Loading up two suv’s at WorthamWorld, I am the list maker, the task taker and the leader who ensures that any disaster can be avoided by planning ahead and packing back up champagne goblets, safety pins, duct tape, epiphens, hot glue and super glue. 

 

My twin sister, Cindy Daniel is most likely barking her own sarcastic and comical #Cindyisms to sum up the situation while attempting to hustle Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney, Stephaney Mahaney, Ann Rowe Alexander, Robert and Stephanie Hafele and Virginia Malone to the waiting vehicles.  Packing up and forgetting something you realize too late that you don’t have or you did have and it broke is a disaster! 

 

Often, I’m unaware that something is “missing” until the 11th hour when I get a “heads up” from Cindy, Ann or Robert.  Rarely the Little Pawners will tell me “Houston, we have a problem!” 

 

With everyone “juggling” to set up last week we somehow “lost” my champagne bucket that I’ve used at hundreds of weddings.  A family heirloom belonging to my husband, Matthew Wortham, I’m sick about this! 

 

Several months ago, my “quick fold” ice chest that I loved came up missing. This unique and versatile item could fit into a ziplock Baggie and was used to keep champagne cold during a road trip to Oklahoma. 

 

I have no idea why guests who are well aware of the fact that I’m providing my own inventory from Texas Twins Treasures for a Dream Event would keep items belonging to me and, I’m still upset about it.  You see, granting a Dream Event doesn’t “put money in my pocket.”  My team and I often work for free and unless I have taken a trade to “flip” and sell to recover expenses, Dream Events benefit the couple and not myself or my team. 

 

When your business is based on families rather than earnings, you “hope” to recover expenses for low cost services and ceremonies or “hitting a lick” with a trade.  Most couples undersyand that and are careful to help us reload all of our items to ensure a camera, floral designs, ice buckets, crystal glasses or anything else isn’t “left behind.” 

 

Cindy Daniel keeps her “kit of tricks” in a Baggie at all times to keep from losing something and ALL of us keep duct tape on hand.  This amazing product has “fixed” table cloths from flying, broken shoes, torn hems, even my broken passenger mirror and, is perhaps one of our most used items at an event or ceremony. It’s also cheap and, if we lose a roll of it not a big deal.  Ironically, duct tape is the one item that has never come up “lost” or “missing.”

 

Cindy often finds it hilarious when I’m about to “blow a gasket” and in an agitated state when my inventory come up missing.  At one wedding, Cindy noticed that the guest book I had purchased was “missing” but, took the high road when informing me by saying “hey, at least we still have the pen!”  Cindy is an optimist at all times while I’m freaking out over something unexpected happening.  Compensating personalities of twins is an interesting aspect of this Twinning Team. 

 

When you have paid for ring pillows, guest pens, guest books, flower baskets, flower petals and ALL the other items that I bring to events that aren’t purchased or leased by the client- you get upset when they are “lost” or, “missing” because you have to “strike a check” in order to replace them. 

“Figuring it out” on a shoestring budget isn’t easy!  Cindy and I call our events Redneck Reality because 70-90% of the time we aren’t benefitting financially unless we “hit a lick” with a swap or flip or, were paid for our low cost services.  #Cindyism “You DONT get a BUFFET if you only bought the APPETIZER!”  

When I started this business years ago, I had hoped that the folks who could afford our services would cover the “have nots.”  Apparently, the “have’s” are accustomed to be cheats and/or swindlers because the primary reason that I decided to take trades was due to the issue of the “have’s” promising to pay for services rendered and failing to do so.  It’s happened several times to me and on two occasions, I filed suit for Theft of Services because when cheat me you also cheat my entire staff too.  
 

“Winging it” by making Dreams come true for families who otherwise could not afford a beautiful ceremony or event isn’t easy- it’s hard work and requires sacrifice of time and talents from my entire team.  Although we are committed to our clients, we like anyone else, need to earn a living and because of this, have decided to partner with an investor to market and sell tshirts with Classic #Cindyism references that will be available for sale on my Texas Twins Treasures storefront until we can afford a brick and mortar shop. 

 

We started checking into tshirts after meeting with Adam Bouska at the N0H8 campaign in Dallas last year and realized that if we had our own apparel at parades and events that we could increase our income while still providing Dream Events for worthy families. 

 

Hittin a lick isn’t as easy as you might think when you are in the business of helping others and have no outside funding. Since I’m the captain of this ship, finding funding to continue my business requires creativity and I’m fairly creative ya all!

 

Tomorrow, I’m meeting with Joanna Magee at the Willow Lake Event Center to discuss her Dream Event.  Joanna will be wearing a wedding dress that I “gifted” her from my inventory at no charge.  Giving back to your community while struggling to pay the bills isn’t easy, it’s hard work and dedication and when you are with my team of big personalities, it’s often fun too.  We do everything together and although we hit a few “bumps” in the road- together we can achieve great things because we believe in what we are doing and we believe that helping others is a calling that gives hope to our community.  Yes we have hilarious setbacks and drama but at the end of the day, we’ve done something wonderful for a deserving family.  What have you done for a stranger my friend? 

 

Wendy M Wortham