Toccoa Tuesday: The Depot

Hello, Everybody!

How about that Super Bowl 50 game?! An incredible defensive game was played. Congratulations to both NFL teams for making it to the "big game". Congrats to the Denver Broncos for earning the Super Bowl 50 Championship title! Now, I await Opening Day. :) OK, that is my sports talk for this Toccoa Tuesday. I know you want to hear about Toccoa, the spot on the globe where I live.

Yes, Toccoa, Georgia is where I work my corner of the book world. My sales and customer service representative experience did not begin with Purple Butterfly Pages. It began a few years earlier when my uncle from England opened a British antiques store in downtown Toccoa. I was in my mid-teens and selling antiques from England when the opportunity came for me to volunteer with the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce. I did not realize the impact that the opportunity would have on my life.

The Depot: home to Stephens County Chamber of Commerce
Welcome Center, Currahee Military Museum, and Amtrak Station

Once or twice a week, I would be dropped off at the old Train Depot which had recently been remodeled to house the Chamber of Commerce, the Welcome Center, and the Historical Society and Currahee Military Museum, and Amtrak Station. I learned to professionally answer the telephones, send emails, interact with visitors and Chamber members as well as restocking rack cards. Looking back, I believe the biggest task I did as an intern, was learn.


A few years later, when I was a college student and a new small business owner as an independent book seller, I would attend an occasional Chamber of Commerce event. The current staff at the time was the same that I had interned with as a teen. I eventually became a proud member of the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce!

Last week, I met with current TSC Chamber of Commerce President, Julie Paysen, at the Depot and I was honored when she asked me to be an ambassador for my Chamber of Commerce. I excitedly accepted the enjoyable and challenging volunteer position! Happy to be part of the team at Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce.

So, encourage your family members, your friends, and your classmates to seize opportunity! I am so grateful I had the opportunity to be an intern when I was a teenager! Learn more about the historic Depot. :)

Believe.

Caitlin

Proprietor & Publisher

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

Currahee Military Weekend 2015

Hello everyone!

Here in northeast Georgia, fall is in the air! Football season is underway. So far, my teams have all played well and have winning records (I know it is early in the season!). Autumn is one of my favorite seasons. Not only is the weather breezily perfect but the small town festivals and outdoor events are beginning to happen. One of my favorite events happening the very first weekend in October is Currahee Military Weekend. I am so excited to be participating in this weekend long event taking place in Toccoa, Georgia!

Currahee Military Weekend

Currahee Military Weekend has occurred during the first weekend of October for the last fourteen years and this year will be no different. Currahee Military Weekend honors the men of Camp Toccoa; shows appreciation for the sacrifices they made; and celebrates their commitment to America! The Paratrooper Infantry Regiment that trained at Camp Toccoa in the early 1940's. E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne is one of the most famous regiments to train at Camp Toccoa. The HBO mini-series produced by Tom Hanks called The Band of Brothers was based on the Band of Brothers who trained at Camp Toccoa.

1940's

2014 CMW Hangar Dance costume

During the war, hangar dances were held to boost morale of communities and troops. A 1940's inspired hangar dance is part of the Currahee Military Weekend. One of my favorite events. Families come out to the RG LeTourneau Field Airport to enjoy 1940's swing music; red white and blue; vintage aircraft; WWII re-enactors; costume contests; and pretty much just a really good time. 

Currahee Mountain

Bright and early on Saturday morning, runners from all over the country (even some foreign countries) will take on the Currahee Challenge! The Currahee Challenge is the 3 miles up and 3 miles down route on Currahee Mountain that the paratroopers trained on during World War II. I will looking forward to being a volunteer on this race day! Look for me cheering all the runners on and passing out water on the mountain.

 

Visit the following for more info:

http://www.ww2-airborne.us/units/506/506.html  http://www.toccoahistory.com  http://www.toccoagachamber.com/cmw

History

History of our country's involvement in wars is so important to record and never forget. Whether you agree or disagree with our country's military actions, pause a moment in your day to remember the sacrifices made for the United States of America's freedoms.

I hope to see you in Toccoa in October!

Caitlin Ayers, Proprietor & Publisher

Purple Butterfly Pages & Publications

www.PurpleButterflyPages.com

Behind the Blog - March 2015

Hello, Everyone!

First off, my apologies for not getting a blog out in February. I did not make it a priority. So sorry! Secondly, I hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day whether single or spoken for. :) I spent this year's day of love with some lovely little ladies whom I share a last name with!

Family Valentine's Day Party 2015

Now, down to business.

You will find this blog post a little different from the others. Hope you don't mind! I wanted to open up a little bit about myself and let you all know who is behind the blog and why I added blogging to my "must do" list at work. You can read a bit about how I got to be an independent book seller and publisher on my business' website; and here, I am going to add to that information!

The woman behind the blog...

...I do not want to sit here and blog about my childhood, and preteen and teen years, although I was blessed with earlier years worth writing about. Instead, I'll start with more recent years'  randomness. I have a dog, Merry, a three-year-old chihuahua. She is my best friend beside my sisters! I might Instagram her a bit much. Maybe. On top of being a furry mum, I spend a lot of time with younger siblings and three nephews (the youngest was born last month!). I guess you could say I am pretty much a family-oriented person. I'm an encourager! Hopefully it shows in my blog posts. I love helping people get through tough stuff. I think that if you believe you can than you will. I also enjoy being involved in what is going on in my community. As is mentioned on my website bio, I am a Chamber of Commerce member (probably one of the youngest in my county, but I love it!). I am lucky to be able to learn from the business owners in my community. Besides being a publisher, I like to sew. Momma taught me to sew when I was ten and I eventually learned to sew full dresses. I got out of the habit during teen years and college. This year, I challenged myself to make birthday gifts for my siblings (those of them who like handmade stuff that is) this year! So far, I've done a t-shirt pillow and a child's bathrobe. I am about to make myself a bathrobe because I liked my little sister's so much! Who knows, I might make an Easter dress as well. Last year, I became a part of my parents' auction company! I was raised going to auctions. I love the different atmospheres and the differences in each auction house. You never know what will be on the auction block next! Quick plug: if you are looking for a great deal on estate auction or collectible items or looking for a specific item, let me know in an email: rememberwhenestateauctions@yahoo.com! I am fortunate to get to spend after school time with my special needs younger brother, and helping him reach life goals that he sets. Well, there are a few random things about me. Oh, and when I was a kid, I never dreamed of being an online book publisher. 

Caitlin Ayers, Publisher at Purple Butterfly Publications

On a social level,

you will find me using media that is not really social, Twitter, tweeting about my favorite sports teams. In baseball it is the Atlanta Braves, who have my sports-loving heart. I go to a game at least once a year with my Dad and sisters and/or brothers whoever is able to go. Sporting events are always fun! Like a lot of other women in their early twenties, I also love football. I enjoy college and pro with my teams being the Georgia Buldawgs and East Carolina Pirates, and I'm fan of the Atlanta Falcons. Don't boo me too hard for being a Falcons' fan. With Coach Quinn, we are going to be big this year. I also will tweet all kinds of music and song related stuff; devotionals; and really random things that nobody probably cares about. I will tweet on anyways! 

Why do I blog you ask?

I started blogging over a year ago. I felt it necessary to let buyers, readers, and others know who they were buying from or communicating with. You can tell a lot about someone's blog! I also wanted a way to connect with other publishers, book readers, bloggers, and professionals in general. So, I started blogging about different topics that have something to do with my publishing world somehow. So, that's me and why I started blogging!

I'd love to know why you read blogs. Leave a comment anywhere! Let me know any other topics you would like to read about in my blog! Until next time, you can find me on Twitter: @PBPages or @GaPeach291! :)

Believe.

Caitlin Ayers, Publisher

Purple Butterfly Publications

www.PurpleButterflyPages.com

1940s Flashback!

Hello Everyone!

Although October is almost over for this year, it is finally fall in my corner of the world. Pumpkin and cinnamon everything is everywhere it seems. However, I don't want to add to the pumpkin spice craze. Instead, I want to share about an event that takes place in my town during the first weekend of every October: Currahee Military Weekend. I was blessed to have taken part in the festivities celebrating the paratroopers who trained during WWII at Camp Toccoa, just a few miles from where I live now.

The annual Currahee Military Weekend took place October 3 - 5, 2014. The Vintage Hangar Dance took place on Friday evening at the Stephens County Airport. Purple Butterfly Publications' featured author, Stephanie Townsend Ayers, and I attended the 1940s themed hangar dance. Mrs. Ayers and I both dressed up in our best '40s attire for the evening. I even got a surprise delivery of flowers from a thoughtful friend to wear to the dance! I had an absolutely fantastic time participating in the Costume Contest during the evening where I finished as a semi-finalist. Great competition in the hangar! We all had a swell time of dancing (yes, I learned a few steps), fantastic live music, learning, and seeing new faces from all around the globe including from France and Texas! After the fun evening, I couldn't help but think of the brave men and women who were a part of our nation's defenses during World War II. The hangar dances must have meant so much to them.  

Featured author, Stephanie Townsend Ayers, and I ready for the Vintage Hangar Dance

Had a blast!

On Saturday evening, we returned to Camp Toccoa at Currahee for the Currahee Military Weekend Banquet. The guest speaker was Jim “Pee Wee’ Martin, 506th G. Company PIR.,
a Camp Toccoa veteran. Mr. Martin shared with us his jump into Normandy in 1944 and recently this year, 2014, during D-Day Events in Normandy. It was a special honor to hear Mr. Martin speak about his life experiences during and after the war. If you don't know who he is already,  please look him up and watch his experience in video. You won't regret it! After listening to Mr. Jim "Pee Wee" Martin speak, I got to help a local auctioneer, Christopher Ayers of Remember When Estate Auctions, with the live auction to raise money for the Currahee Military Museum and the veterans attending the Currahee Military Weekend. Haha! Happy to help look for bids! A memorable night indeed. 

Playing "Vanna White"

It is so important to remember and respect the sacrifices of America's history makers: our veterans and their families. I'd like to take a moment and encourage you all reading this blog to learn more about your local veterans. Learn from them. Also, learn about YOUR local history. You just might be surprised at what part your town has played in history making moments. Without the preservation of our history, Christian historical-fiction novels like Their Inheritance would not be written! 

Check out Currahee Military Museum for more information about the 2015 Currahee Military Weekend. I hope to see you there!

**Look for an early November blog with exciting first-ever holiday news from Purple Butterfly Publications!** 

Remember. Preserve. Read.

Caitlin Ayers, Publisher
Purple Butterfly Publications