Sarah ArnoldOnce a year, you will see ladies of the Mid-Ohio Valley donning their sparkliest and shiniest apparel for one night of dancing, drinks, dessert and lots of fun. What began as a group of friends dressing up for Marietta’s Holiday Loft Tour has evolved into a luxury, ticketed event that features a variety of local, talented women. The master-mind behind Sparkly Ladies Night is none other than textile and graphic designer, Nikki Butler.
“Back in 2011, I invited half a dozen of friends to go out in early December for a girls night out,” Nikki says. “Our goal was to attend the Marietta Loft Tour and then have dinner at Austyn’s. I called it Sparkly Ladies Night and used it as an excuse to wear all the fun, sparkly items available in-store that time of year. We kept it pretty casual, I think I wore jeans and a sequin tank with a sweater. But I did add pink glitter to my shoes and wore a fur coat!”
The ladies enjoyed it so much that they decided to do it again the next year. “We amped up the sparkle quite a bit, met for wine at the first stop on the loft tour, attracted a bit of attention on the tour and finished up at Spagna’s – who graciously let us set up a very glittery table and bring our own dessert and floral centerpieces.”
From there, it only grew. The following year was similar, only Nikki’s husband kindly rented a van to drive the group – now 16 ladies – from loft to loft. They received so many comments, many saying ‘let me know about that Sparkly Ladies Night – I’d like to join you next year!’
“So I elected my friends as my ‘Sparkly Board of Directors’ to assist in the planning for 2014. Darcy Conner, Gi Smith, Trisha Miller, Caroline Waller, Sara Bir, Misti Sims, Christine Marasco and Nicole Harris. I also included several of my freelance clients: Teri Ann’s and Heirloom Finds as sponsors. It has become an opportunity to show off the talented ladies and lady-owned businesses we have in the MOV!”
Last year’s event was the first year that it was open to the public as a ticketed event. 75 tickets were sold, and guests enjoyed a sparkly photo booth, door prizes, gift bags, cocktails, and tasty treats while spending quality time with friends. This year the event is even larger, with 100 total tickets available, and sponsors including Teri Ann’s, artist Nicole Harris, Hot Tomato Pin-Up Academy, Heirloom Finds, the Sausagetarian, Little Black Dress Events, Passiflora Studio, Darcy Conner Health & Fitness, Buckeye Vodka, and Clutch MOV.
There are still tickets available for this year’s festivities, ladies! You can find more info on this year’s event on their facebook page, and purchase tickets at Teri Ann’s or by emailing Nikki. It’s a wonderful excuse to get dressed up, nibble great food, sip signature cocktails, and dance and mingle with fabulous friends. To help you get sparkled up, Heirloom Finds is offering this special code just to you, dear readers – use “ClutchMOV” at checkout for 20% off your purchase, now through 1/31/16!
We asked Nikki what was in the future for Sparkly Ladies Night: “I’m not certain what this will become and sometimes I’m still quite surprised that it has grown to include 100 ladies this year! With the casual nature of today’s culture, there are few opportunities for ladies to get glamorously dressed up. It appears I’ve found my “old school” and traditional tribe of women that also love being ladies. I am so proud of the talented group that I get to call friends and clients – this is my night to show them all off!”