Introducing Ban.do!

Spring is finally here! And that means we’re gearing up for a lot of new and exciting things at Swoozie’s; one in particular being the newest addition to the Land of Swoo, Ban.do! If you haven’t already heard of these stylish, La-La land-inspired accessories and gifts, you’re in for a special treat. Ban.do adds the perfect touch to the Swoozie’s lineup by giving you lots of color, taste and just the right amount of girly options to jazz up your every day style.

 We’ve got Canvas totes, Key chain pouches and Carryall duos for on-the-go girls…

Back Me up Mobile Chargers, Power Trip chords, iPad/iPhone cases, Disco Tech Wristlets and Ear Buddies for the tech goddesses…

Crystal Crush Bobbies , Sparkle & Shine Bobbi Sets and It Girl Bobbies, Twists Scarves and Girl Talk Headbands for the trendsetters….

AND Sip Sip Tumblers, Drink Sleeves and Cross Body Party Pouches for the social butterflies!  

Simply put, there’s a Ban.do essential for every fashionista and occasion! Looking for designer accessories at the perfect price? Ban.do is the way to go!

Tweet us your favorite items! (@Swoozies)

Book Signing Event with Trista Sutter at Swoozie’s Denver

Join us at our Swoozie’s Denver location for a book signing and appearance event with Trista Sutter, runner-up on Season One of the ABC reality television show The Bachelor and the star of the first season of its companion show The Bachelorette. Trista has also appeared on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and NBC’s Fear Factor.

Trista’s book, Happily Ever After, reminds readers that it’s the smallest gestures and the most unassuming things that can have the greatest effects. Trista is often asked her secret to being one of the rare reality-TV relationships to make it to the altar and beyond. In this heartfelt book, she shares the simple yet profound keys to finding everyday happiness: gratitude and grace. From the blink-and-you’ll-miss-them moments we have with our kids, our spouses, our pets, or even strangers, to the more obvious lessons we pick up from reading the news or hearing an inspirational story, knowing how to recognize, accept, and be grateful for all of our daily blessings is truly what “happily ever after” means.

Join us in stores for cocktails, book signing, and a meet and greet with Trista! 

Where:

Swoozie’s Denver
589 Fillmore St.
Denver, CO 80206

When:

Tuesday, March 25th
4-6 PM 

We look forward to seeing everyone there! 

Our Favorite Green Cocktails & Dazzling Drinkware for St. Patrick’s Day

When March 17 rolls around, a little Irish comes out in all of us.  On St. Patrick’s Day millions of people everywhere come together to celebrate the Irish culture by wearing the color green, taking a stab at traditional Irish dancing and drinking lots of booze. If you’re not a big fan of beer or can’t find a nearby Irish pub or parade to celebrate, we’ve got the perfect green concoctions and drinkware to help you create your own soirée and wow your friends!  In fact, our shimmering glasses may make you forget all about wearing beads. What’s the number one Swoozie’s must-have you might ask?  The green Acrylic Double Wall Glitter Tumblers of course!

1. The Shamrocker

The Shamrocker is a sophisticated yet simple tequila mixture with a delicious fruity taste. Its combination of melon and orange gives you just the right amount of flavor and fun. Garnish with a few orange slices to really prove you know what you’re doing. Simply mix in a cocktail shaker, throw in some ice and enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 oz. Midori Melon Liqueur

1 oz. Silver Tequila

½ oz. Triple Sec

A splash of orange juice

Try It! The GoVino Cocktail Glass Set goes perfectly with the Shamrocker. Even better, these glasses are recyclable, shatterproof and come with a unique thumb notch for easy swirling and holding. Drink up!

Source: CoastalCompanion.com

 2. The Classic Mojito

The Mojito is a classic cocktail that can be served on St. Patrick’s Day or any day of the year (If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably already had your share of these before). Its hint of lime and mint leaves gives the perfect homage to the color green, and it is best served in any tall glass. You can also make your own simple syrup for extra bragging rights.

Ingredients:

½ oz. lime juice

1 tsp. refined sugar

3-5 mint leaves

A splash of club soda to top off

Try It! Swoozie’s Acrylic Double Wall Glitter Tumblers will take your cocktails to a brand new level! Mojitos are traditionally served with stirring rods, so the built in straws are sure to keep your drinks tasty and fresh. The double-walled acrylic layer also helps keep the beverages cold.  While you’re at it, stock up on a few green Personalized Napkins also!











Source: Esquire.com

3. Green with Envy

If you love this cocktail’s name, you’ll love that it gives you a taste of the islands as well.  With only four simple ingredients, this drink is the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and count down to your Spring Break getaway. Serve with ice cubes or combine the ingredients with ice in a blender for a little more variety. Top with pineapple, orange slices or cherries and get your hula skirt ready!

Ingredients:

1 oz. Coconut Rum

1 oz. Blue Curacao Liqueur

1 oz. Pineapple Juice or Orange Juice

2 ½ oz. sweet and sour mix

Try It! Whether you prefer smaller, green Acrylic Glasses  or Jumbo Striped Acrylic Glasses, we’ve got plenty of options for you and your guests to enjoy. These multi-purpose glasses are stylish and easy to carry when socializing with friends. You can even add your own personal touch with vinyl personalization.







Source: Cosmopolitan.com

 

4. Irish Tea Party

Simply stated, the Irish Tea Party is the Irish version of a Long Island Iced Tea. Complete with a Southern and Irish staple, this whiskey mix brings both worlds together in one glass. Serve with Irish Tea Cake to compliment your mixology skills, and garnish with a lime wedge.

Ingredients:
2 oz. sweetened, chilled green tea

½ oz. Jameson Irish Whiskey

½ oz. Absinthe to rinse in glass

A splash of ginger ale

Try It! Pair this drink or any treats with these Kate Spade Cocktail Napkins and Kate Spade Coasters, designed with cute, popular sayings. Both sets come with a blue pair, which actually was the initial color of choice for St. Patrick’s Day in the 17th century!

Source: cocktals.lovetoknow.com

5. Kiss Me I’m Irish Martini

Feeling lucky? The Kiss Me I’m Irish Martini is sure to be your best pick of the night. Because this drink is so simple to make, you can spend most of your time enjoying your friends and less time in the kitchen. Even better, this cocktail is low in calories!

Ingredients: 

2 ½ oz. Sparkling wine

1 oz. Midori Sour

1 oz. vodka

1 ½ oz. lemonade

Try It! Before adding the sparkling wine, use a green CHILL Pouring Spout to serve your martinis at the right temperature all night long. Insert the cooling pour spout after two hours in the freezer, and instantly enhance the drink’s flavor. You’ll want to use it for every wine night! Switch it up with personalized cups too.

Source: digthisdesign.net

 

Which drinks are you dying to try? Share with us! 

How to Create a Wedding Guest List

It’s officially wedding planning season! Here at Swoozie’s, we are big fans of this time of the year because it gives us all something to celebrate. And what is better to celebrate than true, undying love? 

Below is another entry from one of our own, Sarah. She will be tuning in weekly to blog about her own experience, providing tips and advice as she learns along the way. She will even solicit the advice of others and create an online dialog for all of our other recently engaged readers. 

How to Create a Wedding Guest List 

I have to be honest – creating a guest list was one of the most difficult things I have done while planning my wedding. Don’t get me wrong, we had zero issues with writing down the name of every person we would love to have in attendance. What we had a problem with was deciding who Kevin and I could actually afford to attend.

The reality is that every wedding has a budget, and it’s important that your wedding guest list keeps this in mind. Most people can’t afford to have 300 people in attendance, so below I share with you some of the tips I acquired while trying to keep everything within budget.

Understanding Your Budget

On average, a reception will cost you about 50% of your total wedding budget. While per person costs vary drastically, it seems like a solid average is around $65 a person. Yes, $65! So, let’s say you had a $20,000 total wedding budget – that would mean you could afford to have around 150 guests.

I think it’s important to break down the numbers this way, because it helps you decide how many people you can actually invite, rather than how many you want to invite.

Divide Seats Equally

This seems to be the only thing that is fair. Instead of fighting over whose guest is more important, lay down strict ground rules. If you are inviting 200 people to your wedding, the bride gets 100 and the groom gets 100. How you decide to split those invites amongst your parents is up to you. For example, I have a small family so my parents had fewer people they wanted to invite, requesting 25 of my 100 invites. Kevin, on the other hand, gave his parents 50 of the 100 invites because he has a larger family.

Create and A and B List

This has been my savior! It was inevitable that we hoped to invite more people than we could afford. So, we created an A and a B list. Those who were on the A list received the first round of invitations. If somebody from the A list replies with regrets, then we will send an invite to those on the B list in order of importance.

We hope that these tips helped you in your planning efforts. What advice have you found to be helpful? 

You’re Engaged! Now What?

It’s officially wedding planning season! Here at Swoozie’s, we are big fans of this time of the year because it gives us all something to celebrate. And what is better to celebrate than true, undying love? 

In 2013 one of our very own girls, Sarah, got engaged. Eek! So, we thought it would be exciting to introduce a blogging series where Sarah will share the ups and downs of her very own wedding planning. In the following weeks, Sarah will blog about her own experience, providing tips and advice as she learns along the way. She will even solicit the advice of others and create an online dialog for all of our other recently engaged readers. 

So, without further ado, let’s get planning! 

You’re Engaged! Now What?

Hello, ladies! First, I would like to pause for a moment of exciting reflection. I am engaged!

Now, while that may or may not matter to you, the purpose of this blog is to bring all of us engaged (or married) women together so that we may share our experiences, trials, and successes as we go through these next few months with one another. Getting engaged is one of the most exciting times of a women’s life. But, with that excitement can also come stress.

Before I get into a few tips that make up my first blog, I figured I would at least give you a little background on my story.

I was engaged in the latter part of 2013, when my boyfriend, Kevin, of over two years popped the question. It was a romantic night that involved flowers, dinner, wine, and a dance to “our song.” I will never forget the overwhelming emotions that were felt that night. The photo above was taken the following day during the madness of family celebration.

Since Kevin and I were engaged, we have spent a lot of time working on planning our wedding. There are a lot of details to cover, and it can easily become overwhelming. First, let’s start at the beginning. You’re engaged, and that’s awesome! But, now what?

1. Write it down, so you don’t forget

Before you begin looking at wedding dresses and contemplating flowers, pause to really reflect on this moment. In 10 years, will you remember exactly what your fiancé said when he proposed? Probably not!

Take the time to write down everything you can remember about that special moment. What was the weather like? What were you wearing? What did he say when popped the question?

The week Kevin and I were engaged I bought a journal and have been writing about the experience since the beginning. This is a special time in your life and you should document the pivotal moments along the way.

2. Talk timeline

Only you and your fiancé know what a realistic timeline looks like. While most couples give themselves a year to plan a wedding, determine what it best for you. Kevin and I have a very busy schedule in 2014 and knew that the only month we could realistically get married was in June. However, that was going to limit the amount of time we had to plan.

I vote for scheduling more time than less. It will help alleviate the stress of feeling like you have too much to do and not enough time to do it.

3. Breakdown a realistic budget

I put an emphasis on realistic for a reason. I plan on addressing this topic more in-depth at a later date, but I think it’s important that you understand how much money you have to spend before you start any planning (or dreaming).

Getting married can be expensive, and with Pinterest, wedding blogs and magazines, it’s easy to get lost in the romance of it all. However, that romance comes with a price. Understanding what you realistically have to spend will help you determine a lot of the specifics. Be honest. This will help prevent future disappointment.

What do you think? Do you have any tips for those who are recently engaged? We’d love to hear from you by commenting below! 

Top 21 Gifts of the Season

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching and that means that it’s time for the holidays! Have you made your shopping list yet? While your friends and family top your list, there are other important people in your life who deserve a thoughtful gift this holiday season as well.  Here at Swoozie’s, we LOVE helping you find the perfect gift for each person on your list. Below is the top 21 gifts of the season. With a list like this, you are sure to find something for everyone on your list (and maybe a thing or two for yourself)!

1. GoVino Cocktail Glass Set

Govino is made from a food-safe, BPA-free polymer, which reflects a cocktail’s color and aromatics much like crystal. It is recyclable (#1), but better yet it is reusable.

2. Scout Pleasure Chest

This fun cooler is great for toting around your favorite things and drinks!

3. CHILL Pouring Spout 

Keep the party going with this built-in, drip free pour spout. The CHILL lets you cool while you pour.

Cool, pour and preserve with the CHILL.  Just pour the first glass, insert the cooling pour spout and enjoy perfectly chilled wine!  After just two hours in the freezer, your CHILL is ready to do the hard work for you.

4. Scout Wine Tote

Stylish tote for your favorite wine, bubbly, or spirit! Made collapsible for easy handling and storage.

5. Whiskey Rocks 

Soapstone Rocks can be used as Whiskey Rocks, Wine Stones, or Coffee Stones. Sustain the temperature of your drink without watering it down.

6. Dammit Doll

For those days when nothing goes right and you just want to hit the wall, take solace in a Dammit Doll – a friend you can slam, whack, pull and squeeze while yelling your favorite obscenities.

7. Loopdedoo

Imagine, dream, and then create your masterpiece in minutes. Bracelets, belts, zipper pulls, key chains, anything is possible with the incredible Loopdedoo Kit – Spinning Loom

8. Bamboo Cutting Board 

This simple cutting board gets Swoozie’s style with laser engraved personalization! Choose from over 20 designs, one of which is sure to catch your eye. Can be personalized in the center or in the lower right corner, your choice.

9. The Brew2Go

Meet your newest drinking buddy! This tumbler, with a close-able lid,  holds 16oz of beer, prevents spills, condensation and keeps the bugs out. This beer tumbler is sure to make your outdoor (and indoor) beer drinking fun, easy and safe.

10. Red Cup Living

This collection takes the red solo cup to a new level! Washable and reusable, the collection includes coffee must, wine glasses, shot glasses, margarita glasses, and more! Yep, no snobs allowed.

11. The Deano

The must-have everyday carry-all is also the classic tote ideal for travel and the beach. The durable poly is water resistant, easily wipes clean, and shakes free of sand.

12. Family Frame 

This adorable family frame reads “Family The ones you live with, laugh with, and love.”

13. Individually Yours Mug

Individually boxed, these oversized porcelein mugs make an ideal gift for every day of the year.

14. Jumbo Wine Glass

This double wall wine acrylic tumbler is perfect for keeping any beverage cold and makes a great gift for all your girlfriends!

15. Phone Dock

Walk down memory lane with phone dock or give to the tech obsessed that has everything!

16. Cake/Cupcake Stands 

A sturdy cake stand for any and everyday, this melamine cake stand will proudly serve your tastiest treats. Large enough for a dozen cupcakes or a very big cake! (Comes in a variety of colors)

17. Trinket Tray

Pick a single initial or buy several to spell a word! Each letter features a different type and color. Porcelain plate is dishwasher and food safe so it’s easy to clean and use for any occasion.

18. Humorous Cocktail Napkins

So many hilarious options, you will have a hard time finding which one you like best. You may just end up getting a pack for all of your friends. Great for stocking stuffers, these napkins will literally make you LOL.

19. Marty Bottle Opener

This bottle opener is adorable and makes a great addition to any gift!

20. Nam’s Bits

These homemade cookies are loaded with love. For 30 years, Nammy made delicious bits for eleven grandchildren for birthdays, holidays or just because. A lot of love has been spread throughout the family with Nam’s treasures. We think every family deserves a Nam, or at least her bits!

21. Pillow Case 

Perfect for dog lovers! Need we say more?

Personalize Your Upcoming Holiday Party

With the holiday season rapidly approaching, it’s time to start planning out how you can make your celebrations the best they have ever been! By utilizing personalized touches, you can be sure to take the title of best entertainer. Below are a few suggestions on how you can make your upcoming holiday parties a personalized success!

Personalized Wine Glasses

These Govino wine glasses are made from a food-safe, BPA-free polymer, which reflects a wine’s color and aromatics much like crystal. They’re recyclable (#1), but better yet they’re reusable. Consider getting them personalized for each guest with their monogram or their first name. That way they can serve as a place holder at the table, as well as a gift to take home!

I Am Grateful For Notecards 

These little cards are a great thing for around the Thanksgiving table! Have family and friends write down what they are thankful for at the beginning of dinner, seal it up, eat dinner, pass them around and have others read them! These come in a pack of ten and include envelope.

Chalkboard Menu Board

These chalkboards are not only a great way to decorate, but to write cute messages to your guests. Decorate it with a cute welcome message or utilize them to post your menu. Either way, your family and friends will love the extra touch! (Oh, and you can even get your name or monogram lamented along the top of the board).

Personalized Placemats

These personalized paper placemats can be used for every occasion and are perfect for your dinner party, cocktail soiree, holiday event, or as a hostess gift. They’re only $1.95 each! Plus, you can choose different styles and colors to match your taste.

How do you add personalized touches to your holiday parties? We’d love to hear your ideas! Simply share them with us on Twitter (@swoozies).

The Oh-So Versatile Paper Straw

The days of a boring, clear drinking straw are long gone. It seems now no drink is complete without its favorite new accessory: a colorful paper straw. Perusing Pinterest, we’ve seen these adorable straws popping up all over the place – but not just in drinks! They’re used in baking, as decoration, and even as party favors. We’re super inspired by all of your ideas and have collected some of our favorites to share with you:

The Cake Pop: In lieu of the traditional wooden skewer, try out some colorful paper straws as your cake pop handle. Delicious + oh-so colorful.

Chocolate Malt Cupcake: Well, a simple chocolate cupcake would just be boring now, wouldn’t it?!

Pinwheels: Use paper straws as your handle in this fun, kid-friendly pinwheel craft idea. Or create the pinwheels ahead of time to use as decoration and let each guest take one home as a party favor!

Garland: Put the kids to work with this fun, colorful craft! It will add a pop of color to any blank wall and they’ll love to see their work on display for the whole party to enjoy.

Photo Booth Accessories: Create a Photo Booth at your next party and use paper straws as part of your accessory selection. Just throw in a few hats, a feather boa, and you’re good to go!

Dress-Up Your Straws: We simply love the extra touch of gold-glitter tape added to each of these straws. Perfect for a girl’s party.

Cake-Topper: Let your voice be heard! Use paper straws as the posts to hang a “banner” with your favorite phrase or the name of the lucky cake-recipient. We love everything about this!

What are some of your favorite uses of paper straws? Pin them or post them on Instagram and use #Swoozies. We’d love to see.

Feeling inspired? You can get paper straws in a multitude of colors by clicking here.

Swoozie’s is Supporting Women Affected by Breast Cancer

Throughout the year, we are extremely thankful for the community and are considerate of our responsibility to our associates and our customers. This month in particular, we reflect on the women who bring life to our organization and into our stores.

Below is the story of one of our own ladies, Bethany, as told by herself. Bethany lost her mother to breast cancer, and it is because of women like this that we support The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

“Losing my mom and main source of comfort at such a young age has definitely taught me to appreciate my family much more. It’s a constant reminder to tell people how important they are to me because I never really know how much time I have left with them. For the longest time, whenever I would think about my mom and the pain she went through or how much I miss her, I would get an ache in my chest… but that doesn’t last long once I remember the type of woman that she was and how hard she fought and how courageous she was. She is definitely an everyday motivation to be the best person that I can be. 

Being an informed woman is necessary for supporting breast cancer awareness. It’s important that women know how to check themselves with self-examinations and know how/where to go get tested if they have a family history with breast cancer.  Spreading awareness and information like this can help save lives. Not only educating others with facts about breast cancer, but raising funds for research,  scholarships and donations towards hospitals is also an important part of breast cancer awareness.  

 

I absolutely love that Swoozie’s is so involved and dedicated in raising money for breast cancer research and awareness. Women helping and empowering one another is the best way to spread information and I’m lucky I can do so where I work.”

Not everyone is fortunate to survive.  Bethany did not deserve to lose her mother at such a young age. That is why we are supporting The Breast Cancer Research Foundation for the sixth year in a row.

Because of you, our customer base defined by caring, wonderful women, our combined contribution to this effort will be significant and will truly make a difference in the fight against cancer.

Participating is easy. Simply purchase our PinkPASS on-line, or in stores, for $20 and you’ll receive 20% off with that pass on purchases through November 1st. Each individual $20 commitment will contribute to a substantial coordinated effort.

Swoozie’s Supports Women Like You

Throughout the year, we are extremely thankful for the community and are considerate of our responsibility to our associates and our customers. This month in particular, we reflect on the women who bring life to our organization and into our stores.

Below is the story of one of our customers, Mary Kate Walton, as told by herself. It is because of strong women, like Mary Kate, that we support The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

“It’s almost Christmas and my days were filled with shopping and hustle. – Why is this bra so uncomfortable? 

Very annoying.  I love Wacoal bras. It’s probably worn out. A new one will feel great. 

So, I bought two new ones and was sure they would stop the uncomfortable feeling on the left.  January came – the new bras were still annoying.

I’m normally an optimist– glass half full sort of person.  It never occurred to me that cancer had chosen me.  Me- a mid 50 year old wife- mother-gramie- employee with a job I love.  I am prompt with my mammogram and yearly GYN appointment calling to make sure it had been 1 year since the last mammogram,  I know the mammogram tech.  I saw her face.  I knew she saw something.  Professional to the end– she said nothing– but I knew.

I was sent to the surgeon.  He felt something and decided to just remove the lump and send it to Pathology.  Pathology tells the story.  My cancer story has begun.  Tears, fear, but determination to see my granddaughter and new grandson grow up propelled me to gather information, get 2nd opinions. Eventually, I decided to lose breast tissue and have my breasts rebuilt with some of the fat from my stomach. I lost breast tissue, but I reclaimed my life.

If you feel something don’t wait for the 1 year mark because of insurance worries.  It’s always OK if something is annoying.  Don’t wait from November to January like I did.  Months matter. Mammograms and Ultra Sounds work.

I was lucky. I had great family and medical support.

Remission is possible. Be aggressive with your decisions.

Cancer doesn’t play games.”

Not everyone is fortunate to survive, like Mary Kate. That is why we are supporting The Breast Cancer Research Foundation for the sixth year in a row.

Because of you, our customer base defined by caring, wonderful women, our combined contribution to this effort will be significant and will truly make a difference in the fight against cancer.

Participating is easy. Simply purchase our PinkPASS on-line, or in stores, for $20 and you’ll receive 20% off with that pass on purchases through November 1st. Each individual $20 commitment will contribute to a substantial coordinated effort.