Jill Rogers Barham - Junior League of Little Rock

I Want for Christmas,” says the event
speaks especially to the theme Learn It
in the League. “The children that attend
League events this year will someday be
the leaders of this city. League members
know that children learn what it means to
volunteer by watching us. Who knows,
a future Junior League of Little Rock
President or Holiday House Chair may
attend this year!”
Home for the Holiday House
Holiday House is important to the Junior
League of Little Rock for many reasons.
Barham notes that it’s not only the
primary fundraiser for the League but it
has also become a tradition. People look
forward to gathering their girlfriends for
Ladies Night Out or to planning a date
night for Preview Party where they can
enjoy amazing food and entertainment
while being the first to see what our the
merchants have to offer. For every year
that the League continues Holiday House,
it becomes a family tradition for more and
more people. Barham says that for her
family, it’s the beginning of their holiday
season. Her mother-in-law comes to help
watch her two daughters, her husband
comes during the private shopping, and
some days her daughters spend all day
there hanging out and learning from their
mother’s hard work; “I think Adley (age
6) truly thinks she is a Holiday House
committee member.” By the last day of
Holiday House,” Barham reflects, “we
have purchased so many gifts that we
have finished our shopping and can begin
wrapping, decorating, and really enjoying
quality family time together.”
Holiday House is important to the
community as well. The public has grown
to love Holiday House as a family friendly
time of holiday fun. They know they can
come enjoy themselves and get quality
products for everyone on their list! The
public also sees the ways League projects
touch our community in positive and
lasting ways.
Rock’n Around the Christmas Tree
While the main purpose of Holiday House
is charitable and its success is the result
of lots of hard work, there are plenty of
22 Interaction l Holiday 2009
delightful events scheduled during the
week to celebrate. Start your week with
“Silent Night, Not Tonight” the Preview
Party on November 11 th . The evening will
go from 6pm-10pm and the $35 tickets
will provide you beer and wine, shopping,
a silent auction, a wine cork pull (new this
year!), the musical delights of CRISIS!
Band, and food from Palette Catering.
The dress code for the event is snappy
casual.
On November 12th, have “A Very Merry
Morning” with private shopping from
9 am to 12 noon. Tickets for this event
are $25 and include coffee provided by
the Peabody Hotel, brunch provided by
Palette Catering, and a chance to beat
the crowds and get a head start on your
holiday shopping.
Later that night, head back to the
Statehouse Convention Center in your
heels and sparkle for Ladies Night Out—
“Stockings and Stilettos.” The evening
is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on November
12 th . Tickets are $25 and will include a
Mexican buffet, 2 margaritas or glasses
of wine, all the shopping you want, a
fabulous silent auction, and a Jones and
Son Fine Jewelers Raffle!
Auction! Auction! Bid all about it!
The list of auction items that will be
available grows and grows all year,
according to Kristen Saffa, Auction
Committee Chair-Elect, but some of
the must-bid items include a painting
by Robert Bean, a piano from Piano
Kraft, a gift certificate for free tuition
at Satori School for Arts (good for any
of the 6 week long art classes, including
photography classes, water color & acrylic
painting, and pottery), a gift basket from
Learning Rx, several local restaurant
gift certificates, a giant giraffe stuffed
animal from Pickles and Ice Cream, a Don
Shula signed football, and Zoom! teeth
whitening.
All for the Little Ones
On Saturday November 14 th from 9 am-
12 pm bring your little ones and children
of all ages to enjoy some “Milk and
Cookies.” Only $5 provides wonderful
stories read by Mrs. Claus while
enjoying milk and cookies! Don’t miss
this; Mrs. Claus gets increasingly busy
as December 25 th approaches. Also on
Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm, come watch
Arkansas’ best pastry chefs and local
celebrities battle it out in the 3 rd Annual
Gingerbread House Competition. The list
of participants includes Blue Cake Co.,
Pulaski Technical Institute, and Gigi’s
Cake Boutique. Stick around to finish up
your shopping and to watch the houses be
raffled off in the afternoon. A ticket will
be drawn from each voting box and each
gingerbread house will then go home with
its new owner by the close of the show
on Saturday. What a fun centerpiece a
gingerbread house would be for your
home decorations this year!