A Blogiversary & A Giveaway


10.06.12 marked the official one year anniversary of rolala loves. I'm thrilled to still be blogging and thank you all for reading, following, commenting and reaching out. I especially appreciate everyone who hung in with me through my health issues this year. The positivity and encouragement I received really helped keep me going during that time. I'm still not quite 100% but getting there. It's been an amazing journey and one I hope to continue on and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than with a giveaway.

As this peek at my bookshelf showed, I have a fondness for photography, fashion and design books. A recent addition is 'The Perfectly Imperfect Home' by Deborah Needleman, the former founding editor of Domino magazine (a publication I still miss). It's a terrrific resource that delivers practical decorating advice as well as how to add those finishing touches that imbue character with your personality. What I found refreshing is the emphasis on comfort and function as well as style because as she puts it "Style is a luxury and luxury is simply what makes you happy." The information is presented in a pertinent and witty manner while the charming watercolor illustrations of Virginia Johnson are cheerfully inspiring. The chapter entitled 'Places for Chatting' which includes a guide to basic sofa styles has been particularly relevant as we're in the process of looking to replace ours. An enlightening point is made that one third of our lives are spent in bed with much of the other two thirds spent in seats so therefore sofas and chairs may actually be the most important pieces of furniture in our homes. Goodness should be shared so I'd like to give one lucky reader a chance to add a copy of this book to your collection.

This giveaway is open internationally. 
To enter, just be a GFC or Bloglovin' follower of this blog. 
Leave a comment telling me you want in, how you follow & share your best decorating tip.
This giveaway will be open until Friday November 2nd 2012 at 11:59 PM EST.
A winner will be chosen via Random Number Generator. 
Good luck!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

74 comments

Sam said...

Happy Blogiversary Rowena! so happy that I first stumbled upon your blog and have been able to share in all your thoughts and ideas over the year. You've done a splendid job and I wish you many more bright years of blogging. Great giveaway, I follow you via GFC

. said...

Happy blogoversary! :) I'm glad you are definitely on the up!

I loved your bookshelf peek. My own bookshelf is far less exciting - it's completely chock full of medical and biochemistry textbooks, half of which I have never actually flipped open.

I want in please! I could definitely do with some help in the decorating department. I was lazy and got a place which was recently completely redecorated and has some really nice features so I didn't have to do anything except buy some furniture (I say this, but actually choosing furniture was exceptionally tough because it was on a budget and I only had a day to do it!)

I follow you via GFC. My best decorating tip is to organise the clutter!!! Clutter never makes any house look nice. I say this but I clearly can't follow my own advice.

♥vendy♥ said...

hi dear....now I follow you back on bloglovin too^^
kiss
and have an amazing start of week
vendy

NEW OUTFIT POST
http://simplelifeve.blogspot.it

Anna @ IHOD said...

Happy blogiversary Rowena!!
So sweet to do this giveaway! This book is on my amazon wishlist:)
Best decorating tip I have is to work with pieces that are timeless and that you personally love. That way, you won't tire of them, but instead, the space will feel like home.

I follow via GFC!
Cheers,
Anna

Sara Strauss {Sincerely, Sara} said...

Hi! I follow you via GFC!! Congrats on your blogiversary!

Since I live in a small apartment, my decorating tip is to use lots of vertical space. Shelves, bookcases, the spaces behind doors, etc. Leaves more room on the ground and looks cleaner.

~Sara
Sincerely, Sara

Lena L said...

happy blogiversary! (mmm,i love this word!) :D
i feel lucky to have found your lovely blog and wish the best for you and your blog.

i'd like to enter. :)
i am a follower through GFC & Bloglovin' (lenallure@gmail.com)
i don't have any decorating tips per se, i like to keep it clean and comfortable since our apartment is quite small. some say every woman goes through this 7 phases and home decorating is one of them. i just hope this would come in later in my life when i can afford them. ;p
but then, the quote ("..luxury is simply what makes you happy") is something to think about.

have a great week, Rowena! :)

little luxury list said...

Happy blog birthday dear! Of course I follow via GFC and you are on my blogroll!
My simple decorating tip is to personalize your place with special pictures and group them together - whether it is a collection of frames or a gallery wall!

xoxo,
Chic 'n Cheap Living

p.s. Do you know Alternative Wife and Honey my Heart? I wonder if you would want to see them too.

Anonymous said...

A book giveaway ... love it and I'm so in!
And yes, I miss Domino too.

I'm following on Bloglovin' and I think through GFC too.
Design tip ... let's see ... go bold with small spaces, like small bathrooms, those are perfect for e.g. bold wallpapers.

Deborah said...

Great giveaway! In tris moment I love nordic Style. For my home krisses

Amy said...

Happy happy blogoversary! =D ~~
Yes I am following on GFC as Amyboo. Heheh.
My biggest decorating tip is all about color...Think about how you want to feel when you walk into a room and paint the walls that color!

Unknown said...

Happy one year blogging anniversary Rowena! I'm so glad you're celebrating! Love Debra Needleman so my fingers are crossed :)

xoxo Mary Jo

Andi of My Beautiful Adventures said...

Happy 1 year! I follow via GFC. I collect things from my travels to remind me of all of my beautiful adventures. :)

FASHION TALES said...

How beautiful darling, happy blogiversary. I'm so happy to have found your blog in such a short time. Furniture is definitely important, I even have a favourite chair when I write, well when not travelling. -xx/Madison

Leslie said...

I think we started our blogs at the same time Rowena! HAPPY Blogiversary!!

xx
leslie

A Very Sweet Blog said...

Happy Blog Anniversary Rowena!!! I just want to say, I really enjoy reading your posts. Your writings are always delightful. You are so good at it, that it seems like you've been blogging longer than a year. I think that's wonderful! I apologize for not being on Blogger a lot lately. I'm finally getting the repairs to my kitchen done and you know how it is working with contractors :) Eeeek! LOL They're doing a good job. The Perfectly Imperfect Home sounds amazing. I would love to have it and I'm definitely entering. I follow you by GFC and Bloglovin. My best decorating tip would be to add personal elements in every room of your apartment/condo/home. It's those things that you will cherish and make you smile. It's those things that touch your heart and soul. When you're sitting in a room, it's always nice to look around and see those personal mementos that mean so much.
http://www.averysweetblog.com/

Leslie said...

... and the book looks wonderful :)

Shop N' Chomp said...

Happy blogversary, Rowena! I miss Domino magazine too. T_T

I'm in! I follow you on GFC and my tip is a simple one: fresh flowers! A bouquet from the farmer's market always spruces up a space. ;)

(Thanks! Oh yes, totally hard. I didn't want to leave!)

dimitri said...

Happy one year blogging anniversary Rowena! Your blog is always so interesting.
It's a so Great giveaway!

j said...

Congratulations on blogging for a year!

I've heard about that book and it seems interesting. My tip is for you and your new sofa. Be careful of the cute sofas at the big box stores. They may be nice looking but they probably won't be made of the best quality materials or last as long as their $1-2k price tags might suggest they would. I've heard too many stories suggesting they will last for only a few years before the cushions start breaking down. If you are patient, it's better to find a nicely made sofa and have it reupholstered. It should last you many years and you can have the cushions made to your preference.

Depending on your budget, there are also places to make them custom. I used to do that all the time and it's really not as expensive as you might think.

Marcela Gmd said...

Happy blogiversary Rowena!!
Beautiful giveaway! My tip in decorating is: "less is more"....
Have a good week, dear!!! and my g+ for you....

Besos, desde España, Marcela♥

JANICE G said...

nice giveaway!

the STYLE Fringe BLOG
http://the-stylefringe.blogspot.com

Chocolate Cookies & Candies said...

Happy Blogniversary! I wish we could get Domino magazines here. I think they've just re-started the magazine again.

fabulouspetite said...

Happy Blogniversary ! Your blog is way cool. I really enjoy reading your previous post. Thanks for the visit in my blog and sweet thoughts.

xo
Sam
http://fabulouspetite.blogspot.com

THE ALTERNATIVE WIFE said...

Happy Bogiversary, Rowena! So happy that you've continued here and that your health is continuing to improve. We have to get together one day when everything settles down for you :)

And what a wonderful giveaway! I loved Domino and would love to have her book. My decorating tip? I try to focus on bigger pieces for smaller spaces rather than clutter the space with more little pieces.

Happy Tuesday and thanks for the opportunity :) Oh and of course I follow you on GFC xoxo

Rachael said...

Yay! Happy blogiversary! I would love a copy of that book!!!

fashionsensitive said...

Hey, it was nice to find you on my blog:) I like a lot this picture, so vintage and precious :*

fashionsensitive said...

I was referring to the Parisian look you posted in the other post ;) Happy happy day for you, Rowena! I think this book you are offering us is a great source of inspiration for all of us who did not follow interior design classes, but like to live with style. So, my decorating tip is to brighten your house with little colorful details and not to forget to show your passions because this is what make us and our house special: our passions! I follow you on Bloglovin :*

. said...

Thanks for stopping by & I love your blog~ It's filled with lovely inspirations and gorgeous shots<3

Following! & Happy Blog Ani! I would like to enter but, I feel bad because I just joined >,<


xoxo
EV
eviiarty.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Congrats on your blogversary! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
I've followed you on GFC btw. Care to follow back?

http://ada-nikki.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Happy blogoversary!!! Love the giveaway!!

PS. I'd love it if you could visit my blog and follow me if you like it!! :)

-Stephanie
@LaminLouboutins.blogspot.com

Natalia | Look-A-Porter said...

Happy blogoversary and many more happy years of blogging! :)
Love this giveaway - please count me in (I follow you via GFC)

Have a beautiful day!
x

Jayme @ Her Late Night Cravings said...

Happy Anniversary! Thanks for the giveaway - we are following you via GFC. We love to decorate and we think hitting stores like TJ Max and Marshalls are great for finding inexpensive items for decorating.

Jayme & Mendi @ Her Late Night Cravings

Leonor said...

happy blogiversary:)) congratulations! great giveaway to celebrate!! would you like to follow each other on GFC, facebook and bloglovin?? keep in touch dear:)) happy week!

Leonor
thesparklinglemon.blogspot.com

Yelle said...

I'm glad you found my bog so that I could find yours! I just followed via Bloglovin (and Twitter too so I can keep in touch!).

My best decorating tip would be to group similar items and similar colors on shelves, but different items and different textures on walls!

Sam said...

Thanks for stopping by today with your lovely kind words, I always appreciate your visits!

Jessi said...

Congrats on a year! Its been around there for me too! Great giveaway! I'd love to decorate my apt more, my problem is I want to buy every decoration and its too much for my little space.
-Jessi
haircutandgeneralattitude.blogspot.com

Allison said...

Congrats on your blogiversary! Please enter me in the giveaway! I'm following via GFC (Allison-A's Fashion Files)
email: afashionfiles@gmail.com
Best decorating tip: When you need a great DIY project to save money, check pinterest! :)
:)
Allison
A's Fashion Files
Shop Kawaii Kitsch by A on Etsy!

Unknown said...

Hi, I am following you through GCF. Btw, this is actually a FUN giveaway to enter! I love talking about decorating. My best advice is to use the triangle method. Buy the big pieces first and work your way up! The big pieces are what's important and directs you to what kind of little pieces and details you need to make it all complete.
TheRosettePortrait

Jewel Delgado said...

Congrats to your blog anniversary! :) I am now following your blog and hope you will visit and follow my page too. :) More posts to come! :)

Jewel Clicks

Shoe Belle said...

Thanks for dropping by, appreciate it and glad coz now here I am. Following you now for sure on GFC. Bonus part is the giveaway:) Happy 1-yr blogiversary! Wish I can give decorating tips but who am I kidding hehe

trishie said...

Happy Blog Anniversary!!! Count me in for this giveaway please. Been following on GFC for a while now. x

Unknown said...

Happy blog anniversary and wheat a lovely giveaway. i have been following for a while, following you via googlefriendsconnect. hmm my best decorating tip? decide on a color scheme and stick with it. it really helps anchor a room and makes deciding on the accents and accessories a lot easier and makes everything look really cohesive. bring elements of one color scheme from one room to another so they all sort of have a general theme throughout - this still allows you to be creative enough tho and sort of go for different things in each room.

http://www.lovefromberlin.net/
xx rae

dimitri said...

Congrats to your blog anniversary! That's so great. Your blog is always very interesting.
Love this giveaway.
Have a lovely day.

Glam Mania said...

Happy Blogiversary!! <3
I'd like to enter, following you by GFC and now Bloglovin :)
My deco tip is... just like to keep it zen style by having clean front doorway and keeping the living room very spacious (nothing too crowded) for the good luck/energy to flow around the house :)

xoxo

Kelly said...

I am now following you! I love to use mirrors to make small spaces seem bigger, always hang personalized art, and pops of color can really make a difference!

xx
Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes

Cafe Fashionista said...

Ohmigosh what a charming cover! I want this book! I follow you via GFC!! :)

exoddinary said...

What a wonderful giveaway! I have just started following you via GFC under "exoddinary xx". :)

Would love to participate. And my favourite decorating tip is... candles! Instantly creates a beautiful ambience to any room. And if the candle is scented, even better! :)

Thanks for organising this giveaway.

http://www.exoddinary.blogspot.com

homestilo said...

First off, Happy Belated Blogaversary!
As for the giveaway, of coure I "want in!" - I am a now your latest follower on Bloglovin!

! * ♔ ♥... !*~ ღ tokkii autumn 토 끼 가 을 ღ ~*!:♡ ♔ * said...

Very pretty and classy, love the look :)
I follow you now!
Follow me back on facebook ,twitter,and GFC
love you dear :)

Marcchanelette.blogspot.com
Marcchanel'ette

Jessica said...

congrats on hitting the milestone, quite a collection there!

Jessica
http://www.jumpintopuddles.com

Nelah said...

Congratulations Rowena and cheers to many more posts to come. Your blog is one of my most favorite blogs out there and it has been fun reading and learning new things here. Wishing you to continue to feel better.

♥vendy♥ said...

great post
kiss and have an happy evening
kiss
vendy

new post
http://simplelifeve.blogspot.it

tres chic chica said...

Hey Rowena!! Congrats on one year!! Love your blog. Your so creative and have a great eye for beautiful things :) Thanks for stopping by! I've missed ya!

I'm following via GFC, bloglovin and Facebook. I love decorating with vases, lanterns and beautiful plates.

xo Marie
http://nyorkeratheart.blogspot.com

★ JASMINE ★ said...

Awww congrats on your bloggy birthday!!

that's exciting!!

thanks for stopping by today!

happy to be a new follower of yours!

<3

Melissa said...

I follow you on bloglovin'
My best decorating tip is to be clever and sneaky when storing things by using cute boxes or shelves to reduce clutter.

<3 Melissa
melissa.lynn.amaral@gmail.com
wildflwrchild.blogspot.com

M.E said...

Happy blogiversary! Would love to enter this giveaway!!
I've been a follower on gfc since the very beginning ;) ;)
My decorating tip? let your imagination flow and make your home a cozy one :)


http://fashion-gourmet.blogspot.com/

Kelinha said...

Nice blog* Would you like to follow each other?

ST said...

Congratulations on your blogiversary!

Jenee C. said...

Happy blogiversary to you! This giveaway sounds like it was made for me, I love collecting books especially those on art, architecture and interiors. Following you on GFC and Bloglovin'. And as for decorating tip, do not underestimate the power of white.

xx Jenee C.
{camo meets couture}

Beauty Follower said...

Although they say don't judge a book from its cover... this one promises a great book!

Ivana said...

Happy blogiversary, sweetie! Your blog is one of the most beautiful and inspiring places in the blogosphere, I love your photos, and you always share the prettiest editorials that I don't see everywhere else. I hope there are many many more years of inspiring blogging to come! I already have this book, so you don't need to include me in your giveaway, I just wanted to drop by and say thanks for all the inspiration you provide!
I'm still keeping my fingers for you and your recovery!

Have a wonderful day!

xx Ivana
Macarons and Pearls

Alexandra said...

Happy blogiversary love!

Alexandra xo

tovogueorbust.com

Miss Aggie Kwong said...

it's great that you make it to an anniversary! Happy blogging!
lovely blog and pictures here.

Following u now via Goggle +/ bloglovin/ facebook. Follow me back if you like! ♥
Say meow to me on:
Miss Kwong: From Catwalk to Classroom
Facebook: Miss Kwong From Catwalk to Classroom

mes bijoux said...

wow! happy blogiversary! I really love your beautiful giveaway!
about my deco tip: try to find the hidden treasure in a fleamarket or secondhand shop, because you will add some special thing to your home.
kisses from Barcelona!

Unknown said...

Love the giveaway. I have to agree with the sofa-chair one. It's important to care about ergonomics as much as style. One of my best decorating tips is adding simple, colorful yet functional pieces like storage ottoman to every room. Storage space is always a good thing in my book and I hate cluttered rooms. I have ottoman even in the bathrooms. :)

xx
Heel in Mint

Fashion-isha said...

Congratulations!! I want to win and I follow you on google. Keep up the great blog!
xo
Sharon

Ice Goddhez Blog said...

Wow! Congratulations on your Blogversary! :)
Thanks for visiting my blog and letting me know about it too.
I'm now following you via GFC and Bloglovin'.
Hope we can follow each other. :)

~Chai
http://chenmeicai.blogspot.com
http://lookbook.nu/chenmeicai
http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/2957855
http://www.nuffnangx.com/user/hJK222B

Inés said...

Happy First Blogiversary!!! I'm so proud of having followed you for more than half of its first year ... and regarding the giveaway ... as I'm already your follower on GFC and bloglovin I can only add that I want 'The Perfectly Imperfect Home' by Deborah Needleman!, pretty please!!!...and my tip in decor: You can not have it ALL! hehe!
A big hug!
Inés
SimplyClassyMe.blogspot.com

Lyosha Varezhkina said...

soo cool! congrats with blogaversary!

Lyosha
Inside and Outside Blog

Unknown said...

gello honey!
I just found your blog and it is really nice!
check my blog if you want and maybe follow if you like it!
there is a guest post opportunity too!
xoxo

www.fashionrailways.com

NATALIE said...

hap hap happy blogiversary deary! thanks for stopping by my blog btw :)

followed you on GFC

my tip would have to beeee *drum rolls*

heading to vintage stores and buying old vases and cups (and washing them thoroughly of course haha) ... which i than fill with stuff like my makeup brushes or pens...it really gives the room some character! xo

DC2NYCo said...

Happy Blogiversary,dear!!!
It's amazing time flies so fast, my blog is celebrating one year too this month!
My decorating tip is minimalism sometimes tells a deeper story.
I'm your follower on GFC and bloglovin.

DC2NYConfessions Blog

The Dainty Dolls House said...

Happy Blog-anniversary doll!! I hope your blog has many more of them too!! Much love and many blessings to you and your wonderful blog, I always enjoy coming here :)) xx

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