Weddings + Mandatory Masks + Fairy Dust

Four weddings, two wedding rehearsals & rehearsal dinners, and two graduation parties within the next 9 days. During Coronavirus,with mandatory masks. 

The Governor issues a mandatory mask mandate and suddenly I am the mask guru, with no rule book, but basic guidelines. Your mask comes off when you sit and eat. That's it. Just wear it or I have to ask you to leave.

I am also now the mask police.

Picking the venue, the food, and colors of a wedding is easy. It's the million, and billions, and trillions of the little details that are thought of within the week of a wedding. Times four. 

Then, there is the phone call from my 2021 weddings, "Our wedding is next year, what are things going to look like then?" 

B-R-E-A-T-H-E... It's rude to say, "let me look into my crystal ball" or "if the President doesn't know and the Governor doesn't know, how on earth would I know?" 

I have a fabulous bridal couple today who I genuinely like. They gifted me with a generous gift last night on the patio with great hugs, thanks and gratitude. 

In my week of multitasking frenzy, I will slow my mind down and focus on my bridal couple today. Say a prayer to be a gracious host and sprinkle fairy dust where I may to give my bride a wedding day she has dreamed of. 

It really is an awesome responsibility. 

My 50th Birthday!

My day arrived and I am now 50 years old!!!!!!!!!

Before anything, the days before, the night before, and the morning waking up, thank you God! 

Thank You, that I am blessed and highly favored. Thank You for faith, health and happiness of my mom & dad, my daughters & my son-in-laws, and for my little crowns of glory, my grandbabies, who are my absolute joy! 

Thank You for my brother & family, and the church. Thank You for decades long dear friendships we share life with. For my beautiful home, my job, my goals accomplished, and all the attention I can handle. Oh, and the wisdom to smile at the handsome 30's somethings attention and shoo them away. Yes, it may be my birthday, but I am a grandmomma now. I prefer my age. 

A 4-day weekend, hot & sunny, perfect to run around, relax, have fun, and lots of celebrations.

Cheers to 50 and my list of 50 things to do for my birthday summer! You see, there are birthdays, birthday weeks, and birthday months. I'm making this whole summer about my turning 50 celebration.

To my younger self... turning 50 isn't dreadful at all. It's a fabulous new season in life! Pray like it depends on God and continue working like it depends on you! You are blessed. 

Sunflower Field

The 1st day of my 4-day birthday weekend, my mom and I headed towards Amish country, stopped at fresh markets, where I bought my favorite giant blackberries and a bouquet of flowers, and we found a beautiful sunflower field.

What I love about sunflowers is, the face of a sunflower always follows the sun. 

The market provides clippers and it is only $5 for as many sunflowers as you can hold in one hand. I found myself strolling through this sunflower field admiring their beauty. The flowers are so majestic and stand tall.

It was a lovely start to a long weekend and my flowers are so pretty on my patio. 

How It Feels To Turn 50

Fifty feels like contentment, which is something that would have made me hurl in my twenties. But 'contentment' is great, as is calm, tranquil, easygoing, relaxed and chilled. 

I know how I feel about most things in my life. - Author Unknown

I turn 50 this weekend and when I read this, I couldn't agree more. 

Being in a far better place in my life and accomplishing on my own (with God) what I have, reaching some pretty significant goals with buying my new home, losing weight and feeling great, and professionally, I can say 50 feels pretty awesome!

To think when I was 39 years old turning 40, I had a an elective partial hysterectomy as part of my 40's & fabulous life. That is a highly recommended decision. 

Turning 50, I bought a beautiful new home, which has become quite the entertainment destination and I've created a list of 50 things I want to do for my birthday/this summer, and having fun checking off my list. 

It's a beautiful place in life and I laugh at the 20's, 30's, and early 40's year old me who thought my life would most likely be over by 50, that I would be settled and matronly. I couldn't have been more wrong.

50's, I welcome you! I embrace you and I laugh in delight at this new & beautiful season in my life that is so unexpectedly serene and freeing and blessed.

Cheers to 50!

A Warm Summer Night

It was a warm summer night. After picking up my house and deck from the afternoons festivities, I retreated into my oasis and floated in the quiet.

The air still very warm, the sun hot on my skin, with a gentle breeze, I closed my eyes to feel the crescendo of summer wrapped around me and listened to the noises you don't notice when your eyes are open.

The soft splash of the water and the ripple it makes when I lift my toes out of the water. 

The sunshine sparkling off the water on a quiet evening. The sounds of the birds that have made this neighborhood their home with its massive trees, and the sound of my umbrella flapping ever so slightly in a breeze.

The water is warmed to walk right into, yet cool enough to refresh. 

My pool and floating chair is a perfect retreat on a very warm summer night.

A Spontaneous Day Trip

A spontaneous day trip turned into a surprisingly fun find!

One of my dearest girlfriends, Charlotte, from my youth is turning 50 years old two weeks after me. She said she created a list of 50 things she wants to do for herself for her birthday. I love that idea and so my list began.

#11 - Road trip to favorite winery.

Brooke and I picked a direction and made a day of it.

Giving myself grace, I enjoyed bread, crackers, and a bite of cheesecake. By the way, there is soft & warm brie under the apples, strawberries, and blueberries.

For Brooke, it started days before with finding a great pair of shoes. When she didn't have anything to wear with them, I said let's find something! In her pretty new top and matching shoes, Brooke is all matchy with her nails, watch, shorts and purse. 

A day in the sunshine, appetizers, dessert, and for me the delicious treat of Honey wine. This is what daughter/girlfriends days are made of. 

I knew if we headed north to the lake, we would find something along the way, which landed us in a beautiful, beach historical downtown, filled with flowers, quaint shops, lovely homes, a beach, and all the vacation feels.

It was a gorgeous day, delicious wine, quaint town, beach, and find. 

Shocking Twists

When my grandson, Rowan, was a newborn, Sofia would clobber him. She did not appreciate sharing the limelight.

They are best friends today. I had my babies last night and as we were snuggling on the couch at the end of the evening, watching Mickey Mouse, Rowan would reach over and pull her hair over and over.

I would say, "No, brothers" over and over. Sofia didn't mind at all. She's crazy about her brother and will often run over to tickle him to make him laugh. She's very protective of him and they are crazy about each other.

Laid back, totally chill, loves to smile, laugh, and be held and snuggled, he's content letting his sister be the boss and he doesn't seem to mind finding another toy to play with when everything he touches, his sister takes.

Rowan knows their special snacks cupboard at my house and it makes me smile when Sofia walks through the door asking, "a sUrPrIsE fOr mE!" and Rowan walks to their snacks cupboard and reaches up. He doesn't talk yet and I like knowing when he wants something. Reminds me of my childhood, walking through my grandma's door and her saying, "There's pop in the frig and cookies in the cookie jar."

Big Grammy

When my daughter, Mariah, was little and learning to talk, my mom wanted to be called Grammy. It became decades of laughter when Mariah wouldn't say Grammy; rather, Gaggy. It still makes me laugh. I remember walking into the bank where my mom worked and Mariah shouting, "GAGGY!" and my mom saying, "Would you please teach her to say Grammy!"

Sofia's name for me has changed by the month and she alternates different names how she refers to me. Sometimes I am Grinny, Ganny, Granny, Grandma, and she asks me what my name is and twice has called me Dawn. She is also at that age where she calls her mom & dad by their first name, which is so funny.

She has both me and my mom, two grandmas, and she has another name:  Big Grammy.

Go ahead and laugh!

When I first heard this, it felt like karma from when Mariah was little. We couldn't figure out which one Big Grammy was, with my mom taller than me.

Here, I'm the Grammy with the big house. My mom is Great Grammy.

Thank God my name forever changes and now she will just say the big house.

One day... my Mariah is going to be a grandma. I can only wait!

Employee Spotlight

One would think my being in sales, winning the Sales Person of the Year (2019) Award, and COVID throwing a major wrench in my events, that it would throw me off my game.

Nope.

[I'm laughing] I do say all the time in the office, "If your not first, your last." I've made a competition out of the COVID pandemic. There are still ways to compete for mental stimulation and personal challenge sake.

First, it was the how do you handle brides and event cancellations gracefully and become the advocate for brides who are devastated. I came up with four alternatives that made them feel they had the power of choice.

With the re-opening from quarantine and now the stinking mask mandate that is unraveling those who are hosting events, I've had to search out our county health department mandatory guidelines for doing events, write how they will look, and train my team. We've done a couple events and we've got it down to a science.

Corporate called. They want to know how I'm doing and when I shared what I've done, I've been asked to take photos, videos, and write out our processes to share across the country, because other locations just aren't getting it.

Oh, I was pleased at punch to share the details, down to staff training details, health department guidelines and signage, event set up, through staff temperature checks, to event processes through sanitizing after events.

Today on a nationwide sales team call with 150 locations, we were asked different questions how we were handling processes. A couple contributed semi-okay ideas, most shared how difficult it was, and many are increasing their rates. Dare I say that doing an event under COVID mandatory guidelines is actually easier on my staff then a full blown, highly detailed event. COVID keeps the processes simple.

I contributed solid content as to what I am doing now and shared detail to about 8 different things I am working on during this craziness. I didn't need to touch the re-opening process topic, because they were told I've done it and they would be receiving it. 

After my contribution after contribution after contribution and hearing my name time and time again across the county on today's call, I'm sure they are sick of me. 

Just wait until the August All Staff Call.

A VP from corporate (in another state) reached out to to have a phone conversation with me. That was surprising as the general manager has worked for the company for 10+ years and has never been contacted. 

Wait for it...

The monthly All Staff Call is all managers from 150 locations join a call and I am going to be the nationwide employee they are going to Spotlight with my initiative and thriving during a pandemic. Corporate called to let me know and to say thank you. 

WINNER WINNER!! 

Like I always say, "If your not first, your last." 

Month #4 on Keto

Today is my 4^th month on the Keto Diet and I have lost…

40 lbs!

Honestly, I can’t believe it myself. What I cannot believe is that not only does the diet works, is life-changing.

Life-changing because eating clean is a new way of eating all together. Everything has changed. Not just the food I eat, but if I want to have something I used to like, it doesn’t even taste good anymore.

I had one of my favorite hamburgers and the bread and its consistency, that I always ate, tasted processed.

Once upon a time I loved all kinds of meat, I don’t crave it, and if I do, it’s in a small portion otherwise it feels too heavy to eat.

When you think diet, I believe most think, reduction in food. That isn’t the case at all. Keto is your food choices. Because it isn’t sugary and starchy, rather proteins and healthy fats, you just don’t get as hungry. I would have never believed it had I not gone through this.

Here’s the thing, I eat the most delicious food and the incredible desserts that are totally guilt-free. If there is something non Keto-friendly I want to eat, I eat it. It just isn’t my every day food.

In less than two weeks, I turn 50 years old and I feel fabulous!!

"yOu'Re mY bEsT fRiEnD!"

It was at my 4th of July pool party when Sofia saw a pretty pink floating donut in my pool and got excited. At 2 years old, everything is hers and she asked if I had gotten that for her, and I said I did. 

For the 1st time completely unprompted, she said, "tHaNk yOu gRaMmY! yOu'Re mY bEsT fRiEnD!!" 

I've only told her I love her and she is my best friend since she was born! 

Fresh Mint Sun Tea

It's scorching HOT outside, traffic is busy in 4th of July preparation, and people are crazy in general, which makes the perfect trifecta for unnecessary drama. As if the news and social media isn't already filled with it.

Turn it off. Unplug.

Rule #822, if you must go to a store, go in early and get out before the general population wakes up. Traffic isn't crazy, you won't stand in a line to get into a store, and people don't already have attitudes from the heat.

I will stay in my pretty piece of the world and host pool parties. I love, love, love having a pool! It's become quite the gathering place and my wrap around deck with umbrella tables are spacious to host guests.

The pool is used every day and everyone is loving the saltwater. Hosting pool parties, relaxing and floating with a drink & a good book, or too cool off, I'm blessed my home came with the pool.

Tea is brewing with fresh mint leaves I picked from my plant to brew in the sun. Something so simple like sun tea poured over ice in a pretty glass on a hot summer day sounds pretty perfect.

My home is surrounded by friendly neighbors. Outside everyone chats and visits. Sue across the street from me, has become a good friend. It's nice to have someone say, "I'm at the store, do you need anything?" Or, when she called last night because she found Rebel ice cream, which is temporarily not being shipped to local stores, so we loaded up! #Ketofriendly

We are both on Keto and we're taking turns making different dishes, desserts, and sharing them. Between the two of us, we've come up with twice as many fabulous recipes and are always sharing new things. Nothing like a knock at the door and a plate full of yummy Keto brownies, zucchini pizza, or the "I found some new drinks and bought you some!"

While the world is chaotic, create an oasis for your family and friends.

Have a safe 4th of July and God bless America!

Blueberry Bushes

I was outside talking to one of my neighbors when he mentioned my blueberry bushes. 

Blueberry bushes?

I had no idea these were blueberry bushes and was super happy to learn this! Walking over to check it out, the one is over 6' tall and both bushes are filled with berries. He shared I need a special net so the birds don't eat them. Thanks to Amazon Prime, my net arrived and the bushes are covered just as the berries are starting to turn blue.

He shared the history about my home, the families name, a rich family, that owned much of the town where I live that built my home. Sharing all the fruit trees this property used to have. 

My property continues to bloom and blossom. My Clematis has it's first purple flower, the Iris's are about to bloom again, and the hydrangea on the side of my home opened with blue flowers. I wondered what color they would be. It all looks so pretty. 

I'm super excited about the blueberries and cannot wait to pick them.