How Lucky is 13?

Hello, Everybody!

Hoping the first thirteen days of this new year is treating you all well. So far, my 2016 has been about refreshment. I have been exploring different avenues of creativity outside of the book world. By spreading the creativity around, I have found more inspiration to use for my book world! I grew up watching my Momma sew by hand and on her sewing machine. I have made it a personal goal for the new year to create more of my own closet items and sew more gifts. How are you coming along with your goals for the new year? Is anybody trying to sew more?! Have you had any luck with your own sewing? I would love to know your tricks!

Speaking of luck...

I am wondering how many Americans feel lucky today and will venture out to their local convenience store or gas station and buy a Powerball lottery ticket. Do you feel lucky? As a publisher, I am thinking how many books the current jackpot could buy! A couple of books could be purchased I am sure. Have you asked yourself what you would do with the estimated $1.4 billion Powerball jackpot (if you are playing)?

Losers

What about when you don't win any money from the historic lottery drawing? Would you still be able to call yourself a winner? I believe everyone can...if you are grateful for what you already have. If you choose gratefulness over greediness, you will be a happy loser! Be happy for the winner (if there is one)! Make the most of life with what you have. Strive to be grateful for what you have as you work to gain more. Someone who chooses to be grateful instead of greedy is a winner in my book!

Believe.  

Best of luck on this thirteenth day of January! You have what it takes to accomplish whatever you set out to do today.  

*If you want an encouraging read, check out Their Inheritance on Amazon! 

Caitlin

Purple Butterfly Pages &Publications

Those Twelve Months

Hello, Everybody!

Happy New Year's Eve! I had a wonderful Christmas with family. I hope you did as well! I've spent the week so far reflecting on the last twelve months. I am not sure how the year has come to an end so abruptly! Thanks for counting down my #TOP5 posts of 2015 with me! Without you reading the blog I wouldn't have the fun of putting together the countdown. 

#1 Stepping Away With Lack of Words

#2 Hello, New Year

#3 Mrs. Dianne Lawson

#4 Proud to Join the Fight Against Child Abuse

#5 Filling the Gap TIED with CMW 2015

2015 was about embracing the accomplishments and realizing (and learning from) the mishaps. Here are a few honest final thoughts on the past professional and personal year.

Professionally

I'll start by saying I did not reach every goal that I set for Purple Butterfly Pages this year, however, I find success in the unmet goals by realizing harder work is what it will take to meet those goals! I worked to accomplish things this year such as sponsoring and participating in the Power House for Kids 5k/10k; guest blogging for Stephens County's Chamber of Commerce blog; and watching Their Inheritance climb to #12 on the Top 100 Free Christian Historical-Fiction ebooks list during March! Woo-hoo!! 

Personally

Part of connecting with readers, customers and future clients is being more open. This is why I started to blog! In my journey to being a better business owner and blogger I want to let you all know what is happening by letting you know more about myself. About the last twelve months...I can honestly say it was a good, but not for reasons you might think. I didn't have fun every day. I wasn't always happy with how situations turned out. I had angry and confused days. I did not reach all of my goals I set for the year. Watched family and friends go through really difficult times But....

I made unforgettable memories. LEARNED a lot about myself. Made new and existing relationships stronger through personal changes. I gained confidence. I accepted more people and situations for who/what they were instead of wishing they were different. I sought God in more situations and in life more this year...and He was always there. 

Onto 2016!

The upcoming year holds plenty of opportunities. I aspire to connect more with you readers on levels of social media and through this blogging. On top of blogging more, I will be entering into the next stages of the publishing process with my current "project" in 2016! Can not wait to share more of that process with every one of you. I am so excited to be a more actively involved member of the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce during the new year as well!

Wishing you all a safe, prosperous, happy, and healthy NEW YEAR! Go work for it! 

Believe.

Caitlin

www.PurpleButterflyPages.com

'Tis the Season

Hello, Everybody!

Sprinkle and kiss embellished sugar cookies

I am taking a few minutes break from baking Christmas cookies right now. My sister and I are hosting a Christmas cookie exchange party this evening. The punch ingredients are awaiting their mixing and the bourbon chicken is marinating! I want to take this "baking break" to reflect on the Christmas celebrations.

Embrace Your Pace

Are you are finding yourself bogged down with Christmas parties, responsibilities, gift-giving pressures, or time management stress that the month of December can bring? I am not selling you Vitameatavegemin (I'll leave that to Lucy),  but I do understand there are end of the year goals to meet, LOTS of people to visit before the year runs out, and have a cheery smile on your face all at at the same time. We can all get carried away with the tide of busyness during Christmas time. Then, there are those friends of ours who have nobody to visit with or to celebrate the wonderful Gift that we celebrate with. Whether you are the person finding themselves way too busy to keep up with life or if you are the person wanting a busier life, EMBRACE where you are and how fast life is moving quickly or slowly around you. 

Be grateful for the busy schedule. Each responsibility and event is serving a purpose in your life. Be grateful for the slow pace that you are living life. Spend your time really being there for those who are around you.

Never Too Old 

It is so important to not forget the magic of Christmas! There is the magic of Santa, the elves, the snowy days {so, maybe not much snow around this year, but in general ;) }. I am talking about the MOST important magical part of Christmas that I celebrate: Jesus' birth. The newborn who would save the world from eternal agony. The history of this baby is incredible. Find a Bible and read Luke 2:1-21, the story of Jesus' birth, and tell me it is not magical! I just want to remind you that nobody is too old to believe in magic, especially the spiritual kind!

A Christmas wish for you!

My Christmas wish for you all reading this:

Enjoy your Christmas whatever your circumstances. Create moments. Embrace those moments. Count every tiny blessing. Be a blessing to someone else. Don't forget to believe in the magic that surrounds you. May the peace that Jesus' birth brings film your hearts!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!!

Believe.

Caitlin

Proprietor & Publisherwww.PurpleButterflyPages.com

Stepping Away with Lack of Words

Hello, Everyone!

I hope you had a memorable Thanksgiving holiday. I spent time with my family (SURPRISE) and celebrated a couple of birthdays. We celebrated my youngest brother's birthday by spending the day with our cousins playing billiards and eating cake pops! Three days earlier, we celebrated my baby sister's birthday with a Yellow Submarine themed party. I have <ALOT of  fun being an older sister to say the least! The first week of December brought my mother's birthday. Yes, Purple Butterfly Publications' featured author, Stephanie Townsend Ayers, had a fantastic birthday with gifts, family game time, movies, and a meal at her favorite restaurant, Michaelee's, in Blairsville, Georgia. If you are looking for your next vacation destination with delicious Italian cuisine and delicate desserts, consider this place!

A rainbow over Young Harris, Georgia Thanksgiving week

Stepping away...

During this valuable family time, I took time away from my professional Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts. Good timing for me to take a break for two main reasons. The first reason being that it is important to take time a way from social media. Stepping away during the last part of November and early December is what I did. Stepping away from certain work tasks for a brief time-out helped me to disconnect and reconnect by not sharing so much of what I'm thinking and doing throughout the day. Please, don't misunderstand, I love social media and believe in its many positive purposes (more details for a later blog)! The second reason stepping away from social media at this particular time was because there were days during this "break" that I would not have known what to say anyway. When the news broke that Mark Richt, one of my favorite head coaches in college football, had been fired, I had no words. Being "offline" was for the best at that time!

Dawg Country

Coach Richt at the
2014 Belk Bowl where Bulldogs won against Cardinals in
Bank of America stadium Charlotte, NC

If you are not a fan of college football, keep scrolling to learn of PBP's Christmas specials!! Most of you know that I am a college football fan and that my two favorite teams are the UGA Bulldogs and the ECU Pirates. This has not been a good week to be a fan of either! Like I already mentioned, when I heard of Coach Richt's firing at UGA and then hiring by Miami, I wouldn't have even had the characters to tweet. As a Bulldog fan of nearly fourteen years, Mark Richt was the only coach that I had known. Once I was a fan, I never stopped being a fan. It would have been easy to be an on and off again type fan. Now, I understand that the university wanted more SEC titles and more championships than we had been winning, so the firing was not a huge shock. The upset was the way in which the head coach was fired. You beat an in-state rival and the next day you are fired without the chance of coaching at the Bowl game (which we are headed to because we had a decent season)?! Before Bulldog Country had time to celebrate Richt's legacy at the University of Georgia, BOOM he was out of here and starting all over in Miami. Not even a last win-it-for-the-coach type bowl game. I felt like Mark Richt was forgotten overnight and was a distant memory the next day in the minds of the UGA athletic division staff. Isn't it funny how one minute you are on top with people you thought were friends and within a few hours you are out the door and those "friends" are the ones shooing you on your way? I am glad I was not on Twitter to read the outraged tweets from other fans! Anyway, I just have to say thanks to Coach Richt for the good times, the memories, and the coaching legacy he left with the players! I am still a Bulldog fan, but will need to adjust. So, as the week went on and the weekend was getting started, I learned of more college football heartache.

Pirate Nation

My dad, twin, and I attended
ECU's Oct 2014 historic victory over UNC.
The "Purple Haze Sunset" was epic!

The news broke that another one of my favorite head coaches in college football, Ruffin McNeil, had been fired. It still does not seem realistic. I was genuinely shocked when I found out. My dad read it on..Twitter...and told me (again, glad I was offline)! While facing many obstacles, Coach Ruff did not have a winning season this year. However, he did make some momentous turnarounds in the ECU Pirates football department in the five years that he was head coach. I am not going to list his accomplishments. They are known! The upsetting part to this football fan, is the manner in which Coach Ruff was "relieved of his duties". He was immediately terminated. The AD enraged fans even more when he failed to provide a sensible reason to the decision. This coach, much like Mark Richt,  meant just as much to the Pirate players, fans, and community away from the sidelines as he did on the sidelines! The termination of this man's job should have been handled more honorably than with the disrespect that it was handled. The man did not even have time to meet with his players before the  termination news was announced nationwide! The fans, players, and coaches were disrespected by the way this firing was done. 

"I understand college football is a money making business. Sometimes the money makers forget to understand that without the games, players, coaches, and fans there would be no money in their pockets." -Caitlin Ayers

Moving On

I could say more about this college football drama, but I will stop here. After all, it is time to get back to work in the world of books!

ANNOUNCEMENT: Christmas specials are happening at Purple Butterfly Pages! You are the first to know! Mark these next few dates on your calendar: December 16, 22, & 29. These December days will be your chance to download Their Inheritance ebook for FREE!
Suitable for each gender, Their Inheritance by Stephanie Townsend Ayers is an inspirational Christian historical-fiction ebook. Read it yourself and gift it to your favorite reader friends (by favorite I mean all).

*Leave comments below. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the college football drama and your most recent Thanksgiving holiday memories!

Believe.

Caitlin Ayers, Proprietor & Publisher
www.PurpleButterflyPages.com

Thankfulness

Hello, Everybody!

Thank you for reading my blog. Last week seemed to be a dark week in the world. I appreciate you all taking time to read my thoughts there. As I begin to blog more frequently than once a month, the topics will be changing. However, I aim to continue to keep my blog professionally oriented with a touch of personal. As I sit here with my younger siblings about to watch 'Home Alone', I want to share what I am up to in this week of gratefulness. :)

Their Inheritance's Thanksgiving

As the Williams children prepared for their first Thanksgiving holiday since their parents' death, the children tried to make their Thanksgiving the same as it was celebrated when their parents were alive.    James, Alexandra, Christine, and Lee spent Thanksgiving with their friends, the Unruhs. 

Excerpts
 from Purple Butterfly Publications' ebook, Their Inheritan

   

My Thanksgiving

I usually spend the week of Thanksgiving in the mountains with my family. We eat too much, catch up on naps and our visiting relatives' lives, and we start watching our favorite Christmas movies. The Thanksgiving Day meal changes every year. The 2015 Thanksgiving Day meal will consists of stewed chicken; Sweet Potato Fluff (my great-grandmother's recipe) which is an annual Thanksgiving Day staple; green beans (not in the casserole form); and homemade baked corn bread. Can you say yummy?! After we eat, we nap or watch a movie before getting ready to go to A to Z Auctions' annual Thanksgiving Day Auction. For the past few years, A to Z Auctions has held an auction on Thanksgiving night in Hiawassee, Georgia. This auction is different from their other auctions as they auction off more toys and Christmas gift options than they do at the regular auctions. They also start the night off with a large empty toy box sitting against one wall. Throughout the night, bidders can buy the toys and put them in the toy box. The toy box contents are distributed where they are needed throughout the local communities. I love how every Thanksgiving auction the toy box ends up overflowing! The community and bidders really come together and remind each other of what Christmas is all about: the gift of love! The auction lasts pretty late, and I skip on the Black Friday shopping the next day. I do support small business Saturday! I encourage you to do the same. 

Small Business Saturday

Make it fun! Take the Small Business Saturday to get out and explore your town as if you were a visiting tourist. Go into shops that you don't shop in very often. Show your support for the small businesses in America. Whether it is your small town or big city, take fun family or solo photos in the stores and when you share your photos online, tag the stores! Business owners love to see who is enjoying their place of business. If you shop small with PBPages and download Their Inheritance, tag us! @PBPages or #TheirInheritance #PBP #ShopSmall

Thanks!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I hope you all have a fun, pleasant, and blessed Thanksgiving! Whether you are spending the holiday with family; friends; yourself; or with strangers, I pray you find something to be thankful for. 

I am grateful for you all reading this blog, being a patron of Purple Butterfly Pages, and for the supporters of Purple Butterfly Publications. I am blessed with a job that I enjoy everyday!

***Leave a comment below and share your Thanksgiving week traditions and your Thanksgiving holiday plans for this year! :)

#ThePurpleButterflyPurpose

Today's Battle: Brain vs. Heart

Hello, everyone.

My heart is heavy and my mind is racing as I come to touch base with you all. As you probably know, we were all cruelly reminded of the horrors that this world is capable of as terror rained on France this past weekend.

November 13, 2015

I had been babysitting my nephews all day and doing a little bit of online work when I came across the BREAKING NEWS on Twitter. I did not believe the tweets at first and went onto the news outlets to confirm the online comments. My heart sank and I began to pay attention to my surroundings. My local bearings. I was waiting to find out if my country was next. I was on my way home from dropping my nephews off back to their parents when the news broke about the hostages becoming fatalities. My heart froze. I joined my family, friends, and fellow American citizens in prayer and continuous thoughts for France. I even changed my personal Facebook profile photo to that temporary French flag shadowed photo in unity against hate and for life. Fast forward a couple of days to today. Hundreds of foreign people have come to America seeking refuge from their countries. Many U.S. government officials fight to keep these foreigners out. I find myself uncertain about this nation-wide issue. I see the pros and cons of being an American citizen fighting to keep my country safe and of being a foreigner wanting a better, safer life for themselves. It boils down to a battle of the heart and the brain.

The Brain

The brain has so many red flags flying over this issue. There are many questions being asked. Why must we help the foreign countries' homeless when we can't even figure out a way to help the homeless that live on the streets of our own neighborhoods? Why should we invite refugees in to our country and open ourselves up to more possible terrorism? The refugees are fleeing from countries full of terror cells. How do we, as private citizens, know the difference between the peaceful ones from the hateful ones? Do we need to know....

The Heart

...or do we trust our domestic security forces? I know Jesus Christ died for me and he took my sins with Him as He died on the cross. So, why should I support government officials denying refuge to foreign refugees seeking safety from their war torn homes? Should I not be supportive of those giving hope and shelter to the foreigners? Is it not my duty as a Christian to see this as an opportunity to share Christ's love with these people? Actions speak louder than words. We will all be judged on our actions here on earth, this temporary home. Do you put the barricades up; or do you keep your head on a swivel and stay alert as you interact with any foreigners, alerting authorities of all suspicions?

God gave us a brain and a heart for a reason. Use both of them to face today's battles.

My continued prayers are with France.

My continued prayers are with America.

- Caitlin

The Big Picture

Hello Everyone!

Boy, did October fly by or what? Hello, November! Northeast Georgia has had a wet, but colorful autumn so far. The crisp fall air makes me want to move my office outdoors. I find the autumn colors inspirational. The different hues on the autumn leaves draw me to the details of the landscape rather than just seeing the big picture. The big picture being that winter is soon approaching to leave the landscapes barren of bright colors; the air more bitter as the frost nips at the faces; and the holiday festivities to commence (can't wait for that part).

The Big Picture

The book world's big picture is much like the big picture of autumn. When publishing a book, the publisher can get carried away with the big picture and the goals and purpose of the book and away from the details of the project. This is why I am the publisher and not the author. <haha> I do see the big picture and goals that need to be reached to achieve the planned end result, yet fail to always see the details along the way. The recent season's changes challenged me to take my job day by day and to focus on every modest detail of my current publishing project.

New Blog Schedule

The kind of changes we make will decide what kind of results will be produced. As I continue to grow my experience as a publisher, the autumn season is a good time to make productive changes to my work. I've decided to blog on a more frequent schedule. The blog topics will still be about my experiences as a publisher and twenty-something entrepreneur. Follow along on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and of course here on Blogger!

Twitter: @PBPages or @GaPeach291
Facebook: Purple Butterfly Pages
Instagram: pbpublications
Blogger: The Purple Butterfly Purpose

Web: www.PurpleButterflyPages.com

Thanks for reading!

- Caitlin, Proprietor & Publisher