February Is For The HOMEGIRLZ🎀💐👩🏾‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏿

If there’s one thing I’m going to do every February, it’s gather the Homegirlz for a night of laughter, love, and vibes set to “main character energy.” The Galentines Party has officially become my annual tradition. Part celebration, part therapy session, part photoshoot, and fully a love letter to my Homegirlz.💗

Maintaining long-term friendships with women— genuine, evolving, decade‑deep friendships—feels like a lost art these days. 5, 10, or even 20 years of showing up for each other through every chapter? For some people, that’s RARE. And it’s sacred. The older I get, the more I understand how essential good girlfriends are to having a full, accountable, grounded, and joyful life. My troupe has carried me through seasons I didn’t have the words for, celebrated me in moments I didn’t know I needed, and sat with me in silence, heartbreak + in laughter. Now I’d be lying if I said every friendship made it to this chapter. There were a few breakups along the way, no tea no shade. Some endings hurt like hell. But life happens, lessons were learned, and WE MOVE. Through it all, my golden friends remained true. I’m sooooo beyond grateful for this version of sisterhood, and I pray for many more decades of grace, softness, growth, and memories we’ll laugh about forever. “Hey Siri, Play “No New Friends” by Drake!” 🎵

Life looks a little different these days, adulting has kicked in full swing but even though we were missing a few of the homegirlz for this year’s party due to scheduling conflicts, I still wanted our get-together to feel special and elevated. Think: brunch but cutesy, soft, and intentional. Here’s exactly how I pulled together the ultimate Galentines Brunch.🎀

🪩 THE THEME: 

🥂 THE SIGNATURE COCKTAIL: Golden Girl Mimosas XL and Baddies Froze

Every good Galentines needs a signature drink. Mine was light, pretty, and dangerously easy to sip on.

✨ A TIME WAS HAD and yes……naps were taken✨

Ingredients:

Golden Girl Mimosa

• Martini and Rossi Asti
• Grey Goose Babyyyyyy (This made it XL)
• Peach, Mango, and Orange Juice
• A splash of edible glitter
• Garnished with fresh-cut strawberries

It photographed beautifully and tasted even better.

Baddie Punch Frozé

• Martini and Rossi Asti Rosé
• Pink Raspberry Lemonade
• Malibu 
• Strawberry Puree

🍽️ THE MENU: Cute, Simple, Delicious

🎀THE DECOR: Simple, but cute enough to get the point across!

I focused on small touches that made a big impact. Little details, big energy.

• A Cheetah print tablescape for the activity table
• Red Hearts table runner
• Pink and Red Balloons (Hearts with helium were sold out everywhere, so we opted for stars)
• Red and White Rose in Cylinder vases
• DIY Jumbo Bow Decor with pink and red plastic tablecloth 
• Personalized gift bags with goodies and activity materials for each homegirl

It felt intentional without feeling overdone.

🎶 THE PLAYLIST: R&B, Soft Pop, and a Little Beyoncé

If you know me in real life, then YOU KNOW I’m never too ill for a good YouTube DJ mix. LITERALLY NEVERRR. Needless to say, once we found the perfect DJ mix it was HIT for HIT, ARTIST for ARTIST. Starting off strong with:

• Olivia Dean
• Victoria Monét
• Beyoncé (duhh)
• SZA
• Old‑school Destiny’s Child
• A sprinkle of 2000s nostalgia

The kind of mix that makes you bop while pouring up another mimooooosa!

🎨THE ACTIVITIES: 

I thought it would be a nice idea to let the creative juices flow. It turned out to be very therapeutic for the girlz. If I had to choose one moment from the day to deem as my favorite, it would have to be the yap session. I LOVE hearing different perspectives on spicy, taboo topics! My homegirlz and I gets zownnn on a good yap sesh.

All in all, Galentines isn’t about perfection — it’s about presence. It’s about celebrating the women who hype you, hold you, and heal you. It’s about creating a space where everyone feels seen and loved. And this year? We did exactly that.

xoxo, Nina Lauren Rutherford

#NinaSaidSo💛