Blogging With Purpose

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So most of you here probably know I'm the Chief Event Planner for Operation Shower. Operation Shower is a 501(c)3 charity that provides "baby showers in a box" to expectant moms who have spouses deployed in the military.

You also all know what a tragic week it has been for our military and the numerous losses of life we've had this month. So, so sad.

In the midst of worry and sadness, Operation Shower tries to bring joy to military families that are separated at a very special time in their lives. Imagine being pregnant while your husband is overseas defending our country. It's not political. It's human.
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So, as we approach Thanksgiving, please take one moment and check out my post on the Operation Shower blog here. I'd be so thankful for it.

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I'd also love it if my fellow bloggers could link to the Operation Shower post. Amazing things happen with the power of the internet. I know we can all make a difference. Please, leave me a comment if you post so I can thank you personally.

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Have a safe Halloween and a blessed holiday season.

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Ever grateful,

Ames

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P.S. You can also click on our website or this post here for an opportunity to donate.

Swanky Speakeasy

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I love all things vintage.
I love all things party.


I love this Speakeasy bash by b.a.s.h.ful events. Sneak on over and check out the entire slide show of this bash!

Feed Your Soul

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Feed Your Soul: the free art project is a brilliant and generous free art project where talented artists create original art and post it to share with the world. You just download and print. The only rules? You must credit back to Feed Your Soul: the free art project and you must not use them for commercial purposes. Cool, right?

I bet you're thinking what I'm thinking....party inspiration!



And, while Feed Your Soul might not be new to a lot of you reading this, I counter with chocolate isn't new either but I still like to Feed My Face with it. With so much on the interwebs, I just thought it time to share this. Okay, past time since it's been in my drafts for months and I happened upon it again....ooopsy.



Please check out all the free downloads and enjoy the gift of free art from Feed Your Soul!

Spooktacular Sale

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Need some last minute things for the ghosts and goblins at your Halloween Party? Like to stock up on the cheap for next year? (I love a sale!)

Either way, get on over to Oriental Trading Company !!!

Mad For Maddycakes

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Get comfortable, folks, because you are about to spend some time on Maddycakes Muse.



Maddycakes Muse is the blog sister of Maddycakes. Might as well get out the Snuggie because you're going to want to spend some time there, too.

Maddycakes is a boutique children's event planning business in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. If you live there, you need to hire them. If you don't, you need to click and be inspired by them.

Choosing what to post was amazingly difficult, but I was really excited by the Tablescape Thursday series. A new idea every week! If the first four are any indication of what is to come, then, eeeee, so excited.



Furthermore, have I been living under a rock? Did you know there is an entire community doing this Tablescape Thursday series organized by Between Naps On The Porch?

Before you check it out though, seriously, do yourself a favor and look back at all Maddycakes posts and check out the website, too. I promise you that you'll be inspired to do something fabulous. Maddycakes is so good at working with items from dollar stores, too. Loving that.

Enjoy your visit and tell them that Amy from Stem sent ya!

Hip Hop Hooraaaay Hoooooo Heyyyy Hooooo

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On this episode of Cribs we have the illest First Birthday Party evah by Bird and Berry.

Seriously, they threw their daughter, Jayna, a hip hop birthday party. This is killing me.



Look at her little outfit, the "perfume" that every celebrity has and that dope cake. (Do people still say "dope"....my "street" is rusty.) They also pimped her highchair as well as added more clever touches that you need to see here for yourself.

Thanks so much for emailing me, Bird and Berry. Mad love. Mad love.

GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Congrats, Joanne for winning the FavorsInTheCity $25 Gift Certificate Giveaway! Send me your email info via my email link on the side over there and I'll hook you up!

Go check out Joanne's cakes while you are here. Lucky AND talented....so not fair.

Thanks everyone for entering. Another fun giveaway coming this week!

Etsy Love: Hiya, Pumpkin

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One of my favorite things about this time of year is the pervasive proliferation of pumpkins. Okay, so mainly I'm talking about pumpkin baked goods, but the decor is nice, too. (But, pumpkin bread? Uh, YUM. Can I get an "amen" from the crowd?)



Just look at these different spins on pumpkin decor from these talented Etsy designers. One is sure to spark some ideas on how you can pretty up your posh pad with pumpkins this season!

Pumpkin Patch Trio
Orange and White Fabric Pumpkin
Recycled Necktie Pumpkin

Paper Mache Pumpkins

The Party Dress

Just the words "The Party Dress" make me happy. For me it conjures up images of little girls in their fancy birthday dresses or "girls" like me in fabulous vintage cocktail dresses out for a special night.

But, that's not all...



The Party Dress is also a website that makes me happy. Very, very happy.

With what I think are some of the most enticing inspiration boards out there, a lovely header of galleries, and lots of other great posts, this site may soon be what comes to mind first when you hear those words!

Stunners From StudioWed

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New posts from StudioWed make me feel like a kid on Christmas morning!

Just look at the latest tiny little photo gifts to grace your monitor from the Fall Table Trends collection.

Stunning. Stunning. Stunning.


Barn Rustic


Fall Elegance


Mod India

FavorsInTheCity [GIVEAWAY]

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So excited to introduce you to the all new FavorsInTheCity online favor store. What better way to celebrate than with a $25 Gift Certificate Giveaway?



You may think of favors for weddings or showers, but why not give your Thanksgiving guests a little something to take home? I'm Falling for several items in this seasonal section here. Don't stop there though. Check out the entire site for fun favors for every occasion.

Winner will be chosen on Friday, October 16th by 9am, so leave a comment here and tell me which is your favorite Fall Favor. I'll post the winner here so check back and see if it's you so I can get your info!

Good luck and much thanks to FavorsInTheCity!

Do You Love?

Or Do You Love? I love.

If you were on the St Louis Entertains email newsletter, then you, too, would get such fun treats as this in your in-box from time to time. Never spammy, ALWAYS fantastic. I love the Quick Tips featured. This one is no exception. I mean, seriously, how great are these spooky cocktails?

From the newsletter:

Ingredients
Orange Juice
Black Vodka
Black olives
Cream Cheese

Directions
Fill a glass halfway with pulp-free orange juice, then pour the black vodka carefully over the juice. A great tip for doing this somewhat delicate operation successfully is to pour the vodka over the back of a spoon so that it runs down the side of the glass, slowing it down enough so that it doesn't plunge into the juice and begin to mix right away.

For the "eyes" use pitted black olives stuffed with cream cheese. Cut up one olive into tiny little pieces, and use those pieces as the pupils. Pierce the completed eyes over wooden toothpicks and place on the rim of the glass... enjoy!

Sign up today for the newsletter and to order your copy of the latest issue if you aren't in the St. Louis area. It's certain to be full of ooooh and aaaahs.

Etsy Love: Halloween Party Invitations

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I'll be perusing Etsy again during the holidays in hopes of bringing some Etsy Love to some of the many talented people out there!

Here are a handful (if your hand only holds four things) of Halloween Invitations to get you going on your Spooky Soiree.

Trendy Treasures Design Company

The Stationery Boutique

Dimple Prints

KMThomas Designs

A Very Green Halloween

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Knock, Knock.
Who's There?
Orange?
Orange Who?

Just one look at these simple green and black Halloween decorations from Martha made me forget all about orange for Halloween.



The cutout "curtains" are so simple and so very, very necessary. Confession: I don't really decorate for Halloween. I may just have to start though. Martha, you temptress, you.

Sometimes It's Fun To Be The Guest

Big thanks to Pepper Design Blog for the fun interview for the Friday Guest Blog Interview Series.

If you're not reading this weekly series you're missing out on tips and tricks from some truly creative and inspiring bloggers! I feel like an Oscar loser's speech here, but it really is an honor to be in such fine company!

Gratitude Challenge Day Two: Amy's A to Z

In no particular order....unless you count alphabetical order, then yes, they are in some sort of order:

A - Acceptance that where you are is where you are supposed to be.

B - Bananas. Tasty. Versatile. AND come in their own little case.

C - Choices. We have so many while some have so few.

D - Dark Chocolate.

E - Elementary school friends that have that way of reminding you of "home" even after years and

years of time and distance

F - Friends and family that make me laugh and inspire me.

G - Growing older and realizing no one is perfect so get over it.

H - Husband. In particular, mine. He rocks.

I - Imogen Heap's lovely voice.

J - Jon Stewart. He cracks me up.

K - Knives. Makes cutting things much easier.

L - Laughter.

M - Music. One of life's greatest gifts.

N - NIA. Exercise that is as much for the mind as the body.

O - Operation Shower. The people I serve with and the people we serve. I am blessed by it daily.

P - Panic Disorder. Even though it can hinder me, it has also strengthened me in many ways and made me much more compassionate.

Q - Quiet time in the car on the way to the office.

R - Rain Showers on lazy Saturdays.

S - Sooner Football. Boomer Sooner!

T - Trust. If A is for acceptance that where you are is where you are supposed to be than T is for Trusting that you will make it through anything.

U - United States Citizenship. While we may not be perfect and we all may not agree, the simple fact of being born in this country allows a big portion of this list to even be possible.

V - Voices that my husband and I talk in that make us laugh.

W - wonderful women I've met online via my Stem Parties blog.

X - Wow. Xerox copier help desk support.

Y - You.

Z - Zeriously? I thought "X" was hard. Um, Ziploc baggies. Thank you for keeping my snacks fresh.

Attitude of Gratitude

Dear 234 Blog Followers over there on the side of my blog,

I seeeeeeee you.

Who wants to join me in the 21 Day Gratitude Challenge?

I mean, sure, I have my moments of self-pity and downright cranky ank, but overall I think I do a pretty good job of always remembering that it could always be worse. In fact, my husband would probably tell you I can be annoying about that. Like when he's having computer problems or something similar and I chime in, "some people don't even have clean water...." Need to work on my timing.

But, I digress. The first day of the Challenge is to state why you accepted it and what you hope to achieve.

I am accepting the 21 Day Gratitude Challenge (via Tiny Prints...holla) to be ever more mindful and present in the every day moments. To let go of the bad and focus on the good. To live from a place of abundance. To get out of my own way. To let you all know that I am grateful for you and your sweet emails and comments.

Love to have you join me! Let me know if you accept the challenge and let's see how great we can make the next 3 weeks!

Cheers (clink),
Amy

Gratitude Challenge

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