Sometimes (not often), we get dressed up! And most of the time when we do, it's for something fun. But this time, it was beyond fun -- it was for a spectacular evening. (Followed the next day by fun with our grands!)
The occasion was the Michigan Emmy Awards, held Detroit. (For those not familiar with this award, the Emmy is presented for excellence in television production. Awards are first presented regionally and may include everything from video promotion to local news and weather. You might be more familiar with the national Emmy Awards, in which programs you are more likely to see in any market in the country, or even internationally, are honored.
We were there as guests of our friends Judy and Dick Winter, whose film about the special needs music camp they founded in honor of their son Eric ("Camp RicStar"), was nominated in the Best Documentary category. (In the U.S. you can see the film HERE. I'm not sure about out-of-country.)
I've known Judy since she worked for WKAR selling ads for the magazine I edited. That was a good thirty years ago. In that time, Rick and I have enjoyed countless parties and celebrated many a Christmas Eve with the Winters. That included Eric, who passed in 2003 from complications from cerebral palsy at the age of 12. Since then, (and actually before), Judy has made advocating for special needs her mission. Eric adored music so creation of the camp in Eric's honor was one way they could do this, while honoring Eric's memory. The film, recognizing the camp's 20th year, was yet another.
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| Eric loved music and Rick played his guitar for him on one of our Christmas Eve get togethers. |
The lobby has a marble staircase leading to a balcony area and the ceilings are beautifully painted and accented with elaborate chandeliers.
Entering through a series of stained glass doors, you find yourself a second lobby with two large bars, open to the theatre auditorium itself with its elaborate proscenium arch.
It is flanked on both sides by box seating and you can imagine the rich and wealthy having sitting there, looking down on the rest of us! Now it is purely decorative.
The seats were removed for tables for the dinner. We were lucky to be on a slight elevation in the tiered seating so, though farther from the stage, we had a fabulous view!
Am I keeping you in suspense? We sat through the dinner and the (very) long procession of winners in other categories. "Best Documentary" was in the last "act" of the awards. But it was worth the wait! The film was a winner! Judy, Dick and writer/editor Lukas Hauser stepped to the podium to accept the award.
And there was much celebration with our group that included Judy's daughter and son-in-law (Jenna and Erik) and three of the people interviewed in the film -- Erik's best childhood friend, Sam and RicStar camper David and his mom, whose story is told.
We got dressed up too! (This doesn't happen often). And if I may digress, it's very difficult to find pantyhose or nylons these days! I called about (after the first two places I went to didn't have them) and one customer service person said "What are those?") I finally found knee sock nylons (all I needed with my long skirt, fortunately, at a Kroger store!)
So, of course we had to pose for pix!
It was such a wonderful evening. And we were filled with joy for our friends, for whom this was truly a labor of love.
That night we stayed over at Kevin and Molly's and enjoyed some delightful time with the grands.
We even had a fast-paced game of "Sorry!"
And, I got to get better acquainted with the new cutest dog in the world, Teddy Graham.
Can you beat it? Good friends, a terrific event and family time? It was a roadtrip weekend to remember!
Sharing with: Share Your Style / Friday Face-Off / Love Your Creativity / Talking About It Tuesday
72 comments:
You look fabulous! And Teddy Graham is adorable!
What an absolutely magical, emotional rollercoaster of a weekend you had! Getting all dressed up for a fancy night at the stunning Fillmore Theatre is exciting enough on its own, but watching your dear friends take home a regional Emmy for a project so deeply rooted in love and Eric's beautiful legacy must have been an incredible moment to witness. It is wonderful how life works out, going from selling ads together thirty years ago to sitting in that gorgeous theater celebrating such a monumental achievement.
That sounds like such a fun event! You two clean up so nice. We were just talking about nylons last weekend and how no one really seems to wear them anymore. They are so hard to find.
As you say, Jeanie, a weekend that’s hard to beat. Congratulations to your friends on their great success.
You two look so nice all dolled up! How great the doc won the award! How wonderful. Congrats to the filmmakers. And the dog is so cute. All & all .... a terrific weekend. Hooray.
You all look so fancy in your beautiful clothes! Congratulations to your friends, what an amazing project. And icing on the cake is the time with grands.
I used to give a fashion clinic for 4-H sewers. The girls often made dresses from light weight cotton and I would bring slips along to introduce them to the concept (and the moms, too). My hint for slips is Walmart at Easter and failing that, we do have some Amish general stores near us, lol.
A fun time at the Michigan Emmy Awards, and you look really lovely in your sparkly black dress. Glad you found some nylon stockings that suit you. And an even better night with the grands, playing board games, spending time with their dog, and seeing precious smiles all night. Now, that's my idea of a good time! ; )
What a great weekend, dear Jeanie. ❤️
Lovely photos. Congratulations 🎊 👏 to your friends.
wow!! What a special evening that was and everyone looks so beautiful. How nice to be invited and how nice to be able to celebrate with them on this wonderful occasion.
What an incredible weekend.
Lovely report on it and beautiful photographs ... you all look great.
Always nice to spend time with the grands too.
All the best Jan
You DO clean up nicely! Very beautiful , you two. What a wonderful DOC to have worked on and won. Music heals all, pretty much. What a lovely evening for you.
Twenty years of turning Eric's love of music into a legacy of joy and inclusion, crowned with an Emmy award, is a fitting tribute indeed.
How have I never heard of the Michigan Emmy's? Looks like a blast!
You know the people and get to the places. If I had to go to a dress-up affair, I would be in a predicament. I may still have an ancient and ill-fitting jacket in the cupboard, but that is about it.
...wow, what an amazing affair. My idea of dressing up is wearing my best blue jeans!
Wow, that is an exciting evening. Congrats to your friends. I remember you mentioning this film and sharing it before. And you and Rick and look like a million. You do clean up- grin. And then to spend some time with grands and their newest family member. Teddy Graham is adorable. I bet the boys love him. Thanks for sharing this. It was a fun post. hugs-Erika
a lovely venue!
It's nice to have a big event to dress up for occasionally! You obviously enjoyed the whole thing to the max -- so nice that you were up for it in every way.
What a great weekend! Kudos to your friend on her award. Well earned, for sure.
You and Rick look pretty good!
beautiful images such a lovely place!! you both looked great, we never dress up anymore!!
An amazing evening Jeanie. Your friends obviously deserved this award. I was very touched reading the story behind it. You and Rich looked wonderful and I loved your outfit. How funny about panty hose. I haven't bought any in a very long time. I haven't been to a dress-up evening in a very long time either come to think of it :) Thank you for sharing this wonderful evening, outstanding photos, and so nice you got to spend time with your grands too.
Wow, that is an exciting evening...Hug Andreja!
You both look fabulous! The theater is so gorgeous. What a wonderful evening. Time with family, including Teddy Graham, is special.
Lovely photos of an exciting event. Congratulations to all.
Hello Jeanie,
Congratulations to your friend! The evening looks delightful, the theater is beautiful. Your look lovely too. It is a bonus to spend time with the grandchildren! The dog is adorable too. Take care, enjoy your day!
What a fantastic day/night. Congratulations to your friends, what an achievement. You and Rick look great.
I know exactly what you mean. It is so seldom these days that we have to dress up and it comes with a little bit of stress. At least for me, since I am mostly very comfortably dressed. Lately, I have been thinking of looking more into my wardrobe. Collect around 5-10 pieces that I can use at all times in different situations. I am looking around on youtube for inspiration and will see what I come up with. First of all I need to go through what I already have. There are a few pieces for dressed up occations, but I cannot remember when I used them the last time.
Anyway, a great weekend with family and friends for you.
A lovely event from every perspective, Jeanie. Had I been invited it would have provided the opportunity to wear my only suit, bought for my grandson’s wedding last June and not worn since. It replaced the one in the closet that also was seldom worn and had become very loose on me. I wonder when this one will see the light of day again. There is nothing on the horizon that would justify bringing it out. My social life has no connection to such august events.
A great event, for sure -- and you and Rick look great. I can't remember the last time I dressed up. The only nylons I have are tucked into a boat repair kit. Believe it or not, they make great emergency belts for alternators and such if the regular one breaks!
Great pics Jeanie:). I can't beat that:)I did have a convertible outing with one of my girls last weekend..It was mine in /86..she still keeps it as a summer car:) Love my first drive with her..Then gardens and rain this week..
You look fabulous with your sparkly black dress and your radiant smile! I’m thrilled your friends won an award for all the love and hard work they put into making this documentary in memory of their son. Teddy Graham looks adorable. P.S. I only dress up for formal nights on our cruises and I do less and less each time. Now I wear pants with a top and call it good.
A fun night at the Michigan Emmy Awards. The interior is gorgeous. You two look like a millions bucks. Congrats to your friends. A lovely stay over with the grands is always fun. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, that is wonderful! Congratulations to your friends and the good work they do!
You both look fabulous and what a special and exciting night! I need to make time to watch that documentary. How exciting that it won! The time with the grands sounds great, too. Their new dog is very cute - how is the cat adjusting, though?? Their cat seems incredibly chill so hopefully she's adapting ok!
Woo Woo! Jeanie, you and Rick look like this is an everyday occurrence for you guys. Lookin' good! I hear ya on the panty hose...I used to buy them by the case when I was working, because I would invariably get a 'run"...and always had a spare in my desk. In my later days of working I went to support hose because they not only looked good, they 'held me in' and they were less likely to 'run' and the kind I bought did not have that shiny surface...I bought them in the color suntan. I tell you this, to tell you that about 10 years ago, I finally decided that I would take my last case of panty hose to Goodwill. Yep! the young clerk had never heard of panty hose...with tongue in cheek, I told her they were for gardeners to hang and separate onions for drying. She still look puzzled so then I leaned closer and whispered, .."OK, I will tell you the truth, I used to work for 'Hooters' in my younger days and I wore these with my short shorts on my legs to keep them warm." She looked like a lightbulb went off and she smiled big and said..."Ohhhh," as she looked at me as if I was an old relic. Have a great week-end enjoying your wonderful memories of a great time with dear friends in a beautiful theater and with the grands.
What a beautiful, elegant building. I'm thrilled your friends won the award and saddened by their loss.
A wonderful time spent in that beautiful venue, Jeanie.
Congratulations to your friends,
You look wonderful.
Fun time with grands and new doggie too.
I can't believe that I never went to the Fillmore Theatre. I do love old movie palaces!
What a phenomenal weekend, every bit of it! And what generous, creative friends you have, to use their experience to make life better for children like their own, both in the camp they started, and in the story they've shared. So glad you were able to be there to take in their glory moment. Looks like a fabulous event -- and you & Rick look pretty darn glamorous. Love your sparkly black outfit!
P.S. So happy to meet Teddy Graham! He's adorable! Any chance he might meet Miz Lizzie?
You & Rick rocked the dressy attire! Congratulations to your friend on the Emmy award. Those grands are adorable! I bet you that Teddy Graham has more energy than all of us put together!
Congratulations to the Emmy Winners! 🥳
Y’all look beautiful and fancy.
May
This is truly and honor for all the hard work your friends have done to educate others through their documentary. What a handsome guy smiling and wearing his suit. The Fillmore is beautiful. Ohhhh, I'm with you. I had a sales person ask me what nylons are. LOL The two of you look grand. This is a great photo of the two of you.
Wait, what? You can't buy nylons anymore? I mean, I haven't had to in a long while but what??? The skin on my legs is unattractive to say the least, and so I love nylons. This is a moot point as where am I going that I need nylons? But I like that the option was THERE.
You look fantastic! What a fun evening!
Sorry is such a fun game. I loved playing that with the kids!
How wonderful!!!!! Congratulations to your friends! You and Rick look wonderful! Yay for time with the grands and the pup!
What a wonderful night out. I have never been to this venue before. How fun to also spend time with the grands. That pup is so sweet too. Janice
What a wonderful experience that was definitely worth dressing up for and seeing your dear friends win an award made it even more special. The new family member is very cute and what an original and fun name too.
Awesome. What a wonderful weekend.
How lovely's your friend's documentary won! I think that's absolutely great. You dressed up very nicely, I must say. You really look the part : )
A very great venue and WOW. You look phenomenal! Bet Rick smiled all evening :-)
I didn't know that states had their own Emmy awards. What a special evening. It's so wonderful that your friends' film won! The camp is such a beautiful tribute to their son.
What a wonderful night! Congratulations to your friends. I love seeing this beautiful venue, and I love seeing you and Rick enjoying the night there.
How elegant you look!! What a fabulous evening. Congratulations to your friends for their award winning work.
How fun to get dressed up for such an illustrious event! I didn't even know regional Emmy awards are a thing. Congratulations to your friends, and I'm glad you had a fun night out in such a beautiful theatre.
You look gorgeous my friend! You are such a sweet couple and I love seeing the photos of your fun. I need to get out more! hahaha!
incredible post! You look fabulous! Congratulations to your friends! Lovely!
Congratulations to your friends, what a great honor. Both you and Rick look fantastic all dressed up. Teddy Graham is adorable and knows how to pose. :)
Congratulations and WOW and WOW...You all look beautiful. What a wonderful even and I am so pleased that your friends won such a special award. That is a night you will treasure forever.
Also wonderful that you saw your grandkids and I would carry that sweet puppy out under my coat given the chance. He is adorable!!! xo Diana
How devastating for your friends to lose their son Eric at twelve. They turned the tragedy into sometime positive, supporting, and educational. Congrats to them on winning the Emmy. You and Rick look smashing. I had to laugh over the pantyhose. I'm trying to remember the last time I wore them. 😂. Have a lovely weekend with Rick!
What a fabulous evening and lovely weekend you were able to spend. I'm so glad for your friends that there documentary won an Emmy - well deserved. I remember that you wrote about the documentary and the music camp before. The venue was fantastic, too. I had to laugh about the panty hose - I wasn't aware that it is so difficult to get them nowadays. I haven't worn one for at least 35 years, if not longer. I always hated them. Good riddance. A day with the gands after that was a special gift.
You looked beautiful, Jeanie, and Rick very handsome! It was so nice for you both to be present to support your friends receiving this wonderful award! Congratulations to them and keeping a worthy cause alive in memory of their son, Visiting with family was the 'icing on the cake" of you get away! I guess I need to hang on to my ancient pantyhose ... although I hardly wear dresses any longer. Thanks for the warning!
Agreed, Teddy Graham is adorable!
How truly wonderful for you and your friends!!
Good evening I have a working blog again-happy dance-haha https://kathysdoingslake.blogspot.com/
Congratulations to your friends. You look gorgeous, too. Happy belated FFO. Happy Father's Day to Rick.
Congratulations to your lovely friends and thanks for this happy post. You all look wonderful, love all the smiles. xo, Virginia
What a marvellous event and beautiful venue, not to mention all the beautiful people like you and Rick. Congratulations to your friends on a much deserved award. It looks like you all had a fabulous night not to mention a nice time with the grands as the icing on the cake.
You both look very smart. Congratulations to your friends for winning an Emmy for their documentary. No pantyhose there, we still have them in Australia and in Europe too.
I think I lost my comment, but I said cute puppy, amazing award show, beautiful you and Rick.
Beautiful post...but the documentary! Oh the documentary! I thought, I'll just watch a few minutes of it...and I clicked. An hour and a half later I know I will have to watch it again because I missed some of it due to my eyes leaking. I got my BS from MSU. I volunteered a bit, back then (70's) with a group of special needs kids in a swimming program. I was suitemates with a woman in a wheelchair. I have played with a community band where everybody is welcome for more than 20 years. I understand how band is the safe spot for someone not feeling like they fit in. And I get how special it is to perform on a stage when you've not done that before. I mean, what adult these days gets to do something and have other people applaud (literally) them? Music is magic. I've driven by their building on Hagadorn and wondered what it was. Thank you for sharing this. I'll watch it again.
Thanks for sharing the animals at the ditch! I love the flowers, too. I wonder if you see many butterflies.
What a great evening, and a beautiful venue. You and Rick looked wonderful. Teddy is just so cute.
Look at you two all dressed up. You clean up real good, as the saying goes. Same here too, we don't get dress up often either. But you guys look wonderful.
Jeanie, what a wonderful weekend! I am very excited for your friends to have won an Emmy!!!! Their son would be so proud... Their documentary was simply moving and I get teary just thinking about watching all of those people enjoying playing music and listening to the "pros." Very special! Makes me wonder if my old student, the one I wrote about a few weeks back, if he goes to any music therapy camps... He loved music, too!
And you both did "clean up good!" Loved that you stayed over with family. Their new dog is adorable. He is now out on my Animal Friends board on Pinterest. Oh, I was able to share the photo of you and Rick with the Winters over on my Inspiration board. I forgot I had that one until looking for a wonderful place to share their win. <3 Happily shared at this week's SYS #503, as you know.
Lots of hugs from this Special Ed aide,
Barb :)
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