Wine to Water 2011

A few days can give you perspective on something that is so wildly magical and blessed. I'm happy I chose to give it a few days before I blogged about the event.

That's what it was, Saturday night. Magical and blessed. I posted more about the details last year and most of them were the same.

Set up this time took considerably less time because the people helping were the same people from last year (and some even helped 2 years ago). We were like a well oiled machine, we were. So Saturday morning just brought my parents, Leslie and Zach with me to the space where we did a few finishing touches.

Saturday afternoon brought basketball games for the boys and my now official good friend to camp. Captain Murdock came whilst my bestie Chrissy had curlers in my hair and was probably straddling me applying make up. When you unleash these stay-at-home mamas on a night like this one there's no telling what will happen with hair and make up. Also, there may or may not have been some very dirty music playing at the time too, we do enjoy a pre-party pump up around here.

The Captain and her amazing friends came with us to help with last minute details at the space before opening time. Captain is even better than her blog persona. She's beautiful, tiny, smart, loving, a great friend and really funny. As my "fine art liaison" she was terrific with Excel and invaluable as someone who handled the many questions when the auction was closed. One of my favorite parts of the night was having her there, and I'm not just saying that because she drove 6 hours and had to sleep on a bunk bed with my large dogs scaring her friends. Captain had more to say about the event here. Also, she was the photographer. Can you believe I didn't bring my camera? Completely forgot.

The event isn't all glamour, however, just a half hour before showtime the elevator was still only working with my top secret key fob. This picture was taken just before my 10 minute lecture conversation to the elevator man in which I basically said, "You promised me a working elevator, make it happen within the next 30 minutes or I swear to you I will unleash a plague of locusts (or just my cop friend who packs heat wherever he goes)." Here with my sister, Kara and Chrissy.

One of my favorite parts of the space, right when you walk in. Choose your favorite wine glass.

Lots of Christmas trees. Reminds people about the spirit of Christmas. We have always been and will always be about trading consumerism for compassion at Christmas.

And lit up wine glasses? Perfect fit for the event.

Leslie had such a great idea here. The "Just add water table". We sold hot chocolate "sip", bath salts "soak" and soup, um..."soup". We also sold local wine (with money going to water). Are you in love with the custom labels on the wine? Thanks to my friend, Angie, they turned out beautifully.

Speaking of Leslie...that sister of mine is magic. She worked so hard on all of this. At one point in the night she divulged the small detail that she had been living on coffee the last few days. That's her way of telling me she had been thinking and dreaming and stressing about the event as much as I had been. I love her. I'm so, so thankful for her.

One of the other things Leslie took care of was organizing dessert makers. They were so delicious every. last. one of them.

One of the coolest parts of the night was how many people were asking when the presentation was going to be. This was the biggest indicator there were people there who hadn't heard about the water crisis before. (side note: this dress was beautiful in person but it didn't photograph well. But did I mention it had pockets! Loved the pockets!)

The music. First one up was a woman I met through my other sister-in-law, Kate. Katie was amazing. She was absolutely perfect for the venue. The second group up happened to be one man I'm so deeply in love with and the other is one of my good friends. They call themselves Moistly Cloudy. Don't ask. But Moistly was not just mostly amazing, they were simply spectacular.

Look at this space! Still the most beautiful spot in town.

Good friends came and supported. Can't express how good it feels to be lifted up on friends' shoulders when you're at your wits end. These two were some of the angels who did that for me.

After the night is mostly over, most people have left, it's a well kept secret that we have an "after party". Captain Murdock captured it well on her blog post. Captain Murdock and myself at the after party.

Again I'm at a loss. So many people help with this event. It would be physically impossible without my parents. They bring a lot of the stuff we use, they physically move most of the stuff in and out of the space. They donate so much time and money to make it work. They love me, it's so obvious on nights like that one.

And Zachary, of course Zachary. Everyone knows behind every great woman is a greater man and that is no doubt true of my relationship with that half of Moistly Cloudy. He is a perfect partner, so grateful for him.

Saturday night was our most successful Wine to Water yet in terms of number of people who came (around 250), amount of feedback I've gotten afterwards (sheer volume of emails asking how to "give" water for Christmas has been crazy big) and potentially dollars raised once it's all said and done. That's the best part of this whole thing. Everything everyone did to make it successful means at least 2 wells being dug. Means more than 500 people given clean water who were once without.

Captain texted me earlier, "You should hurry up and blog about hte party. I've been wanting to but don't want to steal your blog thunder."

I responded, "Plan to do that today. Please feel free. Only thunder to steal is God's and I don't think he'll mind."

It's so true. Something like this can only be described as a "God thing". So many little things that made it what it was wouldn't have been possible without some major miracles.

Been riding on a cloud of thanksgiving for the last week. Can't see that lessening anytime soon. Thanks for all of your prayers, all of you who came and all of you helped. Thank you, thank you.