This year's beneficiary of your goodness!

I am so excited and honored to announce the beneficiary of the proceeds made at Gypsy Soiree will be given to Athena's Sisters!

Located in Louisville Kentucky, Lindsay Gargotto, a USAF veteran founded this organization for her fellow service sisters.

I felt very strongly about this organization when I discovered it. Having personal relationships with women in the service, there was a calling for me to research more. Athena's Sisters projects and mission are amazing! You can check out their Facebook page here. Please take a moment and check out the awesome organization your donations will support!

Our Mission:
Athena’s Sisters creates revolutionary programming and partnerships to advance the mental and physical wellness for all active duty and veteran women.

~ Dawn

New Beginnings!

All good things must come to an end...or at least a new beginning!

So it goes for Gypsy Soiree.  

After four wonderful events, I've decided it's time to pass the torch, and have given it all to a guest who was interested in continuing the party at her home. She drove away from here with two vehicles packed full of supplies...tent, lights, fabric, decor, candles, chairs...right down to the zip ties I so famously held so much of it all together with!

Dawn is planning the next Gypsy Soiree for September 29, 2018 at her home near Elk River (a little bit closer to the cities for those attending).  She's taken over the Gypsy Soiree Facebook page, so follow it there for frequent updates (I'm not sure if I can give her access to update this blog or not, but I'll post her info here too for those who aren't on Facebook). 

I'm so excited for this to continue and am delighted with Dawn's enthusiasm for the project. It's going to be great, and so fun to see another's twist on her own party.

So Close!!

We are getting SO close to this magical event...almost my every waking moment is consumed with thoughts, ideas, or projects related to it (and I love it)!

There are a few things you should be aware of if you're planning to attend:

1) This event is a fundraiser...while we usually ask for physical donations for a homeless shelter, this year it's slightly different. We're supporting Open Doors for Youth (a drop-in resource center for homeless young adults in the area) and currently their biggest need is financial, so rather than spending money on donated goods, bring some cash or a check made out to Open Doors for Youth. I'll have tax deduction forms available for you. There is a short list of items they do need if you'd rather donate goods, the list is HERE.

2) Please bring either an appetizer or dessert, and it doesn't have to be a huge amount! Think outside the deli veggie tray and bring something yummy to share. We supply beverages, plates, etc.

3) This is not a baby/kid-friendly event, there are lots of breakables and open candles and not really anything for kids to do. I'd say if they're 10+, well behaved and able to keep occupied without being bored, that's ok (photos you  may see of babies/toddlers at the previous parties are my granddaughters...they come, have some photos taken and then dad takes them home!). This is a night for you to get away and "be someplace different." 

4) We'll have massage, henna, jewelry and hair/makeup booths where you can be pampered a little or treat yourself to a cool new bangle, or become a little more "gypsy-fied" for the evening. And we have live entertainment...Dance Caravan is coming again and we have some live music too! And perhaps a cool surprise or two...

5) Our next-door neighbors have graciously offered their long driveway for parking, so park where you can. There is some space available in the front part of our yard by the road too.

There are driving directions HERE. We're five miles straight west of Zimmerman, so plan your travel time accordingly. You can arrive any time after 5pm.

6) You can camp overnight if you want to! We have plenty of room for tents in the back meadow area, or bring an air mattress and sleep in the house. Some ladies do spend the night, and we have a fun, relaxing gypsy breakfast in the morning (they bring breakfast foods to share also). It's actually one of the things I really look forward to!

7) Bring your sense of fun, adventure, and prepare for a magical, relaxing evening! Wear your finest gypsy attire too!

See you soon!

As I count down to the final three weeks until Gypsy Soiree IV, and get things firmed up, I'm very happy to announce that Carollyn from Butterfly's Massage (Cambridge, MN) will be providing chair massages at Gypsy Soirée!

We also have a professional henna artist, Greta, coming from Hopkins!

And Dawn will be here with her amazing jewelry, and Dance Caravan is providing entertainment...

The weather forecast is still looking fantastic too!

Ladies...feel free to bring your friends to the magic, it's going to be a great night!

It's time!

Last year we didn't do a Gypsy Soiree, it was just too much.

But now...I think it's time to do it again.

The date is set for Saturday, September 9, 2017.

If you haven't been before...take a minute to look through the photos from past events.

Get ready ladies, mark your calendar and invite your friends! I feel like everyone needs to come to a truly magical party at least once in their life.  

Here's a link to our Facebook page also.  Share away!

And so far, that's all I know! The ideas are swirling, and it'll be a slightly different type of party. I'm thinking more of a Groovy/Hippy/Free Spirit/Sisterhood vibe. The full moon is September 6, so we should have plenty of moonlight.

I want to come up with a new cause to support (I'm leaning towards something to do with the fight against sex trafficking, but I'm not sure how that'll work). Ideas are welcome!

This fabulous artwork above is from a group I belong to on Facebook. I asked the artist if I could use it for this event...she said YES!! It's got the feel I want for this event, so thank you Kat Harvey Fedora!

Details...it's coming up quickly!

Gypsy Soiree is more than just a magical night out. 

It's all about giving less-fortunate people a hand UP...a bit of hope...some good fortune.

This idea started three years ago when Taylor and I attended a gypsy-themed party and thought it was such a fun idea we wanted to have our own.  As the planning began, we thought "ok, well why don't we do something with this party?"  

Since gypsies of lore are typically homeless, and we had a connection to someone who works with homeless people in the metro area, we decided to make it into a charity event.

The "vendors" at Gypsy Soiree donate their time and talents (reiki, massage, henna, fire dancing, photographer, etc).  Gypsy guests participate in their booths by giving a monetary donation, which goes to  Project Elf Minneapolis.  

Guests are also asked to bring a physical donation for Project Elf (here's a list of Donation Ideas with a link to a printable list at the bottom of the page, and yes, gently-used clothing in all sizes is fine as long as it's something you would want to receive. Please, no out-of-style clothes with rips, stains, etc.).  

Guests also bring either a dessert or appetizer (be creative and go beyond the deli's veggie tray!) to share.  We provide beverages and all the details for the magic to happen.

New this year will be a hair and makeup area where you can get a little more "gypsified" should you choose, and a small marketplace with unique items you might want to purchase for yourself. 

If you haven't been to one of the first two Gypsy Soirees, be sure to check out the photos from last year.  

This year we're starting a little earlier at 5 pm, so you have more time in the daylight to participate in the booths, poke around and discover all the creative details before it gets dark and the magic lights up the night.

85 Days!

Wow, today I did a little work towards Gypsy Soiree III (yes...#3 already!) and realized that it's only 85 days away!

I updated the Donation Ideas page with ideas for your donations, and there's a link at the bottom where you can print the list out to carry with you.  

Garage sales are an EXCELLENT way to stretch your donation dollars.  Be sure to look through the "free" boxes people put out too, because I've found some fabulous items in them.  Often times there will be small toys or free baby clothes that might just need washed.  

It looks like we might have LIVE music this year, and that'll be fun.  I have a few other grand ideas in mind that I'm working on, of course I can't spill all the beans.

If you want to bring friends along, maybe let them know about it now so they can put it on their calendar.  It'll be a little later this year because Labor Day falls later, so mark your calendars for Saturday, September 12.

See you soon!

Time to plan!

Well, it's time to start planning for 

Gypsy Soiree III!

Mark you calendars for Saturday, September 12, 2015.  I think we'll start a little earlier in the day so you can enjoy the party details a little bit longer before it gets dark (if you choose to).  

Although...once it is dark, the magic begins and that's my favorite time!

Invite your friends and add them to the Facebook list.  Last year we had about 70 women here, double what we had for Gypsy Soiree I.

We're just beginning the planning stage, so if you have suggestions, leave a comment or two or email me.

Photos!

Special thanks goes to Carrie Bayless of C.Bayless Photography of Zimmerman, MN for the professional photos of Gypsy Soiree II.

I posted photos on a separate page, click here or on the Photos link above to see them.

Mark your calendars, next year's Gypsy Soiree III will be held Saturday, September 12, 2015.

Getting there - Wrap-up 2014

Today I started sorting through the bags and organizing things just a bit.  I have not touched the clothing yet, so this is just the "other" stuff that was donated (and I may still find some other stuff in the clothing bags).

I'm amazed, truly amazed.  You guys are AWESOME!  I cannot imagine being a person who needs this stuff so much, and to just "magically" have it appear for me.  Your generosity overwhelms me.

Besides all the stuff on the list, there are also TWO "Birthday Party In a Bag" gift bags, complete with a cake mix, frosting, candles, paper plates, snacks, a puzzle AND a birthday gift...one for a boy and one for a girl.

Click here to see a list of what I've logged so far.
Gypsy Donations!

What an amazing night!

Does it get any cuter than this??

Or more fun than this??

We had such a great turnout, I tried counting a few times, and I'm pretty sure there were at least 70 women here throughout the night.  

We ate great food, drank a little wine, danced a bit, were entertained by fabulous fire dancing, and enjoyed the camaraderie of women.

Oh, and of course, gathered donations for the homeless shelter!

My plan, over the next few days, is to sort through and organize the donations and make a list of what all is there, just for curiosity sake.  The area under the table was packed with bags and bags of things too!  

You Gypsies ROCK!  

It takes about 3 days of work to set up the party, and at that point I'm thinking "do I really want to do this again next year?"  Then the party hits, and yeah, I want to! This year I had some amazing help tearing down too, which helped tremendously.  Instead of it taking me a week to pick at taking down, it was all pretty much done and packed away in one day.  Such a huge, huge, huge help.

There are a lot of photos on Facebook already, and I'm expecting more over the next few days.  If you search for the hashtag #gypsysoiree2 you should be able to see everyone's photos.  I'll add more photos here too, for those not on Facebook.

Thanks to everyone who participated, including our professional photographer Carrie Bayless, the performers from Insphyre Performance, Connie Crocker for teaching us all how to belly dance, our massage therapists Carol Etzel and Sara Peterson and Reiki master Karlene Plante.  It just wouldn't be the same without you guys helping!

And how cool is it to have this fabulous new Vardo just for my Gypsy Soirees! I don't know of anyone else who gets to have their own Vardo in the back yard (aka "Grandma's Playhouse")!

Every Good Deed Brightens a Dark World!

Every good deed....every single one helps to brighten this world that at some times can be overwhelmingly dark.  

Last year we had so many items donated that we overflowed a 10-foot conference table stacked with goods, and this year I'm so excited to see what you'll all do!  

If  you're still wondering what to bring for your donation to the homeless shelter, click on this link Donation List for ideas.  

And yes, you can also clean out your closets and bring clean, gently used clothing, in all sizes (larger women's are greatly appreciated), but please make sure you're bringing your BEST...no one wants to wear ripped or stained clothing).  If you wouldn't wear it, don't bring it!

Homelessness can happen to any of us, at any time.  Take a minute and watch this video.

Excited??

I love running into people who are planning to attend this year's Gypsy Soiree II and hearing how excited they are for it, especially if they came last year and have a clue what to expect again. And those who have just seen photos of last year's event...expect it to be a  magical evening!

There are a few things to keep in mind.

Please remember to bring:  

• An appetizer or dessert - we'll supply drinks
• Your donation for the homeless shelter (click here DONATIONS for ideas) and 
• Some cash if you want to participate in the massage, reiki or henna booths (no set fee, just your donation amount).
• INSPHYRE PERFORMANCE will be here giving us fabulous fire dancing entertainment.  They've charged us a small fee, so donations will first go towards covering party expenses. However, it's a whole lot less than what they normally charge and they're mostly donating their time and talent to help support the cause, so there will be a "tip bucket" out for them also.

If you're planning to camp, come early to set up your tent/camper. The party "officially" starts at 6pm, but you can arrive any time after 4:00 to set up.  You might want to bring something extra to share for breakfast too, last year we all just gathered at the tables outside in the morning and sat there waking up, enjoying breakfast, coffee and conversation for a while.

If you're driving from the Twin Cities, expect about an hour drive to get here from downtown.  If you're mapping our address, it's 16717 261st  Ave., Big Lake, MN. The easiest directions from the cities would be to take 94 West to Rogers, take the Hwy 101 towards Elk River exit (heads north).  Stay on 101, which magically changes into Hwy 169.  Just stay on it all the way through Elk River (about 8 miles north of Rogers).  Keep going to Zimmerman (another 8-9 miles).  You'll come to the one stop light in Zimmerman where you will turn left (Co. Rd. 4/Fremont Ave/261st Ave. - yeah, you're in the country!).  Continue on that road for 5 miles, you will see a sign for Jct. Co. Rd. 15 (DO NOT TURN but slow down!).  Our house is right past that (3rd driveway) and there will be Gypsy Flags on the mailbox.  Park where you can.

Carpooling is encouraged!

I'm constantly checking the weather forecast at this point (rain is not allowed!), and it looks like it might be chilly, so dress accordingly.

It looks like we're doubling last year's attendance, and that's fabulous!  

Vardo!!

Not sure what a vardo is?  It's a wagon that gypsies live and travel in.  Usually highly decorated and beautiful.

After last year's party, we joked around that I needed a vardo for this year's event (and a camel...but that's not happening!).  Joke's on me, cause now I actually have one!!

My husband spotted an old tobacco wagon on an online auction this winter, and we got it.  He spent the entire month of July (5 weeks actually) reworking the wagon base and building my very own vardo (also known here as "Grandma's Playhouse" by my 2-year-old granddaughter!).  It was a huge learning curve, literally, as he created the curved wooden roof and really just built the thing with no official plans other than "hey...it would look cool if you did this..."  He did a fabulous job too.

I've been spending a good majority of the last week painting the entire thing, and should be done with the painting by this weekend.  Then I get to start unpacking my gypsy decorations and go to town making it even more beautiful.  It's gonna be a great spot to have your gypsy portrait done by Carrie too!

I'm not posting pictures of it until after the party, so if you wanna see it, come in person!

This event is sorta like planning a wedding, it preoccupies my thoughts all summer.  I just sorta dream about it all winter, but once June hits I go full-tilt into scheming mode and usually spend at least an hour or two a day working on something having to do with it.  

But I don't know what could top a vardo for next year!!

Don't be shy!

I just tagged pretty much every one invited on Facebook, hopefully so you would respond to the invitation with either a "yes, I'm IN" or a "no" (insert sad face here). There are a few components of the party where we really need an estimate of attendees (like drinks, and party favors).

Don't be shy about coming, and don't be shy about bringing a friend along if you need/want to!  Last year we had only one person show up in normal clothes, and she was promptly "gypsified!"  It's all about having a fun, magical evening just surrounded by wonderful women.  

You really WILL be glad you came!

If you're not sure what to wear, something as simple as a flowy skirt and top is good enough!  Pile on the jewelry too.  Want some inspiration?  My Gypsy Soiree Pinterest board has plenty of ideas. Just click here:  Gypsy Soiree  If you scroll down far enough you'll see photos of last year's party, and this year's will be bigger and better.

Hope to see you there, it's just four weeks away!

Professional Photographer

Carrie Bayless, a professional photographer from Zimmerman, will be joining the fun at Gypsy Soiree II too!  

I've had the pleasure of being around Carrie during several "Ladies on the Loose" events in Zimmerman, and asked her if she'd like to be part of our party.

You can check out her work here http://cbaylessphotography.com/blog/  and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cbaylessphotography/info.

Be sure to bring plenty of smiles with you that night!

Get your hips loosened up...

Because Connie's coming back this year to help us learn (or just have fun being silly) belly dancing!

And if your attire isn't "Gypsy" enough, she brings PLENTY more embellishments to share!

Just look at those faces!

This is why we support Project Elf and the shelters...just take a look at the happiness YOU help create!

This is the fabulous Mickey Mikeworth and some of the mothers Project Elf has helped!

Click on this link to read more of this precious story Project-Elf---Seven Months Later

Pushing the Envelope!

So Taylor has worked her magic and secured a magnificent GROUP of fire dancers for this year's Soiree!!  Can you believe it?!  Yes, a group of dancers!

Insphyre Performance has agreed to come and perform for us, and said "I don't know who you had last year but I guarantee we will push the envelope!"

Ho-ly smokes!  Because they're very generously donating their time and talent, we will have a tip bucket out if you feel so inclined, and I'm thinking everyone will be so inclined.

Are you getting excited...'cause I can hardly wait!

Oh, and go "like" 'em on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/InsphyrePerformance

Just in case you weren't part of Gypsy Soiree last year, and you're wondering how much fun it was, here are a few comments I received after the party:

"What a spectacular event!!!!!!! I am in awe of your wonderful talents for decorating and your unbelievable hospitality. That was the most unusual , beautiful event I have ever attended. I was showing the photos to my mother and she said you should charge people to come. The belly dancing was incredible. the fire dancer was crazy cool. Thank you so much for including me." Laurie S.

"THAT was beyond compare!"  Connie C.

"Better than any Hollywood party!"  

If you're thinking about coming, but don't really know anyone who is attending, bring a friend along (although you'll make new friends too)!