Auction in Belfast features dozens of experiences that money can’t buy

BELFAST, Maine — Have you ever wanted to turn on the Christmas lights that illuminate High Street in Belfast?

Dreamed of striking a pose as a lingerie model for City Drawers on Main Street?

Longed to score a four-hour sail in a cruising sloop with one of the best sailors around?

Desired to dine with a noted mystery author?

This Saturday, these fantasies and others can come true for the highest bidders at the inaugural “Money Can’t Buy It” fundraising auction for Our Town Belfast.

Dorothy Havey, executive director of the nonprofit agency that supports community and creativity in downtown Belfast, said that dozens of folks have come forward with interesting items to donate to the auction. As the name implies, the majority of them are experiences that can’t be bought in shops.

“People have really been amazing with the things they’ve come up with,” she said Tuesday. “It’s about those unique experiences you can only have in Belfast. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be the lingerie model at City Drawers?”

The inspiration for the unusual premise came from the University of Maine Alumni Association, which does its own fundraising auction, as do many area nonprofit organizations. Havey, who used to work at the association, said that two of the donated items that generated the most buzz were the chance to check on black bear cubs with Maine Game Wardens and the opportunity to accompany University of Maine alum Bill Green for his show, Bill Green’s Maine.

“I’ve learned that the more unique the experience became, the more interesting it was,” Havey said. “When you make it so it’s different, it really excites people.”

Although the list of items and experiences is continuing to grow, some of the more unique ones include:

• Going for a leisurely kayak tour of the Passagassawakeag River with Registered Maine Guide (and Belfast City Manager) Joe Slocum.

• Getting three hours of expert historic research guidance with Megan Pinette at the Belfast Historical Society and Museum.

• Sharing lunch with Gerry Boyle, author of such popular page-turners as “Damaged Goods” and “Port City Shakedown.”

• Having the chance to put a message of your choosing on the marquee for the Colonial Theatre.

• Becoming “immortalized” in ice cream by creating a treat that will be named for you at The Cool Spot on Main Street.

• Sailing with Front Street Shipyard’s president, J.B. Turner, on his sloop.

All proceeds from the auction will be used to support Our Town Belfast programs, including the upcoming Old Fashioned Christmas festivities.

“I think that’s why the community’s been so excited about it. We are turning around and re-investing into the community right here,” Havey said.

The preview for the auction and the silent auction will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26, at the Belfast Boat House. Music, light refreshments and a cash bar will be provided.

The live auction, featuring auctioneer and Belfast City Councilor Eric Sanders, will begin around 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 for a person and $15 for a couple.

For more information, visit www.ourtownbelfast.org.

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Chic styles for lounging at home

Two-piece velour suits, pajamas and a large sweater over leggings are examples of comfortable and stylish clothes ideal for lounging on the sofa inside one’s own four walls. The category of clothing is called house wear and it follows current fashion trends.

When it comes to house wear there are so many ways to feel comfortably dressed, while not giving up on chic – no-one has to let themselves go completely, said Simone Piskol, a shopping consultant in Germany. Choosing nice clothing to wear at home also shows one’s partner a bit of respect.

‘Any woman who dresses chic for work every morning and then runs around at home looking dumpy shouldn’t be surprised if her partner keeps his distance,’ Piskol said.

A lot of the styles currently popular in home wear have been inspired by street clothes. The lingerie maker Princesse tam tam, which has boutiques in Germany, France and Belgium as well as an online shop, has harem pants in its home wear line. To keep it from looking too casual, it should be combined with a snugly fitting top, said Berlin-based fashion consultant Dagmar Dobrofsky.

Freya, a UK-based lingerie maker with hundreds of stores worldwide, also combines wide lounger pants with slim-fitting tops and vests. A combination that young women in particular like to wear is leggings and a T-shirt, as shown in the catalog of Vienna-based Palmers.

‘During the cold months of the year it is comfortable to wear leg warmers over the leggings,’ said style consultant Birgit Getter. Piskol said tops long enough to cover the bottom look well on larger-size women. Combining it with leggings also works well.

There are also home wear pants for men this season, and it should surprise no-one that they are baggy and designed to droop in the back just like the style seen on the street. Undercolors of Benetton, a division of the Italian clothing maker, has plaid home wear pants in its line. Generally, home wear suits should ‘exude comfort,’ Getter said. Materials like jersey are especially comfortable to wear.

The style of the classic home wear suit has changed dramatically in recent years and now they can be compared with warmup or track suits. The cut of women’s home wear suits are the best example, said Getter. The top is very tailored, while the pants have a modern boot cut, meaning the pant leg flares out at the bottom, which makes the legs look thinner.

Piskol said, however, that people should think of their home wear suits as the type of clothing to wear when they don’t have to worry about spontaneously answering the door. ‘The suit looks a bit too private,’ Piskol said. ‘A long pullover combined with leggings and cozy leg warmers or socks is a better choice for such encounters.’

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