Thank You, #BRAnetwork!
Thank you to everyone who participated in Cocktails & Conversation last Thursday! Our first IRL event of 2022 went better than I could have even imagined. It was amazing to see all your faces!
For those of you who couldn’t attend, here are the highlights of what you missed…
The Author
Special thank you to Sheila Darcey, author of Sketch by Sketch: The Creative Path to Emotional Healing and Transformation, for taking us on this journey.
(Side note: I met Sheila Darcey in a group chat, of all places. I’m a member of a lot of group chats — like I’m sure you are — some amazing, some informative, some annoying, and others are down right magical. Who knew this was going to be the modern day version of a quilting circle?)
Sheila created Sketch by Sketch during a difficult time in her life where she found that the act of sketching and freestyle drawing was an impactful way to process what she was feeling.
One simple sketch became a daily practice and developed into a meditative and therapeutic tool that she’s now taught and shared with thousands of people.
Sheila shared that she LOVES to see sketches, so feel free to DM her on Instagram or tag her @sketchpoetic while you get creative with your copy of Sketch by Sketch!
The Cocktails
Founded by Karen Haines, Spa Girl Cocktails is a female founded brand looking to create an experience and a lifestyle, not simply a beverage.
They’re powered by women, owned by women, and made for women. Most of all, Spa Girl encourages you to be the life of the whole damn party.
Thank you to Spa Girl Cocktails for sponsoring their incredible cocktails at last week’s event. Visit their website to order more for yourself!
The Conversation
I could tell that everyone resonated with Sheila’s words. While there was definitely a spark of anxiety in the air, with Sheila’s help, we were able to relax into the creativity and express our feelings through art.
The Food
Celebrity Chef Katie Chin crafted some delicious works of art for us! An Award-winning cookbook author, caterer, blogger and Culinary Ambassador to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, Katie has been featured in many publications such as O Magazine, Cooking Light, Bon Appetit, Elle, Real Simple, The Wall Street Journal, HuffPost and Family Circle.
Her numerous appearances on national television include The Real, The Today Show, Hallmark Channel, Cooking Channel, Cutthroat Kitchen, Beat Bobby Flay, ABC’s Localish, and as a guest judge on Food Network’s Iron Chef America.
So thank you to Chef Katie Chin! I love working with other BRA Members to create fabulous events for the community, and Katie’s food was quite the hit!
Grab a copy of Katie’s latest cookbook to recreate those amazing bites in the comfort of your own home!
The Beneficiary
At our core, BRA was founded on the principle that we are stronger as a collective than as individuals.
That’s why we took action and chose to donate a portion of proceeds from this event to the Equality Texas Foundation; a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing the rights of LGBTQIA+ people and fighting anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in Texas. Learn more about Equality Texas and the Equality Texas Foundation here.
We at BRA are here to support and lift ALL women and girls – period – and vehemently disagree with the infringement of human rights. #ProtectTransKids
We are thrilled that BRA was able to raise $1,800 for the Equality Texas Foundation on Transgender Day of Visibility! BRA Network is all about community, and now more than ever the Transgender community needs our support.
If you’d like to contribute further to their cause, donate directly here.
The Photography
Last but not least, thank you to Jessica Franz in partnership with Rachael B Photography for capturing a lot of really great moments from the event for us. Here’s a small sample:
Curious about what we did for previous Cocktails & Conversation events?
