Thursday, September 5 through Monday, September 9, 2019
Queen Ladybird aka Carla Kerr attended the Southern Kansas Red Hat Society Regional Convention in Wichita, Kansas to take part in their "Hatter's Land of Enchantment" event. Registration actually began on Friday, September 6, 2019 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and vendors opened for business at 10:00 am on this same date. This all took place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Airport Hotel in Wichita, Kansas.
One of the most exciting things was that Debra Granich, CEO of the Red Hat Society, was in attendance taking part in everything. She is also known as Queen Lady Bug.
When entering the venue area one was greeted by a fabulous "Enchanted Forest" fantasy playground created by Carol Drake and her assistants. It was a truly magical event and I hope my pictures convey to you more than my words can just how much FUN it was for everyone.
Kudos to Connie Pearl, Chairman of the Steering Committee and her members, Tami Wagner, Lynn Hill and Carol Drake. This group of Red Hatters are super talented and this was their 9th time to host this event. They just get better every year and there seems to be no limit to their imaginations for creating FUN for everyone.
Friday afternoon from 1-3:00 pm there was a Come and Go Tea Party where everyone could get better acquainted. The DoubleTree provided their famous chocolate chip cookies for the occasion and they were magically delicious. Many ladies came and forgot to GO but it was just too much FUN. At 2:30 pm, Christopher and Banks presented a Fashion Show with some of the Red Hat women being the models.
Friday evening at 5:45 pm brought the opening ceremony and dinner in the Emerald Ballroom. There was also a Costume Contest with 3 categories including Princess, Woodland Creature and Fairy Tale Character. Yours truly got confused and entered the wrong category, but I still won second place as a princess. We were entertained by Dreamscape 88 featuring Donna Hensley and Dennis Laffoon, an excellent musical duo. Later, there was an Enchanted Land Dance Party with DJ Steve Walsh.
Saturday morning at 8:00 am we attended a Fairy Land PJ Breakfast where we were entertained by world renowned comedic Magician, Tom Burgoon. He was over the top excellent! Then, they held the Fairy PJ Contest.
In the meantime, I was fortunate enough to meet up with my dear Red Hat friend Elyse Soffer and her chapter members who were attending and spent a lot of our free time together. On Saturday afternoon from 1-3:00 pm, one could enter the Game Show Minute to Win it. I entered and they tied an empty oblong tissue box to my rear end with several ping pong balls in it, and along with others, we had a minute to shake those balls out of the box. I did not win, but it created a lot of laughter.
Saturday evening was set for the Royal Ball. Four Knights had been commissioned to escort each Chapter Queen in attendance into the ballroom as her name was announced. It was quite impressive. After a delicious steak dinner, the Belle of the Ball contest took place. I was one of the judges for this and it was quite difficult to pick a winner. However, we managed to come to a consensus and a lovely Pink Hatter, Melynie Starr Blackshear, in a fabulous pink ruffled gown was chosen as Belle of the Ball. Later "The Source" band played for dancing the night away.
On Sunday morning, the Color Guard presented the flags and we recited the Pledge of Allegiance before partaking of a Farewell Breakfast again in the Emerald Ballroom. We were entertained by Four the Cross Gospel Group and they were excellent. At the end, we all made a huge circle around the ballroom and sang "We Are Family" and it was over.
I must say, I did my share of shopping with the vendors because "Shopping" is the official sport of the Red Hat Society. This was my second time to attend this event and it just got better. I loved every moment and made many new Red Hat friends as well.
Thank you, Connie and your team. It was a magical, amazing and enchanting weekend.
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| Left is Queen Carla Kerr with Queen Elyse Soffer of the Dazzling Jewels Chapter of Sun City West, Arizona with her members, Eileen Myers, Bev Keena, Julie Hundley, Lois Bluhm and Macia Grina |
Now, I'm going to take you through the Enchanted Forest with a series of pictures.
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| Isn't this a lovely setting for a magical tea? |
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| Butterflies and Bunnies |
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| Another elegant setting fit for a fairy |
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| Great photo-op |
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| More woodland creatures |
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| A magical flower garden |
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| The rest of the flower garden |
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| L to R: Julie, Carla and Elyse with giant Red Hat that was used in a local parade |
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| Waterfall with a lily pad pond and frogs |
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| The beginning of the magic |
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| The actual entrance to the Enchanted Forest |
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| Come and Go Tea |
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| Another table of tea attendees |
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| Yet, more tea sippers |
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| One final group |
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| Red Hatters visiting and telling tall tales |
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| More Hatters enjoying those chocolate chip cookies |
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| Two lovely ladies enjoying the teatime set |
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| Lined up waiting to go in to dinner |
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| Don't they look lovely! |
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| A Pink Hatter who is also Queen of her chapter |
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| Look at those smiles! |
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| Queen Kathy of the Valley Isle Vixens Chapter, Maui, Hawaii and she always looks elegant |
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| Carla Kerr in her Princess/Angel? costume! |
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| Angel, Raggedy Anne and Queen of Hearts |
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| Goldilocks and Brown Bear |
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| Elyse Soffer/Goldilocks and Carla/Princess |
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| Butterfly, unicorn, mother of unicorn and wicked forest creature |
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| Dreamscape 88 - Dennis Laffoon and Donna Hensley |
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| Contestants in Enchanted Forest Costume Contest - Second from left won 1st place and second from right won 2nd place in the Princess category and actually, these were all winners in three categories. The skunk was a hoot! |
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| Playing "Minute to Win it" game |
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| They had to suck M and M's onto a straw and deposit them onto a plate |
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| This was the cup stacking contest |
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| Blindfolded, pick up a cotton ball on a plastic spoon and place it in bowl on head. One with most in bowl wins. |
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| Julie putting a cereal box puzzle together |
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| Keeping the balloons in the air for one minute |
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| Ready to go |
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| Angie Pate waiting for her balloons |
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| Penny Johnson from Arlington, TX in her ball gown |
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| The Knights waiting to escort Queen Penny into the ballroom |
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| The Knights waiting to escort Queens Elyse and Carla into the ballroom |
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| All queens were escorted into the ballroom and their name announced |
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| This beautiful young woman, a Pink Hatter, won "Belle of the Ball" and her name is Melynie Starr Blackshear |
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| These ladies were my table mates during the event |
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| I apologize for my bad memory, more table mates |
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| Judy Foster and Jean Roemelin, table mates |
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| L to R: Irma, Judy, Jean and Carla at breakfast |
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| Left is Deb Granich with Connie Pearl |
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| On the right is our "Belle of the Ball" Melynie with her mother. |
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| Red Hat Society CEO Deb Granich speaking to the group |
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| Four the Cross Gospel Group |
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| Deb and Carla |
Ladies, please feel free to tag yourselves and forgive my memory lapses. We had such a marvelous time and I can't wait for the next one in two years.
Thanks to Douglas A. Kerr for processing the pictures for me and thanks to any of you who were kind enough to take pictures so I could be in some of them.
This is all I have to say for now.
