Where to start....

I am not sure where to start... Last week was extra crazy. Dave had his annual State Kick-Off meeting this last weekend. It is a very stressful time for him and his Admin. Ann and the rest of the state office people. They have a leadership meeting to do for all of the management team here in Idaho South/Oregon East. Then they put on a meeting for all the agents in the "state". After which there is a reception and a formal awards dinner. What is my job? To look good. Oh I'm kidding... sort of.


My job was to do the centerpieces for the formal dinner. We had 18 tables. Shouldn't be too hard should it? Well there is also a theme. That's right for the Aflac Convention in October. Every year at kick-off we decorate according to where the Convention trip would be. In 2010 it was a Carribean Cruise. So easy enough... Tropical. This year for 2011 it's Hawaii. So easy enough.... Tropical. What? Two years in a row? That means I can't be cheap and reuse my last year centerpieces. That means I have to use my brain. GREAT!!!!


Have I ever mentioned my favorite craft store ever? No? Well... get ready for the plug...... It's HOBBY LOBBY!! Ok I know sort of a stupid name. The very first time I stepped into a Hobby Lobby was in Arkansas. It was very ghetto or perhaps country is a better term. I didn't go there for about a year and a half because it looked so blech...But when I did it was seriously Halleluja!! It is so awesome. It is a dream. Plus the prices rock. I try to find reasons to go there. I know it's a sort of an addiction. You would think my house would be better decorated. Never fear I'm working on it.


So I went to Hobby Lobby and tried to figure out something tropical but not tacky for our centerpieces. If we weren't doing a formal dinner it would have been easy, but for our awards banquet I felt it needed to be beautiful too. Last year we did tall white pillar candles on a black charger, with a colorful piece of fabric underneath. Next to the candle we had seashells and a stargazer lily. They were really pretty, but a lot of work with the live flowers.


This year I thought I would do silk flowers. That way I can reuse them. I think they turned out pretty nice. What do you think?

The kickoff was great and I have 10 months to wait to find out what to do for next year.