Happy Monday to you all! I have two really exciting things to share today so I’ll get right to it. The first announcement has been so hard to keep quiet but I am so thrilled to announce that yours truly will be part of a Halloween/Fall feature in Better Homes & Gardens! Three other bloggers and myself were asked to contribute and take part in an online contest where we’ll each create four designs based around a specific concept. Our first project (sneak peek above) is scheduled to appear in the October issue due on newsstands September 5! Each project will be voted on by online readers and the Better Homes & Garden’s Staff to select an ultimate winner. The blogger that wins the entire contest will then be featured in next years issue along with another Fall themed project.

I have some seriously talented competition and am beyond humbled to be part of this exciting event. I never, in a million years, thought I’d be featured in such an iconic magazine nor be competing with several of my favorite bloggers! The other three are: Nicole Balch of Making It Lovely, Elizabeth Owen of Mabel’s House, and Suzonne Stirling of Urban comfort. I’ve already seen of what they’ve been up to and I can honestly say that the butterflies are starting to flutter. These ladies have got some skillz so it will be a challenge for sure! I’ll be sharing more about each of the projects as I go and shamelessly asking for votes as well. I hope I can live up to the task and maybe win one or two rounds. Keep your fingers crossed for me and stay tuned!

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The next bit of news is about the posts for this week. I will be taking some much needed vacation and have asked my good friend Tara Lee to hold down the fort while I’m away. You probably all remember her ADORABLE circus themed letterpressed baby shower invites from awahile back. Well, she’ll be here starting tomorrow, sharing more of her creative projects and design inspiration for the rest of the week!

Tara is such an inspiration to me creatively and she really is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known. You’ll be in great hands so please join me in welcoming her to Twig & Thistle! Check back tomorrow for Tara’s first post.

I’m completely delighted by the turnout for the Pom Pom Giveaway! A huge round of thanks to Orange Kisses for providing the wonderful prize! And congratulations to Molly for winning, I’ll be in touch shortly! For everyone else make sure to check out their Etsy store for all your pom related needs!

Today is my birthday (Woo Hoo!) and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than finding out that I was a finalist in the DIY Wedding Crafts Contest with Etsy and Martha Stewart Weddings. The Sparkler Cards that I entered are one of 19 other finalists and one winner selected. It’s a huge honor to be a part of this fabulous collection and I couldn’t be more thrilled! The winner and finalists are featured in a slideshow on Martha Stewart Weddings. A BIG ol’ Thank You to Etsy and Martha Stewart Weddings for making this one of the most exciting birthday’s ever! You can see the adorable winning Cake Topper here and the rest of the finalists here.

If any of you are curious, I am now selling a downloadable PDF template for the Sparkler Cards along with coordinating Coat Check Tags in my Etsy shop. I’ll be sharing more details soon but feel free to check it out in the mean time. I’m taking the evening off from blogging to spend some computer free time with my husband so I’ll see you all back here Monday. Have a great weekend everyone! xoxo

It’s time for another contest! To celebrate their one year anniversary on Etsy, Cotton Candy by Natalie is generously giving away one of her cute reversible camera straps! These charming straps are each handmade and come in a variety of fabric patterns. It was hard to pick just one to feature but this orange one above is so delightfully summery!

To enter, just leave a little note in the comments with your name and last initial by Thursday, June 11th no later than 5pm PST and we will randomly choose a winner and annouce it next Friday the 12th. Good luck everyone!

NOTE: THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

Abby from Style Me Pretty posted a few pics from each of the 3 projects I submitted for her DIY Wedding Contest. Such an incredible honor to win!!! There were so many great and unique projects and I can’t wait for the next contest.

Abby has since asked me to be a contributing DIY editor on Style Me Pretty. I will be submitting projects on a monthly basis so check back for updates!Â

DIY Hot Cocoa and Marshmallows, DIY Custom Matchbooks, and DIY Custom Sparklers