Tag: American Express

Social Space Makeover Contest Finalists

I’m working with American Express to give away 150,000 Membership Rewards points and a custom Making it Lovely design plan. We’re looking to help people make over their social spaces; the spaces where they spend time with family and friends. Nearly three hundred people entered (here was the original call for entries), and it was no easy task for me to narrow them down to just ten finalists. There were poems and haikus, letters from non-persons, clever videos, photos with funny captions… it was a pleasure to receive so many wonderful entries (thank you)!

Below are the finalists’ entries. I tried to even the playing field by giving everyone the same photo/video space (500×750 pixels), and approximately the same description length (this symbol […] means that I edited the comment for length). Many of the finalists have additional photos and information, so I’ve included a link to them (and also to the original comment) with each.

Now it’s your turn to vote! The winner will receive 150,000 Membership Rewards points and a custom Making it Lovely design plan to help guide them in redoing their space. The second place winner will also receive a prize: a $100 gift card to The Home Depot. So here we go! The finalists, in no particular order…
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June 13, 2011
Social Space Makeover Contest
I’ve been able to work with some amazing sponsors here on Making it Lovely. Last year, I partnered with American Express and used their Membership Rewards points program to redo our bedroom. This summer, I was offered the chance to redo another space with 150,000 points, but I’ve been very fortunate lately, and I thought that you might like the opportunity instead. So I’m working with them to give it away!

(That’s enough to win that settee above and then some!)

You could redeem points for gift cards to stores like Pottery Barn, west elm, or Crate & Barrel (I love using my points that way, though I’ve been eying the camera equipment lately.) Or go for something fun like a Wii or a barbecue. There are a million things from which to choose.

Winning 150,000 American Express Membership Rewards points would go pretty far in redoing a room. Given a shopping spree like that, what would you get? I’ll tell you what you should get. Wait, that sounds like I should be shaking my fist at you. What I mean is that the winner will also receive a custom design plan from me with advice and suggestions for the makeover!

A little before & after inspiration…

Brandon and I did this backyard patio makeover on our own (manual labor and all), but every post about makeovers should include a little inspiration! The contest winner will receive a custom design plan like the one I created for our patio to help guide them (though you’d be free to use the points however you wish).

So, how do you enter?

American Express and I want to help you makeover your social space. It could be the living room where everyone hangs out and chats, your kitchen (everyone always ends up in the kitchen at parties, right?), or maybe a it’s a patio or back deck. Where do you spend time with family and friends? We want to help you spruce it up!

Leave a comment with the following to enter:
- Tell me what space you want to make over, and why. Be brief (a few sentences is fine). I’ll be including your words in the voting round if you’re a finalist!
- I need photo(s) and/or video of the space. This will also help determine the finalists, and your images are part of what people will be voting on, so make ’em good! You can host your photos and videos on free sites like flickr or YouTube, or you could post them to your blog if you have one. Please don’t post photos or video here — simply include a link to them in your comment.
- You can enter as many separate spaces as you’d like, but only one entry per person will be selected in the finals.
- Make sure you enter a valid email address when leaving your comment. It won’t be published publicly, but I’ll need it to contact you if you’re a finalist.
Entries will be accepted through Saturday, June 11, at 11:59 PM CST, and only US residents are eligible. I’ll select the top ten finalists and post them on Monday, the 13th. The winner of the 150,000 Membership Rewards points and custom design plan will then be chosen by readers of Making it Lovely! The runner-up will also receive a prize: a $100 gift card to The Home Depot. Good luck to all of you!

* June 12: Comments are now closed. The ten finalists will be announced Monday, June 13.
June 6, 2011
Ask John Gidding

The Twitter Chat with John Gidding will take place tomorrow (Thursday) night at 8:30p.m. EST/ 5:30 p.m. PST. If you haven’t already, be sure to add your questions for John to answer. And remember too that by commenting on that post you’ll be entering to win one of ten great prizes! Really, I’m a little jealous.

Good luck in the giveaway, and I hope to see you tomorrow on Twitter! We’ll have tons of solutions and advice for you, so be sure to follow along with #AmexHome to participate in the chat. Of course, feel free to follow John (@JohnGidding) and I (@makingitlovely) as well.

July 28, 2010
Om

We’ve just returned from a family reunion this weekend at Backbone State Park in Iowa. It was a lovely trip, but we’re glad to be home too.

I’m feeling a bit… overwhelmed, trying to get back into the rhythm of things. Do you ever feel this way? Already today I have overnighted a package to a magazine for a fun project in the works, invoiced an overseas customer for a bulk order from the shop, processed five other Pink Loves Brown orders, and I am now working on a crafty tutorial to go along with that package I shipped to the magazine. I also let Eleanor nap on me this morning which didn’t do much for my productivity, but it is one of my favorite things to do. Anyway, it’s wonderful to be so busy (so much better than not having any work coming in), but it is sometimes difficult to find enough hours in a day.

And oh my, Brandon bought The Twilight Saga for me. No, I hadn’t read any of them, and I hadn’t seen any of the movies, and I hadn’t intended to. We were discussing the series the other day though and I mentioned that I hadn’t heard of anyone being disappointed in reading the books. I said that while they are certainly not serious literature, they must be fun to read. So he surprised me with the full set. Hardcover. Complete with a decorative slipcase and limited edition print. I’m already almost finished with the first book (they go quickly), and I can’t wait to keep reading.

I’ve also been greatly enjoying reading your questions for John Gidding. If you haven’t added yours yet (for the chance to win some pretty amazing prizes), feel free to do so here. We’ll be answering as many as we can on Thursday night at 8:30 EST during our Twitter Chat (follow along with #AmexHome), but you’ve also given me some ideas for future topics here on Making it Lovely.

Let me leave you with this photo today. I think it’s hilarious, but it also makes me think I should just stop for a few minutes, close my eyes, and relax. Om…

July 26, 2010
Twitter Chat with John Gidding, and a HUGE Giveaway!
You remember the lovely bedroom redesign that I did with the help of Membership Reward Points from American Express, yes? Well now I am working with them again to host a Twitter Chat with HGTV designer John Gidding. John will be giving tons of advice next Thursday on how to decorate and find creative ways to stretch your budget — just like I did using my points.

John and I will be on Twitter for one hour on Thursday, July 29 at 8:30p.m. EST/ 5:30 p.m. PST (search #AmexHome). John will be answering your home design questions about anything from creating amazing guest spaces to choosing the right colors for your home. He’ll also have plenty of inexpensive ways to get your home ready for sale and ideas for upgrading rooms on a tight budget.

Now, you may have noticed the whole HUGE giveaway thing we’ve got going on here…

How do you enter to win?

Comment on this post with your questions for John and we’ll discuss some of them during our Twitter Chat. By leaving a comment, you’ll be entered to win items like a KitchenAid mixer, a Bissell vacuum, or a set of Cuisinart cookware (all of which can be bought with Membership Rewards points). There will be ten winners in this giveaway! Here are the prizes:
1. Cuisinart® 10-Piece Commercial Cookware Set
2. Cuisinart GR-4N Griddler
3. Krups FBC2 6-slice Convection Toaster Oven
4. All-Clad 6.5 Quart Stainless Slow Cooker with Ceramic Insert
5. KitchenAid Stand Mixer with Attachment Pack ( Empire Red)
6. Wusthof Classic 8-Piece Block Set
7. Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Upright Vacuum Cleaner
8. DeLonghi Esclusivo Magnifica Super Automatic Machine
9. Viking® Professional Digital Hand Mixer
10. Le Creuset® 7.25 Quart Round French Oven
(All of these items are available on membershiprewards.com.)

This giveaway is open to US residents only, one entry per person. Ten winners will be randomly chosen on July 30 to win one prize each. International readers are welcome to participate in the Twitter Chat and submit questions, but are not eligible to win. Remember you can ask anything about design and home improvements — this is a fun chance to get advice from an HGTV designer!

I know many of you are following me on Twitter @makingitlovely, but you can also follow John @JohnGidding. If you want to get some ideas for home improvement immediately, go to membershiprewards.com/home. And be sure to follow along to #AmexHome with John and I on Twitter next Thursday.

* Update *
Thanks for joining us for the Twitter chat, everybody! Comments (and therefore entries) are now closed. Congratulations to the ten winners: Aimee (aimeeroo), Mim (mimsfam), LeeAnn (leeannhuber), Sara (naturemurph), Sarah (Sarahquail110), Cara, (cara.andersen), Suzy (sayitaintsuzy), Sarah (Pooglit), Devon (devon.cook), and Kc (kcerveny).
July 22, 2010
This is What Our Bedroom Looks Like

I’ve been working with American Express to redo my bedroom. They provided me with a total of 300,000 Membership Rewards points.

Hello, dark and lovely bedroom.

Everything came together just as I hoped it would. The colors and patterns of the new bedding look great together, and our bed feels so soft with its new pillows and comforter.

The Edison Chandelier is amazing.

We do have our fears about Eleanor jumping on the bed or swinging a pillow and breaking the bulbs. We may need to revisit our lighting options in a few years, but right now we are absolutely loving the chandellier.

I like the little pop of red from our phone, and the yellow of the lacquered tray holding magazines by my side of the bed.

I really love the play between light and dark in the room. Sheer white shades, white curtains, and painted white trim all provide a nice balance to the zinc walls, gray rug, dark furniture, and the Jacobean bamboo flooring.

Our overflow of books has been contained by the new bookshelf.

The bedroom is somewhat small and there is already a lot going on visually, so we wanted the new art to be subtle. I love the antiqued zinc finish against our ‘zinc’ wall color.

Soporific.

June 14, 2010