Winner is Jana Neser!
Congratulations, Jana!

That’s right! I’m headed to Hawaii! And what better way to celebrate than a giveaway from the AMAZING Etsy shop, Everything’s Jake!? (Yes, I will be available for a limited number of photo sessions; information available at the bottom of this post.)

Enter to win this Retro Hawaii Map (27×19)! I bought one for Richie for Valentine’s day and it’s even better in person. Slap a frame around it and you’ll die. LOVE.

PS. My family’s Hawaii roots run deep: Here‘s what I gave my mother in law for her birthday, and here‘s what I gave my sister in law for hers. I guess you could say I’m a BIG fan.

To Enter:

1. Leave a comment below, any comment will do.
2. Like this post on Facebook (using the button on the bottom of this post) and then COMMENT to that effect, and you’re entered again!
3. Tweet or Facebook the link to this post with the following text “Enter to win a retro Hawaiian map from Natalie Norton and Everything’s Jake.” And BAM, you’re entered again (be sure to come back and comment again, so I know you’ve posted).
4. Be awesome.
5. Share some aloha today!!!

Winner will be announced Friday, April 20th (on this post, so be sure to scroll down to see if you won)!  Good luck!

Hawaii Session Information:

Like I mentioned! I’m coming to Hawaii!!

June 4-July 17th! I’ll be available for A VERY LIMITED NUMBER of sessions on Maui the second week of July and Oahu the rest of the trip. Again, only very limited availability so I can snuggle up my babies (and my besties) and soak up some sun (and some RAIN). Contact me for session information. First come, first served.

Alooooooooha!

click here to open post Mar 26, 2012 | posted in giveaway | 77 comments

Post Edited to Include:

The winner of the customized watercolor painting from Birds of AshMae is Brooke. She said, “I have been thinking about this all morning. I would love to have one of these. I think I would want one of my family. My 2 1/2 year old son passed away last summer and we have only 2 pictures of all 5 of us together. Im thinking that or just my 3 boys together. Ashley truly does beautiful work.” This was deeply touching to Ash and I. One of the primary reasons I keep up with photography, even as my life gets crazier and crazier, is because images MATTER. They bless lives for years (generations) to come. Just ask Brooke. She knows. Congratulations Brooke! Your comment doesn’t link anywhere, so please contact me at aloha{at}natalienortonblog{dot}com to claim your prize. xoxo!

Ash has extended the deadline for custom orders! She’ll be accepting orders for customized paintings until 4/6/12 (this Friday). They’re so insanely affordable as far as customized art is concerned! I keep telling her she’s GOT to raise her prices! But she’s more concerned with blessing lives than making moola. Go figure. ;) Love her face off. Such a quality soul! (Perfect Mother’s Day gift, hello!)

Hello friends!

Happy Monday to YOU!

If you’ve followed my blog for more than 5 minutes, you’re very familiar with the art of the beautiful Ashley of Birds of Ash Mae (also check out her LDS temples here and wonderful blog here).

Ashley’s art fills my home (I’ve got FOUR of her paintings up on my walls).  I simply can’t seem to get enough! Here‘s my favorite painting I’ve commissioned Ashley to do for us. I have it printed on a 20×30 canvas. Love. You can pick one up here.  (Um, it’s only $15 for an 8×10!)

Well, my friend, today is a happy, happy day, because you can enter to win a customized watercolor portrait for your very own home, FREEEEEE!!

To Enter:

1. Simply comment below (by Friday 3/30) and tell Ashley and I which portrait you would submit and why.

That’s all you have to do to enter. :)

But if you’re awesome, you’ll head on over and “like” Ashley’s awesome Etsy Shop here. It won’t increase your chance of winning, but it couldn’t hurt you either (know what I’m sayin’? Mmmm hmmmm. ;))

The Loot:

The winner will receive 1 customized portrait of up to four people (winner must pay 15.00 for every person/pet portrait from photo above 4). All Ash needs is your favorite photo to work from! Even a simple snapshot will do!

Good luck!

I hope YOU win!

Top L to R: Laie Temple (commissioned) | SLC Temple | Gav and I (commissioned)
Bottom L to R: My boys meeting Baby G (gift from Ash post tragedy-painted from a cell phone pic) | blue horse | boy and his dinosaur (buying this one for Cardon today. It’s magic.)

NOTE: AFTER APRIL 1ST, ASHLEY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING PORTRAIT ORDERS FOR SIX MONTHS WHILE SHE WORKS ON SOME OF HER OWN PROJECTS. IF YOU’D LIKE A PORTRAIT (AND YOU DON’T WIN ONE FROM HERE, OF COURSE), BE SURE TO ORDER BEFORE THEN! ASHLEY CURRENTLY HAS 10 SPOTS LEFT.

Congratulations to Teresa Peschke! You win. Tada!

First things first.

No, Cardon does NOT have a bowl cut. But since he’s a total spaz (times infinity) about getting his hairs cut, we let him walk around (and be photographed) looking like he IS in fact sporting a bona fide, 1990′s, bowl-doo. (However, I also let my kids dress themselves, which is infinitely more embarrassing than the hair situation, so at least there’s that. . . or . . . gosh, there’s that too?! I’m not sure which best fits.)

Check out (and enter to win) this amazing “Adventure In A Box Fort Kit” from The Happy Family Movement!

H A N D. S E W N. Yes, for serious. This activity was the most fun we’ve had together as a family in months (and SOOOO Much easier to clean up than the traditional “raid the linen closet” fort variety).

PS. Be sure to check out the ever inspiring HFM Blog and their fun family product center which includes a KILLER Roadtrip Adventure Guide (take it from me, it takes roadtrips from hair splitting, to side splitting, in no time flat).

We may have spent more time throwing, wrestling around with, and rolling ourselves up in the pieces than we actually spent building with them.

Boys. Enough said.

I don’t know WHAT came over Lincoln that night, but GOSH, he wanted to be in every.single.shot. Luckily he’s so stinkin’ adorable  . . and charming, and handsome, and funny, and irresistible, and cute, and PERFECT . . . in every.single.way. That little boy owns my heart.

Enter to win a Fort Kit from HFM!

1.  Comment below. Easy as pie.
2. To earn another entry for yourself, simply Facebook, Tweet, or blog a link to this post, come back and comment telling me you’ve done so, and BAM! You’re entered again!
3. Have a happy day!

ENTER BY FRIDAY, March 23rd. Winner will be announced shortly thereafter. Monday? Probably. But you just never know about these things, do you?

ut

Enter below to win a $20 itunes gift card!

I’m here in frigid Salt Lake City, UT. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr. Good thing I have Cousin Nicole to keep me warm. Love her times a hundred for this cozy (and gorgeous) cold weather wardrobe. Nic, you are THE BEST.

I start filming The Generations Project tomorrow morning at 6:45am (did I say tomorrow? I meant today. . . bleh, it’s already after midnight). Let’s just talk about all this for a second, shalllllll we?

8 hour wedding yesterday (LOVE YOU KEL + SHAUN), home, pack, up at 5 to catch an early morning flight, then, a 10 hour travel day, then a 6:45 meeting time tomorrow am as the icing on this exhausted little cake. I keep trying to go to bed, but my brain thinks it’s only 9pm, so it’s still not ready to “settle down for a long winter’s nap” (I sincerely considered heating up the sheets with a hair drier by the way).

Over this coming week, I plan to chronicle my “Generations Journey” here on the blog. You’ll get inside information before the airing of the show in March!

BUt I want you to REALLY be a part of this! So . . . I had this silly idea (don’t tell the director). . .

Want to win a $20 itunes gift card?!

Comment below with some crazy word you want me to try to incorporate into my dialog tomorrow (Tuesday) during filming. Don’t be vulgar or profane. You know me better than that. Be clever, creative, silly, whatever, because If I pick YOUR word, you win. Easy as pie. Mmmmmm, pie. I’d die for some of Rachel’s apple pie about now. . .

To Enter:

1. All entries must be received by Monday, 11/7 at 11:59pm MST, I’ll announce the winner Tuesday morning.
2. Single words only. Phrases will not be considered as valid entries.
3. You may enter more than once. Please submit a separate comment for each entry.
4. Tell your friends so I have lots of words to choose from!

I’m SO excited to read these entries! I think this is going to be so fun! Ha ha ha! Either I’m hilarious, or it’s 12:22am. . . wait a minute. . .

click here to open post Oct 14, 2011 | posted in giveaway | 2 comments

Congratulations to Kelsey Clantoon! Email me at aloha{at}natalienortonblog{dot}com and I’ll get you in touch with the man behind the curtain at KarasKustoms! Thanks to all who entered!

And gosh, if you have a minute, go check out her blog. Her man, Ben, is a children’s book author/illustrator and she’s a teacher/aspiring photographer. I’m in love with the pictures of their AMAZING Goldendoodle (my dream dog) and the story of their beautiful lives together. Such a fun read. Enjoy!

Discount Code!

If you didn’t win, aka you aren’t lucky like Kelsey (niener niener), here’s a discount code for you! 10% off through November 21st! Code: LoveNat