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on December 23
Bethany Bassett
Posted project update #11Final Update... for now
For backers only
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on December 18
Bethany Bassett
Posted project update #10Week 4 in Review
Post CommentWe’re winding down our fourth week of fundraising, but in reality, it feels more like revving up. With only five days left, we’re moving at high speed trying to get the word out to as many people as possible and bring in the remaining funds. Absolutely anything is possible, so keep your fingers crossed for us (and make sure you keep reminding everyone you know that there’s still time to make this book happen!).
In case you missed seeing the links on Facebook, I had guest posts go up this week on My Topography and The Sacred Life exploring some of some of the deeper reasons behind Apéritifs & Sippy Cups. Our project also got special mention over at Magpie Girl, and it’s a huge encouragement to see those friends who have been a part of our family travels supporting us so enthusiastically. More guest posts are lined up for next week, so check out our Facebook page for frequent updates.
And now… It’s time to announce the winner of our Pocket Coffee Giveaway. Anyone who backed our project, referred a new backer, or increased a pledge during the week was automatically entered, and the winner, as chosen by the helpful number generator at random.org, was #15: Bruce Cooke! (For gratuitous cuteness, here’s Bruce’s little girl being introduced to the fine art of camping by our Natalie several years ago. Be still my heart.)
An enormous thanks to everyone who has backed us, linked to us, written us, and otherwise reassured us that we aren’t out of our minds. We have been blown away by your generosity every day of this project, and we hope you’ll join us for the final sprint to the finish. The primary way you can help us right now is by spreading the word, so even if you already put up link to our Kickstarter page on Facebook or Twitter, would you link to us again? Sometimes it takes a few times of seeing the same link for people’s curiosity to be piqued, so you have our permission to be as obnoxious about it as you like.
Ready, set, sprint!
Bethany -
on December 16
Bethany Bassett
Posted project update #9Shot Glass Showcase
We started the collection on our honeymoon with a slender New Orleans shot glass. The following summer, we added Verona, Paris, London. The iconic NYC one is from our fourth Valentine’s Day together, and the tiny Isola Maggiore mug on the end commemorates our first family excursion after moving to Italy.
Since then, we’ve tripled our collection, picking the most interesting glass we find at each new city we visit. Yes, shot glasses as souvenirs are hopelessly cliché, but they’re inexpensive, small, and available pretty much anywhere. Plus, we go for creative substitutes every now and then to mix things up; can you spot the miniature flask of limoncello from Sorrento or the Nessie we picked up on the shores of her legendary loch?
We’re nowhere close to expert interior decorators, and setting up house seven different times in eight years of marriage has kept our décor to a minimum. However, these three shelves of mementos are some of the first things we put up each time we move. As unconventional as a wall of shot glasses might be, we are always happy to walk in our front door and immediately see the colors and shapes of our travel history together.
What about you? Do you collect souvenirs?
Which one is your favorite?
What would you think about shot glass featurettes with short back stories scattered throughout the book?
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on December 12
Bethany Bassett
Posted project update #87 Things That [May or May Not] Cost $10
Post CommentDisclaimer: This list is based on a solid foundation of guesswork, conjecture, and exaggeration, and as such, may or may not be accurate.* Proceed at your own risk.
* Mostly not.- A 1-inch high Crisp Elderberry Tsunami candle off the Pier 1 sale shelf.
- A strand of five (5) orange and purple chile pepper novelty mini-lights on eBay.
- A venti Skinny Mincemeat Mocha with extra whipped cream (non-fat) and a Candy Cane Scone (also non-fa… I mean, for a friend) at your neighborhood Starbucks.
- A pair of plastic Slinkies which will flump charmingly down the stairs exactly once before forming a Gordian knot with each other and possibly your hair.
- A child’s size 5T Optimus Prime costume in the bottom of the Halloween clearance bin at that one Target.
- A Dyson multi-floor cordless vacuum cleaner on Craigslist—missing only its battery, wand, rotating brushes, bin, and motor!
- A paperback guide to macramé chandeliers from the back room of your local secondhand bookstore.
Now, as worthwhile as each of these purchases may be in its own right, we suggest putting your Hamiltons toward something with longer-lasting benefits. No, not a subscription to the Lentils of the Month Club, tempting as it sounds. We mean that for less than you’d spend on an impulse purchase of Hanukkah Brittle at the mall, you could back our creative venture, receive a pre-release copy of Apéritifs & Sippy Cups in return, and be entered in the running for specialty chocolates direct from Italy. That might even trump the ten scented yo-yos you could get at the Dollar Tree; please tell us you agree!
- A 1-inch high Crisp Elderberry Tsunami candle off the Pier 1 sale shelf.
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on December 11
Bethany Bassett
Posted project update #7Week 3 in Review
Post CommentDespite an unexpectedly busy week of work with bonus head colds for all, we have a positive report for Apéritifs & Sippy Cups: Our funding climbed from 14% to 20%, my guest post Visiting Rome with Kids was featured on Travel Savvy Mom, and the lovely Sara Rosso of Ms. Adventures in Italy gave us some link love. As long as none of us comes down with the latest illness to hit the neighborhood—scarlet fever (I kid you not)—I hope to start rolling out plenty of new posts including a look at our souvenir collection and a more detailed explanation of what you’ll see in the book.
Meanwhile, don’t forget to enter our current Pocket Coffee giveaway. For each person you refer who also enters the giveaway, you’ll have your name entered an extra time, so spread the word! You’ll be helping us out and increasing your chances of winning Italian chocolate at the same time; could there be any more compelling duo of reasons?
Thanks again for all your support,
Bethany -
on December 9
Bethany Bassett
Posted project update #6Pocket Coffee Giveaway!
Post CommentWe’ve been passing around seasonal maladies this week at the Bassett home (with the exception of Dan, whose beard is presumably acting as an air filter), and our Friday night board games and caramel corn have been downgraded to pajama pants and cold medicine. Things have had to be a little quiet around here while we’ve taken care of doctor’s appointments and approximately 3,817,450,662,937 loads of laundry, but we’re still incredibly touched by each new donation. A sniffly THANK YOU to everyone who has helped get us past the 20% mark!
Before crashing in a Nyquil-induced stupor for the night, I wanted to open up a second chance at Pocket Coffee for everyone who missed it the first time around. The prize is an 18-pack of some seriously delicious espresso-filled chocolates, and here’s how to join in the running:- Between now and Saturday, December 17, back our book on Kickstarter with whatever amount you’re able to give. (If you’re already a backer, raising your pledge by even $1 will enter you into the giveaway.)
- If you refer others who back our project during this time, shoot me a message at contact@aperitifsandsippycups.com, and I’ll enter your name into the giveaway an extra time for each referred backer.
That's it! On Saturday, December 17, I’ll use Random.org to choose a winner, and one of you will have an awesome little holiday gift on its way.
We have some big hopes tied up in this little book, and we truly appreciate all your support! Even through the haze of cold season, we’re crazy excited to see what you can help make happen.
Thank you all, and now… goodnight.
Bethany* Giveaway open to participants worldwide. We will privately contact the winner for shipping information after the giveaway has finished.
Disclosure: This giveaway is not compensated or sponsored by anyone but ourselves. We just love Pocket Coffee and think you would too. - Between now and Saturday, December 17, back our book on Kickstarter with whatever amount you’re able to give. (If you’re already a backer, raising your pledge by even $1 will enter you into the giveaway.)
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on December 7
Bethany Bassett
Posted project update #57 Reasons This Kickstarter Project Is Worth Noticing:
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My project page begins with a haiku. I even managed to work in Nutella.
- If you watch our video, you’ll see a chase by hostile British cows, which—I’m at least 78% certain—has never before been featured on Kickstarter.
- In keeping with the title of my book, I am fearlessly displaying a photo of my three-year-old having a cocktail made to order.
- My rewards include a tour of Venice by my impressively bearded husband who grew up there.
- And my backers are awesome enough to take him up on it.
- We run contests featuring Pocket Coffee, espresso-filled Italian chocolates which everyone should have the opportunity to try.
- The world doesn’t need another travel guide, but it DOES need an adventure guide—especially one for families who dream of turning their toddlers loose in the Highlands or racing strollers down Champs-Élysées.
Thank you all for spreading the word and keeping this adventure going strong!
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Elizabeth Slaughter-Ek on December 7
You are rocking the project, Bethany...your updates are awesome!
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Carol Legge on December 7
your usage of the english language and storytelling is just SO dang clever!
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Post Comment -
My project page begins with a haiku. I even managed to work in Nutella.
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on December 5
Bethany Bassett
Posted project update #4Visiting Rome with Kids
Post CommentToday, I'm over at Travel Savvy Mom sharing some of our family's favorite things to do in Rome. If you're looking for a Dean Martin-esque evening, this might not be the article for you. If you're all about having fun for free, however... Check it out!
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on December 3
Bethany Bassett
Posted project update #3Week 2 in Review
Post CommentWe've just wrapped up the second week of our fundraiser, and the outlook is bright. Apéritifs & Sippy Cups was promoted this week by the kind staff of Ciao Bambino!, Planet Explorers, and Travel Savvy Mom, and our funding went up 11%! (We are ending the week this close to 15%; would you like the honor of being the one to bump us over?)
Stay tuned into our blog next week for a family apéritif how-to, travel tips for Rome, another chance at Pocket Coffee, and more!
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on November 30
Bethany Bassett
Posted project update #27 Reasons to Pre-Order Apéritifs & Sippy Cups
Post Comment(Alternately, 7 Reasons to Feel Great About Your Decision to Pre-Order Apéritifs & Sippy Cups)
- You’ll be the first to learn how to survive attacking British cows, Irish rain gods, and the Autobahn.
- You’ll get the book before it’s commercially available, giving you the chance to preemptively one-up all your friends’ vacation plans. (“Disney Schmisney, we’re taking our kids to Alps!”)
- You’ll get acknowledgement and link-love on our website…
- …plus a virtual high-five! Up high! Down low! (Too slow!)
- Not only will your contribution get you a copy of the book, it will support the writing process, which—as most authors could tell you—doesn’t come with sick days or hot secretaries.
- You’ll be helping to impress the value of global awareness, family togetherness, and a sense of adventure onto the next generation.
- Pre-orders cost ⅔ as much as the newest Justin Bieber album on iTunes.
(If that last reason isn't compelling, we don't know what is.)
If you haven't had a chance yet, click back to our Kickstarter page and pledge as little as $10 to pre-order your copy today!
And if you're already a backer, would you forward this to friends who don't know what they're missing out on yet? We might not sing as well as Bieber, but we're awesome at high-fives.
Bethany Bassett
Perugia, Italy
Bethany Bassett is a Texas-born English nerd with a husband who teaches her pensive heart how to laugh, two small daughters who teach her sedate body how to twirl, and a European travel habit which teaches her fast-paced mind how to stop and smell the cappuccino.
I've always done postcards - I once had a book of all the post cards that were sent to me and three poster frames full of postcards I bought when I traveled with my grandparents.
I think that shot-glass stories would be really fun and interesting to add into the book as well, because it's part of something unique. :)