It would be strange not to be nervous,
some days before the first Michigan PEZ Convention have started,
JIM BLAINE (the Host) told us he is super nervous,
but hej JIM,
WHY? :)
you have found a super perfect location for your first convention,
you made AMAZING Convention dispenser,
fun and loving games, and you brought a great PEZ family together,
and for sure PEZ PEZ and lot of PEZ. :)
| Jim and Jody Blaine the Host's from the first Michigan PEZ Convention |
After watching all the great videos and pictures we see all your hard work over the past few months was worth, its such nice to see so many PEZPALS with a big smile on their face.
We are so overwhelmed that Karen Lynn P. said yes to write us her emotions from the first MI PEZ Convention
Thank you Karen <3
 |
We are always looking for a convention/gathering guest reporter for our blog, if you would love to share your story to PEZPALS all over the world, then please contact us per email at pezpalz.gmail.com.
here we go with Karen's story |
Ronnie and I left our house on Wednesday, Aug 24th to drive to our Daughter’s home in Ypsilanti, Michigan. I was able to visit with my daughter, granddaughter and son-in-law that afternoon and evening.
Day 1 – Thursday.
My family drove me to Mary and Chris Wiley’s house and I was able to see their wonderful PEZ room – always FUN to see how everyone displays their PEZ and ohh and aww over everyone’s PEZ goodies. Then it was time to say goodbye to hubby and family and leave with Mary and Chris for the 1st ever Michigan convention! Took us about 45 minutes to get to the hotel. The first person we saw just as we pulled up to the hotel was Kelly Jo Mitchell! – my roomie for the week-end. Our room was ready so we were able to check in and the hotel staff was very welcoming and ready for all of us PEZHeads with welcoming banners and the agendas on all the tvs! Kelly Jo and I started getting our room ready– she made an awesome banner and really cute hearts to hang on our door too!
The hotel is “round” and all of the PEZ rooms were on the 2nd floor and the registration room was set to open at 4 p.m. – so we were ready when it opened!
These friendly people were ready for us: Jim’s Dad Jim, Sr., our wonderful host Jim Blaine, and Jim’s Mom Patty. You could not ask for nicer people to make you feel so welcome!! Frank Mountford was also around to help answer any questions and he was voted and won “Grand Marshall”at the Saturday night festivities! These goodies were also available to purchase along with all of our wonderful convention swag!
Kelly Jo and I made our purchases and listened as they explained to us about the agenda and told us about “decorating our buckets” (there would be a contest!). We purchased our $2 box game –hoping it was a winner! Then we signed the banners (to be auctioned off for charity) and started greeting everyone who was coming into register!!!! That evening was room hopping, every night from 5:30-7:30 the hotel offered 3 free drinks (PEZzie drinks too) (which by the way is also on the 2nd floor … ever so convenient for all of us!) – so we enjoyed that, did the wheel spin for raffle tickets, the on-going bead challenge game, ordered dinner, and listened to some live music (all on the 2nd floor!) and just had a casual mix and mingle evening!
Day 2 – Friday:
Time to begin our day with a free breakfast buffet that includes chef prepared omelettes !! This breakfast buffet was by far one of the best I have ever seen! The staff at this hotel is amazing! More PEZ friends arriving, registration room has now moved to the ballroom today and room hopping is happening all day. Today there is a kid’s pool party. But pretty much the kids and adults can enjoy the pool every day! 1-3 p.m. is a chalk contest outside by the pool and then at 3 p.m. is the souvenir button making contest! More room hopping and visiting ever arriving PEZ friends! 5:30 finds us at the Pez Swap held at the complimentary evening reception (always on the 2ndfloor – so always just us PEZHeads!) More Beads! We all played another game to win raffle tickets (Jody Blaine and her Brother with the game). Jim’s Dad also took a big group photo!
8 p.m. and it was time to head down to the ballroom for the PEZ Bean Bag Tournament!!!! Took quite a while but the winning team was Randy Puderbaugh and Mark Kolbusz (Mark won a BLUE puck for being the first of the four to get one in the hole and then the team won GOLD pucks and bragging rights!) The 2nd Place Team was Tim Dunn and Jean Tardiff Dougherty and they won SILVER pucks! While everyone was taking their turns tossing bags we could also play Plinko to win more raffle tickets. We could also take FUN photos (also for a contest) and we were going to be able to open our $2 boxes that night too (Becky Mathers had the winning box – but she had gone home to Canada that night and did not find out until the next day that she had won one of the BLUE Pucks)! Silent auctions were also set up to bid on and there were some awesome items to bid on!!
Day 3 – Saturday:
Woke up Early because Kelly Jo had a table in the ballroom so she had to be there early – but I got to go back to sleep.
I was still pretty excited to see how everything would look all set up. I went down for the amazing breakfast and enjoyed the company of Thomas & Ruth Ream and Sue & Frank Mountford and then headed to the show at 9:30. It was amazing – the ballroom was packed with dealers and looked amazing. So much FUN to see wall to wall PEZ. And, what was going to be even more FUN was that my daughter and son-in-law were going to come because they wanted to see just what a PEZ convention exactly was!!! Of course my hubby and my granddaughter know what a convention is but they came along too and it was nice to introduce all of them around!
Next up was the group dinner (still on the 2ndfloor) with a special raffle – we were all given a ticket with 3 lucky chances to win a maha, a sheik or a Captain Hook (all donated by Chris Jordan!) More beads! Then it was a big surprise for Heather Johnson! A special 40th birthday celebration, gifts and a special dispenser, followed by an egg baby cake (downstairs in the ballroom)!!
Then it was back downstairs for the Live Charity Auction, the raffles and the awards! This is where we were able to use all the raffle tickets that we received from playing all the games! Woo Hoo. There were a lot of lucky winners (some multiple ones)… and I was lucky enough to win a raffle too for some special candy packs. Contest winners were announced for Best Decorated Bucket: ME Woo Hoo! Button Contest: Kelly Jo Woo Hoo! Photo Contest: Winner was Eric Petro – but then had to be a tie when another certain photo was spotted of Chris Jordan and Ruth Ream! Chalk Contest: Tied: Xavier Camden and Lacey Ash and the Bead Contest (you had to have the most beads – they were randomly thrown out) – Thomas “the wallet” Johnson won! The charity auction – had some amazing items and raised an astonishing amount of money that Jim will announce. It was an amazing convention! The charity “Lake Louise” was there the day of the convention and the night of the auction also! And Doc Sweets Candy was a sponsor and supplied the lariats and had their van in attendance too!
Day 4 Sunday:
Morning arrived very early – I don’t think Kelly Jo and I went to sleep until about 3 a.m.! Too much to chat about – everything we bought and saw and how much FUN we had! Jim and his “staff” did an amazing job and I know that I can’t wait for everything they plan for next year.
Then it was downstairs for one last amazing breakfast, Kelly Jo and I enjoyed the company of Frank & Sue Mountford while we waited for Ronnie to come to pick me up for the long ride back home to Indiana. Goodbye PEZ Friends – until we meet again next year in Michigan (I will certainly plan on going again and I would ask anyone “why aren’t you?”) … or some of you I might see at PEZ on the River !!!
getting Ready... for year 2!
