My weekend as a socialite

I'm not one of those fancy people you might see in the society pages, looking elegant at a charity fundraiser. 

But this weekend, it sure felt that way.

Friday, I spent the evening at a fashion show fundraiser for the United Way. It was at a hotel called Blu.

The drinks were blue.

The lighting was also blue.

I enjoyed mingling with the other strangely-colored but friendly women. I enjoyed seeing fashionable clothes. The '80s revival continues, and it is marching forward into the early '90s. Ripped jeans are back.

If I remember my fashion history, that means that flannel shirts and Doc Martens are just around the corner. I can hardly wait.

I'm grateful to be part of United Way's WINGs (Women Investing in the Next Generation). It was exciting to be in a room full of successfully, community-minded women. It was inspiring to see the accomplishments of the projects we funded this year, which are making an impact for low-income families and immigrant women in the Twin Cities.

And, it was fun to dress up, enjoy a girls' night out, and connect with work friends outside of the office setting.

On Saturday, we drove to Eau Claire to attend the University of Wisconsin's fundraiser/event/grownup prom, Viennese Ball.

For me, it was a good excuse to wear the sparkly, twirly, too-fancy-for-work dress that I got from my Gwynnie Bee subscription. 

For Sam, it was a good excuse to wear more purple than usual, doing Prince proud.

We heard some excellent music: Classical piano, a capella singing, waltzes, jazz, polka. I was impressed with the talent and commitment of the student musicians. I was reminded how entertaining live music can be. I was inspired to sit back down at the piano and start learning some new Chopin and/or Debussy.

The evening was also about spending quality time with our friends.

And torte. Lovely, tasty torte.

Meanwhile, the spirited quartet of our kids stayed home and made the quiet young babysitter work hard for her money. 

All in all, it was a great weekend.

It feels good to be home, relaxing in jeans and no makeup, being non-fancy. If I were a true fashionista, the jeans would have holes in the knees.