Last saturday (after going to Pavia’s Cosplay Flash Mob ^_^) I had a swap party*, here at The Nook.

If you google it you’ll find plenty of websites telling you all the basic rules for a swap party, I’ll tell you our own way!

Mine aren’t as glam, but are fun U_U

1) send an email to all the girlfriends out there, suggesting a date and a +1, a.k.a. they can invite whoever they think might be interested (the more the merrier!)

2) when you have a date (usually the hardest thing to find) you pick a time (we opted for saturday night after dinner)

3) in the meanwhile everyone organizes the stuff they mean to carry (we accept clothes, shoes, accessories like bags, scarves, belts and bijoux, cosmetics and tools like blowdriers, flat irons & co)

4) on the chosen night someone always shows up with a bag of cookies, a bottle of Martini or a pack of gelato (absolutely needed snacks & comforts!)

5) since my livingroom is quite small we sort things out like this: in turns, everyone pulls out of their bag, like a magician with bunny and top hat, things to swap

6) for makeup it all goes in a pile and everyone is happily rummaging through it

7) in the end what hasn’t been swapped goes back to their previous owners, and now it’s up to them if they want to repurpose them to another swap party or donate them (we usually donate)

8) Plus! We have no limit number of objects (you can carry 100 and go home with 10, or the opposite) nor value standards (I can swap my Chanel bag with your handmade brooch, it is NOT a classic barter!)

A lot of “tutorial” on how to organize a swap party advice you to play some music in the background. I can assure you that nine girls in one room do not need any kind of background: we wouldn’t hear it and it would bother our chats!!!

But I’ll tell you what’s the best thing ever, more than finding pretty things for free, more than laughing at certain peculiar archeological finds we have in our closets, more than staying basically in panties, more than seeing the clock turn past midnight**, more than seeing your favourite shirt (that sadly doesn’t fit anymore) or that super pretty dress you bought and never wore being adopted by your friend, more than spending an all-girl-night… it’s being there, cheering eachother (I know, I always end up so fluffy-like, but come one… maybe it was all those La Fontaine tales when I was little… oh but those watercolours, so lovely! Ok, I’m going astray), it’s being there in circle saying to eachother “You try this on, it’s totally you!” or “This colour is perfect on you, have it please!” or again “Look how good you look in this! Come on, take i home!” and also “I can’t believe it! I fit in one of your dresses?! Yay!”

An honourable mention goes to spontaneous joy-dances. Trust me.

BTW, goes something like this:

This was the second one I’ve organized, the next one will probably be with next season change.

We’re thinking fireplace lit and cups of hot chocolate with whipped cream. Or mabe cinnamon cookies. Or irish coffee for everyone. Or all of the above!

*Swap party (ˈswɑp ˈpɑrtiː) social gathering where people bring various objects (usually clothes, shoes and accessories) to exchange them among eachother.

** We’re also thinking of making a pigiama-swap-party next time, given the time all the guests left! *_*
Or maybe a swap for the worst Christmas presents we’ll have, but this is just our inner-Grinch talking…

PS
For those of you concerned about Sa’s mental and physical health (how nice of you!) please know he was well far from home, somewhere with his bandmates!

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