I’m making some changes around here this weekend so things may look wacky for a while. I’ll see you Monday with a pretty new look!

Don’t forget Giveaway Number 3 is open until tomorrow night!

And now for the winner of Giveaway Number 2…..

It’s #10. GB! Congratulations! I’ll email you shortly.

This giveaway is now closed.

For the third and last giveaway, I’ve gathered a few of my favorite things from near and far. I’m sure by now you noticed each giveaway has had 3 parts, right? Well, I have three more for today. First is a copy of Jonathan Adler’s Happy Chic Accessorizing. As he says, “We believe that the secret to unlocking Happy Chic style is to personalize with your possessions.” Amen to that! And here are a couple of accessories to help you along: a beautiful fabric covered frame from the world renowned Jim Thompson which was purchased in Singapore and a cute little felt coaster of Paris which I actually bought in Tokyo. So, a little bit of everything from everywhere!

To enter, just be a follower of FTRB by signing in through Google Friends Connect (GFC) and leave your GFC/google name in a comment.

The giveaway will be open until midnight EST Sunday, January 8 and the winner announced on Monday. Sorry but US residents only. Good luck and don’t miss out on Giveaway Number 2 open until tonight!

As for Giveaway Number 1, the lucky winner is…..

 

#13. The Punctuation Mark! Congratulations! I’ll be in touch with you shortly.

Thank you all so much for celebrating my blogiversary with me this week and for all the lovely comments and notes! You are all too kind, really. Thanks again and see you Monday!

This giveaway is now closed.

Today’s giveaway is for all you francophiles.

First I have a copy of Cahier de Paris (bought in Paris, of course!). It’s like a travel journal filled with photographs, drawings and all types of mementos of Paris.

There are also blank pages for you to add your own thoughts or sketches. A great souvenir if you love Paris like I do.

Next is a copy of Taking Root in Provence by Anne-Marie Simons. The author and her husband are two Americans who have been living the good life in Aix-en-Provence for over a decade and this book is a collection of stories of daily life that makes Provence so appealing. It’s a fun read and I learned a tremendous amount about the countless pagan and religious celebrations of the region. You can learn more about the book at Distinction Press.

Finally, there is a set of French latte bowls from Anthropologie because what’s better than relaxing with books and a nice cup of tea or hot chocolate on a winter weekend? They are designed for beverages but have endless other uses. Pink and blue with touches of metallic gold and silver. Gorgeous.

To enter, just be a follower of FTRB by signing in through Google Friends Connect (GFC) and leave your GFC/google name in a comment.

The giveaway will be open until midnight EST Friday, January 6 and the winner announced on Saturday. Sorry but US residents only.

Good luck and don’t miss out on Giveaway Number 1 open until tomorrow night!

 

This giveaway is now closed.

For the first day of my three days of giveaways, I put together a few things I got in India and Nepal. The winner will receive a vintage brass cup:

a set of handmade greeting cards:

and a choice of one of these Batik cloth covered journals:

(These journals will be available in the shop starting next week.)

To enter, just be a follower of FTRB by signing in through Google Friends Connect (GFC) and leave me your GFC name in a comment.

The giveaway will be open until midnight EST Thursday, January 5 and the winner announced on Friday. Sorry but US residents only.

Good luck!

Happy 2012 everyone!

I’m making my way home from New York today and then I’ll be getting things together for 3 days of giveaways leading up to FTRB’S 3-year blogiversary on Thursday. I’m really excited about the prizes and hope you will be too.

Gotta dash so see you tomorrow!

(Photo: FROM THE RIGHT BANK)

 

Believe it or not, I’m hitting the road again. Tomorrow, we’re heading to New York to celebrate our anniversary. Yay! It’s always great going to New York because I still think of it as home (and I think I always will). So posting here will be light the rest of the week but I know you understand that I’ll be busy celebrating(!) I’ll also be popping in on Facebook and Twitter with photos and interesting bits and bobs. Bye for now!

(Photo: New York Times)

The lucky winner of a copy of Katie Ridder Rooms is …..

#4. Leyla!

Congratulations, Leyla, you’ll be contacted by email.

A big thanks to the Vendome Press and to everyone who entered!

*This giveaway is now closed.*

I’m sure you all know Hygge & West, one of the coolest wallpaper companies around and one of my personal favorites. Well, today marks its three-year anniversary and I’m thrilled to be helping Christiana and Aimee celebrate!

To celebrate 3 years, they are giving away 3 rolls of wallpaper of your choice over 3 days on 3 different blogs. How cute and clever, right?

This giveaway is open to all followers of FTRB worldwide. To become a follower, just click on the “Join this Site” button above the smiling faces in the sidebar on the left. Then answer this question in the comments:

The closest translation for the Danish word hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) is cozy, but it means so much more than that.  It means surrounding yourself with people and things you love, deeply appreciating what you have in the present, and finding joy in the smallest of moments. We want to learn more about, and be inspired by, the hygge in other people’s life, so where is the most cozy place you’ve traveled to and why?

For two more chances to win, head on over to Oh Joy and Style by Emily Henderson and answer the questions on their blogs. And as if that weren’t enough, H&W is also giving away some of their favorite bird items on their blog Picnics Under the Moon (how’s that for a cute blog name?) so don’t miss out on that either!

This giveaway is open for 3 days until 11:59PM PST on November 3rd. Good luck and happy anniversary, Hygge & West!

Congratulations goes out to …..

 

#7. Kristin!

You’re the winner of the gorgeous Elce Stockholm pillows! You’ll be contacted shortly by email.

Thank you, Elce Stockholm and everyone who entered!

*This giveaway is now closed.*

I’ve got a great giveaway for you guys today! My good blog friend Tiina has just opened Elce Stockholm, a shop stocked with beautiful pillows of her own original designs and she’s offering readers of FTRB a chance to win two of them!

She currently has three designs inspired by her travels: Palm Springs, Shanghai and Moscow, available in a variety of colors and let me tell you, each and every one is gorgeous!

One lucky winner will receive one “Moscow” in natural and black (which is my personal favorite):

plus another pillow of his/her choice! You can see all the available patterns and colors on Elce Stockholm.

Requirements to enter:

1. Be a follower of FROM THE RIGHT BANK through Google Friends Connect. It’s the box in the sidebar on the left that looks like this >

2. “Like” Elce Stockholm on Facebook.

3. Leave a comment on this post saying you’ve done #1 and #2 and with your Google Friends Connect user name/id.

That’s it! This giveaway is open to readers worldwide and will be open until 6:00PM EST, Thursday, October 27. The winner will be announced on October 28.

Good luck and have a great weekend!

Hotel du Marc, the 19th century neoclassic private mansion of the House of Veuve Clicquot recently reopened after four years of renovations and it’s a beauty.  Despite the name, it isn’t a hotel and isn’t open to the public so we’re touring it today purely for design inspiration. As you’ll see there’s plenty of that.

I love a good update and even more so when it’s a classic with lots of surprising elements thrown in. What do you think?

Now, if you’re looking for a hotel in Reims you can actually stay in, there’s always this one.

(Photos: Veuve Clicquot)

Happy Columbus Day, all! How is your holiday weekend going? Did you get a chance to shop the Blogger Tag Sale at One Kings Lane? I’m so happy to say all of my items sold except for one. I had no idea what (if anything!) would sell so I was thrilled with the outcome. Thank you so much for your support!

I’ve been busy rearranging a million things around the house and will be back tomorrow to show you what I’ve been doing in the family room. Until then, enjoy the rest of your long weekend!

(Photo: FROM THE RIGHT BANK)

Alright, guys, I’ve been home an entire month now so you know what that means. I’m taking off again. This time, it’s to Tokyo to visit one of my best friends from Paris – who happened to move there six months before the earthquake and tsunami! (Fortunately she and my other friends there were all safe.) There will be lots of frolicking and fun, which may or may not include a little karaoke! While I’m away, I’ll pop in on Facebook and Twitter with pics and updates.

I also have a new series all ready to go while I’m gone, which I think you will really enjoy. Since this is a holiday weekend coming up, the series will start on Tuesday. So please join me then and in the meantime, happy Labor Day to everyone in the US!

(Photo from one of my favorite movies “Lost in Tranlsation.” Yes, I will be watching it there. Yes, I did that the last time I went too. And yes, I’m a total dork.)

A big congratulations goes out to …..

#15. barbara@hodge:podge!

You are the winner of the Ilse Jacobsen boots (and the envy of many)! You will be contacted by email to claim your prize.

A big thank you goes out to Splendid Willow Avenue for the fantastic giveaway and to everyone who entered.

*This giveaway is now closed.*

I’m pretty sure most of you know about my blog friend Monika‘s store Splendid Willow Avenue which carries exquisite Scandinavian items for you and your home. What you may not know yet is that she has just recharged the store (it’s stunning!) so to celebrate she and I, along with our other good friend Sarah of Haute Design, are hosting a three-way giveaway! Hence, “Haute, Right and Splendid!”

Okay, on to the giveaway ….. One lucky winner will win a pair of the highly coveted Ilse Jacobsen rain boots! You can choose from any model, color and size.  (Retail value: $149- $179.) These Scandinavian design icons are not only stylish, they are warm, comfortable and handmade in Europe. (I’ve placed my order!)

You can see all the available colors and models and get more information at Splendid Willow Avenue.

Eligibility Requirements

1. Follow FROM THE RIGHT BANK using Google Friends Connect (in the sidebar on the left).

2. “Like” Splendid Willow Avenue on Facebook or become a subscriber of the Splendid Willow blog.

3. Leave a comment stating which boots you would like to win along with your GFC user name.

***Please note you must meet all three of these requirements to be eligible.***

Extra Entries

You can also leave additional entries for each of the following:

1. Tweet (Leave an additional entry.)

2. Facebook mention (Leave an additional entry.)

3. Blog mention (Leave 2 additional entries.)

Terms

The giveaway is open to ALL readers worldwide and closes on Friday August 26th at midnight PST.

The winner will be selected using Random.org and announced here on August 27th.

Then, for a chance to win one of these beautiful necklace by the talented Swedish native jewelry designer, Asa, hop over to:

and enter Sarah’s giveaway!

Good luck everyone and have a splendid weekend!

 

The winner of the custom enamel house sign from RAMSIGN is …..

#13. gaylejolluck! Congratulations, Gayle, you will be contacted shortly by email.

A big thank you to RAMSIGN and to everyone who entered.

This giveaway is now closed.

For today’s giveaway, FTRB has teamed up with RAMSIGN, a small Danish company that specializes in the manufacture of classic enamel house signs and house numbers.

There’s no denying the charm of this European sign tradition.

All of RAMSIGN’s signs are hand-crafted using original designs and techniques, making each piece unique.

Every sign is also enameled on the back which makes it more solid.

One lucky winner will win a customized house number sign up to 5 digits ($99 value). You can choose one of five different styles:

For your chance to win, just be an official follower of FTRB through Google Friends Connect (in the sidebar on the right) and leave a comment on this post. You can leave an additional entry/comment for each of the following:

*blog about this giveaway with a link to RAMSIGN
*tweet about this giveaway
*”like” FTRB on Facebook

for a total of 4 entries. The giveaway is open until 6:00pm EST, July 27, 2011. The winner will be announced on July 28. This giveaway is open to readers worldwide.

Good luck!

The lucky winner of the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Kit Giveaway is ……

#120. Cecilia S! Congratulations! You will be contacted shortly by email.

A big thank you to Virginia Weathersby and the Southern Institute of Faux Finishing and to everyone for entering!

*The giveaway is now closed.*

You’ve heard me go on and on about how incredible Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is so I’m so excited to be teaming up with Virginia Weathersby and the Southern Institute of Faux Finishing to bring you this giveaway. Virginia Weathersby was the first stockist in the United States to carry Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and next month, she will be opening a new shoppe called PAINT in the historic arts district of Fondren in Jackson, Mississippi dedicated to the Annie Sloan line.

In case you’re new to chalk paint, this video that Virginia has created provides a great introduction and tutorial:

So here’s what makes it so amazing:

No Sanding
No Priming
No Removing of old wax, old painter varnish.
Will stick to most things including plastic, stone, bricks, concrete and metal.
24 great colors to choose from and you can mix them for an endless array of combinations.

One lucky winner will receive a complete Chalk Paint Kit ($200+ value) which includes:

2- Chalk Paint Colors of your choice (retail value $69.90)
2- Waxes (1 Clear & 1 Dark) (Retail value $49.00)
2- Wax Brushes (Retail value $69.90)
1- 2 in. Chalk Paint Brush (Retail Value $2.80)
1- 3 in. Chalk Paint Brush (Retail Value $4.75)
1- Color Chart (Retail Value $4.50)
1- Quick & Easy Paint Transformations (Retail Value $19.95)

For your chance to win, just be an official follower of FTRB through Google Friends Connect (in the sidebar on the right) and leave a comment on this post stating what you would paint with this paint. You can leave an additional entry/comment for each of the following:

*tweet about this giveaway
*blog about this giveaway
*”like” FTRB on Facebook
*”like” the Southern Institute of Faux Finishing on Facebook

for a total of 5 entries. The giveaway is open until 6:00pm EST, July 20, 2011. The winner will be announced on July 21. This giveaway is limited to U.S. residents.

Good luck!

I managed to get some decent shots of my Nicholas House room yesterday so here is a rare Saturday post!

As you can see the room is tiny so everything had to do double duty. I brought in this chair (one of my own) that could be used as a nightstand and to give the resident somewhere to sit other than the bed.

The centerpiece of the room is the refurbished dresser. Here’s what it looked like before:

After a tube of woodfill, lots of paint and new ceramic knobs, I think it turned out really nicely.

I brought in this mirror to hang over it so there was a space to get ready in the mornings:

If you look in the mirror, you can also see the woven roman shades that replaced the old venetian blinds on all the windows.

And you know I just had to work some wallpaper in there. Since there wasn’t a whole lot of wall space (as you can see in the mirror, one wall is all windows) I made these mini wallpaper panels using the Fornasetti Mediterranean paper I love:

A final look at the before:

(The armoire got new doors, white paint, black knobs and moved to behind the door. Unfortunately, because of the way the room is, we couldn’t get a shot of it.)

And a final “after” shot:

(If I weren’t so exhausted, I would have photoshopped  out my arm behind that plant!)

I’ll let you know when the photographers’ photos of all the rooms are posted. Wait until you see the transformations! Congratulations to all my fellow designers and kudos again to Erika and Dayka for taking the initiative and creating Room Service Atlanta. And finally, a big thank you to Claire and Erin for all of their help. I don’t know what I would have done without you!

See you all Monday!

(Photo: FROM THE RIGHT BANK)

The winner of the canvas print from Uprinting is …..

#33. Marianne {Style For Living}

Congratulations, Marianne! You will be contacted by email.

A big thank you to Uprinting and to all those who entered!

Today is a big day for Room Service Atlanta! We are starting the install of the rooms at Nicholas House. And surprise, surprise, I’ve completely changed my original plans. I’ve decided to use one of my favorite color schemes – yellow and gray with a dash of red.  With the yellow walls already in the room, I think it will work perfectly. (I just love this color combination - It’s the same one I’m using in our guest room at home.)

I want to thank you all for your support and thank you, Mary, for your generous donation! Stay tuned for the reveal later this week.

***Don’t miss the big canvas print giveaway!***

A fantastic way to add original artwork to your walls is with canvas prints so I’m really excited that FTRB has teamed up with UPrinting for this week’s giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a 24″ x 36″ gallery wrapped stretched canvas print with any photo, image or design, including *free shipping (a $140 value)!

UPrinting is an online printing company based out of West Los Angeles and Van Nuys, California. It has been in business for 25 years and is famous for its easy to use website, easy design tool, free file review, proofing service and their extended phone and chat support. They have a variety of print products from business cards to wall art, magnets, invitations and gift certificate printing. For more information about canvas printing, please visit http://www.uprinting.com/canvas-printing.html.

For your chance to win, just be an official follower of FTRB through Google Friends Connect (in the sidebar on the right) and leave a comment on this post. Leave an additional entry/comment if you: ”like” FTRB on Facebook, tweet about this giveaway or blog about it. You can leave up to 4 entries total. The giveaway is open until 6:00pm EST, April 26, 2011. The winner will be announced on April 27.

*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above only. This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given.

The two winners of the Little Princes Book Giveaway are …..

#18 Ashley

#15 Karlee

Congratulations! You will be contacted shortly by email.

Remember you can learn more about Next Generation Nepal, the author’s organization to reconnect trafficked children with their parents by visiting their website here.

My first big trip outside of the Western world was to Nepal. It was a very long time ago, I had no idea what to expect and what I ended up finding was one of my favorite places on earth. I loved everything about it: the ancient cities, the kindest people, the mighty Himalayas ….. it’s what got me hooked on adventure travel.

So Nepal holds a very special place in my heart and that is why I’m very happy to host a giveaway of a new book, Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan.

In search of adventure, 29-year-old Conor Grennan traded his day job for a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month stint volunteering at the Little Princes Children’s Home, an orphanage in war-torn Nepal. When Conor learned the unthinkable truth about their situation, he was stunned: The children were not orphans at all. Child traffickers were promising families in remote villages to protect their children from the civil war – - for a huge fee – - by taking them to safety. They would then abandon the children far from home, in the chaos of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. Little Princes is a true story of families and children, and what one person is capable of when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. At turns tragic, joyful, and hilarious, Little Princes is a testament to the power of faith and the ability of love to carry us beyond our wildest expectations. You can read an excerpt from the book here.

The author has since founded Next Generation Nepal, an organization to reconnect trafficked children with their parents. For more information, please visit their website.

We are giving away 2 copies of Little Princes and all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Sorry but US residents only. Mention this giveaway via Facebook, Twitter and/or your blog and leave an additional comment/entry for each. So please spread the word!

This giveaway is open for one week until 6:00pm EST, April 16, 2011. The winner will be announced on April 17th. Good luck!

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I am a participating designer for Room Service Atlanta which will be making over some of the rooms of Nicholas House, a local shelter for homeless families. (More details can be found on this post.) The install is only a few weeks away and I’m getting things pulled together for my room.

I’m working with a palette of blue with reds and yellows and so far, I’ve bought new bedding, rug and pillows. I’m going to try to squeeze in this red leather chair so the occupant has at least one place to sit other than the bed.

To recap, this is the room:

As you can see it’s really small so there aren’t a lot of options for furniture placement but I’m going to do my best to make it flow better.

I’m having new doors made for the armoire:

I’m also going to have this dresser touched up, painted white and find replacement handles:

It’s going to move against a wall and I found a pretty gold mirror to go above it.

So the plans are coming together and I can’t wait to see it all executed!

Nicholas House has served the Atlanta community for over 28 years, helping over 1,500 homeless families reach self-sufficiency. In 2010, it helped more families than ever before and could use your help to continue its work. If you would like to make a cash donation, you can send a check made payable to “Nicholas House” to:

Nicholas House
Attn: Yvonne Druyeh
830 Boulevard SE
Atlanta, Georgia 30312

If you’d like to earmark it specifically for my room please note “Room Service-Ally” in the memo section.

I’ve also set up a Paypal button in the sidebar if you prefer to donate directly to me.

Thank you so much for your support!

 The winner of the set of prints of Irish blessings from Garrendenny Lane is …..

#2. Mr. Goodwill Hunting! Congratulations! You will be contacted shortly by email.

Thank you to everyone who entered and to Garrendenny Lane for a wonderful giveaway!  Check out their other cool prints like this one as well as all of their other beautiful home accessories.

I am absolutely in love with these fabulous prints with traditional Irish blessings from Garendenny Lane and to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we are giving away a set of three prints!

Designed and created in the West of Ireland by Love Ireland, they reference Irish culture in a contemporary, bright and fresh way.

Theyare printed onto heavyweight archival matte paper and measure 5 x 7 inches.

The blessings are available in varying shades of greens, blues, mustards and red/pink but they can also be ordered in a single colour. Just send Lorna an email to request this when ordering.

Garrendenny Lane’s Home, Gift and Lifestyle Store is based in rural Ireland, stocking beautiful home accessories, jewellry and wallpaper from Irish and European designers and suppliers. Lorna offers a free gift wrapping service and delivers virtually worldwide so you can arrange to have a gift sent directly to the lucky recipient. Buyers from non-EU countries should bear in mind all prices will be lower at checkout by 21% (Irish VAT).

This giveaway is open to everyone worldwide. To enter, just be an official follower of FTRB through Google Friends Connect (in the sidebar on the right) and leave a comment on this post. For an additional chance to win, leave a second comment if you ”like” FTRB on Facebook. (The Facebook button in the top right hand corner will take you to our Facebook page).

The giveaway is open until March 23rd, 6:00 pm EST. The winner will be announced on Thursday, March 24th. Good luck and happy St. Patrick’s Day!

The winner of the $100 gift certificate from CSN is …..

#65. Audrey Crisp!

Congratulations, Audrey! You will be contacted by email shortly.

Thanks to everyone who entered and to CSN for another great giveaway!