+B on Twitter // Follow K+B on Pinterest 

A winner will be drawn at random next weekend and announced shortly thereafter! Good luck friends. And happy Saturday!

Congratulations Chelsey!

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If you're interested in being a featured sponsor on LCH or hosting your own dedicated giveaway, check out the Sponsorship options and/or email me for more info!

PS; Did you win the JewelMint giveaway?! Check out the results!

Learn To Sew with the Home Ec eCourse!

Have you always wanted to sew? Do you have a Sewing Machine but don't know where to start? Is your New Years Resolution to get in touch with your creative side? Make 2013 your year-- learn to sew with Home Ec , an online sewing class for beginners!

Our take it at your own pace e-course will increase your confidence behind a sewing machine with usable techniques, projects you'll love and progressive development :) Home Ec features Guides for Beginners and 28 Sewing Fun Projects-- each project features a new skill and awesome tutorials with step by step photos & instructions, progressive development and confidence building application!

Registration for the Home Ec eCourse is $50 and access does not expire. If you'd like to give the (belated!) Gift of Sewing this Christmas, register here and use one of our printable Gift Cards to make gift giving easy!

The Home Ec eCourse starts with a video walk-through of how to use your sewing machine (including how to turn it on), plus tips & troubleshooting, tools of the trade and other tips to help you get ready for your first project! Then, we get to start sewing and the fun begins! The Home Ec eCourse will take you through 28 awesome projects using step by step photos and written instructions-- start at the beginning and work your way to the end, at your own pace!! Each project gets just a bit harder so that you're growing along the way and feeling confidence in your new skills as you complete each sewing project :) By the end of Home Ec, you'll be able to make handmade gifts, read a commercial pattern, decorate your home, alter your clothing, make purses & bags and sew a quilt! Take a look at all of Home Ec's projects below...

Visit Home Ec Online and take a look at our Course Outline, FAQ's, Student Testimonials and Printable Gift Cards!

Make 2013 the Year you Learn to Sew!

xo! Leigh-Ann, Rachel and Courtney

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One of my personal goals this coming year is to just simply get better at stuff (sewing included!) so I'm super excited about this eCourse. I've got mine ready and I'll dive head first into it as soon as my new studio is set up. Anyone wanna sew along with me?! ;) xo KB