Leg Four: Michigan

O driving, how I love thee....

I must say that I am extremely proud of Todd, we have made it over 1,000 miles in less than five days and I have yet to come across a motor-vehicle problem. There was a short period just outside of Detroit last night when I thought I heard some noises coming from the front of the car, but luckily everything was back to normal this morning. : )

So yesterday I got to hit up two totally cool places in Milwaukee. While I was waiting for Meghan to finish up her very exciting, and sometimes drama filled, PA shift at the clinic, I got a chance to drive over to the East side of Milwaukee and see Lake Michigan, which I can honestly say I have never done on any of my trips to the city. It was soo pretty, and if I was a native Milwaukeean (not sure if that is the correct pronoun ;) I would definitely look at the lakeside for a wedding/event location. I checked it out and the city has a couple of avenues for renting out park space along the lake, everything from botanical gardens, a terrace, and a bunch of different plaza options. If you are planning an event in the Milwaukee area, let me know, we all know by know how much I love a good roadtrip ; )

Anyway, while I was down by the lake and I stopped by Alterra, a very cool and funky coffee house, located right next to the lake. Meghan had told me that this place was a big deal in Milwaukee, but the big draw for me was when I drove by, the first thing to catch my eye was the Wisconsin Union starburst chairs! I was so excited, it was like I never left Madison that morning!! The great thing about Alterra (besides the awesome chairs) is although they currently have a bunch of locations across downtown Milwaukee, they started as three entrepreneurial minded friends in 1993, just looking for a place to get some quality coffee. If I hadnt have had a HUGE caramel latte before I wandered down to Alterra, I would have definitely tried out their master brews; however I settled for a personal favorite, lemon mint iced tea. The tea was heavenly, and the atmosphere around the whole place was just really cool. Hopefully the company will expand soon, and if they make it to the Twin Cities area I might have a new favorite coffee shop! O and they do these really cool leaf designs in their coffees which are just totally cool : )

After soaking the good tea and atmosphere of Alterra, I met up with Meghan for some good conversation and great food at Comet's Cafe. We were able to sit outside because the weather was absolutely gorgeous, and Meghan and I were able to appreciate the made-from scratch comfort food (like the overflowing Buddafucco sandwich I had) and custom brews (see Bravo Beverage for today ;) that this small cafe is famous for. Overall, a great late September dining experience.

It was a good thing the food at Comet's was so amazing, because I spent the next 6 and 1/2 hours, nonstop, driving to Grosse Ile, Michigan, where my Uncle Chris and Aunt Brenda live. I love coming to visit my Michigan family, and I really appreciate being able to stay at my aunt and uncle's place. Not only are they super fun to talk and hang out with, but they also have the cutest dog, Turk! This morning I was able to go on my first run EVER with a dog, and let me tell you, it was a very interesting, yet fun, experience. Let's just say it was really great to have a running companion, however, if I ever got lost and the GPS on my phone died, Turk would be able to lead us back to the house because he stopped almost every five feet to "mark his territory". Although we did have some minor delays, the run (and eventually run/walk) was very pleasant; I got to see a lot of the island that the Garner's live on, and the views along the river bank were very pretty.

Song of the day: Going with the fourth leg theme of "The Great Midwest Roadtrip", the song of the day is "Especially in Michigan" by Red Hot Chili Peppers. Like I said before, I just love being here, I cant wait to see the rest of my family in the next couple days that I'm here!

"Life is my friend, Rake it up to take it in, Wrap me in your cinnamon, Especially in Michigan...well I could be your friend"

Bravo Beverage: As promised before, the Bravo Beverage for today comes from Comet's Cafe. The cafe had a huge list of custom beers, and although I had to take some time deciding what to try, I ending up choosing this charming brew, Bitch Creek. I am a very big fan of pale ales, and this beer had a delightfully hoppy, yet crisp taste, that made me appreciate the beer's name, cause this brew was definitely bitchin' ; )

Leg Three: Milwaukee

So sad to leave Madison this morning, I think I might have to stop in quick on the way back at the end of the week ; ) Luckily I got to top off my marvelous Madison visit with breakfast with the beautiful Miss Erin at the Madtown chow-down hot spot Mickies Dairy Bar on Monroe. I am a BIG fan of breakfast, and Mickies has got to have one of the best morning munchies menus EVER. Not only is the food uber delicious, the portions are absolutely HUGE and the prices are ridiculously cheap, even for poor college students. They even have menus on the walls from when they originally opened in 1946, and even then their prices were awesome ($.75 for a three egg omelet? Yes please!)

After filling my belly with a oooey-gooey ham-mushroom-and cheese omelet I hit the road again, setting my sights on the horizon and my wheels on I-94 to Milwaukee. I really enjoy the Milwaukee city feel, they have a lot of big sky scrapers and old architecture buildings that are really cool. With some time to kill before my date with mono-y Meghan, I stopped in at Steamer's Coffee on Water Street for a large latte. The place is pretty cool, latte was good, and free wi-fi is always a plus.

In addition to getting some work things done at Steamers, I got a chance to put in place my next project : ) One of my favorite blogs that I have been following for some time now is The Healthy Tipping Point, a great general healthy living blog. In addition to supplying some really good vegetarian recipes (I'm not a vegetarian but I LOVE vegetables : ) Caitlin, the blogger, started this amazing movement called Operation Beautiful which is a crusade to end negative, self esteem hurting thinking, which she has artfully called Fat Talk. The action behind the idea is to leave uplifting or inspirational messages in public places where women everywhere can see them and feel good about themselves! It is amazing how just a smile or a post-it saying "You are Beautiful" can change someones day!

So on a Target run yesterday I picked up a bunch of Post-its and a sharpie and am pleased to present you with my first Operation Beautiful postie! I hope the ladies at Steamer's Coffee will like it!
Song of the Day: Rockin on with the free spirit of "The Great Midwest Roadtrip" my song of the day is "Wildflower" by Janedear Girls. Listening to this song makes me want to pull over on the side of the highway and just run through one of the open fields next to the road! Haha!

"I'm a wildflower, growing in the sunshine, soaking up the way of life, I was raised in. Running barefoot, blooming in a summer shower, ponytail dancing, I cant help it, I'm a wildflower"

Bravo Beverage: Last night when Colin and I were at Bluephies, I was totally overwhelmed by all the drink choices they had at the "Vodkatorium"! I was finally able to make a selection: The Red Bullet. Made with Tanqueray gin, red lillet, peach liquor and fresh lime juice, the piece resistance of the drink is the peach sugar lining the glass. It was soo good, and I wont lie, I was a little sad when the waitress took my empty drink glass away before I could finish the sugar ; ) I feel lame cause I forgot to take a picture of the Bullet, but here is a pretty much what it looked like.

Local Food for Thought

Go small businesses!

Today is my second day in Madison, and I celebrating by reconnecting with some great friends and eating some fabulous food!! This morning I had breakfast with my "Madison Parents" Tom and Cheryl Chanos at Marigold Kitchen.

The food at Marigold is absolutely delicious and I would fall over in excitement if they opened a cafe in the Twin Cities area. Marigold Kitchen was opened nine years ago by co-owners Phillip Hurley and John Gadau. The pair chose Madison because of it's welcoming, community atmosphere and slightly urban setting. Every time I go out to eat with the Chanos's we go to Marigold, the food is just that good. Not only do they offer unique twists on regular menu items, but they also stick with the Madison community feel by using fresh foods from local markets and farms. I personally am a big fan of their grilled angus burger and the ever so purpley-delightful coleslaw, but as we were there for breakfast this morning, I had the scrambler that was magnificently delicious. If you are in the Madison area and are looking for a place to eat, Marigold Kitchen on South Pinckney Street is the place to be. They also offer a full catering menu, so check them out for your next event!

So one would think after such a heavenly breakfast that food life just couldnt get any better, at least in the same day. But o wait, it did. Getting back to my breakfast dates this morning, Tom and Cheryl Chanos have been great friends and mentors to me ever since I moved here in 2006 and coached their youngest daughter Lexi. Not only did these two wonderful people give me rides all over the Midwest and make me feel at home -away-from-home, but they are also very successful entrepreneurs. In addition to owning Badger Consultants, a Madison based, independent research company, Tom and Cheryl are Midwest franchisers of the sandwich shop Capriotti's. After opening two locations in downtown Milwaukee and Middleton, Wisconsin, the Chanos's had the grand opening of their downtown Madison shop, located on the corner of Regent St. and Park St. The sandwiches at Capriotti's are absolutely delicious; they use only fresh ingredients and jam pack their subs full of meat and, if you like, spicy-peppery goodness. If you are near any of these Wisconsin locations you should definitely go out and try some of this fantastic food, and support some local, serial entrepreneurs! But if you aren't in the Midwest area, don't fret. Capriotti's is a nationally operated franchise, check out their website for a location near you!

So as you can see, the food selections on "The Great Midwest Roadtrip" have been fabulous, and the good times just keep on rolling. Not only am I getting margarita's at Pasqual's with Laura tonight, I think my friend Colin is taking me to Bluephies for dinner, another local restaurant favorite which I have yet to go to so I am really excited. I've heard they have something called a "Vodkatorium" where they showcase all sorts of premium vodka. I'm not the biggest vodka drinker, but I might have to make an exception for this...who knows, maybe I'll have a new favorite drink to show you all tomorrow!

Song of the Day: To celebrate all the delicious foodness that is going on today, my song of the day is "Too Much Food" by Jason Mraz. Jason Mraz is one of my favorite artists, I like how he jams his songs full of mouth mumbling lyrics, which make me smile every time I sing them : )

"Pass me the spoon, pass the analytical knife, cause your about to get, cut up or get cut down, its all about the word play, all about the sound of the tone of my voice, you gotta let me make my choice alone, before my food gets cold. You better shut up or get shot down, it's all about the know how, its all just a matter of taste. Stop telling me the way I gotta play now, you're putting too much food on my plate!"

Leg Two: Madison

When You Say WISCONSIN, You've Said It All!!

I started out on my second leg of "The Great Midwest Roadtrip" this morning bright and early so I could get to Madison in time to have lunch with one of my great friends and coaching mentors, Meg! With my Starbucks and Special K in hand, Todd and I celebrated a huge milestone just outside of Lacrosse: the 140,000 mile mark! Good old Todd and I have been through a lot together, I just hope he can continue to stay strong for the rest of our trip! (And yes, for those who dont know who Todd is, he is my car and yes I am one of those people that names their car...)

So once I got in to town, Meg and I had a delicious lunch at Noodles and hit up the Wisconsin vs. Penn State volleyball match. Despite a grand effort and tons of fan support, the Badgers lost to the Nittany Lions in three sets. Although it was sad the girls lost, it was really nice to see everyone and also just watch the game without having to work! Good luck with the season girls, can't wait to see you again when you roll into town to face the Gophers!

Driving around my former place of residence, I realized how much I just gosh darn miss Madison. It is so beautiful here, and the school spirit is absolutely contagious! Maybe I could set something up where I could do some weddings/events here off and on during the year...wouldnt that be nice?

Speaking of Madison weddings, tomorrow I am meeting with my friend Laura Ursin of Brides on a Budget, who not only helped me out during the past school year with a marketing project, but also is a fabulous mentor when helping me start my business! I cant wait to meet up with her, she has so many great insights! Check out her website for some pictures of weddings/events that she has done in the local area, I'm a big fan of the one she was actually just in where Mr. Buckingham Badger made a special appearance, and the bride had these gorgeous green bridal bouquets! (Pictures by Lockstein Photography)

Song of the day: Sticking with the wonderful Madison, Wisconsin spirit, the song of the day is "If You Want to Be a Badger" by the Wisconsin Band (I guess?) I will always be a Badger at heart! GO BIG RED! "If you want to be a Badger, just come along with me, by the bright shining light of, the light of the moon. If you want to be a Badger, just come along with me, by the bright shining light of the Moon!"

Leg One: Lacrosse

First day of "The Great Midwest Roadtrip" was a definite success!!

Sorry I missed the post yesterday, Oktoberfest was a ton of fun! After I made the long detoured route to Lacrosse (a lot of the highways in Southern Minnesota were closed due to the flooding on Thursday) I finally got to Wisconsin and got to see some of the beautiful bluffs that that area is famous for. I didnt see much color on the way down, but the views were still really nice! Once I was in Lacrosse I got hang out with two of my favorite people, Lindsey and Aaron Sjobeck, and celebrated some great German/Lacrosse culture at the same time! Probably one of the funnest things I liked about yesterday was the parade, which lasted almost five hours! There were tons of people lining the streets, with lots of music, food, and of course, beer ; )

If there is one thing that I love about being a wedding planner, it is hearing stories about the couple; like how they met, how he proposed, why they are meant to be with each other :) So seeing as the Oktoberfest parade is attended by thousands of spectators and potential couples, I got to wondering how popular parade engagements were. I dont think a parade proposal is exactly my style, but I would have loved to see one on Saturday! So I looked around and found a couple of stories of parade question popping:

- In a lovely sounding town of Faith, New York a young man chose the Annual Fourth of July Parade as the day to propose by riding through the parade in a car with a sign asking, "Will you marry me?" According to the Salisbury Post, "though spectators weren’t sure of his name, hundreds saw him drive up and propose, and she got in the car, and they drove off together." How cute is that? I wonder if it was one of those old-timey cars that are always in parades....

- Here is a video of another Fourth of July parade proposal, this time in LaPorte, IN. The groom to be must have worked for a jeweler in the town and the team built a giant ring box of which he popped out and popped the question to the bride to be when they came to where she was watching the parade. Haha its so corny, but so cute it just warms my heart watching it!!

- O my gosh this story is so cute, being from MinneSNOWta, I always think winter proposals are really romatic. It doesnt say on this post what city they were in, but regardless its super cute. (The story about the parade proposal is all the way at the bottom of the page)

So there are just of couple of parade engagement stories, if you have one or know of any let me know!

Song of the day: One of my new country favorites, "Stuck Like Glue" by Sugarland. Not only does it go with the proposal theme of the blog, but I also heard it a million times yesterday, blaring from various houses in Lacrosse :) Plus the music video is absolutely hilarious!

"There you go making my heart beat again, there you go making me feel like a kid, wont you do it, do it one time, there you go pulling me right back in, and I know, I'm never letting this go, I'm stuck on you ; )"

Oktoberfest

Happy Friday!!

I am very excited this morning because not only is it the weekend but I am leaving for my weeklong roadtrip across the Midwest! I have been planning this trip for weeks now and I am super excited to get going and see all my friends along the way : ) I am going to be taking a ton of pictures and hitting up some fun places so I will keep you updated with my travels!

My first stop will be in lovely Lacrosse, home to the even lovelier Lindsey. I will be setting out this afternoon though the rain soaked region of southern Minnesota into Wisconsin, and although I think I will have to change my route a bit because of the flooding yesterday, I am really hoping that some of the fall foliage will be springing up along the river. There is really nothing prettier than the fall colors, especially along the riverbanks of the Mississippi! A tree in my front yard has already turned, its a real fiery red in a sea of green in the neighborhood! Another great thing about these festive colors is they are absolutely beautiful in fall weddings. Deep browns and natural earth colors with popping reds, oranges, and yellows is gorgeous in bouquets, centerpieces, and even bridesmaids dresses! The wedding I did over labor day weekend for Jen and Matt Kruse had this kind of fall theme with latte colored bridesmaid dresses and deep red and orange silk flowers for the bouquets, which Jen made herself!

Getting back to the October/fall/roadtrip theme, the big draw to Lacrosse, WI this weekend is the annual Oktoberfest festival, which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary! The original "Oktoberfest" was held on October 12th, 1810 in Munich, Germany. To publically celebrate their marriage, Crown Price Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildbrughaused organized a great horse race that was so successful it turned into a yearly tradition and BAM! Oktoberfest was born.

Oktoberfest, USA was first celebrated in 1962 in Lacrosse, WI as a way to promote local pride, obtain national publicity, and engage civic involvement for the Lacrosse area. Now the 9 day festival is celebrated by joining in on the community led parade, consuming HUGE amounts of tasty German food and delicious Bavarian brews, and enjoying general German merriment : )

I cant wait to get down there and start celebrating! Maybe I'll start with the beverage of the day, Sam Adams Octoberfest! "Sam Adams Octoberfest masterfully blends together five roasts of malt to create a delicious harmony of sweet flavors including caramel and toffee" Well thank you Samueladams.com, I couldnt agree with you more ; )

Since every good roadtrip needs to have a rockin sound track, my song of the day is one of my favorite "Rock Out In My Car" songs; "All Right Now" by Free. I am a total car dancer, and I rock my socks off when I am listening to this song!

"I took her home, to my place, watching every move on her face. She said "Look, whats your game baby, are you trying to put me in shame?" Baby I said "Slow, slow, dont go so fast, dont you think that LOOOVE can last?" She said "LOVE? Lord above, now you're gonna trick me in love!"

Minnesota Rain

Rain rain.......

Sometimes when it is all rainy and dreary like this I actually dont mind because it almost has a calming effect on me. These days are best experienced at home, snuggled up in a big quilt, watching the rain ( and if you get lucky a storm) outside the window.

Today, however, is not one of those days. I dont know if it was because I was crazy busy with events this week but I have not been able to get a good nights sleep. Even though I am physically exhausted, I dont wake up rested, even when I pass out at 9:00pm! I think its because I am an active dreamer, meaning when I dream, I get physically involved in my dreams, such as getting out of bed or sitting up and moving things like my pillows and so on. Ususally I dont realize I am doing this until I am semi-awake in my dreamstate and feel so dumb for thinking my dreams were real. Regardless, I dont know how to fix this problem, anyone have any suggestions? Maybe just not being in my bed for a week on my upcoming roadtrip will help things... hmmm....

This morning I had the pleasure of getting coffee with miss Kristin Krebs at a cute little coffee shop in St. Louis Park called Coffee Buzz. The rain made me a little late and of course when I arrived the excellent law student was studying! I just had to laugh cause she is just so gosh darn cute! Anway, I got a caramel latte which was soooo excellent and the girl even brought it out to where Krissy and I were chatting! :)

Although the shop is kind of tucked away off of Highway 100, the interior was really cool with black and white checkered tiles and some really eclectic art pieces. I absolutely LOVED the chandelier-esk light fixtures they had and the HUGE clock on the wall. I dont know why, but I am a big fan of analog clocks, and this big one seemed in the perfect place at the coffee shop. And segway to my blog yesterday about lighting, if you are looking for more of a classical kind of look at your wedding or event, light fixtures like these are the perfect way to bring some sophistication to any kind of room.

Another decoration I thought was really cool were the oversized black and white city pictures. I am a big fan of the city and of black and white pictures, which my roommates in Madison can attest to as my bathroom was full of little black and white city scenes! One really cute idea that I like for table numbers at weddings is to do photos (black and white if you would like :) of the bride and groom at the age of the table. For example at table five there may be a picture of you and/or your hubby on the way to the first day of kindergarten :D It's kind of corny but can be a great conversation starter if you place people at the tables when they knew either of you at those ages.

Sticking with the rain theme, my song of the day is probably one of my favorite songs of all time "California Rain" by Silvertide. It doesnt really have anything to do about rain, but it has a sweet beat and really, Silvertide is just awesome : )

"I brought my rain to California, all the way from Philladelphia, PA, and on my way my tears fell for ya, I brought my rain to California"


Beverage today, mmmm Shocktop, a Belgian Wheat Ale with a citrus-y aftertaste that reminds me a lot of Blue Moon. Cant wait to get back to Wisconsin on my roadtrip and get some good micro-brews like Spotted Cow....maybe I'll have to make a stop in New Glarus?

*Just a side note to everyone, a lot of the underlined things in my blogged are linked to the website they pertain to, so if something interests you, just click on the link and find out more!*

Free to be Me

Morning!

Sometimes there is nothing I love more than a beautiful fall-September day where the sun is shining and the temperature is perfect for just a long sleeved shirt and jeans. It was nice to get out of the dungeon at the Alliance Conference today to make some phone calls and say Happy Birthday to my friend Matt (aka Harry Potter) who is, ahem, "living it up" in DC ; ) I hope you get to have a SUPER relaxing day today! I cant wait to see a picture of you in your sweet tie ; )

As my internship over at Rebuild comes to an end, so does my Monday/Wednesday lunch breaks over at the Starbucks on Snelling : ( Although it is sad, it does mean that I get to start getting paid over at The Family Partnership which is always exciting! Anyway, last Wednesday on my last lunch trip I wandered over to another cute little boutique across the street called Patina. This store is SUPER cute, they have so many fun things from candles and lights, to cook books and accessories and everything in between! It was really fun looking around, and I highly recommend them for any decorating/accessorizing/gift giving needs!

One thing that really drew my eye were the fun lighting fixtures they had hanging from the ceiling. Lighting is an essential part to any event, and having the right kind of fixtures both in a decorative and functional sense is really important. Although the summer wedding season is coming to an end, I really like big white tent receptions with funky lights like these that are sparks of color where you might not expect it. Doing things like simple white or a neutral color linens with bright flowers or centerpieces (candles, fruit, etc) can really make a statement at your event. Long live bright, fun colors!

The other really fun thing I saw at Patina were these cupcake books! I love baking, and cupcakes are one of my favorite things to make for birthdays, get well soon treats, or really any occasion. I would really like to take some kind of cupcake/cake decorating class so if anyone knows of any out there let me know! In the mean time I think I might pick up one of these books, which give you step by step directions to make the funnest little cupcakes or even these cakepops, which I havent even heard of before! A big trend at weddings lately is to to cupcake or something like petite fours instead of a big cake. I really like this idea, not only could it cut down on some of your serving and cake cutting costs, but you can also do a lot more in terms of flavors, colors, and designs! So I think I am definitely going to buy one of these books the next time I am by Patina; I'll try and post pictures of my new creations!

The song of the day today is "Free to be Me" by Francesca Battiselli because it is just a gorgeous day outside today and I am feeling really good about everything that is going on in my life right now! " Got a couple dents in my fender, got a couple rips in my jeans. Trying to fit the pieces together, but perfection is my enemy. On my own I'm so clumsy, but on your shoulders I can see, I'm free to be ME " : )


Another maybe not daily, but regular blog tradition I would like to start is to showcase some sort of delicious beverage : ) The first one I would like to start with is a delicious beer from local Surly brewery. I am a big fan of local brews and micro breweries and when I went out with my lovely sister the other week at Stub and Herbs on campus, it was the first time I had ever tried this wonderful beer. Surly offers a wide variety of flavors, and this delicious brew is the delightfully hoppy Furious. YUM!

Fabulous Friends : )

I would not be able to do anything without the help of my friends. Not only are my friends just a blasty-blast to hang out with, but we are always doing things that make me smile and bring new ideas to my head! So I would like to showcase some projects that I got to help my two bestest friends with : )
The first one is an event that my friend Dawn has been working on all summer. This past weekend (September 11th, 2010) I helped Dawn the the Lupus Walk for Hope 5K, which she has been working hard at all summer. The event was at the gorgeous French Regional Park in Plymouth and we had to be there bright and early Saturday morning to get all set up! That's one thing about event jobs, you are the first one there at the break of dawn to set up, and the last one there in the dead of night to tear down. It wouldnt have been all bad if the Caribou in Plymouth hadnt lied on their sign and told me they were open at 6:00am when they really werent : (

Anyway....after we got everything set up and organized Dawn's mom Deb and I were in charge of balloon blow up which is always fun, especially when the balloons are my business colors : ) The 5K run/1K walk was a huge success, there was a huge silent raffle that made a lot of money for medical research and the study of lupus genetics. After the tear down (and waiting for AAA to come cause I locked my keys in my car...) we got a free lunch and 2-1 margaritas at Chili's! YUM! Overall it was a great day, and I just want to say Congratulations and Good Job to Dawn and everyone over at the Lupus Foundation Minnesota!

The second thing I want to showcase is a project with my friend Dani for her job. Dani works at Tasks Unlimited as a substance abuse counselor (an awesome one at that I might add ;) and she needed something to get her weekly group members more engaged....thus THE SOBRIETY TEST was born!! Made to be played sort of like Shoots and Ladders, THE SOBRIETY TEST is a game of life choices that can help you successfully climb the ladder to a healthy sober life, or send you spiraling down the slide of use and abuse. The game was a TON of fun to create, mostly cause I was doing the coloring and gluing and Dani was doing the actual work of game questions and such. It only took us about 2 1/2 hours to create and according to Dani, was a HUGE hit at group! So once I work out the final details with Milton-Bradley, you can see THE SOBRIETY TEST on game shelves everywhere! : )

Event Week!

Hi All!

So I am still new to this blogging world so please be patient with me! I really want to get some sort of blog up everyday, its just finding the time to sit down and do it everyday! I have been taking pictures everyday so I do have blog ideas, I just need to formulate them into something you guys will actually care about : )

Anyway, one of the reasons I am so busy lately is a couple of the events I have been working on for my summer internships have been this week. The first one that was yesterday was for Rebuild Resources, an awesome non profit here in St. Paul. Rebuild Resources is a non-profit enterprise helping recovering men and women rebuild their lives through the most powerful social program of all: A job.

I have been working at Rebuild since May and did their 21st Annual Golf Tournament which was up at the beautiful Fox Hollow Golf Course in St. Michael, MN. Here are some pictures of the huge raffle we did.

Yesterday was Rebuild's Annual Open House and their first ever Graduation ceremony for the 2009-2010 Program Graduates. After months of preparations of getting food, visual aids, tour guides, mailings, and other logistical things wrapped up, everything came together for a wonderful day of food, fellowship, and CELEBRATION! We had a ton of contributors, customers, and community members come for the open house tours.

I just want to thank everyone at Rebuild for making my summer internship so awesome, especially my boss Joanna who did an amazing job with all the events we did! Check out the story that WCCO's Don Shelby did on Rebuild Resources and if you ever need any kind of custom apparel or manufacturing done, Rebuild is the place to do it! That's where this year's Szott Sand Volleyball Benefit shirts were from! : ) Check it out! www.rebuildstore.com

The second event I am working this week is for my other summer/fall internship with The Family Partnership, formerly Family and Children's Services. Yesterday kicked off the first day of the Alliance Civic Engagement Training Institute at the gorgeous Paul and Sheila Wellstone Neighborhood House in St. Paul.

In brief the conference is held semi-annually to bring members from several organizations around the country to learn more about civic engagement strategies that will help them serve their communities. Its a cool conference and hopefully I will be able to sit in on some speakers. This was my first event that was more conference/meeting focused and one of the biggest parts that I worked on is probably one of the most important...THE FOOD! Haha I am happy to say that all of the conference participants will be well fed this week from some of the fabulous eating establishments that St. Paul has to offer, including:

Jerabek's New Bohemian Cafe
Boca Chica
Cossetta's
Sawatdee

So if anyone needs some contacts in the St. Paul food community, I'm your lady ;) Now I am getting some downtime between setting up and running out to get the meals so look for another post soon!

O' I almost forgot! I also wanted to do some fun daily things that I am interested in, and may spark some new interests for you! One HUGE thing that I love is music. I this is totally dorky but I dont think I can go one day without singing out loud. All day long I am listening to music and I just cant help but belt it out, especially rockin' in my car with my shades on :D In addition to singing, finding and listening to new music is also one of my favorite things which is why I am going to try and do a song of the day type of thing. So check out my song of the day, and if you have any suggestions for songs let me know!

Today I chose "You've Got You" by Eric Hutchinson cause its got a cool, funky beat and I really like the lyric " You've got you to blame for what to do to you, there's nothing shocking so it must be true." It just kind of gets me pumped up to to better and be awesome because there is no one else that you can blame or attribute what happens to you besides yourself. So go out there and rock out!!