DRY’s 10-Year Anniversary Party
You’ve probably heard that DRY turned ten last month. It was kind of a big deal. So big, in fact, that we decided to throw a soiree. We wanted to celebrate the milestone and thank many of the people who have helped us along the way. There were cupcakes and cocktails and artists (oh my)! Here’s a rundown about how we threw a party, DRY-style.
First off, uberSELECT offered rides to our party goers, which was a huge benefit. The Chinese President was in town, creating the potential for a traffic and parking nightmare around Seattle, so it couldn’t have possibly been a better night to get complimentary lift!
Where were all these uberSELECT cars taking our guests? To AXIS Event Space and Gallery, of course, which is just down the block from DRY’s HQ office. Think exposed brick, beautiful high ceilings, and a fun loft space that screams VIP. As people entered the room, we almost got tired of hearing how gorgeous the space was. Almost.
The beauty of AXIS’ venue was accented by local artist, Marie Lucas, who created a custom charcoal and pastel piece just for DRY. She allowed our guests to ask her questions and watch as she finished the canvas. Marie especially enjoys work that combines women and elements of nature, so it is easy to see how this passion is reflected in what she created for DRY. We cannot tell you how in love we are with this drawing! The final piece now lives at DRY HQ, proudly on display for all to see.
Not only did our guests get to watch an artist at work, they were invited to become the artist by contributing to a canvas and acrylic mural. Those who attended had all made a mark on DRY over the past decade, so we invited them to make a literal mark on our future. This was the final result, with each swipe of a brush belonging to one of our party-goers. It was fun, and now we have another work of art for our space. It’s the ultimate anniversary gift.
We also had a little fun raising some $ for Farestart, who provides culinary training and job placement services for Seattle’s homeless and at-risk populations. We created a ring toss game that was pretty simple – buy a set of rings (all proceeds benefitting FareStart), throw them onto some carefully set bottles, win whatever bottle you ring! We gave away wine, spirits, dinners at Farestart’s Guest Chef Night and tours from Taste Seattle Food Tours. Best of all, we supported an incredible charity partner!
Now onto the food. Ravishing Radish created and served delicious appetizers like goat cheese and Mama Lil’s pepper crostini, an epic cheese platter, and prawn skewers, all carefully paired with DRY.
To sweeten the deal, Trophy Cupcakes showed up with hundreds of mini cupcakes in triple chocolate, red velvet and lemon/lemon. They were so delicious, an impromptu cupcake eating contest may have occurred. Don’t you dare judge – all that party planning made us hungry.
DRY CEO and Founder, Sharelle Klaus, also gave what she referred to as a “small speech,” thanking everyone in the room, including her four children, for contributing to DRY’s success. There were jokes, there were a few tears and there was a sincere appreciation for the support DRY has received from customers, retailers, creatives, distributors, press, and so many others. Some might say it was the highlight of the night.
To keep the energy high, DJ Lourawk infused the party with faves from the past few decades. The hit artists of the evening – Madonna, Rhianna and Marcia Griffiths. Wait, who the heck is Marcia Griffiths? This lovely lady sings the “Electric Boogie,” otherwise known as… “the Electric Slide.” Although it was unexpected, it was late and it just felt right, and so, we just let it happen.
Capping it all off, each guest got to keep their DRY flute and received a gift on the way out. After reading Mindy Kaling’s account of what’s actually in celebrity gift bags, we feel we’ve set a new bar. This bountiful bag included a DRY 4-pack, a custom gold DRY cocktail shaker from True Fabrications, crisps from 34 Degrees, chocolate from Theo Chocolate, drinking vinegar from The Shrubbery, magnetic salt and pepper crushers from Chef’n, and a complimentary cupcake from Trophy. Not bad, right Mindy?
Now finally – the really important stuff. The whole point of the party was to thank all of you who have been part of DRY’s success. If you were there, it meant a lot to us. And if not, we still appreciate you very much. Thank you for being amazing customers, friends and partners.
Cheers to the next ten years!
PS – Thanks to CarleyJayne Photography for capturing images of the evening. Head to our Facebook page to see the complete party album.
First off, uberSELECT offered rides to our party goers, which was a huge benefit. The Chinese President was in town, creating the potential for a traffic and parking nightmare around Seattle, so it couldn’t have possibly been a better night to get complimentary lift!
Where were all these uberSELECT cars taking our guests? To AXIS Event Space and Gallery, of course, which is just down the block from DRY’s HQ office. Think exposed brick, beautiful high ceilings, and a fun loft space that screams VIP. As people entered the room, we almost got tired of hearing how gorgeous the space was. Almost.
The beauty of AXIS’ venue was accented by local artist, Marie Lucas, who created a custom charcoal and pastel piece just for DRY. She allowed our guests to ask her questions and watch as she finished the canvas. Marie especially enjoys work that combines women and elements of nature, so it is easy to see how this passion is reflected in what she created for DRY. We cannot tell you how in love we are with this drawing! The final piece now lives at DRY HQ, proudly on display for all to see.
Not only did our guests get to watch an artist at work, they were invited to become the artist by contributing to a canvas and acrylic mural. Those who attended had all made a mark on DRY over the past decade, so we invited them to make a literal mark on our future. This was the final result, with each swipe of a brush belonging to one of our party-goers. It was fun, and now we have another work of art for our space. It’s the ultimate anniversary gift.We also had a little fun raising some $ for Farestart, who provides culinary training and job placement services for Seattle’s homeless and at-risk populations. We created a ring toss game that was pretty simple – buy a set of rings (all proceeds benefitting FareStart), throw them onto some carefully set bottles, win whatever bottle you ring! We gave away wine, spirits, dinners at Farestart’s Guest Chef Night and tours from Taste Seattle Food Tours. Best of all, we supported an incredible charity partner!Now onto the food. Ravishing Radish created and served delicious appetizers like goat cheese and Mama Lil’s pepper crostini, an epic cheese platter, and prawn skewers, all carefully paired with DRY. To sweeten the deal, Trophy Cupcakes showed up with hundreds of mini cupcakes in triple chocolate, red velvet and lemon/lemon. They were so delicious, an impromptu cupcake eating contest may have occurred. Don’t you dare judge – all that party planning made us hungry.DRY CEO and Founder, Sharelle Klaus, also gave what she referred to as a “small speech,” thanking everyone in the room, including her four children, for contributing to DRY’s success. There were jokes, there were a few tears and there was a sincere appreciation for the support DRY has received from customers, retailers, creatives, distributors, press, and so many others. Some might say it was the highlight of the night.To keep the energy high, DJ Lourawk infused the party with faves from the past few decades. The hit artists of the evening – Madonna, Rhianna and Marcia Griffiths. Wait, who the heck is Marcia Griffiths? This lovely lady sings the “Electric Boogie,” otherwise known as… “the Electric Slide.” Although it was unexpected, it was late and it just felt right, and so, we just let it happen.Capping it all off, each guest got to keep their DRY flute and received a gift on the way out. After reading Mindy Kaling’s account of what’s actually in celebrity gift bags, we feel we’ve set a new bar. This bountiful bag included a DRY 4-pack, a custom gold DRY cocktail shaker from True Fabrications, crisps from 34 Degrees, chocolate from Theo Chocolate, drinking vinegar from The Shrubbery, magnetic salt and pepper crushers from Chef’n, and a complimentary cupcake from Trophy. Not bad, right Mindy?Now finally – the really important stuff. The whole point of the party was to thank all of you who have been part of DRY’s success. If you were there, it meant a lot to us. And if not, we still appreciate you very much. Thank you for being amazing customers, friends and partners.Cheers to the next ten years!
PS – Thanks to CarleyJayne Photography for capturing images of the evening. Head to our Facebook page to see the complete party album.