How cool is this?!!

We have an event at our studio this weekend that features a military 50 Cal! So before our studio is filled with attendee's... I took advantage of this photo op (which I'm clearly not dressed for)!! :)

Where's my driver?!!

xoxox

Just another day at the office....

Today we experimented with Hair Color Rubs for an activity at our Fireworks Rooftop Party!! 

What do you think?! I love them!!! 

xoxox

A Very Parade Co. Christmas!

Today was our annual tradition of silliness... the staff Christmas party extravaganza!!

We kick off each party with food, of course! This year, I went in on desserts (Chocolate Cheesecake Truffles) with a co-worker... but I will admit that next year I will probably return to cooking! It was kind of sad not waking up early this morning to make something :(

At our post Parade staff meeting we drew names for our Secret Santa... I again, chose Arlene, our Director of Costuming! Last year I had her & made a super colorful snowman fleece blanket (so cozy)! So this year I opted for a gift card & chocolates... you can't go wrong with either :)

NEW this year, in recommendation from Arlene, we each brought in 2 secret wrapped gifts for our blind auction. Each staff member received $500 clownie cash to bid on items!! I brought in my favorite bottle of wine (Barefoot Sweet Red) & a childhood classic, The Sandlot on DVD... "Shhhh you'll wake the beast!!!"

Last night I enjoyed a glass of my Sweet Red while wrapping them (of course) in leopard pink paper!!


I must admit, I made out pretty good in the gift department today!! :) See below!!



The bottle of Three Olives CAKE Vodka in the Lions bag & Color Ice Cream Cones are from my co-worker Steve for my Birthday!! (Which is on Sunday)... The pretty purple scarf & good smelling Florida orange organic soap is from my secret Santa Amanda (our Tour Intern)... the T-Pain Microphone is my winnings from the blind auction, which I won for $200 clownie bucks!! I traded my remaining $300 to my co-worker Don for the Bath & Body Works "Fireside" Candle, which he won from a co-worker who re-gifted it because she hated the smell (which I love & purchase often... SCORE)! Oh and the Olive Garden gift card is from our seasonal Costume Fitter... unlimited soup & salad anyone?! :)

I am so blessed to work at such a fabulous place, with fabulous people!! YAYAY!! What a great way to kick off Birthday weekend & Christmas! :)

xoxox

November Recap!

Real thought: Thank goodness there is no such thing as Blog Protective Services! Or I would be in trouble!

My November was memorable... but rather than organize a million different posts in the matter of days, I think it would be easier to give you my favorite photos of the month! I worked hard, played hard and made some really fabulous memories! :)

We kicked off Parade season with some fabulous successful fall events...

Preview Party - iWish4Detroit Compuware Elves

VIP Pancake Breakfast - Detroit Lions Roary

Then (a big portion) of my fabulous fam came for a tour of The Parade Company studio in early November! It was a blast having them see where I work & what I do and a much needed break for me to see familiar smiling faces!



Unfortunately I don't have a photo for this next wonderful moment that happened... but it's too good not to share. The day before Hob Nobble, I was standing at the office copy machine and in walked my Uncle Dave, my mother's only sibling, whom I hadn't seen in years! My emotions had been running wild this month and there were definitely (and still are now) days when all I really wanted was to talk, hug or get a smile from my mother! Seeing him was like getting the biggest hug from my mom! I know she is watching over me... although I think I might of scared my Uncle by bursting into tears :) but they were happy & welcomed!

Hob Nobble Gobble was a huge success ... Woo Woo!! However the event went by so quickly... I was almost in shock for days that it had happened!!

Hair & Make-Up (I can only credit myself w my hair)

The whole look :) Loved this ABS dress even though it left a glitter trail everywhere!!

Top view of the party!

It was great to see my favs as well!!

Tequila, Amelia & I w St. Nick!

Cocktails & Smooches

Oh and here is the cutest video I captured of the Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences singing at the entrance of Hob Nobble Gobble... The little boy at the 2 minute mark reminds me of Phil when he was little :)


The week leading up to the Parade was relaxed and fun! Filled with TV book meetings, dance rehearsals and well wishes for my fabulous Facebook family... like this one from my brother!! Melted my heart :)


Detroit showed up in hundreds of thousands on Thanksgiving morning! The weather was perfect! We kicked off the Parade with our new "Celebrate America Celebrate Detroit" song (which is available on iTunes!) and Detroit shined! :) This was my 7th Parade and definitely one of the biggest & best to date!

Our mascot Clownie flying high!

One of my favs... the Budweiser Clydesdales

Detroit All City Marching Band & Kermit

My new fav photo... the details on the floats are amazing!

Where's Waldo CarolAnn?!
Keeping the 138 members of the Distinguished Clown Corps in line!

Post Parade... w the TV Zone regulators!

Thanks to my amazing friends who volunteered their Thanksgiving morning to help me wrangle the clowns!

This year, after the Parade I made plans to take my dad to the Lions vs Packers Game!! We were both super pumped... this was my first Thanksgiving game as a fan in a seat (in HS our cheer team danced in the halftime with Boyz II Men)!! 

Me & My Dad!!

Nickelback performed "When We Stand Together" during halftime!

The Lions did not win, but it was great time spent with my dad!! :) After we went to my Aunties for Thanksgiving dinner! I stayed until midnight catching up, eating, talking in accents with my little cousins, and eating some more! By the time I got home I was still wired, but by 2am I finally fell asleep!!

Friday morning came entirely too quickly. I went to Target & picked up a couple DVD's that my collection was lacking (Vampire Diaries Season 2 {I'm such a girl}, Burlesque and The Back Up Plan) and then headed into work for a few hours.

Friday night I slept some more, obviously :) Saturday I was back at work for A Day In Paradeland, the Parade Queen & Court were making free princess crafts with kids... A great end to a fabulous Parade season!!

OR WAS IT?!!

Come Monday morning we received a call from Detroit Public Schools, asking us to produce a Parade for the Cass Tech High School Football, which over the weekend became the first DPS school to win a Division 1 State Championship!! Woo Woo!!

So a week later (and just a few days ago) there we were... back on Woodward Avenue producing our LAST Parade of 2011!! :) My favorite moment of the Parade was watching the football team dance to Boom Shack-A-Lack by Apache Indian from the Scooby Doo 2 Soundtrack :) {I guess this is a good time to mention my addiction to the Scooby Doo movies, I own both on DVD and love the music} ... they were so happy, even in the rain, to dance & celebrate their victory! It was contagious!


AND Yesterday was our annual staff Christmas photo!!

Hoppy Holidays from The Parade Company

WHEW! So there it is, a November recap for the books!! :) I feel much better getting that all out because I have so many FUN things going on in December that I will need a clear blogging head for!!

Lions vs Vikings Game

28th Birthday !!

Holiday Party with Favs

Christmas with the Fam

The Little Caesar Bowl - DZ Reunion

xoxox

Yummm!!

One of our new Big Head Corps members brought us Blake's cider & donuts today, just cause! :)

Shhhh don't tell... I've already eaten two :)

xoxox

I hope clumsiness is not genetic...

Seriously I am the clumsiest person I know and I don't know why... I am very responsible & organized. It doesn't seem like all these injuries would happen to ME!! :( But they do. Total black cloud of nonsense follows me...

Today I burned my wrist with soup out of the microwave...

Thank goodness my co-workers have taken First Aid... although now I look like I might have tried to purposely injure myself... UGH! And it still burns under there, even with the ice & goo I applied :(

Yi ya yi!! Why are crazy things always happening to me?!!

xoxox

Khaki's, Baseball and The American Flag

It's no secret that I hate khakis. I wouldn't even own a pair if it wasn't for work events! But every once in awhile an opportunity comes along (outside of work) you can't pass up, even if it requires (dun, dun, dun) ... KHAKIS! :(

Last night my coworkers and I had the awesome opportunity to carry the American flag at Game 3 of the ALDS... Tigers vs Yankees!

Getting ready in the tunnel

View of our boys from our position in center field

I am standing a few stripes down from the stars!

Yay!

45k + fans! Go Detroit!

TPC Staff & Friends

Marquee at The Fox

The Tigers beat the Yankees 5-4 and are 2-1 leading the series into tonight's Game 4! Let's go boys!

xoxox

"To retweet... YES!"

So yesterday I was just minding my own business, eating lunch at the Ellwood with coworkers when I was bombarded by Jason Carr of Fox 2 in Detroit!

Here is what I had to say... with flat hair and no makeup but super green eyes! NOTE: When I get tripped up regarding my MNF comment is because my real tweet actually said "I fear that the city would burn to the ground if we went 5-0 at MNF" which is not appropriate for TV! :)

Lions Fans Social Media Spirit 2011

xoxox

Shhhhh....

I have a secret.... We have a new ATP Queen!!! :)

Saturday was the Princess Scholarship Program Interview & Volunteer Day! We had twenty-one bright, motivated young women at The Parade Studios vying for the the title America's Thanksgiving Parade® Queen!!

They toured the studio, learned about our year round activities, made colorful fleece blankets for the celebrities in the Parade (which post Parade will be donated to a local shelter), networked and interviewed with a panel of amazing judges (a former Miss Michigan America, an editor of a trendy Detroit magazine, a volunteer of the year award winner in metro Detroit, a huge Parade Co. sponsor and a NYC fashion week photographer)!!

The volunteer & interview experience are great stepping stones for the applicants and well worth the $25 application fee, not to mention the adorable t-shirts!! :) Right?!!

Event Intern modeling the Princess t-shirts

So for now, the judges sheets have been tallied, but the names are sealed in perfectly pink envelopes waiting to be revealed at the Princess Tea in a few weeks! I can't wait to meet the new Queen & Court and see another women experience a year of wonderful memories compliments of The Parade Company!!

xoxox

Hollywood in the D - Part II

Wooo!! I think I have finally recovered from my busy busy family week!! :) Which yes, I will admit now left me smiling through tears as I dropped Phil & Hay off at the airport last Friday! I am so blessed to have such an amazing family!! :)

The week was full of family, food and fun!!

On Monday, the family visited The Parade Company for a tour! My parents & Phil had been before, but we've made a lot of changes since their last visit! This of course was Hayley's first time to the colorful Willy Wonka like studio :)

Phil & Hay modeling Raggedy Andy & Ann papier-mache heads!

My parents in front of the Valentine's Day push float!

Motown Philly!

One of these characters is airbrushed...
the other spends his days "flipping cars" :)

The 30 year retired PO :)

No visit would be complete without making me pose behind my desk!

Tuesday we had a great visit with our Uncle Thom & Fam, played quite a few games of "Russian Accent Rummy" (is there really any other way to play rummy than with an accent?!!) and learned that brotherrr (which when said properly in my Valentina voice sounds like brAAAAAAtherrrrrr) owns MAC make-up & blows out his hair everyday... this is a blowout with no product... he may not be happy that I posted a non 'camera ready' shot :)

On Wednesday it was back to work for me! The Parade Company was producing our annual America's Thanksgiving Parade Theme Day at the Tigers game!! Luckily, my family enjoys baseball so they came down to take in the festivities & ballgame!!

The Fam with Parade Co. mascot Clownie

ATP Queen throwing out the ceremonial first pitch!

First 10,000 fans received red Clownie noses!

Wednesday night came & went with my brother's fav ribs from Zuckin's, another great visit with family (Uncle Kenny, Aunt Mary Jo & Frankie) and more Russian Rummy!! :)

Thursday arrived way too quickly :( I have learned in the past few years of my parents & Phil both living hours & thousands of miles from me, that I am quite an emotional person. I couldn't even get through breakfast without crying, knowing soon after we would be split again. Goodbye's are always hard for me, even during event time, I go through post event or vacay depression severely... sometimes I really question what is wrong me?!! I think I just have way too much love in my heart :)

After my parents left, Phil "The Best Brother in the World" helped me clean up my backyard. I am so embarrassed to admit that I let the back basketball court collect some disgust in the past years... like a broken basketball hoop (I totally blame Phil for this!!), a mildewy dog pool (I totally blame Valentina for this because she hated it!!) and a crumpled old pool cover (I can only blame myself, as I didn't want to touch it when it came off the pool last summer bc of the sliminess!!)!!

Thursday night we all headed up to the high school for some varsity football action!! Our alma mater was playing a local high school that is being followed by MTV Two A Days for being one of the worst HS FB teams in the nation... I believe their record was something like 0-48... YIKES!!

Afterward we headed to our fav Mexican restaurant Mi Pueblo and then over to the Old Shillelagh... where Phil took over as DJ and danced like a mad man!! (video here).

Friday we ventured to Royal Oak so the Hollywood kids could pick up some Detroit gear before their flight to LAX. Hayley surprised me with a fabulous glitzy turtle ring she left for me to find after I took them to the airport:) It's totally me!!

I am very blessed to have spent such an amazing week with my family :) and even more so for friends like Tequila (Monica) who after I was left all alone, went to dinner & the bar with me, when I was ready to break down again :)

It's weeks like this that will be embedded in my heart forever :)

xoxox