first of all, you ladies broke a SMC record - we had 108 entries for this shannon nicole contest!!  that’s pretty amazing :)  so, thank you for that.

now, on to the fun stuff.  congratulations to…

jill, entry #67, who said: “love the headbands!  must win one!”.  well, congrats, wish granted!

and katie, entry #95, who won with her bonus entry for posting the contest on her blog.  oddly, she also picked out my favorite gossip girl quote:  “haven’t you heard? i’m the crazy bitch around here.”  so, kudos to her for winning and for being my GG partner in crime!

the ladies who won need to email me sometime today to claim their prizes at editor at shoppingsmycardio dot com.

a huge, huge thanks to all of you…and to shannon nicole for sponsoring such a fun giveaway!  if you didn’t win, you can pick up your favorite at shop a list right now!  and please do stay tuned - there are more fab giveaways coming up this month!!

how fun are these headbands by designer shannon nicole?  part gossip girl, part kenley from project runway, feathered accents like these are oh-so-hot this season.  i love that you can choose how brightly you want to feather your nest.  the pheasant style (center) is pretty mellow, all things considered, and blends beautifully into lighter hair.  the ostrich (left) is a great option to show off a bigger flash of the trend, while still keeping your look tailored.  and the robin (right), well, that’s for a night on the town - no question about it.  throw this on with your favorite metallic minidress, and you’ll be the toast of the party!  you can see all of her fab designs over at shop a list (along with loads of other lovely things).

what’s more, the absolutely fabulous designer of these gorgeous accesories has generously offered up TWO of her designs for you darling readers!  fantastic, no?  so, to find one of these lovelies in your mailbox, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post.  i’ll draw two winners a week from today (nov 3)! 

and as always, bonus entries!  if you leave a second comment telling me where you shared the news about this giveaway, you’ll get a bonus entry.  and, just for fun, i’m going to give a bonus entry if you tell me your favorite gossip girl moment, outfit, or catch phrase - just be sure to leave it in a second comment, as we can’t test my math skills too seriously.

now that labor day is behind us, it’s officially fall!  in celebration, i’m thrilled to introduce our first fall giveaway, sponsored by the fabulous people at nest bags!  i am absolutely crazy about this pleated frame bag, and was thrilled when they offered it up to one of you lovely readers (after only briefly considering just keeping it for myself!).

this gorgeous jacquard bag (which retails at $154) encompasses so many fall trends, i hardly know where to begin.  that lovely rich navy shade is the ideal pop against traditionally drab fall tones, and jacquard prints are absolutely everywhere this season.  add to that the stylish structure on this frame bag and those fabulous pleated details, and you have an accessory guaranteed to stop traffic.

lately, i’ve been eschewing the pile of big-name bags in my closet, because the reality is that my more under-the-radar bags are, without fail, the ones that get the most compliments and the most attention.  plus, i get so very tired of going out and seeing 15 other women carrying my bag.  nest bags really are perfect for that casual, attention-grabbing style that i’m after from my accessories. 

so, for those of you who are drooling over this lovely design from nest as much as i am, here’s how to enter:  drop a comment telling us what trend for fall you’re most excited about, and i’ll draw a winner on monday, sept 8 (yes, we’re running this contest through the weekend).  and as always, to get a bonus entry:

1. use that cute little “share this” purple heart at the bottom of the post to pass the contest along to the group of your choice,
2. come back and leave a comment telling us where you shared it (you do have to leave a second comment!),
3. poof…bonus entry!

don’t forget to check back on monday to see your name in lights…you’ll have 24 hours to claim your bounty!

okay!  so the winner this week is Melissa W., who won that amazing elizabethW eau de parfum with the bonus entry she got for posting the contest on facebook!  here’s what she had to say:

I took this “assignment” as an excuse to post about your blog to my Facebook page, inviting my friends to see why I laugh in their faces when they accuse me of being into fashion. Hopefully they will come check out the guru.

i love how we always end up with winners whose quotes are so nice!  thanks for the lovely words, melissa - and enjoy that fab new perfume!  just don’t forget to email me by monday morning with your mailing info, so we can get that sent out to you (assuming i don’t swipe it for myself!  kidding, kidding…)

if you didn’t win, i still strongly encourage you to check out a fragrance or two from elizabethW.  if you need help narrowing the field, drop me a line at editor[@]shoppingsmycardio.com…i’m a total addict, so i know their fragrances pretty well by now!

huge thanks to everyone who entered, especially those of you who tried something new and spread the word about shoppingsmycardio to score that extra entry in the contest!  what did you guys think of that twist to the giveaway, by the way…should we keep it up?

this is your last chance to score that faaaabulous eau de parfum from elizabethw - entries close at midnight tonight!  but right now, your odds are through the roof.  don’t blow it…enter now!

we’re a day late on this week’s giveaway, but trust me when i tell you it was worth the wait!  this week, the fantastic owners of elizabethW would like one of you to have a full-size bottle of their eau de parfum in my favorite fragrance, sweet tea!  i have to admit - this one is taking some discipline to give away, rather than keep for myself.

you know i love just about everything over at elizabethW, but sweet tea is a hands-down favorite in my perfume drawer.  the scent is so mellow and familiar, but has just enough going on to keep it really interesting.  it stays delicate because of the honey and lemon notes, but then that earthy black tea scent comes in and keeps it from being too precious.  it’s a hard scent to explain, but i’ve never met anyone that didn’t love it. 

so, to enter, comment below!  we’ll draw a winner on friday, and you’ll have to email me by monday with your address - easy peasy. 

and just to keep things interesting, i’m going to let everyone earn an extra entry this week by trying out one of the super cool new features on the site (bribery is the ultimate encouragement)!  if you like it, maybe we’ll make it a permanent bonus feature :)  for your bonus entry:

1. pick your favorite post on shoppingsmycardio - it can be this contest, of course, but any post will do.
2. use that little purple heart at the bottom of the post (it says “share it” next to the heart) to send it out into the ether somewhere:  digg it, stumble it, facebook it…any of the options you see there. 
3. then, come back and comment to tell me what you sent out there and where you sent it!

presto, bonus entry!  just trying to share the love far and wide ;)  good luck, everyone!!

…the lovely Meagan, entrant #13, who had such kind things to say:

Well, I love the idea of the bee tank, but I love the color of the peacock, so I’d go with that one.

I’m excited for the new site - I love checking here every day to see what you have on your radar, and it’s so user friendly

aww, thanks, meagan!  congrats on your win - just email me (editor [@] shoppingsmycardio [.] com) by monday morning with your address and size, and we’ll get that peacock tank right out to you!

and for the rest of you, well, don’t fret - your conscience is lovingly bestowing a 20% discount code on each and every one of you!  just enter code SHOPPING at checkout for your discount.  so, you can pick up the tank you loved best for $24 (or one of each!), which is a fantastic deal!  snap one up now!

if you haven’t done it yet, what are you waiting for??  enter now!

welcome to week two of the big celebration bash for the new shoppingsmycardio site.  this week, we’re giving away one of the darling tanks above to one lucky reader, courtesy of your conscience!  

the fantastic owner of your conscience happens to be their fabulously talented designer as well.  she’s come out with these adorable tanks, just in time for this beastly heat we’re all dealing with, and my only problem is choosing which ones to buy!  plus, as with all conscience tees, a whopping 16% of the purchase price goes to support an environmental charity of your choice.  

but i have to admit…i’m really just in it for the darling duds - seriously, aren’t these new designs the best?  i’m so torn between that gorgeous blue peacock print and the a-little-too-appropriate queen bee print on the right.  decisions, decisions.  

to enter, it’s the usual drill - post a comment below, telling us which tank you’d pick if you won, and we’ll announce a winner on friday!  entries close thursday at midnight PDT, no anonymous entries allowed (duh), and you’ll have to email me by monday to claim your prize if you’re lucky enough to win!  i know…rules, rules, rules.

and stick around - we have another fabulous week planned for you!  i’m reviewing some fabulous new beauty goods, adding to your summer ‘beach read’ list, plus the usual fashion finds and deals.  but if you’re jonesing for some beauty advice, check out the fruits of my exhaustive research on at-home spa treatments over at the daily obsession today!

before i announce, i’d just like to get sappy for a moment and really thank everyone for going gangbusters over the new site.  your comments were so wonderful - they gave me serious warm fuzzies.  and so many of you sent your friends, coworkers, and even family over to check out the new site - it’s been so fun to see so many new faces, along with all of our regular loyal readers that we so adore!  anyway, it’s just beyond thrilling to have each and every one of you around…i’m so flattered, and so grateful.  

aaaaaaaanyway…

my trusty random number generator tells me that the lovely alison is our winner!  alison’s very kind comment:

I really like the new look, especially the header. It looks like it should be easy to navigate as well. Congratulations on the upgrade! 

thank you so much for the kind words, alison!  email me by monday morning with your shipping info, and the lovely ladies at two sisters jewelry will send your goodies right on out!

for those that didn’t win, well, stay tuned.  we have loads of fabulous giveaways planned this month to celebrate the new site (including one we’ll announce monday!).

and in the meantime, for those that didn’t win it, but still covet it - two sisters is offering all of us free shipping through the end of July.  just use code JULYFREESHIP at checkout.  their prices are already so fantastic, the free shipping makes their jewelry such a deal you’d be just silly not to pick something up!