The ReDress Fashion Show!

Where do I begin? 

Interestingly enough, I am finding it harder to write a blog about the fashion show than actually putting it on. Since I don't have the actual photos yet how about I start by painting you a mental picture...

It is a Saturday evening, already dark by 5 o'clock, and snowing. After making several trips back and forth to my car I am finally able to stay in the warmth of the building and shake off the snow that had accumulated on my head (if i had been moving slowly enough to get any that is). The show is being held in the sanctuary of a church that was generously lent to me by the pastors. My wonderful, supportive friends were there to help and we began setting up. 

Moving the chairs, decorating the stage, putting out the food, making coffee, finding the right music (oh golly the right music, if I could roll my eyes in print I would. That took about 45 minutes!)

As it got closer to starting time the models began arriving.

Putting brochures on all the chairs, don't forget the waters, setting the lights, figuring out the microphone, does my make-up look ok?

All but one model is here now as well as a couple of guests.

Put the dresses in the right order, do you know which ones are yours? I need an extra pair of shoes!

It is just about time to start. We waited for the last couple of guests to arrive. The snow is coming down pretty thick so we wait a little longer.

The Show began:

"Good evening everyone! Thank you for braving the weather and coming out to see the First ReDress Fashion Show!" 

Then I spoke about ReDress. What it is for, why I started it and what I want it to become.

In turn, each model came and showed the gown she wore with poise and grace (they were, each of them, perfectly lovely). There were 13 dresses on display that night, 7 bridal and 6 formal. All of them were described and the special features shown. Each dress is one that has been listed on the web page, save one that is very new. A friend took pictures for me.

After the dresses were shown I asked the guests to help me. I asked for feedback about the show. I asked for support in spreading the word about ReDress. I asked that they speak with their church leaders that maybe I could present ReDress to their congregation.

There were 7 adult guests who came to see this first show, all of them very supportive and helpful. It was an "invite only" event and I had originally planned on 50 or so guests but I am ok that there were not that many because even with the small crowd the purpose of the show was accomplished. I wanted to have a trial show; a practice run. I wanted to go through it to learn how to have a successful show. To learn what worked and what didn't, to have some experience under my belt so that the next time when everyone is invited and all of the chairs are full everything will be perfect. 

Here is what I learned:

1. I need to work on my public speaking... I need confidence and ease and a lot of practice. And I need to be able to say something appropriate during an unexpected pause. 
2. I need to make the runway longer so the models can really show the dresses from all sides and how the move.
3. I need to make sure there are no errors in the brochures I pass out.
4. The set up and design of  the space was great. The positioning of the seats and having the brochures and waters on all the chairs was good. The lighting was also good. The food set-up and the welcome table were great although I should have turned the welcome table sideways so it stuck out and was noticeable. All of the aesthetics were great.
5. My models were beautiful and showed the dresses very well. Their cues coming in were very well executed, however I need to have a practice for exit cues. Neither they nor I quite knew when it was time to exit the stage (although they did very well improvising!). Also, taking more time to pose is something I should try to work in.

This first show was very useful so I believe it was very successful. I believe the next show will be so much better because of the experience of this first one. A lot of work goes into putting on a runway show but now I know I can pull it off and I know how to make it better.

I could not have done any of this with out the help of my wonderful models: Lesley, Kimberly, Keila, Cynthia, Doris and Christine. I also could not have done it with out the help of my amazing mom Beth or my amazing friend Andrea. So thank you to all of you for everything and I am looking forward to doing this again with you in the summer!

A Purpose to Serve

This past weekend ReDress hosted a Community Baby Shower event. It was the first charitable event that ReDress has been proud to host and I am so happy that this company is starting to make a difference in someones life. After all, the reason the business was started was so that I could reach out and help. The whole goal of ReDress is to bring help, hope and the love of Christ to the world and I saw that happening last Saturday!

With our first sale I donated $5 to Amirah house. Being able to do that was wonderful for me! Last Saturday we raised $200 and a large supply of baby items! That was beyond joy! It was encouraging to be fulfilling the companies purpose to serve and it has deepened a hunger to see it continue.

It was a fun event and I came away with not only all these wonderful gifts of love from the community but also some funny and touching and interesting memories.

Not everyone was keen to help or offer up a donation but the ones who were did it with joy. Here are some of the stories:

• I had the pleasure of unexpectedly meeting the parents of one of the woman who run the center we were raising support for! They were so proud of there girl (and rightly so!) and were excited to see  that I was there to help out her organization
• One man came to the store with his son, a boy of about 3. He gladly took the opportunity to lend a helping hand and let his son put in the donated diapers he bought for us! What a good dad!
• One lady gladly agreed to purchase a baby item while in the store and then emerged some fifteen minute later looking very sheepish... she had totally forgotten! It is easy to forgive this seeing as I frequently forget many things!
• One guy told us that he didn't want to give, but if we had been raising money for the death penalty he would have gladly supported!! Oh no!!
• We were greeted by a pastor and his wife who said they had been saving some things for A.W.C. and if I would wait for them to go get it. They returned 30 min later with two jumbo boxes of diapers and $100!
• One little boy came with his father an two brothers. He couldn't have been more than 8. He said he couldn't buy diapers. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out his coins and dropped them into the collection bottles... the whole 28cents <3

There were people who listened to the whole fundraising pitch , said it was a great idea and then went in without another thought. There were people who listened and made a face that said "I don't care". there were those who didn't listen and walked on. There were those who did not listen and gave because were were collecting. Then there were those who cared about what we were trying to accomplish. they listened, they asked questions, they fully supported the mission of A.W.C. in their fight to save babies lives. One old man stands out in my memory who really supported what we were doing. It was those who cared that made it such a wonderful experience.

I am so very grateful for the help I had that day and for the people who cared enough to give.

Out and About

I think ReDress is beginning to grow up. This is the point in the story where the coming-of-age scene happens. It is not an easy time or a short one but it is very productive (hopefully!)

The baby steps happened when I got my official business name registered, solidified the idea of what I wanted ReDress to be about and tried to find way to make it happen.

The child stage included starting to build up my stock and have photo shoots, making the web-site, setting up on face book and telling people about my company. Finding someone to help me along the way was also an important thing (for any youngster!). 

But now I am starting to get my feet wet in a larger market. I have been blessed to be allowed to set up a table at events, Display my company, share what I am trying to accomplish, and even start to put together an event of my own!.

Like any tween, I feel awkward talking to people I don't know and am still learning how to put myself and my company out there but I have the support of many friends, my family and, of course the founder of it all, my loving Lord.
I am grateful for all of the wonderful people who have helped and cared and I ask for the prayers of all that God would keep his hands on ReDress and bring it into adulthood as a productive and  useful catalyst between himself and a hurting world.

A Womans Concern

Today we are proud to include A Woman's Concern in our group of supported organizations!

AWC Pregnancy Resource Centers exist to offer life-affirming counsel and support to women and couples facing an unexpected pregnancy. They hold a strong belief in the value of life and work to meet the needs of mothers and families while bringing a healthy new baby into the world. Even after the baby is born AWC is there to support and help the new mom. They supply clothes, diapers, bath needs and other necessities along with counseling and options for church families if they would like to join a church.

I was privileged to be able to attend AWC's 20th anniversary celebration last year and was so blessed to be  to meet and talk with a woman who had seen her baby welcomed into the world through the love and support of this organization. Her daughter is her greatest joy and had it not been for the work of AWC she never would have known her.

 In the twenty years that ACW has been serving Massachusetts they have saved over 1500 babies from abortion and helped as many women and families find the value and joy of a new life. 

  The services AWC provides include lab quality pregnancy testing, limited obstetrical ultrasounds, pregnancy options counseling, and material assistance. They are working to get three mobile ultrasound units on the road so they can reach even more women needing support and advice. I am hoping to be a part of making that happen

As with my other charities, I encourage you to support them on your own. The work they are doing is phenomenal and all the support and financial help they can get will go towards making a difference in the lives of women, families and, most of all, the beautiful children waiting to be born.

http://www.awcprc.org

Our first Sponcered Charity: Amirah House

I wanted to be able to really share the wonderful work each of our charities and missions so I decided to write a separate post for each one. Let's start with Amirah house...

For those of you who do not know about Amirah House, it is a Massachusetts safe-house for women rescued from the sexual slave trade; and Yes, there is a need for one. There is, in fact, a great need for many.

Until I went to their awareness/fundraising dinner I had no idea this kind of thing went on in America to such a great extent. That people were kidnapped and sold, forced into drug addictions and kept jailed up until they were sold for use. You hear about this sort of thing in other countries, but here? 

Several women told their stories at this dinner. Heart breaking stories from all different kinds of women who had been trapped and helpless. Some were only children being sold by thier families, some were full grown women with children of their own.

One speaker was a police detective form Connecticut who told about a teenage girl who had been brought into the station for drugs and prostitution. She was supposed to be held until morning but she kept saying that she had been kidnapped so they assigned this detective to her case to look into it. The speaker said that she originally didn't believe the girl because she was strung out and people said all kinds of things to get out of trouble. However she had to look into it and found that She was in fact telling the truth. The Girl was from New Hampshire, had been taken off the street near her home and brought to Connecticut. She had been force to write to her parents telling them that she was Ok and had run away to try life on her own. The kidnappers had turned her into an addict against her will so she wouldn't run away from them and forced her into prostitution. 

When they found all this out, they went to release her but found there was no where to send her. With all that she had been through, there was no where safe she could go where her kidnappers could not find her. She needed infinitely more care then could be given her at a drug rehab center but no such place existed. They couldn't legally keep her any more than three days and so at the end of that time they released her. 

I don't know what happened to her... hopefully she made it back to her parents and her home... but the point is that these thing really do happen, right here in our country, in our towns,  and these women need help!

That is where Amirah House comes in. These wonderful people have built a home for women to go and heal. They provide everything from life skills to physiological help. they train them for holding a job and for holding their heads high. They show them how valued and loved they are. The home itself is lovingly designed by caring hands. Each room is put sponsored and put together with every care to make it just right for a particular woman, just like she were one of the family (as she is!). It is whole person healing for such a desperate wound as is caused by sexual slavery.

As it stands right now, they have one home with room for 18 women.  They intend to build more as money allows. You and I both know that 18 beds are wonderful but not enough!

ReDress is honored to be a part of this organization that help women heal and regain their lives. Thank you for joining with me. Let's see to it that they are able to build more homes and reach more women!

For more information about what Amirah House is doing and to hear more stories of women who have survived please visit their website at http://www.amirahboston.org/  and please give what you can to help them save lives!

The Beauty of a Generous Heart

If you have ever watched a child for more than a few minutes than you know that giving is not something that comes naturally for most. Granted it is easier for some than others and there are those children who don't have a hard time sharing but for most of us it is difficult to give away something even if it is something we don't need or use. I speak, of course, out of experience. 

I have been blessed over the last few months with the cheerful gifts of beautiful generosity. Nothing false or pretentious, not seeking it's own gain, not looking for anything in return. Just pure and honest generosity.

It is no wonder that the bible say's "God loves a cheerful giver".  I have been in the position of seeing people give in order to make others lives better, and of being the catalyst to bring it about. The Joy it brings me is indescribable. It is like I am getting a glimpse of what God feels when we reach out to one another to show His love, and that we care.
The dresses pictured below have all been Generous Gifts of Beautiful Hearts. Thank you so much.

I also want to mention that Time is an incredible gift. So many have stepped up to help by giving their time and talent. All of my models are amazing woman who have given Generous Gifts from Beautiful Hearts. Even the camera I have been using to do photo shoots has been freely lent to me (from a woman who, might I add, has a beautiful little girl to take pictures of! I don't know if  I would be as generous as she!)
I have also been blessed to receive a business mentor at no charge to help me make this a success!
God has supplied for all of my needs for this business and blessed my heart through the love and generosity of others. I cannot wait to be able to make a difference in another woman's life by helping her get a wedding dress! I cannot wait to share so much more with the wonderful ministries and charities that touch so many lives. You and your Generous Gifts from your Beautiful Hearts Have made all this possible.
God Loves A Cheerful Giver!! (and so do I!)

Welcome to the ReDress blog!!

Welcome to the ReDress Blog!

As a first post I want to share all about ReDress. Why and how we started, and what we hope the future holds. As most of you know, I started ReDress to reach out to others, help brides afford a beautiful gown, and give financial support to missions and charities that make a difference in peoples lives. But I would like to be a little more specific. To let you in on just why I started this business, what I've been doing and who our proceeds are going to. So here goes...

I was Married 8 years ago this September (Wow, that's in two weeks!). When my husband and I began  planning our wedding we realized that they were incredibly more expensive than we were able to afford. Many people were very generous in helping make our wedding so beautiful.

Had it not been for the amazing help of my wonderful mother I never would have had the beautiful gown I was able to wear that day. Not every one has a mother who is able to help them but every bride should have the perfect dress.

It took me 7 1/2 years after our wedding to get my dressed cleaned and preserved (that is also more expensive than you might think!).

When I went into the dry cleaners to bring them my gown the woman behind the counter told me that many women bring in their gowns to be cleaned but never come back to get them. She told me that there were dresses that had never been claimed stacked in the back of the shop just sitting there. It seemed like such a waste, especially knowing that there are women (like I was) who can't afford dresses.

On my way out of the cleaners I kept thinking about how those dresses could be used by brides, or even be sold to help people in need. At this point in my conversation with myself, God interrupted and asked me "Why don't you do something about it?"

Me? I'm not an entrepreneur! 

Well I guess I am now, lol! When God asks you to do something He always makes a way. Here I am, 6 months later, with a small stock of wedding dresses, veils, a flower-girl dress and lot's of support and encouragement. As a company, we also have a small group of organizations that we support, and have even been honored to make our first donation! I will be writing more about the groups we support in a later post.

As to the future of  ReDress, I am hoping to see it flourish and grow beyond my living room walls, supply many brides with a gown that they love and to reach out into the world with hope, healing.