Tuesday, March 3, 2020

THE MANDA STRONG GALA 💜

HOLY COW, y'all.  The Inaugural Manda Strong Gala was such a huge success!!  It raised over $133,000 for mamas fighting cancer here in Collin County and I still can't believe that number.  The foundation is growing exponentially and with all these donations I can't wait to see how many hurting families are going to be blessed by it.  This foundation is about providing whatever they can to help these brave moms make lasting memories with their kids.  Each case is unique and special so that can come in the form of so many things--trips, special photos, something at home the whole family can enjoy...it's just all about passing on what Manda wanted most for this foundation.  She wanted these moms to get to make lasting, cherished memories with their kids in the midst of all the darkness.

Eight of my girlfriends were on this committee and worked their magic for this event and it went off without a hitch!  I'm so proud of them and all their hard work. They actually sold out of tickets before the event even went on sale to the public so this will be so much bigger next year, I'm sure. But everything was so perfect.  The space was so neat, the band was awesome, and the food was incredible (still wish I could have licked my plate without judgment b/c I totally would have 😉). 

Craig was out of town for a football camp on Friday so unfortunately, he couldn't come.  Not that galas are really his thing so he wasn't terribly upset.  haha  (Although this was not a formal gala with ballgowns and tuxes, thank goodness.  Cocktail attire was much more everyone's speed so good call on that.)  Since I was dateless, I asked Dani to come with me and as bummed as I was that he couldn't make it, I was so glad Dani was there!




The photo booth was so much fun! I just wish I'd used it more!  Megan (below in the star glasses) was the head of the committee and I was so glad she got to dance the night away with no stress!!  She worked so hard on this and Sunday at church she said she's already started thinking about next year's venue!

  

My phone was at 12% when I arrived at the gala because I stupidly forgot to charge it beforehand.  #rookiemistake  So I don't have a ton of pictures and you've probably seen all these already if you follow me on social media.  But look at those pretty girlies with me!  (And our friend's photobomb!)


Love these girls too! And I clearly missed the sparkles memo! #dang


This was my first time ever wearing a jumpsuit and I absolutely loved it!  (Except for when I needed a potty break...there's just no good way to handle that in a jumpsuit. 😂😂😂).

Sidenote: Waiting in line for the bathroom was full of the best conversations on how everyone had themselves taped in or taped up in order to make their dresses work without a real bra.  🤣 Everyone had something different going on and it cracked me up.

You can find my jumpsuit HERE in a bunch of pretty colors but I also found it HERE in cobalt blue for 67% off, and HERE in navy blue pinstripe for 70%!  (I just ordered the pinstripe one too!  It would be such a cute option for a wedding!)  

These run a little big so I sized down to a 2 in this.  I also added a little gold belt (HERE) to dress it up a little more.

And if you saw my Instastories on Friday then you also saw where I was a little nervous about the competency of Drybar when it came to my blowout and the pretty easy looking style I wanted them to do.  But I was going to give it a shot!  How bad could it be, right?

Here's what I wanted.

https://scstylecaster.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/half-up-half-down-wedding-hairstyles.jpg?w=390&h=600


Basic waves and a braid.  Should be easy enough for a salon that only does blowouts, basic wives and braids, right?  Y'all.  I sat in that seat for an hour and a half while this guy worked on my hair so slowly and painstakingly that I thought I was going to scream.  Bless his heart, he was so nice but I could tell just by how slow he was moving that he was unsure of what he was doing.  I kind of felt lik he was right out of beauty school or something.  My appointment was at 4 so when it was 5:35 and I was still sitting there with him re-working one side of my braid for the 4th time I finally told him (very sweetly) I had to go and to just keep it all down.

And then they still charged me for the "updo" I had originally requested because of the time it took. (They counted the braid as an "updo".) I get that it took extra time but I would have been there ALL NIGHT (and still not been happy) had I not stopped him and said to just leave it down.  He couldn't do it. So why was that my fault?  Sigh.  I had no time at all to complain or argue or anything because I was already so so late.  But I wasn't happy with my too curly curls and I didn't have time to start over once I got home.  Brushing them out wasn't an option either because it would have just created a massive amount of frizz. I only had about 20 minutes to wash my face, apply my makeup and get dressed before I had to be out the door.  Sorry, Drybar.  I'll never be back.

First world problems at it's finest, friends. I know. 😉

But seriously, this was such a fun night. I can't imagine it turning out any better than it did!

I know without a shadow of a doubt that Manda would be so incredibly proud of this foundation and the people that's its helping.  At one point during the night, all of us girls were on the dance floor getting our mom dancin' on and the band started playing "Shut Up and Dance With Me" (always a crowd-pleaser).  Everyone was singing along and having the best time and I looked up and saw Manda's parents standing at the railing on the balcony looking down on us, swaying to the music and smiling so big.  It was literally my favorite moment of the night.

Thank you again to all of you who donated to this cause!  And if you were the one who ended up winning my silent auction bundle from my Etsy shop, thank you for bidding and I hope you love your goodies!



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6 comments

  1. I am so glad I am not the only one who had a bad experience at Dry bar!

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  2. Anonymous3:03 PM

    You sparkled, girl- you didn't need to be wearing a sequined dress :). Seriously, I loved your jumpsuit. I just may have to get the same one.

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  3. Anonymous4:39 PM

    Your outfit is great! Looked more appropriate IMO. Wasn't loving the sequined 1997 dresses but I tend to lean towards simplicity.
    Dee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Dee!! I did love all the fun sequins though, I have to say! But I'm a sucker for sparkles of any kind! ;)

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