I know you're probably thinking: "that girl is off her rocker... it's not the holidays!"

That's what you think!

The 4th of July weekend is probably hands down, one of my favorite holiday weekends all year! The warm weather, the obligatory trip to the beach or the neighborhood pool, numerous cook-outs, and a long, work-free weekend... what more could a summer girl ask for?

If you'll be hitting the beach, the boat, or the pool, then you'll obviously need to gear up with this week's blog-only reader special from Swagger Today only - until 6pm - get yourself together for this weekend with 15% off bathing suit cover ups, beach bags, and new coolers! Simply print this blog and bring it into the store or tell them Gina sent you!

The only other things I can think you may possibly need are your bathing suit and the ingredients for your tried-and-true beach cocktails

You've got your monogrammed koozie, your beverages of choice, and that boring old ice chest that in the past has been known as the cooler. Boo to that.

Any totally coordinated tailgater like myself knows that monogrammed coolers are the perfect complement to any day on the boat, lunch by the pool, or (the fall sport we're all so anxiously awaiting) football tailgate! (For now, I think I can settle for the classic American sport that still allows you to bring your own snacks and brews in to the stands: NASCAR. For those of you who think I'm crazy for uttering those words... just google pictures of the adorable Casey Kahne or Carl Edwards... you'll be at the next race within three states to try and catch a climpse of these racecar hotties! Anyways - I digress.)

Stop by Swagger today between 10am and 6pm and get your monogrammed cooler in an array of colors (NC State Red for this Wolfpack girl!) with your initials, your family name, or your sorority's name embroidered across the front so that any WOW-ed fellow tailgaters will know who to ask for when looking for recommendations for storing their next chilled beverages. For today's blog special, you'll also save 15% by printing this blog or mentioning it in the store for those of you going green!

Just throwing that out there... take it or leave it (but I do hope you take it ).

And the beauty of this little blog update - in true "I'm Ready for the Weekend!" fashion - is the above pictured wine stopper is this month's Thirsty 3rd Thursday blog special!

Grab this subtle wine stopper (AND ALL OTHER WINE STOPPERS for that matter) for 15% off today at Swagger until 6pm!

Be a good friend and stock up for any of your gal pals who may also enjoy a "subtle" reminder too!

Just print this blog or tell 'em Gina sent ya and you needed a reminder that a little fun never hurt anyone!

You know, back when I was younger... summer meant a 3 month vacay and many, many trips to the beach. (What is this growing up thing and how do we make it stop?) I've been dying for a trip to the coast, but that just hasn't been the case lately. I need to just schedule a few days and like Nike says: Just Do It!

Until I can actually make it to the beach for an afternoon on the sand with a cool drink in my hand and a whole stack of fashion magazines that have been sitting on my coffee table just BEGGING to be read, at least I can dress like I'm there!

So here I sit today in my flip-flops and sunglasses but jewelry is what I'm lacking. Lucky me - today's blog special is for 15% off monogrammed shell jewelry in the store! So all I need to do is stop in the store on my way home (before 6pm) and I'll be on my way to being completely beached out... even if I'm here in the Triangle.

The tough part now is, deciding WHICH piece of shell jewelry I'm going to select... maybe since it's on sale, I'll just get one of each!

Want to join me in my beachy escape? Just print this blog and bring it into the store with you today and save 15% too!

Now I'm no Wicked-Witch of the West (no matter who the boy toy will tell you that I could be compared to at 7am before my first coffee or Red Bull of the day...) but I'm starting to think that a few minutes too long out in the elements right now could down right melt a girl!

So I guess I have the heat to blame for driving me inside as of late, which has spurred a major overhaul of my humble abode to say the least.  What started as getting down on my hands and knees and scrubbing the kitchen floor and base boards to spotless and shiny perfection - if I do say so myself - has left me wondering: what next?

I'm trying to be budget-friendly but really up the ante since I'll be doing a bit of entertaining over the next few months... so I'm super excited to pass along that today's Manic Monday blog-only special is a 15% off special that's good in the store OR online and is for a product from the lastest and greatest in home décor - WALLigraphy!

Just enter the discount code "heatwave" at checkout or mention it in the store for 15% off any product from the Room Service line of WALLigraphy products - the amazingly beautiful (and always helpful for guests) way to decorate the walls of your home with little fuss and no clean-up!

Swagger is open until 6pm today - but if you can't make it in before then... don't forget - this same discount is available online, too! (Woo hoo!)

So now, with that quick and easy addition, the only question I'm left with is... what next? I guess I could clean out the closet? Yikes.

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

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(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 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: 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 www.SwaggerGifts.com.

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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 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!

ZZ Top's hit "Sharp-Dressed Man" sure spells it out:

"Clean shirt, new shoes
And I dont know where I am goin to.
Silk suit, black tie,
I dont need a reason why.
They come runnin just as fast as they can
'cause every girl's crazy bout a sharp dressed man.

Gold watch, diamond ring,
I aint missin a single thing.
And cufflinks, stick pin,
When I step out Im gonna do you in.
They come runnin just as fast as they can
'cause every girl's crazy bout a sharp dressed man."

If Dad is the sharp-dressed man in your life, take advantage of today's blog-only manic monday special of 15% off personalized cufflinks and wrap-up your your Father's Day shopping early!

And for those of you who ran (literally, RAN) to the theatres to see the Sex & the City movie this weekend (I know I did with the girls... AND WE LOVED IT), if you have your own Mr. Big - be sure he looks just as sharp as Chris Noth right down to his cufflinks.

The best part about today's blog-only special is that not only is it good in the store, but this special will be good online, too - but for today only! Simply use coupon-code "cufflink" at checkout!

Taking a cue from its collegiate staffers and after talking shop with some of the retail addicts at Accessorize with Pi Phi (a philanthropy shopping event hosted on the campus of NC State, where Swagger gets to mix shopping with the ever important task of raising money to promote literacy among all individuals), Swagger has joined the popular social network, facebook!

Not only is the site a popular destination for keeping up with friends who have relocated far and near (and even those you see on a daily basis), but it also provides so much more: photos, events invites, music, and more! If you're not on facebook.... ummm... where have you been hiding? I know, I tried to resist, too - but after the 589042 time my best friend said "I tagged you in our pictures from (insert wedding of the week here)... oh wait, I can't, you're not on facebook" - I finally did it. And I'm totally addicted!

For Swagger, it's a SERIOUSLY cool way to let shopping junkies like me know about new products, special sales, upcoming shopping events, and more right where I'm already spending a good chunk of my online time (for me: it's procrastination at its finest!).

Want to be in the know, too? Check out Swagger's page on facebook and click "become a fan" to make sure you're going to be first to know of all the cool new additions that will be coming along soon. And be sure to chat it up! The discussion board for all Swagger fans is a great place to "talk shop" with other Swagger fans - I like to think of it as eRetail therapy!

I was going to title this blog entry "Let's Get Ready for a Backyard Barbeque"... but then I thought about how confusing this word can get around these parts of the country!

As any good Carolina girl knows, BBQ generally means pulled pork and in true eastern-NC style... that comes with a vinegar-based recipe (not to be confused with its equally delish counterpart from the west - which is tomato-based). And to add to the confusion, when you hear someone in NC refer to BBQ - is it a noun or a verb?

Either way you look at it, whether you're enjoying some "BBQ" off the cooker with friends, or grillin' up some hot dogs, burgers, sausages, and chicken at a "barbeque", everyone around these parts sure knows how to enjoy a get-together where food is involved come May, June, and July.

Since everyone at Swagger is so excited about the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, they are jump-starting the holiday by offering 15% off all fun summer ceramics (serving dishes and so on!) in today's blog-only Manic Monday special!

Print this blog and bring it to the store with you - until 6pm today - and stock-up on your favorite ceramic dishes and let's get festive! 

I can spot a DIY restoration project a mile away. (I like to think of it as my little way of saving something from the landfill that I can actually find some function and beauty in!)

My favorite vintage find lately are the "Knob-Stoppers" vintage wine stoppers that have recently been added to the Swagger collection! The coolest thing about these Knob-Stoppers is that each piece is unique so you can keep collecting as many as you'd like and each piece given as a gift (for the hostess-with-the-mostess hosting this weekend's dinner party!) is sure to never be duplicated!

And for those of us who have the great motivation to start DIY projects, but never seem to have the time to finish, this vintage find comes ready to go!

Haven't purchased your first Knob-Stopper? Today's Thirsty Third Thursday blog special gives you a great excuse to stop in Swagger and pick up your first (or third!) vintage wine stopper at 15% off!

Feel free to share this blog with anyone who needs a little retail therapy this week and invite them to share a few glasses of wine to put the stopper to good use tonight for some *extra* therapy!

*Please print this blog and bring it in to Swagger with you - today only - from 10am until 6pm!*