Connie's Diary: Sisterhood Cocktail Party

Preparation for Cocktail party

The whole team at Envy Boutique Hair Spa in Frankston got behind Love Your Sister while we were in town for the cocktail party. When we arrived we saw Love Your Sister posters all over the salon and Nicole and Alanah kindly did our hair for the cocktail party. It was a luxurious experience to prepare for the cocktail party, and got me feeling in the mood for a big night on the town. I was feeling so nervous about going to the event, as Sam wasn’t going to be there, it is an all-girls night, and it is all about me. Having my hair done nicely helped me feel confident about being the centre of attention.

How cute are the tickets for the cocktail party?

 

Sisterhood

A group of 3 women in Mornington, who named themselves The Sisterhood, began planning huge cocktail party back in February. It was to be an event in honour of little old me, for women to get together and raise money for and awareness of breast cancer whilst having a great night out. Susan, Lizzie and Lauren have done an amazing job organising this fun fundraiser.

Lizzie, Lauren, Susan, Connie

I always have trouble committing to going to events as I am never sure in advance if I will be well enough on the day to attend, so this was organised on the premise that I would come if I could, but that it would be a great night regardless, and it really was.

One of the great things about the night was that everyone was given a Sisterhood T-shirt as part of the ticket price, so we were all wearing the same thing and it brought us closer, broke down barriers and allowed people to meet so much easier. Great idea Sisterhood!

Soul Trader, a great little 3 piece band had everybody moving and grooving followed by Susan and Stephanie who are very talented and entertaining singers. There were numerous prizes in a raffle and silent auction. There was also a photo booth with lots of pink props for friends to take silly photos of themselves in. The Mornington Yacht Club generously donated the venue and Security was provided free of charge by All Skilled Hospitality Services managed by an old mate from my days in Mornington, Lindsay Hart. Limousine transport was provided by LR Limousines. I felt like a superstar getting driven in a limo, then being greeted by the owners personally and taken to a table for refreshments on arrival, while the ladies were watching video presentations by Carrie Bickmore and Samuel, and I was eating delicious homemade homous with bread so that I wasn’t drinking on an empty stomach. Then I entered the function where 200 women were clapping and cheering. It was quite surreal and I got the feeling that this is what it must have felt like for Samuel when he was on ‘The Secret Life of Us’.

My gorgeous cousins came, and I got to have fun, drink and dance with them. The wonderful Abby got up on a table and danced her little heart out, and Alison wasn’t able to come, but the girls made up for that by making sure she won the pole dancing classes in the silent auction!

Throughout the evening I got to meet so many wonderful people who shared their stories of parenthood, battles with cancer and lost loved ones with me. It was very touching hearing their stories and I got heaps of free hugs.

Little Black Booth donated a photo booth which was so much fun, we all had silly photos taken at some stage during the night. Pink wigs, hats, glasses and props for a pinkalicious photo booth session. At the end of the night I was given an album of all of the photos taken throughout the night, with notes from the people in the photos. It was fun at the time, and I get to remember the evening and everyone I met through this special album with so many lovely messages in it for me, Sam and Love Your Sister.

I did another speech, and this one went a lot better, though I did cry a few times. I was stunned that a room full of women, mostly drinking, chatting and dancing fell dead silent during my speech. They all listened to me talk about my experiences with cancer and what Sam and I are doing to try to make women more breast aware. It really brought it home to me that Love Your Sister is working, we are spreading the word, our message; “don’t fall into the booby trap, be breast aware” is getting out there. People are hearing us. I hope that after tonight at least some of the women who came along will self-examine or go to their doctors for examinations. Just keeping track of your lumps and bumps is a start, then you know if anything changes and can go and get a professional check-up and mammogram and ultrasound if necessary. Most of the women here at the Sisterhood cocktail party are mums, most around my age, our exact demographic, the people who we want to hear our message the loudest. So many people think that Breast Cancer is a disease that affects older women, and I was told myself that I was too young, that my problem was not likely to be cancer because of my age. But since I have been diagnosed I have met and re-met so many younger women with the disease, it is truly frightening. And if I had been more proactive and insisted on testing instead of being content with being told that it wasn’t cancer, maybe my cancer would have been detected early enough for it to be something treatable – not something that would take my life. As angry as I am with the doctors who told me that I had mastitis, I am also angry with myself for not insisting on further tests, for believing them and not pushing for my own health and wellbeing.  So I really hope that the guests tonight went away with that message, don’t fall into the booby trap.

Susan, it was a pleasure to meet you, you have a special energy and vibrancy about you that made it very easy to hang out with you, and I felt somehow like I had known you for ages, even though we only just met. I loved your singing and the bond that you share with your daughter, the beautiful and talented Stephanie is apparent just by looking at you two together.

Lizzie, what a sweetheart you are, you have worked incredibly hard for a long time to bring this event together and your hard work and dedication paid off, it was a tremendous night, best girls night out I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of.

Lizzie on the right

Lauren, your organisational skills, problem solving and dedication are second to none, what an honour it was to meet you. Please know how much I appreciate all of your ideas, commitment and drive, and the part you played in making tonight the huge success it was.

Lauren and Sue

Together, the Sisterhood raised over $14 500 in one night. This would not have been possible without the generosity of local businesses and individuals who donated prizes for the raffle and services to make the evening the huge fun-raiser that it was.

 Leaving in the limo was the perfect way to end a wonderful evening, and again I felt like I was famous or something, it certainly wasn’t just any other night on the town, and it certainly didn’t finish with a cab ride home, so I felt very special. Thanks to Susan, Lizzie and Lauren for making everything happen tonight. It was magical.

 

Huge Thanks go out to:

• Brazilian butterfly for supplying Lotion and a $50 voucher


• Chicken on Main for donating 2 Dinner Vouchers


• Dawn Clavin for donating 2 Water Colours


• Polelicious for supplying 4 week mini pole dancing classes


• Tuerong Vineyard Estate for giving 6 bottle of Shiraz


• Ultimate Fitness for supplying a 6 month membership


• Party hire for Kids for the Balloon displays


• Intimo for the Lingerie


• Melbourne Tarp Hire for a builders Tarp


• Minzenmay for the Pandora Bracelet


• National Australia Bank for a Donation


• Farrells Bookstore for donating a signed book by Julie Goodwin


• Onde for giving a lovely hamper


• Drew’s Pantry for donating a great hamper


• Rozanne Watts for the beautiful handmade ring


• Race Aviation for donating a joy flight


• Stufflers Party for Kids for giving a Bear Making Party


• Enliven for the gorgeous Lamp


• Words for Friends for the Scrabble Wall Plaque


• Peninsula Surf for vouchers


• Zenyu for donating vouchers


• Fox FM, the Matt and Jo Show


• Officeworks Frankston for supplying the name badges


• Novel Tees for supplying the Tee Shirts


• Mymojo Physiotherapy for donating a wellbeing pack


• Fernwood for giving a 1 month membership

And the major sponsors of the evening, who truly made this night a possibility, and the huge success that it was, we must thank, from the bottom of my heart, Jacobs and Lowe, Barmah Park and The Rocks.

One of the prizes that was auctioned on the night was a Photographic package by The Story Within who is also doing a great prize for me and my family which I am really excited about. They are going to photograph me, Mike and the boys together. Outside playing, walking, running and having fun, but also indoors, reading, and playing quietly, because this is what I spend a lot of my time with the boys doing. I had a look at some of their work, and it was truly beautiful, they captured those moments in families that are so precious, the looks between mother and child, husband and wife, and between the children. If our photo shoot turns out to be even half as good as some of the examples we saw I will be so happy, and it will a gift that the kids will have forever that will help keep the memory of their mum alive, long after I am gone. It is a very thoughtful gift and I am very touched by Sue and Cara by their generous offer to give a package away as an auction item, but also to give another package away for our family. This must be tougher than more than ever because everyone has digital cameras and cameras on their phones, and thinks they can capture the magic. But the difference between a shot taken by my husband or me of the kids, the quality of a photo taken by a professional with the experience that Sue and Cara have is enormous. Thanks Sue and Cara for your kind offer and I look forward to our photo session.

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