(a giveaway!) minted.com

Let's talk stationery.

I'm not ashamed (at all) to admit that while I love my simple little die-cut designs, there's a lot out there that I really like but could never do myself. There are so many different creative approaches and skills when it comes to stationery design and I'm not going to pretend like mine is superior or the only way to go.

For example, I have a teeny crush on Dodeline Design's stuff, especially her adorable wedding invitations.

If only I knew about Sarah when I was planning my wedding!

And even though there have been times that I've designed other things (like our Christmas cards or a certain baby's upcoming birthday invitation) I've also turned to other, more professional sources to get the quality just right. Especially when it comes to anything with photos - my printer is just not up to the same standards as many others. 

So when Minted.com contacted me and asked if I'd be willing to do a review/giveaway, I was 100% on board because I actually love their stuff. I really appreciate the fact that their mission is to find good designers and sell their products. So it's all unique and interesting. It feels more personal.

I mean, how cute is this birth announcement? With the scalloped edges? Love.

Or these thank you cards. How sweet would they be for those post-wedding thank you notes?

And I really, really love all of their Christmas cards. They're stylish and contemporary and still festive. Not at all cheesy. Cheesy Christmas cards make me sad.

I also really like that each card can be either flat or folded, you can customize the interior/back text and you have the option of making it a little mini-book of pictures from the year. I haven't seen any other sites with that many options for each design, so that's nice.

As for me, I'd like to think that I'm on the ball and ready to start thinking about Christmas cards but I'm absolutely not. In the meantime, they have a ton of non-stationery items to choose from like journals, photo books or 8x10 prints.

And because I'm nothing if not a notebook hoarder, I decided to snag a couple of journals for my stash. There are a whole lot of customization and personalization options with those as well, including your choice of lined pages, graph paper or blank pages. I have a borderline inappropriate love for graph paper notebooks, so you have no idea how happy that makes me.

I picked out these three journals and am waiting for them to come in the mail. Aren't they so fun?

All of that talk about Minted.com, but what's in it for you? A $50 credit, that's what! 

You can use it on either their holiday cards or their fabulous journals. Or both!

The giveaway is open until Friday, September 14 and you can earn up to three entries:

For the first entry, just visit Minted.com and tell me what you're thinking you'd spend your credit on.

For an additional entry, spread the word! Post it on Facebook, blog about it or tweet it. Just leave a comment back here letting me know how you spread the word.

And finally, have you liked us on Facebook yet? Now's your chance and that's your third entry :)

Good luck, friends!