Good tidings for Galentine's Day

By JENNIFER PASSARO

Staff Writer

Galentine’s Day began as a fictitious holiday celebrating Leslie Knope’s ladyfriends on the hit sitcom “Parks and Recreation.” This year, businesses throughout North Idaho plan to highlight the pseudo-holiday, holding events on Thursday, Valentine’s Day-eve, that recognize the importance of female friendships.

“A lot of people don’t have significant others. Perhaps they’ve lost a spouse or don’t have a partner,” said Brooke Miller, Beau Monde clothing store owner and longtime North Idaho resident. “Galentine’s Day is an excuse to go out with the girls and have a good time.”

Miller opened Beau Monde in 2001 and now operates four stores throughout Kootenai County, specializing in high-quality recycled clothing.

Beau Monde Luxe features upcycled clothing and locally crafted jewelry in a hip, warm shop at 810 N. Fourth St. in midtown Coeur d’Alene. On a sunny Tuesday afternoon, the shop brimmed with customers eager to find a deal.

The store will host a silent auction benefiting the international anti-human trafficking organization Operation Underground Railroad on Galentine’s Day.

Miller encourages gals to bring items to include in the silent auction. Beau Monde will feature items from the store and gift cards.

“The silent auction ties in with the mission of the company,” Miller said. “Let’s use what is already here instead of buying something.”

Lush Intimate Apparel and Kelli Maxey at Coco Rose Beauty salon donated baskets. Vocalist and Beau Monde employee Libby Goodwin will sing for the event, running from 6-8 p.m. Thursday.

“We try each month to do a gathering where women can come together and connect,” Miller said. “A lot of the success of brick and mortar stores comes from human connection. I want to connect that with charity.”

Over the past 10 years, Beau Monde has donated more than $110,000 to local charities through its bag sales. When people drop off clothing to the Beau Monde Exchange in Hayden, they have the opportunity to donate any clothing Beau Monde doesn’t purchase for resale. That donated clothing is rounded up and stored. When the unit is full, Miller hosts a $10 bag sale, donating the money to a local charity, from animal shelters to hospice centers to veteran aid to the Union Gospel Mission.

If there is a charity in town, it’s likely Beau Monde has made a donation.

Miller grew up in Sandpoint and has a degree in social work. In the late 1990s, while working at the Children’s Village in Coeur d’Alene, Miller decided to do something different. In 2001 she opened Beau Monde on the corner of Appleway and Fourth. In 2005, the business burned to the ground and Miller, a mother of five, lost everything. She started over.

Miller’s approach to resale has inspired shops from Sandpoint to Missoula. She carries something for every eye, selling clothing and accessories for men, women and children.

“I made a pact with myself that every day I’m going to learn something new,” Miller said.

In between running four shops, picking up kids from school and doing household chores, Miller listens to podcasts and stays engaged in social justice issues.

Operation Underground Railroad caught her attention. Founder and CEO Tim Ballard began his career in the CIA and spent over a decade working for the Department of Homeland Security’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. He founded O.U.R. to continue the fight to end human trafficking of minors.

“They give [victims] a place to heal indefinitely,” Miller said. “They teach them skills.”

She hopes someone will be inspired by the charities she highlights.

“They might take it in and have it be what they do,” Miller said. “It gives people something to work for.”

While Galentine’s Day might not be as popular as Valentine’s Day, Miller certainly pours a lot of love into the catalyst behind the satirical holiday, bringing women together to celebrate friendship and commitment to their communities.

She isn’t the only one.

Barn 31, an event space in Post Falls, will host an inappropriate sign-making workshop complete with a chocolate fountain from 6 to 9 p.m. Galentine’s Day. Tickets can be purchased through their website www.barn31pf.com.

“I have this word, I made it up, ‘crealationship’ that applies to our events,” said Sarah Gondo, Barn 31 owner. “We are built for relationships. Here at Barn 31 we have built in time in our workshops where people have a chance to catch up while they create. Women are here working on projects, but they are also talking with their girlfriends. It’s important to get out of the house and spend time with friends.”

Barn 31 began in Gondo’s actual barn in Post Falls. Her pallet-painting workshops quickly sold out and she realized she needed more space. Barn 31 opened at 1908 E. Seltice Way last fall.

“I just love ladies’ nights and I think Galentine’s Day is a fun way to celebrate your girlfriends,” Gondo said.