30 strangers event.

It was wonderful!!!

we wrote checks...

and ate cookies...

I would have photographed my favorite cookie of the night (the soft ginger-y something or other) but I ate nearly all of them and a girl took the platter into a far off room to be re-filled... so, the lovely vanilla-ish ones won out on the photo op. (Oh, but lookie there, delicious ginger can be seen in the photograph below - yay!)

and met amazingly talented, yet terribly cool people...
Justin Hackworth is the one in the black pinstripe suit with the impressive beard (oh, and Patchy?...I mean...Trevor, don't hate mmmkay?) and sneakers. (I know you can't see the sneakers, but don't you feel like you know him a little bit better now that I've told you he was wearing sneakers with a nice suit? How cool must he be?) I didn't need any further proof of his inherent coolness after my lil' journey through his gallery tonight. He's pretty dang cool. My reactions spanned the entire emotional spectrum from joy, to intrigue, to laughter, and even to a little bit of sorrow.

You see, part of tonight's fundraising involved making a donation to a local battered women's shelter and, in return, receiving a mother/daughter photo shoot courtesy of Justin Hackworth. And looking at some of the photographs of beautiful little brunettes with big, brown eyes and fun, stripey tights made me ache for my own little girl, who, thus far, has not gotten around to making her grand entrance into our lives . This month marks 4 years of waiting, and I have to say, my connection to her feels stronger every day. As of late, I find myself drifting off into daydreams about the day when I will be able to look into her eyes, and roll her little fingers in mine, and know that all of the tears, and all of the doubt, and all of the w.a.i.t.i.n.g. were more than worth it, and to know that I'd do it all again, a hundred times over if that's what it took to bring her into our lives...

Then, as I turned my attention from little angel faces and cute, stripey tights, to wrinkled,

... beautiful,

... knowing smiles,

I realized that instead of focusing on something that I don't have yet, I should be grateful for the incredible woman who's already here.

My own mother. I often take her for granted. I often just assume that all women have (or have had) mothers like mine. A mother who makes the magic of Santa last longer than any other mom on the block. A mother who is an example of class, service, dignity, and complete selflessness. A mother who cries when you cry, laughs when you laugh, and who teaches you that love should never leave bruises. (at least, not the physical kind anyway)

Tonight, as I took in the beautiful, unique faces and relationships, I was struck by the importance of the work that Justin Hackworth is supporting with his art. The work to break the chains of abuse, to show women a "better way," to reveal to them their own unchangeable value, and to empower them to share this new light with their daughter(s) as well. Mothers are something else, aren't they? I shudder to think of where I'd be without mine. (And not just for the birthing part either... ;)

...and she is the reason I came tonight. We met in a UVU Physical Science class (and yes, we both aced it cause we're really, really smart...didn't you know?) We keep in touch via blog, but it's just not the same as having a real conversation at some point. Ashley is cool too. So cool, in fact, that I had myself convinced that she and her hubs and dotter lived in some cramped, but divinely designed/decorated little sky rise flat in downtown Salt Lake and she spent her days wandering the streets in worn, green velvet flats (with dotter in tow) shopping at unique boutiques and spending hours in musty, old, (a.k.a. yummy) bookstores finding vintage "See Jane Run" books for dotter and a first edition printing of Daphne Du Maurier's "Rebbecca" for herself...and

What? I don't know why that's my definition of cool, but it just sort of IS okay? So anyway, come to find out, Ashley lives in Provo! (Does this make her less cool? Not in the least. Have you seen her work? Okay then, I've made my point. She's cool.) So, if she lives in Provo, a whole 7 and a half minutes away from me, then why one earth has she not spent most of June on my back porch sipping lemonade and talking over the pounding of the rain on my tin roof? I know, right? So, we'll be rectifying that shortly. And I can't wait.

The photograph to the left of us was one of my favorites. Four generations of women. I especially love the way they are looking to their mother/grandmother. I cried later tonight when trying to explain its beauty and message to my Mother-in-Law. We really do look to those who've gone before for guidance, and I have so many incredible women to thank for the beauty and joy I experience in my life daily.

Kristen was such a peach to come with me, and wouldn't you know it, she knew half the people in the room! (Big surprise, everyone who meets Kristen says to themselves "I want to be that girl's friend." (I know I did.) I couldn't have asked for a better date for the evening! After we'd looked at everything twice and made some wonderful new friends, we decided to peruse the booths at the Freedom Festival in downtown Provo. Our diva heels were taking their toll by then, so Kristen slipped hers off, rolled up her jeans, and proceeded to walk around barefoot. I love this girl. (and yes, I quickly followed suit.)

We bought a dozen tiny, little, crispy, delicious, doughnuts from a street vendor and then made our way over to Guru's and proceeded to eat sweet potato fries until we nearly exploded. This is Kristen, doing her best "Donatella"

Why can't every night be like tonight?

(I guess because then it wouldn't feel quite so magical.)