Why?

Sometimes people ask me why..."why do you have a Gypsy Soiree to help support others, especially people you don't even know and will probably never even meet?"

My best answer is..."because I can!"

I believe in being generous, in any way possible, as often as possible (it's the best way to live!). I have the space, I have the ideas, I have the ability and desire, I have the creativity, and I have the "stuff" to create it, so why not?

I also want to create a magical night because, let's face it, how often in your lifetime do you get to go to a truly magical event, one that you'll remember for years, especially an event that "does some good" at the same time? It's that cool!

But I don't do it alone!! No way, that's not possible. The people who come and help create Gypsy Soiree donate their time and talents too (our photographer, massage therapist, reiki master, belly dancers, henna, hair & makeup, setup and takedown, etc.). 

They want to be part of the magic too (often, people just need to be asked to share their gifts), and I appreciate each and every one of them. 

There are so many reasons TO have Gypsy Soiree, I hope you'll join us!

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.

Fire!!!

If you were at the first Gypsy Soiree, you'll remember our FABULOUS fire dancer, Scarlette Revolver.  

Well...she's returning this year and I couldn't be more excited!

She did an incredible job entertaining us.  Fire dancing will start when it gets dark, usually around 7:30-8:00.

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")!

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!  

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!

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