I am just giddy to be able to show you all the gorgeousness and fun from the 5th Let’s Party Like Girls night! I gave you a little sneak-peek of the incredible shops, artists, and authors who partnered with us in donating items for the raffle…but now I get to show you the set-up and actual party!

First of all, let’s talk about the DESSERT!!!! You should have seen my face when I opened up the boxes of treats after returning home from Happy Bakeshop here in Denver.

It was sort of like this…

Ahahaha seriously though…I was freaking out at how beautiful (and yummy) they were! And the fun thing is I simply gave them a color palate, a few Pinterest inspiration pics for overall feel…and they just did their thing!

I’m just so amazed at their talent and humbled at their generosity in partnering with us (if you live in the Denver area, you’ve GOT to go see them).

I’ve purchased french macaroons from Costco several times because of the fun pop of color they bring to the table but never understood why they were so popular because they tasted pretty…well..bleh.

After one bite of Happy Bakeshop’s macaroons though, I realized what all the fuss was about. What in the WORLD?! THESE THINGS ARE FANTASTIC!!! I’m not even kidding.

Life. Changed. And the colors!!! They were better than anything I had imagined.

As usual, instead of spending money on paper plates, I pulled out my mismatched set of vintage china (mostly from Goodwill, thrift stores, and garage sales). I originally started collecting them when I hosted a Pretty Backyard Picnic and have used them SO many times since!

And that sparkly table cloth? Amazon Prime, baby!

After Christmas last year, I found this fantastic dress tree on clearance at HomeGoods for 80% off. I knew it would be the perfect thing for our Angel Tree tags for Denver Dream Center. What do you think??

I tied a sparkly headband around the neck and used a little bobby-pin to connect the fascinator I wore at my Book Release Party for an extra floral touch.

This year I brought out all my bottle brush trees and just love how happy the house looked with the fun bright color everywhere. You’ll notice they’re sprinkled all over the house!

Another really fun addition this year is a beautiful board from The Typeset Co. that showcased the mission of Let’s Party Like Girls. They also gave a set away for the raffle. I just loved being able to share the heart behind the evening!!

In case you missed the invitation, it said:

Are you exhausted by the pace of life, feeling completely tapped out? Perhaps you feel like you’re in “survival mode” and have nothing left to give, or are just in a crazy-busy season of life. Maybe it’s just been awhile since you’ve done something for yourself or felt like you have community.
If that’s where you are, I get it. I’ve been there.
My goal is to curate an evening of beauty. One where we can replenish your cup, so you can once again pour out. This is an event for ladies who love pretty details, friendship, and making a difference in the lives of others. Let us love on you in a way that leaves you feeling full - in heart, mind, and spirit.
Because you can’t pour from an empty cup.

I’m just such a fan of balloon installations so when my dear friend Erin (sister to Something Styled Events), I jumped at the chance to have one again!!

Plus, my backyard is an absolute disaster right now (read: six kids and three pets who don’t like to clean up toys, sports equipment, and who may or may not have dug holes where they shouldn’t have) so I wanted to hide the ability to see out those double doors!

We decided to hang another rose gold sequin table cloth across the window portion to provide the perfect backdrop for photos. You’ll see that in photos later on!

This year we set all the raffle items out on the table in the our Homework/Study Room so ladies could see all the incredible items before I started drawing names. I wanted the hype to go sky-high so they’d take more Angel Tree tags from the tree (one tag = 1 raffle ticket).

Our goal was to get as many gifts as possible for these deserving children whose families are struggling financially and/or have a parent in incarceration.

We had a birthday party in a box, handbags, art pieces, books, bespoke running jackets, spa treatments, beauty products, and ohmygosh so much more!

Last little bit of greens strung across my favorite Christmas canvas from my friend Lindsay over at Lindsay Letters/The Art Bar! I’ll admit…I’ve had this up ever since last Christmas, I love it so much!

Finally it was time to get dressed and finish the last details (mixing our signature cocktail, sliding the apps into the oven, and make sure kid stuff was cleaned up)!

I wore a skirt I’ve had for years (from Nordstrom’s prom section, hahahaha) and a top from J Crew (that I’ve also had forever) but one of my favorite people in the world did my hair and makeup!

Kat is the girl who convinced me to stop living a timid life and wishing I’d gone pink…and just do it! (If you need a hair girl, you’ve GOT to see her)

Time to pop the bubbly and let ladies in!

As ladies arrived, it was obvious they were as in-awe over Erin’s balloons as I was!!

I’ve learned through the years that a big party = needing A LOT of glassware! I found this gorgeous boho bookcase at Goodwill last summer and it has since become my favorite way to display it all, which means my counter tops are no longer filled with them. It’s such a better option because now the countertops can be filled with other things like food, wine, and other items.

(So thankful to mix my glassware with my friend Elise’s…we trade off borrowing each others whenever we have big parties)

Speaking of drinks, it was 10 minutes before people were to arrive and I realized I had purchased a bunch of random ingredients but hadn’t a clue what signature cocktail we were going to make.

My sweet friend Hannah and I taste-tested a few ideas and were so excited by the yummy recipe we created using Trader Joe’s Winter Wassail (Do you want the recipe? Let me know if I should post it).

It was so good in fact…we had to keep remaking more! Which was fine because it meant I got to open more One Hope sparkling wine (can you tell by my face how much I loooove popping those corks?!).

Our cocktail wasn’t the only thing that needed replenishing quickly…so did our food and tags from the Angel Tree! I actually had to ask Ben to run upstairs to my office and print more because they were gone so quickly!

YAY! I’m so excited so many kids will get gifts this Christmas!

I wasn’t planning on saying anything at the beginning of the night other than give a welcome and let everyone know when we’d start the raffle but suddenly felt a tug on my heart to share why Let’s Party Like Girls started several years ago.

In raw honesty I confessed that it was birthed out me realizing I didn’t have many friends, though we’d lived in Denver for awhile. I kept waiting for people to invite me over…but invitations never came. So I decided I needed to be the one to get out of my comfort zone and open my own door. That I needed to stop waiting to be invited and instead do the inviting (hence the door cookies!)

It was amazing how many women came up to me afterward with tears in their eyes admitting that they keep waiting to be invited, too…that they crave community and just don’t have one. Because of the internet and social media, we’re the most connected we’ve ever been and yet we’re just so darn lonely.

I pray this party encouraged them (and you!) to open your own doors.

There was so much laughing!! And you know what’s so fun about these ladies??

I didn’t know most of them. SERIOUSLY!! Some of my closest friends were here, of course…but honestly a lot of these women are friends from social media or read this blog. Some of them were even from an event that I spoke at the week prior!

Many women came knowing no one and left with a larger community. That makes my heart swell up big-time.

Finally it was time for the raffle…and Imani decided she wanted to read the names of the winners. It was so darling.

I love how excited everyone was as they shopped the table and got to bring something home as a reminder of the party and how loved they are.

Weren’t the photos of the event incredible??? A big MASSIVE THANK YOU to the ridiculously talented Bryn Marae for your generosity in photographing the event (and coming over earlier in the day while the light was good!!) You rock, girl.

And I don’t want to forget the quiet (not so quiet) help of this guy. Gosh I’m thankful for him!!! Benny…thank you for all you did behind the scenes to make this all happen! Having 75+ women in the house is a lot…and you refilled plates, took coats, and checked in ladies with a smile on your face and grace in every step. I love you, babe!!

(and PS Kiesha…you’d better be here next year after all you did to make this event happen!)