It's October..Think Pink!

October, as many of you know, is Breast Cancer awareness month. I had the privilege of running in Nashville's Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this past Saturday. I ran in memory of my friend, Leslie Harvey, who passed away at the age of 31 this past February. Her parents were there, along with over 60 people, who signed up to be a part of her team "Remembering Leslie". Our team shirt won "Best of Show" in the t-shirt design category. It was bright lime green and featured a ton of butterflies (one of Leslie's favorites).

George and Kaye Harvey, parents of Leslie Harvey

An estimated 12,000 people crossed the finish line, not to mention the thousands more who stood and cheered everyone on in the race. One of the most touching moments of the morning for me is when a Scottish bagpipe player led a parade of breast cancer survivors through the crowd. As the survivors entered, the crowd continued to send up cheers and applause. Watching each survivor walk through (some with smiles, some with tears) was truly a moment for all of us in the crowd to witness.

Almost everyone reading this blog has probably been touched by breast cancer. For me, I've had friends diagnosed and my grandmother successfully battled it. You're Invited's previous owner, Kendall Womble, has battled breast cancer herself. She was recently featured in Real Simple magazine in an article titled "Portrait of Breast Cancer." She had a team at the race on Saturday, as well.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I thought I'd put together some "Think Pink" party tips.

Think Pink Signature Drink

Sparkling Pink Punch-from Southern Living

Prep: 5 min., Chill: 1 hr. For a sweeter finish, substitute ginger ale for club soda.

Yield

Makes about 9 cups

Ingredients

• 1 (12-oz.) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 4 cups white cranberry juice cocktail
• 1 qt. club soda, chilled
• Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

1. Stir together lemonade concentrate and cranberry juice cocktail in a large pitcher. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Stir in club soda just before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Champagne Punch: Substitute 1 (750-milliliter) bottle extra-dry Champagne or sparkling wine and 1/4 cup orange liqueur for club soda; proceed with recipe as directed.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Cointreau for orange liqueur.

Inspired by Diana Coppernoll, Linden, North Carolina,Southern Living, JUNE 2008

Think Pink Florals

Gerbera daisies are such a sweet and simple flower. As you can see in the picture from Project Wedding, they utilized the pink gerbera daisy both in a simple vase with a single stem, and as the place card holder. This simple idea would look adorable for a "Think Pink" brunch!

Think Pink Candy Buffet Bar

Pink Candy Bar-as seen on Elizabeth Anne Designs

I love this candy bar, especially all the fun pink and white candies. To do this at home, you'll need a fabulous tablecloth and an assortment of various glass containers. Mix and match the containers, using different heights and shapes, and fill with assorted candies. You can have this candy bar as a dessert table for the Think Pink Brunch, or you can have chinese takeout boxes in hot pink and use this table as a favor table for guests as they leave. Either way, who doesn't love candy!

This candy bowl below can be purchased from the Susan G. Komen shop. It would look great on your candy buffet as well.

Think Pink Cookies

As featured on Woman's Day, look at this adorable kit from King Arthur Flour. It includes all-natural vanilla sugar cookie mix, and everything you need to make pink ribbon cookies (the cookie cutter, white icing and pink food coloring). 10% of their sales go to support breast cancer research!

So, in this month of October, please don't forget to THINK PINK and support breast cancer research! Hopefully, with these Think Pink ideas, you can host a fabulous party in the process!

Best wishes-Stephanie