cupcakeMAG LOVES Heather of Chickabug!

When we came across Heather of Chickabug's Party Idea Blog we immediately fell in love with amazing inspiration and beautiful work! Heather's blog is the perfect place for all things party & pretty. 

We are thrilled to share Chickabug with our readers! Enjoy the giveaway too! 

{Heather of Chickabug}

{1} The Chickabug blog is just FAB! You could browse it for hours. What got you into blogging such great things?

Thanks, Casi! That means so much coming from you! : ) I actually started blogging a few months into running my Etsy shop so that I could post pictures of the things I was making. Back then I was so naive that I had no idea that party blogs were such a big deal. I just posted whatever party photos customers sent me, along with random things that caught my eye on Etsy or in the blog world. That's still what I'm doing, actually -- just on a larger scale! I also make sure to include LOTS of party photos and LOTS of details about sources since I now know that's what readers are looking for.

{DIY Easter Candy Celebrations}

{2} When you aren't designing  your uber-cute personalized goods on Etsy, what can we find you doing?

It's so basic, but my favorite everyday activity is just walking my dog, Charlotte. Spoiling the heck out of her is one of the simplest joys in life! I also love to cook -- I make banana-chocolate chip muffins that would knock your socks off.

{cupcake water bottle labels, personalized from Chickabug's Etsy Shop}

{3} Do you have a favorite party you have custom designed for?

My all-time favorite party is the Sweet Shoppe party that I worked on with Shelley from How Does She. Not only was the party STUNNING thanks to Shelley's amazing eye for detail, but more important, we became friends through working together. She's been a really positive presence in my life ever since then, and has cheered me on every step of the way. So, the Sweet Shoppe party has to be tops, just because of her!

{Invitations by Chickabug for the Sweet Shoppe party}

{4} Do you have a favorite party you have featured on the blog?

My most recent favorite was the sock monkey party that was put together by Susan Gentile for her one-year-old son, Alexander. I've been lucky enough to work with her on a few parties now, and they always gain a lot of attention thanks to her gorgeous photos! It's really such a compliment to her that people write me and request items straight out of the pictures.

{the cutest sock monkey party!}

{5} What other blogs/sites do you often frequent or just have to read?

Oh, there are SO many good ones out there! For parties, I love Birthday Girl, Kara's Party Ideas, Pizzazzerie, and Kate Landers Events, LLC. 

I also never miss a post by How Does She, Glorious Treats, or Mini Eco. And for comic relief, you can't beat Cake Wrecks.

{TONS of FREE printables on Chickabug!}

{6} Where do you pull inspiration from?

My customers! I've been a designer for a very long time but had no idea how sophisticated today's party scene is when I started creating invitations. So I really mean it when I say that everything I've learned about children's parties comes straight from my clients! Every theme I've designed and every item I offer has been developed on request. There's a story behind just about everything, and some of my most popular themes were actually designed with one specific child in mind -- so for me, it brings back great memories to browse my shop.

{Custom stickers you can find in the Chickabug Etsy Shop}

{7} Do you have any party tips you can share for making it a super success?

Plan well in advance, and plan with your guests in mind. Coordinate a few fun games or activities, and set up little areas so that guests can move around the party and have plenty to do. Adding lots of personalized, special details to the day is important, but it's even more important to make sure that everybody has a fabulous time -- the hostess included! 

{Under the Sea birthday party}

{8} What is up next for Chickabug?

Hiring help, definitely! Right now I work alone, so the next step is going to be finding someone to help out -- even if it's just to to tape up packages for me a couple of nights a week!

All Things Chickabug!

{Blog}

{Etsy Shop}

{Facebook}

READ ON TO ENTER OUR GIVEAWAY THANKS TO CHICKABUG! 

Giveaway: $50 store credit in DIY printable file from Chickabug! 

Enter now! Head over to Chickabug on Etsy and tell us what would fill your cart. This comment is mandatory. You also MUST be a follower of cupcakeMAG and cupcakeMAG for Littles! 

For extra entries you can do the following below and leave us a separate comment for each letting us know. The more you comment the better chance you have to win!

1. Follow cupcakeMAG on Twitter.

2. Make sure you "Like" us on our Facebook page.

3. Make sure you "Like" Chickabug on Facebook.

4. Subscribe to our updates (top right corner above) - just sign up with your email!

5. Tweet about this giveaway and include @cupcakemag -- you must tweet, not just follow.

6. Write a blog post about this giveaway on your blog and send us the link.

We will select a winner via random.org on Friday, April 29th at 11pm. Please make sure you enter the mandatory comment first before doing the extra entries.