Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Gala Teaser – Just 1 Day To Go!
Well – we’re in the home stretch now! I’m absolutely THRILLED to see that the weather system that was predicted to bring what looked like a lot of rain our way on Thursday and Friday has fizzled out and shifted way south of us!!! As it looks now, we may have some scattered showers while they are trying to set up the tents on Thursday, but Friday is going to be PERFECT – a little cloudy, but no rain is likely!!! WOO HOO!!! A big thank you to everyone who sent some “no rain mojo” our way — it worked!!!
The focus of this teaser is some of the special touches that add to the ambiance of the evening…
One feature we get rave reviews on every year is the chauffeur service from the parking area. Having an event like this at a private residence tends to create parking constraints — a couple hundred cars don’t work well in most driveways! So, we find an appropriate place to park near by and chauffeur the guests to the home! So far, all three homes have had a long circle drive that provides a lovely view of the home as the guests are driven up to the scenic front entrance to the home. When guests arrive at the front entrance, they feel like a celebrity being let out at the end of a red carpet in their elegant Gala attire! Cars make regular circles from the parking area to the home so that there is always a car available to pick up guests whether coming or going! Wilkinson provides the cars and a team headed by CIS Board Member, Ty Stumpf, serve as the professional chauffeurs.
The home and grounds itself is always the primary source of beauty, but we also add some festive flairs — twinkle lights on bushes, spot lights shining across ponds and up into trees (provided by JS Howard Electrical), tents, and elegant linens on tables. We also have chandeliers in the tents to provide lighting and give the essence of being in an elegant ballroom. CES Lighting and Design donates the use of the chandeliers! The linens are a different color scheme every year. This year, we chose black and silver. Here are a couple shots of the linens at last year’s event in the back yard of Fred Von Canon’s home – this year’s tables/linens will look the same, except for the color:
Another classy touch is the use of Sorority Girls to perform volunteer duties – everything from assisting guests, answering questions, clearing tables, and whatever else needs to be done. The girls get community service / volunteer credit for their Sororities and we get several extra hands to help out! They all come dressed in classic little black dresses. We’re working on doing it again this year, but haven’t finalized the details – I hope it works out – we get a lot of positive comments about them!
One of my very favorite pictures from last year was taken by Dana Atkins of DWA Photography – it appeared in the Sanford Herald in their coverage of the event – it is of Charles Hayes all dapper in his tuxedo and several Sorority Girls all gathered around him! I thought it summed up the “look” of the Gala in one perfect photograph! Here is it:
So – there you have it! I think that is all the teaser details I have… Thursday we start the set up activities – the tents and tables/chairs are delivered and erected, we plan the final layout for how the restaurants, bars, cocktail tables, and silent auction tables will be positioned (we have a rough plan, but won’t know for sure until the tents are set up and we know if we need to account for rain), and last minute details are worked out! Then, Friday we spend the day putting on all the finishing touches – put out the linens, set up the bars, put all the signage up, set up the Silent Auction, Sammy Poe comes in with the floral accents, and on and on… Then, the event will go off without a hitch and it will be all over for another year!
Congratulations to Myra’s Kitchen!
I went to Myra’s for lunch today – had the Italian Sausage sandwich with peppers and onions, onion rings, and corn nuggets! That was well worth the trip in itself….but there was more!!! As I sat there eating my lunch, I noticed a lady sitting at another table doing paperwork and she had a bunch of stuff spread out in front of her – I wondered about her, but didn’t give it a lot of thought. That is, until I saw her get up and walk through the swinging doors to the kitchen and return after a few minutes with what looked like a thermometer in her hand and then went back to her paperwork! That told me exactly what her story was — she was a restaurant inspector!!! Myra’s was getting inspected!!! I knew it wasn’t likely that the result would be anything but glowing, but you never know…… So, I sat there wishing all was fine!
It wasn’t long before Myra went and sat down with the lady and they chatted and Myra was smiling and thanking her and saying how happy she was……then, I watched her start to glow as she put her new certificate in the frame and hang it on the wall — the certificate posted a 102 – up from the 98.5 that the new cert replaced (which, if you ask me is pretty dog-gone good)!!! Of course, 2 points were for completion of the soon to be required course, but that still means that the restaurant received a PERFECT SCORE!!! Myra was so happy and proud — her head was so big I could have burst it like a balloon!!! It was all I could do to refrain myself from standing up and applauding!!! Good Going, Myra and Buddy!!!
This, of course, does not diminish the other wonderful restaurants in Sanford that post high inspection scores — and there are many of them and they should all be commended!!! It just so happened that I was there to witness the receipt, posting, and how happy Myra was!!! So, I just had to call it out for all the Myra’s Kitchen fans out there!!!
(have I mentioned Myra’s is one of the Gala restaurants this year????? ha-ha)
CIS Gala Teaser…continued
We spent the evening at the Stewart’s home checking out the lighting after dark and meeting with the tent company to talk about the tent positioning. Jason Howard of JS Howard Electrical has done the lighting and electical work for the Gala every year and takes all the worry out of whether or not there will be enough light for people to see who they’re mingling with! He is an incredible asset to the success of the Gala!!!
Someone else who does an amazing job of helping with the decorations is Sammy Poe of Four Season’s Florist. Sammy works with us every year and brings plants and flowers to add an elegant and pretty touch to the setting. Each year, the home where the event is held provides the tone and beauty for the evening – it is definitely the primary decoration!!! But – Sammy comes in and has a knack for making the tent areas look like they are part of the event and not take away from the beauty of the yard and home!
The main focus of this teaser is the Silent Auction…..First, I want to mention the Silent Auction Committee: Parker Normann, Nikki Plunkett, Sherrie Read, Linda Rhodes, and Elizabeth Smith – this group of women put together an amazing Silent Auction!! Here is what will be included in the Silent Auction:
Home Decor
Mother’s Love Picture Frame – donated by Added Accents
“Railroad Winter” Print – donated by Beverly Brookshire
Chinoiserie Red Lacquer Box – donated by Ray & Lori Baker of Baker-DuPree Interiors
Spruce Up The Garden – donated by Cole Pottery
Framed Garden Painting – donated by House of Lights
Painted Picture – donated by Lisa Mathis
Silk Flower Arrangement – donated by Floral Designs by Eddie
Holiday Shopping
Care for Your Pet Gift Basket – donated by Myers Animal Hospital
3/4 Carat in 14k White Gold Diamond Earrings – donated by Brenda’s Jewelers
Men’s Dual Toned Seiko Watch – donated by Kelly’s Diamonds
Four $50.00 Gift Certificates – donated by Four Season’s Florist
16 x 20 Portrait and Photography Session – donated by Dana Atkins of DWA Photography
Pamper Yourself
Laser Hair Removal for the Lip and Chin – donated by Natural Balance Medical Spa
Teeth Whitening Package – donated by Dr. David Fisher
Microdermabrasion Treatment – donated by Sandy Lyerly at European Skin Care
Sports & Entertainment
Carolina Panther’s Football, four tickets to the Carolina Panthers vs. Cardinals game on Sunday October 26, 2008 1 pm game – donated by Normann Financial Group at Wachovia Securities
Carolina Hurricanes Hockey, two box tickets and parking pass to the Carolina Hurricanes vs. Detroit Redwings October 13, 2009 donated by Normann Financial Group at Wachovia Securities
NCSU Basketball Tickets, four tickets to a NCSU vs. ACC team (to be announced) and autographed Bobcats basketball donated by Normann Financial Group at Wachovia Securities
Vacation Getaways
North Myrtle Beach Trip, four day trip to North Myrtle Beach, 3 bedroom condo, lazy river, indoor & outdoor pools, and on-site grill – donated by Kel and Parker Normann
Two tickets on Southwest Airlines to any of Southwest’s destinations – donated by Southwest Airlines
$500 Travel Voucher – donated by Lee Builder Mart
Perfectly Paired Packages
“Couples Night Out”, $50 gift certificate for Brewer’s Flame Steak House and two Spring Lane Cinema Movie Theater Tickets
“Self-Care Package”, Manicure and Pedicure by Nails by Kimberly, Haircut & Blow Dry from Ginger Jernigan at Hair Associates, One-Hour Massage and Private Yoga Session from Megan O’Donnell at Massage and Yoga Therapy: A Wellness Center
“A Kid’s Dream”, Painted wooden toy box created by Unfinished Furniture filled with an abundance of toys from the Welcome Wagon
“Let’s Play Golf”, Round of golf for four with cart at Tobacco Road Golf Course, cooler, koozies, golf shirt, visor, golf balls and tees
“Professional’s Assistant”, Lunch for two at Applebee’s Restaurant, Manicure and Pedicure at Nails by Kimberly, $35 gift certificate for Dry Clean Express, and $100 gift certificate for R&N Motor Company
“Couples Night Out”, $60 gift certificate for Davison’s Steak House and two Spring Lane Cinemas Movie Theater Tickets
“Night Out on the Town”, Dinner for two at Bella Bistro and two Temple Theater Tickets
“Kid’s Birthday Package”, Western Birthday Party for 10 kids at Marsh Stables, Sub Tray from Lil’ Dino’s, Decorated Birthday Cake from Lowes Foods, and assorted birthday goodies
“Quit Your Wine-ing”, Wine rack filled with a variety of fine wines and wine glasses from the CIS Board of Directors and the Gala Silent Auction Committee and Handmade Wine Glass Charms from Emily Page
There you go — if you’re going to be at the Gala, start thinking about what you want to place your bids on!!!
The next teaser will focus on other details that make the Gala so very special…….
Tuesday Topics
First off – Dancing With The Stars – no one went home tonight because Misty was injured and left the competition, so she took the spot of whoever would have been voted off. But – they did announce who got the lowest combined votes and “would have” gone home if she hadn’t left the competition. The shocker was that it WASN’T Cloris Leachman!!!! Ok – I get that she’s entertaining, but come on, now…….it is getting far enough into the competition that they should be voting for technical abilities – not who can make us laugh the most! Instead, Rocco got the lowest votes and would have gone home this week! My never to be humble opinion is that Cloris should have been the bottom and Rocco the next one in line…..So — that is my prediction for next week!!!
The weather is starting to sound a little better for Friday — they are now saying a “slight chance of scattered showers” or some variation of that basic forecast, depending on what channel you listen to! I’ll be forever greatful if it just doesn’t rain Friday evening — all day would be best, but the evening is the most important!!!!
OK — I am watching the 3rd debate and I am officially sick of hearing the word “fundamentally” or “fundamental” — would someone please buy the candidates (all of them) a thesaurus so that they can find some alternative words to use???? It is the single most used word on all three debates (but most notably in the 2 Presidential debates) – it is so heavily used that it sticks out like a sore thumb every time I hear it now!
I think I may have a little kidney stone moving around in my right kidney……I have that tell tale pinching and bruised aching that the little ones give off…..it is either a small one that will give me some trouble for a few days and then pass and be gone OR it could be a bigger one that just hasn’t moved into the narrower areas yet where it will give me a LOT of trouble!!! I hope it is the small one — I get those all the time and just live with it! the bigger ones tend to put me in the ER for pain management and monitoring — I don’t have time for that this week!!!! It will NOT put me down!!!
That’s about it for now…..
CIS Gala Teaser – 3 Days To Go!
Aside from the forecast of rain on Thursday and Friday, all is going well on the Gala planning front! We had a meeting at the Stewart home on Friday to discuss tent layouts and other logistics and talk to the restaurants about the plans for the “Taste of Lee County” feature. CIS staff have been busy putting twinkle lights on all the bushes and getting last minute details in order.
We have a special guest coming this year – Jenifer M. Fox, author of “Your Child’s Strengths, Discover Them, Develop Them, Use Them”. Ms. Fox will be available to mingle with the guests and enjoy an evening of celebration of the possibilities that all children have with a little encouragement and the presence of a strong mentor in their lives!
Today’s teaser will focus on the Jewelry Raffle. Lora Wright at Southern Jewelers has been working with us this year on the Jewelry Raffle. The first two years we did a Diamond Raffle with Balou’s Jeweler’s – which was a very popular feature both years – who wouldn’t buy a $25 glass of champagne for a chance to win a $4000 diamond? The concept was that for your $25, you got a glass of champagne and a gem – 99 of them were CZs and one was a $4000 diamond! Cool! But – we didn’t want that feature to get boring. We were just starting to think about maybe coming up with some different options to keep it fresh and new for this year when Lora Wright contacted us and said she had a proposal for us! It was like she was reading our minds or something — we were very excited about her ideas and decided to go with the new concept! Lora has selected some fabulous pieces to offer in the raffle! The catch phrase is “every ticket is a winner” — no one will lose on this raffle! Here is the poster with the items that can be won in the raffle:
3rd Annual Benefit Gala for Children
Jewelry Raffle
Sponsored by Southern Jewelers
* All proceeds go to Communities In Schools of Lee County
Tickets: $25.00
50 Chances will be sold – all 50 chances are winners!
v All ticket holders will receive at least receive their $25.00 back in the form of a gift certificate to Southern Jewelers
v Ticket holders will have a greater than 50% chance to win one of 26 other prizes valued at more than $25.00
Purchase a chance for $25.00, select a box that peaks your interest, and open the box to find your number. Each number will correspond to one of the prizes listed below. Once all chances are sold, the Grand Prize and a few other random prizes will be announced and awarded to the winners. All others will take their numbers to Southern Jewelers within 2 weeks to discover which of the remaining prizes their number corresponds to.
NOTES:
v No one affiliated with CIS knows what numbers correspond with the prizes. Southern Jewelers does not know what numbers were wrapped inside each box.
v All prizes are final and can not be traded in. Southern Jewelers reserves the right to limit the number of combined gift certificates on any one store purchase.
PRIZES
GRAND PRIZE – Blue Topaz Necklace – Value = $850
The Grand Prize is a designer piece from Fresh Designs chosen exclusively as the grand prize for the 3rd Annual Benefit Gala for Children. This piece is an exquisite necklace on a 19′ sterling silver rope chain with toggle catch. The links in the rope are open and add to the beauty of the piece. The pendant is set in sterling silver and 18kt gold with a 4 carat fantasy cut Blue Topaz in a bezel setting. The topaz is surrounded by detailed gold scroll design with diamonds set at each corner of the design work and also on the bail. 13 diamonds appear on this stunning piece. Detail work is evidenced in every aspect – even the back of the pendant is designed with scroll work. This is definitely a piece that every woman will enjoy wearing.
1 – Two Tone Garnet and Diamond Ring – Value = $560
Not just your average ring! This ring sports beautiful detailing with diamonds in bezel set and 9 garnets in the center. The stones are mounted in a large square setting. The ring itself is 1 inch square. This ring was bought at the July International Jeweler’s Show specifically for this event.
1 – Custom Made Necklace – “Designs by Lora” – Value = $300
One of Lora Wright’s “one of a kind” custom designs made exclusively for this event. This lovely necklace is approximately 19″ of freshwater pearls and 5 accents of genuine Venetian glass beads of faint shades of green and gold and a sterling silver toggle catch. A wonderful addition to any jewelry collection.
1 – Two Tone Diamond Cut Filigree Band – Value = $160
5 winners will receive: Akoya “Candlelight” Pearl Strands, 18”, 6-6½ mm – Value = $150 each
8 winners will receive: Akoya Pearl Strands, 18”, 5-5½ mm – Value = $140 each
1 – Sterling Silver Tri-color Woven Mesh Braided Necklace w/ Extender, 16-18” – Value = $120
1 – Vermeil Faceted Rutilated Quartz Ring, Size 8 – Value = $120
1 – Cuff Bracelet w/ a Hidden Watch and Enameled Detailing – Value = $80
4 winners will receive: Silver Tone Bracelet Watch – Value = $30 each
2 winners will receive: Pearl Earrings, 5 mm – Value = $30 each
24 winners will receive: Gift Certificate for Southern Jewelers – Value $25.00 each
How’s that for a raffle????? Don’t forget to bring at least $25 to participate in this exciting feature! I know I will……
Of course, the raffle isn’t the only marvelous feature you can spend your money on — I’ll post some highlights of the Silent Auction next — you won’t believe the wonderful things Sanford has provided for this year’s auction!!!! It’ll knock your socks off!!!! There is sure to be something of interest for everyone!
It is still not too late to buy tickets — $100 each — call the CIS office at 718-5426.
CIS Gala Teaser – 5 days to go!
It’s crunch time…we are at the “5 days and counting” point – this week will be intense for all the CIS staff, board members, and volunteers to finalize details and set up activities, all building to the flawless execution of one of Sanford’s premier events of the year! October 10th – the 3rd Benefit Gala for Children!!!
This is the first of a series of “teasers” — if you don’t already have tickets either through a sponsorship or purchasing individual tickets and these teasers convince you to get some, you can call the CIS office at 919-718-5426 or leave me a comment and we’ll be happy to assist you!
The live entertainment this year will be The Jackie Gore Entertainment Group. Jackie Gore is a former member of the Embers and wrote the classic beach music anthem – “I Love Beach Music”. This band will surely provide a great back drop for the Gala and give everyone lots of reasons to get up and dance!
I’ve talked a lot about the restaurants and this teaser will highlight them further……Each restaurant in the “Taste of Lee County” feature is unique and will provide a nice mix of a wide variety of specialty items for our guests to enjoy! The “Taste of Lee County” feature has been one of the most popular features of the Gala each year. The idea is to showcase some of the area’s finest chefs and highlight 1-2 of their specialty dishes – giving guests a sampling of what makes their restaurants unique and inviting! The tents where the restaurants are located are usually the best spot for networking because everyone is there at some point and it is where mingling is the most focused throughout the evening! The restaurants donate the food and their time to serve the food — and this is just a small example of the many things they do for our community!
Here is what our guests can expect from the participating restaurants this year:
Amy’s Confection Company— a unique Sanford favorite for gorgeous cakes and other wonderful confections that satisfy the most discriminating sweet tooth and chocoholic! Amy is currently located in the Shops at Steele Street and through her web site. Amy always provides a nice variety of scrumptious desserts for the Gala! Her Gala menu items this year include:
Carolina Cake Truffles
Key Lime Cheesecake Martinis
Pecan Tassies
Cheesecake Bites
Bagels & Stuff— new to the Gala and relatively new to Sanford, Bagels & Stuff serves up a wide variety of amazing authentic bagels, homemade cream cheeses, breakfast items, sandwiches, and iced coffees comparable to Starbucks! Visit Bagels & Stuff to eat in or take out at their spacious and inviting shop at 1949 S Horner Blvd next to Cafe Vesuvio! Their Gala menu items include:
Assorted Bagels
Assorted Homemade Flavored Cream Cheeses
Iced Coffee
Bella Bistro— Chef Chad Blackwelder owns this popular eatery in historic downtown Sanford featuring elegant dining with Contemporary Southern Cuisine that delights all who dine there! Classy, yet comfortable, Bella Bistro is located at 133 South Steele Street. Chef Chad’s Gala menu item includes:
Hickory and Rosemary Smoked Pork Stew with Crawfish, Hominy, and Pickled Corn Relish
Homemade Pimento Cheese with Jalepeno Pepper Relish
Cafe 121 / Chef Hamm — Chef Gregg Hamm opened Cafe 121 at 121 Chatham Street earlier this year, where he serves up delicious choices for daily lunches, dinner on Thurs evenings, a daily coffee bar, and even a fabulous Sunday Brunch – all in a quaint setting in the newly renovated area on Chatham Street! New to the Gala this year, Chef Hamm’s menu items include:
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Fried Green Tomatoes
Sweet Tea
Assorted Fruit Smoothies
Fresh Choice Cafe — offers a delightfully healthy choice of sandwiches, soups, salads, and daily specials for lunch and dinner. Friendly and inviting with its adorable cafe style decor, Fresh Choice is located at 805 Wicker Street. Their Gala menu items include:
Shrimp and Grits
Homemade Soup – flavor TBD
Assorted Bite Sized Gooey Bars
Cheesecake Bites
Myra’s Kitchen — Myra puts the “country” back in “country cooking” with daily specials of various down home comfort food that keep her customers coming back for more! As the name implies, entering Myra’s Kitchen at 1401 Colon Road (across from Turner Chapel) is like pulling up a chair in Myra’s own kitchen where everyone feels like they are back home eating at their Mom’s or Grandma’s! New to the Gala this year, Myra’s menu items include:
Meatloaf
Chicken ‘n Dumplings
Peach Crisp
Also featured will be Smith’s Coffee and Premium Bottled Water – named the 2008 Small Businessman of the Year by the Sanford Area Chamber of Commerce, their table with offerings of hot, aromatic coffee and cold, refreshing premium bottled water is a popular stop in the “Taste of Lee County” tents!
Additionally, there will be three bars for those who care to partake in a little beer or wine. The beer for the evening is generously donated by Harris Wholesale. Just a few of the bartenders for the evening include Bob Joyce of the Sanford Area Chamber of Commerce and his wife, Gordon Anderson of the Sanford Herald, and Jay Riley of the Family Doc – and others.
So — there you go — the first “teaser” — was that enough to build the excitement for those who are already planning to attend and to push anyone who was on the fence over to deciding to get your tickets?
Watch for the next “teaser” — topic will be either the Jewelry Raffle details or the Silent Auction items — not sure which order I’ll post the teaser in, but by mid week, all the details will be revealed to enhance anticipation and entice possible guests!!!
Saturday in Sanford
It was a pretty day in Sanford, today — sunny, warm, great weather! The temperature on the sign at Walgreens said 90 degrees – I don’t believe it got that hot, but it was definitely quite warm! Our fellow blogger, Lindsay and her best guy, Ross, got married today and I’m so happy that the weather was perfect for them!
Speaking of weather — up until last night, the 10 day forecast on Weather.com has indicated that all of next week (including Friday – GALA night) would be perfect – mid 70s and sunny or partly sunny every day! Then, last night the forecast changed on Weather.com and all the local weather reports! Now they are saying that a storm system is brewing in the mid-west and should be here bringing “possible” showers by the end of the week – Thursday and Friday – UUGGHH!!!! Please send whatever mojo you can muster up to keep the rain away from Thursday and especially Friday!!!
So, what did I do all day today? LOTS!
I started the day (after spending the morning playing with the girls) by having breakfast at Myra’s Kitchen! Did you know that Myra’s is open for breakfast on Saturdays now? I think their hours on Saturday are 7:00-2:00 or something like that! Myra also said that they are going to start opening up at 7:00 am during the week for breakfast, too!!!
After breakfast, I ran some errands and then went to the movies! I saw Beverly Hills Chihuahua. I enjoyed the movie, but was a little disappointed – not much, though! It was really cute, funny, and an enjoyable time! I can’t really put my finger on why I was a little disappointed – maybe my expectations were just too high – don’t know! It did have some sections that were on the boring side and I found my mind wandering and wishing they would move on. But, you have that in a lot of movies – it wasn’t enough to ruin the enjoyment. Kids will LOVE it — the theater was full of kids and they were having a really good time! Adults will enjoy it too — just maybe not as much as some other recent kids movies that also have adult appeal. Judge for yourself, though — like I said, I did like it and can’t really pin point why I was slightly disappointed, so it might have just been my mood today……..I am giving this one a B and may give it another chance when it comes out on DVD!
After the movie, I went to that new nail place in WalMart plaza – Queen Nails and Spa – to get a pedicure! It is a really nice place — clean, bright, and nicely decorated and furnished! They do a good pedicure, too! Every nail place does their pedicures a little different – basically the same, but with some twists – I just want a nice relaxing pedicure that isn’t too rough and where the nail tech isn’t afraid to work on any ingrown nails!! I got that and was very pleased! I would definitely go there again!
On another note — I joined Netflix and got my first three movies yesterday! I have thought about joining for a while, but wasn’t sure if I would get enough use out of it to get the best value — like I really have time to add watching even MORE movies!!! ha-ha I also thought maybe it would help me save some money by seeing movies at home and not going to the theater as much! I would rent more, but I think going to the rental places and having to take the movies back on certain days is too inconvenient, so I don’t usually bother. But, let’s be honest, here – the inconvenience of rental isn’t really what keeps me from renting more and there’s little chance of anything keeping me from spending so much time at the theater!!! I just plain like movies and when I see one that interests me, I can’t be waiting for it to come out on DVD!!!! ha-ha Anyway — I’ll see how Netflix goes — I can always cancel it anytime if I find I don’t get enough value out of it — I sure like the idea of movies coming to me in my mailbox, though!!!
Shoes – Love them or hate them?
Shoes – most women LOVE shoes! Movies glorify shoes — The Devil Wears Prada was all about fashion and, of course, shoes! In Her Shoes was about sisters who had very little in common, but they did both enjoy a good designer shoe! Even Legally Blonde had a scene where Elle was waiting for her turn at the water fountain and one of the witnesses in her case looked at her tapping her foot and commented on her shoes – which resulted in Elle exposing him as being gay and using it as one of her points to blow the case out of the water! And, there are tons more examples!
BUT — I do believe that all manufacturers of shoes are closet torture masters!!! Even the women designers create the most torturous looking contraptions for us to put on our feet – you’d think they would know better!!! Who’s feet are shaped like that? My toes don’t come to a sharp point and my foot doesn’t arch up so that I walk on my toes with my heel way up in the air! And they aren’t even made out of comfortable materials — they are hard, rigid, and don’t move when your foot moves – not soft and plyable! If they don’t have hard, rigid sides, they have straps that cut into your flesh when your foot slides down in them (and it will)! And what about those heels? What made the inventors of 4-5″ (or more) spike heels think that women would naturally be able to balance themselves on a tall toothpick? That takes years of practice and specialized training — just so we can wear shoes that cost as much as our homes do because they look so cute…..and I won’t even mention the long term medical ramifications wearing shoes like these have on your feet, legs, back, etc…..
Here are some examples I found — they may be adorable shoes, but they don’t even remotely look like they would be comfortable for more than 10 minutes on a normal foot:
I have worn high pumps in the past — spent a fortune on shoes that were a perfect compliment to a special event — for my wedding, for example, I had a lovely pair of ivory lace pumps that matched the chantilly lace in my gown! Every time I attempted to wear high fashion shoes, I was so very sorry!!! My feet screamed at me after the first little bit — I was able to make a fashionable appearance and then the shoes spent the rest of the time off my feet under the table while I comfortably went barefoot!!! Once, I even turned my ankle trying to dance in a pair of absolutely adorable sandals with 5″ spike heels!
So — here are MY favorite shoes — I go purely for comfort when I pick out a shoe — yes, I want them to look nice, but that is a secondary selection criteria — with the exception of flip flops and little slip ons (I do love flip flops and little slip ons), I go strictly for practical, comfortable shoes!! Grasshoppers and Easy Spirit are my designers of choice!
What a great night for Sanford…
I had the absolute pleasure of being an usher at the Temple Theater tonight for the “invitation only” presentation before the public unveiling of the results of the 2nd Century Project — Sanford’s new logo and branding! WOW! I couldn’t stay for the public portion, so I’m not sure how much detail they put in the presentation at Depot Park. The Temple Theater presentation went deep into what they did and how they came to the new logo and the catch phrase “Sanford – Well Centered” – PERFECT!!!! To say I was impressed would be a huge understatement! Everyone who worked on this project deserves a HUGE thank you from all of Sanford!!! Job well done!!!
When I left the Temple, I was parked on Moore Street and started to just go on down Moore to avoid the traffic. But, I was really all pumped up and so excited, I decided to circle around and drive by Depot Park to see what kind of crowd they ended up having there. It was a pretty night and, like I said, I was all pumped up, so I put the top down and cruised past Depot Park — I was so very happy to see that there couldn’t have been an inch of grass not covered by someone — it was so packed that people were standing along Moore Street watching! I do believe it is likely that nearly every Sanford resident was there (slight exaggeration to emphasize the size of the crowd)!!! The celebration got the turn out it so richly deserved!!! I could hear the band and it was amazing!!! I just drove by slowly taking it all in and was totally overwhelmed by the joy of seeing the success of this event!!! I have never seen so many people in the park all at the same time!!! Maybe it was the free hot dogs — don’t really care what got them motivated to go — they were there — that’s all that counts!!!
Then, I headed home — and it wasn’t long before I realized that putting the top down might have been a good idea when I was all pumped up and driving slowly — but, as soon as I got up to the speed limit and the wind started blowing through the car, it was no longer such a good idea!!! It was COLD!!! By the time I got home, I was chilled to the bone and needed to thaw out!!!! ha-ha-ha
So — if you didn’t participate in some portion of tonight’s festivities, you really missed out!!!! But – you can find out all about it in Friday’s Sanford Herald — it won’t be the same, though…….
Tuesday Topics – Dancing and More
Depending on how you look at it, I can either claim “2 for 3” or “3 for 3” on my Dancing With The Stars predictions…..Last week, I said that by rights based on technical ability, Cloris Leachman or Kim Kardashian should be the next two go. But, since I felt they would get the early popular/charity votes, I defaulted to Cody as the one to go. As it turns out, Cody actually did really well this week and will survive to try again! BUT – both Cloris and Kim were the last ones standing and Kim was the one that left! Since my final guess was Cody, I’ll claim “2 for 3”, even though I did say Kim should probably go….. My prediction for next week: Cloris can’t keep getting the votes much longer! Rocco is another possibility, but I’m going with Cloris!
I participated in a really cool thing at the Boys and Girls Club tonight — can’t say too much about it, but I will say that it involved meeting six of the most amazing teens I’ve had the pleasure to talk to in a long time! I had such a good time and really enjoyed the experience! I’ll do a post all about it on or after the 15th!
A little over an hour ago, Megan jumped up to play with me just as I was bending down to play with her — we collided!!! Her hard head bonked me right square on the tip of my nose pushing it upward! It didn’t bleed and didn’t even hurt that much at the time – it made my eyes tear up a little (not cause I was crying – they just got teary), but it was little more than a quick jolt! But – over the last 20 minutes or so, it has started feeling kinda strange — like waves of pressure that come and go and a couple times it felt like someone was pushing down on the bridge of my nose…….I’m wondering if I should go have it looked at — maybe it dislocated something! Has anyone ever had their nose whacked like that and had it feel like I’m describing?
Be sure to join in the excitement of the 2nd Century celebration in Depot Park on Thursday — and if you can’t make it, be sure to get the Sanford Herald on Friday to read all about it! I’ll be there for at least part of the evening’s events – I will be working with the Chamber Ambassadors. Not sure if I’ll be able to stay for the whole celebration, but I’ll definitely be there for part of it!
Time for bed……I’m ready for a date with the Sandman!
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