The Word From the Herd: Guest Post by Christine

One of our favorite things about this blog is sharing all of the inside details and behind the scenes fun of Faulkner’s Ranch.  That is why we are starting a new little guest post segment called “The Word from the Herd.”

That’s right! Our ranch hands are going to give you the low-down on what’s going on at Faulkner’s Ranch! To kick things off, here is someone that you all probably know -  Christine Loneman, one of the owners and managers of Faulkner’s!

A January Weekend at Faulkner’s Ranch

I can say, without a doubt, that I absolutely LOVE my job.  One of the greatest perks of going to work has to be bumping into high school peeps at various events around the Ranch-a-Roos, seeing what they are up to, and connecting with them as a small business owner.  It’s crazy to think about how many people I run into all time.

For example, this past weekend was like a blast from the past.  Just last Friday I was working a casino party at the Benjamin Ranch for a super cool IT Training company and in walks Jessica Taylor Horton.  Her hubby works for the company.  I thought Jessica was cool in HS and she is still very cool today.  She is currently the owner of Tin Roof Photography.  She photographed our Faulkner Family at the old farm on View High Drive and that picture still hangs in my folks' house today.  When talking to her this weekend I found out that she is just starting a new adventure that I am loving called RE: Restoration Emporium  She and another LSHS peep Amy Shaw McMicheal restore, repurpose, refinish, and renew vintage items and antiques.  The have such talent when it comes to creating awesome furniture pieces! You have to be sure to check it out.

Me and Jessica

Saturday was a busy one as well with 4 pony parties and a 5oth Wedding Anniversary.  The very first pony party of the day for Mac whose mommy is Christine South from high school.  For this very reason I keep my ‘92 and ‘93 yearbooks in the Pony Place under the register. You’ll never know when you might need them! Every time a fellow Tiger comes through we open them up and reminisce (Oh the hair!).  Much to my surprise Shelly Payne Brown, another HS peep and her adorable sons were guests at the party!    Shelly is Vice Principal at Blue Springs South.  We had a pretty good laugh about that since back in the day LSHS and BSHS were HUGE rivals! (Go Tigers!)

In the next barn over there were plenty of ole friends and acquaintances at the sweetest 50th Wedding Anniversary party for the Shepards.  The Shepards belong to Abundant Life Baptist Church so I was fortunate to get see some old neighbors, Tom and Elizabeth Guenther and the Perry Family (I went to HS with their children Jeff and Jill Perry.) 

Working that event was a lot of fun!  Sometimes I feel like a privileged fly on the wall getting to witness the most intimate moments of events like when Rich Langston with Discover Church read questions that were written by the Shepard’s guests.  It was a little bit like the newlywed game and we learned a lot about their relationship, travels, and future plans.  It was such a fun idea for an anniversary party!

I learned that when the Shepards were married she shared that after the ceremony they went home and she cooked the only meal she knew how at age 18 – meatloaf.  The next day they got up and went to school and work.  A fairly simple start.  Well between now and then they have lived a full life.  They have traveled all 50 states and around the world.  Much of the traveling was Mission trips. Talk about an amazing, inspiring marriage.  Betty, one of our scarecrows, has always said there are 3 people in a marriage; husband , wife, the Lord.  Picture a triangle.  That is what a saw in the Shepard’s and it made me feel honored to help them celebrate their special day.

The weekend wrapped up with a bittersweet day on Sunday as my folks headed South for the winter.  They got to stop on the way in Fort Wayne IL to see Charlie (Duc 1) and his lovely wife for lunch.

Oh how I miss the Ducs!

I feel so blessed to have such an amazing job where I get to reconnect with old friends and meet amazing new people every day!

What can I say? My job rocks!

~ Christine

A Sunday Share

This song is such a great reminder to being grateful for the small things in life that may not seem like blessings at the time.

We hope you enjoy!

Have a great day!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner's

A Happy Faulkner Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to Marilyn and Bob Faulkner!

Here's a little video we found of you two keeping 

the fire of love alive and going strong!

Wishing you the happiest of anniversaries!!!

Love,

~ Your Family at Faulkner's

2011 Holiday Party Trends

The holiday party season has come and gone.
Needless to say, we had an absolute blast celebrating with everyone who chose to party it up at Faulkner's Ranch!
We noticed a few big trends this year that definitely caught our eye.

Here are some of our favorite ones that we wanted to share with you!

The Party Bus

On the outside it may look like a normal school bus...

But on the inside it is a total party!!!

Companies that care about their peeps go the extra mile and provide a safe ride to and from the party.  Plus, it gets the party going before you even arrive!

Photo Booths

Are you looking for an affordable and unique party favor or entertainment idea for your guests? 

A photo booth is the perfect solution and a great way to keep your guests entertained all night.

Photo booths not only draw a crowd, generate excitement, and inspire contagious laughter, but they also allow your guests to go home with a unique keepsake to remember just how much fun they had at Faulkner's Ranch. 

White Elephant Christmas

White Elephant Christmas was super popular this year at our holiday parties.

How do you play White Elephant? It's easy!

In its most basic form, the gameplay is as follows: Each guest supplies one wrapped gift. Participants determine in what order they will take turns choosing gifts.
Some do it via Bingo, others draw numbers.

The first person opens a wrapped gift and the turn ends. The second person then chooses whether to open a wrapped gift or "steal" a previously opened gift. This is where it gets really fun! If a person has his gift stolen, he/she also has the option of choosing a wrapped gift or stealing an unwrapped one. When a wrapped gift is opened, the turn ends. When all gifts have been unwrapped, the game ends.

And you should see some of the awesome gifts that went around this year...

Who wouldn't want those?

Some Killer Dance Moves

Okay, so this isn't so much a trend but we could help but notice that our party guests had some serious dance moves this year!

We didn't capture a video of it, but here is something similar...

So those are the big holiday party trends of 2011!

We just want to say a big thanks to everyone who helped make our holiday party seasons a blast!

Wanna have a party with us next year? It's never too early to plan your event.  Many companies even book a year in advance to secure the perfect date.

Just click here for more information or give us a call at (816) 761-1234.

Keep on Partyin' Ya'll,

~ Your Friends at Faulkner's

Stay Lucky on Friday the 13th

Worried about having some bad luck today?

Why not tap into your superstitious side and hang a horseshoe above your doorway or carry one as a good luck charm!

Many people believe that the horseshoe is supposed to bring good luck, but do you know why?

Here are some fun facts about the reasons why the horseshoe is considered to be a lucky charm:

• Many believe that to hang a horseshoe with the ends pointing upwards is good luck as it acts as a storage container of sorts for any good luck that happens to be floating by, whereas to hang it with the ends pointing down, is bad luck as all the good luck will fall out. 
• However, others believe that the shoe should be hung the other way, as it will then release its luck to the people around it.  Perhaps a combination of the two was used so that after a few days, when the horseshoe was filled with good luck, it would then need to be emptied so that residents could benefit from that luck and the process would be repeated until the end of time.
• Superstitious sailors believe nailing a horseshoe to the mast will help their vessel avoid storms.
• Horseshoes are associated with blacksmiths, and smithing is considered a lucky profession. Because they worked with elemental fire and magical iron, they were thought to have special powers. It was believed that a blacksmith could heal the sick and if a couple was married by a blacksmith, their marriage would be a happy one. Their work with horses also brought them much power and prestige, not just because they made the lucky horseshoe but also because they were the keepers of the Horseman's Word (the basis for the movie, The Horse Whisperer.)
• The (usually) seven nail holes in a horseshoe invoke the traditionally lucky number 7. Since ancient times, the number seven was considered very important. Life was divided into seven ages; a rainbow has seven colors; astrology once held that seven planets made up the universe; there are seven deadly sins; a seventh child was thought to have special powers; there are seven days in a week; the moon changes from one phase to another every seven days; and a long-held belief states that the body goes through a radical change every seven years.
• Horseshoes are usually iron, and iron repels fair-folk, keeping your house free of mischievous demons, imps, pixies, and elves.
• A witch cannot walk under a horseshoe.
• If the devil gets to close to a horseshoe, he will be sucked in.
• A horseshoe in your bedroom will keep nightmares away.
• Horseshoes are said to cure hiccups.

However, in order to glean the benefits, there are rules, too:

The horseshoe must have been worn by a horse.

The horseshoe must have been found, not purchased.

Do you have a horseshoe hanging in your house? What other things do you keep around for good luck?

Here's to wishing you a very lucky Friday the 13th!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner's

Tuesday Treats: Cowgirl Cookies

Yee-Haw! It's our first Tuesday Treats of 2012!

Image and Recipe Via Bakerella

We wanted to start off the year with something super yummy and these Cowgirl Cookies were the perfect choice!

Not only are they absolutely delicious, but they also make adorable gifts!

To make these Cowgirl Cookies just follow the recipe below...

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup & leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking oats
3/4 cup m&ms
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 cup butter (melted slightly in the microwave)
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Stir all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

2.  Then add egg, butter, and vanilla into dry ingredients.  Use the back of a large spoon to work it all together. You may even need to use your hands to get everything incorporated.

3.  Then roll the cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, place on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. 

This recipe yields about 26-28 cookies.

For information on how to package the recipe as a gift and free labels like the ones shown in the picture above, click here. 

Enjoy!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner's

Happy New Year Ya'll!

Wishing you the best in 2012!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner's