Gala 2012

And...exhale.

Gala season is over!!!

The week before gala is a lot like tech week before a show. For those of you who bother to read my blogs and have never been involved with theatre, tech week is nicknamed "heck week" but not actually "heck"

You know, the bad place. The really, really hot...bad place.

It's stressful and crazy and yet creates a camaraderie between you and the others on your team (or cast).
As Dana, Jason and I chatted and emailed at one in the morning...throwing about labels like "pot" and "kettle" and I watched the volunteer sign ups go up and down as people have to back out and others sign up, as we take t-shirts home to bundle and books home to stuff...we are at one moment confident this is going to be the best gala ever and the other confident that everything will fall apart.

I was confident in the programming and the decor...but having nightmares that not a single volunteer showed up and I was trying to single handedly greet everyone at the door while serving dinner to 350 guests at the same time.

In the end, it came together beautifully.
You can read a recap and see some pictures here: http://wellspringliving.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/gala-highlights/

I do have to say that this was a learning experience for me. Last year I came in at the last minute and my main role at the gala was to sign in the volunteers. I was shocked to find that only about half the volunteers they were expecting actually came. Confident that I could do better this year...I have to say I don't think I did. We never actually got the number we needed signed up and only about 60% showed up. I tried to organize this like a group project but it feels a bit different. And I seriously let the stress and disorganization get to me. I have a few ideas in mind to make next year better, but I'd love to hear any feedback from those with volunteer administration or event planning experience.

Maybe we could start a conversation:
1) What can we do to make sure that the volunteers who sign up, show up? Do we just expect to only have 50-60% show up and therefore recruit double the number we need?

2) How can we organize teams, leads, etc with a chance of only half of them actually being there?

3) Advice on keeping your cool? Best ways to make event volunteers appreciated?

GA Tech Women's Leadership Conference

I had a unique experience this weekend. I was given the chance to lead a workshop at Georgia Tech's Women's Leadership Conference. Originally I was supposed to be part of a panel on trafficking, but that didn't end up happening at all. After a presenter dropped out, I was contacted by one of the planners and asked if I would lead a workshop! I suggested a couple of topics and the one we agreed on was "Engaging Your Community"

I was a bit nervous and even more nervous when I got there and their equipment and my Mac wouldn't work together. That meant I had to ditch my power point. I quickly jotted down all my talking points so I wouldn't forget. As attendees started arriving, I took a deep breath and went for it.

What followed was a very engaging conversation with lots of good feed back from the audience and information from me. I mean, I'm not tooting my own horn but engaging community is what I do and what I'm passionate about and the energy and interest from those who came to the workshop made it really easy. I'd brought Embree along and she even enjoyed it. She not only liked seeing me in that role but enjoyed the presentation. (She thinks I'm quotable)

I will admit that I was really happy to see people writing down things I'd said not because I want to be prideful but because it means it was useful. I was also able to help a mother who is volunteering as the grant writer for her child's PTO and give a woman who has a ministry for women with breast cancer with some fund development ideas.

All in all, it was a great time and I'm really grateful to have been invited.

And for those of you wondering, I was not wearing red and black.

Speaking of Zombies

So I really, really, really love Trey.
A lot.

And I have to say I was kind of interested in The Walking Dead because it's filmed around here, we know people who work on the show, so many of our friends like it...

But I really didn't think I'd watch it.
Until Trey started to...

And I'm not sure I mentioned it, but I really love Trey.
And he wanted me to watch it.
And I wanted to spend time with him.

So I watched it. Two episodes. From season one.
Amusing as watching me dry heave apparently is...Trey has told me I can love him without watching The Walking Dead with him.

I really love Trey.
I really hate zombies.

Zombies!!!

For Halloween, I got to take Embree, Trey and their cousins Cameron and Brianna to McDonough for the Thriller Parade. We met Drew (pictured with the "We eat the 99%) during Never Ending Story. The kids became friends with him, I got to know his Mom and we became friends and it was through them we found out about it. Drew came up with the "Occupy Brains" theme. Tonya did a fantastic job on the zombie make up. And the kids had a blast walking in the parade and then performing "Thriller" in the square.

The boys made for great photo apps after the performance. Bree continued to dance her zombified tale off until we had to go.

She definitely got into the role.

Fall Festival

There are times when my job duties are a bit...varied.
Today they included a sack race (which I totally would've won but my glasses bounced off my face and I faltered while trying to decide whether I should stall long enough to get them...no, but those few seconds put me in second...sigh) and a three legged race (I didn't fall until the end!)

No pictures and I'm sorry but I'm sure you understand.

The girls planned and executed a fantastic festival complete with games and more junk food than anyone should ever eat! And s'mores at the end!

Hope everyone has fun on Halloween! I'll be dressing up as Tweedle Dum at church! (Hopefully I'll have pictures of that!)

Fire Pits and Carpet Cleaners

Trey dug a fire pit in our new back yard!

Which naturally meant we needed to roast marshmallows! And, the more the merrier, so we invited the neighbors!

A most satisfying time (and sugar rush!) was had by all!

And a HUGE thanks to Woodstock First Baptist Church's College Group for spending Saturday at the Girls Home and ELP! They got a number of cleaning projects done including Building 3 and part of the fence line at the ELP as well as a deep clean at the girls home. Watching them figure out how to operate the carpet cleaner provided amusement for all (lol). Seriously, this is the group that helped out at  the ELP last year and a harder working group of college students is hard to find!

Everything I Was Made For

Kevin Rowe.
Great guy, great artist.
And proceeds from his single "Everything I was Made For" benefit Wellspring Living!

PS He'll be performing at the gala AND he'll be at the Alamo (in Newnan) in December!