'Girlavanting' Puts a Fun Twist on Girls' Night Out

The chilly November weather didn't stop the ladies from coming out for a night of shopping and fun. Tamara Stone and Teri Williams brought "Girlavanting" to this month'' in downtown Ferndale and put a whole new meaning on "Girls' Night Out."

Third Thursdays is a monthly event in downtown Ferndale where shops stay open a little later than usual to show appreciation to its clientele.

But what exactly is "Girlavanting"?

They define it as not just wandering around town, but painting it red with your "sisters" – as in the friends you laugh and cry with, the duo said.

It's not just a night out, though; it's actually a book. Stone and Williams wrote Girlavanting - The Girls Guide to Balance, Bliss and Fun about celebrating your inner goddess and finding your sisterhood with other girls. Williams, who lives in Pleasant Ridge, is no stranger to writing books; she has two other publications and is also a radio co-host, a local television producer and an ordained minister. Williams also founded The Bliss Network and is sometimes referred to as "The Bliss Lady."

Stone, a Ferndale resident, contributes to The Bliss Network as well as having her own interior design business, Tamara Stone Interiors. She is a certified feng shui and interior alignment practitioner and creator of the Balance Kit. She is also in the process of writing a book on balance. Life balance, not, say, the balance beam. Stone also has a nickname: "The Balance Chic."

Stone and Williams took over in downtown Ferndale as the home base Thursday. Guests were greeted with goodie bags and wine and cheese, as well as product demonstrations from Ferndale's newest holistic medicine shop. The ladies were also provided with a map of all the shops participating in the event.

The Boston Tea Room and opened their doors for the ladies to explore all of the different products they carry. They also provided complimentary wine and the Tea Room passed out a special heart charm as well as information on the services they offer. owner Scott Moloney was on hand in the Candle Wick Shop passing out samples of honey lavender ice cream.

Other stops on the route included , which passed out goodie bags filled with chocolate and shortbread. handed out free paintbrushes and gave the girls an opportunity to peek in on a class. had its makeup artist, Tiffany Elie, providing free consultations and a choice of free lip gloss, eye shadow or concealer. had trays of complimentary mini cupcakes and and Nail Studio stationed a "pop up beauty bar" where they provided the ladies with free hand massages.

At every stop, guests were encouraged to fill out a raffle ticket for the big grand prize drawing at . Everyone gathered in a room and the excitement started to build. Prizes included a free haircut from , a manicure and pedicure from Rouge, a $20 gift certificate to and an ice cream party "to go" from Treat Dreams.

Lauren Totman, of Clawson, won Williams' two previous publications, Blisstory and Sisstory.

When Ferndale resident Carrie Smith won two prizes in a row, she offered to give her second prize to someone else. Williams exclaimed, "That is a true girlfriend!" A statement met with a round of cheers and applause.

Williams and Stone look forward to planning more "Girlavanting" events in the future and hopefully seeing more "sisters" join in on the festivities.

You can learn more about Girlavanting - The Girls Guide to Balance, Bliss and Fun and find out when is the next event at www.girlavanting.com