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I would like to thank all of you that participated in the 2008 Chairscholars Olympic Theme Event.

We had so many volunteers this year that we actually had to add activities to give them something to do. I know the scholars appreciated all the added activities. We found this a nice problem to have!

My 16 year old son and his friends were in charge of driving the golf carts taking volunteers and guests to their vehicles when leaving the event. This was exciting to them as they have run the soda trailers in the past and felt everyone leaving the event whether a guests or volunteer had truly enjoyed the experience.

My next endeavor is collecting items to be given to the homeless and/or disadvantaged children in the Tampa Bay area at our Unsinkable Krewe of Molly Brown Christmas event. We give away nice gifts during a raffle drawing including wool hats, gloves, board games,  books, Legos, dolls, etc.

We also provide a bag filled with goodies to each of the 300 plus children that attend. Last year we gave pencils, crayons, coloring pages, candy, footballs, small toys and many other items we had collected throughout the year.

I solicited many of my clients for anything that they may have had as a promotion item, or cash to be used in the production of this event. A special thanks to The Tampa Tribune and Toni Everett for their generous contributions.

IMAX Theatres on Channelside continues to provide their support (which would be impossible without them) assisting us in producing this holiday event where the children and their families get to see the latest Childrens flick, receive a hot breakfast, enjoy dancing with DJ Louie, and receive the holiday gifts prior to the movie viewing.

If you would like to volunteer your time or donate moeny/items for this worthy cause, you may contact me at Fun Makers, Inc. or go directly to our The Unsinkable Krewe of Molly Brown site and contact the foundation letting them know your interest in the Childrens Christmas Event.

If you opt to view our Unsinkable Krewe of Molly Brown website, you will see that our main cause is raising funds for Art & Musical supplies for middle and high schools in the Tampa Bay area.  We raise money throughout the year, then with matching funds from the City of Tampa award grants to students and / or schools for specific needs.

You may also wish to get involved with this effort as we all know the joy we received during our school years with the exposure to Arts & Music classes. These classes have been dramatically reduced budgets and only get worse with the currently economy and school budget cuts.

So whatever interest you, whether you wish to contribute your time, your money, or merchandise, I encourage to get involved.

Thanks,
Cindy Hanchett
Fun Makers, Inc.
(813)889-3818
cindy@funmakersinc.net

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As Fun Makers, Inc. turns 24 I realize that this is a huge step in my endeavor to advance my career. My 1st job was at 13 and I was the "Dog" costume character for Dog N Suds a local drive-up food establishment. I quickly moved into a server position, and then moved next door to the new McDonalds. Woohoo I was on my way! My years in High School were spent working in retail sales after school and on weekends, then upon graduating I went enrolled in College but was unable to continue my education due to lack of funds. I went into Banking. Banking was a great job, I began as a Drive Through teller, advancing to a Commercial Teller position inside. Then I was promoted to Executive Secretary handling (typing & calculating before computers) Business and Mortgage Loans. This was fun until the interest rates jumped causing many of the clients to begin losing their homes. Much like now. As I was also "Miss Ellis" representing Ellis Bank in parades, I happened to be on a City of Tampa Float when the City employee taking us to and from the parade in a rental vehicle wrecked the car. I thought to check the job boards and see if that position had come available. Funny enough it had! So I began as the Assistant to the Mall Administrator on the Franklin Street Mall that handled anything that happened on the Pedestrian Mall including vehicle Movement Passes, handling the Food and Arts & Craft vendors that sold during lunchtime, as well as arranging Entertainment, Parades & Festivals. This was a two person office with me being the assistant. During my 3 years there, I was the only one in the office for long stretches at a time while they located a new Mall Administrator. Though I applied for the job, I did not have a college degree so I was not considered for the job. I could run it by myself, but not with an assistant? My greatest achievement there was helping Owen, that had lost his furniture business up north and was now living on the streets in downtown, apply and get approved to be a parade vendor selling novelties. We did not have anyone at that time providing that service and since he followed my directions on the application process he was approved by the Board. His 1st purchase with his new career profits was teeth, he was so proud to be productive again. I left the mall but continued to get reports on Owen's progress and the last I heard he was living in a huge house on the river (actually called a mansion by the person telling me). I left the City and opened Fun Makers, Inc. taking with me all the knowledge I had garnered from Retail Sales, Banking, and Event Planning. I was 24 years old, had no money in the bank, but I had a desire to be my own boss and prove that just because people do not have a college degree (though I wish I did) could be productive at any level in business. All the knowledge I had gained from the above jobs allowed me to be a success. Well it is 24 years later and I am living the dream that I had all those years ago. I will admit that Fun Makers is a small women owned business and does not come close to the scale of any of the aforementioned places I worked (perhaps Dog N Suds). However the freedom it has given me not only in making my own choices, being my own boss, but in the ability to make it a family business allowing myself, my husband and son to have quality time together. My husband now works here, my son helps occasionally on charity events to earn community hours needed for school. The quality time comes not from working but more from being able to schedule time off whenever it is needed whether picking up and taking our son to school, football practice, private quarterback coach sessions, and football camps, doctor appointments, vacations, etc. This does not come easy as being a small business does call for working long hours during peak times, sometimes 7 days a week, or 20 hour days. There is no security net to fall back on in slow economic times, and the responsibility is totally ours if we succeed or fail. With all the above I find it funny how I started as a Character Performer "Dog", and now represent a wide range of talented performers. Coming full circle, and making it 24 years, I have to say is.... Reaching a Milestone!

We've just published a new edition of our newsletter! You can check it out on our website and get the latest information from Fun Makers, Inc.. Let us know what you think!

Read It Now Here

We've just published a new edition of our newsletter! You can check it out on our website and get the latest information from Fun Makers, Inc.. Let us know what you think!

Read It Now Here

Happy New Year,

Now that we have begun a new year I wonder what changes are in store....

Is gas going up so far that we no longer can afford to drive. Will we start using buses to get to and from work each day. I was at a stop light when I saw a musician that works for me riding a bike. I did not think this too strange at the time, but I did wonder if the slow entertainment market played a role. Sure enough when he came to pick up his check from a recent gig, he came by bike. I asked him if he still had his car and he said no. Now imagine a musician that can not afford to use his car to get to work, he can not throw his instruments on his bike. I say that something needs to be done FAST about the gas crisis or we will have many more working people out of work.

Is Insurance going to make small business become distinct? I can personally say it is my largest monthly expense and very burdensome. Of course I can not be without it, so I pay begrudginly. I say degrudginly as Insurance Companies have the most expendable money out of any of my clients (them and hospitals). I asked one of my clients that owns his own agency why my rates had doubled over the last few years and his reply was honest and to the point. They are not going to lose money, if they have a bad year with a lot of claims the premiums go up across the board to keep them at the same level of profit, and of course the rates never go back down. What have I learned from this, well I tell my 15 year old son whatever he does in life to make sure it is vital to the community. No matter what the economy is doing, people still need certain services. Where was that knowlege when I opened an entertainment company 24 years ago? Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, but I hate riding the economic wave being the lst to be cut and the last to bounce back.

Will the war continue. I have a nephew that is on his third tour and he believes in what they are doing full heartily. He also likes being employed, when he came home after his second tour he was unable to find a job that paid the same, so he re-upped. I do not mind helping other countries, but I do mind our country not helping us first and foremost.

Will we begin helping Americans afford gas to get to and from work.

Will we help small business owners afford health insurance so they can afford to have employees. Right now most businesses only hire people they can afford to pay health insurance for, and the great employee is covered under their spouses job benefits. (Isn't that sad, but it is true).

Will the new President actually change? When I was young and registering to vote, I did not fully understand politics so I registered as indepedent. Now I am older and I still do not understand. I have seen that both major parties are corrupt, they both have hidden agendas that benefit themselves and their supporters. They both talk out of both sides of their mouth. When I worked for the city many years ago, someone in a high level position actually told me they call it wearing two hats, one for the good of the citizens, and one for the good of the city. Guess which hat they wear most often.

Well the changes we can make are simple, we can change the idea that our goverment can solve everyones problems and concentrate on our American problems. We can get creative to find ways to enhance our lives by getting back to basics. Since I can no longer afford to fly around the county staying in quality hotels, I have taken up camping again. I joined a women's group that likes to get out and do things such as camping, canoing, boating, fishing, partying, and just spending quality time together.  My family does not enjoy camping so much (l0l). Our son is a budding quarterback so we try to make available the necessary tools to assist him in his journey including football camps, Quarterback Coach Darin Slack, and a training program.

Will I continue to blog....who knows, probrably as it is another outlet for me. But does anybody actually read it, I don't think so, but I enjoy it, and if you are reading it I hope you do too.

Cindy

Happy Holidays,

You know it is always nice to give back to the community in which we live. Whether it be donating clothing, video games, or unwanted items to the local thrift shop, chaperoning a field trip with your child's school, or becoming a coach in a children's league. These are things that we can do that cost only our time yet provides us a lifetime of memories.

The Unsinkable Krewe of Molly Brown is a Charitable Organization that I belong to that raises funds to purhase musical instruments and art supplies for middle schools and high schools in Hillsborough County. The City of Tampa has a matching funds programs for schools, so whatever we raise, the City matches and then the schools and/or students write for grants to help fund their interest and needs.

We participate in 4 local parades atop our Titantic float dressed in period costuming. Molly Brown was aboard the Titanic and lived to tell the story. We have won Best Float in the Gasparilla Parade twice out of the last four years. This year we were awarded the 1st City of Tampa Green Award. Who knew they gave awards for being tidy!! This year we are funding Newsome HS Art Students to create large puppets and elaborate heads of sea creatures and sealife. Jerry Bickel with the Bits & Pieces Puppet theatre is mentoring the student project. All the pieces will then be incorporated into our float by having the students wear & carry their artwork in front of the float for both the Children's Gasparilla Parade and the Gaspiralla Parade. This will bring a new dimension to parades in Tampa. If you go to the Gasparilla Parade in 2008 yell and we will throw you some beads!

The Krewe has taken on a holiday tradition of sponsoring a Children's Christmas Movie & Breakfast Event  inviting homeless and disadvantaged children from multiple agencies. We had 250 children plus chaperons and family members. This year the movie was Alvin & The Chipmunks. We had two elaborate Chipmunk costume characters for the event Krewe members (Rosie and Karina) donned them and had a wonderful time dancing with the kids and leading a conga line. The children really loved hugging the characters and posing for photos. When I spoke with the girls during a break they said they could feel the love and that it was great. We had a drawing and was able to give away 13 nice gifts before the children went in to see the movie. The children laughed and cheered throughout the movie. When they came out we were able to give each child a holiday bag filled with coloring pages, crayons, small toys, and candy.

If you would like to assist the The Unsinkable Krewe of Molly Brown in any way for our charitable causes, please contact me at cindy@funmakersinc.net. or check out the official Krewe site www.kreweofmollybrown.com

Happy Holidays,

For anyone out there in blogland that is considering redecorating for the holidays this year, let me share with you some basic do it yourself steps.

I have found the best way to apply materials for a long lasting connection is  floral wire wrapped with floral tape. The type that sticks to itself with a slight tug. Place the floral wire where the hanger would  go. You may also add a little glue to hold the ornament and the cap piece on for a more durable connection. Wrap the floral wire that is attached to your piece onto the frame of the wreath (opposed to a branch). Use this same floral wire technique when applying bows, foral, or any item you are attaching. Instead of wrapping your ribbon around the wreath, cut uniform sections, attached floral wire to both ends, and connect to wire frame. Not only does this make your ribbon go further, it allows you to place it exactly where you want it, and allows it to be fuller and more effective in the overall design.

When using glue as your main connection, it tends to become unattached during storage unless you are in a climate controlled storage environment.

I have really enjoyed working with variations of one color, creating monochromatic designs. This provides a very elegant look. For example if you are using Green, try using various shades of green throughout your design.

On Thanksgiving my sisters and friends made wreaths as an after lunch activity. I had purchased golds, oranges, green, reds, ivory and brown products including silk floral, ribbons, ornaments, and ribbons.

Everyone picked their own color scheme of items to arrange on their wreaths. When they finished everyone was quite proud of their new piece. The wreaths that tended to have solid color schemes seemed to provide a much more elegant look than the ones that had multiple colors (though they were all lovely).

I just installed 9 trees at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer facilities with each tree being unique in design. As corporate clients are straying from the traditional Christmas Colors to honor all religions, I have begun using color concepts incorporating silk foral, leaves, ornaments, ribbons, hollyberries, branches, etc.

For a softer look, I used white, silver, and baby blue on one of the trees creating a winter look. I used light blue silk poinsettias, light blue leaves, white, silver, and baby blue ornaments, light blue ribbon, and silver branches.

I hope someone out there finds this useful and maybe even inspiring to get crafty!

Cheers,
Cindy Hanchett