Those of you who have been here in Georgetown Village for a while might remember Gracie Kiltz at Georgetown High School. She is the darling young student who is in a wheelchair, is cognitively impaired, and who was elected as Homecoming Queen a few years back by the students at Georgetown High School. It was an extremely moving moment for all of Georgetown and made nationwide news! We were so excited for Gracie…and SO proud of the students who elected her as their Queen! Gracie was a special needs student who was loved by many for her beautiful smile every day.

Finding out that there was no further education program for Gracie after high school, her mother Erin Kiltz began looking for programs that might make Gracie have even more enriched days after she graduated. Erin found that the programs funded by the government were dismal and cold and didn’t provide a very bright future for sweet Gracie.

And so it began….She found Brookwood in Brookshire, Texas. All you have to do is visit their campus one time and you are moved for life. What an amazing program! And it is fully funded by individual donated funds. The program is faith based and emphasizes that every single person has something to give…regardless of their physical or mental impairments. And it is so true. Erin began a program here that is growing now by leaps & bounds and will soon serve 75 adults with cognitive impairments. There is so much to tell you about this program that we couldn’t possibly include it all in this newsletter. Suffice it to say, it is worth checking them out on Facebook. This organization makes all 4 of us happier than you can imagine.

One of the most rewarding things we do is give back to the communities that give so much to us. How proud we are to live, work, and play in Georgetown. We feel honored to take a portion of each of our home closings & donate it to the non-profit of your choice. Thanks to our clients who hired us for their real estate needs, we were able to donate more than $5,000.00 to this very worthwhile program last year. We hope you will check it out! And be sure to stop by their shop…directly to the side of El Monumento Restaurant. You will be amazed!

www.brookwoodcommunity.org

Have you ever had a Gigi’s Cupcake? If you haven’t, you really need to try one…or six. They are always fresh and beautiful AND delicious! Each location is a franchise, but is locally owned. The Gigi’s in Georgetown is in Wolf Ranch Shopping Center and is definitely locally owned. Not only do we love their cupcakes, we love that they are active in their community and do a lot to help others.

Gigi’s has their standard recipes for cupcakes like the Wedding Cake cupcake which is their best seller…Then, they have milk chocolate with buttercream icing and mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top, carrot cake, key lime, margarita….you name it, they’ve got it. Right now, they have seasonal cupcakes like Pumpkin Spice Latte and Butterscotch Cheesecake. Now, you know you can’t go wrong with either one of those!

If you just buy one cupcake, Gigi’s will put it in a pretty pink box for you and it makes a great little thank you gift to a friend or a teacher. I’ve bought boxes of 4 and delivered them to friends and they are never turned down!

I was actually at the cupcake store the day the namesake of this brand was in town for their grand opening. Surprise…her name is Gigi. My granddaughter, Aubrey Watley, and I had our photo taken with her and she gave us pink baking utensils. Aubrey was thrilled. Gigi was as sweet as she can be. The owner of the Gigi’s here is also incredibly nice.

So, next time you have a birthday party, a wedding, an anniversary celebration, or just need something sweet to take to a friend, stop by Gigi’s and give them a try! You won’t be disappointed. Trust us….our team LOVES them!

This past Tuesday evening, Team Excellence- The Power of 4 attended the girls’ basketball game in honor of our assistant’s daughter. Christi Holland is “our everything.” (We sell real estate all day and she keeps us organized, plans our events, keeps our calendar, turns in our files, and completes our lives!) Her daughter, Abby Holland, is on the Varsity Girls’ Basketball Team at East View High School. And, even though Abby gives her team the credit, she is kind of a big deal. She scores time after time and it was our distinct pleasure to watch her play!

Tuesday night was also senior night for the team. Because East View High is only a few years old, they only had 3 seniors to be honored that night…and one of them was Abby. They received recognition, roses, and Kendra Scott jewelry as they were honored. Georgetown schools are raising some very smart, talented, and dynamic kiddos….That is for sure.

So, the East View girls WON their final game and now move on to the playoffs. How cool is that?

Our real estate team supports both of the amazing high schools in Georgetown, Texas and we also support a few in neighboring Round Rock, Texas! We do business in all of Williamson County, Travis County, and even Hays County. We know that our youth are our future. How blessed we are to be a part of supporting all of these fine kids. We also feel that we should give back to the communities where we make our living. And so….we do!

Women empowering women! That’s what the Ruby Slipper Event is all about. Eight dynamic high school girls have joined together with a few wonderful teachers to simply be friends with other high school girls and help them look toward their futures. Every girl in high school has some moments of insecurity. I know I sure did. I would have given anything to know that there was a group of girls I could talk to and share my feelings with. When you’re in high school, there is a transition period where you’re not a child anymore, you are blossoming into the woman you are meant to be. You feel the pressures of trying to decide whether to grow up or not. Having the help of others is a comforting thing!

Another great thing this group does is collect new and gently used prom dresses, jewelry, and evening wear shoes. There are so many prom dresses that are worn once and never used again. These dresses are dry-cleaned and offered up for the next girl to wear. There are some absolutely beautiful gowns provided by this group of girls and the amazing people who donate them. Don’t take on the pressure of spending hundreds of dollars on going to the prom. Step into the Ruby Slipper Room at East View High School and pick out your dress!

Because we are a team of women Realtors and we love supporting groups like this, we fit right in to the recent event at the school serving cookies and punch to the girls. We helped to better introduce this program to the girls who don’t know about the program. This is our second year to sponsor it and we LOVE visiting with the students and telling them about the woman within each and every one of them. There is one amazing woman inside every young girl. We applaud the Ruby Slipper Group and hope you will donate the evening wear hanging in your closet…

Thank you so much to Joyce May, reporter with the Williamson County Sun, who surprised us and came to our annual “Snacks with Santa” client appreciation party. The party is held every year at the chamber and our friends, family, and clients sure seem to love it! We do a different theme every year and this year, it was an ugly sweater party.

The best part is seeing all of the kiddos having such a great time. They sit in Santa’s lap, they get a goody bag, and they get their photo professionally taken. Then, we have face painting, crafts for everyone, and tons of great food. One of our sponsors, Schlotzsky’s of Georgetown, brings pizza, soup, and sandwiches and donates them to the party. The rest of our sponsors either donate in-kind donations or share in the expense of pulling off this amazing party. Our team and each of the sponsors bring a door prize to be drawn at the end of the party. All of this says thanks to those who have hired us and/or work with us to see our closings come to fruition.

Our clients, young and old, have a great time. We ask them to consider bringing a food donation or pet toy for our furry friends at the Williamson County Animal Shelter. Our guests deliver! There is always a big basket of goodies to donate to the animals. It is our favorite day of the year. We love giving back and we love showing our appreciation for the people who were once our clients….and are now our friends!

Thank you, friends and family who have allowed us to help them with their real estate transactions. Hope your Christmas was a day full of love and laughter. And a happiest and healthiest New Year in 2016!