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Sorority sisters decide to make fun their business
By THERESA WINSLOW, Staff Writer
In a way, Kristina "Morgan" Rose and Deandra "Brooksie" Brooks owe their success to bad parties.
After going to a succession of these pitiful gatherings - no
food other than a bag of chips, no drinks and no planned activities or decorations - they turned their lifetime of party-planning
experience into a second career as the Recovering Sorority Girls.
The duo has written a
book, "The Recovering
Sorority Girls' Guide to a Year's Worth of Perfect Parties," and has been making the rounds on a publicity
tour. They also write regular newspaper columns and maintain a thriving "virtual" sorority on the Internet. Plans for a second
book that pairs rituals like baby showers or college graduations with unconventional celebrations is in the works, as is another
proposal about how to host speed dating in your home.
"The great thing about
this process is waiting and seeing what happens to us," said Ms. Rose, who lives in Edgewater and in her non-party life is
an attorney with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. "We call it the best second job on the planet.
Greek to me
Ms. Rose and Ms. Brooks met at American University about 14 years ago and
became fast friends as members of the Phi Mu sorority. Ms. Brooks lives in Falls Church, Va., and works as a congressional analyst with the Federal Aviation Administration.
At the sorority, they said, they learned the essential skills of how to throw a great party. But once they graduated,
they noticed other friends gradually let those lessons wane.
The final straw came at
a substandard Christmas gathering in 2001. Fed up, they decided to throw their own New Year's party. Their idea was to have
each one of their guests bring a different martini recipe and the mixers for people to try the drinks. They supplied the alcohol.
They also put up a "resolution board" where guests could write down their goals for the coming year. At the very least, the
hostesses thought it would spur conversation, which it did.
(Their "New Martini's
Eve" party is the first one mentioned in the book, and they still host their own. To date, the worst martini they've tried
has been one that used Pedialyte, which is more commonly used to balance electrolytes in children.)
The original New Year's Eve bash was such a success that someone suggested Ms. Rose and Ms. Brooks should write a party
book. They laughed it off at first, but after a couple months started thinking about it more seriously. Things happened fairly
quickly after that - an agent, the Web presence and a book contract. They finished the book in summer of 2004 and it came
out this year.
Their agent, Linda Konner of the Linda Konner Literary Agency in New York City, said she was struck first by the quality of writing in
the book and then by its humor.
"I consider myself a tough laugher," Ms. Konner said. "But their book,
I thought, was very funny. It's a fresh concept."
Friend and college sorority
sister Carla Spitler of Springfield, Va.,
said the nice thing about the book is that Ms. Rose and Ms. Brooks' sense of fun comes through loud and clear.
"The book isn't just recipes and planning," Ms. Spitler said. "There are great quips and you can get a sense of their
personalities."
Here's a passage from the book's introduction:
"The Society of Recovering Sorority Girls is committed to public service. When properly hosted, a party is a public
service - it gives your guests something to look forward to and creates excitement within your social circle. When a party
falls flat, it's a waste of time in everyone's busy lives."
The book also provides
tips on how people can make the most of their money and time while still throwing a great party and "establishing your reputation
as party goddess and generally saving your social life."
Gary Amoth, owner of Hard Bean Coffee & BookSellers in Annapolis,
had the women in his store for a book signing last week. He's had the book in stock about six weeks and said it's been selling
well.
"It's just good," he said. "It's tongue-in-cheek, clever and helpful.
People look at it and say this is probably worth it, and it is."
Party on
Besides the New Year's Eve soiree, the book features instructions on everything from a Mardi Gras celebration to a
Kentucky Derby shindig. Others include a Japanese cherry blossom festival, Easter brunch and a Columbus Day party.
Besides suggestions for activities and simple, healthy recipes, they provide timelines for each party to give hosts
and hostesses an schedule for proper preparations. "We found that people have great ideas, they just fail to execute," Ms.
Brooks said.
The duo began offering advice as the Recovering Sorority Girls by happenstance.
Someone suggested the name - they're not exactly sure who - they liked it, and it stuck. The name implies "recovering" lost
sorority skills to enhance social life after college, not getting over the experience. "Morgan" and "Brooksie" were their
nicknames in the college sorority.
"We think of our sorority skills as therapy against the drudgery of
adult life," Ms. Rose said with a laugh. Membership in their sorority, Rho Sigma Gamma (the Greek letters which represent
the first letters in Recovering Sorority Girls), isn't dependent on belonging to a college sorority. Anyone can join via the
Web site, which contains planning tips, party ideas and a discussion forum.
"It
has helped me a lot with various parties," said friend Jim Johnston of Alexandria,
Va., a veteran of many gatherings hosted by Ms. Rose and Ms. Brooks. "They're
very creative. They definitely put a lot of work into it. They make it fun."
Ms.
Rose's husband, Joe, also an attorney for the Department of Veterans Affairs, said he's certainly honed his party skills since
their marriage seven years ago. They have a 2-month-old son, James, who's already been to two parties.
"I didn't know I was marrying a party expert, but I knew she was a fun girl," Mr. Rose said. "This has been great and
I know it's been a good experience for her."
Despite busy work schedules, personal commitments and constant
requests for party problem-solving, neither Ms. Rose nor Ms.
Brooks have stopped hosting their own gatherings.
"We don't get tired of
giving them, and we don't get tired of going to them," Ms. Rose said with a smile.
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For more information about The Recovering Sorority Girls, visit the Web
site at www.recoveringsororitygirls.com.
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