May 5, 2015

so this happened.

Centerpieces, Events, Fundraising, Luncheon

I’m baaaacccckk! Did you miss me and all of my silly garden talk? Hell, I missed sharing it 🙂 Hoping to get a post or two up in the next few days! I know you all are just DYING to know how my peas are doing or how my first attempt at potatoes is working out so far.

Threw a lil event last Thursday – the annual Community of Caring Luncheon for JFS – that had been taking up a lot of my time. You know, just 1,150 of our closest peeps getting together and giving uber generously to help support our agency and the clients we serve. I spend about half the year fully focused on this event and all of that hard work comes and goes in 90 minutes. It’s kind of sad really. You bust your ass, stress out over every last guest name, put it all together then bam, it’s over.

I must admit, I go through a mild funk afterwards. But give me a week and it’ll be business as usual again. Good thing I’ve got a summer full of gardening and camping to look forward to – oh and that tiny trip to Europe. Woot!

Fundraiser Luncheon, Inexpensive Centerpieces, Donation - cultivatedrambler.com

Centerpieces on point.

Seattle Sheraton Grand Ballroom, Fundraiser Luncheon - cultivatedrambler.com

1,150 of our closest friends joined us for lunch.

Breaking last year’s record like it ain’t no thang.

Seattle Sheraton Grand Ballroom, Fundraiser

One hour later and it’s like nothing happened. Sigh.

May 13, 2014

Luncheon.

Events

Oh heeeyyyy there. Sorry about the MIA stuff lately, it’s been a busy few weeks work-wise around here. I have one ‘large and in charge’ event per year and it was this past Thursday (plus a bunch of little events leading up to it, but whose counting?) I’ve just about worked these past 4 weeks straight and this gal is TIRED but thrilled with the outcome. Although not setting a record in guest count, we did break the fundraising goal by $120k. So that makes 3 consecutive record breaking years for me. Phew! Raising money ain’t easy my friends.

Every year is different in its own special way, but this year, it was, gosh do I say it? Ahem. Cough, cough. Easy. Cough. With 1,100 guests, you’re bound to have a few hiccups but nothing major really happened. I kept thinking to myself, “OK, any minute now, something bad is going to happen” but it never did! I actually enjoyed myself a bit, mingling with guests and joking with my colleagues.

I’ve got a few miscellaneous tasks to finish up then this bad boy is ready to be put to bed for the summer. I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do with myself. I will have full, two day weekends again and I won’t have to be constantly checking emails late into the night. I think I could get used to this….

Ma man cleaned up our kitchen all nice like pre-luncheon. What a doll!

And the guests are seated!


A nice number 🙂

May 6, 2014

About time.

Events, Game of Thrones

A moment of calm before the storm that is the JFS Luncheon. I’ve been working my ass off these past few weeks and in just days, it’ll all be over with. 1,100 guests will have come and gone, money will have been raised (fingers crossed for a record breaking year), supplies will be tucked back away…..sigh. So much work for 75 VERY important minutes. Every second will be scrutinized, every detail triple checked and I’m on the hook for all of it. No pressure 🙂

I’ve been planning and managing events for 10 years now and I must say, this lunch is in a category of its own. It’s a beast ya’ll. An absolute BEAST. It chews you up and spits you out, then in a flash, it’s over. And you know what? There’s a bit of a depressing feeling once it’s done. You are no longer the ring master, the gal in charge. People aren’t asking you if you’re hanging in there or if you are sleeping at night. The focus shifts to other pressing issues and you fade back into the background until winter creeps back in and planning can begin again. Ok, enough self loathing. Bring on the ruckus!!!

January 7, 2014

$1million.

Events

Not sure how many of you follow the lottery that often, but recently it was a whopper of a jackpot, somewhere between $648 million give or take for Mega Millions. I don’t usually play, but always find myself wrapped up in the excitement of an unusually large jackpot, which is statistically like the worst time to play. Womp, womp.

I put $5 on it at my local Red Apple and of course, I happened to get interviewed by a local news channel. Thank god they didn’t use my interview footage, I was a babbling mess and unshowered in my sweat pants nach. But I did get a lil swiping the card cameo – see the video above courtesy of my Aunt Susan!

But it got me thinking….what would I do if I happened to win $1 million? Now mind you this million would be what you bank after taxes and such 🙂 Here’s my breakdown:

$500 to start my own urban duck/chicken coop

$1,000 to rescue 2 new pound puppies (sorry Stella.)

$2,000 pay off my student loan debt

$3,500 shopping spree

$15,000 on a big family and friends vacation house rental some place tropical – they’d have to pay their own airfare though! Hey, I’m spendy, but not THAT spendy. This one in Tulum, Mexico just might fit the bill….

$20,000 on a new used car that’s maybe 1 or 2 years old

$25,000 to partially fund a project the fiance is working on that I approve of. Hey, if that happens to be a doc on my dog, then so be it!

$33,000 on a party barge – duh!

$50,000 to a charity of my liking, most likely involving animals

$200,000 on a local vacation property on a lake in Eastern Washington with a dock for above said party barge

$650,000 on a new home in North Beacon or maybe the Mt. Baker neighborhood. I would keep our current house and rent it out.

Man, that goes fast!

How would you spend a cool million if you happened across it?

December 1, 2013

Goodwill Glitter Sale 30th Anniversary!

Events, Friends

We made our annual trek to the Goodwill Glitter Sale a few weeks back. Our gal pals Jenae and Caety killed it and got in line at 3am – yes, that’s 3am in the freaking morning! – to get our awesome place. Megan and I rolled in around 6am to relieve them for a coffee and potty break. We cut our numbers in line by half this year; last year we were around 110th. Word on the street is that the people in the very front camped out starting at 8pm the night before – ummmm no thanks. IMO, as long as you are in the first 250, you are good to go!

I was on a mission this year for fun wedding accessories, but came out empty handed. Since I don’t have my dress yet, it was hard to know which direction to take the jewelry. Womp womp. BUT I did end up with a greyish white 70s long wool jacket with a fur color in mint condition for $50. You guys, it was like it had never been worn before! A quick trip to the dry cleaner and that bad boy will be ready to take on the town!

Next year, the sale will be right around the time of our wedding so sadly I’ll have to miss it. This gal is going to need her beauty sleep not a 5am wake up call before her big day 😉