Idea to execution!

UPDATED WITH DONNA's REACTION and PHOTOS/SEE BELOW  -  I get these ideas in my head and can visualize the final product but somewhere between thinking up my brilliant gem of creativity and the final product things can go awry.    My friend is retiring about 35 years service.  Technicalities and being politically correct has caused management to determine that we no longer have individual retirement parties but quarterly hold joint retirement dinners for the retirees.   I get it.   If you do for one, you need to do for all.  No matter, but I kind of was feeling bad that 35 years and nothing!   So my wheels started turning and concocted up a plan.   I created a GIANT retirement card - seriously 24 by 36! and send out an email to managers and supervisors to spread the word and get folks to sign and offer their well wishes.  I ordered lunch for all the admins on the floor, with a little extra for the officers of course and got permission to use the Employee Recognition Account to pay for it.   I ordered a giant sheet cake to share with all the Company tomorrow afternoon as we wish her well. 

Now the crazy creative ideas start to come. I get this idea to make a beauty queen sash and add 'badges' that commemorate her career. Simple right?   I searched clip art and printed out all these little images that reflected a job task - Cake Serving, Phone Manners, Mastering Planners,  Foreign Travel, Veterinary Sciences - as an Administrative Assistant the tasks are many and diverse and we all joke there are a lot that fall under the ...."and any other duties as assigned"...part of the job description. 

And I threw in a few fun ones, like "Nascar Driver" to reflect her love of speed and "Queen of the Machine" for her love of  casinos.    Now came the time to attach them to the sash I made.   I tried hand sewing and they got all wonky.  Not to mention I had the flashback of sewing all the patches on kids jackets and uniforms til my fingers bleed.  I tried using glue dots and they were not attached securly.   I even tried stapling which worked but the back was too rough and there were too many sharp edges.  

I ended up machine sewing them on.   It may not be the neatest but it is the more secure.  Although it didn't turn out as professional as I imagined it, I hope it will be something to make Donna's last day fun and memorable.

I will surprise Donna in the morning, with the giant card, flowers and balloons and her sash of achievements not to mention lunch and dessert.

UPDATED!!

So here is how the day started, save my running around like my hair was on fire......Donna arrived to flowers and balloons.  She was then presented with her sash which she donned immediately.   She looked at all her badges and roared with laughter...except for the badge "Veterinary Sciences".    She couldn't figure it out.    Donna, really?    Your boss is a horse-woman!  You have ordered hay, called the vet for colic, arranged fundraisers for the wolf rescue compound your boss has on her property and even had the unenvyable task of getting the guys to take the frontend loader down from work to your boss's farm when she put her bull down and they needed the frontend loader to dig a hole.  Really Donna - Veterinary Sciences badge was EARNED.  So continue - we got her to the lunchroom on a ruse and she was surprised the whole floor was there to cheer her - about 25 of us.   Midafternoon, we had a giant sheet cake and I sent a network email out to the whole company to come eat cake and wish her well.   And while she was chatting away, we tied a dozen soda cans to her car and painted her windows with "good luck" and "happy retirement".    We all helped her  load her car and she discovered our mayhem.   Just as the street crew was getting out for the day, she found the cans and we convinced her she needed to cruise the parking lot.   It didn't take much convincing and off she went with lights flashing and horn honking and cans dragging.   We laughed so hard our sides hurt.   She daintily parked and back inside we all went as if nothing happened.    We have it on good authority that dispatch has the surveillance video from the parking lot camera along with that video of Donna the day she walked down the Executive Hall with her dress tucked in her pantyhose.    We have teased Donna about all the "Marlboro" freebies she comes in with and her girlfried threatens she will arrange her funeral with Marlboro apparel and Donna said she has to include her sash and badges too.  

  I must say, I have to give myself a pat on the back.   Donna had a great last day at the office and I wish her well in her retirement.   We already have a dinner date on the calendar.   Hopefully I will get some photos off the network at the office and can post them....silly me with my getting everything together, I forgot my camera this morning.