We're havin' a baby!

Spring is already speeding by and Id like to grab it by the reins and slow it down a bit. Maybe bottle it up in a jar, poke holes in the lid, and let it slowly leak out. Spring is definitely a time of new beginning and that couldn’t be more true here at Twin Sisters.

Our most exciting news is that my husband and I are expecting our first baby! It isn’t even here yet and it seems to be occupying a lot of my time and brain power! So my craft room sat unoccupied for nearly a month until I was forced to reckon with it recently. And boy did it feel good! Ive been busy with some bridal jobs that I cant wait to share with you but first, I thought I would share a little baby item.

We told our families about the baby well over a month ago. My mom had been showing me some of her recent quilting projects and when she was done, I said that I had a new craft project to show her! So I presented her with this frame, wrapped in tissue paper: So that was exciting! Our little tadpole has certainly changed from that picture but its still remarkable to look back upon. We’re due in October so you can bet that you’ll see plenty of baby projects over the coming months!

A Cause for Celebration

You may recall that at the start of the new year, I chose a word. A word that would represent the days ahead, a hopeful outlook of things to come. My word was celebrate. We are in a time of thanksgiving, and I am certainly thankful for the many reasons I have had to celebrate thus far during the year. Today I have but one more reason to celebrate.

Today I accepted a position that will allow me to take another step towards this dream/goal/passion I have of event planning. After a total of three interviews and weeks of agonizing waiting, you are now looking at (figurtivly speaking) the brand new, sparkling, Marketing Events and Promotion Cordinator. That's right folks, I'm officially an event planner! I'll primarily be responsible for the coordination of our tradeshows and sales events, which is a pretty big task. Im excited though and am very anxious to get started. But as is the case with most change, its change...something new and a bit unknown. The good news is that this is a position within my current place of employment, so hopefully that'll ease the transition process a little bit.

When I came to this company over four years ago I had no idea the opportunites that waited for me on the other side of those glass doors. Some would take years to unfold and others, I believe, are still waiting for just the right time to present themselves. Opportunities are all around us, big and small, and we must seize as many as we can. Because you just never know what awaits you on the other side of those glass doors.

Here's to my new begining, let's celebrate!

Ceeell-la-brate...

...good times, COME ON! Dernt nernt dernt nernt nernt nernt nernt nernt YEAH HOO!

Press play and celebrate with me!


Why are we celebrating?! Because I am d-o-n-e, finished, over, through, complete, stick a fork in me because I am DONE with college! Dernt nernt dernt nernt YEAH HOO!
Com'on, celebrate with me! You know you want to, this song is just too grooovy not to get up on your feet! Get up, dance around, YEAH HOO!
Its after 3:30 am and I seriously JUST finished college about 30 minutes ago. YEAH HOO! Dernt nernt dernt nernt nernt nernt nernt nernt YEAH HOO! *bopping my head, swaying too and fro* YEAH HOO!

I Did It!

I did it! I've successfully planned my first event...professionally! Yeah sure, Ive been doing stuff for myself and family for years now, but this, this was for work. *angels sing*

I work in the Treasury department for a large manufacturing company and each year we hold a lenders meeting where we invite in all of our bankers (the wonderful people who we bank with and borrow money from if/when needed). Not a huge deal but sort of a deal. We bring them in for a two day affair to show them around, wine 'n dine them, present them with our company's latest and greatest, then entertain them. And yours truly was responsible for putting this entire ordeal together. Okay, we're only talking about 30 people here but they're important people in fancy suits. That drive fancy cars. And make fancy salaries! And we as a company, are feeling the effects of our current economy so I had to do it reasonably. I'll try to give you an idea of how it went while sparing you all of the mundane details.

On day one there is a plant tour so they can see our manufacturing process in progress. Cut 'n dry really. There was a slight hiccup with the timing but that wasn't my fault :) That evening a cocktail reception and dinner was held at a local hotel. We have slim pickins for nice hotels around here so I changed it up a bit and went with one a little further away that we as a company hadn't tried yet for this type of meeting. When I booked the hotel they failed to mention that they would be undergoing a major renovation to their main lobby area...uhhh huh! Not ideal but it worked out okay as our people were confined to the banquet rooms and were none the wiser til they stepped outside. Anyway, we chose to have cocktail tables scattered throughout one side of the room with large rounds for dinner on the other side. All covered in ivory linens with yellow napkins. Not my favorite choice of linens but I was working with a) what the hotel had and b) a limited budget. So, we had shrimp cocktail and crab cakes with dill sauce for appetizers and a duo of chicken and tenderloin for dinner accompanied by asparagus with lemon zest and smashed potatoes. It was all very tasty...for hotel food. Let's get to the fun stuff right? Okay!

Because I'm a girly girl, I'm thinking the whole time that I'm planning this that gee...we really need flowers on the tables. Hmmm, limited budget, not sure if my boss will go for flowers. We've never done flowers in the past... I asked and was told by my male boss that "flowers might add a nice touch, just don't sell the barn to buy them." Woo hoo, I get to buy flowers!! Except its 6 days til the event, can I get flower arrangements this late. Sha-yeah! I requested some small arrangements for the dinner tables with a few bud vases to go on the cocktail tables in "sunset colors". I specifically told them red, orange, and yellow, with maybe some dark pink in a short square vase. What I got was orange and pink with some yellow and...blue. I was disappointed when I first saw them but contained myself. Turns out, they looked lovely on the light linen covered tables and really brightened up the room! The florist had just gotten in some amber colored square vases which were perfect and toned down the flowers a bit. I guess those ladies knew what they were doing, here's how they turned out:

Fast forward...the dinner went great, next was the meeting. The room was divided in half and set-up classroom style. As a fleeting thought the night before, I asked the banquet manager to take the flower arrangements and reset them on the tables for the meeting. So glad I did that as the room was darkened for the presentations so the flowers helped add a little pop to an otherwise drab conference room. And dual purpose, gotta love that. And...I'll tell you later how these flowers will end up serving many more purposes! Okay, so the dinner went great, the breakfast and meeting went great, next...lunch followed by golf.

Again, this new kid in town wanted to switch things up so I picked a new golf course which is beautiful. I'm no golfer so I was at a bit of a loss to know what golfers think, like, do... Don't they all wear argyle? We usually give the attendees a little gift, like mugs or umbrellas or some other junky thing that will end up in the back of their car never to be seen again. Uh uh, I wasn't doing that. We need something cooler. *snap* That's it, a cooler! How about a cooler that...looks like a golf bag?!

Total score! These were a big hit! I handed out the coolers after the meeting and instructed them all to bring them to the golf course where they would be able to fill them with the beverage of their choice. *patting myself on the back* This worked out really well! Then, another lady and I filled our own coolers and drove around the course refilling theirs when they were in need. Each cooler was compact but large enough to hold a six pack plus ice. Like I said, they worked out really well!

So, everything went off without a hitch and many compliments were received from both upper management and the bankers. After the meeting, my boss stood before us and thanked everyone for coming. Then he publicly thanked me for my help in planning the event. The room broke into applause and I even heard a "woo hoo, go Jill!" from somewhere in the room. Lol!! I'm not kidding...! I don't know who it was but I like to think I now have my own little fan club! It could happen... :)

I'll be back later to share the plans I have for the centerpieces.

Graduate = Celebrate!

When I decided to go back to school five years ago, I'm not sure I truly believed that I would actually graduate. Sure, I thought I could, but seeing it as a reality just seemed too far off in the distance. As I walked through graduation ceremonies today, I realized how dedication, long hours, and a lot of juggling made this distant dream a reality. But this accomplishment would not have been possible without the love and support of my husband, family, and friends. A special thank you to all of those who continued to believe in me!



A good friend of mine gave me the book "Oh The Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss, back when I graduated high school. I thought it would be fun to revist the poem:

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes

You can steer yourselfany direction you choose.

You're on your own.

And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.

About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."

With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,

you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you'll want to go down.

In that case, of course, you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there

in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen

and frequently do

to people as brainy

and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,

don't worry. Don't stew.

Just go right along. You'll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!

You'll be seeing great sights!

You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.

You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don' t

Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so

but, sadly, it's true

and Hang-ups

can happen to you.

You can get all hung upin a prickle-ly perch.

And your gang will fly on.

You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch

with an unpleasant bump.

And the chances are, then,

that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,

you're not in for much fun.

Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.

A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!

Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?

How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...

or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?

Or go around back and sneak in from behind?

Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,

for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused

that you'll start in to race

down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace

and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,

headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go

or a bus to come, or a plane to go

or the mail to come, or the rain to go

or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow

or waiting around for a Yes or a No

or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite

or waiting for wind to fly a kite

or waiting around for Friday night

or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake

or a pot to boil, or a Better Break

or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants

or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

NO!

That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escapeall that waiting and staying.

You'll find the bright places

where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,

once more you'll ride high!

Ready for anything under the sky.

Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!

There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.

And the magical things you can do with that ball

will make you the winning-est winner of all.

Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,

with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.

Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times

you'll play lonely games too.

Games you can't win

'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!

Whether you like it or not,

Alone will be something

you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance

you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some, down the road between hither and yon,

that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go

though the weather be foul

On you will go

though your enemies prowl

On you will go

though the Hakken-Kraks howl

Onward up many

a frightening creek,

though your arms may get sore

and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike

and I know you'll hike far

and face up to your problems

whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know.

You'll get mixed up

with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step.

Step with care and great tact

and remember that Life's

a Great Balancing Act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed!(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,

you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way!

---Dr. Seuss

Hello again!

Hello friends, Ive missed you! Why is it that when you have a lot of catching up to do that you just dont know what to say?

What a crazy and stressful semester Ive had these past four months. Great news though, after next week its all done! Spring semester is finally coming to a close and I couldnt be happier! And guess what came in the mail the other day...my cap and gown! Yep, in just a few short weeks I'll be walking through graduation ceremonies. Technically, I dont graduate until August but after 6 years, who's really keeping track!? Its been a long time comin' so you can bet we're gonna CELEBRATE! Getch yer party hats ready!

Can you believe that I havent done a single crafty thing since Christmas? *gasp* I know. But! The good news is that my mom and I have several projects cookin' up and I am more than looking forward to sharing them with you. But we must be patient because before I can start on those I have to start some baby announcements for a friend of mine...100 of 'em. I think I must be crazy. Couture chic, that's what we're calling them. Pale pink, ivory, and black...cant you just picture them? If you can then let me know because right now, I have no idea what they're going to look like!! Ack!

So I must go now, I have a final paper to write which I am so far behind on. Wish me luck over the next week...Im going to need it to pass a couple of these finals!! I'll be in touch soon, pinky swear, but in the meantime stop and smell the lilacs!

Valentine's Celebration

I feel like the worst valentine ever. Because school has been so demanding, I wasnt able to be the valentine I wanted to be for Max. *insert sad face here* I had a big presentation to give on Valentine's Day so the days leading up to it were spent in preparation and not on the special day that it really was. I knew that Max had gotten me a little something but he wasnt saying what. And to be honest, I had forgotten all about it due to my presentation. So first thing Valentine's morning, Max was all ready to get out his gift (dont worry, its rated 'G'). To my surprise, this is what he gave me:


He was shopping at Gordmans one day and ran across this wooden Celebrate sign and knew that I would love it. Im not sure if I was more surprised that he got me a Valentine's gift or that he was paying attention and remembered that celebrate was my word for the year. Either way, kudos to Max!

I hope that each of you were able to spend some special time with your loved ones for Valentine's day.

Celebrate!

Last week I brought you all up to speed on the "word" craze that seems to be going around. After much thought about what the new year will bring for me, I have decided that CELEBRATE will be my word for 2008.

cel·e·brate
1. to observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities
2. to make known publicly; proclaim
3. to praise widely or to present to widespread and favorable public notice, as through newspapers or novels I made this little reminder last night and it is currently sitting on the window ledge in the office, right in front of my computer. So when I'm bogged down with school work, I can look at my word and remember that I'll be celebrating in just a few short months! I can celebrate each time I have a new sale on Etsy! Or I can celebrate when I have been blessed enough to have something to share with each of you on my new found blog. Each day we are showered with blessings. Why not take a time out to celebrate how fortunate we are?!