2016 Houston Bone Bash

With my sister, Dr. Chelsey Seippel

L to R: My good friend and committee member, Rachel Davis; my sister, Dr. Chelsey Seippel; and my good friend Martha Vega 

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween! My Halloween was amazing - it is my favorite holiday after all. I had the most amazing time at the Arthritis Foundation's Sixth Annual Bone Bash Gala, last Friday, October 28th at the Hotel Derek. 

You may recall from my previous post, my journey with arthritis as a child, and as an adult. To say this has been one of the most vulnerable times in my life would be accurate, but to say it has been one of the most rewarding and loving would far surpass my insecurities. 

L to R: Adam; Rita and Lee Beckett

As a committee member last year, and this year for the Bone Bash, it is always a pleasure to see all your hard work pay off. We were thrilled when we had made more prior to the event this year, then we had last year, post event. We also were so pleased that we had sold out and had to accommodate three more tables, and were far over capacity. I am so grateful to all my committee members, and all the fabulous staff at the Arthritis Foundation in Houston.

The night began with a lot of nerves...and a whole lot of excitement. Not only did I want everything to go perfectly, but I also knew my honoree video would be seen by everyone, and that immediately after I would have to get up and give a speech. Eeek, hold it together, Ashley I kept thinking - you can't cry and ruin all this make up. Not to mention, getting up in front of everyone in my full Marie Antoinette getup sounded a bit bizarre, but I figured, it was a Halloween party after all. Go big or go home right?!? A big shout out to Sara of Cara Dulce Makeup for perfectly my hair and makeup - it was exactly what I wanted. 

L to R: Alyssa Elias 2016 Bone Bash Youth Honoree; Sabrina Elias 2016 Bone Bash co-chair; Dr. Sippi Khurana 2016 Bone Bash Medial Honoree; Jen Torres the Executive Director for the Arthritis Foundation Houston 

 L to R: Dr. Sippi Khurana 2016 Bone Bash Medial Honoree ; Dr. Martha Aguilar 2016 Arthritis Walk Medical Honoree; My rheumatologist, Dr. Namieta Janssen the 2015 Bone Bone Bash Medical Honoree

L to R: Dr. Bela Thacker 2016 Bone Bash co-chair; Alyssa Elias 2016 Bone Bash Youth Honoree; Sabrina Elias 2016 Bone Bash co-chair; Peter Remington, owner of Houston Modern Luxury; Dr. Sippi Khurana 2016 Medical Honoree; MC Mike Chabala of the Houston Dynamo 

The event commenced at 6:30pm with the VIP pre-party. The signature cocktails I helped create, "Let Them Eat Cake," and "Off With Their Heads" were the perfect treat to start the evening. (Are you noticing the subtle thematic hints)? An array of amazing silent auction items were ready to be bet on, and the casino tables were eager to take your money. The excitement was infectious, and it was great to see so many familiar faces, but also new ones. It was also great to be surrounded by close friends, family (my sister had flown in earlier in the week from San Francisco), and people that were eager to hear my story and meet me - I never expected that. 

At 8:30pm we were seated for dinner and the speeches began. Our two wonderful co-chairs, Bela Thacker and Sabrina Elias, kicked off the night by sharing touching stories of their involvement with the Arthritis Foundation and opened up about how arthritis has impacted their life. Dinner was soon served and the last thing I thought I could do was eat. Admittedly, I have always been one who gets a bit queasy before a big speech, but this was on a whole other level - this was my story, and a very personal one at that.

The live auction came next and there were a lot of great items, including a chocolate lab puppy, which of course I thought I needed but Adam said, "No!" He did make it up to me by betting on, and winning a stunning Zayver Designs statement necklace and matching bracelet. I am obsessed and can't wait to share it with you - it's so beautiful. After the live auction finished, dessert was served, and our honoree video began to play. Join in, and click here to see the video.

Once the video was done, it was time for my speech, as well as youth honoree, Alyssa Elias's speech. I thought okay this is it, I don't want to forget anything. This was my chance to lend a voice to those who are not heard, or perhaps are recently diagnosed, and I can show them they are not alone. Being given the option to not only have my story heard, but to thank people that have been influential in my life along the way, who've lent a helping hand, and stuck by me, was the most rewarding part. When you do suffer from a chronic illness, it's hard for people to understand that you fall prisoner to your body at times, and cannot take care of yourself. I've been beyond blessed to find such rewarding and true friendships here in Houston, as well as a supportive family and amazing spouse. Walking off the stage to a standing ovation was more then we could have ever expect. Thank you all! 

That evening was truly a dream and I am so happy to have been privileged to be a part of it. It was better, and went more perfect then I could have ever imagined. I am thrilled that we made $43,000 the night of the event, and a total of $215,00 for Bone Bash 2016! If you are interested in seeing all the photos from the event, they can be viewed here. 

All photos copyrighted by Priscilla Dickson 

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