"Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun."
Mary Lou Cook
Hello from Anne and Helen of Creations Unlimited, LLC!
Some people have already returned to work, school, and college after a summer vacation. We hope you took trips, attended family or class reunions, or enjoyed a respite from the workplace for a bit of leisure time. You may be geared up for a busy year or have immersed yourself in the preparations to meet the depths of fall requirements.
Might we suggest pressing the pause button one more time before the end of summer? September is upon us, beckoning a few moments of notice with its crisp, delightful evenings and tremendous sunsets, plus the bonus warmth of its Indian summer days. The changing seasons suggest a new start, a fresh approach, a rested look at the future with the eyes of hope.
We would like to share a few, easy thoughts to consider:
1. You are not alone in the world. Therefore, do not try to do everything yourself. Allow others to enrich you and your efforts.
2. A new day is like a painter’s canvas awaiting the paint. The artist has the opportunity to spray the paint, speckle it, and touch it gently or boldly to the canvas to create a unique picture. You are the artist. Express your freedom in beautiful, constructive ways.
3. Try a new format. If you hit a wall, climb it with roses, vines, ivy, or wisteria. Creation is exciting. Change can be stunning; just take a look at the colors of autumn leaves.
4. Have a little fun today. Rejuvenate. Spend 80% of your time this day doing things you truly enjoy, and just 20% on your must-do list.
"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures."
Henry Ward Beecher
Visit our website at http://www.creationsunlimitedllc.com/ to view our growing product line and link to some of our favorite sites.
Until next time,
Blessings!
Anne and Helen
Friday, August 28, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
HOW TO THROW A GREAT PARTY
Case Study: Our Family Reunion
Hello! We took a little break from our blog to help host a very large and wonderful family reunion called “Doumit Days” (with approximately 270 attendees). As we evaluated our efforts for this highly successful venture, we got to thinking about the steps we completed in order to have the reunion go off without a hitch. Here’s how we did it.
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. One of our cousins had helped with a previous reunion four years earlier, and she was invaluable to the success of this year’s party. She brought with her all the addresses and flyers that the earlier hosts had sent out, and we revised these to our activities and updated addresses as needed. This saved us huge amounts of time. In addition, she offered tips on things that went well at the last reunion, and things that could be eliminated or improved upon. We had several meetings to plan this year’s party, and all of them included this cousin! Early on, we determined the dates of our reunion (in our case, three days), what big meals would be served (one big meal each day), and what activities would be offered. This began the process. Reservations were made for the golf course, multipurpose room at the school, and all the big things that were necessary for the success of the venture.
ACCOMMODATIONS. We sent out a “save the date” flyer early on (in March for an August reunion), and a list of regional accommodations for people to book rooms well in advance. The Chamber of Commerce had a list already, so this was easy. Our home town where the reunion took place is very small, and although there are a few bed and breakfasts in the town and vicinity, and hotels in a small, nearby city, accommodations quickly got booked up with this size of crowd.
COMMUNICATION. After the initial “save the date” mailing, we sent out a 2-page flyer (in May) which included an RSVP, with a list of activities to participate in and a sign-up sheet for bringing food and ordering t-shirts. A deadline to return the forms with money for t-shirts or donations for food was included. The deadline made it possible to plan the beginnings of menus, get an approximate number of attendees, and allow time to design and pre-order the t-shirts. People were very generous with donations, and this provided us with a “budget” from which the expenses were paid (i.e., t-shirts, swimming pool fee, trolley fee, janitors, paper products, trapshooting shells, food, etc.)
COORDINATION OF DETAILS. There were lots of extra “touches” that different members of the family offered that enhanced the reunion experience for us all. For example, one of our brothers hired someone to put together a family dvd with old home movies and pictures of all our older generation when they were younger, and which included many beloved relatives now deceased. He set it to terrific music, and we played and showed it indoors at the grade school multipurpose room that we used for two of our main meals. It provided both music and entertainment, and the DVDs were made available to all to take home. Also, awards, trophies, and engraved medals were preordered to give out at the “awards ceremony” following Saturday’s big dinner, all the activities, and the talent show. We made sure all the children received a prize or trophy or both. Another (artist) cousin designed the t-shirts. We also assigned tasks and roles as people volunteered to help us. For example, our oldest brother and three cousins with big personalities became our hilarious “Doumit Idol” talent judges, complete with paddles and numbers. Other brothers hosted the talent show and baseball games. Three of our children got out their laptops and registered all the attendees at the door to get updated contact information (and e-mails) on the computer to make the next reunion easier to plan with improved communication. Another cousin planned a fantastic scavenger hunt for children, with 7 teams and a bag of intriguing goodies and an instruction sheet for each. A family member had done a genealogical study, and brought his spreadsheets to post in the gathering multipurpose room for families to update and add their children, etc. One brother brought in two bales of hay, and spread them out on a concrete covered area. We threw in about $100 in change and a bunch of wrapped candy, and let the children have at it, beginning with the youngest. Two of our family Alaskan fisherman provided fresh salmon for Saturday’s dinner. There were many, many contributions of this nature that made our family get together so very special and maximized family talents and offerings.
SETUP AND DECORATIONS. We had large posters made to welcome the family (done on our computer and brought to Kinkos to enlarge) and let them know where they could park. We also made copies of the event schedules, so people would know when and where to meet for different events. We kept the table decorations simple, and used multiple and colorful long scarves as table runners. We ordered a couple of fresh flower centerpieces, and added smaller flower pots for each table. Our young adults and teenagers moved tables, chairs, the piano, and did our other heavy lifting before and after the event. We planned the food tables, and the flow of “traffic” so serving would be efficient and easy, and large groups of people could get through the lines quickly. Three different “in-laws” were recruited to take pictures throughout all three days to document the event, and they even arranged a giant family picture in a separate gym on the bleachers, and different “family branch” group pictures. They were fantastic and collectively took close to 3000 pictures over the weekend. They will discard the poor ones and post the rest on a Flickr account so all can access them.
MEALS. Anne chaired the food committee, and calculated how much food was needed, ensured all the traditional family food, located where the gaps were, and made sure we didn’t run out of anything. Her daughter prepared a spreadsheet of RSVPs, which included the dishes people said they would bring to the event. Friday night’s progressive dinner included four different families (descendants of earlier family members) who happened to live within a comfortable walking distance of each other. All volunteered to host a portion of the progressive dinner, i.e., drinks and appetizers, then salads and bread, followed by the main course (at our mother’s home, formerly our grandparent’s home—the “family house”), and finished at a cousin’s home for desserts of homemade pies. The progressive dinner was a smash hit. We began at 4:30 pm with one hour allowed at each home. The weather cooperated, fortunately (not too hot or cold and no rain), and the crowd was staggered enough to not overwhelm each home. Walking around helped people get acquainted and reacquainted, in a relaxed, casual atmosphere. All the homes have a picturesque view of the Columbia River, easily seen from the walk and yards, so the natural beauty of our community also enhanced the enjoyment. Saturday’s meal was dinner in the multipurpose room, and a big Sunday morning breakfast provided the sendoff for travelling families. (Our sister-in-law made 100 crepes a week for six weeks in preparation of the breakfast, which her family hosted).
ACTIVITIES. The key to our success was to provide enough activities for the children (and adults) so no one got bored. Then we kept to our schedule, so things moved along, and started and finished according to plan. This was necessary in order to serve the food on time, keep it hot, etc. A variety of activities were planned, ranging from our progressive dinner, a golf tournament, trolley rides, trapshooting, children’s games, a scavenger hunt, talent show, swimming, poker and pinochle games in the evenings, a beer garden at one of the family homes, and a family baseball game with a home run derby for the younger set. These activities all served well as ice-breakers, bonding opportunities for children and families, and kept the “pace” of the reunion comfortable, yet exciting. People could participate in as much or as little as they wanted to do. The grade school also featured a fantastic, elaborate playground (the community built it) that the younger children loved. The school was within easy walking distance of all the family homes and parking there was plentiful.
EVENT EXECUTION. There was a point person in charge of each activity, and hosts at each family home. This willingness to “step up” and take charge is a hallmark of our family at large, and the wonderful spirit of cooperation among all our members made our family reunion one of great joy, for the guests as well as the coordinators/hosts. There just weren’t any weak links. The meals and activities went off just as they supposed to —according to plan. Everybody did exactly what they said they would do and did it well; while others pitched in wherever they were needed. We laughed and joked and got along during every aspect, and although we were totally spent by the end and our feet required soaking for a few days, all our efforts were worth it.
EVALUATION. On Sunday afternoon, as we ate leftovers and discussed each day, we reviewed all the elements of our grand party, and savored the highlights. The young adults said they had taken notes of how we did things for future reference. Already, another party is being discussed for five years down the road. It couldn’t have been a more satisfying or rewarding weekend--everything you hope for in a party, and a family reunion.
Hello! We took a little break from our blog to help host a very large and wonderful family reunion called “Doumit Days” (with approximately 270 attendees). As we evaluated our efforts for this highly successful venture, we got to thinking about the steps we completed in order to have the reunion go off without a hitch. Here’s how we did it.
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. One of our cousins had helped with a previous reunion four years earlier, and she was invaluable to the success of this year’s party. She brought with her all the addresses and flyers that the earlier hosts had sent out, and we revised these to our activities and updated addresses as needed. This saved us huge amounts of time. In addition, she offered tips on things that went well at the last reunion, and things that could be eliminated or improved upon. We had several meetings to plan this year’s party, and all of them included this cousin! Early on, we determined the dates of our reunion (in our case, three days), what big meals would be served (one big meal each day), and what activities would be offered. This began the process. Reservations were made for the golf course, multipurpose room at the school, and all the big things that were necessary for the success of the venture.
ACCOMMODATIONS. We sent out a “save the date” flyer early on (in March for an August reunion), and a list of regional accommodations for people to book rooms well in advance. The Chamber of Commerce had a list already, so this was easy. Our home town where the reunion took place is very small, and although there are a few bed and breakfasts in the town and vicinity, and hotels in a small, nearby city, accommodations quickly got booked up with this size of crowd.
COMMUNICATION. After the initial “save the date” mailing, we sent out a 2-page flyer (in May) which included an RSVP, with a list of activities to participate in and a sign-up sheet for bringing food and ordering t-shirts. A deadline to return the forms with money for t-shirts or donations for food was included. The deadline made it possible to plan the beginnings of menus, get an approximate number of attendees, and allow time to design and pre-order the t-shirts. People were very generous with donations, and this provided us with a “budget” from which the expenses were paid (i.e., t-shirts, swimming pool fee, trolley fee, janitors, paper products, trapshooting shells, food, etc.)
COORDINATION OF DETAILS. There were lots of extra “touches” that different members of the family offered that enhanced the reunion experience for us all. For example, one of our brothers hired someone to put together a family dvd with old home movies and pictures of all our older generation when they were younger, and which included many beloved relatives now deceased. He set it to terrific music, and we played and showed it indoors at the grade school multipurpose room that we used for two of our main meals. It provided both music and entertainment, and the DVDs were made available to all to take home. Also, awards, trophies, and engraved medals were preordered to give out at the “awards ceremony” following Saturday’s big dinner, all the activities, and the talent show. We made sure all the children received a prize or trophy or both. Another (artist) cousin designed the t-shirts. We also assigned tasks and roles as people volunteered to help us. For example, our oldest brother and three cousins with big personalities became our hilarious “Doumit Idol” talent judges, complete with paddles and numbers. Other brothers hosted the talent show and baseball games. Three of our children got out their laptops and registered all the attendees at the door to get updated contact information (and e-mails) on the computer to make the next reunion easier to plan with improved communication. Another cousin planned a fantastic scavenger hunt for children, with 7 teams and a bag of intriguing goodies and an instruction sheet for each. A family member had done a genealogical study, and brought his spreadsheets to post in the gathering multipurpose room for families to update and add their children, etc. One brother brought in two bales of hay, and spread them out on a concrete covered area. We threw in about $100 in change and a bunch of wrapped candy, and let the children have at it, beginning with the youngest. Two of our family Alaskan fisherman provided fresh salmon for Saturday’s dinner. There were many, many contributions of this nature that made our family get together so very special and maximized family talents and offerings.
SETUP AND DECORATIONS. We had large posters made to welcome the family (done on our computer and brought to Kinkos to enlarge) and let them know where they could park. We also made copies of the event schedules, so people would know when and where to meet for different events. We kept the table decorations simple, and used multiple and colorful long scarves as table runners. We ordered a couple of fresh flower centerpieces, and added smaller flower pots for each table. Our young adults and teenagers moved tables, chairs, the piano, and did our other heavy lifting before and after the event. We planned the food tables, and the flow of “traffic” so serving would be efficient and easy, and large groups of people could get through the lines quickly. Three different “in-laws” were recruited to take pictures throughout all three days to document the event, and they even arranged a giant family picture in a separate gym on the bleachers, and different “family branch” group pictures. They were fantastic and collectively took close to 3000 pictures over the weekend. They will discard the poor ones and post the rest on a Flickr account so all can access them.
MEALS. Anne chaired the food committee, and calculated how much food was needed, ensured all the traditional family food, located where the gaps were, and made sure we didn’t run out of anything. Her daughter prepared a spreadsheet of RSVPs, which included the dishes people said they would bring to the event. Friday night’s progressive dinner included four different families (descendants of earlier family members) who happened to live within a comfortable walking distance of each other. All volunteered to host a portion of the progressive dinner, i.e., drinks and appetizers, then salads and bread, followed by the main course (at our mother’s home, formerly our grandparent’s home—the “family house”), and finished at a cousin’s home for desserts of homemade pies. The progressive dinner was a smash hit. We began at 4:30 pm with one hour allowed at each home. The weather cooperated, fortunately (not too hot or cold and no rain), and the crowd was staggered enough to not overwhelm each home. Walking around helped people get acquainted and reacquainted, in a relaxed, casual atmosphere. All the homes have a picturesque view of the Columbia River, easily seen from the walk and yards, so the natural beauty of our community also enhanced the enjoyment. Saturday’s meal was dinner in the multipurpose room, and a big Sunday morning breakfast provided the sendoff for travelling families. (Our sister-in-law made 100 crepes a week for six weeks in preparation of the breakfast, which her family hosted).
ACTIVITIES. The key to our success was to provide enough activities for the children (and adults) so no one got bored. Then we kept to our schedule, so things moved along, and started and finished according to plan. This was necessary in order to serve the food on time, keep it hot, etc. A variety of activities were planned, ranging from our progressive dinner, a golf tournament, trolley rides, trapshooting, children’s games, a scavenger hunt, talent show, swimming, poker and pinochle games in the evenings, a beer garden at one of the family homes, and a family baseball game with a home run derby for the younger set. These activities all served well as ice-breakers, bonding opportunities for children and families, and kept the “pace” of the reunion comfortable, yet exciting. People could participate in as much or as little as they wanted to do. The grade school also featured a fantastic, elaborate playground (the community built it) that the younger children loved. The school was within easy walking distance of all the family homes and parking there was plentiful.
EVENT EXECUTION. There was a point person in charge of each activity, and hosts at each family home. This willingness to “step up” and take charge is a hallmark of our family at large, and the wonderful spirit of cooperation among all our members made our family reunion one of great joy, for the guests as well as the coordinators/hosts. There just weren’t any weak links. The meals and activities went off just as they supposed to —according to plan. Everybody did exactly what they said they would do and did it well; while others pitched in wherever they were needed. We laughed and joked and got along during every aspect, and although we were totally spent by the end and our feet required soaking for a few days, all our efforts were worth it.
EVALUATION. On Sunday afternoon, as we ate leftovers and discussed each day, we reviewed all the elements of our grand party, and savored the highlights. The young adults said they had taken notes of how we did things for future reference. Already, another party is being discussed for five years down the road. It couldn’t have been a more satisfying or rewarding weekend--everything you hope for in a party, and a family reunion.
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