Summer Style Swap with ACP
Cheers to another successful Style Swap! Due to a high demand to have more Style Swap clothing swaps, we decided to add in a Summer Swap to our existing yearly Spring and Fall Swaps. The venue could not have been more perfect! Hotel Indigo is a little piece of paradise in Newton, Ma if you didn’t know. I had been there before but when the event coordinator agreed to hold the swap poolside in the outdoor space and in the indoor space I was so excited! I had previously worked with an awesome charity, Accelerated Cure Project for MS, and I knew this event would be a great fundraiser and awareness builder for them. The ladies I have met through ACP are amazing, tons of fun and definitely appreciate the opportunity to get glammed up and get together with fellow females; I knew immediately I wanted them involved and their hard work acknowledged.
Thus begins the plan…perhaps I should say pipe dream…of planning an outdoor event in New England! And wouldn’t you know it the day of the day of the event, June 6th, fore-casted scattered showers. The day began sunny so we were optimistic. Arriving at Hotel Indigo is amazing at first site, from the modern decor to the hip and happening Bokx 109 restaurant, and then outside to the did-I-just-arrive-in-Miami? pool, cabanas and fire pits. Set up began immediately, the amazing vendors began arriving and decorating their spaces… and sure enough it starts pouring! Mad dash for everyone to grab the inventory, bring it indoors for protection and run for cover! And now with only 45 minutes until swappers were set to arrive, it was onto plan B- set up the vendor tables in the lobby. Everyone involved worked together as if we had known one another forever, it was really great to see everyone willing to help each other out. Brigitte, the event coordinator for Hotel Indigo, was calm as can be and immediately began rearranging furniture and replacing tables to accommodate everyone. I have to admit, I did do my share of pouting. A little bit too much, in fact! I was really upset that my vision of ladies networking and mingling by the fire, the photographer taking amazing pictures by the pool at sunset before the Swap Boutique opened, was crushed. But I was quickly reassured with the way Plan B came together so smoothly with everyone pitching in to help. We truly did have a great bunch of folks there before the swappers even arrived so I knew it could only get better from there!
…And it did! I was so excited to see as many familiar faces as knew ones, and the vendor shopping portion of the event was irresistable. We had almost all of the bases covered, with great product assortments from Mark, Thirty One Gifts, CAbi, and Premiere Designs Jewelry. Then the boutiques that literally set up mini table versions of their stores were packed with goodies- Fetysh Shoes and Accessories, The Blues Jean Bar from Newbury St and Mono Mono boutique. Drinks and appetizers were flowing and the raffle winners were chosen, winning great gifts from Stella & Dot, Arbonne, Rock Reunion, Reflections By Christen, Blues Jean Bar, Fetysh, Alex & Ani, Antons Cleaners and Tila Travel.
Now for the big event! VIP swappers were allowed in, then shortly after the rest of the swappers flooded the Swap Boutique, which was set up indoors in a private room. We had a ridiculous layout of goodies! Mrs Massachusetts especially had come with tons of boxes filled with shoes and Ann Taylor goodies, many with the tags still attached! My swap team was amazing as always, keeping the event organized, calm and fun. Women, who previously wouldn’t have ever known each other, were swapping fashion advice, helping others find their sizes and even sharing their amount of swappables so a fellow swapper could take more goodies! THIS is exactly what I wanted to happen- the venue, charity, vendors, crowd, everything came together perfectly!
If you havent swapped with us yet, I promise you are missing out and you’ve got to make it out to the next swap!… ok maybe this blog could be a little biased as I am the Style Swap originator! So dont take it from me, take it from fellow bloggers who also covered the event:
See more pictures from the Summer Style Swap by clicking below:
Pictures from Reflections by Christen, the events official photographer
Pictures and video from Style It Up, the events official videographer