Girls' Night Out!

After a few weeks of being cooped up (off and on) with snotty, coughy kids, I needed some time out that was longer than a quick jaunt to Target by myself. When my right eye starts twitching, I know it's time for a break before someone finds me locked in a closet with a bag of Hershey's kisses.

My friend Christy (who likes Target Playdates and IKEA Shopping and our NYC Girls' Trip) wanted to do something besides go to the movies or out for coffee, so she hosted a Stella & Dot party last night.

What had me most intrigued beforehand was the fact that Christy chose to host the party at a local ale house and restaurant in "old towne," which turned out to be genius. As a hostess, she didn't have to worry about cleaning or cooking or getting her kids out of sight or shoving all her clutter into a spare bedroom (what?! don't you do that?).

And everything seems better if you have a drink, yes?

And giant pretzels the size of a small child:

We all tried a Lambic, which is a Belgian beer that tastes like fruity Sprite. I had to limit myself to one glass, because I am old and unable to bear the thought of a hangover with two children shrieking at me all morning.

The restaurant had a party room and the Stella & Dot rep turned it into her own little showroom. (The party room was small and dark, so I had to use the flash...don't hate on me, okay?)

Don't you love this jewelry display piece?

Pretty things to look at everywhere we turned!

In full disclosure, some of the pieces were way beyond my budget ($100 +), but I did order an adorable Kristin Charm Necklace for Natalie's birthday and some Paradise Studs for me. Both were well within my price range, and Natalie's necklace actually comes with all three charms!

The best part was trying on all the jewelry and figuring out how we'd wear each piece.

(Adrianna is one of those saints who picks out gifts for each family member before even considering something for herself)

I've seen Stella & Dot featured online before, and admired the fun, colorful take on women's accessories; but the photos really don't do justice to the pieces. It was a pleasure to seeing the unique and stylish line in person.

More than anything, I appreciated having a chance to kick back with some girlfriends and try a new idea out for a Girls' Night Out.

{Do you have any fun ideas for unconventional Girls' Nights Out?}

(This was a completely unsponsored post. All opinions are mine!)