If you've been wonderding where I've disappeared to in the last week (there have been sightings of tumbleweed on my Facebook page and Blog), it's because I have been otherwise occupied by a very exciting project...
For the past number of months, I had the privilege of being involved in organising High Heels & Handbags - a unique fashion fundraiser which took place last Saturday at the Dunraven Arms Hotel, Adare, Co. Limerick. The whole event was so exciting, that I have decided to dedicate a blog post especially to it, so you could share the experience too!
The story behind High Heels & Handbags...
High Heels & Handbags is the brainchild of Elaine Cronin - owner of Serendipity Shoe Boutique in Adare, Co. Limerick. Elaine was looking to host an exciting, never-before-seen event that would: (a) showcase her fabulous footwear and accessories, (b) delight her customers, and (c) raise much-needed funds for a very important local charity, TLC4CF.
With this brief in mind, Elaine assembled a SWAT team of organisers around her, including Fun Ireland Event Management, the Dunraven Arms Hotel and Style By Caroline, who then set about of creating a fashion experience that would be talked of for years to come.
Now we know how Willy Wonka must have felt...
From the moment that Elaine unveiled High Heels & Handbags, we knew that we were onto a winner. Word of the event spread like wildfire , so much so that the 120 tickets sold out within a few short weeks on going on sale. Local media, national media and Tv3 picked up on the buzz surrounding the event, resulting in a veritable stampede of telephone calls, emails and letters from women looking to attend this coveted affair. Indeed, so great was the demand that we ended up with a cancellation list of hundreds!
The Day Itself...
At 1.30 pm sharp, our guests began to arrive. Dressed in the most beautiful outfits, it was clear that they were all set for an afternoon of fun and glamour! Having presented their golden tickets, they were welcomed into the fabulous Dunraven Arms Hotel foyer and treated to a glass of pink champagne. The atmosphere was electric! Finally, at 2.15pm, the doors to the function room were opened, to a collective gasp of amazement. The room, which was exquisitely decorated by Fun Ireland, was quite literally breathtaking!
Having eventually collected themselves enough to take to their seats, our delighted ladies were introduced to our host with the most, Mr. Richard Lynch (pictured below avec moi). With equal measures of wit, enthusiasm and flattery, charismatic Richard immediately charmed our guests, leaving them in no doubt that they had a treat of an afternoon ahead!
With everyone in fine form, it was time to get the show on the road. Part 1 of our fashion show commenced with our "Casual" looks - Day at the Beach, Shop 'til you Drop and Lunch with the Girls. As our models sashayed gleefully through the room, Richard talked our guests through each look whilst DJ Gordon Hayes pumped out uptempo beats.
With part 1 coming to a close, Richard then introduced me to the floor to do a style talk! Rather than do a rehearsed speech, I decided instead to let the audience set the agenda. Immediately I received a question from a lady asking me "how to make legs look longer and sexier?"! As regular readers of this blog know, this is a subject oft-discussed, so I got great mileage out of it! When I finally surrendered the microphone, it was time for afternoon tea.
Cue trays of melt-in-your-mouth scones, sumptuous sandwiches and decadent desserts. Although the food looked too good to eat, thankfully we didnt let aesthetics hamper our appetites. (Why is it that miniature food tastes so much nicer than full-scale food?)
With our appetites sated, Caroline Heffernan, Patient Advocate Officer with the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland, took to the floor and delivered an excellent testimony on the experience of Cystic Fibrosis patients in Ireland, as well as the great work being done by CFAI. Then, Liam O'Kelly from TLC4CF delivered an empowering speech on the great work being done by his organisation for CF sufferers in the Mid West. Following these two inspiring speeches, our 120 guests were invited to put an anonymous donation in the envelopes provided at their tables (more on that later).
Following the speeches, it was time to resume the fashion show and our 6 models (including Caroline Heffernan from CFAI) took to the floor for our "Glamorous" themes, including; Wedding Belles, Night on the Town and Day at the Races. Wearing beautiful dresses from C. O'Donnell's Boutique in Limerick City, our models sported a covetable selection of footwear, fascinators, jewellery and umbrellas available from Serendipity Shoe Boutique.
Just as the fashion show was drawing to a close, our star guest of the afternoon made her grand entrance - to shrieks and whoops of surprise from our audience. it was none other than Heidi Hot Lips, reigning alternative Miss Limerick! Heidi modelled the Fifi Belle range of footwear available at Serendipity Shoe Boutique, which goes up to a size 13.
Once Heidi left the room, and the excited chatter died down, Richard announced our grand prize draw. Remember the 'secret envelopes' I mentioned earlier, well each envelope was put into a large silver bowl and 12 winners were drawn, to share in a prize pot worth over €5,000! Nobody went home empty handed though, as Serendipity Shoe Boutique kindly donated €20 Gift Cards to everyone in the audience.
At this stage, it was time to draw the show to a close. So Heidi Hot Lips and her troop of dancers to took to the stage again and did a remarkably good impression of Britney Spears' and Lady Gaga's more famous dance routines! At one stage even Richard joined in, which well and truly got the crowd on their feet!
All that was left at this stage was for Elaine Cronin, owner of Serendipity Shoe Boutique to take to the stage. As Elaine entered the room, all 120 ladies present gave her a standing ovation as a show of appreciation for all her hard work. Elaine duly thanked everyone involved in the event (see list below) and gave an emotional tribute to all her customers who have helped to make Serendipity the success that it is today.
As the clock struck 5, it was time to wrap up the event. It is said that all good things must come to an end, but Elaine made sure that this ending was especially good as she gave everyone a deluxe goodie bag upon leaving! With that, the 120 women reconvened at Serendipity Shoe Boutique for a spot of retail therapy. Not a bad conclusion to the evening eh!
Amount Raised...
In the midst of all the fashion fun, our fabulous guests didn't forget to put their hands in their pockets and donate to TLC4CF. We are delighted to announce that High Heels and Handbags raised €5,000 with every single cent going to the charity!
Photographs & Video...
I haven't had a chance yet to go through all the photos but as soon as I do I will be sure to post them to my Gallery. Video coming soon also!
High Heels & Handbags 2...
If you missed out on High Heels and Handbags, I'm pleased to reveal that High Heels & Handbags 2 will take place in October 2010! Updates regarding the date, tickets etc. will be revealed exclusively here on the Style By Caroline Blog. Click here to subscribe via RSS.
Roll Call of Thank Yous...
Not Forgetting Our Kind Sponsors...
If you see that I've missed any names, please be sure to mention them in the comment box below!
Regardless of whether you own 1 or 10 or 100 pairs of shoes, I strongly recommend that you store your footwear carefully i.e. in a cool, dry place and protected from dust. If you're very good, you should stuff them with newspaper to preserve their shape, and clean them after every wear (following the manufacturers instructions re. leather, suede, patent etc.) so that they are ready for their next outing.
The above shoe-boots are also available in black and grey from Dunnes. They are flying off the shelves so get there asap if you want to bag yourself a pair.