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A not-too-shabby giveaway from Shabby Apple!

June 25, 2011

When Darla from Shabby Apple asked me if I’d be interested in doing a giveaway, my response was pretty much HELL YES. Well, that was my internal response, externally I attempted to be a bit less extreme. But I was so incredibly excited to share this website with you guys, my awesome-amazing-fantastic-terrific-wonderful readers and not only just share the website… but actually GIVE YOU something from the website! Before I get to that- how cute is the name Shabby Apple?

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Shabby Apple, in case you aren’t familiar with it, sells the most beautiful clothing & vintage-y retro inspired clothing, (and aprons, which I’ll get to in a minute); dresses & maternity dresses, little girl’s clothes, swimwear, fitness wear and gorgeous jewelry & accessories. I was just talking a few days ago about how “old fashioned” I am, and then bam! I find out about this site. Talk about kismet. My personal favorites: this adorable retro navy blue sailor dress, this super cute striped jersey dress, and of course, this black one (with a great name, Mary Jane Watson!). Lucky for you, this awesome site found me, liked my blog and wanted to share some of the delightful-ness of their merchandise with my readers!

So, I chose, just for you, my lovely readers/fans/followers/stalkers/etc… my favorite of the aprons, the Wildberry Pie empire waist apron, which was featured in USA Today. Yes, the winner of this giveaway will receive this gorgeous apron, retail value: $38.00 US.

Super adorable, right? And oh, oh, what’s that on the wall? Oh yeah. That’s right- a cupcake!

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A bright patch of colorfully printed poplin provides the perfect backdrop for your wildest culinary creations. Detailed with contrasting pattern at the tie-back waist and halter straps, and pleating at the empire waist, this full bib apron will keep your sundresses spotless while you conjure up another kitchen miracle.

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That’s us, right readers? Whipping up kitchen miracles. And the apron. I know. Totally & completely cute. Even cuter? The little story that’s included with the apron on the website:

Clutching the copy of The Joy of Cooking I had pilfered from my great aunt’s bookshelf as if it would somehow protect me, I walked up to the door of the guest house with all the grace and courage I could muster, and opened the door. A fresh breeze blew in off Lake Michigan, filling the airy entryway with the bouquet of scents that make up Door Country limestone beaches, smoking fish, pitch pines and midwest tradition. I breathed it in. This was not a vacation; this was a test.

I had prepped for weeks for this, the first encounter with the future in-laws and their extended family a whole gaggle of gracious ladies and hungry gentlemen from scattered points around flyover country as they descended on Sturgeon Bay for the Fourth of July. It was a longstanding family tradition of lounging, fishing, and eating obscene amounts of the women’s blue ribbon prize-winning home cooking, culminating in the family’s giant Independence Day feast, where the best of the best was on display for everyone’s viewing, and eating, pleasure.

I was assigned the pie. The test to see if the girl from the big city could be a proper wife and keep their loving son fed. (Apparently my vast knowledge of the best and cheapest places to eat out in New York didn’t count) The only small problem was I had never actually made a pie. So for weeks I practiced, watching YouTube videos of Julia Child or Martha Stewart whipping up extraordinary pastries and following along in my tiny galley kitchen, only to turn out crusts that could chip your teeth or filings so sticky you could barley swallow them. None of this was helped by my fiancee’s constant whistling of “Can she bake a cherry pie?”

I made my way down the hallway of my bungalow and into the kitchen, the sense of fear and dread welling up inside of me. But there on the counter was a little bundle tied up with string, my name handwritten on the outside of an envelope. I opened it.

Someone wise once said, “Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.” I think the trick is to look good doing both, thought these would help. Good Luck! Aunt Sue

I undid the bundle. Inside was a sweet, handmade vintage apron, and two index cards stapled together, with “TOP SECRET: 4th of July Boysenberry Pie” written at the top. I put on the apron, tying its rick-rack apron strings behind my back in a big bow, pulled the butter from the fridge, and took a deep breath.

Did that story draw you in? Make you want to know more? Make you want to make a wildberry pie of your own? Especially while wearing this apron?

Thought so.

Me too. But what I bet is that right about now you really want to know how you can win this Shabby Apple apron, dontcha? I bet you’re dying to get your hands on it. I don’t blame you. Here’s one more view, from the back, for you to revel in the cuteness. Polka dot trim!

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Yeah, you want it. Okay, so here’s the deal. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents ONLY (sorry international peeps, I’ll get ya next time). What you eligible U.S. residents are going to do is the following:

  1. Leave a comment here stating (briefly) why you relate to the apron’s story above. Short & sweet is good, no novels please! Also, make sure you leave me a valid e-mail address, I’ll need it to contact you if you win!
  2. Optional ways of getting additional entries: Follow me on Twitter, follow Shabby Apple on Twitter and become a fan of both Cupcake Rehab & Shabby Apple on Facebook, then come back here & comment again.
  3. You have exactly one week from today to do so. Comments will be closed as of midnight EST, July 2nd, 2011.
  4. Then, thanks to random.org, I’ll choose a winner. Ta-da!
  5. For those of you who do not win, since there will only be one winner… there’s a coupon code for you, so you can buy your own apron, 10% off. The code is “cupcakerehab10off” and it expires in one month.

That’s all. Easy peasy. So go on, get to entering!

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Shabby Apple apron giveaway

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  2. Aprons like that remind me of Sundays in the basement (second kitchen) watching Nana make the ‘homemades’ (pasta). Now, years later, my sister has Nana’s board and machine, and we celebrate my birthday in February by spending the whole day in her kitchen making pounds and pounds of homemade pasta. we wear those old ‘cobbler’ aprons and laugh.

  3. I have lots of pictures of my mom in aprons, plain & fancy. Pick a holiday – I have an apron to go with it. I even made matching aprons for my sister & her granddaughters and my nieces & their daughters. As far as pies go – my mom tried to teach me how to roll out a crust while she was wearing a cast on her arm!

  4. I love the vintage style, from clothing,to furniture, and even my kitchen appliances and nick knacks! I also have a cake business and depending on what I’m baking I feel like my apron sets the tone for my inspiration for that day. This one would be a great to add to my collection and hopefully add to my creations!

  7. Aprons are memories!!! One of my favorite pics of my brother is him in a mommy’s little helper apron, covered in flour, helping my my mom make gingerbread cookies.

  9. There is something very satisfying about putting on an apron….it means all it right in the world…that I am about to create something delicious and wholesome for my family. I don’t feel right, or cook well, without one on. It is a permanent fixture for me in the kitchen.
    And I have ALWAYS admired the Shabby Apple site and their aprons….this would be just perfect for me. Thank you for the opportunity.
    xo

  14. Since I haven’t ever made a pie, If I won this apron I may just have to give it a try 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway

  16. Ok so has anyone told you lately that you rock? Cause you do 😉

    “It was a longstanding family tradition of lounging, fishing, and eating obscene amounts of the women’s blue ribbon prize-winning home cooking, culminating in the family’s giant Independence Day feast, where the best of the best was on display for everyone’s viewing, and eating, pleasure.”

    This sentence right here is my family in a nutshell during the summertime. Minus the fishing lol We have a family cottage on the water that we all relax/party/stuff ourselves obnoxiously at. My aunt and I spent a couple hours the other day pouring over the newest cooking magazines trying to figure out what our menu would be on the 3rd and 4th. Yes, we are celebrating on 2 days because that’s just how we roll 😉 I am making a recipe from the newest Bon Appetit, the blackberry buttermilk cake (and of course, a cupcake or two lol) I would **love** to own this spectacular apron 🙂
    Thanks for the great giveaway!

  17. Follow all of the above on FB and Twitter.
    I grew up baking with my mum and nana and now that I’m a mum, with my daughter and son. We still use recipes from my family and have added our own over the years. Being in the kitchen was always something we’ve done together. Now, my Nana is gone and my Mum is 2000 miles away but I still feel close to both of them when I pull out the well worn recipe cards with their own handwriting on them 🙂

  18. Love aprons, especially the vintage kind. I also love your website. Thanks for introducing us to Shabby Apple! Aloha!

  19. The first pastry-involved baking I ever did was making a quiche with an all-butter crust. I had no idea what I was doing, but had the same “let’s-get-at-it” reckless attitude. Now I love making pies and quiches, and understanding the science behind them.

  21. With a single mom, I was babysat by my grandparents a lot. The day would start early and grandma and i would put on bright “garden” aprons and work in the yard, and then at lunch I would come and in and switch into a different apron to “help” my grandfather cook and bake. Aprons are the best (vintage just makes it better <3). I am so thrilled they are making a comeback.

  23. One of my favorite things to do is grab a cookbook off the shelf and settle into a comfy chair and read the recipes. I usually have a pack of post-it flags marking pages. I loved how the story started with her taking the cookbook to the guesthouse.

    Some of the best recipes Ive tried aren’t those in the books but those that are already “tweaked” and passed on by someone generous enough to share.

  24. This story made me smile. I’ve almost always been in the kitchen with my mom and my first home economics project was sewing an apron. I remember demonstrating how to make a fruit smoothie during class and the blender top flying off and smoothie ending up on the classroom walls. My teacher was NOT happy and I never wanted to be in the kitchen again! 12 years later, though, my favorite place to be is the kitchen, baking and cooking for my new husband and my friends. And soon to be framed and on my walls is an apron gifted to me at my bridal shower, covered in the signatures and advice of some of the most important women in my life.

  27. I remember my mother always having 2 aprons hanging in the kitchen, one for her and one for me. I was very fortunate to have a mom who taught me how to cook wonderful homemade meals. I would like to pass that on to my daughter now that she is getting to that age.

  35. When I’m not baking, I have to go to the job that pays the bills for now and that’s as an esthetician in an upscale salon. On many occasions I have taken my long red hair and rolled it in rollers, tied a scarf over them and went off to work to finish it there after a brief stint under the dome dryers 😉 My coworkers think I’m funny but I’m really just vintage like that 🙂 Love your blog and musings!!!

  36. My Grandmother….adored aprons …I remember her cooking and baking with her beautifully pressed and starched apron…rolling dough between her fingers…making cavatelli…sigh.

  37. Your story reminds me of all the good times I spent in my grandma’s kitchen watching her make amazing meals out of little or nothing that looked very interesting! Cooking is definitely an art! BTW…love the suspense and sense of anticipation that builds up in your story.
    sazzyfrazz at gmail dot com

  38. Following Shabby Apple on Twitter (@sazzyfrazzy)!
    sazzyfrazz at gmail dot com

  42. I can totally relate to this story… I ALWAYS get nervous when I’m baking something new that I’ve never tried before. But I LOVE diving right in and getting it done and usually I surprise myself and I end up making a pretty wonderful dessert : ) I love aprons, especially retro ones, but I’ve yet to get one, so sign me up!!

    I already follow you on twitter (you rock btw!) and I am now following Shabby Apple 🙂

  44. I can’t win (even though my birthday is July 5 and I would love it) because I’m your mom….but congratulations to whoever does win it…Did you tell them that baking something for your mom is part of the deal…no?? Well you should… Okay not true…

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