She wants the best for her six children, her  entire family,  her friends,  Her community.  Her country.  Our world.

She believes in the power of women.

She believes in the power of prayer.

Lemay Gbowee had a dream.   A dream to bring the women of her country together to pray for peace.

Praying for peace sounds easy.  Doesn’t it?

For most of us that means,  we curl up in our comfortable warm beds, next to our electric lamps,  we close our eyes and pray for peace.  Peace that our children will get along, that a co-worker will see things our way,  that anxiety over a test will pass, or that our Congress will actually agree on something.   For Lemay Gbowee,  peace meant ending a 14 year war that lured 8 year old boys into a dictator’s army which killed 250,000 people, saw 3/4 of the women of her country raped,  and left nearly a third of Liberia homeless.

Prayer.

She began a peaceful protest with prayer.  Women saw her bold faith.  They joined her.  Prayer continued.  Until the day their government could no longer ignore them.

It’s a powerful story.  One that you can see for yourself this Friday night.   Abigail Disney ( grand-niece of Walt Disney)  discovered Lemay’s journey and directed this incredible tale of boldness in the movie “Pray the Devil Back to Hell”.

On October 21st, Women’s Foundation of Arkansas has invited Abigail Disney to be the keynote speaker at their annual Power of the Purse luncheon.  Later that evening at the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce,  WFA will host a limited seating screening of “Pray the Devil Back to Hell”. Abigail Disney will be in attendance and  has graciously offered to provide Q&A after the viewing.

It will be a dynamic night of women and hope.

I happen to have two tickets to the event.   (A waiting list has been started at WFA, if you want to get your name on the list)    OR    If you would like to grab my two extra tickets,  leave a comment below.  I will choose a recipient randomly by 6am Central time Thursday morning.    (Yes, random picking at a random time because I will be at a conference on the east coast, which I pray ends in time for me to make it back to LR for this event.  I want to meet Abigail,  I want to see this movie, and I want to see my blog friends in real life)

Of all the events I’ve been asked to a participate in planning / chairing ,  this has been one of the most rewarding.   I asked a few women who I believe embody the same beliefs of Lemay to spread the word.  Ladies who want a better world for our children, who believe in the goodness of women, and  know the power of prayer.    All of them have written amazing blog posts to promote this event and I hope that you will take a moment to stop by and get to know each of their blogs.

Thank you, Sarabeth Jones, Amy Bradley-Hole, Jerusalem Greer, Tonya Oaks Smith, and Savannah Butler for sharing your caring hearts and never failing to move me with the power of your  pens….or keystrokes.   I admire you all.

xxoo,

boots

It’s time for one of my favorite events of the year,  The Annual First Lady’s Tea .

Don your hats, your gloves,  and invite the first ladies of your life to join you on May 15th in the gardens of the Governor’s Mansion.

Tea, scrumptious delights, garden tours, and a scavenger hunt for the little ones await.   This ladylike affair benefits the Friends of the Mansion who work to preserve and restore our gorgeous Governor’s Mansion and grounds.

May 15, 2011

2-4pm

Tickets:   $50 adults,   $25 for children (6-18 years)

Wear your best tea attire – Hats and gloves encouraged

Gloves provided for children

Reserve your tickets or table of 8 by going online at friendsofthemansion.org or calling 501.324.9805

Fashion,  Food,  Paris.     These are a few of my favorite things.    Which means, I  couldn’t be more thrilled to be co-chairing the 23rd Annual  Centers of Fashion Show benefitting the Bess Chism Stephens Community Center –  a division of Centers for Youth and Families.   The evervescent Merri Chandler and I – along with an amazing team of hostesses, volunteers, and the incredibly talented staff of the CFYF Foundation are putting the final touches on a fun new spin to this beloved event.     I am so thankful to our list of gracious sponsors that are sure to make the night special.   Dillards, Inc will be presenting a Springtime in Paris style show.     We’ll get some first looks at gorgeous clothes, handbags…and of course – SHOES!

While it has been so fun to pull all of this together,  the best part has been learning more and more about Centers and their services.   I am amazed at this stalwart organization by all the many ways they serve this community to enrich the lives of children.      I had the privilege to tour their facilities and my heart will never be the same.

I was blessed to live in a home with two parents who cared for me.  I had a roof over my head.  I never lacked a meal.   My mom always took me shopping for new school clothes.   My life was easy.   This isn’t the case for many children in our community.    By joining us on April 17th at 6pm at the Argenta Community Theater,  you will have the opportunity not for just a fashion show and a night out with friends — but to make the life of a child a little easier.  Giving shelter for a night.   A Hot meal.   Hope.

Jeff Daily produced  the  beautiful film embedded below that tells the story of  Centers for Youth and Families.   Be sure to watch it.   Then,  join us on Sunday,  April 17th.

Delicious Food and fun Cocktails will begin at 6pm at the chic new Argenta Community Theater.  Valet Parking.  Tickets are a mere $50. You may purchase them at   www.centersforyouthandfamilies.org

I hope to see you there.

Cheers,

boots

xxoo

Believe it or not,  designers have already revealed evening looks for  Pre-Fall 2011.   I took a quick spin through the collections to view some of my favorite designers Monique Lhuiller,  Jason Wu,  Carolina Herrera,   Reem Acra, Oscar De La Renta, and Valentino. Colors range from jewel tones to metal inspired hues.   These are definitely looks that would inspire me to dance all night.

Monique Lhuiller is a designer whose gowns make me swoon.  Without fail, everytime I see the dreamiest bridal gown she is the creator.   The same is true of her evening gowns

You may recognize this next beauty from the Golden Globes.  Catherine Zeta Jones wore this and by far it was my favorite dress of the night.  That color!!

Jason Wu has garnered much attention for dressing the First Lady.   This was my favorite gown of his pre-fall collection.   The detailing and color combination are subtle and regal.  Although the accoutrements required underneath may pose a challenge.

Carolina Herrera long known for her ladylike details surprised me with this fun, flirtatious look.  Perfect for a young, slim, brunette, don’t you think?   In other words – old curvy blondes like me, don’t even think about it. 

I absolutely love this piece by Reem Acra.  The color and the the shrug are the epitome of understated elegance.

When it comes to elegance,  no one does it better than Oscar De La Renta.   I think one could get away with wearing a short gown to a gala if ol Oscar Designed it.  Wouldn’t you agree?

Or go completely Marie Antoinette,  over -the-top in this beautiful pale gown.  Wow!

If a statement is what you are wanting to make,   I say you can never go wrong with RED

And when I think of the ultimate RED party gowns,  I always think of Valentino.   Here he pairs Red and ruffles.   Be still my heart!

You and I  may never win the award.  No one may ever hear our acceptance speeches.   We may not walk the Red Carpet.  But it’s  still ok to dream about it.

Now I’d like to thank the Academy for inspiring this blog post and to you the people for reading it.  :)

Cheers, Y’all.   May you have a warm, safe wintery weekend.

( and enjoy the quick playlist below for a dance in front of the fire with your honey)

Becky Clement’s Inspired by Nature team and her son the chief juxtaposeur Chris were responsible for the Country Club of LIttle Rock transformation.  Be sure to check out Chris’s amazing home finds at his store Clement in the cozy Hillcrest neighborhood of Little Rock.

The Dress

The Shoes:

Kate chose these Kate Spade Purple Satin wonders

And of course the necessary accessories

The Pearls

The Rings

The Shades

And the mini-Fans!

(given that it was unseasonably H-O-T  for mid June, these were a fantastic idea and counted as the brides “something blue”

The Bride & Groom

The Wedding Team

The Flowers

Phil Cato’s About Vase outdid themselves with these vibrant, happy arrangements of gerbera daises, roses, and fruit.

The Food

The Cakes ( with a side of gelato – yum!)

Of all the many decisions this couple made along the way,  it is obvious choosing each other was the best decision of all.

Kate and Kyle,  Thank you so much for giving Heather and me the opportunity to be part of your big day.   We wish you a lifetime of laughs and love together.

To see this enchanting event through Heather’s lens, click on over to her blog, Heather Owens Photography.

“When my Mother first dressed me in a hat as if I were a Lady, I owned the title.” – unknown

We attended a rather formal church where such accoutrements were not out of the norm. I wore them each Easter well into my twenties. I now attend a less formal church. Flip flops and jeans are acceptable for worship. Hats – well – that just may be TOO over the top. Still, I’m mad for a beautiful hat. They are the epitome of a lady. I often think of Eliza in My Fair Lady or Vivian in Pretty Woman how they were transformed with the right hat. Iconic pictures of Jackie O and Grace Kelly are of them in simple pillbox designs. Thankfully the new tradition of the First Lady’s Tea held at the Govenor’s Mansion each spring has given me new reason to find a fine piece of millinery. I was over the moon when my friend asked if I wanted to be part of the planning committee this year.

The event was held on a gorgeous spring day. Lady Grey Tea, Orange Blossom, and blueberry tea were accompanied with an array of tea sandwiches, tea cakes, and tarts. My wee contribution to the day was creating the “Forage through the Foliage” Garden Hunt that encouraged our younger ladies to explore the wonderous grounds our Govenor’s mansion: a family garden, a vegetable garden, the par terre garden blooming with roses, and the herb garden. Great fun was had by all ages. And I must say that although the roses in the garden were in full bloom, they paled in comparison to the beauty of the ladies in attendence in their gorgeous hats.

As for my hat, it was pink, ribboned, rose’d, and poofed. It is girly and I. love. it. So, for those flip flop wearing folks at my church, grace to you, my friends. I hope you’ll return the grace – I’ll be the one in the hat.

Un Noche Perfecto.   Flowers, Food,  Friends   –   ¿Que Mas? (what more?)     Last Friday evening I had the privilege of capturing how this seamlessly pulled together.   Inspired by Nature created a floral wonderland that would make anyone cry ¡Ole´!   The catering genius of Trios provided a Mexican feast that was beyond delicioso!    Even the mariachi band commented that the Chicken Enchiladas were the best they had ever had.  And don’t even get me started on the desserts.    Despite the threatening skies and the periodic torrential rains,  nothing could dampen the spirits and the love felt at this party hosted to encourage a young couple as they embark on their new life together.    Enjoy this peek at the fiesta!

Pink Martini is a 12 member group (sometimes more if accompanied by a string section or full orchestra) who has been bringing it’s vintage hollywood chic to the soundwaves since the late nineties. I recently discovered them and can’t get enough. It may be the perfect soundtrack for my peripatetic attention span.

The Toronto Star says their sound is “the type of delight that sometimes involves dressing up and carousing” – Did some one say dress up? Count me in!

Thomas Lauderdale the band’s leader describes their music as“ …a rollicking around-the-world musical adventure … if the United Nations had a house band in 1962, hopefully we’d be that band.”

I describe it as the kind of music that makes my work go faster. I’m more productive and happier when I have these tunes playing in the background. I samba from my desk to the kitchen. I merengue when I mop. ( ok, I don’t mop, but if I did I would listen to this to make it far more enjoyable). It’s perfect background music for cocktails and dinner with friends of all ages. And it makes me want to put on a tight waisted, full skirted knee length dress, Miss Cha Cha Louboutins and saunter the night away in a posh mid century nightclub. It spans classes, countries, ages. Slow ballads to fast tempo dances. My favorites include: the encouraging “My Little Tomato”, the hopeful “Over the Valley”, the romantic longing of “La Soledad”, the Italian lullaby Ninna Nonna, and the inspiring, “Lets Never Stop Falling in Love”

Once you take a listen to the group, you will fall in love and never stop listening.

Salud, Y’all!