Archive for the ‘Birthday Month’ Category
Here’s To 20 Years
Six months ago I was asked to head up the committee that planned and hosted our firm’s 20 year anniversary celebration. I was really excited as I LOVE planning parties. I love it so much that I am planning at least four parties over the rest of the year.
We decided that we would have the party at a local brewery and that we would incorporate a sunflower theme from our save the date cards to invitations, to event space decor. We invited all of our clients, firm members and their spouses, and some of the associated professionals that we work with. All in all, the guest list was over 400.
We spent six months organizing and securing vendors from the event space, to the caterer, baker, and DJ. The brewery provided space for up to 225 people, a bar stocked with their beers and house wine, soft drinks and coffee, a limited number of sunflower centerpieces, and commemorative pint glasses with our logo for party favors for our guests. The caterer is a well known local catering shop run by a husband and wife team. We have used them for several office functions in the past. We chose to have a heavy appetizer buffet for our casual “open house” style reception. We asked for a mix of hot and cold choices with a mix of beef, chicken, seafood, and vegetarian options. We told the DJ that we wanted to be able to play music that would appeal to a wide variety of people, including a diverse age group. He told us not to worry as he had a music catalogue that contains 35,000 songs. The dessert would be cupcakes with simple designs….some had 20s and some were decorated with sunflowers to continue our theme.
215 people RSVP’d that they would be attending our party from 6-10 on Thursday evening. We asked our staff to be available at 4:00 so that we could have all hands on deck to get the event space ready for the party. The event space staff took care of setting up the bar and the caterer put out candles on each of the 8 top rounds and high top rounds and they set up the beautiful food buffet. The baker came and set up a simple but elegant cupcake display complete with white, chocolate, red velvet, and lemon cupcakes. We set up the registration table with preprinted name tags for the guests and trivia questions. We had slips of paper for each guest to answer four trivia questions to be put in a drawing for door prizes.
Our company office manager made a really neat slide summarizing the history of our firm, what we do, our clients, and a slide for each firm member showcasing their families and leisure activities. It played on two jumbo screens throughout the duration of the event.
Before we knew it, guests began to arrive. We had several local clients and associated professionals as well as clients that traveled in from Missouri, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Virgina.
We stopped the music at various times during the event to introduce our firm members and do the drawing for trivia question winners. We had four questions and therefore, four winners. Each winner received a sterling silver piggy bank.
Everyone was raving about the how great the party was and how delicious the food was. The DJ did a great job keeping the music selection varied and pleasing to all in the room.
Finally, by about 9:00, I was able to take a load off and enjoy some food and have a meaningful visit with a couple of clients. The party was a success, but the worst thing about it was that I spent about 15 seconds talking to each person, and there were even people that were there that I never saw or talked to. I guess that comes with hosting a party. But, I was disappointed, it felt like guests started to arrive, and FLASH, the party was over.
Anyway, I’m so glad that we pulled the party off without any major hiccups and that. I’m happy to add a party of 200+ to my list of events planned to date and I hope that I was able to show the company that I can handle a few extra responsibilities.
And that is how the birthday month ended.
To the next 20 years!
Jazzed Up
I really love the Kansas City arts and cultural scene from live music, theatre, art galleries, etc, including the Jazz scene. One of my very favorite local jazz pianists has a resident gig at a local Jazz club in Kansas City. I often watch he and his band mates jam on Sunday nights.
I decided to get a group together to continue the birthday month festivities for dinner and drinks at the club. It worked out great as we ended up having a girls night out. A few girlfriends and one of my cousins joined me and tolerated my jazz obsession.
We sat front and center in the first row and enjoyed our wine and the piano. The piano player gave me a birthday shout out, which made me feel important. We moved a bit away from the stage for dinner and dessert where we indulged in delicious food, gossip, and general typical girl talk. I just can’t describe the vibe that exists between girlfriends that aren’t catty or judgemental and are truly down to earth and friendly. What was really neat is that the only thing that the girls had in common was me.
We had a fantastic time, the food was delicious and the wine was smooth. What was even better is that the cute bartender made my favorite drink. It is a refreshing summer cocktail including cucumbers.
What is a Piropo?
And the birthday month continues….
I hopped on a plane at Chicago Midway and headed for home. I went straight to my car at the airport where I had a change of clothes. It was 7:20, and my next birthday dinner was in forty minutes. I threw on a dress and a bit of make up, and headed for this amazing Argentinean restaurant, Piropos, to meet some friends. www.piroposkc.com
Piropos was convenient as it is on my way home from the airport nestled in an area of Briarcliff Village www.briarcliffvillagekc.com They are known for their unique and authentic menu as well as the view of downtown Kansas City.
We started the evening off with a bread basket and specialty housemade sangrias. I wish that I could remember some of the concoctions that made up the sangrias that evening. I tried three of six or seven, and they were all incredibly unique, refreshing, and fitting for the meal. They were a part of a special summer menu.
We moved onto the main course which consisted of two entrees, as my friend and I each ordered an entrée and split them. We ordered the pork chops served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed apples, walnuts, raisins, and mushrooms and the pan seared halibut with lobster risotto and juilenne vegetables in a roasted red pepper sauce. The pork chops are not something that I would normally order, but I thought that I would branch out and try them.
I will admit that I was already full from bread and sangria by the time that the entrees came, but I ate anyway. I devoured the halibut and lobster risotto. They were to die for!! I was too full for the pork chop and mashed potatoes, so I decided to ask for them to be boxed up and taken home. I did try a bite of the mashed potatoes and was disappointed when they tasted like instant. I ended up eating half of the left over pork chop for dinner the next night and it tasted great with the apples.
Although I was beyond satisfied, we went for dessert! We had the Copa Piropos on the house for my birthday and the Churros de Caramelo. The Copa Piropos was fresh berries with creme anglase and vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with imported argentine dulce de leche. The Churos were stuffed with ccaramel and served with vanilla bean ice ream and drizzled with Dulce de leche and hot chocolate ganache.
No, this isn’t a food blog, but this meal was so delicious that I couldn’t leave it un mentioned.
The service was great and my friends and I enjoyed our time together. Needless to say we left the restaurant stuffed! Next stop was home to sleep off the food coma and get prepared for the next day’s birthday month festivities.
Independence Day
I awoke from my food coma and decided that in honor of my birthday month, I would treat myself to Saturday brunch at my favorite hotel. I went alone with my lap top in tow so that I could catch up on some work stuff that I had missed while in Chicago.
After brunch, I headed out to Independence for a day of fun and games at a family fun center with mini golf, arcade games, and go carts. I had looked the place up online and thought that this was the best option that was the closest to my house.
I love ski ball, arcade basketball, mini golf, and go carts. However, when we got there, the realization that we were in Independence hit hard. Most of the games were broken, including basketball….which I discovered after I bought $25 worth of tokens. The mini golf course was in complete disrepair. The go carts weren’t bad, though.
After a having a mild amount of fun at the “family fun center”, we decided to make a break for it and head to get margaritas at a local mexican establishment. I had a blast catching up with friends that I don’t get to spend a lot of time with.
Potbelly: Never Ending Birthday Month
We spent the last day in Chicago as tourists. We did the usual Chicago “stuff”. Walked down Michigan Avenue, went to Millenium Park, Soldier Field, the Field Museum. I figured that I walked about 20 miles a day while in Chicago. I love the thought of living in a place where exercise is built in to your daily activities and commute. Every time I travel somewhere, I imagine myself living in that city. I fantasize about how in shape I would be logging all of those miles…and then I snap back to my suburban reality where we take the car everywhere.
Of course, I also did what I ALWAYS do when I go to Chicago….we ate lunch at Potbelly.
Potbelly is a sandwich shop, but it is more than just a deli, just another Subway, Goodcents, etc. Potbelly is a safe haven. Everyone is welcome without judgement to enjoy comfort food. They serve toasted subs, homemade soups, cookies, and brownies. They have funky decor and indie live music at lunch time.
I discovered Potbelly on a trip to Chi in 2004 and have been hooked ever since. I can’t go to Chicago and not eat at Potbelly at least once. I order the same thing every time I go….a roast beef sandwich with swiss, lettuce, and tomato on wheat bread. This time I got a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie and chips. Its my birthday, I can splurge!
We sat and ate a leisurely lunch and listened to the live music while watching the hustle and bustle of the busy lunch hour. My flight was taking off in 6 hours and I didn’t want to go home! But, I knew that I needed to say good bye for now to Chi-Town, Chris Martin, Bill Rancic, and Potbelly.
Until next time!
Chicago Bound!
I’m usually very busy leading up to time away from work trying to get everything done and making sure that things are in order during my absence. Getting ready for Chicago was no exception. I had a late day attending an event in Manhattan and got home at 11:00 and still hadn’t packed. My flight was leaving at 6:20 the next morning.
Long story short, I didn’t give myself enough time to get to the airport, and I missed my flight. Lucky for me, there are about 10 flights a day between KC and Chicago, and I was able to get on the very next flight and was only about 20 minutes late.
Needless to say, I was a bit rattled. So, what did I do as soon as I landed? Went to the nearest airport bar and had a bloody mary! The great thing about this trip was that I didn’t have a whole lot planned. The idea was to have a relaxing few days scouting for my boyfriends, Chris Martin and Bill Rancic. More on that later.
I tool the train and eventually made it to our hotel in downtown Chicago. I took a quick nap and then made it out for the first thing on the agenda….a run on Lake Shore Drive. The hotel had a pocket map of a four mile run and a seven mile run. However, I didn’t realize that the distance from the hotel to the lake counted as a part of the run, so I had intended on doing the four mile run and ended up doing about 8 miles. It is amazing what the water does for my endurance. I never checked the clock and ran further and faster than usual.
I walked back to the hotel and stopped in a corner drugstore for a post run cold drink, and what did I find, Crispin!!! Crispin is distributed by Miller Coors, based in Chicago, so, Crispin is readily available in drug stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, bars, and restaurants all over the city.
After my run and cold drink, I showered, threw my wet hair up, and headed out to the blow dry bar. This is a concept that is pretty foreign to my area, but popular on the coasts and in other major cities. I have thick, curly hair, and it takes me forever to blow dry and flat iron my hair, so I thought it would be cool and save some time to make an appointment at a blow dry bar. There happened to be one about four blocks from our hotel. The girl that did my blow out was so cool. She was my age and we spent the 45 minutes talking about our cities and all of the fun things to do.
As soon as I stepped outside of the salon, the rain started pouring. Just my luck! But, the receptionist was so nice, she chased me down with a shower cap! Yes, I walked the four blocks back to the hotel in a shower cap! Who cares, I’d never see any of these people again, right?
My friends and I met for dinner and drinks at a local burger and beer joint on Michigan Avenue. After dinner, I was headed to the United Center!
I hailed a cab that dropped me off a few blocks from the UC where I was able to buy a floor seat at face value! And I didn’t have to sell a kidney to afford it!
Let me just say that Chris Martin and the boys put on a PHENOMENAL show! It was hands down one of the two best live shows that I have ever seen. The crowd was AMAZING! It was one of the most alive and engaging crowd that I have ever seen at a live show. One of the coolest things about the show was the wrist bands that they handed out at the door. They lit up in sync with the music, so it was awesome to see the dark stadium light up in multicolored hues to the music. They played for at least two solid hours. I was in awe of how Chris Martin just gets into the music. He is such a talented piano player…I could feel his heart and soul in the music.
I am so glad that I got to go to the concert. It was a great experience and such a fantastic way to continue the birthday month celebration.
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