24 keys down, 64 to go, and 4 days left!!

Yay! Everything is coming together nicely. The banner is finished, a beautiful cake and food are being provided, I have both the video and sound recording set up, the program is lined up and being printed, theFoil Hat raffle is going well, I sent out over 400 invites, airline tickets are being researched and frequent flyer miles have been donated, and people have been writing checks and using the Paypal button in the sidebar. We have 24 out of 88 keys filled already, and have raised just over $1000. so far. That is enough to send in the check for the deposit! We have met 1/4th of our goal, and the event hasn't happened yet!!

Thanks so much to everyone who has offered support to Piano Girl, in all the many ways you have. What a community project this has turned out to be!

I will post the program as soon as it is ready, for those of you who are out there in cyberland and won't be able to attend. The good news for you is that we are going to be recording the performance, and making CD's! Elizabeth wants to "sell" them for donations.

There is still plenty of time to donate if you haven't yet, by either using the Paypal button in the sidebar, or by buying raffle tickets over at The Foil Hat. I thank you, and Piano Girl thanks you.

TTFN,
Proud Mama

One week left!

Well folks, we are down to the wire. The PianoGirl is practicing her pieces about 4 hours a day, and having 2 two-hour long lessons a week (ask me how much driving I have been doing!). She is feeling anxious and excited.

I got food donations and deliveries in place today, I will be talking to my banner team today, the program is lined up and ready (do you want me to post the pieces she is playing?), and I have sent one last round of invites to every single address in my email account.

We have received a total of $700. so far, with pledges for another $200. so we have about $3000. to go. Thanks to everyone who has already donated, or bought raffle tickets. If you want to support Piano Girl but live to far to attend the concert, or can't make it, feel free to donate using the Paypal button in the side bar. Spread the word!

Proud Mama

We did it! Paypal button is in the side bar!

It only took 6 day of torturous dealings with PayPal on the parts of both the Papa Dude and I, but we did it! You may now purchase a piano key for a donation of $35. or more to support Piano Girl in getting to Interlochen Center for the Arts.

If you would like to help out but cannot afford $35.oo, consider purchasing raffle tickets over at The Foil Hat, or donating a prize to be raffled there.

Thanks for your patience, love, and support. We also hope to see any locals at the Benefit Recital coming up at the beginning of June.

And thanks to Kathy Jo for the help with links and the warning that talking to PayPal would be "interesting". Lady, it sure as hell was!
Proud Mama

Dumb PayPal

GGRRRRR. I am NOT happy with Paypal right now. I am working to resolve the issue, but they are insisting that Papa Dude call them to resolve it, and he is out of town. I know that I could be a big meany who is out to steal all his money by pretending to be his WIFE and all, but I also know that I am not. For crying out loud, we share the bank account in question, and there isn't ever anything in it anyway. All this because his name is on the account I want to use, and he didn't add mine at the time he created it. GRRRRRRR.

Ok, rant is over, I am fine, I know some of you are just itchin' do put in your donation. Just knowing you are willing to pledge is comforting. I just want to get it going. I will put the dang button on the sidebar as soon as it is humanly possible to contact my traveling Dude, and get him to spend ten minutes on the phone with the infamous Paypal.
Proud Mama

More ways to help

1. Does anyone know how I can put music on the blog? If I have a CD of Piano Girl playing, can we use that? What other ways are there to do this? Can you tell that on my other blog I have a computer dolt category?

2. Frequent flyer miles. You can give these to other people, right? If anyone has any they aren't going to use, they would definately help, as my son and I will most likely be flying with her to Michigan.

Thanks for all your help,
Proud Mama

Paypal and The Foil Hat

Hey all,
It seems I am experiencing difficulty with PayPal. I need to call them today to get our accounts straightened out (It seems someone else has my name and we are having problems accessing our accounts.), so until I do, we are still unable to accept donations. There is a donations feature available at Amazon, but they take profits out of the donations, and I really want every penny possible to go to PG, and not to Amazon.

I apologize for the inconvenience. We still have 6 weeks to accomplish our goal, but if you are super excited about this and cannot wait to donate, you can email me at the link in the sidebar and then send a check. Otherwise, I am hoping to have the PayPal issue resolved by this weekend at the latest.

In other news, Amy at The Foil Hat is hosting an auction with proceeds donated to the Piano Girl. Head on over and check it out- Buying a raffle ticket (or ten) it is a great way to win some wonderful soapy prizes (believe me, this is the only soap I have been using for the last 6 months- it is wonderfully good stuff!), and have fun supporting the PG at the same time!

Thanks for joining us on this journey.
Proud Mama

Banner, location, eggs, food

Hey all,
I have contacted Interlochen, and the admissions officer I spoke to gave formal permission for us to hold off payment until we have this event. Yay! She was impressed with our project, and the support of Piano Girl's community. She told me it is kids and families like this that they want at Interlochen. It helped to hear that.

Your responses to this project have been amazing! Thanks for coming to check this out, and thanks to those who have already pledged to sponsor Piano Girl. I am wondering if I should post a list of names, or keep those private for now. If we don't do names, maybe I can at least put a number of pledges there, so we have a way to document the progress of filling in keys. Hmm. What do you think? Keep in mind I have never done this before!

I will put a link to both Paypal and an email addy in the sidebar before Sat. so we can start accepting payments by check or paypal.

I am meeting today with my friend (Thanks, D.) who has taken on designing the banner, and I have friends who own a huge printer, and will let us print them on it.

I have also firmed up the location of the recital. It will be held at the Unity Church of Bellevue**, where the Piano Girl's Fairy Godfather works. It is a beautiful location with a beautiful piano. Whenever we are in the area, or are going out to lunch with the FGF, Piano Girl always stops in to say "Hi" to the piano, and stroke its keys a bit. She is a sucker for a good piano. ;-)

The other thing I need to work on this week is food to serve at the reception following the recital. I did all the work for the last solo recital, and though it was fun (I know, I am crazy in that I actually love to cater events.), I think I would like to have help in that area this time around. Let me know if you want to help on that front.

Oh- one more thing- if you live locally, could you save Piano Girl egg cartons? In addition to the benefit concert, she is selling eggs, and is very short on cartons.

So as you see, we are moving and shaking on this project, and it is going well so far. Thanks again to those in my community who are helping out to make it happen, and to our pledges so far.
Proud Mama

**I will do this again, I am sure, but I want to acknowledge the good folks at B.U. for their gracious and generous support of our Piano Girl. We love and thank the whole staff for being some of PG's biggest fans.