It’s been a whirlwind for me since last week! I’ve been so busy that I haven’t even had a chance to post my recap of the First Lady’s visit or post the pictures! So here goes all of the loveliness of Mrs. Obama’s visit in part two of Ladies Who Lunch: Michelle Obama & Me.
The Wardrobe:
I put on one of my favorite dresses perfect for a visit with the First Lady, or Oprah. It is a pleated navy blue dress with gray polka dots from Jones New York dress line. I panicked a bit when I put the dress on because the dress was too big. I wore it maybe twice since I bought it in May but have lost almost 10 pounds since then. All that running I’ve been doing! 
The Location: I arrived at the Veteran’s Memorial Center extra early to avoid parking issues or drama. It was a perfect day with perfect weather, not a cloud in the sky and about 75 degrees.
The Guest List: My in-laws and some close friends were part of the host committee responsible for bringing Mrs. Obama to Jacksonville. As a result, we were lucky enough to be part of a small group of VIP guests invited to attend an intimate, pre-luncheon reception before the First Lady arrived. Many of the “Who’s Who” of Jacksonville were there including two of our own first ladies, Mrs. Santhea Brown, wife of Jacksonville’s mayor, and Mrs. Delores Weaver, co-owner of our NFL team, Jacksonville Jaguars. It was also nice to share the moment with the couple below, two of our closest friends.
The Food: Ah, the food. Almost my favorite part of the day. When we arrived inside the reception, we were greeted with Mimosas, fresh squeezed lemonade, Bloody Mary’s, wine, and some other refreshments. I grabbed myself a Mimosa (or two) and then headed over to snap pictures of a beautiful table with gourmet tea sandwiches, cheese and fruit selection, bread, and more. There were also passed hors d’oeuvres of prosciutto wrapped watermelon, grilled tuna on Polenta, and other tasty bites. The food was delicious! We gave a toast to friendship and Mrs. Obama, Salud!
The Picture With Mrs. Obama: We had a chance to personally greet Mrs. Obama and then take a picture with her. They announced her arrival so quickly I didn’t even have a chance to freshen my lip gloss before she arrived! Before I knew it, we were shaking her hand and I was looking up to her, mesmerized – literally! She said hello, shook my hand, said my name, and then asked me if I was ready to get to work for November 6, 2012. I said something half coherent about being “on the ground and running” (which just happens to be one of my past blog post titles about running– DUH! ). I was really caught off guard by the moment and her beauty. I kept thinking about how soft her skin was when she grabbed my hand. (The important things). You can look at some of the professional pictures here. Between secret service shuffling us along and the moment, I was in a daze.
After pictures, we headed over to the main balllroom to hear Mrs. Obama speak where she spoke about her hubby, family first, and the challenges we face.
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