Fall is a Great Time of Year!

The photo here was taken in the fall of 2007 at the Balloon Festival in Albuquerque.  I love this time of year in Houston, too. The weather starts to get really nice. From October to March the highs are usually in the 80s then the 70s (yeah!). My husband and I take walks in Hermann Park (we live half a mile away) and just enjoy observing nature and people. This morning on our walk, we noticed tons of families. The zoo must have had some kind of special program for Halloween. The line of cars was unending but lucky for us, we don't have to drive there! There have been lots of changes in the park this year. The whole Rose Garden and Garden Center were redone. It was open last Saturday for one day only and is supposed to be open all the time in December. Looking forward to that. The fall looks like a busy time for me. Next Saturday I'll be a vendor at The Wonderland Gift Market at Cinco Ranch High School in Katy, TX.  November 15th I'll be a vendor at the 2014 Mom's Holiday Market at The Woodlands College Park High School. Meetings and Milestones is also currently planning three events for 2015: a dinner/dance for a service organization, a large business conference and a high school reunion. I have space on my calendar for more events so e-mail me (meetingsandmilestones@gmail.com) or give me a call (832-215-1863). My present projects are being planned long distance so please keep that in mind if you're looking for an event planner but don't live in Houston. Happy Fall, everyone!

The Life Changing Conference for Women

Coming up next week in the Houston area there will be three opportunities to attend The Life Changing Conference for Women. It will be held Wednesday, August 27th in Pearland, then Thursday, August 28th in Sugar Land and Friday, August 29th in North Houston/Spring (see flyer). I'll be selling my faux flower arrangements at the Sugar Land event then attending the North Houston/Spring event as a participant. 

Pictured here is one of my favorite creations. This is from my "Wedding Collection." This arrangement would be perfect as decoration for a bridal shower, bridesmaid luncheon or party, rehearsal dinner or the reception. It should last for years as a keepsake and can be used for again and again as decoration for future events like the couple's anniversary parties. Take a peek at the Meetings and Milestones Pinterest boards; I have my creations on display there.

Upcoming Craft Shows

So pleased and excited to announce that Meetings and Milestones will be participating in upcoming craft shows featuring our flower arrangements! On Thursday, August 28th we'll be at The Life Changing Conference for Women in Sugar Land then on Saturday, October 11th we'll be at the Houston Trade Days at the NRG Center (formerly Reliant Center). We'll also participate in the 2014 Mom's Holiday Market in The Woodlands on Saturday, November 15th. I've applied to be a vendor at juried events in September and another one in November but have not heard about those yet (for juried events you apply and send examples of your work and the committee coordinating the event selects the vendors). Wish M+M good luck! I really enjoy the creative process involved in making flower arrangements from selecting prospective planters at resale shops to selecting flowers to putting the whole thing together. I'd like to continue doing this for a while!

Antique & Craft Mall of Pasadena

I'm really excited to announce that as of Friday, June 27th, my flower arrangements are now available at the Antique & Craft Mall of Pasadena (as well as The Treasure Trunk in Kingwood). At the Antique & Craft Mall I was lucky to snag a booth on the first aisle which faces the front window. This place is sooo cool! You should check it out but when you do, give yourself 1 1/2 - 2 hours at least so you can see everything.They have antique furniture, vintage clothes, decorations, collectibles, etc., etc. The other day I even saw an antique Texaco gas pump! The store is owned and operated by Scott Graves.

The Treasure Trunk

So excited and pleased to announce that as of Friday, June 6th, my faux flower arrangements are now for sale at The Treasure Trunk of Kingwood!  This is such a cool store!  It looks like an old house with a bunch of little rooms within it.  As you explore each of rooms off the main hallway, you'll discover products of many different vendors like clothes, jewelry, antiques and now...my flower arrangements! The store is located at 22616 Loop 494, Kingwood, TX 77339. If you are going north on Hwy 59, pass 1960 then a bit north from there take the McClellan exit but continue going straight (this is Loop 494).  The shop is on the right next door to Goodwill and across the street from Lowe's.  Take a look if you're in the area!  I can also create custom orders; just e-mail me at meetingsandmilestones@gmail.com. My work is posted at www.meetingsandmilestones.com.

Faux Flower Arrangements

Last Friday I had a burst of energy and created ten new faux flower arrangements! I posted them on the Meetings and Milestones Facebook page, on Pinterest and will also be posting them on my website.  I really enjoy all parts of making the flower arrangements from scouting the local resale shops for items I can use as planters to actually putting them together.  As you can see, I've started using shoes in my creations and I must say, it was quite a challenge to get the styrofoam to fit the angled shoe!  I also made creations using a flat shoe which was much easier.  I'm in the process of signing up for my first arts and crafts show and we'll see where this newly discovered creativity takes me!

Happy Anniversary to My Hubby

I'd like to wish my husband a happy anniversary this month.  It's our 6th anniversary though we've been together 9 1/2 years.  We met on Match.com.  Yes, there are actually people who meet on the internet and end up having a successful relationship. Our first blind date/meeting was October 23, 2004 and we married on April 26, 2008.  At the 3-year mark, I said to my husband, "If you were to ask me to marry you, I'd probably say yes."  He likes to remind me that I previously told him I didn't want to get married again.  I do not remember that!  Anyway, when we decided to get married, I wanted to have our wedding in April so we could celebrate every six months: in October we celebrate our first meeting and in April we celebrate our wedding.  In the April Meetings and Milestones e-newsletter, I feature encore weddings and include tips you might want to consider when planning this special event.

Flower Arrangements For Sale

This week I erupted in a flurry of activity and created five artificial flower arrangements.  I like doing them but even more, I LOVE searching for items in the resale shops that I can repurpose for the arrangements. The one in the picture uses a brass pot for a base. Pink is one of my favorite colors so I chose pink daisies, pink tulips and pink magnolia blossoms.  It turned out quite well.  That got my creative juices going and made me think of items to look for next time.  As long as the item has a flat bottom on which I can attach the Styrofoam, I'm good to go. The end of May was to be my next scheduled resale shop visit but I don't I can wait 'til then!  The flower arrangements are for sale.  To see the other ones, please view the Meetings and Milestones Facebook page or Meetings and Milestones Pinterest board.  If you would like to purchase one, please e-mail me at meetingsandmilestones@gmail.com.

School Friends

Me, Lynette, Kris, Lorrie

Yesterday I got together with some friends from junior high and high school.  (That dates me a bit because most districts call it "middle school" now.)  Anyway, we had our first get-together at the end of January; this was our second one.  In January we met at my house and had desserts and drinks.  This time we met at Ellen's house in Porter (close to Kingwood, TX). It was absolutely gorgeous: lots of trees, flowers and green! Her house sits next to a small lake so it was so peaceful sitting out on the patio eating grilled pizzas.  Never heard of grilled pizzas before but they were great!  Ellen heated the pizza crusts a bit on the grill then we put on toppings (tomato sauce, pesto, mushrooms, tomato pieces, artichoke hearts, cheese, etc.). She heated them a bit more then cut them in smaller slices and we shared them as we talked about fellow classmates and our upcoming high school reunion in 2015.  It was so much fun getting together with Lorrie, Kris, Lynette and Ellen.  We're learning more about each other's lives and the people we are now which is very enlightening.

Enhance Celebrations with Flowers

I love flowers! My favorite colors are purple and pink so I would like to receive any flowers in those color spectrums.  Hint, hint, hubby! When using flowers to decorate your celebrations, think of ones that will enhance your theme but that don't have an overwhelming odor.  In my previous job, I had an office that was off the beaten path but whenever someone sprayed cologne, I could smell it in a second.  I've heard that if you can smell your own cologne, you're wearing too much.  I want to smell the person's cologne after they've passed by not before they get to me like "Oh, I can smell Mary's cologne. She must be here somewhere." It's the same with flowers.  The flowers should have a pleasant, subtle odor not one that will knock people over as they walk in the door.  Give some thought to which flowers you'll choose for your event.  If you're planning a party for someone else, ask which flowers that person likes if you don't already know.  Also, consider the theme.  What is the purpose of the celebration?  Do a little research on the internet to come up with appropriate choices.  The picture I have posted is of an azalea bush right outside my home.  They bloom once a year in March.  Aren't they beautiful?

Resale Shops Revisited

A while back I posted about exploring resale shops. Well, it was time for another "fix." Last week I went to the Blue Bird Circle Resale shop on W. Alabama in Houston. Hadn't been there since the end of January so it was time to go again. I found three little round amber candle holders for $2.50 total! The tag on the bottom said Crate & Barrel so I figured I got a good deal. I plan to make one into a small flower arrangement and put either candles or little battery-operated votives in the other two. The most inexpensive place in Houston that I've found (so far) to purchase the green styrofoam blocks for artificial flower arrangements is Party Boy on Studemont. When I finish my current project, I'll share a picture.

The two arrangements in this picture are the ones I made at the end of January. The basket I bought for $1 and the little pot was $9. The flowers and moss are from Michael's. Right now I have them in our living room but they would look great on the table during a party or a dinner. I might also use them as table decorations for a community event. This week I'll be going to The Guild Shop on Dunlavy. Can't wait to see what they have! This is SO much fun!!

Encore Weddings

In current times it is not unusual for a man or woman to marry more than once.  Through death or divorce, people find themselves single again.  If one is blessed to find a new love, that union should be celebrated with all the gusto of a first wedding.  People can choose an all-out ceremony and reception or a smaller one for close family and friends. Perhaps the couple is not married but wants to celebrate their years of commitment to each other or maybe the couple has an upcoming special anniversary. Why not celebrate?

I spent the month of February visiting 15 different venues in Houston to become acquainted with what's available in this area.  There are numerous other venues farther out which I may visit as time goes on.  I saw some amazing places and met some really nice people.  As spring is close, one might consider an outside setting for a wedding, reception or anniversary party.  To make your celebration unique, think outside the box.  Where have you been that would make a nice setting?  A park, a beautiful garden, a backyard, a beach, a boat, the Houston Zoo?  Be sure to check out rental requirements and have a backup rain plan but then let your imagination take flight and envision a fabulous celebration! (I took the picture above last fall in Olympia, Greece which is not exactly around the corner but there are some beautiful venues in Texas, too!)

Venues in Houston

In February I've been focusing on visiting venues in Houston and networking with different local groups. We are fortunate to have many wonderful party venues in this city. I would love to plan events at many of them. It's been a pleasure to meet wonderful people who manage the venues and make it their life's work to assist people in making their dream of a fantastic event come true. The picture I'm featuring in this post is the outside of Las Velas. This venue is located in southwest Houston near Chimney Rock and Richmond. The director is Elmira Frias who has many years'

experience in event planning. I found her to be very personable and truly interested in pleasing clients. I hope I am privileged to collaborate with her on an event. If you wish to read more about Las Velas, log on to their website at www.lasvelashouston.com. There are beautiful pictures posted as well.

Valentine's Day

If you received the Meetings and Milestones February e-newsletter, you may have watched the video where I talk about my ideal Valentine's Day.  Well, most of what I talked about really happened.  Yesterday morning I attended a networking event in Fort Bend County.  Just after I got home, my husband called and asked if I'd like to go for a walk when he returned from his errands.  In the early afternoon, we walked to Hermann Park which is only 1/2 mile down the road. The weather was beautiful and we got to see what the Hermann Park Conservancy has been up to recently.  They are almost totally redoing the park as part of a $30 million project.  It will be beautiful!  We proceeded southward and stopped at the Memorial Hermann office building for coffee at Starbucks.

Last night we watched a cute "Valentine-y" movie on TV.  A British comedy called "Confetti," it was a "mocumentary" about a bride's magazine in England that was having a contest for the most creative and unusual wedding.  Three couples were finalists: one couple were "naturalists" and wanted to get married in the nude.  The second couple were crazy about tennis and wanted a tennis-themed wedding.  The third couple loved old movie musicals and wanted something with that theme. Anyway, each couple worked with the same two male wedding planners (they came together as a package deal!).  The wedding planners developed the ideas and even participated in each wedding.  All three weddings were presented (one after the other) in front of the same audience on the same night and then the panel of judges picked the winning couple who received a new house in England worth 1/2 million pounds.  Pretty good deal now days! Of course, we knew the couple with the movie theme would win because theirs was the most elaborate production.  It was such a cute movie!

So I had a very nice Valentine's Day with the hubby.  I took the picture above of the beautiful roses and card he gave me along with the candy I gave him.  Oh yes, Charlie made a special guest appearance to scope out the scene.  It's not necessary to spend lots of money of Valentine's Day; being with people you love is the main thing though I won't pass up any presents that come my way!  Many of the stores will be having sales on Valentine's stuff for the next few days so it's a good time to stock up. Don't think I'd save candy for a year but in our house, there's no way it would last that long anyway!

Resale Shops, My New BFFs!

A few weeks ago I posted about a group of ladies with whom I went to high school and the get-together we had on January 25th.  For that gathering I asked that everyone bring a dozen cookies.  As I was preparing for that afternoon, I thought about how I could make the set-up special.  Early that week I decided to look at resale shops for serving platters.  I live in the Museum District of Houston and there are several shops within a few mile radius.  The shops I explored included The Blue Bird Circle Resale Shop on West Alabama, The Guild Shop on Dunlavy, Charity Guild of Catholic Women Resale Shop on Lovett and The Goodwill Shop on Westheimer.  There are more but I ran out of time.  I must say I had the best time looking through everything!  It's probably best if you have a game plan to stay focused.  I decided I would look for crystal serving platters. The picture above is the island in our kitchen fixed up for the gathering.  I found a candle holder and several platters.  Each piece was $7.50 or less.  The antique tablecloth was my grandmother's but I remember using it in the early 80s when I lived in St. Louis so I've had it many years. My husband kindly ironed it (what a guy!). When you're planning a party at your home or another venue, it's really cool to personalize it with items you already own or ones you can purchase inexpensively.   

Smell the Roses - Part II

In the last post I mentioned "stopping to smell the roses." For Meetings and Milestones promotion this month,  I asked several people to comment on the topic "In 2014, I'm excited about _____ or I'm looking forward to _____."  In the attached video Morris, my husband, talks about his serious health scare in January of 2010. He got up one night about 1:30 am to go to the bathroom and fell over on the bed with severe chest pains.  I called 911 and within 5 - 7 minutes, two ambulances arrived with five paramedics. They checked him over and asked to which hospital he wanted to be transported.  They gave me three choices and I chose Memorial Hermann Medical Center.  It turned out to be a wise choice. In the emergency room they did a scan and discovered he probably had an aortic dissection (aneurysm). They assembled the team and by 7 am, he was being wheeled into surgery.  He was probably about as close to death as one can be and still be alive as he had both an ascending and descending dissection.  In fact, John Ritter died of an aortic dissection 10 years ago last September.  Morris is forever grateful as am I for the incredible talents of Dr. Anthony Estrera, Dr. Hazim Safi and the surgical team at Memorial Hermann Heart and Vascular Institute.  He was in the hospital for two weeks and went through several weeks of recuperation but thankfully, he eventually returned to his old curmudgeonly self (just kidding, dear).  In the video, he talks about looking forward to January 28th every year and also to our 6th anniversary (me, too).

Women's Social Group

We often get so wound up in our lives that we don't stop to have fun and just "smell the roses."  So.....I thought it would be nice to get together with a group of women every three months or so to participate in a social activity and enjoy each other's company.  I invited a few friends and one of my friends had the idea to ask other ladies that live in Houston with whom we attended high school (W.B. Ray High in Corpus Christi, TX). We had our first "meeting" this past Saturday.  It was great! Of course, we talked about high school but we have other things in common now like children, grandchildren, menopause, aches and pains, etc.  We were able to connect with each other on a different level which was nice.

For the next meeting we may attend a play at the Main Street Theater-Chelsea Market in Houston called "Girls Only: The Secret Comedy of Women."  I saw this play last year with my friends Cindy and Pam and it's a hoot, let me tell you!  It's scheduled for an extended run at least through February and March as of now.  It's most fun to attend with a group of women so you can share the laughs.  I don't recall seeing any men at the show but there could have been a few brave souls.  If you get a chance, I would highly recommend seeing this play!

Cat's Meow: Part II

Last week I introduced you to Ernie, our older cat.  This week I'd like you to meet Charlie. Charlie joined our family on July 7, 2007.  We picked him out at a pet store where one of the foster groups takes cats and dogs for people to adopt. When we first saw Charlie, he was in a cage with his brother and sister. His sister, a shy kitty, stayed in the corner. His brother jumped around in the cage like a monkey.  Charlie was kind of in-between so we picked him.  His original name was Cole but we didn't particularly care for that name so we renamed him Charlie after Charlie Gibson on Good Morning America.

Charlie knows no fear.  He's very inquisitive and loves people.  When he came home with us, he was just a little squirt with gigantic ears! The advice is to separate the animals so they can sniff each other out from a safe distance.  We put Charlie in the guest room but there is a space under the door so Charlie and Ernie were poking their paws under the door trying to reach each other almost from the beginning.  At the end of the first week they were best buds.  Now that they've lived together for 6 1/2 years, they're very close. They usually sleep next to each other on our bed.

As I mentioned, Charlie has no fear and will try just about anything at least once.  I was watching TV one day and happened to look in the kitchen.  Charlie was on top of the cabinet! I mean on top of the cabinet by the ceiling!  It scared me to death.  I was afraid he couldn't get down so I climbed on the counter, reached up and lifted him down.  Not long after that, I saw him on top of the cabinet again.  This time I said to myself, "He got himself up there; he can get himself down."  And he did.

At night when we're reading and about to go to sleep, Charlie will jump off the bed, run down both flights of stairs and start his wailing sounds.  I don't know what that's all about but it cracks us up every time!  Our Charlie and Ernie have greatly enriched our lives and we are thankful we found them.

But how do cats connect to event planning you ask?  If you're planning a birthday party for the person who has everything, the host might suggest that people bring dog or cat food instead and donate it to Interfaith Ministries (in Houston) or a similar organization.  Interfaith Ministries has a program called aniMeals on Wheels which is part of the Meals on Wheels program that delivers meals to qualifying home-bound seniors. AniMeals on Wheels supplies pet food to older adults so they can continue to feed their "best friends" without incurring additional financial hardship.   

Cat's Meow

Today I'm introducing you to one of our cats.  Ernie is about 8 1/2 years old.  I say "about" because when we got him at the pet store, the foster group told us he was 11 months old.  He only weighed 4 lbs. which I found curious.  He was healthy so I suspected he was only about 6 months old, if that.  Anyway, Ernie is a sweetheart.  My husband Morris told me Ernie is unusual for a cat because he LOVES to be petted.  At night when we're watching TV, he has to sit on my lap.  I read somewhere that a cat is complimenting you when he sits on you.  It's like he's saying, "I could be doing other things but because I like you, I'm going to sit on you"! Also, Ernie sleeps on our bed.  Do we really have a choice?  Not that we mind but Ernie and his "brother cat:" Charlie sleep on my side of the bed and sometimes they wedge me in so I have to draw my knees up and flip myself out of the bed so as not to disturb them.

Ernie has a healthy appetite; there's no question there.  We'll say he's "plump."  Merriam-Webster defines "plump" as "having a full rounded usually pleasing form."  That's Ernie!  We used to feed him and his brother twice a day but decided maybe he could lose some weight if we fed him four times a day (but the same total amount).  So they get 1/8 cup of cat food at 7:45 am, 1 pm, 6 pm and 11 pm.  I'll tell you I don't know how Ernie does it but he can tell time!  If one of us is not awake and feeding them at 7:45 am, he'll start with the headbutts.  He'll give us a headbutt in the side, the head, whichever body part is closest.  My office is on the 1st floor and my husband's is on the 3rd floor.  Ernie will come downstairs to me at 1 pm and start making racket.  I'll say, "Ernie, how'd you know what time it is"?  My husband says if Ernie is upstairs in the afternoon, though, he'll sit and look at his food bowl starting about 2:30.  When we went on vacation in October, we thought about buying one of those automatic feeders that plays a recording of your voice when it's mealtime.  When I was researching them, I read about a couple that recorded the sound of pouring food in the bowl! Well, we passed on it that time because our cats have a wonderful English nanny.  If you're looking for a dependable and totally trustworthy pet sitter, let me know!

So how does this all tie in to event planning, you ask?  Just wanted to let you know a little bit more about myself so you'll know what kind of personality I have when you call me to plan your party.  I love planning fun events and look forward to collaborating with you on your milestone celebrations!

Happy New Year!!