Thank you Art's & Mary's! Thank you Moonwalks for Fun!

Always been a big fan of the retro-styled packaging of Art's & Mary's Homestyle Tater Chips. Plus I like that they use the word "tater" and that their product is all natural. No weird preservatives or funky additives. So there are plenty of reasons why we've been eating these tasty chips with a good amount of fervor for the last two months.



And every time I see Art's & Mary's in a little deli or sandwich shop, I always tell the personnel how great these crispy, crunchy slices of flavor are. The Mixx, for example, is a fabu soup/salad/sandwich by the Kansas City public library on the Plaza. They know how glad I am that they chose to sell good, ol' Art's & Mary's.

And who knew that contained air could be so much fun?! We love that Moonwalks for Fun offers kids (and some kid-like adults) such pure FUN! Try not smiling when you're bouncing around in a moonwalk--it's impossible! Safer than a trampoline, bopping around in a moonwalk is still one of my favorite childhood memories. Jumping is an activity that deserves more accolades, don't you think? ;)

Art's & Mary's Homestyle Tater Chips and Moonwalks for Fun are silver sponsors for the Twilight Walk. We thank you for bringing such fun & goodness to this event!

Attention bidders!

The silent auction portion of the walk looks is pretty fantastic! There's a little something for everyone, whether you're into crafts, sports, gardening, spa treaments--you name it! Here are a few inside peeks to whet your whistle:

WSU signed basketball + tickets
KSU signed items
KU signed items
KC Chiefs men's polo
Wichita Wingnuts tickets
Wichita Thunder tickets
Sedgwick County Zoo passes
Tangayika Wildlife Park passes
Salon gift baskets
Massage gift certificates
Handcarved Canadian goose
Handmade quilt
Handmade artisan gifts
K&Company scrapbooking basket
Custom limestone posts
Garden tool cabinet
Decorative glass art
Beautiful glass vase
Jim Shore muscial Santa
Gift certificates for Scotch & Sirloin, Texas Roadhouse, Fox & Hound
and much more!

What a way to start your Christmas shopping, eh?

A truckload of thanks.

We have a whole slew of wonderful people to thank for sponsoring the Twilight Walk! And as I've often said, business is never just business. All business is about people. With that in mind, we know that the people behind these businesses make our sponsors more than just storefronts, more than just an exchange of goods & services. These are the people and the businesses that have won my patronage. I hope, if you have a choice, that you'll choose to patron these, too.

Dr. David Rosen, Kyrie's oncologist and medical advisor through our saga.

First State Bank & Trust, the bank that hosted Kyrie's medical fund, and also the place where Chad & I took over $500-worth of change to add to that fund. The pennies were so heavy that one of the plastic bags broke outside the front door--in the rain. A very helpful and rainproof cashier came out to help us pick up the coins one by one.

Heartland Veterinary Services, the best large-animal vet around in my opinion. Perhaps the original cow whisperer.

Kanza Bank, named for the Kanza tribe that lived on the Great Plains, this family-owned bank has been in business for over 100 years.

Kruse Corporation, the premier sheet metal, HVAC, plumbing and architectural & custom sheet metal designers in the area. The best of form & function!

Lanetz Living, a wonderfully curious online store that sells vintage, out-of-print and retro sewing patterns. Fabulous with emphasis on the "fab!" part!

Mize Thriftway, the family-run grocery store in Clearwater where the donuts are perfectly glazed, and the baggers are the best.

Dr. Rosen, First State Bank & Trust, Heartland Veterinary Services, Kanza Bank, Kruse Corporation, Lanetz Living and Mize Thriftway are bronze sponsors for the Twilight Walk. We thank you for being so much more than the average business.

Cookbook Giveaway

We just received The Kyrie Foundation cookbooks late last week, and they are already a hot commodity!



To celebrate, we're giving away one cookbook to a very lucky blog commentator. Simply leave a comment on this post, and you'll be entered into our drawing. We'll leave the comments open on this post for a week, and we'll announce the winner next Wednesday. That means you have until Tuesday, September 23 11:59 p.m. to leave a comment. And no matter where you are in the world, if you're the winner, we'll ship your prize right to your door!

The book features nearly 150 pages packed full of family favs and some fun new dishes to try. Plus, it include a great introduction about Kyrie and her story, which has become our story.



Cookbooks will be for $15 sale in the Style Shop at the Twilight Walk, too--a bonus to all of you walk attendees! Then they will be available for purchase through our Web site (+a bit of shipping).

We welcome all new commentators, and of course, our loyal digital friends, too. Happy commenting!

Thank you Wichita BabyFare!

We had a stellar weekend as the Wichita BabyFare's charity sponsor! Over 1,000 people popped by (despite the flooding on Friday night & Saturday morning) and we made a ton of new friends.



We presented the keynote address on Saturday morning and invited Kyrie's oncologist, Dr. David Rosen, to speak on the signs of a brain tumor and the importance of research.



Terry, our Bead Queen, arrived to help! And ... we unveiled a new bracelet for the BabyFare: little expandable baby bracelets. A hot item!



Several people commented that they had heard about the Twilight Walk or they had read about the foundation in Splurge! magazine.



New volunteers also offered to help The Kyrie Foundation--much needed and ALWAYS appreciated.



We even made a new friend with the booth next to us: BabyWaves, a great place to get those amazing 3-D ultrasounds when you're expecting. Thanks for everything, Shawn!

It was great to meet so many new faces who agree that something has to be done to save these children & their families. Thank you to everyone that stopped by to meet & greet! Stay tuned--there's more great moments coming!

Speaking of staying tuned, you'll want to check back tomorrow for something kind of fun just for Kyrie blog readers!

September 2008 issue of Splurge!

If you were at Larry Bud's last month for our Splurge!-sponsored fundraiser, you might be featured this month among their photo faces! Check out pages 108 & 109!

p.s.
Hope to see you this weekend at the BabyFare! We'll be taking the stage around 11 a.m. on Saturday to talk about the foundation and to introduce Dr. Rosen, Kyrie's oncologist, who is also speaking on the importance of pediatric brain cancer research!

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for the right words coming at the right time. Don't you love that? Don't you love it when you get just what you need without even knowing that it was on its way to you?

I'm thankful for these words from Kyrie's friend, Melissa, to all of us who are fighting cancer.

We are fighting this thing with all we've got. So, that's why we ask for someone to donate, and we do it without shame. That's why we keep asking...even when we are told "no" over and over again. That's why we sit in the rain and cold with wet socks for 12 hours...just to spread the news, just so that maybe ONE person will get on board and help us fight. That's why we spend COUNTLESS hours coming up with ideas and bringing them to fruition. That's why we wear our shirts, bracelets, bumper stickers. That's why we travel miles and spend precious weekends at events. That's why we make sacrifices, willingly, joyfully, lovingly...we do it because if we don't stand up to this monster, who will? ... Know that every moment of stress, exhaustion, excitement, hope, disappointment, failure, joy, sorrow, anxiety, success...every moment gets us all one step closer. We are all a HUGE part of this beginning of the end. Someday...someday soon. We are ALL going to stand at that finish line together. I firmly believe that when we do, a sweet little angelic butterfly will be right there with us, saying, "Thank you and well done."

What are you thankful for today?