Talking with Kim Myles :: $100 HomeGoods Giveaway

Remember last week when I told you that I teamed up with Apartment Guide for their annual Your Pick. Your Place. Sweepstakes? (Thanks to all of you for your votes! They are greatly appreciated). You may also remember me mentioning that I was going to be talking to Kim Myles via a conference call that same day. Well, I did just that. It was a dream come true.

So, first, a little bit about Kim.

"Kim Myles believes that personal décor should be driven by creativity, self-expression and a sense of humor. Her imaginative and generous approach to design helped her win HGTV’s Design Star, and inspired her home makeover show ‘Myles of Style’ for three seasons. She continues to host and design for shows like HGTV’d and America’s Biggest Yard Sale. 

This spring she launched her first line of DIY Decorating tools: Kim Myles ‘Global Glam’ Stencil Collection with Cutting Edge Stencils. Inspired by cultures and traditions from across the globe, her easy-to-use/wallpaper-sized stencils help people completely transform their space or furniture in a single afternoon.

Her firm Kim Myles Design is dedicated to meeting clients wherever they are within the design process. Whether bringing focus to an existing design or creating a beautiful and welcoming space from scratch, her goal is always the same: to demystify the design process while helping people trust and celebrate their individuality. 

Kim is a contributing columnist for numerous shelter publications and websites, blogs regularly at www.kimmyles.com, and is a veteran public speaker. She lives in California with her husband, their giant dog Ollie and a kitty named Pig."

As a lot of you know a dream of mine is to become a 'real designer' some day. I'm not exactly sure when I will officially earn that title. I'm hoping I will just know when it happens. Talking to Kim renewed my spirit and reminded me of this dream.

Anyway, my conversation with this fab TV Host and Design & Decor Expert took place over the phone with the three other blogger participating in the Your Picks. Your Place. Sweepstakes. We all prepared questions to ask and ended up having about 45 minutes to do so.

Without typing out the entire conversation, I thought I'd share a few points from the conversation that I thought were pretty valuable.

I asked Kim about how she started her career. I was surprised (and happy) to find out that she has no formal degree in Interior Design. She actually went to school for theatre. Kim began her career by recreating her own spaces and rooms for friends and family. Winning the second second of HGTV's Design Star open the doors for her to share her vision, style, and talent with the world.

Not having a formal degree or training is one fear that holds me back from pursuing my own dreams of design. I was so glad to hear that it's possible to achieve such greatness without it.

She also talked about her thoughts on what design trends are going to be popular this year. She sees a return to nature and a trend towards a natural color palette with green and blues.

Do you want her secret tip for creating a successful and cohesive room? 

Color! She said "Color brings a space to life!" I had to laugh when she mentioned that she is not the designer to hire if you want an all white space. As much as I love and appreciate a neutral or all white color scheme, at the end of the day, I need color too!

My favorite piece of advice that Kim shared were her thoughts on people's perception of design. She feels that some design shows and magazines have lead people to be ashamed of their spaces. Instead of embracing the spaces we are creating, we are quick to make excuess for the things that aren't quite working or the things we'd like to change. Kim mentioned that design and decorating is not a life or death process, we learn along the away. We all make mistakes. We all have projects we look back on and wonder "What was I thinking?" She even admitted she had her fair share of mistakes. Though, she prefers to call it 'a process' rather than 'a mistake'. Love that! 

Finally all the bloggers wanted to know where Kim shopped. She mentioned she loved thrift stores and antique shoppes for unique pieces. She is also a fan of ZGallerie for fun and inexpensive accessories and World Market for great furniture pieces. But, her favorite spot for fun accessories .... HomeGoods!!

My favorite part about talking with Kim, was her passion. I could feel it through the phone. I sensed her smiling and her face lighting up as she spoke. It was contagious. She is clearly in her element and loving every minute of it. Talking with her was so surreal and inspiring. (Kim, if you are reading this, thank you a MILLION times over!)

All of the above images are from HGTV and were designed by Kim Myles.

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So, in celebration of Kim, her passion, brilliant work, and of course one of her favorite places to shop, I thought it would be only fitting to have a little Home Goods Giveaway!

*The Prize*

A $100 Gift Card for HomeGoods

*Enter to Win*
TWO chances to win:
1. Visit Your Picks. Your Place. and vote for your favorite Living Room Design Board. Feel free to vote for the Board you like best. Though, bonus points will be awarded to those voting for Board #3 - Rustic Retreat. (Hint - this is my board) Then leave a comment below telling me what you'd buy with your $100 HomeGoods Gift Card.

2. Share this giveaway with a tweet, a blog post, a PIN or spread the word on facebook. Then, come back here and leave an additional comment saying you did. 

This giveaway is open to everyone! Should you be a 'no reply' or 'anonymous' commenter, remember to include your email address in your comment so that I can contact you, should you win.

Enter now through 11 pm (EST) on Tuesday, July 3rd. I will announce the winner in a post of Wednesday, July 4th.

*I should note the Bonus Points don't actually count for anything. Things are just so much cooler when you can earn bonus points. Right? I really, really appreciate your votes. Thank you! 

Thank you again and Good Luck!!

Apartment Guide is owned by Consumer Source, Inc. Apartment Guide partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in its “Your Picks. Your Place.” Sweepstakes. As part of that program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to select or write about my featured design boards, or what to write in my blog posts. Apartment Guide and Consumer Source believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. The winner of any giveaways in this program will be randomly chosen and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  Sweepstakes ends @ 9:00 PM on 8/14/12, subject to Entry Periods outlined in Official Rules. Must be a US legal resident of the 50 US or DC and 18 years of age or older. Sweepstakes subject to full Official Rules available at www.yourpicksyourplace.com. Void where prohibited.

Mod Podge Vintage Sheet Magnets

I'm not usually making crafts here at Inspired by Charm, but there is always room to try something new right?

The amazing folks over at Plaid, The makers of Mod Podge (not Modge Podge as I've been pronouncing it pretty much my whole life) sent me a giant box packed with Mod Podge awesomeness. If you've been in Michael's lately, you've probably saw something similar to this, though I'd assume a little more organized. If you haven't be sure to swing by and check out the new line of Mod Podge Products.

Two of the newer Mod Podge products include their new Podgable Shapes and Dimensional Magic. Intrigued by seeing a few other projects floating around blogland like these fabulous Statement Rings and these Christmas Ornaments, I knew I wanted to use them in my project.

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So here's what you'll need to make my Mod Podge Vintage Sheet Magnets:


Vintage Bedsheets
Podgeable Acrylic Shapes
Mod Podge - in gloss finish
Mod Podge Dimensional Magic (I used both the silver and gold)
Podgeable Shape Templates
Scissors
Paint Brush
Pencil
Rick Rack 
Magnets


Got it? Good, let's get going.

First, grab your vintage bed sheets. Need a few pieces? Give me call. Clearly I have enough.

Using your Podgeable Shape Template, trace your shape using a pencil.

Cut your shape from your sheet (aren't those scissors the cutest thing you've ever seen!?)

Then, using a paint brush, apply a layer of Mod Podge (Gloss Finish) to the coordinating Podgeable. Add your vintage sheet, then another layer or Mod Podge (Gloss finish).

At this point you can also add on some rick rack using more Mod Podge. I added a longer strip and trimmed the excess using my scissors.

Once that is dry it's time for MAGIC! Mod Podge Dimensional Magic! This stuff is super simple to work with. Seriously I want to put it on everything.

Apply it to all your pieces and allow it to dry for at least 5 - 6 hours or overnight. If you are impatient like me you will end up with finger prints on your magnets. You've been warned.

Once your Dimensional Magic is fully dry, add on some magnets.

I just used a strip of magnets with adhesive backing and cut it to fit each piece.

That's it!

Slap them on your refrigerator, or any other metal surface, and you have some totally cute and totally original Mod Podge Vintage Sheet Magnets!

They are totally adorable, right?

And to be honest, the addition of the rick rack was a last minute thought and that's probably my favorite part. I mean, seriously, could they get any cuter?!

I spoke to soon...

...a picture of my nephews and niece totally amplifies the cuteness!

I'm ready to put these beauties on every magnetic surface in my house. Off to Michael's (the store, not my house) to buy more Mod Podge!

You can find out more about Mod Podge and the new Mod Podge line from Plaid Plaid Crafts on Pinterest and Facebook and Twitter. For more fabulous Mod Podge ideas, visit Mod Podge Rocks!

I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Plaid Crafts and Blueprint Social. 

The opinions in this post are my own.

Be sure to check out what all these other bloggers are making with their Mod Podge loot!

Your Picks. Your Place. :: Living Room Design Board

Remember a couple weeks ago when I shared my Tea Towel Inspired Bedroom and I mentioned I was working on other Design Boards. Well, this is what it was for.

My first room assignment from Apartment Guide was create rustic living room hideaway. I was given a certain dollar amount I could 'spend' per room.  Inspired by the color of honey and thoughts of a cozy cabin I got to work.

Here's my finished plan!

 What do you think?

I'm just loving all the patterns, colors, and textures. Isn't that bee print just the cutest!? I just want to nestle in on that couch with a good book and waste the day away. Won't you join me (you can bring the sangria!)


Now for the nitty gritty on how you can win some big bucks! Wouldn't it be fantastic if an Inspired by Charm Reader won the grand prize!? I'd be ecstatic!

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Is your place in need of a style update?  Apartment Guide has partnered with TV host and design expert Kim Myles for the second annual Apartment Guide Your Picks. Your Place. Sweepstakes.  

From now until August 14, visit YourPicksYourPlace.com to vote once per day for your preferred room design showcasing furniture and home décor items selected by featured bloggers.  The site will feature four different room designs every two weeks. 

By voting, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $10,000 grand prize or one of eight $250 weekly prizes to go towards your own selections for your home. 

While you’re on the site, you can find design and décor tips from Kim Myles, Apartment Guide and featured bloggers to help you design a room that’s uniquely you.

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Take a moment and head on over to Your Picks. Your Place. to vote and you will be automatically entered to win. It's that simple.


This is what my board looks like on the site ...

As promised, this is where I'm shamelessly asking begging you to vote for me! (I feel like I'm running for class president or something.)  There are some other fabulous bloggers participating and I don't think I actually win anything other than bragging rights, so winning isn't a huge deal, but it would still be pretty amazing.

 Your votes for my boards are beyond appreciated.

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You can also visit the three other fabulous bloggers who are participating in this project...

Jamiely from I Heart Naptime

Diane from In My Own Style

Maryann from Domestically Speaking

From now through August 14th I will share three more design boards (Dining Room, Office and Bedroom) at which time you will be able to vote on those as well. Remember you can vote once a day, so do expect a couple reminders here and there. I promise to keep it to a minimum. 

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So, this is all pretty excited stuff, right? Would you believe me if I told you it gets better. Guess what, its getting a whole lot better! 

This year, Apartment Guide has partnered with with Kim Myles, TV Host and design and decor expert! Can you believe it!? You may know her as the winner of Season 2 of HGTV's Design star and from her show Myles of Style. She's the cutest thing ever and obviously uber talented. 

And guess who gets to chat on the phone with her this afternoon?! Me!! 

Yeah. I'm kind of freaking out here. Next week I will share some information from our chat. So exciting!

So head on over and get voting!

I can't thank you enough for your support and your votes during this sweepstakes. You are amazing! Thank you!!!

Apartment Guide is owned by Consumer Source, Inc. Apartment Guide partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in its “Your Picks. Your Place.” Sweepstakes. As part of that program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to select or write about my featured design boards, or what to write in my blog posts. Apartment Guide and Consumer Source believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. The winner of any giveaways in this program will be randomly chosen and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  Sweepstakes ends @ 9:00 PM on 8/14/12, subject to Entry Periods outlined in Official Rules. Must be a US legal resident of the 50 US or DC and 18 years of age or older. Sweepstakes subject to full Official Rules available at www.yourpicksyourplace.com. Void where prohibited.