Thursday, February 23, 2006

LP buys CWEC

NEWSFLASH: I should've blogged about this last month but I've been so busy that I haven't had time to.

On January 10, 2006 myself and my friend Heidi purchased The Cascade Wedding & Event Company. I was sad to hear that Pat & Jen had plans to sell the business as I truly love both them and their designs, however I was excited to take my creative spirit to the next level. There was a lot of crap that happened (through no fault of Pat, Jen, Heidi, or I) that tested all of us but proved just how serious we all were. In the end everything worked out and we are all happy. Heidi and I got to do our first Bridal Fair and were quite pleased with the way our booth turned out, not to mention all the people we got to meet with. I finished our website and have it up--you can see it at Cascade Weddings & Events. We had to change the name ever so slightly because Uncle Sam doesn't like using the word Company in a name--or so I was told by a guy at the IRS. Not wanting to risk it, we obliged.

So far we have been meeting with all sorts of brides and companies and having a ball. I will continue doing photography, however I will not be booking near the amount I have in the past in an effort to balance both companies fairly and like I want to. I don't want my photography clients to suffer, nor my decorating clients to suffer. It should be fine as I have the help of my husband, my dad, and friends--not to mention Heidi's friends as well.

If you're looking for decorators for your wedding, we invite you to click on the link above and view what we can do.

Oatmeal and gas

The other day while driving home from the Northeast side of town, I came to a red light. While waiting for the light to turn green I noticed the sign at a gas station that caught my eye. It read:

"Oatmeal bar - Mon., Tues. and Thurs."

Oatmeal and gas? Come on...be serious. Who would actually eat oatmeal from a bar, let alone a bar in a gas station? All I could think about was the week old hot dogs rotating on those little metal roller thingies, or the pretzels that have been there for months just circling and circling waiting for someone to pluck them off their hooks. How could they possibly think that an oatmeal bar would sound even remotely appetizing? And how often do they change that vat out? You know oatmeal gets all sticky and hard if it sits out for too long. What would the condiments be like? Honey...brown sugar...raisins...apples...twinkies...beef jerkey? T.A.S.T.Y. Had the light not changed so soon I would've attempted my photographic superpowers w/my oh-so-technological-advanced camera (a.k.a. a phone I am taking college courses for to learn how to operate it) and snapped a pic of the sign promising wholesome, oaty, goodness to those daring enough to just come inside. Of course there was no real camera in my car. I mean, that would make me seem like a true pro and gawd knows we can't have that.

That night I mentioned what I saw that day to my husband.

"I'd eat it."

"No you wouldn't. It's oatmeal...in a vat...w/condiments...in a GAS station."

"Oatmeal is good."

"Normal oatmeal is good. Gas station oatmeal bar oatmeal is not."

"I'd still eat it."

I am currently waiting for this to happen. I keep reminding him that this gas station likes to switch it up and he's going to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. Just like the Krispy Kremes they had there last year. We spaced it and didn't get to partake of the deep fried goodness (thankfully we bought some off a Cub Scout or Pioneer Boy, or whatever they call them out here, in the parking lot of Target some months later). If he goes to the oatmeal bar I am so taking my camera. It will be worth the strange looks just to document the fact that there is indeed an oatmeal bar inside of a gas station.