I will go to great lengths to avoid the ickiness of camping. Roughing it is not on my bucket list.
photo credit: Valarie Olson
But glamping at Girl Camp? Well, every glamour girl should try it. I’m glad I did.
photo credit: Valarie Olson
Not only does glamping provide an extended period of time to hang out with your gal pals, but it is also empowering. At Girl Camp, my girlfriends make fire, haul glampers, and do all of the things I’ve pretended are man-boy’s domain.
photo credit: Valarie Olson
Need I mention they do so in bikinis and lipstick while sipping from real wine glasses?
photo credit: Valarie Olson
Girl power.
Oogah!
photo credit: Valarie Olson
You, too, can join the glamping phenomenon. Head into nature after gathering a few simple elements: friends, food, fun…and glamour!
Friends.
· Round up your pals and their pals. “It’s neat that not everyone knew each other. There was a lot to talk about,” said Libby Rogers, experienced glamper and one of the hostesses of our Girl Camp.
· Welcome other friendlies. Random husbands, men and females dropped by. Libby continued. “Drama isn’t a necessity, but afterward, I was so appreciative of the girls I was around.”
· Know your hosts. We invited our Keeper of the Campground to meals, and he entertained us by toting his guitar and serenading us ‘round the campfire with a song he wrote just for us!
photo credit: Moria Kinsey
Food.
· Eat well. “Good food is nice,” Alicia Franke, fellow Girl Camper said. “It’s not a requirement, but there was a lot of really yummy food. It didn’t hurt to have peanut butter in dipped chocolate.” I agree. I want that recipe. And the hummus, and the orzo salad, and the tilapia….
· Invite good cooks. I took my trusty tortellini salad, but I enjoyed the culinary talents of others. A little creek burbled as we dined on amazing dishes, including salads from locally grown produce. Breanna Batey, one of the hostesses, grilled deer brats—that I think she’d actually shot with a bow and arrow. No kidding. Katniss Everdeen, watch out!
· Drinks don’t hurt, either. Andrea Ward, a third hostess with the mostest, presented us with a lovely tray of her specialty drink: Red Rooster. I don’t remember what was in it, but you can see from the picture that I enjoyed it. Cheers!
Photo credit: Society Shirts
Fun
· Plan an activity. Kids go to band camp, cheer camp, art camp, space camp, etc. You’re at Girl Camp. Camps have activities. My friend Jennifer Laws at Society Shirts created three designs for us. Friday night was spent personalizing tees and tanks. Above is an example of one of the prints.
· Enjoy nature. Soak up the sun, swim in a lake, rent a pontoon, float the river, take a walk. Most of the glampers at my Girl Camp know each other through The 108 Yoga Studio. So, an outside yoga session occurred Saturday and Sunday mornings.
· Give swag. Did you notice the bright necklaces and blingy rings in the photos? Party favors. I may not be a master chef, but I can bring the swag. I learned this trick from my writing group’s retreats. A girl likes gifts—no matter how small or inexpensive.
photo credit: Brandi Barnett
Glamour.
· Decorate. “The funniest thing was all the accessories,” Breanna Batey said. Moria Kinsey transformed the area with plants, chairs, and peacocks while fellow glamper brought a flock of flamingos. (One of those birds somehow migrated to a tree. Another the creekbed.)
· Use beautiful things. Twinkle lights, tablecloths, and flowers add something special to a glamping site. Scenery is really important. The glamour is in the details. Use real wine glasses and dishes.
· Indulge your femininity. Upon arrival I was greeted with bikini clad moms with yoga bodies. I felt my cellulite pucker. Later, when we were hanging out by a creek, someone asked me why I wasn’t wearing a bikini. At that moment, I wondered the same. Girl Camp was a safe place. Not much later, Valarie Olson showed up with a camera and props. It’s hard to get more glamorous than a photo shoot.
So, go ahead and embrace your girldom.
photo credit: Valarie Olson
Find peace.
photo credit: Valarie Olson
Find yourself.
photo credit: Valarie Olson
Glamp it up.
photo credit: Valarie Olson
After experiencing one Girl Camp, trust me, you’ll want to do it s’more.
Brandi Barnett is blogs as Brandi’s Blog and is the Blogger of the Month of July.