Giggle & Mingle 2010 SUCCESS!!
Upon awakening every morning, I have a routine that includes taking deep breaths, updating facebook, stretching, and counting my lucky stars… occasionally I check twitter too...all before getting out of bed.
The counting lucky stars part is so that no matter what the day holds for me, I will remember that I woke up being able to count the many positive elements in my life… because I have been blessed with that option, I have to find ways to pass it on to others. I am not sure where I get the crazy motivation to take on some of the challenges… like baking 300 cookies for a family day benefitting TFT...or asking all of my friends, family, clients, and strangers to not only help me bake those cookies, but to come eat, drink, be merry, AND bring me toys… but I tell you what… I KNOW I will forever wake-up counting lucky stars and being grateful for this little borrowed life of mine. I live everyday hoping to give as much back as I am getting from it.
For those of you who don’t know, last year I started Giggle & Mingle, which is a Toy Drive disguised as a party for anyone and everyone who wants to help Swann Soirées support the Toys for Tots Foundation, be it colleagues, clients, neighbors, friends, all of the above. For the cover charge of a new, unwrapped toy, you got cheap eats, good drinks (like the $1 Brenda’s, an exclusive cocktail only found at the PL Sports Grill & Pub), and the chance to hang out with not only awesome peeps, but with some pretty dapper men & women in uniform too. This year’s Giggle & Mingle was an absolute hit! We collected over 255 toys in ONE night! Good ones too! Nothing beats the thought of a kid opening up a big ol’ Buzz Lightyear action figure or a talking Storm Trooper mask on Christmas morning. Makes my heart melt! This year we had many of our clients join us… it brought tears to my heart seeing our newly-wed couples AND their bridal parties showing so much support with their presence (and presents!). Adding something nice to all the sugar & spice, is having a team of five, which means that many more beautiful faces to host everyone that came out! The Swann Squad (Megan, Sherry, Interns Ania & Jess) were absolutely essential to the success of the night. It was so incredible I am getting goose bumps typing it out…
The giggling was aplenty and the mingling was heavy… there’s was tons of fabulous door prizes too, among them dinner at The Pearl Hotel, gift cards to Target, iTunes, and Best Buy, music by Mike Thomas of Higher Level Sound, and the always-a-hit photobooth by After the Engagement. Special Shout-Out goes out to Victoria from Theory Weddings & Events for designing the Giggle & Mingle 2010 invite.
THANK YOU ALL so very much for coming out, donating toys, bringing your friends, and most of all for being my lucky stars.
Below is the uber fun highlights video put together by Luke McCain Videography. You can also visit the photobooth gallery and our on the scene coverage by BlueWave Photo.
much love to all of you!
xxo,
Brenda
TOYS FOR TOTS DRIVE + GIGGLE & MINGLE 2010!
It’s beginning to look a lot like…. TOYS FOR TOTS time!
As most of you already know, TFT is one of the Swann Squad’s favorite charities and your support does not go unnoticed! Last year we collected over 10 bins of toys, along with nearly TWO THOUSAND dollars of monetary donations for the cause. We feel so fortunate to be able to contribute in any way we can to the cause and we hope that every year we can raise more money, collect more toys, and help bring a little sumetin’ sumetin’ to the many children & families who rely on the program. We’ve already started the collections off fabulously by collaborating with Rev. Chris Tuttle, we collected three bins of toys at his recent event Mai Tai’s & Munchies.
Here are the details for our 2010 Season Efforts:
We will be collecting toys through December 20th at our recently opened Boutique at NTC Liberty Station. Please feel free to ship, mail, messenger, or drop-off your Toy or Check Donation (made out to TFT) anytime during the week at: 2690 Historic Decatur Rd. #209 San Diego, CA 92106- we’d love to see ya!
OR better yet.. JOIN US for Giggle & Mingle 2010!! Click here for the Facebook Event Page.
Click here for the Giggle & Mingle 2009 blog and here to see the album on our FB fan page.
A little feature we added to G & M 2010 is that along with some of San Diego’s favorite Wedding Coordinators, Swann Soirées will be holding a “Garage Sale” of DIY wedding items at during the party. All year long we’ve worked very closely with Brides who have gifted us “Wedding Left-overs” from their wedding: vases, centerpieces, linens, candles, baskets, candy jars, etc. etc. and we want to pass all the goodies on to you! But we won’t be “selling” the items, we will actually be TRADING them for TOYS! That’s right… see something you want? It’s yours… just leave a toy in it’s place, bartering with Toys! Fun!
Wohoo!! So what do you need to do to help us out? Send us a toy(s), come to Giggle & Mingle, We are asking that all Toys be of at least $10 value. There will be a photo booth, music, door prizes, and delish food & drink specials all evening! The event is open to everyone… brides, grooms, fellow pros, your mom, her neighbor, the guy down the street… everyone and anyone that believes in the cause.
So what do you say? Will we see you there??
xxo!
Swann Soirées 