Get The Reels Turning!

Fall is here and the temps are starting to drop. I love sailing, hiking and hanging out at the beach in the summer. Sometimes when autumn arrives, I’m relieved that I don’t have to rush out and can just enjoy hanging around the house watching movies and making popcorn. Hence, our movie-inspired parties! Gather a few friends and have a girls’ afternoon at home. We’ve included some recipes, you may or may not make, some goofs you may or may not see, and some discussion questions you may or may not entertain. Enjoy!

The Other Boleyn Girl

Awards

Nominated for Teen Choice Award

Choice Movie Actress in a Drama: Scarlett Johansson

Interesting Facts and Goofs

1. Factual errors: In the film, Mary Boleyn's first child is a boy. In reality, her first child was a girl, Catherine. She did not have a son, Henry, until several years after Catherine's birth.

2. Anachronisms: When Anne is standing on the execution block making her speech, behind her can be clearly seen a painted metal drain (down) pipe with metal bands fixing it to the wall.

3. King Henry named a warship after Mary Boleyn that was originally thought to be a typo in the history books by the author.

4. Anne kept King Henry at bay for 6 years.

5. Dover Castle is the Tower of London in the film.

6. The scenes of Anne on the scaffold were based on eyewitness accounts. No one expected her to be executed and no coffin was available after her death. Her body was put in an arrow box and her head carried off by two of her ladies.

7. Henry Carey, Mary and Henry’s son and Elizabeth’s cousin, became Elizabeth’s chief political advisor and confidant for the 45 years of her rein.

8. Catharine of Aragon, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, was originally promised to King Henry’s older brother Arthur. When Arthur died, Henry agreed to marry her. She was 8 or 9 years his senior.

9. Lady Rochford, George’s wife, later admitted at her own execution that she lied about the incest between her husband and his sister, Anne.

Discussion Questions

1. What do you think about the idea of ambition as a sin or a virtue?

2. Do you think Anne was in love with the king and vice versa?

3. In what ways were Anne and Mary culpable and/or victims in their situations?

4. How did your feelings about Henry changes as the movie progressed?

5. How did you feel about the way women were treated/behaved in the film?

The Afternoon

Serve with Tea, cream, sugar and lemon.

Cucumber Sandwiches

1/2 large cucumber, peeled and sliced very thinly

Salt

3/8 cup soft butter

1 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

10 slices bread

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Pepper to taste

Lightly salt the cucumber slices and place them in a colander to drain for 1 to 2 hours. Then combine the butter and garlic and apply to 1 side of each slice of bread. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper. Add the cucumber slices, coating them well. Arrange the cucumber on 5 of the bread slices, top with the other 5 slices, remove the crusts,

and quarter. Serve immediately. Makes 20 tea sandwiches or 15 fingers.

Currant Scones

2 c all-purpose flour

1/3 c sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

6 tbsp unsalted butter cut in pieces

½ c dried currants (dried cranberries, blueberries,

raisins or apricots may be substituted)

1 large egg

½ c heavy cream

2 to 3 tsp cream or milk

1 tsp grated orange zest (optional)

Cinnamon and sugar (optional)

Clotted cream and jam for serving

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425F. Have a large ungreased baking sheet ready. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with 2 knives or a pastry blender, tossing the pieces with the flour mixture to coat and separate

them as you work, until the largest pieces are the size of peas and the rest resemble  breadcrumbs. Do not allow the butter to melt or form a paste with the flour. Stir in the fruit.  Whisk the egg, heavy cream and orange zest and add all at once. Mix just until the dry

ingredients are moistened. Gather the dough into a ball and knead it gently against the sides and bottom of the bowl 5 to 10 times, turning and pressing any loose pieces into the dough each time until they adhere and the bowl is fairly clean. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and pat the dough into an 8-inch round about ¾ inch thick. Cut into 12 wedges and place at least ½ inch apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with the cream or milk and if desired, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake until the tops are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool. Makes 12 small.

References

“Goofs for The Other Boleyn Girl”. USA: Internet Movie Database.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0467200/goofs. December 7, 2008.

Rombauer, Irma and Marion Becker and Ethan Becker. The Joy of Cooking. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1997, pp. 791.

“Savory Tea Sandwich Recipes.” USA: Great Party Recipes. http://www.greatpartyrecipes.com/teasandwichrecipes.html. October 8, 2008.

Pictures In A Pumpkin Patch

Fall is the perfect time of year for pictures...and I can't think of a more colorful and glorious spot than right in the middle of the pumpkin patch. The Little Black Dress Club Fort Lauderdale members traded in their usual skyscrapers, stilettos and cocktail dresses for cowboy boots, hay bales, and a little country girl swag to kick off the Halloween season with "Pictures in a Pumpkin Patch".

Pictures in a Pumpkin Patch was a professional photo shoot for members only…and the results were amazing. Every member looked like a supermodel thanks to a quick "striking a pose" class that ensured a perfect camera shot. The ladies were instructed on where to stand, where to put your feet, what to do with your hands, and even how to tilt your head and in which direction. Did you know you are never suppose to face a camera head on…we do now!

Everyone was so excited about their photos, that the group plans sneak in another photo shoot (and a hay ride too) before the Halloween season is over.

Join us on Facebook to see the rest of our pictures from this fabulous photo shoot! 

Cheers,

Melissa Harbour, Ft Lauderdale Director

Happy Fall, yall!

Make A Stop At The Thistle Stop Cafe

One of the greatest things about Nashville, TN, is that it is filled with locally owned, one-of-a-kind music venues, boutiques, cafes and restaurants. Tonight the Little Black Dress Club found a gem that was all of the above and more!

 

The Thistle Stop Cafe is not just a coffee shop. It’s a life-changing experience, literally. Located in West Nashville on Charlotte Pike, this cafe features dozens of tea cups from all around the world, each with its own special story. The 150-year-old coffee-stained floor came from Al Gore Sr’s tobacco warehouse. There have been more than 100 volunteers who have supplied the walls, deck, furnishings and all the other special things which make this coffee shop so special!

 

 

The story began in 1997 when an Episcopal priest named Becca Stevens, from Vanderbilt University, created Magdalene. Magdalene is a residential program for women looking to overcome lives spent on the streets filled with trafficking, addictions and prostitution. After two years in a program that offers housing, food, therapy, education and more, all based on the 24 spiritual principles of Magdalene, graduates can find work at the Thistle Stop Cafe. Offering a healthy, nourishing menu and delicious teas and coffee, all served by Magdalene graduates, this cafe invites guests to embrace generosity, compassion, understanding and support. The walls are adorned with photos and stories of women from all walks of life. Handmade soaps, lotions and more, all made at Thistle Farms by these extraordinary women, are on display and available for purchase, and the freshly handmade sandwiches and soups are some of the best you will experience. Take time to read more about Becca by purchasing her book titled “Snake Oil, The Art of Healing and Truth-Telling.”

Thistle Thursdays is a monthly music series hosted at the cafe. The lineups feature some of the best intimate performances you will find, and half of the ticket proceeds benefit the women of Magdalene. I have been very excited to grab a coffee and a meal at this cafe after hearing what a great experience my coworkers had there. The only thing that made it even more exciting was finding out that one of my childhood idols, Tiffany and friends, were going to be performing on Thistle Thursday.

Little Black Dress Club members lined up on the sidewalk 45 minutes before the doors opened. Standing in the cold and blustery weather, we anxiously awaited our chance to be 12 years old again. Getting to the cafe early paid off, as we had first dibs on the open seating and managed to score a table stage side. The women of Magdalene who staffed the cafe tonight were welcoming, helpful and genuinely happy to be there. We all ordered sandwiches, soups and coffees from the menu and then patiently waited for Tiffany to make her appearance. She did not disappoint. Taking the stage with the chorus to “I Think We’re Alone Now” I was immediately thrown back to 1989, wishing I had worn blue eye shadow and a denim mini skirt.

Not only was her voice amazing, Tiffany looks great! Wearing her fringed out, open sweater, her self-described ode to her favorite, singer Stevie Nicks, along with knee-high red boots, she immediately rose to “girl crush status.” Her song list included all the 80’s favorites, plus newer selections coming out this fall and several songs she wrote herself and even a couple of covers.

 

Open My Eyes

I Will Not Break Down

Just Me

Bobby McGee

Autumn Leaves

Love You Good

Could’ve Been

All This Time
                      I Think We're Alone Now - which in my opinion, was just as great a hit as when the Beatles recorded it in 1963. 
Click here to see our live recording of her final song of the night, "I Think We're Alone Now."

 

Tiffany had some fun friends singing on stage with her including a rockin back up singer  who we thought looked like Pink with big hair! She told stories and made jokes between each song. She danced through the cafe, entertained us at our table, and made us all feel like we were teenagers again - at least for a couple of hours! When the show was over she was in no hurry to rush off stage. She greeted us at our table, shared hugs and jokes and even posed for a few selfies.

 

Meeting childhood idols is risky for me. I fear that they won’t live up to my 12-year-old memories and I will be left with the feeling that the last 30 years were a lie - not unlike what happened with Tommy Lee of Motley Crue when I met him in my 20s, but that’s a whole new blog post....

Tiffany was everything I thought she would be when I first saw her perform in a shopping mall and again when she opened for NKOTB in 1989. Knowing she had agreed to come and perform such an intimate performance at the Thistle Stop Cafe and hearing her speak about empowerment, overcoming addictions and showing such support and love for the women of Thistle Farms is reason enough to sing her praises. Much to the chagrin of my coworkers, I will be singing “Could’ve Been” for the next three weeks!

I feel our LBDC girls would agree, Thistle Stop Cafe is a gem and Thistle Thursday with Tiffany was a blast! Click here to view more pictures from our night with Tiffany at the cafe and help show them your support by stopping in today!

 

~Shay Ashcraft, National Director

 

Tiffany and the women of Magdalene

 



 





 

These Are Some of Our Favorite Things

This year marks the second time that the Nashville Chapter hosted a Favorite Things Brunch. With the success of the 2012 event, everyone was looking forward to this year's brunch on Saturday, September 7th at Darfons in Donelson.

Darfon's had a special brunch menu to choose from, in addition to their regular menu and wide selection of cocktails. The event had a large turn out of 21 ladies dressed in their Little Black Dresses and cute shoes (we can't forget the shoes)!

The idea behind the "Favorite Things" theme is that everyone brings a wrapped gift of their favorite thing, then we have a gift exchange using the same rules as Dirty Santa or White Elephant. At first, the ladies were incredibly nice to each other and not stealing anyone's gift, but there's always a few in every crowd who will break the mold and steal someone's treasure! It was all in good fun, and everyone left with new favorite things. A few of the gifts in the exchange were; Little Black Dress coffee mugs, a baking set, several wine-themed gifts, as well as several beauty product gifts.

 

In addition to the regular gift exchange, Shay and Amy each put together a basket loaded with their favorite things. Nancy and LaDonna were the lucky recipients of the loaded baskets.

A special shout out goes to one of Nashville's long-time members, LaDonna Gaines, who will be moving back to Birmingham to be closer to her family. We're all going to miss LaDonna and hope that she travels back to Nashville for as many events as she can attend.

~ Tonya Overstreet
Nashville Chapter Member, LBDC

Nashville Girls Night Out

 On September 4^th, the ladies of the NashvilleChapter put on their little black dresses for a Girl’s Night Out at local restaurant Cabana located in the Hillsboro Village. Cabana has regular Girl’s Night Out specials for drinks and appetizers on Wednesday nights, and the ladies of the Nashville Chapter were excited to take part.
 

While the group was too large to take part in one of the private cabana experiences, they did enjoy the nice summer breeze from the open veranda. August was very busy in everyone’s lives with work and back to school, so there weren’t many opportunities for LBDC members to get together. The conversations around the table involved everyone catching up on what they had done for the summer and the excitement of upcoming events like the Sumner Crest Wine Tasting later in September and Glamping Part Deux in October.

Conversation with our group is always very lively. A few quotes overheard around the table were:
 

“If you need a picture of myself to go in that, let me know.” – Shay, when talking to the raffle winners upon opening their gift of a photo frame.

“I feel like I smell like bleu cheese and grit balls.” – Amy

“Kim does not work for ones.” – Kim

 

 The raffle winners of the evening were Niki and Belinda. Congratulations!
 

After a fun evening of laughing, conversations and photos, the ladies went home to their regular evenings with big smiles and a great Girl’s Night Out.
 

 

~ Tonya Overstreet
Nashville Chapter Member, LBDC

LBDC East Bay Soars Into The Bay Area Social Scene With Pretty Wings of Pink & Black!

Saturday July 13, was a breezy evening in the Bay Area, California.  It was just an ordinary evening...until it wasn't!  At 9pm, LBDC, East Bay kicked off a launch party for the history books!  With more than 80 excited members and guest, it was truly a night to be remembered; held at the cozy H-Lounge in Vallejo, California very quickly, this party was in full swing. Ladies from throughout the Bay Area looked stunning in little black dresses & hot pink heels!
 

Guest enjoyed a beautifully decorated venue with a color scheme of hot pink, black & white.  There were sparkly lights, dazzling crystal, tons of balloons and satin table linen adorning the tables.  The event was all jazzed up by local party planner Mary Ruiz from Balloon Works.  Guest entered the party on a hot pink (instead of red) carpet, where professional photographers from Chic Photo captured the glitz & glamor of the evening! 
 

There were personalized bottles of water, hot pink silicone monogrammed wristbands & designer shot glasses as well as LBDC t-shirts (styled on a pretty cute mannequin) as giveaways and door prizes!  Oh! And the raffle prizes...each guest received a free raffle ticket upon entry.  The more than 30 raffle prizes included bottles of wine, decorative picture frames, gift certificates, jewelry, accessories, gift baskets, gift boxes and more!
 

The H-Lounge offered 100 hot pink Jell-O shots to keep guest hydrated!! We also had a very special visit from Devotion Vodka who sent their beautiful promotion girls to help us celebrate our launch.  The H-Lounge even gave us a special drink "LBDC raspberry-politan".  Music, dancing, lots of food, and joyous mingling brought on-lookers from other areas of the venue streaming in to ask "Who are you guys & how can I get in?" 

Finally, we enjoyed a beautiful, delicious, strawberry cake with cream cheese filling from Cakes by Kim!  The two tiered white cake, with fun splashes of hot pink & black featured the LBDC logo and sealed the deal for the night.  It was quite the hit! 
 

What a night!  We enrolled six new LBDC members from the party and received a stream of compliments from members & guest.  The club owners, photographers and the party planner told us they were SO impressed, they've each added photos from our party to their websites.  At the end of the night, wonderful comments and happy guests assured us without a doubt that LBDC East Bay has arrived!

~Gwen Brady
Director, LBDC East Bay

 

 

The Windy City

You think you know someone pretty well, but then you spend two 9-hour bus rides, two nights in a hostel and walk 20 miles with them, and you see a whole other side of that person…the good, the bad, the ugly and the fabulous. For three days in June, the Nashville, Columbus and Detroit Chapters traveled to Chicago for a multi chapter event with the Little Black Dress Club ladies of the Chicago Southland Chapter to explore The Windy City.

For the Nashville sisters, the trip started late Thursday night when they boarded the Megabus for an overnight excursion through Louisville and Indianapolis before the final destination of Chicago. I’m pretty sure that time paused on that trip, and the trip was much longer than 9 hours. If customer service is a high priority for your experience, then Megabus is not for you!

 

Since the trip seemed to be all about new experiences, the Nashville ladies didn’t go for just any regular hotel experience, they took a chance on a hostel experience (not to be confused with a hostile experience) and stayed at Hostelling International Chicago. It was like summer camp all over again with 8 girls stacked in bunk beds in one room. There may or may not have been some falling out of bunk beds, some indiscriminate videos and snoring. We all took the Full Moon Vow again, so we’ll never tell!

Just about every mode of transportation was used when traveling the city, including bus, cab, train and trolley. The ladies quickly discovered that there are many interesting characters that can be encountered when using public transportation, which usually lead to humor more so than fear. Of course, there is usually safety in numbers.

Friday and Saturday included lots of shopping on Michigan Avenue and State Street, including visits to Water Tower Place and Marshall Field & Company, the second largest department store in the world with 12 stories, including the 5 story Tiffany & Co. mosaic-capped ceiling.

 

Our sightseeing adventures included visiting The Cloud Gate (better known as The Bean) and Crown Fountain in Millennium Park, a walk along Lake Michigan to Lincoln Park and the Lincoln Park Zoo, a Chicago Architecture Cruise on the Chicago River, a trip to see Wrigley Field and an evening of ferris wheels (not carousels) and fireworks at Navy Pier. There was also much walking done on the weekend, and by the time the Nashville ladies arrived home Sunday night, they had taken over 47,000 steps, which is about 20 miles. Several of the ladies had well-deserved pedicures and massages the following day.

 

The weekend was not without lots of great food. We dined at Ed Debevics, where the servers are over the top and rude…on purpose. We also shared delicious Chicago-style pizza with the other chapters at Lou Malnati’s in the historic Gold Coast district. Saturday evening we got our Cajun fix at Heaven on Seven where several sampled some of the most delicious grits on earth. Our last meal together in Chicago was at the Grand Lux Cafe and included sharing Mimosas, Bellinis and some very large portions of French Toast.

 

Shortly after brunch on Sunday, the chapters bid farewell to each other and went back to their respective cities. It was a fabulous weekend spent making new friends, experiencing new adventures and capturing great memories. Plans were already discussed for future gatherings of the chapters, and I know I am looking forward to more trips together!

~ Tonya Overstreet
Nashville Chapter Member, LBDC



Here’s what a few others had to say about the Chicago trip with The Little Black Dress Club:

"After the Columbus chapter did Pilates in Millennium Park they went to the bean. Who did they run into but Nashville ladies! Columbus was very into shopping and collectively got 6 pairs of shoes, 5 purses, and too many dresses to count!"
~ Suzy Hicks, Columbus Chapter Co-Director

“I loved seeing Chicago for the first time and what a wonderful group of ladies to do it with. I'm ready for our next LBDC adventure!”
~ Beth Holt, Nashville Chapter Member

"I loved having LBDC members from Nashville, Ohio and Detroit join us in the Windy City for an amazing weekend! LBDC provides us with these unique opportunities to meet fabulous ladies, who we may otherwise never cross paths with. I'm already looking forward to our next road trip."
~ Richelle Schneider, Chicago Southland Chapter Director

"Meeting lots of great new people, sightseeing, EATING and shopping shopping shopping!! What a blast!"
~ Jenny Smith, Columbus Chapter Member

“Spending 4 days with these women really gave me a chance to get to know them all a little bit better. I can't imagine my first trip to Chicago being with anyone else. Laughing, trying new things and making memories; that's what LBDC is all about."
~ Shay Ashcraft, Nashville Chapter Co-Director and National Director

“Seeing my city, the city I was born & raised in, through the eyes of tourists was an incredible event for me. I was amazed at how well all of these ladies were able to navigate our great city of Chicago. This is a testament to what kind of women LBDC women are; independent & fun loving adventurers!! I would love to visit their cities next!!
~ Peg Donnellan, Chicago Southland Chapter Member

"This was a wonderful way to be introduced to the LBDC! It was a great trip!"
~ Renee Jackson, Detroit Metro Chapter Member

LBDC Directors - Chicago, Detroit, Nashville and Columbus

 

Accessorize With Friends!

This party idea was contributed by Tracy, California Director, Melanie Dunniway. “It was such a blast and the ladies thought it was such a great idea that we are going to do a purse party exchange sometime this year!!”

 

Setup:

Invite each guest to bring ten pieces of jewelry that are new or gently used and a dish for the potluck. Assigning courses will eliminate too many desserts! Or, you may want to make it a dessert-theme potluck! Each guest will leave with ten pieces. Decorate the jewelry table in boutique shopping-style fashion while the ladies are enjoying the potluck.

After the table is set up, invite the ladies to walk around the table and preview the items. Give each lady a small bag in which to place her jewelry. “I found cute little boxes with handles for a $1 each at Target” ~Melanie

Shopping:

Put numbers in a hat – one for each guest (Ten guests – ten tickets). Each guest picks a number, which determines the order they select items from the table. Depending on the number of ladies, two or three may go at a time.

Optionally, allow them to pick two to three items each round in order to expedite the process. Once one round is complete, re-pick numbers so everyone has a random chance to go around the table first.

Additional Ideas for Party Hosts:

· Guests were given three tickets and were able to pick three inexpensive, new jewelry items at the end of the event. Look for jewelry trinkets at a craft store and make your own handmade earrings. Place them in a glass bowl, each in its own sheer jewelry bag.

· Purchase a few inexpensive items for guests who did not have ten pieces. Optionally, guests will

leave with the number of pieces with which they arrived.

To see more photos from this Tracy, California LBDC event, click here or visit them on Facebook. Have an event idea or theme that you would like to see planned in your area? Just want to offer event ideas and suggestions to our club? Send an email to info@lbdclub.com. We always love hearing from you!