My Favorite Things

My good friend Ashley started up a new business venture this past year.  She became an official Trunk Keeper (TK) for my now beloved Matilda Jane   clothing line.  There are numerous reasons I love having Ashley as my TK - she alerts me to sales as they come along, she keeps me abreast of Matilda Jane happenings (like dates new lines will be released), and is ever ready to help me add to our growing collection.  All I have to do is shoot her an email with my most recent 'need' and she'll stick it onto whatever show order she happens to be working on.  And all with a super cute smile and a cheery personality.

I don't know the details of her first season with Matilda Jane (I don't have a head for business or dollars - I just like to spend them), if it was super successful, moderately successful, or what - but it must have been pretty good (thanks, in part to Matilda Jane addicts like myself).  So to thank us 'Janes' (that's what Matilda Jane calls the hostesses of their trunk shows) for hosting said shows, Ashley hosted a little shin-dig the other night.

A time to gather, gossip, dish, drink poinsettias, munch on yummy treats ... you know, all stuff us 'Janes' are really good at.  But it wasn't all just gossiping, dishing, and poinsettia swilling - no, it was also a My Favorite Things party.  When I got the invitation, I didn't quite understand.  (I can never seem to keep current with superstar talk show trivia - no matter how much E! Entertainment News I watch.)  Anyway, this was a My Favorite Things party modeled after Oprah's party of the same name.  (Except that we had gifts with a $5 maximum vs. Oprah's multi-gazillion $$ gifts.)

So we were asked to each bring five of our favorite things that was five dollars and under.  What to bring?  What to do?  Of course I stressed out about it - because that's part of my OCD disease and all - finally settling on $5 gift cards to Starbucks.  (After all, a Pumpkin Spice Latte is just about my favorite under $5 treat.)  Every girl there had her name entered five times into the bowl - and we went around the room - each drawing out five names (re-drawing if a duplicate or our self) and then gifting out our treats, with a short blurb about why the item we brought was a favorite.

It was so much fun.  I received a load of awesome things - from a Starbucks gift card (great minds think alike) to an awesome candle that smells like apple-spice, a ceramic 'to-go' mug to this amazing scented cleaner that freshens your whole kitchen with just a spray and wipe of the counter, and finally some clear nail polish - that not only corrects the home-made pedicures us busy moms tend to have but also (practical use) stops bleeding if you shave your legs too quickly and nick your knee.

I had a great time.  It had been a particularly bad day (missing my  mom so much that day that I felt like I couldn't breathe) coupled with seeing photos of her celebrating Christmas with family on facebook that I wasn't a part of.  (Through no fault of the person who posted the photos - and I was glad to see them and see that my mother is doing well and looked really happy.)  But it made me miss her even more.  So the day had been filled with lots of tears, horrible emotions, and general gloominess.  Deonne literally pushed me out the door to go to the party.  I'm so glad he did. 

Totally needed that night out.  Totally needed the fun, the laughter, the treats, and most importantly, the friendship.  So thank YOU Ashley, for hosting such a great event!