The Social Barter: An Evening with Retrofit Republic & Spicy Green Mango

Alright, I love the rain--dancing in it, stomping in the puddles and lifting my face up towards the sky to catch raindrops falling on my tongue---I love it all!  But, anybody's who's ever planned a major event knows that rain can possibly be one of the biggest deterants to having a great crowd--not only does it make preparation and set-up a major pain, but there's so many things that can go wrong in wet and slippery weather conditions.  

Call it good karma or else somebody happened to be listening when I said my prayers to the rain Gods because not only was I spared from any major unexpected mishaps, but as the evening wore on and the rain continued to steadily pound the pavement, more and more of our guests were trickling in--first one, then two, then twenty five (all of whom received smore's goodie bags for being our first guests) and before we knew it...we had a packed house!  More than 50 Nearly 100 talented souls from the SF bay area, Berkeley, Oakland and beyond found it in their hearts to trek through the sloppy weather to support us at the Social Barter.  So, believe me when I say: 

THANK YOU to each and every one of you who came out, brimming with creative skills and optimism (and a healthy appetite).  I hope that you made great connections and had meaningful conversations with other local area talents.  I know that I definitely did!

 ( Retrofit Republic co-founders--Jenny & Julia w/Marketing Director, Genevieve:  Image courtesy of Ryan M. Louie) 

An evening with some of the most creative minds I know and truly a labor of love through and through.  This week, I was able to be a part of my first eat and greet event thanks to my wonderful Jenny and Julia of Retrofit Republic, a sustainable vintage store making a social impact.  They are the sweetest, FIERCEST and most fashion-forward ladies you'll ever meet and I'm quite fortunate to have known these two for quite some time now.  In fact, Jenny and I went to college together and have been inspiring each other ever since.  I'm telling you: the womyn can make a piece of cardboard look sexy---that's the caliber of her mad design skills.  And dear Julia...oh, this mover and shaker can hustle a deal out of anything and anyone and did I mention that she's also gone on tour with the Black Eyed Peas to educate millions across the country about the changing face of environmentalism and a clean energy economy? Sheer brilliance, to say the least.

But of course, the event would not have been nearly as successful without the team behind Spicy Green Mango:  my hubby and sis.  These two special individuals are who I have to thank for all the work, sweat (literally) and hours they spent helping me prepare for the Social Barter.  It was a family affair and my brother even came out to bartend for the night.  Love you, guys!  So, what did we whip up for the evening? 

Sweet Purple Sticky Rice

{infused with coconut milk and topped with fresh mango and grated coconut drizzle}

and

Lao-style Crunchy Rice Salad

{sprinkled with peanuts & coconut with a squeeze of backyard limes}

Psst...I'll post the recipe for the purple sticky rice dessert soon as part of my holiday dessert collection, so stay tuned :)

And Pauline, the adorably sweet owner of the whimsical  Dartealing Lounge was pure joy to work with from start to finish.  Not only did she allow us to utilize her space, but she also went the extra mile and made sure that we had everything we needed for a fabulous evening of social bartering. 

Did I mention how amazingly stylish the ladies of Retrofit Republic are? Don't believe me? Well, judge for yourself; their sustainable fashion sense is oozing with vintage chic all over.  It's okay--you can agree with me (I won't say that I told you so :)