Custom Toy Portrait Giveaway.

My mom's brother has never been married or had kids, he's that bachelor uncle people have. You wouldn't expect him to know what kids want for Christmas but some of my favorite presents came from him growing up. How did he know that Bennetton rugbys were what all the cool kids were wearing that year?

This year my uncle brought a remote control car Max hasn't stopped playing with and for Maddie some t shirts from a store I would never buy t shirts from because you can get a t-shirt from Target for a lot less. (See this is why you need an uncle.)

Maddie got this bear from my Uncle for Christmas when she was two. She has loved Teddy from the minute she got him. He's a cranberry red with a white silky ribbon. She's always put her index finger into the loop of his bow tie and while sucking her finger rubbed up and down in that little loop.

What's amusing about this is I also sucked my index finger until I was in 1st grade and I used my cotton baby blanket the exact same way. I'd make a small loop and run my other index finger up and down the soft loop.

It sounds a little silly but seriously try it, I totally get why I loved that.

I love Teddy and I love that Maddie has loved him for almost all of her life.

A few months ago I came across Jennifer Maher's custom toy portraits and she made one of Choppable for us. Here he is in our home. 

We put him in the bathroom to scare our guests, but suprisingly hardly anyone says anything about it.This is the view from the toilet (don't worry the lid was down.) Isn't that terrifying?

But I guess everyone just wants to be polite.

I had been meaning to order a real portrait of Teddy so Maddie will have a piece of artwork for the rest of forever. Jennifer contacted me a couple weeks ago and suggested I do a giveaway for my readers and in exchange she sent me this!

We all win! But if you win you'll win an 8x10 custom toy portrait, valued at $100.

To enter the contest leave a comment below. Comments will close on Thursday 2/4 at midnight. I'll choose a winner randomly from all the entries. (Duplicate comments will be deleted!)

Comments

[Kelley Meyers]

This is a fabulous idea! Thank you! Crossing my fingers to win!

[cj coppola]

LOVE.

[Andrea]

Such an amazing keepsake, my 10 year old has a bunny he has loved all his life, I dread the day it finally falls apart.

[Alice]

Oh, how we would like a portrait of Minty Bear!

[cathy]

great idea. I love it!

[Jeanne]

What a sweet idea! Lamby holds a special place in my daughter's heart. He has been used as a pillow for almost 10 years now. What a great way to keep him close to her heart in the future!

[amy]

This is going on the top of my list for graduation gifts this year. Really great stuff!

[Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com]

Don't enter me - my daughter is still so young that toys are replaceable and there are so many people who ought to have this more than us.

I just wanted to say that I love the idea, that I think it's such a cute way to remember the toys we can never forget. Pass that along to her, will you? Because, really, ADORABLE!

[Erin]

I also had the bachelor Uncle in my life....my Godfather actually. Growing-up, Uncle Frankie always bought us the top toys and clothes (Esprit anyone?) and spoiled my Mother with fine china goods at every holiday. He was such a wonderful man who sadly passed away when I was about 4 months pregnant with my son. I gave him the middle name Frank in memory.

That picture is precious!

[Irene]

fingers crossed ;)

[lisa marie]

I would LOVE to give our home the gift of a Casper portrait or a portrait of our lovey monkeys (Blonde Monkey & Brown Monkey, who ride scooters when we're not home).

These guys have all been stitched up and loved since my boyfriend was a tot.

[Milissa]

I still have a stuffed snow leopard that I named "Tigger" when I was 3 years old. Tigger is still in great condition and I plan on passing him down when I have children one day.

[Tara]

Jennifer Maher has tapped into a crazy brilliant idea.

[Trish T.]

This is a great giveaway and will now top my list of gift ideas!

[Michelle]

Oh the Teddy one is beautiful! The Choppable one, well, I think she did all she could. :) What an awesome idea!

[Kelly]

I have a childhood bear that I named "Treeta." When my mother asked me why I chose that name, I said, "Because you gotta Treeta nice." So the story goes, anyway. Bear was passed down to both of my children. A portrait would be superb.

[lynne]

I want one of Freddy Teddy and Fetch! Those two have been to a Buddhist wedding, they've been camping in the rain, have met Minnie, Mickey, and Belle and Freddy even got left in Vermont and mailed back to us. They are unstoppable, I tell you.

I have an uncle like this too and he still buys the best stuff. My bachelor brother is taking on this grand tradition and stocking my wallet with gift cards every year. Love it.

[Leah]

My poor Bunny security blanket deserves such an honor.

[jenn]

What a fantastic idea! When I was 8, my brother gave me a teddy bear. I promptly named him Larry Bear (because I was raised in a Celtics home & my love of word play developed young). He went everywhere with me - even to college (should I be embarrassed?). I would love a portrait of him!

[Robin (noteverstill)]

Oh, I've been coveting one of those portraits! My daughter claimed my childhood teddy bear as her own and not entirely with my consent ;) maybe if I had a portrait of him I could share more willingly!

[Laura]

Oh my goodness, Froggy has been such a large part of my daughters life, this would be an awesome thing to have once he ( and his 2 replacements) fall apart.

[Beth K.]

These are awesome! Thanks.

[Anne May]

Oh, could we PLEASE have a portrait of Hammie the Pig? (I still giggle at the name!)

[kelly]

please o please. browndoggy must live on.

[ang]

Choppable is really eying those matches. I'd sleep with one eye open if I were you.

[Shelli]

When I saw your first post on these portraits I peed in my pants!
Oliver (my son) has a fav stuffed animal we won at a carnival back about 2 years ago, Hobbs.
There have been many tears over Hobbs. Oliver knows that he is not going to last forever. (he is a cheep carni toy and has had multiple surgeries already.)

poor, pathetic Hobbs:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/photo.php?pid=2743219&id=526021838

I would love to give Oliver a portrait so that Hobbs will always be around!

SG

[Mandi Bone]

I have a Grover doll that I slept with until I moved in with my now husband. He wouldn't have in the bed because he said it had mange.Both my girld have slept with it in thier crib.

[Colleen]

Count me in!! Love it!

[Jolene]

This is great! I would love to do my grandmothers 95+ year old teddy bear, one of the first teddybears ever made. She is gone now but my family would treasure it forever.

[VickiG]

Comment!

[Veronica]

I would love to have a portrait of Gee, who was mine and now my son's.

[Elizabeth]

My kid is obsessed with Curious George and would have a fit if we had a portrait of the cheeky little monkey.

[Sunny]

What a great way to keep your favorite toy displayed!

[Dollo'sGrandma]

For my youngest daughter's "Dollo", who is beloved beyond reason, and slowly, surely...losing her structural integrity!

[Julie M.]

Oh, this would be such a great hit in our house (and a great gift for our big brother-to-be!)

[Joanie]

This is such a great idea. I would love to have one made of my daughter's monkey.

[Courtney]

This would be perfect for my daughter's nursery!

[varinia]

Oh my gosh! What a precious idea. I was just telling my husband that I was sad when my son outgrew "Black Puppy" (yea, not a creative animal namer), and that i will be very sad when our daughter outgrows her entourage too. Mostly Danger-cat and Rosita though. They hold special parts in my heart.

[Kerri Watts]

That is so neat!

[Janna]

What an awesome idea. Love it!

[Ashley]

I love this idea...so sweet.

[kate]

OH my god, I would love to have a portrait done of "Phunty", my daughter's beloved stuffed elePHUNT. Phunty was homely on the day she received him for her 1st birthday, and time has not been kind to poor Phunty. But to her, he is the most lovely, comfoting creature there is; he is always there: when she got her tonsils out at the age of 4, on sleepovers and when there is lightening.

I love love love this idea. Thanks for the chance to win!

[Lynn]

If I had to use your bathroom I couldn't be that polite - that thing scares the hell out of me!

[kelli]

I'd love to have a portrait of my son's bear!

[Jennifer June]

Yes, please.

[Robin]

I would love a portrait of my daughter's bunny (which is also named Bunny), but I would also kinda like to a have a copy of the Choppable portrait because it is so scary and awesome.

[Robin]

I would love a portrait of my daughter's bunny (which is also named Bunny), but I would also kinda like to a have a copy of the Choppable portrait because it is so scary and awesome.

[amy]

love this. OMG! Need.

[Heidi T]

My son Ben has this stuffed turtle that he calls Bobiss. I remember when we got him, Ben was around 18 months old and very verbal and we asked him what he wanted to name the turtle and figured we would get "turtle" and he looked pensively and said, "Bobiss" and still, to this day, he comes up with the most ingenious names for his stuffed animals. We have Booga the dinosaur - and that is pronounced boo-GA, not BOO-ga and we have Starty Sko the stuffed dog. But it all started with Bobiss.

[Jenna]

Don't think for a minute that you could get away with that frightful (and yet somehow lovely) portrait of Choppable if I ever entered your bathroom. Maybe guests are so stunned by the experience that they cannot speak of it? Love, love, love this.

[Liz]

So sweet! Thanks for doing this giveaway.

[Chris]

Does she paint pictures of blankets...? my son has "duck" which is a gross, nasty, blanket that is the love of his little life. someday it will be in tatters and i would love a real picture of it.

[Wendy]

What a great idea to preserve a favorite toy!

[lauren]

the only thing that will save me from Choppable nightmares is winning this contest!

[dregina]

ooooh, I hope it's me!

[Nancy]

There is a supremely ugly and well-loved bear that would be thrilled to have a portrait done of him.

[Katherine]

I'd love to do a portrait of Bear, who came from Niagara Falls when I was about 2. Sadly, he is in rough shape...but still so very comforting.

Teddy is great - and I love the portrait!

[Becky]

Ha! I hope she likes Barney!

[Ferreh]

Fabulous. My daughter has a stuffed cow named "Bess" that she totes around. We've had to find back ups on Ebay!

[Tracey]

I would love this! What a great giveaway.

[Miss B]

Oh, those are so fantastic! I have a certain very dapper elephant at home who really needs to be immortalized on canvas, I think. Fingers crossed!

[Spinoff]

Awww, I'd love a portrait of my oldest's frog.

[Cassie]

I suppose I should want to win this for the baby we're expecting any day now. But, really, I want a portrait of my favorite toy from childhood - Lamby Pie. He's so raggedy and now, at about 30 years old, I'm sure he's dirty, too. I would love to have something to commemorate him forever.

[Kermit]

Entering -- and now thinking about which toy.

[Kelly]

My son's little dog "Spunky" is looking very raggedy these days. He's had him for almost 6 years and drags him everywhere. It would be the most amazing thing if we could have him captured forever as a gift to our son. Thanks!

[Tracy]

I want this for ME. My son is almost 2 and while he loves his horsie, I have loved my teddy bear for 30 years. Therefore, I win.

[Jenny S]

Oh, my daughter needs one of her bear "Softy". :)

[AmyB]

I have a TON of my dogs' mutilated toys to choose from! ;o) I actually still have the bear someone brought to the hospital the day I was born...this would such a great way to honor little brown bear.

[Sandie]

Kennedy would love to have one of Yellow!

[Erin]

I would love to have a painting of my daughter's "ducky". What a great contest idea. Now if only I could be a winner!

[nelking]

I have a panda bear my sister's college boyfriend gave her. She left it behind when she'd leave for school every year. Finally, I drew up adoption papers and have had him now for probably close to 40 years. This might give me reason to let him go. Fred is his name.

[Natalie]

We have the perfect verylovedstuffedanimal for this!

[Julie]

What a fabulous idea (especially as the kids get older...)

[Dana]

Fabulous idea!

[Patsy]

My sister 32 yr old had her elephant her whole life. Then a roommate threw it away (unknowingly). Elephant only exists in photographs now, I would love to give her back a little piece of him.

[wendy]

this would be cool for my daughter's beloved "lamby"

[Melissa Rose]

I would marry Choppable!

[KC]

I would love to have my daughter's baby doll memorialized. Plus, I wouldn't have to wash this portrait at weird hours of the night - the only time she relinquishes her grip on her baby doll! Thanks for the opportunity!

[Heather]

Me, please! I would love a portrait of the stuffed dog I have hauled around for 33 years. :)

[Annabelle]

Mr. Ted D. Bear could use a portrait, with his red overalls and "tanned" yellow fur (still yellow under the overalls).

[Maria]

I hope you pick me! Thanks!

[michelle]

oh, i'd love to have one of my son's bear. he got "meyer bear" while he was hospitalized at 16 months and it's the only animal he's ever formed an attachment to, and he's almost 6 now.

[Ashley]

I'd love to have this for my son...a portrait of Monkey that could live forever! He's got a baby brother coming in a month or so, and knowing my boy, baby brother won't even so much as have a picture made with his precious "mun-mee."

[Julie]

I wanted to commission one of these portraits when you wrote about them before, but I just couldn't afford it. Fingers crossed. Thanks for doing a giveaway.

[Scooby Carolan]

Jen's an amazing artist!

[Heidi]

Would so love this ... Max is 5 1/2 and his "Froggy" has been with him since the day he came home from the hospital. I dread the day he falls apart. DREAD.

[Amy]

What a fantastic idea!

[Mir]

I love these. Choppable actually looks kind of cuddly in his portrait, confirming that Jennifer is likely tapping into a Dark Force or something. ;)

[Alissa]

What a great idea! I have a gund at the top of my closet, when my sister was about to sell hers at our garage sale last summer, I took it in as well as I can't see selling something that was so dear to you as a child.

[Krysta]

I don't have any toys from my childhood. Actually the only thing that I did ever hang onto was a hand crocheted blanket. I was saving it for when I had a baby one day. When I moved to ny a few years ago there was a period of two months where my pup and my boyfriend stayed back. When I came home for the official, u-haul, move I walked into the house to find my blanket in the dog's crate shredded and destroyed. My boyfriend could not fathom why I had kept a baby blanket and assumed it was the dogs!

[Natasha]

Too cool! I know exactly which toy I want painted -- a vintage robot.

[Clarabella]

Oh, what a lovely idea. I would love to get one of my son's favorite "Bear" b/c we only got one & he's falling apart & they don't make him anymore &...parent fail. Here's hoping!

[Shannon]

I want one for my teddy bear, Brown Guy! But I suppose I should be mature and get it for one of my kids' toys, right?

[Robin]

My fingers are crossed! My almost-20 year old daughter has teddy bear, who was carried around the hospital by my mother-in-law, waiting for her 1st grandchild to arrive. My 16 year old has a Chikfila cow that she got at the hospital after getting sitches in her ear from having her head closed in the van door (at 6) by her older sister. Good times!

[Bren]

My daughter has a Mr. Hippo (well 6 actually) that is the center of her universe. A picture of him would be priceless (for me and her).

[Cara]

My daughter has never really latched on to any one particular blanket or stuffed toy. My son, however, has been attached to his Peter Rabbit lovey since birth. It's dingy now with a little hole he cut in it with scissors he got hold of one day, a little dab of nail polish he got into one day (notice a mischievous pattern here?) and half the blanket binding around the edges has come unsewn. But he loves his bunny!

[Kim]

My boys have the bachelorette aunt that buys all the cool gifts in our family. She bought my son a teddy bear, "Beary", for his first christmas that now at 7 1/2 still goes everywhere with him. Every bedtime, every trip, he even made a trip to the OR with my son where the nurses dressed him up in hospital gear while my son was under anesthesia. I'm sure Ian would love a portrait of his beloved Beary!

[Cathy]

My Raggedy Ann, made by my Grandmother, is almost 50 years old! She sits on the bedroom sofa and still looks young and perky.

[Kristen]

This is so cool. I have a quilted owl that actually belonged to my grandfather -- he was a member of the Owls, and they all had one of these. He died when I was really young, so it's one of the few things I remember about him. My grandma, his wife, died a week ago today, so I've had this owl out for the past week, and just looking at it brings a flood of wonderful memories. A picture would be ... incredible. Thanks for the giveaway!

[Nicole]

Aww, I 'd totally get a portrait of my own personal stuffed gorilla, Alice, who has seen better days. But I love her. And yes, I'm 29 and married and I sleep with a gorilla...and I don't mean my husband.