April 2014 archive
Minneapolis Pop Up Sale
There’s something so exciting about a pop up sale-it’s a limited-time opportunity to score some shopping finds at great prices and support local businesses. Seven amazing local boutiques are teaming up for a pop up sale in the North Loop hosted at D.Nolo for four days only. The sale goes through Sunday but the earlier in the weekend you go the better the selection will be. Prices are 50-90 percent off, but plan ahead ’cause it’s cash only.
Know of an upcoming sale? Contact The Pink Paperdoll so I can share it with blog readers.
Feis Fashion
This past weekend I went to my first Irish dance competition, or feis (pronounced “fesh”), in six years. I used to be super into feising until college, when other priorities upstaged dance. The dancing definitely hasn’t come back to me easily after my hiatus, but admiring the feis fashions certainly did. After my dances wrapped up, I immediately swung by The Minneapolis Feis’s used dress racks to see what recenti-ish solo dress styles are like these days. Here are a few of my favorites. Many dresses, used or new, are much brighter and shinier than the ones here-I personally just tend to prefer simpler designs and more muted colors. From really fancy to simple and traditional, each dress is unique and beloved to the dancer who wears it.
Love the gold lace on black. This is one of the most stunning dresses I’ve ever seen.
This one would be appropriate for an older dancer. Simple but elegant with a striking color combo.
This one was sized for an itty bitty dancer. I’ve never seen a skirt like this-it takes pleats to a whole new level! Again, love the simplicity of this dress and the contrast of textures.
Have a favorite? Weigh in in the comments section!
Help Make Prom Dreams Come True
If you’ve read my about me section, you’ll know that I love raising awareness on causes I care about. I’ve been a volunteer for Ever After Gowns for the past four years and am still so honored to be part of this great organization. And guess what time of year it is? It’s prom season! I’ve put together a post on how you can get involved in helping prom dreams come true.
Minneapolis Volunteer Opportunity
What really sets this organization apart is that it’s entirely run by volunteers with no paid staff members. The biggest volunteer opportunity is at the annual boutique event taking place this weekend. Right now volunteers are needed for set up on April 11th for the following set up shifts: 12:30-2 at The Lock Up Storage in Bloomington, 3-6 at Richfield High School and 6-9 at Richfield High School. Interested volunteers should follow the instructions on the sign-up PDF. (You can ignore the listed deadline since shifts are still open.)
And if you’ve volunteered with an organization like this in the past, I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments section below or on Facebook.
Donate a Formal Dress
Maybe you read about the 40 hanger closet or are just doing some spring cleaning and you’ve realized how much space that beaded ballgown is taking up. Congratulations, making the decision to donate is the first step toward helping others and clearing your closet clutter! Donations can be brought to a number of locations around the metro area year round. The drop spots are local businesses who contribute their own space and time to be a convenient collection point for donations so make sure to give them a big thank you! Not from the Twin Cities? Donatemydress.org will connect you with another deserving organization in your area.
What to Donate
Dresses that are of current style (bought within the last 5 years) and in good shape make the best candidates for donation and underrepresented sizes (0-6 and 14+) are especially in demand. Shoes and jewelry are also really needed! Last year I volunteered in the shoe station during the boutique event and there was an astonishing demand for pretty, glitzy flats. Some of the young women Ever After Gowns serves either can’t wear heels for medical reasons or opt for a comfy dancing shoe (I can’t blame them. I love flats!).
If you know a student who could benefit from the organization’s services, Ever After Gowns takes referrals from the students’ school guidance counselors based on financial need. Boutique guests are treated like royalty and get lots of one-on-one personal shopping and styling. Now go take a look in your closet and see if you can make a difference!
Minneapolis Must-See: Macy’s Flower Show
Every spring, the downtown Minneapolis Macy’s partners with local floral giant Bachman’s to create a themed flower show that attracts thousands of visitors. And every spring, I think about going but never actually do. This was a milestone year, however, because my family happened to be hosting some out of town guests. Since they were from afar (Switzerland) it was a pretty good excuse to see some sights in the city that we don’t usually see.
This year’s Secret Garden theme lent itself nicely to little themed gardens within a garden. There was a little English garden, a German garden and a Japanese garden. The Pièce de résistance was a flower-bedecked sculpture of a women in a dress of red roses.
If you can’t make it to the show, here are some photos to give you a taste of Macy’s interpretation of the Secret Garden. It’s certainly an excursion to put you in the mood for spring, even though an April snowstorm is on its way.
If you go: The entire show takes place in one room on the sixth floor of the Macy’s building, accessible from Macy’s by escalator and elevator. The show continues through April 6 during store open hours. I was there on a Sunday right before closing and there was no wait, but a coworker of mine waited in line for 45 minutes to get in the day before. The lighting doesn’t lend itself well to taking pictures AT ALL, so bring a good camera and a lot of patience.
