Twinning Through The Holidays With The Pawning Planners…

My twin sister can find humor in any situation but things can be far more funny when I’m planning for perfection and something goes awry.  Cindy is my lighthearted and fun “sassy sidekick” that knows my “visions of perfection” are unrealistic but goes along with me anyway.  Cindy loves it when I go nuts because something went wrong and refers to these disasters as “incidents.”  Examples of “incidents” go back to our childhood and include lots of humor now that we are past them such as the roller skating on a coffee table dare incident.  I learned a lot of tricks with my retainer that replaced the teeth I knocked out.  My brother learned not to dare me anymore.  These days most of our incidents are with my family and occasionally, on location.

   
Trying to get everyone in my family in the same place at the same time isn’t easy for me.  They call me bossy and if late- hear about it too.  
I give myself at least an hour  to organize my team prior to heading to an event because Stephaney Mahaney will want to fix her makeup or Stephanie Hafele lost her keys or my sister can’t find her phone- you get the point.  Minutes before departing, my husband is reaching for a martini as everyone argues their way right into our suv’s for a road trip to an event.  Frankly, after the circus runs through the house searching for this or that, he’s glad to see us 
leaving for several hours of peace with NASCAR, football or the golf channel.  Holidays at my home are as unpredictable as our events because all of our adult children are now busy with a “circuit” of visits from one house to another.  

Orchestrating opening gifts at the same time for Christmas is often as frustrating for me as it is for them.  This year my “time slot” was changed so many times to accommodate everyone that we opened gifts after Christmas to get everyone in the same place at the same time.

You see from family get togethers to events- I want everything to be beautiful, well planned and without drama.  The problem is that my client base from Texas Twins Events and The Pawning Planners is a virtual “melting pot” of folks who have their fair share of baggage with in laws and out laws who bring plenty of drama to many of our events with their ideas and occasionally- an attitude that spoils my otherwise “picture perfect painting.”

From the Banjo Playing Boyfriend to the Bloody Nosed Bride and The Big Mouthed Brother–I’ve had a few moments where just when I thought everything was going so perfectly, that I drew a deep breath to savor the moment right before something crazy happened!  

While I’m standing and a watching the wedding party arrive and awaiting the Bride, I’m actually looking at the guests and enjoying the orchestration of a beautiful event with friends and family.

Like anyone else, I don’t expect a bee to “buzz in” and sting the bride!  After 600 weddings, funerals, baptisms, estate sales, baby showers and birthday parties- you would think I’ve seen it all and, you’d be wrong.  Planning for the unexpected is key to overcoming some of the wacky things I’ve seen standing there and savoring “my moment.”  

I bring bouquets and boutenniers along with duct tape, champagne glasses and even the champagne to numerous events because I’ve learned that they are often forgotten or damaged.  

On one occasion, the brides beautiful bouquet fell off a balcony and was run over.  To overcome this tragedy,  I asked the bridesmaids to “donate”  panties to rebuild and glue the bouquet back together.  Frankly, that bouquet looked amazing because it was fuller and “fluffed up” from the unique “fill” of the lace.  

Thinking “on your feet” is essential when you often move from an exclusive venue for a Texas Twins Events client to a backyard, barn or even parking lot or park for a Pawning Planners client.

From ant bites to bee stings and bloody noses, my twin sister was probably as surprised as I was but like me, quick to grab an emergency kit or epiphen from our suv’s and address the situation.  The difference?  I was horrified and she wasn’t because I’m always so serious and she’s always having a great time “visiting” with the guests and wedding party.  You see my sister is the perpetual social butterfly at our events and also (on occasion) the entertainment.  Everyone loves to listen to my sister and she enjoys meeting new friends.

Last year while sifting through Lisa and Terry Williams barn to find a trade, Terry told me to “look out for snakes!”  Digging through barns, trailers, homes and occasionally cars, trucks, and boats isn’t always as glamorous as you might think.  In fact, I’ve been in a few places that required convincing from Cindy to go in.  But, the truth is that clients from The Pawning Planners have no money and in order to find a flip, swap or trade- you have to be willing to dig through a lot of trash in order to find a treasure.

Finding a needle in the haystack takes “vision” and preparation too. Knowing the value and the expense involved to refurbish a trade is essential to successfully “striking a deal.”  

We meet a few “characters” that want to make the rules and it’s usually my twin sister who lightens the mood by cracking a #Cindyism regarding the condition or the market value.  I’m the check writer and rarely (if ever) telling a joke on location at Appraisal Appointments or events but my sister is well known for her iconic Redneck Reality Quotes that are founded on truth with a bit of sarcasm.

Pawning Planners Apparel and sales from items I’ve taken in trade and refurbished fund families with no money or trade.  Since Cindy “has a million of EM,” her saucy quotes are featured on Pawning Planners Apparel and if you have a favorite, we take custom orders at Texas Twins Treasures- Visit My Treasure Chest. 

    
    
 
Cindy is never “short on words.”  She watches me closely to “monitor” my thoughts and gets a few laughs when I go down my ever present “list” of figures for refurbishing and the actual cost of the event.  I’m constantly looking for something unique and extraordinary when trading, something you don’t see everyday.  

Cindy is looking for a quick flip and loves sifting through jewelry, purses and smaller items that require little or no investment and can be sold quickly.

Refurbishing furniture is expensive and you need to plan carefully when considering the fabric and labor to invest in the “project.”  Last week, a man from eBay contacted me regarding refurbishing two Berger chairs and ottomans after viewing a few of my pieces.  I don’t sell fabric because my fabrics are imported and quite expensive and I don’t refurbish furniture for others because they can’t understand “why it’s so expensive?”  The reason is that a good upholstery fabric can set you back $30 to $50 a yard and the labor on one chair is easily $200 so by the time you factor the labor and upholstery, you’re looking at a fairly hefty cost. For these reasons, I do not sell fabric or refurbish furniture for others and am happy to refer them to several upholsterers in my area.

Cindy and I don’t see the same things when I find a unique trade- she sees junk and I see possibilities.  When we are on location or at an Appraisal Appointment, she always has a good time meeting new friends and I’m always writing everything down to ensure their desires are met.

Traveling with two sets of twins is sometimes pretty interesting even for us because our Little Pawners, Maryssa and Makenna mimic Cindy and I with Maryssa being Cindy’s mini me and Makenna being mine.  Makenna and I spend time thinking about the decorations and flowers while Maryssa and Cindy “eyeball” a cupcake or the desert tray.  Cindy and Maryssa often forget that we are working because they are having fun while Makenna and I are focused primarily on the work aspect.

Now that all of us are on a twin diet to prepare for our road trip next August to Twinsburg for our very first twin festival, diet and excercise as a TwinTeam has kept us laughing too with everyone sharing their opinion and Cindy throwing in her ideas about the equipment at Planet Fitness.  Staying on track during the holidays wasn’t always easy but being healthy and teaching the twins about nutrition has given us something new to talk about.

I’m talking to Cindy on my cell phone as I write this blog and listening to her tell me about the problems of a full house.  Leigh Ann moved back home with her daughter Madyson last month and is giving Cindy plenty of “new material” for her #Cindyisms.  Apparently,  my twin sister isn’t the only “boomerang kid” mom.  She’s had a few social media friends asking when Leigh Ann is leaving and commenting about their kids moving home too.  We love having the baby home but Leigh Ann and her sister Stephaney (also a boomerang kid) argue constantly! 

    
   
Yesterday, Cindy’s husband Steve asked when he could use the washer but with their two adult children and three grandchildren under one roof, he was advised by Cindy to “get in line.”  

Steve Daniel is good natured and accustomed to getting in line for the bathroom, the washer and everything else at their home.  He is a truck driver and often away on the road.  With the current crowded conditions at their home, I’m certain he looks forward to going back to work every week!  Having a houseful of adult children and grandchildren can wear on anyone.

 With my son moving away from our neighborhood next month, I’m going to miss seeing him all the time but he won’t ever move home because he has four dogs and a snake along with a wife and loves being away from “all of my rules.” 

   
At least I will see him while working at our events and we are thrilled about next weeks wedding of Jen Chidgey who has been a friend for years and photographed my team at numerous events.  This wedding will be an honor for my team and I.  

The joy of both of my businesses is the opportunity to spend time with my family while giving the gift of a dream event to our clients.  Although we may occasionally disagree with each other, at the end of the day, we are a family and it is our differences and unique skill set that creates the glue that holds everything together even when something unexpected happens…

Wendy M Wortham