At a time of life when many people are encouraged to slow down, local entrepreneur Paula M. Felici is doing just the opposite.
Felici, a woman in her 70s, has launched Champagne & Glitter, a new woman-owned small business created to give adults age 65 and older more opportunities to meet new people, discover new places and enjoy new social experiences.
“I created Champagne & Glitter because I believe life should be about being open to new friendships, new places, new opportunities and new reasons to get dressed up and go out,” Felici said.
Champagne & Glitter welcomes both singles and couples, with events centered around conversation, connection and shared experiences.
“Champagne & Glitter isn’t a dating service. It’s about making connections — new friends, new experiences and interesting people,” Felici said. “And if Cupid happens to wander into the room, well, we certainly won’t ask him to leave.”
An important part of the Champagne & Glitter concept is the setting itself. Rather than always gathering in familiar restaurants and bars, events are designed to introduce guests to interesting local businesses and unexpected spaces throughout the community. A jewelry showroom, automobile dealership, gallery or other distinctive location can become part of the experience.
“I want our guests to be curious,” Felici said. “Part of the fun is going somewhere you may never have been before, learning a little about a local business and meeting interesting people while you’re there. The venue becomes part of the evening.”
Champagne & Glitter’s inaugural cocktail party will be held Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Vault & Co., 112 N. Ponce de Leon Blvd. in St. Augustine. Guests will enjoy champagne, wine, savory hors d'oeuvres and what Felici describes as plenty of “sparkling conversation.”
Tickets are $35 per person and are available through Eventbrite by searching “Champagne & Glitter.”
Felici believes in “spreading a little sparkle wherever she goes,” a philosophy that seems particularly fitting for the woman behind Champagne & Glitter.
But behind the sparkle is an even simpler message about aging, possibility and new beginnings.
“You don’t have to be young to begin again,” Felici said.
