Monday, July 28, 2008

A Long Needed Update...

So, I have been horrible and haven't updated the SJ Newz in over 2 weeks....this is horrible I know. But the good news is I am here and ready to type and update all of you readers!

When I last wrote, I was in Des Moines at the very beginning of the National Junior Angus Show. So, I will go on an update from then...

Saturday night, July 12th, the NJAA Junior Board all arrived and little did I know what they had in stock for me! 2 of my new good friends, Miss Dana May and Rebecca Tokach hosted a get together for me. When I arrived at their room, they had a sash, crown, martini glass, my favorite drink (pineapple, malibu and grenadine!) along with homemade cupcakes that were confetti with pink icing and decoriations on top that included my name, 21, crowns and hearts! It was simply adorable. We soon visited Miss Kitty's dance hall in West Des Moines for quite a night. Once again I do not have pictures (I will just have to put all the pictures up at once as soon as I get them since I am the idiot who lost my camera at the chi, maine, shorty jr natties!)

So after everyone recovered from what we didn't realize would be the funnest night of the week, we were hard at work to make NJAS 08 Chrismas in July the best yet! Also, on Sunday, my bestest Jessica was on her way to Oklahoma to stay the night with Amber, where they would then road trip together on Monday to come up with the SJ booth to Des Moines!

The highlight of the week for SJ, was our new found little Princess, Torri DeMeyer! When the girls told me all about her each night at the hotel room, I could not wait to meet her. They said she was 3 years old, that she came to visit them every day at the booth picking out which jewelry and colors she liked. To make it even better she was Andrew Fosters girlfriend she said (he is on the junior board and judges at OSU!) She even had a necklace on one day that he had bought her! Then when the girls told me her mom would push her by on her stroller and she would say bye to the girls, I just could not wait to meet her. So, of course I had to make her a custom design one night just to make her even more fabulous than she already sounded. So a little pink crown and some clear and pink sparkly beads later, we had Torri's new necklace done and I could not wait for the girls to give it to her the next day!

Torri's dad was helping us judge the team fitting contest and Thursday evening when I was getting ready to leave and head back to the hotel, I just happened to stop by the Pavilion to see if the contest crew needing any help wrapping up......and then and there I got to meet the princess Torri herself! She had on her necklace and LOVED it! She kept telling Andrew, "Your friends, your friends, look what your friends made me!" She was just as adorable, if not more, than what the girls had told me. And, she made it very clear that Andrew was her boyfriend! Anyways, she decided she would wear her pink cowgirl outfit with her matching pink boots on the last day along with her SJ piece and take a picture at the booth for the blog, so as soon as miss Amber gets those to me, they will be up on here!

I guess the other super cute thing that happened that week that deals with SJ........

Saturday afternoon after Jessica and Amber had left, I went to the building where the trade show was (of course, it was basically shut down by now) to get my stuff to bring back with me to St. Jo and to take down NJAS contest stuff including posters and photos. Well, when I got to what was left of the SJ booth (sad to see it taken down), I saw at the corner the cutest little blonde girl. She was wearing a little skirt, white shirt and what I could tell was an SJ piece with a little crown on it. Her mom had worked the booth next to mine all week and she of course made good friends with the girls. Needless to say, she told me her name was Sara and that the girls had made the necklace for her! I asked her if she was a Princess, and of course, she said YES! So, we asked her mom if she could spend some time with me, and she was the biggest help taking down pictures from display! All in all, I'd say just from these two little girls, SJ had a very successful week! The Angus ladies LLOOVVEEDD all of the jewelry and once again a big big big thank you goes out to Jessica Carter and Amber Skinner for making it happen!

Since Angus Jr Nationals, I have done a lot of laundry, a lot of jewelry, have been down to Springfield, Missouri for the Ozark Empire Fair, went out on the town in Kansas City with some great girls including Holli Parke, Kelli Armbruster, Rachel Burtzlaff, KC Kinder, Crystal Young and then Chris Stevens! Yes, Saturday night when I returned from Springfield, we planned to go out since my summer is coming to an end! We went to the new Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City! Needless to say, it was a wonderful girls night plus Chris and we all had a killer time!

So yesterday, I met up with Holli to shop at Legends Mall on the Kansas side of Kansas city and I had my first Hibachi experience! And loved it! Of course we had to throw some sushi in the mix....the Godzilla rolls were very good.....not as good as the Chuck Norris Sushi from Des Moines, but a close 2nd.

So today, I am at work in the office and I only have 2 more days after this....tear. I leave for LEAD (Leaders Engaging in Angus Development) Conference in Billings, Montana on Wednesday morning and will be there until next Tuesday. I am way way way looking forward to one last she-bang with the NJAA Board and of course the white water rafting experience. I will have my last day here next Wenesday, then head down to the Missouri State Fair, then on the way home make a stop in Stillwater and finally home to TEXAS!!! Look for updates all along the way, and until then stay super fabulous!

Randa :)

Friday, July 11, 2008

My 21st Birthday in Des Moines, Iowa

Well here I sit at the Sheraton Hotel in Des Moines Iowa. As most of you know yesterday was my 21st birthday!!!! WOOHOO!!! Anyways, it was fan-tab-ulous (words of Dana May)!!! And I figured I should share.



To begin, the Wednesday before my birthday, we were packing fast and furious at the Angus office of course to head to Des Moines for the National Junior Angus Show (our biggest event of the summer!), and one of my new best friends and also best jewelry customers (Princess Holli Parke) sent me B-E-A-utiful flowers and had them delivered to me at the office! I have recently lost my camera (crisis, I know), so I will try to upload one from my mobile on here. Anyways, Holli is simply fabulous in so many ways and she never ceases to amaze me with what she does for me. From helping me with my booth at Kansas City, to being a great dinner date while I am in Missouri, or of course allowing me to decorate her with phenominal jewlz, Holli is a spitfire and everyone needs a little of her in their life!



So, I of course was dead set on going out at midnight that night! My roomate for the summer, Kelli Armbruster who works for the Angus Foundation had gone to dinner in Kansas City after work, but called me on her way home and said she was still up for it! I of course, was making jewelry and not dressed whatsoever! Then, Sarah Moyer Snider, who is the Director of the Angus Source program called us because she had just finished a late night softball game. However, she said we had to meet her right away! So within five minutes I had thrown on a black longsleeve turtle neck and a hot pink polo hat to match my shorts and flip flops and we were off!

As we arrived at Legends Bar in St. Joseph, MO, it was about 20 minutes until midnight but they still let me in. Now, they wouldn't serve me until midnight, but I had waited 21 years, whats another few minutes? So, the bartender and DJ each bought me a shot and Kelli and Sarah each bought me a drink. We managed to booty dance the rest of the night in a totally random place but it was so much fun! Not gonna lie, I was definately dreading having to be on the road the next morning!

So, on the actual day of my birthday me, Robin Ruff (assistant of Jr Activities at Angus Association) and James (my official boss, also director of Jr Activities), drove up to Des Moines! After Robin and I got lost looking for lunch and had an argument with the Garmin, then after unpacking the equipment trailer and van, we soon headed to the hotel to freshen up for my big birthday dinner!

When I got to the hotel, I was surprised by another fabulous bouquet of flowers. This consisted of a random assortment of baby pink flowers and roses with a rhinestone tiara to top them off. And who else would they be from, rather than my Southern Jewlz Repz, Jessica and Amber!

So to be in attendance at my dinner was of course James and Robin, then Glenda and Doug Schroeder (Iowa Jr Angus Assn. Advisors), Don Laughlin (Regional Manager for the Angus Association), my friend LJ Ashorn who of course is interning in Des Moines for the summer and Alex Tolbert and one of his interns, as he is working for the USDA here in Des Moines and was actually recently a member of the Angus Board! We went to Fleming's Steak House, where they only serve prime steaks and it was absolutely PHENOMINAL!!! After a couple amaretto sours, some kickass calamari in sweet sauce, a side salad, and of course a petite filet mignon and sauteeed mushrooms, I was sitting in good shape!

From there, Robin, LJ, Alex, Daniel and I headed to downtown Des Moines for a night out on the town. We had a lot of fun at the Lyers Club bar, however we did not get too out of control as we all still had a big week ahead of us! Needless to say, even though my official birthday is over, with more and more Angus people arriving daily here for the NJAS, it is looking to be a long week with plenty of friends, fellowship and good times to make my 21st simply fabulous! So, look for updates within the next week of adventures with the NJAS board, show updates and of course newz from the SJ girls working the booth up here for the week, Jessica and Amber!

Randa :)

Monday, July 7, 2008

Customer of the Month Report

I figured it was time for the customer of the month to get her blogging on! Randa and I had been mutal friends for a year or so now, of course, I had been buying lots of SJ, but both of us are spending our summer in the Kansas City area. Randa, of course, at the Angus Association and myself in downtown KC at the Hereford Association. Needless to say with junior nationals will be well underway this time next week, I should be working, not blogging, but I promised I would get on here and write about last week.

Randa and I had met up for dinner the week prior to Chi/Maine/Shorthorn Junior Nationals, and she had shown me her booth decor and of course, I bought some jewlz. We were way excited for the SJ ladies to get here and get the booth underway. I arrived on my lunch break on Monday to find Miss Jessica and Miss Amber hard at work at the SJ booth. I was to pick up a necklace, and went up and introduced myself to the girls. They had of course heard about me because of my very extensive necklace collection. Those girls are great and I can not wait to hang with them again. Pretty sure Miss Jessica and I are two peas in a pond.

I was a walking advertisement for Southern Jewlz throughout the week, as I was the overdressed girl walking around the barn. But of course, as Randa and I know... its just simply fabulous to stand out! On Saturday, I hung with Randa at the SJ booth and tried my selling ability to some jewelry lookers, and handed out my few business cards I had because Randa was out. Pictures will be up soon of the booth, but they are currently still on my camera. Whoops.

Well... I better get back to the Youth Activities Department here at the Hereford Association. All in all, I'd say Southern Jewlz had a very successful week at the Steer Jock Convention of the Year (aka Chi/Maine/Shorthorn Jr Natties). I'd like to personally express my gratitude to the Queen of Southern Jewlz for keeping me fabulously jeweled. I shall blog again.... Stay fabulous!

The Survival of Maine, Chi and Shorthorn Jr Nationals!

So, as most of you know, Southern Jewlz made an appearance and had a booth at the Maine, Chi, and Shorthorn Junior Nationals the week of June 29-July 5 in Kansas City, MO this past week. So, here's a run down and summary of the events day to day!

Sunday - I drove to Kansas City from Parsons, Kansas. I was there from a wedding of my friends the day before....Ryan Page (on my judging team at A&M) and Jentry Stice. It was a lot of fun to hang out with some of the judging boys that I haven't seen in over a month. Anyways, my two REPZ, Jessica Carter and Amber Skinner rode up to Kansas City with Justin Yancey, his super cute little brother Tyler, and Darin Wiley and of course the cattle. So by the time we all got to the grounds on Sunday, we had to set up both the booth and cattle stalls in full force. Because everybody was tired and had a long week ahead, we just went to eat at Applebee's and my NBF Dana May came to pick me up and take me back to St. Jo as she drove down to help me with preparations for National Junior Angus Show (she basically runs the Jr board!) But on the way home, I managed to get us lost and when we FINALLY got home, I had left my keys with the girls and my car, so I had locked myself out of the house for the 2nd day in a row (the Saturday before I did so, but locked my keys and phone in the house.....really bad deal, I had to call 911 at a nearby restaraunt).....so Dana and I ended up staying the night at Shelia Stannards (one of my favorite staff members at AAA!) I stayed up that night until 3am making jewlz for the upcoming week.

Monday - I was hard at work at the Angus office. Justin Brosey, chairman of the Jr Board, also came in to help so we were very productive. After work, we all went down to Kansas City. After we shut down the SJ booth and tied the cattle out, Amber, Jess, Wiley and I went to the Golden Ox (one of my favs!) before our visit to Connies! The bar was a little slow that night, but it did not keep us from having a good time. However, because we had to work early, Brosey made sure we left by midnight! On the way home, Dana and I decided to drunk dial A LOT of friends...if you are one of those we are truly sorry, but you should feel honored....and we proceeded to sing Leona Lewis 'Keep Bleeding Love' on every voicemail, except we changed the words to Keep BREEDING Love! We truly are stock kids, haha! So after all the calls and the pee stop on the side of I-29 (yes, they made me laugh SO hard I couldn't hold it anymore), we finally made it home. Since this was the first time I drove up to my house in 3 days without being locked out, I felt I should call 911 and let them know I made him home safely...haha!

Tuesday - The boring day. We worked until 7pm at the Angus office, went to Olive Garden and quickly Dana and I went to sleep and skipped out on Kansas City that day.

Wednesday - I left work on time at 4:30 ready to head to Jr Nat'l for good! The only problem was a freaking monsoon or something hit. Lights were out at the barn, high winds, rain, hail and even flooding and it was insane! We finally tied out and left the barn about 11pm, but then had to hit up multiple drive throughs to actually find something to eat since power was out all over town.

Thursday - In the morning, we showed Princess as a Mainetainer and then worked the jewelry booth all day. This was the day that we proceeded to get wild and crazy at Connie's, but it was a good time. My dear friend Amy Draznin and her new boyfriend Nick Smit and his friend Micah joined us as well!

Friday - Now we showed Princess as a Chi and of course worked with jewelry all day. We had no big plans for the 4th, but I was sad because my friends were all leaving me the next morning, so Saturday, I had the booth by myself! However, business was still very good and I enjoyed getting to do it.

Needless to say, look for pictures and customer highlights from the week within the next couple of days. Also, Jess and Amber have now decided they want to come up to Des Moines for the National Junior Angus Show, so SJ is in the process of making this work. It's late and time for bed, so goodnight now! :)