Videography by Vlada Karpovich | Music by Vlad Krotov
Unlock the ultimate year of refinement and inspiration with Ladies of Leisure. Engage in expertly curated challenges, indulge in elegance, and unite with like-minded women. Enjoy a seasonal soirée and start your local chapter today!
🌙 Evenings with E.V.E.
Come dressed for culture, not chores.
Now gathering: women of style, story, and sparkle! Arbor of the Vine has created a new cultural circle with Echoes & Vine Magazine for women who long for elegance and linger in conversation.
Evenings with E.V.E. is a private assembly of Echoes & Vine Enthusiasts: readers, aesthetes, and seekers gathering monthly for curated experiences in:
🕯 Literature
🕯 Leisure
🕯 Libations
Think salon meets soirée—held in thoughtful spaces, with friendly ladies over prosecco, performance, or prose.
Our gatherings are seasonal, intimate, and rooted in culture. Whether it’s a vintage film screening, a night at the theatre, the corner table at a jazz café, a docent-led tour, or a self-guided city walk—we explore overlooked splendor dressed in our best, because when we’re together, we are the special occasion.
If it’s two friends or twelve, hosting is up to you. Use the following 'Ladies of Leisure' Events Guide to plan, invite, and create your own local chapter gatherings.
💬 Want to share your event with the Arbor of the Vine community?
Join the Founders Circle and post your gatherings in Grace’s Subscriber Chat. We’d love to see what you're planning.
📅 For more event ideas and inspiration, browse our living calendar:
📍Check out our curated list of hidden gems, local advice, and personal reviews!
💄Evenings with E.V.E. is your new favorite excuse to dress up for ladies night.
September:
Summit of Sisterhood
Reaching the Peak of the Feminine Divine
Modern life is generous with errands and ruthless with time. Friendships drift to the edges, waiting for “when things slow down.” They seldom do. This month’s gathering restores one of our oldest forms of feminine power: women in conversation, outdoors, with intention.
Luciana met me at the trailhead in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We walked in an easy rhythm. Hills peaked above clouds that that looked like breath stretched across the landscape. We traded lessons from the last year: work pivots, unsuspecting grief that resurfaced in inconvenient moments, the liberation from learning to rest without an alibi. Luciana’s counsel was practical and kind. We ended at a small overlook, deciding to carry one new habit into the week and to hold each other to it.
In preparation for the long drive home, we stopped at a local winery for dinner. The air carried a soft herbal sweetness at Rocklands. Now a party of three, Lenni arrived with the bright ease of a woman who laughed quickly and often. We left her son with family so conversation could stretch. At the market, we chose a loaf and soft cheese, then found a table beneath a line of trees. She lifted a glass of crisp white; I kept to a French botanical infusion with a rosemary note that lingered on the palette.
Around us… Families on blankets, a couple trading quiet smiles, the farm dog making friendly rounds. We spoke about Lenni’s first year of motherhood and how leadership looks different when your audience is three feet tall and observant. Her joy radiated beyond our table. Before we left, we stepped past the play area to greet a goat who accepted the extra attention with calm familiarity.
With hearts full of joy and spirits renewed, we departed. As the rugged sentinels faded into the distance—their peaks melted against the twilight like glaciers slipping beneath the surface into the depths of the ocean—we knew this was not the end of a journey. This sisterhood was our support toward a brighter, more compassionate future, guiding us forward one step at a time towards deeper connection.
Let’s host a two-part micro-retreat across the Mid-Atlantic:
An afternoon Blue Ridge trail walk followed by a vineyard visit at sunset. No overnight stay. No elaborate bookings. Only presence, a simple plan, and space for women to share the wisdom they carry.
Theme: Summit of Sisterhood Micro Retreat
Location: A Blue Ridge scenic hike in Virginia; Rocklands Farm Winery, Poolesville, Maryland (this can be adapted to a location near you)
Aim: Deepen friendship through shared stories and attentive listening.
Part I: Trail Walk
Setting: A gentle 2-hour Blue Ridge trail or local ridge hike.
Rhythm: Walk. Sit. Share. [Repeat for the return journey.]
Walk (30 minutes): Take a leisurely walk on the trail, enjoying the surroundings and each other's company. You can chat, take in the scenery, and keep an eye out for your chosen artifact (see below).
Sit (15 minutes): Stop and take a break to appreciate the moment. You can use this time to rest, reflect, and simply enjoy the expanse.
Share (15 minutes): Take turns sharing your thoughts, reflections, or insights from being with mother nature. This can be a time for deeper conversation and connection with each other.
Artifact: Each guest finds one image—a photo of bark, sky, or shadow—that becomes her “texture of the day.”
Use the images as conversation starters, reflection tools, and keepsakes from the retreat.
Part II: Vineyard Table
Setting: Sunset dinner at a local winery or farmers market with outdoor seating. Take advantage of their food and wine tastings or see if they provide catered picnics.
Rhythm: While waiting for the food to arrive, take turns naming a token of gratitude for your shared friendship. Why is this friendship group important to you? What impact do these women make in your life? How have you grown as a person because of their influence?
Quilt prompt: Each guest brings a “quilt square” - one lesson from the year written on small decorative sticky notes or printed paper, making duplicates for each attendee. During dinner, share your quilt square with the group and exchange notes with each friend. Take the collected notes home to create a collage and frame as a memento.
Choose a partner for monthly check-ins. How are your keepsakes and mementos influencing your daily routines and mindfulness?
Virtual Option
Preparation:
Throughout the week, visit a nearby park or botanical garden, reflecting on your experiences and insights. Take pictures of images or moments that stand out to you.
Prepare a wine and cheese plate (or a non-alcoholic beverage and snack of your choice) to enjoy during the virtual gathering.
Create your “quilt square” in Canva or a similar design tool, writing down one lesson from the year. Save it as an image file to share with the group.
Gathering:
Meet on video with your wine and cheese plate in hand.
Use screen sharing or a virtual whiteboard to share:
The photo from your walk (Part 1)
Your “quilt square” image (Part 2)
Share the story behind each image and how it relates to your reflections.
Discuss how the lessons from your “quilt squares” can be woven together for mutual support.
Close with the “one habit, one check-in” pledge, where each participant commits to one new habit and designates a friend to check in with them.
Tips
Budget: Use craft supplies you already own. Carpool. Pack trail snacks from pantry staples.
Sustainable: Choose local organic wines or NA (non-alcoholic) botanicals. Wear earth friendly bug repellant and non-toxic sunscreen.
Luxury: Hire a foraging guide, schedule a vineyard tour, or book a “fancy picnic” company (if the venues permit outside catering).
Why It Resonates:
The vineyard and the trail created gentle boundaries for real talk.
Host your Summit of Sisterhood this month. Share a photo of your “quilt cards” and tag your local Evenings with E.V.E. chapter. Not one in your region?
Paid subscribers may download the ‘Summit of Sisterhood, A Companion Guide’ with our compliments.
Summit of Sisterhood, A Companion Guide is designed to translate the spirit of the mountain trail and vineyard table into a framework to carry on the journey.
Use the companion guide to plan your retreat, set prompts, and nurture connection. Think of it as a map: helpful guidance that prevents straying from the path of intention, so that your gathering remains restorative.
