I admit it. I usually get my best cleaning and organizing done when I'm mad. With my husband behaving himself lately (thus staying out of the proverbial doghouse) combined with the clutter we've accumulated during our 19 years in the same house, I have a LOT to do! Especially since we are empty-nesters now and we'd like to downsize while we have the energy to move.

So, enjoy these "after" pics. "What about the before pics" you ask? Well, I didn't realize I'd be sharing my at-home adventures with the general public until a couple of nights ago. Also, you probably need to get to know me and my warped sense of humor a little better so I don't frighten you with the state of our closets. Anything to keep our audience entertained!

Stay tuned. Stephanie's hard at work on an online paperwork de-cluttering class (and subsequent inspired projects, I'm sure). She's anxious to share her #eventstatus!

During the process of opening and growing The Venue, our management team realized very quickly that "this is the stuff of which reality shows are born." From the people involved with the construction of the building and staff - to clients, guests, and vendors - we felt we had the characters, stories and plots that could fill a book after just our first three months in business.

We've also been planning to start a blog for a quite some time. We operate on a lean staff and, under normal circumstances, our business is very good and growing. So, we keep exceedingly busy and the blog just hadn't yet reached the top of the ever-expanding priority list.

But here we are as a community. Here we are, in the midst of an international pandemic, a national state of emergency, an almost surreal healthcare crisis. Our nation's citizens are not only worried about staying safe amidst COVID-19, but also about their families, jobs, finances, friends & neighbors, co-workers, those unable to care for themselves, etc.. Folks are sheltering in their homes, so they're not only worried; they're stressed, stir-crazy, bored, sad, etc.. 

And here we are as a venue. A business. Obviously, we are not keeping busy with events. Rather, we're catching up and cleaning up on the front-office side of the operation. Marketing plays a big role in our day-to-day operations, but it just doesn't feel right to aggressively market at this time. So, no pictures of events with which to entertain our followers, limited outright selling on social media, some time to fill, and the desire to help lift folks' spirits while keeping them engaged with us.

LET'S START OUR BLOG NOW!!! So, ladies and gentlemen, here is an actual accounting of its genesis. Enjoy!

Allison (director and certified night-owl) via a text message at 11:30pm Saturday night: Ok ladies...BEST. IDEA. EVER!!!

Since we don’t have any events to promote, and because I personally feel like it’s tacky to be aggressively marketing right now, I’m going to start a blog where we can each highlight our home improvements/clean-outs/projects, etc.! Then we’ll populate our social media feed with it. It’ll keep our audience engaged and entertained with a little light-heartedness and a pinch of self-deprecation 😊

I wish I’d been taking pics all along, because I’m getting a ton done 😆

Stephanie (assistant director, wedding specialist, and meme queen):

Jessica (former event captain and - most of the time - loving military wife, now living in the northwest US): I’m going to murder a husband 😒 it can be the episode called quarantine couples. 😂🔪

Stephanie:

Allison: ​Oooooo...we can throw somma that salt in there, too 😂😂😂

Stephanie: The episode can be everyone interacting with their husbands.

Madison (former event captain who pursued a full-time opportunity elsewhere <boo-hiss> and mama-to-be): It’s like the reality tv show but a blog instead 😎

Allison: We can call it “Why we need to be working.”
Allison: Exactly Madison!
Allison: And we can include video, so Andy Cohen might find us after all :)

Stephanie: As long as she doesn’t give birth in quarantine 😬

Madison: If we’re still in quarantine when I have to give birth I am going to be beyond mad. 

Allison: The season finale will be the quarantine lifting, things safer, Maddie gives birth to a beautiful baby girl, and her family living happily ever after ❤️

Jessica: you guys need to know I was sunbathing in the grass with the cat, on a leash while wearing jeans and a jacket. 
Jessica: It’s 55 degrees here 

Allison: You just made me snarf my drink
Allison: Because I can sooo hear your tone rn

Stephanie: I mean.  THORNE WALKES THE CAT
(Thorne is Jessica's husband)

Allison: Shut your mouth at me!

Madison: I like that finale. Jessica you’re weird

Jessica: 😂 if madi gets her happy ending can I go somewhere warm?!?! 

​Madison: 🏝
​
Stephanie: 🤦🏻‍♀️

Stephanie: ​Can I use this photo I found today of my mom?

Jessica: Oh look Thorne saved the pic of me from today

Stephanie: Brittany's gonna wake up and be like:
WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HECK HAS HAPPENED 

Brittany (Poor, sweet, sleeping Brittany, event captain and stir-crazy mama): HI...Yes I did wake up to 100 txt and I had to see what was going on! 
Brittany: Mine will be about if I’m going to be able to survive this quarantine with a 4 year old! 😬
Brittany: So there’s my chime in to the txt...

And that, dear friends, is today's #eventstatus! Welcome to our slightly-cracking-up-stream-of-consciousness world. We hope it makes you smile. Stay posted, because if nothing else, we're a creative and entertaining bunch. :)