A Winner is Brewing

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Good morning!!

I hope you’re having a great day…I finished my coffee not long ago, so the world around me is a little more secure on this dreary Monday morning :)

I just wanted to write a quick post and let you know about a giveaway getting ready to launch over at Cupcake With Character. It’s called a Bake and Brew Giveaway! The winner will take home:

  1. A chrome Kitchenaid Mixer,
  2. A Keurig coffee maker, and
  3. Mindy Cone‘s newest book, Party Food for Girls!

I can’t wait to enter. A girl can never have too many Kitchenaid mixers…

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Cupcake With Character is still looking for a few more sponsors to enter. The giveaways she hosts usually hit a minimum of 70K entries and that’s where it pays off for you! A $25 sponsor fee will get exposure to you and your blog/business/shop from new fans all over the world.

One of my most supportive clients and repeat customers came from someone seeing that their friend liked my page through a giveaway and she’s been around, shopping and supporting,  for a year <3

This sponsorship is not limited to event planners.  If you are trying to grow:

  • Facebook,
  • Pinterest,
  • Google+,
  • Email subscriptions,
  • Blog following,
  • LinkedIn,
  • Twitter, and/or
  • Instagram,

Then this is the opportunity for you! Get in while the getting’s good!

Sign up HERE!

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How Do You Measure Success?

Posted in Motivational Mondays by

It’s been a while since I’ve written a Motivational Monday. I’ll have to talk more about that later…

But after the weekend I had and after seeing this picture from the Because of Them We Can campaign, I just had to take a moment to chat with you…

The FLOTUS was quoted as saying “Success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.”

Photo credit: Eunique Jones

Photo credit: Eunique Jones

I really wish that more people would understand that.

And for as broke as I am sometimes, I know that I am blessed tremendously when I not only know these words but practice them as well.

We had the TN State Youth Conference this weekend and I can’t fully express how blessed I was…how proud I am of our youth and how they conducted themselves. I publicly commended all of their parents on how they’ve been raising them right and allowing them to grow into who they should be.

I. Am. So. Proud.

So while I can’t stop bragging on them, there were certainly negative experiences with some of the other youth in attendance. I encountered young ladies behaving provocatively, kids displaying poor sportsmanship, being disrespectful, inconsiderate, and just plain mean. If you know me at all in real life, one of my biggest pet peeves is “bad kids.” But in reality, I know that the majority of that behavior comes from a lack of discipline and having a consistently positive role model.

I’m glad that I can be a positive role model. I think it’s important since I’m one of the youth counselors for our church and that bears a great responsibility in molding our future generations. Knowing that the kids are looking to me, watching, and emulating me, makes me want to be a better person overall. Working with them over the last few years has really made me understand that “actions speak louder than words.”

So while society walks around talking about the failure of the generations coming behind us, I truly hope that they are doing more than just talking about it. I understand that we can directly influence every child/teen/young adult on the planet, but the ones you can influence can (and will) influence those around them.

So while I do aspire to have a financial success, I know there is much more value in measuring my success by the difference I am able to make in the lives of all those around me, not just “my” kids.

I understand that a genuine smile can make the difference in the life of a stranger who may feel invisible.

I understand that a sincere hug can make the difference in the life of someone feeling alone and unloved.

I understand that a closed mouth, an open heart, and open ears can make the difference in the life of someone needing a friend.

I understand that making money and investing in my community is a long-term investment with generous rewards.

This is the kind of success that I hope to have at the end of it all.

Go out and make a difference…even if it just starts at home.

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Purple on Purpose

Posted in Events, featured, Holidays, Pay It Forward, stuff by

What color are you wearing today???

I’m wearing purple. I usually am, if I’m honest about it… But today I’m wearing it for Purple Day, in recognition of Epilepsy Awareness.

Epilepsy is a neurological condition which causes seizures. That sounds bad enough in itself, but it can get much, much worse from there. Read more about this condition here.

My dear friend Susan is the founder of the Epilepsy Warrior Foundation. She is an incredible support system for people and their families living with, and fighting through, this condition. Even when she can’t be there physically holding hands, she rallies members of the community to make sure that people have their needs met, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

I truly admire her strength and tenacity.

I met Susan as part of a party planning group on Facebook. Random, I know! But I met her in that group because Susan is also a party planner. She owns Party With the Warriors, a little business she started out of her love for hosting parties. She’s not a “party girl” in the negative sense of the word, but all of the money that she makes from the parties goes to help fund the Foundation.

I told you she’s admirable!

But I’m not going to steal her thunder… Susan recently had a styled shoot done in preparation for Purple Day and I, along with many of my beautifully talented party friends, contributed to make the shoot awesome and ready for the world.

Creating Awesomenessity's contribution :)

Creating Awesomenessity’s contribution :)

Head on over and check out the Purple Day shoot and learn a little more about the Epilepsy Warriors Foundation.

No matter what you’re going through, fight on!

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Happy St. Patty’s Day!

Posted in Holidays by

It’s St. Patrick’s Day! The day that we wear green, try to kiss or get kissed, justify getting really drunk on a weekday, and go to war…

By war, I mean the seemingly never-ending assault from everyone! For me, this day has always been the day that I try to dodge the pinching fingers of folks who like to get into a little close-contact mischief. And all of that hard work deserves a little liquid refreshment at the end of the day…

A glass of wine usually suffices but keeping in tune with the holiday, I give you the Kiss of the Irish! 

Kiss of the Irish!

Kiss of the Irish!

This wine mixer is super simple and only has two ingredients: Mirassou Moscato wine and DeKuyper‘s Sour Apple Pucker.  It can be made to your particular taste and even the manliest of men can get down with this one…

I found through drinking a bit of it trial and error that it’s a little easier on the palette if you chill the pucker well. 

1. Pour the pucker into your glass, in the volume that suits you. I used a regular drinking glass, instead of a wine glass, so I poured enough to fill it 1/3 of the way.

Pucker first...about 1/3 of the cup

Pucker first…about 1/3 of the glass

2. Top off with the Moscato. I used the Mirassou brand…the floral notes in this wine really balanced the sour apple well. I’ve never been one to like a strong taste of alcohol, so I prefer fruity wines, and this one is perfect :)

top off with the wine to your taste

top off with the wine to your taste

So for two steps and minimal cost, you can have the Kiss of the Irish too! Locally in Memphis, the wine (and pucker) can be found at Buster’s Wines and Liquor at 191 S. Highland. 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day…Pucker Up!

Kiss of the Irish

Kiss of the Irish

 

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Eating Green-Quick and Easy St. Patrick’s Day Ideas

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St. Patrick’s Day is upon us!

Do you have your green ready to wear? I always forget every year and used to try to avoid getting pinched by saying that I had on green undies. That got awkward real fast when the pincher said “prove it” so I just sucked it up and took the pinch…

Would you like to avoid the big pinch this year? I always say it’s easier to catch flies with honey than vinegar…and it’s probably not a bad idea to bribe away the pain with sugar :)

Here are a few great ideas for St. Patrick’s Day goodies to share with family and friends:

Green candied popcorn

Green candied popcorn

Try some green candied popcorn…great for a school snack or watching Leprechaun movies at home. Or not. Those movies are terrible. Find the recipe over at Skip To My Lou!

Green-Velvet-Cupcakes-at-www.lovefromtheoven.com_

These are some yummy looking cupcakes from Love From the Oven! I seriously want to devour these…

shenanigans kiss me I'm not Irish

How quick and easy is this?!? Hershey’s Kisses gift bags or baskets! Head over to Setting the Mood for ideas on a fun DIY gathering :)

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This healthy, fruity rainbow was part of a luau party styled by San Diego Cooks a few years ago, but is still perfect for a St. Paddy’s Day celebration today! And if you want to be a little naughty, switch out those bananas for a few Almond Kisses or gold coins!

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Everyone loves donuts! Check out these beauties found on TastedThis.com! If you don’t have a local bakery getting in on the holiday, grab some icing, add green food coloring, some sprinkles, and distribute :)

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Pinterest Party and Cash Giveaway – Call To Bloggers

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We’re having a party! If you want to mingle with us, check out all of the information below :)

Pinterest Party and Cash Giveaway

Calling all bloggers who would love to take advantage of a great opportunity to grow your followings, get some more exposure on Pinterest and increase your pageviews in the month of April! You will qualify for this opportunity if:

1) You have at least 300 Pinterest followers.

2) You can pay the $20 fee by March 15th. (All of the funds from all the hosts and co-hosts will go towards the cash giveaway.)

3) You will be willing to repin all of the participant’s pins during the week that it is required.

You can proceed to the sign-up form for more details. We are only accepting 48 bloggers for this opportunity so hurry to secure your spot! This one is going to be big!

Sign up here!

To all other bloggers, this is a great opportunity to get one of your posts some great exposure on Pinterest from people who have a nice following there. Stay tuned for the awesome giveaway and linkup that starts April 1st!

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The Love Boat – Valentine’s Cruise Giveaway

Posted in contest, Holidays by

“Baby, let’s cruise, away from heeee…eere!”

Smoky Robinson knew what he was talking about and now you have a chance to see for yourself!
valentine cruise giveaway

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and if you’re anything like me you’re sick of the cold weather and snow! Pretty My Party has teamed up with Mom Spark and Grown Ups Magazine and a group of fabulous bloggers and businesses to bring you The Valentine’s Day Cruise Giveaway! One lucky winner will win a $1,500 Carnival Cruise Gift Card to use toward a cruise of their choice! There is no expiration date on the gift card, so you can use it whenever you want to plan your vacation!

This giveaway is blog/business sponsored and wouldn’t be possible without the following: Danya Carey Photography, Madame Deals, Town and Country Living, The Everyday Home, An Alli Event, Party With The Warriors, The Pretty Party Shoppe,  Crafts a la Mode, Memories By The Mile, Inspiration for Moms, Tips From A Typical Mom, We Heart Parties, We Heart Mom, Stretching A Buck, Vintage Confections, Cool Coatz Hydrographics, Consolidated Label, Debt Free Spending, Party Patisserie, Rose Knows Coupons. The full list of giveaway sponsors can be viewed on the Rafflecopter entry form below.

VALENTINE’S DAY CRUISE GIVEAWAY

January 30, 2014 at 12 a.m. EST to February 6, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. EST

Open to U.S. Residents

Prize: 1 winner will receive a $1,500 Carnival Cruise Gift Card to use toward a cruise vacation on Carnival Cruise Lines.

Eligibility and Rules: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. This giveaway is open to individuals 18 and older who reside in the United States. The winner will be chosen randomly through the Rafflecopter form. It is the sole responsibility of the winner to adhere to all laws, which includes payments to any governing tax body.

Winner Selection: The winner of the giveaway will be selected in a random drawing through Rafflecopter from among all eligible entries received throughout the promotion period. The random drawing will be conducted within 48 hours of the closing of the giveaway by Pretty My Party or its designated representatives, whose decisions are final. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. Winner will be notified by email by hello@prettymyparty.com. Potential winner must accept the prizes by email as directed by Pretty My Party within 48 hours of notification. Any winner notification not responded to or returned as undeliverable may result in prize forfeiture. The potential prize winner may be required to sign and return an affidavit of eligibility and release of liability, and a Publicity Release (collectively “the Prize Claim Documents”).

Privacy: All entrants acknowledge that if they are chosen as a winner, some of their personally identifying information may be disclosed to third parties at least as required by law, including, without limitation, on a winner’s list. All personal information submitted as part of the giveaway may be shared by and between the promotion entities, and each of the promotion entities will use such information in accordance with their respective independent online privacy policies. See Pretty My Party’s full privacy policy here.

Rafflecopter Disclaimer: This promotion is powered by Rafflecopter. Metric Feat LLC (“Rafflecopter”) does not sponsor, administer or endorse this promotion. By entering this giveaway, participants agree to Rafflecopter’s Privacy Policy.

Social Media Disclaimer: Entrants should understand that they are providing their information to the sponsors of the giveaway and not to Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram or Google+. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with any of these social media sites.

Disclaimer: This giveaway is blog sponsored and is in no way associated with Carnival Cruise Lines. If there are any questions, please email hello@prettymyparty.com.

PLEASE USE THE RAFFLECOPTER LINK BELOW TO ENTER

The more entries you complete on the Rafflecopter form, the higher your chances are of winning. If you don’t have time to fill out all of the entries you may come back and complete any entries that you may have missed.

Good Luck and Happy Valentine’s Day!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Everyday Love – Valentine’s Day Giveaway

Posted in contest, Holidays by

I’m so excited! I was recently part of the blog tour for the Happy Wives Club and fell in love with her book about love! Happy Marriages DO exist!

In my excitement, I really want to share Fawn’s book with you! Not only that, but I’ve teamed up with some pretty awesome people to bring you some gifts to help celebrate this Valentine’s Day and hope that they help you to continue the celebration of love each and every day!

Here are the goodies that you could win:

A copy of the hottest new book on happy marriages from The Happy Wives Club

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A “Kissing Booth” banner from Cupcake With Character…hang the banner up over your doorway (or bed) and start your mistletoe mischief a few months early

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A collection of daily love books from Homemaking with Style

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“Love” stamped spoons, heart bowl, and heart straws for a sweet sundae and sip from The Pretty Party Shoppe

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A Natural Beauty Kit to pucker up and get perky from Mi-Me Handmade Body Products

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Lavender and Vanilla Relaxation set from A Woman the World Deserves to wind down and get comfy…

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A utility tote bag (or $30 shop credit to Thirty-One Gifts) from Party with the Warriors

Glittered wine glasses from Creating Awesomenessity…plus a Love Notes set and “adults only” toys…because we know what Valentine’s Day is really about *wink*

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The contest will run from January 30 – February 5. All we’re asking is that you hop on over and like everyone’s Facebook fan page…following our awesome bloggers on Twitter will get you some extra entries too! Make sure that you share this contest with your friends and best of luck to you!

raffle

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules: Contest is open from January 29, 2014 at 11:59 PM CST to February 5, 2014 at 11:59 PM CST. The winner will be chosen randomly through Rafflecopter. Giveaway is open across the US to all participants 18 years of age and older. Void where prohibited by law. Winner must comply with all laws in their State. The winner will have 12 hours to claim their prize. Should they not claim their prize within this time, another winner will be selected. Please ensure that the email creatingawesomenessity [at] gmail [dot] com is on your “safe list” to ensure you receive email notification.
Disclosure: This is an independent blogger giveaway. It is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media network. Sponsors donated their contributions to the prize.

{Valentine’s Day Craft} Sweet as Pie

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My hubby loves my mom’s sweet potato pie. She usually makes it around the holidays and he looks forward to it every year…he managed to score 4 this year, so we’ve been eating it for a while.

That might be one of the reasons that I had to buy bigger pants last weekend. Moving along…

We live in the South and there are so many idioms and sayings here. A lot of them revolve around food and somebody is always as sweet as something. So I thought of something really quick, easy, and cute to share with you for Valentine’s Day…a “Sweet as Pie” pie box!

I googled templates of the pie box to find one that was really easy to construct. With a little editing, I customized it to fit the holiday.

Tools You’ll Need to Complete:

  • templates
  • cardstock paper
  • scissors
  • tape

1. Print the templates out.

box top

box bottom

2. Cut the templates out. Make sure that you only cut on the solid lines or you’ll need a lot more tape. You can also use decorative cardstock for the bottom if you want to give your box a little more color.

3. Fold along the dotted lines.

4. Place the tab inside the flap.

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4. Tape the sides to the tabs. Inside or outside, whatever works aesthetically for you is fine.

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5. Do this for each side until both parts of the box are finished.

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6. Insert pie into the bottom part of the box…the one that reads “mmm, pie!” is the bottom (if you want it to be.)

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bad picture, good pie!

6. Share :)

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You can jazz it up with some twine or ribbon if you like. But what a sweet gift! And you don’t have to only use this for pie, as cake slices will fit into it too! Just be warned, each box only holds one serving!

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