Friday, September 18, 2009

NBIA Fundraiser Event raised over $1000

We had a wonderful time at the NBIA Fundraiser event on Tuesday! Thanks to everyone who came out for the event and also to everyone who bought raffle tickets for the Trollbead Bracelet! We raised $1038.20!:)
I love this picture of Kevin picking the winner of the bracelet!
Congratulations to Sheila Hawkins the winner!


Facebook Friday Winner for September 18th is..........

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is........
Last week we gave away a pair of our sterling silver square stud earrings! Obviously you guys loved them! Thanks for all the comments! And the lucky winner is: #52 – Liz Dillenback!
Congratulations Liz- your ears will look so cute in these!:) See her comment below!

Email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday September 25th to claim your prize!
For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away one of our new Noteworthy Stamps! Obviously these stamps are great for a return addresses – but get crazy – you could also use them for recipes, book plates, save the date wedding cards, or for your child’s birthday enclosure card! What other ideas do you guys have? I would love to hear it!
All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to Swagger Gift’s FB Friday of the Week Photo Album, become a fan of Swagger Gifts on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday September 25th!

We are also offering a 15% off coupon good for the FB Giveaway of the Week. Check out the FB page for details!
Good Luck!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Reminder: Trollbeads for a Cause!

Trollbeads for a Cause

Don't forget to join us tonight, as we raffle off the
Flower & Nature Starter Bracelet at 7 pm to benefit the
NBIA Disorders Association

Raffle Tickets are $10 a piece and you can still buy them today!

Click here to visit SwaggerGifts.com for all of the information!

Swagger Gifts is featuring the following specials during today's Trunkshow:

+ Buy $100 worth of Trollbeads and get a Glass Bead (from Glass Group 1) for FREE! +
+ Receive a FREE Bracelet with the purchase of an upgraded clasp! +
+ Receive $25 off a Fantasy Pendant w/ the purchase of a Fantasy Necklace! +
+ Recive a FREE Bracelet or Leather Necklace with the purchase of a Chain Necklace +

Friday, September 11, 2009

Facebook Friday Winner for September 11th is...

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is...

Last week, Swagger Gifts gave away a great gift to give or to keep for yourself - a 10'' round monogrammed cutting board!

If round or 10'' isn't a perfect cutting board fit for you, check out all of the other options in monogrammed cuttings boards that Swagger carries. You can choose from lots of shapes, embellishments, and more! How's that for personalized?

This week's lucky winner is: #28* – Jen Stotesbery!
Congratulations Jen - enjoy using this cutting board yourself or making another gift recipient very happy :-) See Jen's comment below!





Email Mandy at mandy {at} swaggergifts {dot} com and she will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday September 18th to claim your prize.

For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, Swagger is giving away a pair of Personalized Small Square Stud Earrings. These classic stud earrings are PERFECT for everyday wear and are made of sterling silver.

All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to Swagger Gift’s FB Friday of the Week Photo Album, become a fan of Swagger Gifts on FB, and leave a comment on the picture of the monogrammed earrings before next Friday September 11th! Click here to enter to win!

We are also offering a 15% off coupon good for the FB Giveaway of the Week!
Check out the FB page for details!
Good Luck!


*Since Mandy moved to Zurich, it is becoming harder for her to ask Swagger customers to pick a number for the weekly FB Winner, so we are now officially using Random.org for all number picking!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Swagger presents some Gifts With Attitude!

We love sassy gifts at Swagger! They are what we were built on! They make us happy and provide a lot of laughs for our customers! Here are a few new gifts and cards that I just had to share!:)

New Card line from Calypso Cards by Naughty Betty

Below is a close up of one of my favorites!






This "shoe" is a wine bottle holder! You know we love the zebra print!





How about a new laptop skin? Now everyone will know the true you!


Have a great day! Come into Swagger if you need a good laugh! We have plenty more where this came from!

Mandy

Friday, September 4, 2009

Facebook Friday Winner for September 4th is..........

And the Winner of the Facebook Friday of the Week is........
Last week we gave away our vinyl letters so you can put your mark on the world!
And the lucky winner is:#36* – Sonya Hove! Congratulations Sonya- so what are you going to personalized? See her comment below!
Email me at mandy@swaggergifts.com and I will hook you up with your gift! You have until next Friday September 11th to claim your prize!
For this week’s Facebook Friday contest, we are giving away a 10” Round Monogrammed Cutting Board! This size cutting board works great for serving cheese or cutting limes at your bar! These boards make great wedding or hostess gifts too!
All you have to do to get yourself entered is hop on over to Swagger Gift’s FB Friday of the Week Photo Album, become a fan of Swagger Gifts on FB, and leave a comment before next Friday September 11th!
We are also offering a 15% off coupon good for the FB Giveaway of the Week. Check out the FB page for details! Good Luck!
* So since I moved to Zurich it is becoming harder to ask Swagger customers to pick a number for our weekly FB Winner so we are now officially using Random.org for all number picking!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Swagger Gifts was a guest blogger on Erin McLean Events Blog

Check our guest blog posting on Erin McLean Events blog! She asked us to write a little something about Bridal Party Gifts so how could we say no? Of course we couldn't!

Warning: Watch out when you go to her blog - you might be there for a long time! I just spent 30 minutes scrolling through all her posts and looking at the beautiful pictures of the weddings she planned. Erin - I wish I could get married (to Nathan) again so you could be my Wedding Planner!!!!

I would post a picture of my wedding here (so you could see how young I looked then) but that was BEFORE digital photgraphy so all I have is REAL photos - total bummer:) I guess I need to get the scanner out!:)

Thanks Erin!
love to all, mandy

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Trollbeads Empowerment Collection to benefit Breast Cancer!

Swagger is so excited to announce the Trollbeads Empowerment bead collection!

The initial offering of pink and white Empowerment beads will be released in October 2009, to coincide with the 25th anniversary of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Swagger in partnership with Trollbeads, will donate 50% of the proceeds from the sale of each Empowerment bead to organizations dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer.

One of the most exciting things Trollbeads did was that in order to include all consumers in this worthy cause, they designed and manufactured Empowerment beads to fit Trollbeads bracelets as well as similar beaded bracelets (pandora, chamilia, etc). Go Trollbeads!

Trollbeads said "It is our hope that the beads’ message of love and support will strengthen all those affected by this disease."

We will let you all know as soon as the beads get to Swagger!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Swagger Gifts officially announces our Holiday Open House Charity - Life Experiences!

We are so excited to announce that we will be partnering with Life Experiences for our Holiday Open House Preview Night on November 5th from 6 - 9 PM! For more information about the event please go to our website!

This year twelve very deserving charities were nominated for our Holiday Open House Preview Night - each with an amazing story of service to the community! But when I spoke with Mary Madenspacher, Executiver Director of Life Experiences, I knew this was the charity we would partner with for 2009! The passion of the team at Life Experiences to enrich the lives of adults with developmental disabilities is contagious! At Swagger, we have many parents who have children with developmental disabilities, and it is wonderful to know that an organization like Life Experiences will be available to them, to help enrich their lives when they get older!

Below is an article that Mary Madenspacher sent to me to help me understand a little more about Life Experiences. Please take the time to read it! It really put a smile on my face!

What Life Experiences Is All About

Hi Everybody, I’m Here!

This is the morning greeting from Angie Grenz, one of 41 employees at Life Experiences. Angie is a 32 year old woman with Down syndrome who moved to Cary about 3 years ago to live with her sister and brother–in-law, Deanna and Albert L’Homme. Angie works in the bakery, one of 4 small businesses run by this non-profit located in Cary. The other businesses are a commercial laundry, sub-contract department and janitorial service. Each business provides valuable services and products for the community, all completed by adults with developmental disabilities and cognitive challenges.

Angie’s story is very heart warming. According to Deanna, “Angie came to us when she was 6 days old in May of 1977. My mother, a widow with three children of her own, decided to open a foster home for children with special needs in her Tampa, Florida home. Angie was only supposed to stay for a week, until the state could place her. Her birth parents could not cope with a child with Down syndrome. That week turned into 3 years. By that time she was the ‘little sister.’ My mother adopted her when she was a little over three years old. She was officially part of the family.

“Last year my husband and I were empty nesters,” continued Deanna, “after our fourth child moved away to college. Shortly after his departure, Angie and my mother came to live with us due to my mother’s health. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer Disease and could no longer care for herself or for Angie.”

Once Angie arrived, Deanna started looking for a place for Angie to work. She learned about Life Experiences from Angie’s caseworker and from Dr. Michael Anthony. Both people recommended the agency for its outstanding work with adults with developmental disabilities.

Deanna recalls their first visit to Life Experiences, “I didn’t know what to expect, but the place was great. It was full of busy, happy people doing their jobs. They were smiling, talking, and getting and giving instructions. Everyone was busy and everyone had a job to do. Angie and I got to visit every department and talk with some of the employees. With every stop Angie’s smiles only got bigger!”

Angie adores Emeril Lagasse, so working in the bakery is right up her alley. She wraps brownies for area restaurants, washes dishes, helps make cookies, packs box lunches and pours barbeque sauce into take out cups for Danny’s Bar-B-Que. If you ask Angie what her job is, she will respond with a wide grin, “brownie wrapper chef!”

“Life Experiences is a wonderful organization that should be available to all the people that could benefit from it,” summarizes Deanna. “For us it has meant we are able to let Angie be her own person. To think and do things for herself. Sometimes we think people with disabilities cannot do things for themselves. What they need is a chance to prove they can and Life Experiences is just the place to do it.”

Angie’s story is just one of many at Life Experiences. For over 31 years, Life Experiences has provided a place for adults with disabilities who strive to become independent and productive citizens, working for pay. The program began as a small bakery with four employees and two staff members and today operates four businesses employing over 40 adults with developmental disabilities and 7 staff members. Seven years ago, Life Experiences opened a new facility in Cary to offer its employees (clients) the best in vocational opportunities and work environments.

Maybe Life Experiences can help you or someone you know. If you are interested in getting more information about Life Experiences, contact Mary Madenspacher at 467-1973 or Mary@LifeExperiences.org.

We are looking forward to a fun night on November 5th and hope you all will join us!
Mandy