Making Friends + Partying with a Purpose
I've just started planning our 4th annual Let's Party Like Girls night and am so excited! The concept for this party began when I realized though we had lived in Denver a little while and I knew people...I didn't really have many friends.
Ughhhh...the feeling of not having "my people" pained me. It's such a hard and empty feeling, isn't it?
I started thinking of all sorts of reasons to have people into my home and getting to know them in a deeper way than simply small talk at sports practice and school dropoff.
I stopped waiting for an invitation and began opening my own door. Things like playdates, coffee dates, book club, Bible study, etc.
When brainstorming, it occurred to me that my great love of parties could be used in a purposeful way. Thus Let's Party Like Girls was born.
(invite example is from year two!)
This is what I posted when first talking about this party four years ago:
Do you ever get so caught up with life...trying to be a rockstar mom and best wife ever, keeping up with school activities, sports, volunteering, Bible Study, work, laundry, carpooling, grocery shopping, more laundry, the never-ending house clean up...that you wake up one morning and realize...FRIENDS!
Do I even have friends anymore? I need girl time!
I need adult conversation and to shower and put on those heels I used to wear all the time. I need encouragement from my people!
So I've decided to have a party, for no reason at all except I need my people. I need some time to connect. I really, really want to love on the women around me and for us all to be surrounded by a whole bunch of pretty.
I want it to be all about us...just for one night.
Since the first year, it has evolved into something even more beautiful than connecting, making friends, and feeling loved on.
Not only do we strive to honor and love-on the women who attend...
we also honor and care for women both locally and globally.
By working with the Denver Dream Center, we care for the children of women who are struggling. One or both parents are incarcerated, families are in a difficult season. These are children who likely won't have gifts to open on Christmas morning, nothing to bring them a little magic and joy during the upcoming holiday season.
We set up an Angel Tree last year and through it, 40 children and a handful of families...were all sponsored in honor of our Lord's birthday. Amazing world-changing women stepped up and now these families had gifts on Christmas!
Several of you who saw my posting on social media even reached out and though you didn't live nearby or were able to party with us, you still sponsored a child, or two, or five!
This year we're also teaming up with Free The Girls, which is an organization I've personally been involved with for several years. By simply donating gently used or new bras, women rescued from sex slavery have inventory for bra-shops in their local marketplace...and because their clients are women, they have very little interaction with men while their heart, body, and soul continues to heal.
For those of you wanting to be involved...or those of you who want to do your own similar event here's some more fun:
1.
To get in the door, we ask that each guest brings a bra (or two or ten!) and a bottle of wine.
2.
Every person who takes a child from the Angel Tree is entered into a raffle (the more you take, the more you're entered!).
The raffle is super fun...last year our giveaways were included a Kids Advent journal, Anchored Press devotional planners, Noonday Collection jewelry, a bag from JOYN, goodies from Fair Trade Friday, Bought Beautifully, gold-foiled prints, journals, and even a beautiful (original!) fashion illustration were gifted to squealing ladies.
I also gave away books I love...some by friends and some by ladies I'd like to be friends with: Curious Faith, Looking for Lovely, The Nesting Place, Loving my Actual Life, Girl Meets Change, Hello Beauty Full, and a few others.
For many of the gifts, I pulled names from a hat. But for others, I'd describe the book or explain the heart around something and toss it onto the ground in front of me saying, "Whoever feels like they need this in their current season, grab it quick!"
Small business owners and authors are so generous with donating. If you're interested, here's how you can be a part of our incredible night!
How can you get involved??
1. We are looking for charitable donations for this amazing, grass-roots, support-raising evening. These donations will be used as raffle prizes for donors.
What do you get?
-Besides that awesome tax write off, your name and product will be featured here on the blog as well as my social media outlets!
- If you are in the Denver area, you will also get a personal invite to this amazing celebration that empowers women and brings some cheer to kids who could use it the most.
Win-win, right? Please please email my assistant (and best friend) Kiesha at v.assistant.teresa@gmail.com if you are interested!
Click here for my initial inspiration as well as Year 1, Year 2, and last year (Year 3).
If you live in the Denver area and would like to attend (bring friends!!), stay tuned for announcements via social media or email Kiesha (see address above), who will make sure you get an invite!