Sponsor Spotlight + Giveaway: Violet D'Art

Do you guys remember Violet? She is a badass conceptual photographer who has spent some time on JAA in the past. She is one of the sponsors that I consider a friend and love continuing to work with her! Her style of photography is so unique, it's really easy to appreciate. Today she's giving away two prints from her new line to a lucky JAA reader! Here's Violet:

"Hello JAA friends! My name is Violet and I take photos. I love to use textures and tweak colors. I don't have a favorite subject and I don't put myself in genre frames. That is why, as you will see, my work is very eclectic, which also means that there is something for everybody there. It is always so exciting knowing something I have created and then packaged with care, and shipped myself, is starting a life on its own; will become a part of someone else's life, and will be cherished and loved. It is one of the reasons I decided to start selling my photos and I am welcoming you to peruse my home decor prints collection in my Etsy shop, anytime.
I also do conceptual fine art and dark art photography, which you can see on my website and flickr. It was part of last weekend's 'GBK's 2013 Primetime Emmys Gift Lounge' and was gifted to a hundred celebrities (some of which Neil Patrick Harris and Matt LeBlanc) and members of the press, and was also displayed for guests to take pictures with."

Shop // Website // Facebook // Blog

JAA readers can get 25% off everything in Violet's shop with the code SPECIALJAA!
Act fast, coupon expires 10/10/13. 

Violet is offering one lucky JAA reader 6x9 prints
of the two photos shown above. ($54 value!)

Enter using the Rafflecopter below.

Entries are monitored. If you don't complete the mandatory entry your entries will not count.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A winner will be chosen at random and announced here in one week. Good luck! xo JA

Sponsor Spotlight + Giveaway: Melissa Lund Photography

Happy Friday!! I'm so excited it's the weekend. It is the first weekend in quite some time that we have no weddings to shoot, no places to be, nothing to take care of. There is something to be said for taking advantage of having no obligations. This weekend, you will find me sitting on my ass outside, drinking and sketching.

For now, I'm enjoying the fact that it's the Friday. And you guys know, with Friday comes my Sponsor Spotlight feature! Today I want to introduce you to Melissa, of Melissa Lund Photography. Her lovely photographs are available in various forms (even calendars....and you know I'm all about the calendars). I asked her to share a bit about herself and her photography business.

"Hi there! My name is Melissa and I’m a fine art photographer. I specialize in still life photography, but I really just shoot whatever inspires me, which is pretty much everything. I love bright colors and a little bit of whimsy. In my shops, you will find prints, photo lockets, pillows, cards, and new to my shops - canvas gallery wraps and 2014 calendars.

I live in Portland, Oregon with my husband Michael and kitties Hanna and Maggie. I love cats and enjoy hanging out with the neighborhood cats that come into our yard. When I’m not taking photographs or working on something related to my photography (which is not very often, just ask my husband) I enjoy trying Portland’s great restaurants and food carts (there are a lot of them!), reading books, and dancing in my living room."

Shop // 2nd Shop // Facebook // Blog

JAA readers can get 20% off prints from BOTH of Melissa's shop with the code JAA20!
Act fast, coupon expires 9/30/13. 

Melissa is offering one lucky JAA reader a
 2014 5x7 Calendar of their choice!

Enter using the Rafflecopter below.

Entries are monitored. If you don't complete the mandatory entry your entries will not count.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A winner will be chosen at random and announced here in one week. Good luck! xo JA

Sponsor Spotlight: Freckled Italian

Offering sponsorships on my blog has introduced me to a lot of blogs and shops I may not have found otherwise. This is true for Megan, of Freckled Italian. And I'm so glad I got to learn about her blog! She shares a lot of tasty recipes (keep an eye out for a guest post from her next week!) and is just frickin adorable. If you are not familiar with Freckled Italian, go check it out! You won't be disappointed. Here she is:

"My name is Megan and I blog at Freckled Italian, where I share recipes, personal style posts, and write about daily life. I was born in California, grew up and went to school in Virginia, and currently live in Minnesota with my fiancé. I love food, books, and coffee. I have a master's degree in Children's Literature and I wrote my thesis on Disney's Princess films. I love cultural studies and Harry Potter and I'm totally obsessed with Regina Spektor. There was this one time I sold used cars for a living, and there was this other time that I worked at a software company with Russian mobile app developers. I also own a small business called Cave Girl, where I advise people on all things Paleo. I really like running, but I wish I really liked yoga. My favorite words are penultimate, antepenultimate, and dichotomy. I would drink a Bloody Mary every day if I could."

Be sure to visit Megan's links!
Blog // Twitter // Instagram // Website

Sponsor Spotlight: Catabot

A few days ago my awesome sponsor, Cathy, shared the most adorable Cat Toe Flats Tutorial. Today she's here to tell you guys a little bit more about herself and her business. Her blog includes several tutorials, complete with fun videos (that I'm obviously a fan of!) so be sure to check it out! Here's Cathy:

"Hi everyone! I'm Cathy. Some people know me as Catabot on the interwebz. I'm a former full-time social media/pr girl turned blogger, jewelry maker, and video content creator-- all in the span of 3 months. I know, crazy how life works out :) I'm super silly, totally awkward and shy, but an all around friendly and kind person. My day is fueled by my iced vanilla lattes, and I'm always on a daily inspiration hunt. I love DIYs, cooking, and especially eating, haha.

Since quitting my full-time job, I've been filling my days with orders, blog ideas, shooting/editing, photographing, traveling, etc. It's all pretty random, but I can say that I've never felt happier then I have now."

Show Cathy some link love!
Shop // Blog // Facebook // YouTube

Sponsor Spotlight: Studio TAC

"Hello, I am Sara! , currently living in Bangkok, Thailand. I am very glad to be part of Julie Ann Art’s blog ☺

I personally love linen. The texture and its wrinkles are unique; making it looks simple, but charming. I design and work on individual bags, sourcing the right materials and finding new inspirations. And to work on what I love truly transforms my conceptual palettes into tangible items everyone can wear.

Having my own business is totally different from my 9 to 5 job. It really brings out skills and talents I have never thought I had. That makes me see myself at a different perspective and want to explore more on what I have to offer. ---- Start from What You Love --- Enjoy sunny days! (In Bangkok we have too many, really.)"

Show Sara some link love!

Shop //  Pinterest // For the love of linen

P.S. Can I get your vote? :]

Sponsor Spotlight + Giveaway: Jac&Elsie

Remember that cute key necklace I wore in this post? That came from Jaclyn, of Jac & Elsie. Today she's here to tell us a bit about herself, and offer two lucky JAA readers key necklaces of their own! They come in friendship sets of 3 so we will each have a key from the set! Here's Jaclyn:

If "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans," then that definition of "life" for me ended in early May. I got hitched and took a rockin' honeymoon after a year of planning and, when we got back, what ensued was not what happened while I made other plans. Because I made no plans. Because this has been the laziest summer I've had in something like four years, and it is lovely.

As such, I've had more time than I've had in months for Jac & Elsie, my handmade, upcycled and vintage jewelry shop. I specialize in adult friendship sets and tearing apart vintage jewelry to make something new and fresh."

Shop // Blog // Facebook // Twitter

JAA readers can use the code 14JulieAnn23 to get 20% off anything in Jaclyn's shop!

Jaclyn is offering 2 lucky Julie Ann Art readers Key Necklaces that will complete the Friendship Set of 3 with the one I wore here!

Enter using the Rafflecopter below.

Entries are monitored. If you don't complete the mandatory entry your entries will not count.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A winner will be chosen at random and announced here in one week. Good luck! xo JA

Sponsor Spotlight + Giveaway: Eyes Of Style

I'm so happy to introduce you guys to Margo, of Eyes Of Style today. With affordable products like downloadable patterns, picture frames, arrows, and social media buttons, her shop is helpful to fellow bloggers and saves them time. And I am all about efficiency! 

Oh, and did I mention she's giving away a custom designed logo to one JAA reader? Yep. That's a $200 value and it could be all yours! Here's Margo:

"Hello, I'm Margo! I blog over at of Eyes Of Style- a lifestyle blog about fashion, design, and DIY! I love learning new projects that result in pretty things to wear, and sharing them with my readers. I've always been passionate about way too many things at once. My brain is on creative overdrive most of the time, and I love being able to blog and share my process with my readers. I've noticed that graphic design has been the one creative outlet that always stuck, and never became "another Margo phase". The more I learn, the more I love it.

I recently opened up my graphic design shop, and I couldn't be more excited to share it with you! I've been working non-stop over the past few months and I'll never be finished. I add new items every week to keep it fresh and current. My typical day goes like this: Wake up at 5:00 am and go work at the doggy day care (which is awesome because I get to bring my dog for free!) Come home by 11:00 am, make lunch, then design until about 7:00pm. I have a small office in our home that I'm currently (procrastinating on) re-decorating. I like to go to a cafe to work sometimes, just to get a change of scenery, but I'll admit I get embarrassed easily and feel like people are judging my work- so I usually choose a spot in the corner and spread out so no one gets too close. I'm a weirdo, and I can be insecure sometimes about what strangers think of me- even though I know they are much more concerned about their carmel macchiatto then what I'm doing.

My main focus is creating graphics for creatives like me who want to build a unique blog or website, but don't have a ton to spend. I offer pre-made logo designs that are only $12.00- so if you're just starting out at your Etsy business, photography, or blog, you can have unique professional branding without spending a fortune. I offer some really great graphic packages that are made for bloggers to spice up their photos a bit. I use my arrow borders on my blog a lot, and they have been my biggest seller. I've really thrown myself into this shop, and I'm so excited to share it with you! I've got a lot more planned for the shop, so I hope you'll find something that inspires you, and keeps you coming back. Thanks so much Julie Ann for allowing me to share this with your readers!"

Shop // Blog // Facebook // Twitter

JAA readers can use the code: jaa813 to get 10% off anything in Margo's shop!

Margo is offering one lucky Julie Ann Art reader a free custom logo design! ($200 value) This is great for bloggers or business owners who want their own customized branding!

Enter using the Rafflecopter below.

Entries are monitored. If you don't complete the mandatory entry your entries will not count.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A winner will be chosen at random and announced here in one week. Good luck! xo JA

Sponsor Spotlight + Giveaway: Uncle Bob's Salts

Today I'm happy to team up with my friend, Aukele, to help spread the special message behind her business, Uncle Bob's Salts. We've been using Aukele's Original Salt for cooking lately, and every time I grab the package I think of the story behind it. Here's Aukele:

"People say, “the way to a man’s heart is through is belly.” While this statement may not ring true for every man – it definitely did for Uncle Bob (my dad). He LOVED food. His favorite part about food?? Making it! Inspired by his dad, MY dad created his own seasoning salt that he shared with friends and family. People loved it so much they would return empty bottles for a refill. No BBQ was complete without it.

 In 2006, my dad became sick with squamous cell carcinoma – a skin cancer. He fought with every ounce of strength he could muster up until he went to be with his Savior. Before moving into a hospice facility, Dad shared his seasoning salt recipe with me so that my family and I could continue enjoying his salts after he left us. Now, a part of him is with me always.

 Today I have the privilege of continuing his legacy, love for good food and ultimately making many people’s mouths happy as they indulge in delicious food, seasoned to perfection by Uncle Bob’s Salts.

Happy Grilling! -Aukele "

Shop // Facebook // Blog // Twitter

Aukele is offering one lucky Julie Ann Art reader a $30 gift card to her shop of yummy salts and seasonings!

Enter using the Rafflecopter below.

Entries are monitored. If you don't complete the mandatory entry your entries will not count.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A winner will be chosen at random and announced here in one week. Good luck! xo JA

Sponsor Spotlight: NewlyMynted

I'm so excited to introduce you to Stephanie, of NewlyMynted today! I really enjoy the style and content of her blog, I'm so glad I was able to get to know her! She'll also be bringing the JAA blog a really fun guest post, so stay tuned for that. ;] Here's Stephanie:

"I'm Stephanie and I blog over at NewlyMynted. NewlyMynted is kind a special place for me. I used to run an old blog & business, but life took a pretty crappy turn for me; and so did my biz. I was forced to shut everything down and pack up my home. I've done a little wandering since then, had many heart-to-heart's with the Big Man, and His grace pulled me through.

I sure did miss blogging (I LOVE to write), so after months of consideration, I started anew. And so you have NewlyMynted. It's a place to create, love, inspire and encourage other women. I journal my life in this new little North Carolinian town I'm in. No more city life for me. I absolutely love it here. I hope you'll join me in this new life, this new journey I'm on. It's pretty amazing so far!"

Show Stephanie some link love!

Blog // Bloglovin // Facebook // Pinterest

Sponsor Spotlight + Giveaway: Simply Alli

"I’m Alli; I’m a huge goofball, I live simply, I love coffee…a lot, I enjoy cooking, cold beer and being outdoors. I love taking naps and I work fulltime in the corporate world. I am married to my sexy high school sweetheart, Tony and we have one super sweet, super energetic 3 year old named Day. We live in the great state of Wisconsin! Go Pack Go!

I have a huge passion for blogging; Simply Alli is the name of my blog. On it you’ll find snippets of our life, our adventures, delicious recipes and a little bit of anything else I feel like chatting about. Come say “Hi,” I love, love, love meeting new people! "

Blog // Bloglovin // Instagram // Twitter

Alli is offering one lucky Julie Ann Art reader a $15 gift card to Starbucks AND a $15 gift card to iTunes!

Enter using the Rafflecopter below.

Entries are monitored. If you don't complete the mandatory entry your entries will not count.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A winner will be chosen at random and announced here in one week. Good luck! xo JA

Sponsor Spotlight: Sparkover

Remember Jaci, the owner of Crave Jewelry Design, that makes those badass bullet earrings? Well I'm so happy to have her back again so she can share her latest business venture, which is, might I add, as awesome as her first one. Here she is:

"Hey! It’s Jaci from Crave! I’m so excited to introduce you to my other jewelry collection: Sparkover. Sparkover is made from circuit boards that are no longer working or usable, or dead stock. All of the circuit boards were inevitably headed for a landfill – or destined to sit in someone’s basement or closet for years. Have you ever actually looked at a circuit board!? I couldn’t let all of that coolness go to waste. Being an avid recycler, I totally dreaded the idea that these pieces would end up in the junk, I needed to do something with it…. Voila! Unique, super cool jewelry and accessories! Each piece is handmade and no two pieces are alike.

Technology changes SO quickly, which leads to a lot of stuff lying around. I like to think that I'm saving the planet one circuit board at a time. It's the small things!"

Shop // Twitter // Instagram // Facebook

Jaci is offering Julie Ann Art 15% off with the coupon code JAA15.

This code is valid on both her Sparkover shop and her Crave shop!

Remember those bullet earrings I was rocking the other day?

Now is the time to get your own!

(Offer expires June 30th so act fast!)

Don't forget! Google Reader is peacin' out! Be sure to:

Win a Photo Session from Jen Lauren Grant

I have such a special treat today! I'm so excited to partner up with Jen Lauren Grant. She is an incredible photographer that Etch had the pleasure of working with a couple times last summer! While she shootings wedding with the amazing Birds of A Feather, she also specializes in family and baby portraits.

Maybe you haven't had a family portrait taken in years, or maybe you have a son or daughter you'd love to have a "Mommy and me" photo session with? Need professional photos of your newborn? Well you're in luck. Today, Jen is offering one lucky JAA reader their very own family photo shoot (valued at $350)!  See below for details and limitations.

Prize includes:

1-2 hour shoot at location of winner's choice (see details below for limitations)

Color/image adjustment for all edited photos

Private online gallery of images for viewing and ordering prints

$100 print credit

Prize details:

Expiration Date - 6 months

Location - Los Angeles, Orange County, Santa Barbara

Date - TBD between Jen and winner

If you are far outside the location limitations, consider any people in the SoCal area that you could gift this prize to, or be sure let them know about this giveaway! OR if you are just a little outside the location limitations, you may consider picking a photo site within the boundaries and making a fun little road trip out of your portrait session!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner will be announced here in one week and notified by e-mail. Good luck! xo JA

Don't forget! Google Reader is peacin' out! Be sure to:

Sponsor Spotlight: In A Pretty Box

I have had the pleasure of working with Tiffany, of In A Pretty Box, a few times now. She is so sweet and fun and I'm happy to help spread the word on her subscription box!

"The greatest feeling in the world is giving another woman something that makes her feel amazing. Growing up, my favorite thing to do was wrap secret presents and give them to my friends and family. I never knew that I could make a career of it until I stumbled onto a subscription box website last year. I'd been buying from handmade artisans for years by then, and it just kind of clicked. I thought, "Hey, I could send secret packages of awesome handmade items to women all over the world!"

Putting my business degree to good use, I quickly got the gears rolling. Six months and a couple re-branding sessions later and this is my full-time job. People ask me what I do, and I just smile and say I send awesome presents to awesome ladies every month. And when I'm not sending surprises to them, I'm enjoying the other two special ladies in my life, my beautiful daughters.

At Pretty Box we curate monthly boxes of surprises for women each with 2-3 full-size handmade items inside. So far, we've included clutches, makeup, nail polish, jewelry, stationary from Julie Ann Art, and fashion accessories, and we have big plans for upcoming boxes. Our favorite items are those that are chic and trendy with a dash of whimsy."

You can now subscribe to In A Pretty Box for 10% off! Just use the coupon code JULIEANNART at checkout.

Website // Twitter // Facebook

Don't forget! Google Reader is peacin' out! Be sure to:

Sponsor Spotlight + Giveaway: The Freckled Fox

Have you guys met Emily of The Freckled Fox? This is my second time working with her and she is too sweet! Her blog is full of hair tutorials that pretty much blow my mind. The girls got skills! Here she is:

 "Hey JAA readers! I'm Emily, and I blog over at The Freckled Fox. I'm married and have about 30 kids(it seems like), am pregnant with #4. Even though I could easily let them fill up my day, I try and squish every ounce I can spare after parenting full of cooking, sewing, shopping sales, taking photos, wearing fun clothes, crafting, and figuring out creative ways to keep my hair out of my eyes. The Freckled Fox is where I share all the best and favorite things I do with anyone who wants to follow along!

The most favorite, popular, and rewarding thing I blog about is definitely my hair tutorials. It never seems like I can post them fast enough with all the fantastic requests I get, so last winter I started doing little week-long series here and there with themes so I could dump a lot of ideas out at once, and its been so fantastic and fun!

Ever since I was little I've had very long hair and have been throwing it up in all sorts of ways, and when I started sharing with my readers and hearing feedback (the first one I heard was of a bride using one on her wedding day) I couldn't have been more thrilled! I've always thought that our hair is our best accessory, so why not use it to your best advantage! I have so many things planned for the summer, and I 'd love to have you join me!"

Blog // Bloglovin // Twitter // Instagram

Emily is offering one lucky reader THREE months of Large Ad space!

($108 value)

The Freckled Fox averages 7.5k-8.5 pageviews per day.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner will be announced here in one week and notified by e-mail. Good luck! xo JA

Don't forget! Google Reader is peacin' out! Be sure to:

Sponsor Spotlight + Giveaway: Crave Jewelry Design

I really really like jewelry of Crave Jewelry Design because I feel like the owner, Jaci, is always trying to think outside the box and striving to be original. She most recently started making statement rings out of Instagram photos and is giving JAA readers a chance to win a custom one of your very own! Here's Jaci:
"You know the iPhone commercial that shows people taking photos of everything? Guilty as charged. My dad often jokes about seeing me run through the yard (literally) to get a good photo of some cool clouds. One could say that I am easily distracted, always taking photos, always looking up into the sky, but finding the beauty that lies around every corner is what keeps me going. These are the things that inspire me, both as a person and a designer."

Show Jaci some link love here:

Shop // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

Jaci is offering one lucky reader a custom Instagram photo ring! (photo of your choice!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner will be announced here in one week and notified by e-mail. Good luck! xo JA

Don't forget! Google Reader is peacin' out! Be sure to: