Swap Meet

Recently, I was lucky to be part of a very big night in Cleveland- a clothing swap. And not just any clothing swap-- an opportunity to swap with some of the brightest, fun, and creative girls I've met (not to mention, most of us are the same size). 

busily swapping

This is the second swap meet I've helped organize. The first one was smaller- 5 of us sat around, drank wine, and told a story about every article of clothing that was swapped. This one was larger, and in my friends studio. We drank spicy beer (Tecate, rimmed with lime, sprinkled with salt and cayenne pepper) and ate Chinese buns. 

Like last time, the choice of items was amazing. More like a curated boutique (that happens to be free) than closet cast-offs. I scored a J. Crew blouse that I have COVETED for 3 years. Everyone put thought into what they brought- nothing was unloved. I write, and think, a lot about community, friends, relationships. Our clothing swap perfectly exemplifies the beauty of being part of a like-minded group of friends, of being part of a community. These girls inspire me. I have lived many different places (in the last 9 years, alone- Tallahassee, Miami, Brooklyn, Cleveland- don't get me started on where I moved growing up as a retail brat) but it's Cleveland where I've been most inspired to be part of the community. Maybe it's getting older, maybe it's craving roots, maybe a little of each- either way, it's a great thing. 

* a note- I didn't take these pictures, my friend Deanna did and they are lovely.