Going Shopping for Love at EM & Co

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Wednesday's nights event at well-loved Third Street boutique EM & Co was a happy little multi-pronged celebration. The vaguely-Valentine's Day themed event was a party for author Dorota Skrzypek and her Sex, Life and Hannah books. As you can guess from the title, they're a look at the ups and downs, and in and outs (wink, nudge) of dating, as seen from one gal-about-town's perspective. But beyond the sexy romps and relatable anecdotes, Dorota packs in messages of empowerment and hope. Apparently, she knows what she's talking about: she was there with her husband, and if they both weren't so awesome—cute, funny, and disgustingly smitten with each other—they would have been one of those couples you might glare at and think to yourself, Get a room, people!

There was also the bachelor auction, which was tied into Dorota's books in a novel fashion: seven men were chosen to correspond roughly to characters in the books. As each slice of manmeat prowled the catwalk, Dorota read a selection of the book that talked about that character. Then the excited ladyfolk (and even a few men) got the chance to bid on a date with the boys. The winning bidder didn't get to take her prize home on the spot; rather, local restaurants (like El Carmen) were generous enough to donate dinner and drinks packages to be used at a later time.

The most important part? The event raised hundreds of dollars for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The second most important part? It was a total hoot. So much fun was had. We hope the daters report in to Dorota about how their dates go. And we hope EM & Co throws another great party soon!
· EM & Co [Official Site]