It’s time to choose a winner for the Eliza + Axel Flora Tee!

Drum roll, please…

The winner is:

Cynthia Richardson!

I’ve already sent you an email, Cynthia, as well as Eliza, so the two of you can connect.  Once you’ve received your shirt, I’d love it if you’d let me know how you like it!  (I <3 pictures.)

Thank you all for playing.  Stick around – I have two more giveaways coming up shortly!  While you wait, take another look at Eliza + Axel: she’s offering $10 off everything in her store, and has new designs to choose from (including shoes).

Since I found her last year, Etsy designer Eliza – better known as ELIZA + AXEL – has been an inspiration to me.  The epitome of eco-friendly, Eliza uses recycled materials to transform the common t-shirt into something far more interesting.

These aren’t your typical screen-printed tees.  They’re made using recycled embellishments, which are hand-sewn onto each Alternative Apparel tee with care, creating naturally-inspired, feminine designs.

(I like this version of “floral” a lot better than the myriad of prints I’ve been seeing in stores lately.)

Eliza has offered up her most popular tee, the Flora tee, to be given away to one lucky Awakened Aesthetic reader! The offer is open to anyone – all over the world, no restrictions.  Here’s how to enter:

1. First, add Awakened Aesthetic to your RSS reader (or enter your email address in the sidebar).  With three more giveaways already on the docket for the next few months, this isn’t a bad idea anyway.
2. Then, comment on this post with which color you’d choose – white, red, black or blue – and which size.  (See Eliza’s shop for sizing information.)

Want more entries?  Make a separate comment for each of these, and you’ll have a better chance of winning.  (You can do any, all, or none of these.)

1. Follow Eliza (@ElizandAxel) and me (@errant_)on Twitter.
2. Retweet the giveaway!  “Giveaway on AwakenedAesthetic.com: a handmade embellished floral tee by @ElizandAxel! http://tinyurl.com/AAFreeFloraT (via @errant_)” (You can retweet up to once a day; comment here each time you tweet.)
3. Follow the both of us on Facebook (http://tinyurl.com/AwakeAestheticFacebook and http://tinyurl.com/ykeu59p).
4. Then get another entry by sharing the giveaway on Facebook – you can use the green “Share” button at the bottom of this post, or grab it off of the Awakened Aesthetic Facebook page.
5. Comment with another favorite from Eliza + Axel.  The Ava Tunic?  The Cameo Tee?  The Nina Dress?  (Mine is the Fiona Tee.)

Remember: You have to leave a separate comment for each of these, or they won’t count!  (I tally the comments to randomly choose a winner.)

As someone who adores handmade, embellished pieces, but has absolutely zero creative talent, this is all very exciting (and I’m a little jealous of the winner, who will be chosen on June 1.)  If you do have some talent with a needle, though, Eliza + Axel offers a kit to create a Flora tee of your own.)

Good Luck!

I seem to be a very lucky girl, lately: when Tread Light Gifts did a Twitter trivia giveaway last week, my fingers were fast enough to win me some super gourmet 479 Organic Popcorn.  The popcorn is featured in two of Tread Light’s gift baskets – the Super Green Snacker Kit and The Ultimate Happy Hour – and even the packaging looked kind of tasty:

Everything in that photo is reusable or recyclable – even the gift tag!  It’s embedded with wildflower seeds, so if you toss it under a couple of handfuls of dirt you’ll get to eat your popcorn in a field of pretty.  But, being a food freak, I couldn’t wait for that.

I brought the Black Truffle + White Cheddar to a family get-together as a snack, and though my little sister tried to hide it in her room at first (“What popcorn?  I don’t see any popcorn”) eventually we all got to try it.  The flavor was delicate and complicated – great for a small snack without being overpowering.

Though I’m dying to try the Pimentòn de La Vera – smoked paprika with tomato and onion – I promised my boyfriend that I’d wait until my birthday picnic to break it out.  I have a feeling it’ll be perfect for making my special day a little more fancy.  In the mean time, I’m checking out the other flavors on the 479 website, as well as the array of gift baskets over at Tread Light Gifts.  (Anyone else have no idea what to do for Father’s Day?  Maybe I should get him the Rock Star Snacker – his reaction to the recycled record bowl would be priceless.  Either way, it comes with Theo Chocolate, an organic chocolate company based out of Seattle.)

Hey, foodies!  Any wine recommendations to go with a spicy paprika? I’m at a loss when it comes to pairings, but would like to sneak a bottle and a couple of glasses to celebrate my twenty-sixth.  (One thing I do know, though: with how low in calories this light snack can be, I won’t have to worry about unfashionable bloat.  This site is about green fashion, after all.)

…or two, actually!

If you haven’t yet entered my giveaway, featuring Christina Entcheva’s gorgeous art, you’re too late. The last chance to enter was last night at midnight, and today is the day I announce the winners, chosen using Random.org, a random number generator.

First up is the winner of a set of two buttons (of your choice!) imprinted with Christina Entcheva’s art.  And the winner is…

Kristy from Eats & Interests!

Random.org embarrassed me a little by picking someone I actually know as the first winner…but I was redeemed when it picked the second, who I’ve never even seen on Awakened Aesthetic before (but kind of hope I see again).  The grand prize winner of the Twins print is…

Tim Aguilar!

Congratulations to both of you!  Please send me an email at jen@awakenedaesthetic.com so I can forward your contact information to Christina.

And as for the rest of you: there’s more to come, I promise.  For those that were truly enamored with Christina’s art, she’s got beautiful things at great prices in her Etsy shop…and I bet she’ll even use your feedback to choose which not-for-sale designs to add to her shop next.  Consider placing an order with her – to find such beautiful art at such a low price is pretty rare.

And for those of you looking for a handout, I’ve got a couple more giveaways in the works, so stay tuned!

Let’s start the week off right: Graphic designer and illustrator Christina Entcheva has partnered with Awakened Aesthetic for a giveaway!

I’ve known Christina (through the internet) for a while now, and I’ve always been jealous of her vision, creativity, and artistic talent.  This little piece of gorgeous was born in Bulgaria and emigrated to the U.S. in 1993, bringing with her a love of drawing that she’s had for as long as she can remember.  However, she only recently started doing it professionally – instead, she pursued a career in graphic design.  Her new Etsy shop is located here.

In her free time (what free time?) she works on developing identity and print projects with emerging musical talent, non-profit organizations, and small businesses.  I couldn’t ask for someone more conscious, more “awakened,” than her.

On to the giveaway! We’ve got two gifts for you.  The first is a set of two buttons, imprinted with Ms. Entcheva’s awesome art:

[Click the image for greater detail!]

The above designs are all available in her Etsy store for a buck fifty each, but if you win, you have your pick of her illustrations for your prize.

The second, grander prize, is a 9 x 7.5 unframed print of Christina’s most popular piece, “Twins.”

[Click the image to make it larger.]

This is a limited edition print run, signed and numbered by Christina, so it’s a pretty wicked steal.  (But if you don’t win, it’s also available at her shop, here.)

Because this is my first giveaway, I wanted to give you tons of ways to win. Some are easy (see numbers one and two) and some are blatant self promotion, but they all mean more chances at free limited edition art.

1. Go to Christina’s Etsy page, peruse her art, and comment with a link to your favorite print.  (Don’t forget to check out her mixed media pieces.)
2. Go to her website, ChristinaEntcheva.com, and comment with the design, illustration, pattern, or collage that isn’t for sale, but should be.  (She’s got tons of work that’s just ripe for the picking, in my opinion.)
3. Add me on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway at @craftyasparagus.  Then leave a comment with a link to your tweet.
4. And for two more entries, link this giveaway on your blog and comment here with the link to your entry.
   

**Remember: you MUST list your email in every entry to the contest, or I won’t be able to contact you!**  (That means your entry won’t count, which will suck.  A lot.)

This giveaway ends on Monday, May 4 @ 11:59pm and I’ll announce the winners on Wednesday, May 6.  Applicable to US residents only.  Good luck!

They just keep coming!  Here are a few more Earth Week steals and deals to keep you salivating:

Photos c/o SPUN

SPUN Sale: Classic Organic Clothing for $10-$50!  First of all, I love SPUN.  They were by far my favorite booth at the Green Festival (in fact, they’re getting their own feature post soon) and their organic cotton shirts fit like a dream. The owner and designer, Sara  Seumae, is a down-to-earth mom who is all about making organic clothing look classy, not hippie-trashy.  I already own her cowl neck shirt and TWO of those Beater Tanks shown above (in blue and pink, if you’re curious), which layer perfectly and have a great pop of color to start off spring.  Check out the sale at TheGreenLoop.com and show your support for Sara’s organic sassiness!

 
Photo c/o JonesSoda.com

Jones Soda Goes Off the Grid for Earth Day: Jones Soda is inviting Seattlites to come pedal with them tomorrow so they can keep their plant running off of human power alone.  That’s right: they’re going off of the electrical grid to show their support of Earth Day.  Joining in on the pedalling action nets you free Jones Soda shwag, but if you’re not near the plant you can still get in on the action: make an Earth Day pledge and they’ll send you a free Jones Soda coupon. It’s that simple!

Photo c/o TreadLightGifts.com

Tread Light Living is Giving Away Clean, Green Kit: Tread Light is all about eco-chic living, and they’re putting their money where their mouth is by giving away a free Tread Light Gifts Super Green Snacker Kit.  The kit includes organic popcorn, chocolate, nut mixes and more, and it’s even packaged in a resuable organic cotton bag…so what are you waiting for?  Check out their blog here and click the link to enter to win.

When it comes to blogging, here’s the secret to keeping up with the Jones’s: don’t get sick.

I’ve had a nasty cold all week, and it’s made doing anything – not just posting, but walking the dog, doing laundry, getting my lazy butt out of bed – seem tragically exhausting. If I’ve been letting you down with what seem like filler posts, that’s why. I promise, though, that some awesome things are coming down the pipe at Awakened Aesthetic, and they’re all things that you, my dear reader, are going to love.

Is there anything else you’d like to see me talk about? Feel free to use to Skribit suggestion box on the site’s sidebar (feedreaders and LJers, click here) or comment on this post. I really enjoy hearing from all of you!