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Wednesday, November 08, 2006

It's time for the next contestant on...

...PurlsBeforeWine.

Okay, the first contestant on my blog, but who's counting.

I am currently up to my eyeballs planning and executing a gala. It is an annual event at my job and it is quite a to-do. We generally have 550-650 guests (we're up to 640 right now), two parts to the event at two venues (with very meticulous seating requirements at both), transportation issues, a sit-down dinner, etc. It's like throwing a really big wedding every year without the wedding gifts.

I am asking for tales of event planning going awry. (Geez, I hope I'm not jinxing myself...) Here are the rules:

1. All stories must be true. I trust you.
2. The event can be large or small, from a birthday party to a gala.
3. You must be the event planner (or one of the event planning team.)
4. The story that elicits the greatest response from me (whether it be raucous laughter or sympathetic winces from someone who has been there) will win. (Yes, it's all very subjective.)
5. All entries must be posted in the comments to this blog entry by November 16. (This date may be of some significance...) The winner will be announced at some point during the following week (when I recover.)

So, here's the important part...what you win! Sock yarn. Delicious, beautiful sock yarn. I have been on a mad binge, collecting sock yarn from many independent Etsy sellers. The winner (and perhaps a randomly drawn entrant) will get something wonderful plucked from the sock yarn stash.

I just hope there are enough of you out there to make this a good contest.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Today I...

...spent my second day at work toiling at a task that, when it is finished, will, without doubt, make someone mad at me. Ah, well, it happens every year.

...went to see Shawn Colvin in concert. And, I have someone new to love, her opening act, Brandi Carlile. Leaving the venue, I heard some whining that she had not done "Sunny Came Home." (I've said it before, I'll say it again: if all you wanna hear is the hits, stay home and play your CDs, people. Sheesh.) You gotta love a folk singer who can close her show with a kick-ass version of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy."

...got a package in the mail from Emily Parson. She had promised to mail me a skein of yarn that I ordered and, as an added bonus, she sent along an extra skein as a thank you for a suggestion I had given her about promoting her Etsy shop. I told you she was nice!

...and

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Like, The Best Day Ever

Here is a list of reasons why yesterday was, like, the best day ever:

1. I got up early and popped online and discovered that the Fine Art of Fiber Festival was happening at the Chicago Botanic Garden. On my way to the event, I was driving up Lincoln Avenue on my way to 94 when I was simply struck by how fortunate I am to live in a place with so many fun, exciting things to do and that I have the freedom to do them.

2. At the festival, I acquired two hanks of handspun, a really cool felted scarf that I bought, in part, to try to replicate, and some fun, funky felted wool garland for my Christmas tree. (Since we are going to be away for Christmas, we are not putting up a real tree this year. Instead, the tree is of the wrought iron variety (a very cool piece from my days as a shopkeeper) that is adorned with only fiber-related decorations. (Yes, I KNOW it is too early. Too bad. It's not like the needles are going to fall off of it.)



3. After the Art of Fiber Festival, I headed to Evanston for Franklin Habit's Dulaan gathering. It was amazing to walk in to the place and see 50-60 knitters already there and clicking away. And, to be so warmly greeted by Franklin and his amiable team was icing on the cake. What a nice group of people, some of whom I knew from KIPs or Worldwide Knit in Public Day. Franklin was the consummate, thoughtful, jovial host who made everyone feel incredibly welcome.

I spent a lot of the day feeling lucky to be there and grateful for the opportunity to make something for someone in need. Oh, and I won the first doorprize of the day. (Lucky twice in the same week!) (Side Note: I met Emily Parson at the Dulaan event, a quilter and sock yarn dyer from St. Charles, IL. Her sock yarn is beautiful and I recommend visiting her Etsy store. Three of her skeins came home with me, with a fourth to follow. It is really lovely stuff and the colors are really beautiful. And she was really nice. Buy her yarn.)


4. My husband came home from his business trip to San Francisco. Yay.