Not able to take credit cards

I was overly optimistic before when I said we'd be able to accept credit cards. Very sorry! We can accept checks and cash, and there are two ATMs on site at Stella's.

We're truly sorry for the inconvenience!

The schedule of events

For all you fabulous people who are joining us this Saturday for the fifth annual Jingle Jangle, here is the schedule of events....

7:00 - Doors open! Silent auction begins, food and drinks are served. House music by DJs Bryan Gerrard and David Drone of Celebrity Records goes into the night.
9:00 - Very short program: Thank you message from the Greatest Gift Foundation, introducing guests of honor, and drawing for door prizes, including a weekend getaway for two with airfare and hotel!
9:30 - Silent auction ends.
10:30 - Another round of door prize drawings. Doors open for any donation.
1:30 - Last call
2:00 - You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.

Let's call it "Festive Flirty"

Dress code? Well, it's winter and it's Minnesota, which means your flannel pajama pants are not only practical but probably socially acceptible no matter where you Jingle your Jangle on a cold December night. As for me, I'll be wearing sequins and showing some cleavage. It's the holidays! So let's call the dress code "festive flirty," like this happy young woman with very natural hair color seems to be all about. If you're hopping, come as you are. Its YOU we want to see!

(Gents, tuxes would be definite overkill. And yet, you look so darned gorgeous in them, so who am I to stop you if the mood strikes?)

The car and parking situation

Parking: Stella's offers a $6 valet service, which will be a good choice if you're planning to stay for a few hours. Otherwise, a cheaper option may be to park at the Calhoun Square lot (Lake and Girard, one block east of Hennepin and across the street from Stella's) or at the Lagoon Cinema lot (Lagoon and Girard, one block north of Stella's).

Remember, though, good little elves don't drive at all if they've had too many martinis. A steady stream of cabs is available at Figlio's across the street throughout the night, and we'll have plenty of non-alcoholic choices for the DD in your group.

It's the silent auction, woot woot!

Fabulous holiday gifts, not only at a bargain, but also for a good cause? YES! Our not-so-silent auction will include, among other things:

A certified-authentic Brett Favre autographed game ball

BOSE QuietComfort II headphones

Gift certificates to Stella's Fish Cafe, Wildfire, Kip's Irish Pub, and other great restaurants

Minnesota Wild suite hockey tickets

Jewelry sets by Silpada

A bottle of vintage red Bordeaux

The coolest U of M popcorn and crock giftset you ever saw

Aveda gift baskets

Morningstar Coffee gift basket

Tastefully Simple gift basket

Subscriptions to Mpls.St.Paul Magazine and Metro Magazine

Original, hand-carved wooden Santa Clauses made by my awesome Dad

A set of collectible Mad Magazines and comic books

A gift certificate to Midwest Mountaineering

Plus holiday ornaments, a collectible Wells Fargo plush pony, and other great gift certificates and merchandise!

And yes, you read it right... we will accept credit cards. See you there!

The time, the place

December 8, 2007
7 p.m. - 2 a.m.

Stella's Fish Cafe
3rd Floor Private Lounge
1400 West Lake Street
Uptown, Minneapolis

Tickets are on sale now for a minimum donation of $35. We have room for all your friends, and tickets will be available at the door -- spread the word! To purchase tickets, contact Becky Waller or Mindy Gudmundson.

All net proceeds will go to the brand-new Greatest Gift Foundation (see next post).

About the Greatest Gift Foundation

Launched in October, the new Greatest Gift Foundation [501(c)(3) pending] harnesses the power of social media and human connections to support living organ donors with the emotional, social, financial, and ethical issues they face throughout their donation experience. We also promote the living donation option to lower-income transplant candidates, helping to get more people the life-saving organs they need in time.

It was founded by Twin Cities resident Becky Waller, who donated a portion of her liver to her younger brother, Joe, in January 2006 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. (Both are healthy and productive today and involved in the organ donation cause.)

The Greatest Gift Foundation does not yet have a Web site, but a wealth of content and information on the living donor experience can be found at Becky's personal blog, Chopped Liver, at http://chopped-liver-blog.blogspot.com. The funds we raise at the Jingle Jangle 2007 will enable us to launch the official Web site (and the hub of our support activities) at http://www.greatestgiftfoundation.org.

We look forward to celebrating our launch with you as we toast to this great cause at the Jingle Jangle on December 8!

Jingle Jangle, Baby!

Welcome to the soon-to-be home of the sixth-annual Jingle Jangle: Holiday Cocktails with a Charitable Twist! Event planning has begun to turn this year's event into the most successful ever, as we work to take it out of my humble home and into a larger and more festive public space.

Check back for details soon!