Last night was the second Outdoor Movie Night of the summer here, and I had a couple of glitches. Somehow, either my own error or a system error, the ticket sales site had the opening time as 7:00 pm when they actually didn't open until 8:00! Luckily, some great people noticed I had discrepancies all over the place, and I (kind of) managed to get it adjusted before the movie actually started. But not much before. So thank you to the people who alerted me to the error and to the people who had to adjust their plans because of my mistake. I don't think it ruined the night since 98 people showed up! AMAZING! Seriously, nothing makes me happier than seeing the families and kids and friends come out to hang out in the stage area and watch a movie under the stars. It is so freaking cool. 

So once again, I need to say thank you, thank you, thank you. To the group at the 3-Eh stage, the food truck, Lions Club, Joey for my sound, and Dan Dan the Ice Cream Man, and all the others. Your work and support and cooperation makes me so proud to be starting a business here, and knowing that I get to work with all of you is like hitting the colleague jackpot. You're all awesome. 

To my husband and son, thank you for interrupting whatever it is you would be doing on a Thursday night to come and support me. 

To the AMAZING people of this AMAZING town. I cannot express my gratitude enough. Every day is the best day ever because of you. Thank you for hanging out with me, thank you for bringing your kids to hang out with me, thank you for chatting with me and sharing your stories. 

I want to share some highlights from last night, if only so that I can look back on this post at some point in the future and remember them. 

• I did a bit of a promotion where I hid sunglasses with two tickets to the show all over town. I got a message from a mother letting me know her daughter (8) found them in the park and was SO EXCITED about it. Well that little girl showed up to the movie rocking her new shades, a onesie and a huge smile. She made the whole thing worth it for me. Look how great this is!!!

So again, thank you, to every single person who has helped to create this. What an honour to help create memories like this. I am filled with gratitude and love. 

My best friend is turning six on Saturday, or 42, depending on how you do your calculations. I've had a party for her every year, even if I'm the only guest. There are gifts, I bake her a little apple, peanut butter and beef cake, last year there was ice cream. She humours me by wearing the a party hat for a little while. Sometimes it can be frustrating having a best friend who doesn't love birthdays or parties as much as I do, but our differences are part of what keep our friendship going. I'm thinking this year, maybe we'll invite some of our other friends over for cake, although I doubt any of them will wear the party hats. I normally love balloons, but we adopted my best friend's sister in December, and balloons are pretty high up on her list of fears, so we'll veto those, and hope she learns they aren't terrifying monsters by next July. 

I am so excited to give this party a theme, even if the theme is just "doggos". I'll bake a dog cake, maybe some cookies for the guests. Instead of gifts, I would love for our friends to donate a toy or a collar to the local shelter. I wonder if I could come up with doggo party games, maybe pin the collar on the human? Doggo twister? A scavenger hunt?? Could I get the dogs doing crafts? Paw print paintings would be so amazing to take home! And of course, one of my favourite things about a party... the goody bag!! Maybe I'm going overboard...?

As an event coordinator, I sometimes come up with these ideas for parties and just want to run with them. Like a dog birthday party. I know people love their dogs, I know people spend money on their dogs, but would people hire an event planner for their dogs? (Seriously, I hope so because a dog birthday party makes me so happy I could burst!). Until that someone comes calling, looking to hire me to plan a party for their best friend, I'll have to be content forcing mine to have a good time at her party. I'm sure deep down, she appreciates the effort. 

It has been a couple of days since the first Outdoor Movie Night of the summer. I told myself I was going to take a break from "business" for the weekend to spend some time with my family, but how can I take a break from business when business is parties??? So while the kids are asleep, and Mr. AM Event Coordination is out for a bike ride, I thought I'd do some reflecting, and attempt to express my gratitude to this amazing community for the support I received leading up, during, and following what turned out to be an awesome event (was there any doubt that it would be??).

I need to thank the 200+ (!!!) people who showed up to watch the Lion King. Not just for coming, but for being SO GREAT! People were respectful, people were happy, people cleaned up after themselves! I could not believe it. I need to mention how awesome it was to see people in onesies, children in jammies, families hanging out with each other. It warmed my heart. I have said it before and I will say it again, I LOVE this town. 

I also need to thank, in no particular order, the venue for the support, assistance and love, and for the hotdog and drink sales. The Lions Club for selling popcorn. Dan the ice cream man for his cold treats. We all know snacks make a party, and these groups were all great! Stay Live Productions helped out by renting us the sound system and assisting with set up and tear down. My husband, son and stepsons were there helping out, and I couldn't have done it without them. My friends who came out to enjoy the show and offer support. The strangers who stopped to chat. The kids for being kids and reminding me why I wanted a family friendly event in the first place. Seriously, have you ever been able to literally watch memories being made??? My heart might explode with the joy that gives me. Thank you to the Creston Valley Youth Network for coming out. My list of gratitude goes on and on. The Visitor Information Centre in Creston for giving people info about the event. LEAP!, the Self-Employment Program.... Just everyone. Every single person. Thank you. 

After the success of the first Outdoor Movie Night, I am soooooo excited about the next one!!! On July 26th, cult classic Back to the Future will be on the screen at the 3-Eh stage behind the Ramada, and I know nobody wants to miss that one. I love love love that movie. So once again, I am inviting you to bring a blanket, bring a chair, leave the DeLorean in the parking lot, and come check out a family friendly movie under the stars with me. I'll be rocking the fanny pack with bug spray again, so feel free to stop me and say hi, and... I'll see you at the movies.  

I have been LOVING the entries for the Your Favourite Movie contest!!! It has been so great reading about your favourite movies, and why you love them. There were a few that are my favourites too, a few I've never seen and a few I forgot I loved!! By far this week, the most popular movie has been Disney's Beauty and the Beast. It is definitely a contender for the August 23rd show!

I have done the draw, and we have a winner.... LISA you have one two tickets to tonight's showing of Disney's The Lion King on the 17-foot inflatable screen at the 3-Eh stage behind the Ramada! I'll be in touch via email!!! Congratulations!

For all of you who did not win, don't worry! You can still get tickets for the show on Eventbrite.ca or at the gate, and I will move all of your entries over for a chance to win two tickets to the next show on July 26th.... which is going to be Back to the Future!!!!! Another one of my favourite movies of all time!!! I am soo excited!!!

​See you at the movies!!!

I have been so thrilled to hear people's excitement for the upcoming Outdoor Movie Night, and my heart is so happy when I hear "The Lion King is my favorite movie!". Hearing about other people's happy memories is an amazing gift, and I feel so lucky to be able to be a part of creating memories for other people. 

So I thought I would share this gem of a photo from 1986. That adorable little girl rocking the jean jacket and the bowl cut is me. Sitting on blanket, clutching my blankey (which I still have), hanging out with my family and a family friend in Wascana Park in Regina, Saskatchewan. I don't know that I remember this exact day, but I remember all the days like this. I know, because my photo album origin story confirms it, that this photo was taken while we were waiting for the Canada Day fireworks to take place. I am sure my mom packed some amazing snacks that night, because that's just the way she rolls. THIS is the type of memory I hope I can help build for others. The warmth I feel when I look at this picture, when I flip through the pages of the photo album that holds the summer of 1986, the other memories of other nights in the park with my family that come up when I look at this picture. It's what I wish for some other little girl in a jean jacket, holding her blankey or her teddy. For a little boy with golden curls and a sucky, staying up way too late because his mom wanted him to experience something his little eyes had never seen before. 

We all have these memories tucked away somewhere, in our brain, in a musty old photo album, in our phone or the hard drive in our computer. I would love to hear other people's memories, other people's origin stories. 

Hopefully the Outdoor Movies Nights coming up help create a memory or two. And if they don't, then the contest I am working on definitely will. STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THAT!! In the meantime, I would love to hear your memories, so please, share with me, and if you have an amazing photo that captures some perfect moment, I would love to see that too!