It’s time for summer and I’m ready for some fun!

I’m happy to be one of 20 Creative Bloggers who have gathered together for a fun Summer Blog Hop Giveaway! Each of us are giving away a box of our Favorite Things!! How fun is that?!

Here’s what to do:

• Enter to win MY favorite things using the giveaway widget ($85 value)
• Take a quick glance at the collage of goodies below
• HOP to all of the other sites to enter to win their gifts and say hello!
• Look around and enjoy the sites of the 2o creative bloggers–they will not disappoint!  Be sure to tell your friends!

Summer Favorites Giveaway from Living Locurto!

I would love to send one lucky reader my Favorite Things pictured above! (approx value $85)

1. I LOVE Target, so had to include a $25 Target Gift Card. YAY!
2. A set of 4 Govino Wine Glasses (my fave!!) They are shatterproof and perfect for summer outdoor entertaining!
3. Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer is a MUST have for summer.
4. Get creative this summer with a set of Lunch Punch Critter Sandwich Cutters.
5. Let the kids paint t-shirts this summer with a pack of Scribbles 3-Dimensional Fabric Paint.
6. One of my favorite books, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. A great summer novel!
7. It wouldn’t be summer without a pretty new beach towel.
8. Enjoy stickers, banners, favor bags, and paper flowers from my Party with Amy Locurto Rainbow Collection!

Enter the Giveaway

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It’s Living Creative Thursday where I feature YOUR creative ideas!

Summer is practically here, and that means it’s time to eat, drink, and be absolutely fabulous in the sun! This week we are featuring your recipe ideas here on the blog. Thanks so much to everyone who submitted their favorite food and drink Ideas last week for #LivingCreative Thursday.

These Daisy Macaroons from Creative Juice might just be the cutest things I’ve ever seen.

* Today’s Theme is “PARTY!” *

Enjoy these great Living Creative Projects our readers shared with us last Thursday. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section. Thanks! ~Amy

Reading from your email? Click below for more great Living Creative Thursday Ideas…

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I’m SUPER EXCITED to tell you about my article in Parents Magazine this month!!

I worked with the editors of Parents to come up with this cute Ice Cream Party for the June 2013 issue. We started brainstorming ideas last year at this time, so I’ve been waiting a YEAR to tell you what I’ve been up to!! So when I actually saw the 7 page magazine spread, I was soooooo thrilled with the way it turned out. It’s super cute!

Most magazines don’t work with outside creatives for such a large article, so I have to thank Parents for allowing me this chance. It was a great learning experience to see how much work goes into these articles. I bet you had no idea they work on them years in advance!

Photos by Anna Williams

The editors are talented, young and could totally have their own blogs and be huge successes, but they love the fast pace of the publishing world. I enjoyed it for this job, but the deadlines and work load reminded me of my design business and why I started blogging. Believe me, blogging is so much easier! ha! But we don’t get to be on TV shows, newsstands and doctor’s offices all over the country. That is the best part for sure!

So for a few months last summer, I helped with ideas, shopped and sourced products, crafted party props for the photos and designed printable activities and ice cream cone wrappers. I wasn’t able to go to the photo shoot, but love the way it turned out. The stylist, editors and photographer did a fantastic job putting everything together.

The hanging ice cream cones are my favorite idea and so easy to make!

I was going to use kraft paper for ice cream cones, but then found paper mache cones at Michaels and thought they were perfect! Just glue tissue paper to styrofoam balls, glue to the cones, add some string and that’s it!

Parents made a great how-to video with details for making the ice cream cones here.

I also love the cute lunch boxes! 

Thanks to American Crafts for the paper and Sweet Baking Supply for helping me out with these! The cookie cutters for sandwiches can be found at Sur La Table, my favorite shop ever!!

I also want to give a shout out and BIG thanks to Cute Tape for providing the washi tape on the ice cream spoons and Shop Sweet Lulu for the ice cream cups!

I hope you’ll go out and get the June 2013 issue. It’s full of great ideas!!

* Visit Parents.com for more party details, free party printables and where to buy everything.*

I have more photos of all of the crafts I made somewhere on a storage drive. I need to find them because you only see glimpses of them in the magazine.

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Last week, I got WAAAAAAY out of my comfort zone and tried video. It was my video about being scared to do video. Ha! (Watch me shake here.)

I was shocked to find out many of you had the same fears as me!! Thanks for all of your comments and nice emails. As moms, business women or bloggers… we’re really all in this together right?

Because you were so encouraging, I did another video to answer one of the most asked question for me…. What do I blog about? How can I figure that out and get over my fear?

Believe it or not, I am still terrified when doing videos. I think doing more of them will help me get better though. I’m trying to not worry about things and put myself out there. Ack! I even did a craft video for next week. Shocker!

Okay, so here is a video of me rambling about blogging. I hope to get more in-depth on blogging later, but these simple tips will help you get a jump start on blogging! (There are two videos this time as I had an after thought to video #1…)

What to Blog About (Part 1)

** Reading from email? Click here to read on my blog. Watch video on Youtube.

What to Blog About (Part 2)

 Watch video on Youtube

What are a few things you are good at doing or REALLY passionate about?

–> Get Jon Acuff’s book: START, Punch Fear in the Face.

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It’s time to have fun in the sun! A Pool Party is a great way to celebrate summer.

You don’t have to wait for a birthday party to have a splashing good time. As a matter of fact, I threw this Pool Party together in just a few hours to have some fun on an early release school day!

I haven’t had a party in a long time, so I had a blast getting to use my new Printable Pool Party Collection along with the Party with Amy Locurto scrapbook paper and embellishments.

All of these ideas are simple and easy to do last minute… I promise! I hope you enjoy these fun Pool Party fun food and decorating ideas!

** Thanks to everyone who entered my Pool Party Giveaway! The winner will be announced on my Facebook Page today.**

Pool Party Ideas

A pool party dessert table doesn’t have to be super fancy because more than likely it’s just going to get wet! Just a few simple treats can make a party so much fun!

I covered a table with a beach towel and hung a banner from my Pool Party Printable Collection along with cutting some triangles from the Flip Flop paper in the Party with Amy Locurto Collection and it turned out pretty cute for a last minute party!

I LOVE the cute mini banners in the Party with Amy Locurto Pool Collection. And of course, I can never get enough of the favor bags. (All will be available in my shop later today.)

I love using mason jars for drinks! With colorful paper straws (get them here) and party flags from my Pool Collection, you can’t go wrong!

 *Reading from my newsletter?… click here to visit the blog to view more fun party photos. Thanks!

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