{Birthday giveaway: Kitchen goodies}

Today's birthday giveaway is one for the foodies. I recently blogged about how I often find myself inspired by food styling and the photography of recipe books. The kitchen is often full of exotic smells and exciting colours; it's one of the most sensory experiences inside the home and, I think, a place for endless inspiration when it comes to interiors.

If you're a fan of baking or kitchen paraphernalia, then you are luck because there are two prizes up for grabs today. The fun and funky Poppie muffin tray not only looks good when it's not in use, but being made out of silicone it makes baking so much easier. Whoever wins this has to bake me mini muffins, though...just kidding!

The second of today's prizes is the Lapu Lapu chopstick set, which sees a collaboration between Habitat and Italian designer Paola Navone. The collaboration includes bowls, plates and more, all of which feature the signature fish logo of Navone's studio. Win this funky chopstick set and Asian dining will never be the same again!

Images: Habitat

To enter this foodie giveaway, leave a comment explaining why your kitchen is in need of these stylish utensils. I'll randomly pick two comments when it closes at midnight tonight, and the winners will get either the Poppie tray or the Lapu Lapu set. Best of luck!

T's & C's: This giveaway is open to UK residents only, due to Habitat's delivery policy and closes at midnight on 9th March 2010. Only one entry per reader, please. The winner will be chosen at random by random.org. The Poppie tray and the Lapu Lapu set cannot be exchanged for cash or any other goods.

More Than Words: Typographical Screen Print Giveaway!

I'm delighted to welcome More Than Words to Bright.Bazaar as one of the site's newest sponsors. Lisa Long launched her bespoke typographical art business in 2010 and hasn't looked back since, attracting high praise from respected industry titles such as Livingetc, who described her works as "the way to tell someone how you feel, stylishly." And how right there were: Lisa's designs have been picked up by a wide range of customers, from Dannii Minogue to screenwriter and film director Richard Curtis, Long was even commissioned to create artworks for the headquarters of Wedding Ideas magazine. Phew! That's some client list, right?! Well, you, too can join this list as Lisa is giving one Bright.Bazaar reader the chance to win a hand-pulled 'I love you just the way you are' 40 x 50cm screen print. I love the use of colour in Lisa's works and this screen print is no exception with a gorgeous combination of teal and metallic gold. Check out her range of bespoke and collection designs here.

Here's how to enter (open to all readers internationally):

1. Leave a comment below saying where you would hang the More Than Words screen print.

2. Follow Bright.Bazaar on Google Friend Connect.

For extra entries do the following and leave a comment below for each numbered point. 

3. Like Bright.Bazaar and More Than Words on facebook.

4. Follow Bright.Bazaar and More Than Words on twitter.

5. Tweet a link to the giveaway. You can copy and paste this example if you like:

"Head on over to @Will_UK's blog where @MoreThanWordArt is giving away a screen print: http://tinyurl.com/3lz3ero"

6. Blog about the giveaway for three extra entries (leave three extra comments with link to blog post).
Giveaway closes at midnight GMT on Saturday 4th June 2011. The winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email.

{Birthday giveaway: Stationery loving}

I can't believe we're already half way through my week of birthday giveaways. Thank you to all of you who have joined in with the fun and commented so far, it's been lovely hearing about what you would do with the various potential additions to your homes. Today I have a nice and simple giveaway for you. For the chance to win two packs of Habitat postcards by John Murphy and Thierry Bisch, please leave a comment explaining who you would send a postcard to and why. Today's giveaway is open worldwide, so to my friends around the world, I'm so pleased you can enter this one. Best of luck!

Images: Habitat. Art: John Murphy and Thierry Bisch

T's and C's: This giveaway closes at midnight on the 10th March 2010 and is open to readers worldwide until it closes. Only one comment per reader, please. The postcards cannot be exchanged for cash or any other product. Thanks for entering.

{Anthropologie King's Road Store Tour and Giveaway}

As promised earlier this week, here's the store tour of Anthropologie's latest UK store on King's Road in London. Known for their imaginative visuals and in store displays, the visual team certainly didn't disappoint with their latest offerings. Enter camels, waterfalls, baths, banquet dining tables and greenhouses from stage right; basically, this place is an absolute treat to shop in...

Fancy some new Anthropologie bits for your kitchen? Well, to say thank you so much for all your loyal support, lovely comments and follows, I picked up a few bits to giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is follow Bright.Bazaar and leave a comment on this post saying why you love Anthropologie. For an extra entry, tweet, blog or post this giveaway on facebook and leave a second comment with a link to your tweet, blog or post. This is open to all my readers across the world; I'm so grateful for all your loyal reading - thanks again and good luck! x

T&C's: This giveaway is open to readers worldwide and will close at midnight on Tuesday 1st June 2010. Giveway products cannot be exhanged for cash or anything else. The winner will be chosen by random.org. If the winner is not contactable (i.e. no email address) then another winner will be chosen.

{Hunkydory home interview and giveaway}

I've been lucky enough to gain lots of new followers recently, which has made me really happy! Thanks to all of you who have signed up, commented, followed, or even just dropped by to check out this little blog, I really do appreciate it.

Since I started blogging, Alison from Hunkydory Home has always been a big supporter of Bright.Bazaar, so I was delighted when she agreed to let me have a sneak peak inside her home and chat about her inspirations. Hunkydory Home stocks a host of wonderfully colourful home accessories, and the store's products are never far from the glossy pages of the monthly home magazines. My favourite product at the moment is this Paris cushion for it's fun and colourful nature. Alison's story of how she built up her business is really inspiring. Here you can read about her interior tastes, her quirky online interiors business and flying green ducks in her living room...

How would you describe your interior style?

Colourful and eclectic; I don't follow trends. Instead, I just like to surround myself with things that make me feel happy.

Do you have any pet hates when it comes to interiors?

The 'neutralising' of homes a la the 'House Doctor' - the trend for painting everything magnolia and everyone having beige/brown/cream furniture and accessories - I just feel it's such a dull environment to live in. I think your home should reflect your personality.

What interior tips would you give to the Bright.Bazaar readers?

Fill your home with things you love, don't worry about what people will think - it's not a show home, it's your home. If you want bright green ducks flying up your living room wall, like me, then go for it!

What inspires you?

I spent my early years in Norway and have always loved Scandinavian design. I love pattern, colour and children's design. I follow a lot of blogs online and love trawling the pages of Etsy to see the fabulous creations people come up with.

What do you like about spring?

Leaving the long nights and cold weather behind, and being able to get outside again. I love spring because of the sense of a new beginning and the feeling of starting afresh again.

What encouraged you to start up Hunkydory Home?

I was working in an interior designers where all the products we sold were traditional and not to my taste. One day I was looking for a lampshade and couldn't find anything I liked so I decided to make one myself. Next I started selling them on Ebay and after they proved popular, I set up Hunkydory Home. At first I just stocked lampshades and cushions, but now I stock a whole range of handmade and design-led home accessories.

What is the best and worst thing about running your own business?


The best thing is being my own boss, for sure! The worst thing is never switching off, but that's probably worse for my family than for me as I love everything to do with my business!


You've done so well to build up the business from nothing; what's your proudest achievement to date?


I always feel very proud when I see our products in the press, particularly when it's something I've made myself.


Finally, you stock such a diverse range of homewares, but do you have a favourite?


That's so difficult! But if I had to choose, then I would go for the Black Cat Clock. We have it in our kitchen - the swishing pendulum tail is so fun!

Ok, so it's giveaway time! To be in with a chance of winning one of the clocks shown below (worth £44.00 each!) just choose one of the four colour options. Then leave a comment explaining which coloured clock you would choose, where you would put it your home and why. I'll randomly pick a winner from all the comments posted by 6:00pm on Friday 5th March. I can't wait to hear where you would choose to put these clocks in your home. (EU entrants only, sorry!)

Images: Hunkydory Home

T's and C's: I'm afraid this giveaway is open to EU residents only, due to shipping charges, but I hope to offer a USA giveaway soon! The winner will be decided by random.org when the competition closes at 6:00pm UK time on Friday 5th March. Only one entry per reader, please. The clock cannot be exchanged for cash or any other item.

{Birthday giveaway: Alarm clock}

Looking forward to a lie in this weekend? Well, it's the last of my birthday giveaways today but winning might make waking up on Monday mornings a little easier. It features this little fellow - the Okko alarm clock, which I first blogged about in a post on the birdy interior trend last year. A year on and birds are still hot property in interiors; Habitat have released the Okko alarm clock in bright red as part of their new SS10 collection. Fancy a chance at winning it? Pop a comment on this post telling me why you would like to wake up to the sound of bird song in the mornings! Good luck and thank you to all of you who have posted lovely comments on all the birthday giveaways this week.

Image: Habitat

T's and C's: This giveaway is open to UK readers only. The giveaway closes at midnight on 12th March and the winning comment will be chosen by random.org. The alarm clock cannot be exchanged for cash or any other product.

Print Giveaway: Coni Lab

I'm delighted to welcome Coni Lab to Bright.Bazaar as one of my new sponsors. Working out of Barcelona, Spain, Coni's designs have a wonderfully colourful, positive and upbeat feel about them. This, of course, makes them perfect for Mr. Bazaar! I really like her 'We Are a Team' designs and the 'Do What You Love / Love What You Do' duo is also very striking - perfect for a hallway, I think. My favourite print is the 'Life is Colourful' design and because of Coni's generosity, you can enter to win one! Here are the different ways you can enter (please leave a separate comment below for each entry you decide to do):

1. Leave a comment saying where you would hang the 'Life is Colourful' print if you won.

2. Like Bright.Bazaar on Facebook.

3. Follow me on twitter.

4. Follow Bright.Bazaar on Google Friend Connect.

5. Tweet the giveaway for an extra entry!

Giveaway closes at 23:59hrs on Monday 26 September and the winner will be chosen by random.org. Good luck!

{Birthday giveaway: Tommy desk lamp}

Image: Habitat

I've always enjoyed blogging about office interiors, both big and small and my regular feature, Office Inspiration has peeked into a diverse range of workspaces over the last twelve months. Some of my favourites include the colourful office of Orla Kiely, the gorgeous Urban Outfitters/Anthropologie headquarters in Philadelphia (proving big companies can encourage creativity) and the effortlessly cool yellow and black office of stylist Tim Neve.

This is why I'm delighted that the first birthday giveaway this week is a Habitat classic in the form of the Tommy desk lamp. Understated, yet ever so stylish this little fellow would add instant style to any workspace. Fancy a lovely new addition to your office? Leave a comment on this post about why the Tommy lamp would look great on your desk, and I'll randomly pick a winner from all comments by midnight tonight. Good luck!

T's & C's: I'm afraid this giveaway is open to UK residents only, due to Habitat's shipping policy. The winner will be decided by random.org when the competition closes at midnight on 8th March 2010. Only one entry per reader please. The lamp cannot be exchanged for cash or any other item.

{Birthday giveaway: Office accessories}

Today's birthday giveaway is my favourite of the week because I think the Palaset drawers and Osk photo frame combo not only looks great in bright fuchsia (a fab colour of SS10) but it's practical as well. From my Office Inspiration posts you'll know I think it's important to make the space you work in a colourful, pleasing and efficient environment. So, if you like this set of Habitat desk accessories, then it could be yours if you comment on this post telling me what you think makes a great office.

Images: Habitat

T's and C's: This giveaway is open to UK residents only and closes at midnight on 11th March 2010. The products cannot be exchanged for cash or any other products. The winning comment will be chosen by random.org. Thanks for entering.

Tiny Prints: Customised Business Cards Giveaway

What better way to kick off a new month than with a little giveaway from one of Bright.Bazaar's newest sponsors. I'm delighted to welcome Tiny Prints to the site because I'm a self confessed stationery geek! Tiny Prints offer a plethora of paper goods, including address labels, party invitations and business cards. Be sure to check out some of their colourful party invitations as there are some fab designs, especially the Splish Splash design! You could win a set of customised business cards from Tiny Prints simply by leaving a comment below. Good luck!
Giveaway winner will be chosen by random.org and will close at 00:01 GMT on Monday 4 July 2011.

Free Treats! 8 Giveaways & 8 Discount Codes

As a way to thank you all for your company over here on Bright.Bazaar this year I've teamed up with some of my lovely sponsors to arrange a few festive treats in the form of eight giveaways! As well as that, I've arranged eight generous discount codes/free gifts that you can take advantage of when you shop their stores. From interior accessories to paper goods you will be sure to find the perfect Christmas gift or even a little treat for yourself! Thank you to all the sponsors for their generosity.

For the chance to win one of the eight products in the left hand column above...

• Visit any of the sponsor shops from the links below, pick a product you like and then leave a comment below saying why you like it.

• For five extra entries, post a blog about any of the sponsors and this giveaway on your own blog then leave a further five comments below.

Shop links and discount codes

1. Mini Moderns -  Get 15% off their Festival cushion until 15 Dec with code: BAZAAR

2. Harabu House - Get 15% off everything until 10 Dec in their store with code: BRIGHT15

3. Our Workshop - Get 10% off everything until 20 Dec in their store with code: WELOVECOLOUR

4. Mariska Meijers - Get 10% off everything until 7 Dec in their store with code: DEC

5. Natural History - Get a free box of cards when you spend over £75. Just email here after you order. (Graphic above to be amended.)

6. Starfish Bay - Get 15% off everything until 9 Dec in their store with code: BRIGHTBAZAAR

7. Rowen and Wren - To celebrate their 6 month birthday get free gift wrapping throughout December for everything in their store with code: FREEWRAP7

8. Le Canot Rouge - Get 10% off everything and free international shipping from their store until 14 Dec with code: BONHIVER10

Small print: Giveaway closes at midnight GMT on 9 Dec 2011. Winning commenters will be chosen via eight random.org number searches and they will each win the product that corresponds to the same number as their search (i.e. if your comment number comes up on the first random.org search then you would win the Mini Moderns cushions, on the second search you would win the gold brushed bowl and so on). As the Starfish Bay throw is UK only, I will continue to search comment numbers on the sixth random.org search until a UK-based commenter's number is selected. (If you don't have a blog, please leave contact details and state whether you are UK based or not in your comment.) Prizes are non-transferable and all decisions made by random.org are final. Sponsors have the right to withdraw their discount codes at anytime without notice. Good luck!

Happy Weekend: Livingetc Winners!

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Last weekend was quiet and relaxing; the sofa and I had some serious bonding time. This weekend, however, I'll be working on some upcoming articles and features, which I'm looking forward to getting stuck into. After a long day it would be lovely to soak in this bath, admiring that stunning chandelier as I sipped a glass of bubbly and listened to soothing cracks and pops of the roaring log fire. Ah, a boy can dream, right?!

Before I pop off, I'm excited to announce that random.org chose comment numbers 40 and 16 from the Livingetc giveaway. Which means congratulations are in order for Saer over at Craven Maven and Julieann from CreateGirl! Drop me an email (details in the contact section) with the address to which you wish your subscription to be sent and I'll send it over to Livingetc to start your year's subscription. Thanks again to Livingetc for being so generous to help organise this wonderful giveaway - if you haven't yet, please do check out their new blog.

{10 Things I Learned This Weekend...}

1. This shirt and bow tie combo from Topman is too cute.

2. Turns out scrabble letters make for a rather darling wedding card.

3. Warwick Castle is a building that oozes confidence and grandeur.

4. Sunshine-laden walks through the park are simply perfect.

5. There might have been some excited yelps upon finding out that I won the fantastic Jonathan Adler giveaway hosted by Beth at Nest Interior Design. Yeah!

6. Bonnie reminded me how much I like geometric patterns with this snap of the floor at The Standard Grill, NYC.

7. More excitement as I discovered I won David's Savoir Faire giveaway.

8. The parcel which arrived from a great friend contained back issues of ReadyMade and made my weekend.

9. A bowl of spaghetti (lashed with cracked black pepper) is my ultimate comfort food.

10. SALT is not a good movie.

Livingetc Subscription Giveaway!

For a while now I've been wanting to find a little way to say thank you for the support you've given to Bright.Bazaar and my new column in Rue magazine. Whilst I was fortunate enough to meet some friends in New York and thank them in person, I know there are many of you out there who support from afar. So, to say 'thank you' and to celebrate the recent launch of Livingetc's new blog, Life.Style.etc, I've teamed up with the magazine to offer you guys a free year's subscription to Livingetc. Life.Style.etc is well worth a read as each day a different member of their editorial team posts about what has inspired them. As such the content is as diverse as it is entertaining; expect to read about the latest art exhibitions to independent interiors stores, along with a splash of fashionable accessories.

There are two yearlong subscriptions up for grabs for bloggers based in the UK or internationally. Plus, you can enter up to eight times for a chance to win. Pick and choose the ways you would like to enter (feel free to do them all if you like), but be sure to leave a comment for each separate entry. The giveaway will close at midnight on Wednesday 6th October 2010 and the two winners will be chosen at random. Good luck!

{10 Things I Learned This Weekend...}

1. Relaxed, drawn-out summertime walks with the sun gently warming your back have to be one of life's simplest, but greatest pleasures.

2. The Jonathan Adler butter dish I won from Nest Dallas looks great next to my jar of mini marshmallows. Laura from the team delivered excellent customer service, so big props to her. Also, thanks to the lovely Beth for organising the giveaway. You guys rock.

3. This is my favourite House Beautiful cover, ever. Their team have stepped it up!

4. These jars have undergone the Martha Stewart 'magic touch' and have come out the other side looking even more fun and fabulous!

5. Since visiting a castle recently I've become increasingly interested in history.

6. Hollyhock is yet another reason for a visit to the West Coast.

7. Three-hundred and sixty five ampersands in a year. Like the sound of that? Then have a little gander here!

8. Paper Anniversary revealed their design for my winning phrase from the Luxe and Lillies giveaway. Aren't they fun?!

9. Much lusting took place over this brown leather bag.

10. West Elm's city guides are pretty darn good.

{Wall Sticker Love}

Given my love for quirky wall stickers I felt it only right to highlight decor addict's fabulous first giveaway. I've been following decor addict for a year or so now and the lovely Trina, who writes the blog, has teamed up with Spin Collective who are offering 3 decor addict readers the chance to win wall stickers up to £30 in value. To be in with a chance of winning, simply comment on Trina's blog post here about what you would do with three different Spin Collective wall decals in your home. Good luck guys and thanks to decor addict and Spin Collective for the great giveaway! In the meantime, here's some of my favourite offerings from Spin Collective and with prices from as low as £4.00 a sticker how could you resist?!

Totoro 2

Planes Set

Symetrical Flowers Set

spincollective.co.uk

{Anthropologie Giveaway Winners}

I'm so excited to announce the three winners of my Anthropologie giveaway! Thank you all for entering, but also for your lovely comments and loyal reading of my little blog; it means so much to hear your thoughts and hear of your inspirations each day. Congratulations to the winners - please email me your postal addresses and I'll send your gifts onto you.

Bright.Bazaar

Sunday's Bright Links: Rustic Bathroom

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Elsewhere
A light-filled, open plan workspace.
Love the Cityscape Pillow project from Print Workshop.
This post reminded me of playing amongst the apple trees in our garden orchard when I was growing up.
Katie's publishing her own book of design interviews.
Freezing blue hues.
Fuchsia meets woodsy wedding inspiration (with customary owls!).
Inspiring logo designs.

Bright.Bazaar
10 things.
Favourites from IKEA Family Live's new website.
Toast's autumn house and home collection.
West Elm's Thanksgiving collection.
Coni Lab giveaway (open until Monday - enter now!)
A cosy autumnal bedroom.

Happy Weekend: Creative & Colourful

Photography | Andrew M. Boyd via HHM

Thank you for your company this week, folks! First off, congratulations to Carolina who won the Edge of Belgravia lime green chef's knife from last week's giveaway. This weekend I feel inspired to get my craft on, especially after seeing these creative still life shots by Andrew M. Boyd. I loved the heart-shaped set of cotton reels - such a sweet idea isn't it? On Saturday I'm headed to the flea market in the morning before a quick photo shoot in the afternoon; on Sunday I'll be spending time with family and cooking up some tasty treats. I hope you have fun weekend plans? Have a good one, friends!

{Things that make me happy #1}

I woke up to find that my friend Gavin Mackie sent me this image of the Habitat alarm clock he won in my birthday giveaway. Don't you think it looks fun?

Image: Gavin Mackie