Host a Clothing Swap Party!

Whoo!

What better way to clean our your closet than to have a fashion show 

with your good friends and get some new digs in return?!

That is just what three of my lady friends and myself did last Saturday

when I hosted what will most likely become an annual (seasonal?!) event!

I hosted a Clothing Swap Party!

If you haven't heard about clothing swaps, let me fill you in.

A clothing swap is like shopping your friends' closet.

Everyone brings an agreed minimum amount of items,

that can include clothes, accessories, shoes etc. that are in good, clean condition.

Our group agreed upon at least 10 pieces, and we kept it to clothing and accessories.

To make things easier, I recommend hanging up your clothing items.

We all pitched in and organized the clothes by tops, skirts, pants, and jackety-things (a new term we invented) and it made it go really quickly!

TIP:

I would recommend marking your hangers by tying a colored ribbon on them,

or putting a piece of colored tape around it, to avoid mix ups with other swappers.

After the clothes were all organized this is how I chose to proceed.

Instead of going at it all at the same time, we took turns, each lady drawing a number to determine what order we would 'shop' in.

But before we started shopping, we got to look over the items,

and each lady was given an equal amount of stickers that she could use to mark the pieces 

she wanted.

 When your turn came around, you were allowed to pick 3 pieces.

If two ladies had marked or 'claimed' the same item, we just did a little fashion show,

and had each one try on the piece, to see which it fit better.

 There really were no problems in this area, everyone was very gracious.

Once everyone had about three turns each, 

we just went in and picked through the leftovers together.

It was really relaxed, we simply asked, "Does anyone mind if I take piece," or "is anyone else interested in this?" and it worked out very smoothly.

Everyone ended up with several pieces that they really liked and looked great on them.

One thing I did notice that I found interesting was that on at least two occasions,

someone tried on a piece that they really weren't sure about, but when they modeled 

it in front of the others, they received a wonderful response that they hadn't expected!

It was a lot of fun and everyone agreed that we need to do it again

I ended up with a pretty intimate group, only four ladies including myself,

and I was worried there wouldn't be enough items to generate a good mix to choose from,

but it ended up working out great! Everyone brought more than 10 pieces, which helped a lot.

 

 Since it was a ladies get together,

I used it as a excuse to try out a new Pinterest recipe, and a special girly one at that!

I made these French Vanilla Cappuccino Cupcakes!

They turned out pretty good, although I would make a few adjustments in the future.

 

So there you have it, ladies get together with new clothes and dessert!

 I call that a triple win!

Have any of you been to a clothing swap? 

Anxious to host one?

I hope this gives you a great idea for a ladies night out!

Vote for a Cause, Make a Difference

Ok,

I'm just gonna come right out and say that I have a little fire burning under my bum today,

and I decided to set out and try to do something about it.

Here is the story.

Those of you who have been with me very long know that I have a heart

for India. Well, I try to put my money where my mouth is a support works

in that country, and one way that I do that is by giving to India Partners,

a Christ centered organization that aims at "partnering with the people of India in ministry by cultivating relationships, sharing resources, and encouraging self-sufficiency through the compassion and wisdom of Jesus Christ."

Today I read an email from India Partners and

learned that they have entered a photo contest hosted by Global Giving.

which will give $1,000 to the non-profit organization who's picture wins first place.

Such a great idea, and I was happy to cast my vote and support them.

And then I saw it.

 The organizations that are currently in top place

are not ones that are aimed at saving orphans,

providing a better education for children overseas, or funding urgent medical needs.

No.

The most championed causes in the lead right now are those that

aim to save abandoned birds, and street dogs.

This made me sad.

And then, very angry.

I love animals, y'all, and it does make me sad when they are mistreated.

But they are just that.

Animals.

I believe people are infinitely more valuable and important!

We are created in the image of God and have eternal destinies.

There should be no contest!

For me, this contest isn't so much about the actual photos,

but about the organization that the photo will support. 

This is the photo entered by India Partners.

By voting for India Partners, you help an orphan in India, like this girl, receive an education.

 If you feel the same as I,

please go VOTE for India Partners,

a reputable Christian based organization that is doing a good work,

and make your voice heard that people are more valuable than animals. 

All you have to do is go to the link above that says "go vote",

enter you email address, then wait for the confirmation email that will make your vote count.

The deadline for voting is August 29th!

And that is all.

Such a very little thing can make a big difference.

You could make a difference between $1,000 being thrown away on rescuing birds,

like the ones that sadly fly into our windshields every now and then, or by providing a better life

and education to a precious, orphaned child...a human being who has a calling and destiny.

Your vote stresses the importance of Christ's love to children.

Thank you for reading my little rant.

And thank you in advance on behalf of India Partners, for your vote!

It's Not About You: Single on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day.

I'm going to be honest and straightforward in this post.

This subject has been nagging at me for a few weeks now,

and I just can't keep quiet about it.

I want to address how single women are handling Valentine's Day.

Let me start by saying...

Valentine's Day is not about you.

Did you know that Valentine's Day was established in remembrance

of a man who was executed for his beliefs?

He wrote sweet notes to those he cared about because he knew he was going to die.

This man was willing to die for something he believed in,

but today this fact gets glazed over with chocolate and roses.

Something else different in the approach to modern Valentine's is that

single women everywhere use this day to bemoan their relationship status.

If we don't have that special someone,
we tend to congregate in groups and celebrate our friends instead.

Sure we have a good time.

But you know what? We all sit at the table as hypocrites.

 We try to pretend this is good enough, that we are happy to be with our friends,

when really, it is all a great big facade we use to drown out our woe-is-me pity party.

I've celebrated a few Valentine's with girlfriends, and genuinely had a good time!
But this year something shifted and I saw things differently.

Imagine your best friends are getting married,

but instead of letting them have their day, you and and your girlfriends

decide to have your own party because none of you are getting married.

Do you see how petty, childish and self centered that sounds?

"I just wish I had someone to give me flowers and take me out."

Let's be honest with each other, what we are really saying is,
"I wish I had someone to celebrate me."

Women have made Valentine's Day all about them!

It is all about your man celebrating you and showing you just how special you are.

Not only is that selfish, it sounds dangerously akin to idolatry.

Valentine's Day is not about you.

Did you know that you have chosen to be single?

Yes.

Your singleness is a choice.

You may look at is from the perspective that the right guy just hasn't come along.

 But pay attention to a set of words in that sentence...right guy.

This implies that there has been a wrong guy.

This implies at one point you made a choice...'I don't want him, he isn't right.'

At that moment you chose to be single.

Singleness is not something that is thrust upon you, it isn't a disease... it is a choice.

If you were given the chance to go with someone on a trip, but decided not to,
then spent the rest of your time bemoaning the fact that you weren't going on a trip somewhere,
wouldn't that seem a little foolish and fickle?

As silly as that may sound in the that context,
that is how many single women approach Valentine's Day.

There are plenty of fellas out there who would snatch you up,
you could probably pick one up at Wal-Mart!

While they may not be what you want, you are still making that choice to be single.

If you have a hard time with being single on Valentine's Day,

I would challenge you to scrutinize yourself.

Just because you are single doesn't mean you have no purpose...

it doesn't mean you can't live a life of joy and meaning now...

and it doesn't mean you are an incomplete person.

If you are an incomplete person without a relationship,

then that is your own shortcoming, and you need to work through

some issues because no relationship is ever going to complete you.

Another point I would like to make.

Stop for a moment and look around.
You live in a point of history that is truly amazing.

If one stops to listen to what the men of God and prophets are saying,
it doesn't take a theologian to know we are living in extraordinary times.

And those times are growing short.

Jesus is coming back...and it may be very soon.

The world has grown cold,

and we are in the winter seasons of the world's time.
Things are shifting, changes coming that may
forever alter the comfortable world we live in.

Yet we focus so much on temporal things.

Yes, we all long for companionship, myself included!
But I'm convinced God knows our needs (Matt. 6:8)
and He longs to meet them. (Is. 30:18; Phil. 4:19).
If we know this to be true, we can likewise be assured that
if we haven't been given a significant other,
it must be that God does not see that as our most pressing need.


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I'm linking up at Anchored in Love Divine
for the Blog Everyday in February Challenge!