Monday Morning Giveaway Archives

Monday Morning Giveaway: How to be Pretty, Though Plain

It's been a while since I found a book I thought worthy of you all, but FINALLY...

It's amusing, if painfully dated. But the thing that I have to say I liked most about it is the ongoing emphasis that the author places on health and good attitude as the true keys to an appealing appearance. It resonates so much with what I see on the streets of Chicago every day - unhealthy, scowling, slouching... No WONDER you're not turning heads, eh?

A good attitude is worth thousands of dollars in cosmetic surgery, at least according to Alexander Smith!

So leave me a comment about the best beauty advice you've ever received, and next Monday I'll draw a random number and send out this little gem to the winner.

The best beauty advice I ... View the Post

Who Won What – the Knotting Cards, and the $50 Novica Gift Card!

One of the more interesting things in life is coincidences. You KNOW, in your rational mind, that it's just a random confluence of events, but your heart wants to find a connection, or a reason, for these things to occur at just this time...

So if anybody's got a good explanation, tell me why, for BOTH random numbers I generated, the answer was 37?

I love these kinds of little events...

AND THE WINNERS!!!

The Novica Gift card - Julie Bower

The Hermes Knotting Cards - Beatriz Fortes

Will you each please contact me at [email protected] and give me your mailing addresses? Julie, I think I can just email the card information to you, so you can start shopping immediately!

We are a lucky bunch, ... View the Post

A Question about Building a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch

July 7, 2014

Okay, now I'm going to ask for your opinions/input. I am not, in my own mind, finished with "Starting from Scratch". At a bare minimum, we need a winter coat and boots, a dressy outfit for warmer weather, a couple of warm-weather outfits, one more round of accessories, and maybe one ensemble for super-cold weather.

What do you think? Does that sound complete? Are there specific things that you want/need me to address? I know that a warm weather skirt and top was specifically requested, and that's what made me that that we don't really have anything here, yet, for a swelteringly hot day.

So I'm seeing "Starting from Scratch" going through this week, unless you have additional needs and wants. It's ... View the Post

Monday Morning Giveaway #5: “What Shall I Wear?” by Claire McCardell

June 30, 2014

So leave me a comment about what clothing from the '50's and '60's you miss the most (for me, I wish we all still wore hats...) and I'll draw a random number next Sunday afternoon and announce the winner next Monday morning.

Do you think that the burgeoning numbers of skin cancer cases might lead to a resurgence in the popularity of hats?

love, Janice

And the winner of last week's toiletry kits? The very last comment left - Sharon! Dear Sharon - send me an email to theviviennefiles at gmail dot com with your address and I'll ship them right off! ... View the Post

The Monday Morning Giveaway #4 – Carry-on Toiletry Bags & Bottles

Last week's Le Monde de Hermes was won by Lynne in North Carolina - Lynne, send me your mailing address to theviviennefiles at gmail dot com!

You know that I'm in a constant state of trying to reduce how much I carry when I travel; recently I went through another round of cutting back my toiletries. When I went to my favorite store Flight 001 to buy a new "3 1 1" bag, I found that they had a BOGO - buy one, get one free - offer on these bags. So I have a brand new set of two bags and a set of empty bottles!

Same as always - leave me a comment telling me your best light packing tip, and I'll let you know Friday who wins these. I'll ship anywhere in the world, so any reader anywhere is welcome to ... View the Post

The Monday Morning Giveaway #3: Le Monde d’Hermes Automne-Hiver 2012

Twice a year, Hermes comes out with the most COOL magazine/advertising vehicle/objet d'art... And for a year or two I've had this idea that I needed to keep them. In all fairness, you can flog these on ebay for a bit of money, but it's not worth accumulating a big stack of them! I'd much rather share this with you. These magazines combine a bit of poetry, some exceptional fashion photography, and a general aesthetic of tranquility and beauty that's hard to match...

Same as before - leave me a comment - I don't care WHERE in the world you are, I'll figure out a way to ship it to you. Thursday night I'll generate a random number and announce the winner.

On ... View the Post

The Monday Morning Giveaway #2: Hot Tips by Frances Patiky Stein

Any book that recommends this kind of travel wardrobe is going to be a fun read! Today I'm parting with one of my copies of Hot Tips - in paperback, with the iconic Gia Carangi cover. (it was her only book cover, and some big fans of her absolutely covet this photograph...)

As with so many of the style books written in the 80's, this one is a combination of timeless advice and laughably dated ideas. This is entirely illustrated with pencil sketches that aren't terribly dated, and which in many cases make it clear that a timeless garment from this era could still be chic.

Just leave me a comment - anonymous is fine - and Thursday I'll draw a random number and let you know who the winner is. I'll keep you ... View the Post

The Monday Morning Give-Away #1: The Original French Chic book by Susan Sommers

June 2, 2014

I know I said I wasn't going to post on Mondays, but I think for the next few weeks I'm going to post some things that I want to give away to one of you. (somehow, I managed to have two copies of this book...)

Please leave me a comment (you can definitely comment Anonymously, but make sure you say something sufficiently memorable so that we'll know which "Anonymous" you are - blatant flattery and praise for The Vivienne Files would be great.... ahem....) and by end of day Wednesday, I'll count the comments, generate a random number, and announce Thursday who the lucky recipient will be.

If you've never read the book, it's a hysterical combination of timeless advice and ridiculously dated photographs. I still ... View the Post