Big or Small Let's Save them All T-shirts - Now Available!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and we just got the *Cutest* Breast Cancer Awareness T-shirts in! 

Heather workin' it in her new tee! 



A portion of the proceeds from every shirt purchased goes to the Carol M Bladwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, Inc. which supports both new and established researchers investigating the causes, prevention and treatment of breast cancer. 

(Just so you know - Heahter has on a medium size shirt so I would say they run true to size.)

T-shirts are $25 each or 2 or more for $20 each - to encourage buying one for you and one for a friend.:)  Breast Cancer AWARENESS is the key! 

T-shirts come in S - XL are a "Ladies Fit", so they look cute on!  Available instore only, but if you don't live in or around Cary, NC call us at 877-SWAGGER and we will hook you up!

Eclipse Charity Event

*Update - thanks to everyone who participated!  We were so happy to donate to the Red Cross with your help!

It is no secret that we LOVE the Twilight Saga at Swagger!  With the release of Eclipse, the third movie in the series, we decided to have a little fun with it and raise money for a great cause at the same time!

Here's the 411:
Who is the event benefiting?  The RED CROSS (get it - vampires,blood - yeah we know we are cheesy but this is going to be fun!:-) )
What is the goal?  To raise $1000 for the Red Cross by the premiere of the Eclipse Movie on June 30th, 2010. 
When is the event?  The event is ongoing and is happening EVERY DAY at Swagger between NOW and JUNE 30th.
Where is the event?  At Swagger Gifts in Cary, NC
How can YOU get involved? Do you love Edward or Jacob?  Would you like a picture with "them"?  Come by Swagger and take one!  We are just asking for a donation - anything you want to give!  Make your friends jealous and post it as your FB profile or frame it and keep it by your bed - we won't tell!

Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?
This is where your pictures will be located for download.  Let's see who wins Team Edward or Team Jacob - we think we know but we're all a little biased:)!

Team Edward Photos
If you are Team Edward, then this is where you can download your photo.  Just click on our Team Edward Flickr link, pick the photo size you would like and download it to your computer.



Team Jacob Photos:
If you are Team Jacob, then this is where you can download your photo. Just click on our Team Jacob Flickr link, pick the photo size you would like and download it to your computer.




Team Undecided:
What?!?!  You are undecided?  We think not - you probably just wanted to get your pictures with BOTH of these hot guys.  Can't say we blame you:)  If you are Team Undecided, then this is where you can download your photo. Just click on our Team Undecided Flickr link, pick the photo size you would like and download it to your computer.

Empowerment Beads for Haiti

As many of you know, Trollbeads started the Empowerment Bead Program last year with the first limited edition empowerment bead focusing on Breast Cancer Research. With the help of the entire Trollbead Community, $500,000 was raised and went directly to such organizations as Susan G. Komen and the Breast Cancer Research Fund.

And now, in light of January's devastating earthquake in Haiti, Trollbeads is proud to offer a new set of Empowerment beads. Half of all proceeds from the sale of these beads will go to Habitat for Humanity to aid in stabilizing and rebuilding Haiti's infrastructure. Habitat has been working in Haiti for 26 years and is helping Haitians rebuild their homes and reclaim hope.

There are 10 exclusive, limited edition beads that have been designed to work with Trollbeads and OTHER beaded bracelets. They are SOOOOO beautiful! I can't wait until they come in - a lot of these designs I have never seen before! We love to Shop for a Cause and are excited to have a hand in helping rebuild Haiti! We thank you in advance for your support of this important cause!

Beads pictured may vary from the actual beads.

We will let you know as SOON as they come in (hopefully any day)!

xoxo, Mandy

p.s. - For those of you who may be new to Trollbeads, the Empowerment Bead Program was created for the sole purpose of promoting charitable contributions through the Trollbeads dealer network. In order to embrace all wearers of bead bracelets in charitable giving, the beads are designed to fit not only Trollbeads bracelets, but all competitors bracelets as well.

Holiday Open House benefiting Life Experiences, Inc is TONIGHT!

Just a reminder to all that Swagger's Holiday Open House Preview Night benefiting Life Experiences, Inc is TONIGHT from 6 - 9 pm! Come out and shop for a great cause!

Tickets are $10 in advance (you can buy them until 5:59:)) or $15 at the door (after 6 pm)! All tickets sales and 10% of store sales go to Life Experiences, Inc!

Make sure to come early - the "Swag Bags" are AMAZING!!!! The first 50 people in the door will get one!

Here are the specials for this night only:
• 50% off monogramming for items purchased at Swagger
• FREE freight on all personalized orders
• FREE personalization on ceramics
• FREE gift bag filled with goodies worth over $25 for the first 50 customers
• LOTS of prizes given away– including $100 worth of Swagger Gifts certificates
• And Cool Gifts sold at Special Prices for this night only! Including 20% off “Merry Christmas Ya’ll” T-Shirts (so cute!!!) and $12 Make Up Bag (including monogram)

Empowerment Trollbeads are in!

Trollbeads designed exclusive beads to support Breast Cancer Research! We have very limited quantities so come in soon for the best selection! These Trollbeads also fit ALL competitors bracelets so tell your friends with the "other" bracelets too!:) They are so beautiful! We can't wait for you to come some them! See you soon!:)

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!

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!

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

Holiday Preview Night benefitting the LLS was a Huge Success!

I just wanted to thank everyone who came to the Holiday Preview Night benefitting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! I could not believe the turn out - you could hardly move in the store! It was amazing! We raised $1300 for their School & Youth Program! Here are some of my pictures from the night! Hopefully someone else was taking pictures too because we were so busy I barely got any!:) Thank you - we truly appreciate all of your support for Swagger and for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Soceity!

Emily and Lisa are ready to collect tickets to the event and educate everyone about the Leukemia & Lymphma Society!

The Swagger Staff ready for all the customers!

Lots of shoppers getting personalized gifts at the event!
Elf on the shelf was a huge hit with the moms! A cute way to bribe your kids to be good, because Santa is going to hear all about it!Charlie, the son of one our customers, was diagnosed with Leukemia last year. With the help of donations for research, Charlie is doing well and is a great vision of why we were raising money for the Society tonight! He even wrote me a Thank You letter - how cute! Thank you Charlie for being such a brave and sweet little boy!

Gobble 'Til You Wobble & Shop 'Til You Drop!

The best shopping events of the year are finally here - the 2nd Annual Holiday Preview Night benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the 6th Annual Holiday Open House!

Be sure to RSVP to Swagger's events on facebook (just check out the snazzy Swagger Gifts - Monogrammed and Unique Gifts & Accessories facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Swagger-Gifts-Monogrammed-and-Unique-Gifts-Accessories/26618281522), invite your favorite shopping partners, and get ready for some holiday fun!Here's the links to the event pages on Swagger's site as well as facebook, to make sharing these good times with your gal pals SUPER easy!
2nd Annual Holiday Preview Night benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
http://www.swaggergifts.com/holiday-preview-night-benefiting-leukemia-lymphoma-society
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=47378208224

6th Annual Holiday Open House
http://www.swaggergifts.com/holiday-open-house
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=32951948334

See you there!

Shop for the Cure on Friday at Swagger!

Have you heard the good news? If you're on facebook like me - be sure to check out the event invitation online and invite some friends! If you're not on facebook, you sure are missing out, but I'll let it slide... this time.
Here's the scoop - courtesy of the latest press release from Swagger just this morning!
Cary’s Swagger Gifts to Donate Portion of Days Sales to Breast Cancer Research
(Cary, NC) – Mandy Becker, owner of Swagger Gifts, has announced that the popular gift and accessories retail store, will donate 10% of its in-store and online proceeds on Friday June 6th, to the Chix in Business Team participating in the 12th Annual 2008 Komen NC Triangle Race for the Cure, supporting breast cancer patients and survivors and the ongoing efforts aimed at finding a cure for the disease.
Swagger Gifts is participating on the Chix in Business Team as part of the entire effort benefiting the NC Triangle Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Becker has served as board member of Chix in Business in the past, coordinating and contributing to several projects for the organization.
Becker is no stranger to philanthropy shopping events, either. Swagger Gifts is locally known for its annual Holiday Open House which attracts shoppers from all over the Triangle and raises hundreds of dollars for a different local charity each year. “Contributing to a better life for everyone in our community is something that’s very important to not only those of us at Swagger, but for our customers, as well”, says Becker. “Almost everyone I know, myself included, has been personally affected at some point in their life by breast cancer, whether personally, or through a family member or close friend, so we are more than thrilled to be part of Chix’s participation in this cause.”
Located in the heart of the Lochmere neighborhood in Cary, Swagger Gifts is located at 2425 Kildaire Farm Road and will be open from 10am until 6pm on Friday, June 6th for the event. Shoppers who cannot make it to the store or who will be outside of the area, are encouraged to support the shopping day by purchasing online from http://www.swaggergifts.com/ at any time, from any location, on the same day.
Chix in Business, Inc. is a Triangle-area community of passionate women business owners who support and educate each other through building personal and business relationships, information sharing, seminars, mentoring and community outreach. For more information on Chix in Business, Inc., visit their website: http://www.chixinbusiness.org/.
For more information on the 12th Annual 2008 Komen NC Triangle Race for the cure, please visit the event website: http://www.komennctriangle.org/race-for-the-cure.php.
For more information about Swagger’s special fundraising event, please contact Mandy Kratus Becker at Swagger Gifts, 919-858-5884 or toll free at 877-792-4437 or visit the store online at http://www.swaggergifts.com/.
About Swagger Gifts
Swagger Gifts, an upscale boutique with an eclectic flair, specializes in personalized gifts for everyone on your list - including yourself - has been in business for five years and has been voted the 'Best Gift Shop- by Cary Magazine readers. Having recently re-launched their web site, everything offered in their store, as well as great gift giving advice can be found online at http://www.swaggergifts.com/ – with new merchandise and features being added daily, including a blog authored by Mandy, her fabulous staff, and her customers in the blogging community!

Swagger Gifts to Donate 10% of Internet Sales to Toys for Tots

Cary, NC December 1, 2007 – Swagger Gifts will donate 10% of their Internet sales during the month of December to the Toys for Tots Foundation. As a way to help others in need this holiday season, Mandy Kratus Becker, owner, made the decision to donate 10% of their Internet Sales to the Raleigh area Toys for Tots. “I feel so blessed that Swagger just celebrated its Fifth Anniversary. With the launch of our new website I really wanted to find a way to continue to give back to the community. What better group to sponsor during the Holidays than Toys for Tots – especially from the local gift shop?!” says Mandy.
Toys for Tots began in Los Angeles in 1947 when Major Bill Hendricks, USMCR, and a group of Marine Reservists collected and handed out over 5,000 toys to needy children in the area. The plan was so successful, that the following year, the Marine Corps adopted the cause, turning it into a nationwide campaign. From that point forward, every community in which a Marine Reserve Center was located, a Toys for Tots campaign was started. Since its inception, The US Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program has distributed more than 332 million toys to more than 150 million children who are in need.
Does holiday shopping send your stress level through the roof? If spending too much hard earned money, wandering aimlessly through crowded malls, not checking loved ones off of your list fast enough, and worrying that you’re not picking up the perfect gift are part of your annual ritual of holiday shopping then visiting http://www.swaggergifts.com/ will end your holiday shopping woes. With “Cyber Monday” consumers are moving more and more to online shopping. At Swagger Gifts, Mandy and her staff are experts in selecting the perfect gift – every time, for every occasion. Swagger’s online store offers gift giving guides and product availability to ease the purchasing experience. Instead of buying the same old ho-hum gift, try personalizing. By selecting a personalized gift you show the recipient that extra time and attention was taken to select the perfect gift for him/her.
“Swagger Gifts, an upscale boutique with an eclectic flair, specializes in personalized gifts for everyone on your list – including yourself – has been in business for five years and has been voted the “Best Gift Shop” by Cary Magazine readers. Having recently re-launched their web site, everything offered in their store, as well as great gift giving advice can be found online at http://www.swaggergifts.com/ and 10% of their online sales will be donated to the Raleigh Toys for Tots.
For questions, please contact Mandy Kratus Becker at Swagger Gifts, 919-858-5884 or toll free at 877-792-4437.