I was Thrifty!

What a fantastic weekend... With this kind of weather - it had to be good. Started off a bit rocky, but leveled out quite nicely. I had a chance to download some photos from Boston and thought I would share this one of Boston Harbor from my hotel. I resisted photoshopping this because I thought it was just spectacular the way it was. What do you think? I had the chance to cross the harbor in a water taxi every day - what a fun way to travel.

I also made it back to the International Quilt Show on Saturday for a couple of hours. I couldn't believe it because a sewing box that I saw on Wednesday night - was waiting for me! Now - how often does that happen - something you pass up is there when you go back to retrieve it! I also found some great twill ribbon - with the alphabet and icons. Cute stuff.

I do have a new obsession and I'm probably the last Bella on earth to know this... but I found Nifty Thrifty Dry Goods. Susan Gower is from Rhode Island but goes to Brimfield and the quilt shows. Oh my word, I restrained myself from the $12 ribbon but I DID have to have a few other items. Look at that dachshund ribbon - I have never seen dachshund ribbon before. The cushion above (spool silks) is a lavender sachet that smells amazing. I've been keeping at my office and it is so relaxing and just beautiful to look at. Susan sells the image and you can make your own. I wish you could see the buttons she used - very unusual. Apparently - she's famous - just google her and you'll find an article in Country Living, on Kaari Meng's blog, she's at Brimfield. Oh my - her booth is all color coordinated and just amazing. I have been on a mad search for vintage French embroidered ribbon with monogram in red script. Yes, Susan had some but not my initials. Oh well - I'm not complaining - I found enough goodies to make me happy. Afterwards - DeWayne and I went to Mardi Gras for dinner and I took my bag into the restaurant just so I could touch, feel and play with it again...

Here are the fabrics I bought - not many - but I only make fabric pages for scrapbooks. I didn't look at alot of fabric at the show but loved what I found.

I am so thrilled - I've finished all three swaps for Silver Bella. And I loved two of them... No - really I loved all three but for some reason, the Year of Tags stumped me. I spent weeks working and reworking my tag until finally, Saturday night, it came together. And now I'm excited and proud of what I made... I can't wait to see the rest. I also participated in A to Z swap and Saint Tags. It's my first time to participate in a swap so I hope mine are up to par - especially, Silver Bella par... Here's a sneak peak. I got to use the new Stars embossing folder with my Cuttlebug - I found it on ebay where the shipping was reasonable.

Okay - past my bedtime. Good night! I'll be in southern California this week for a couple of days - if you need me. For work - quick trip, there and back. Thanks to the slow economy, I get to stay at the Fairmont Newport Beach. See, there's a bright side to everything.

Warrenton

Okay, I have roughly 16 minutes before my bedtime... ha ha remember those days? Our parents were strict and we did chores during commercials and we had a bedtime... Anyhoo...Let me get this off my chest before I start. I really want this ~ No. ~ stamp that is in the Kenner Road kit this month. I really do - it looks cool. But as you can see it is limited edition KR so I'd have to pay the kit cost and I'm just not into it... vintage or not. Argh. I guess if that's the only thing I can bitch about, then I'm doing okay. But, I really want it...

I went to a post CE crop last weekend at By Design and I have to say I am just loving the direction that that store is moving in. She's known as the Heidi Swapp pink store... but she's really evolved and now she carries alot more one of a kind stuff from smaller providers. I enjoyed just taking my time and looking at all the goodies. She bags them up nice and small or prints House of 3 designs - so you don't have to mess with the digital stuff. And her displays are interesting - the kind that make me wish I had the stuff in my house. It's just nice to have a store thats a bit different. She said that some customers were not digging it at all but I sure am. The crop was nice but I felt a little out of place since I didn't hang with those girls at CE. I should spend more time with them next year... Cool creative stuff going on, especially Tove's Halloween banner.

So yesterday I decided to use my last vacation day and go up to Round Top. I'm glad I did because it wasn't crowded at all and there was no rain (its predicted to rain this weekend). Unfortunately it was blazing hot and I got a sunburn on the back of my neck! Is that crazy or what! The heat really wore me out... Round Top means different things to different people. You have the high end expensive stuff that designers like Cote de Texas shop. Lovely to look at thousands of dollars, not made for this girl. Then you have the vintage notions for crafters to actually use. There is one shop that is run by a young couple and they have BOXES and boxes of things - pick a subject and they have pounds of it. Scrabble letters, game pieces, typewriter keys, all kinds of alphabets... I just love rummaging through. I didn't buy alot and I'll take pics in the morning if I don't wake up too late. (you know, the bedtime thing). I found a cute small chalkboard for $2, crystal prisms including purple ones! I couldn't pass up two different bags of vintage white buttons for $5 and $10. The second is a quart size bag full - I'll take a pic next to my current stash... I really didn't need more but... just couldn't help myself. One of the first booths I hit was a guy who had paper goods from a Minnesota estate and - man, it was some good stuff... but you know how when you first arrive some place... you're all antsy and can't wait to SEE IT ALL. That was me - so I pick up a few pieces but I had to get moving... I don't know... I don't have any connection to Minnesota so it wasn't pulling at me. Ah well, what the hell. I was too tired to go back and get this house made from windows, similar to Linda Smith of Canton. They were much simpler but still pretty for $160. Wish I had taken one home...

My best find at RT was monogram embroidery ribbon with the initial P... at a european linen store at LaBahia... similar to this. (sold out) They only had a handful of choices and I was searching each one... thinking of friends! Oh, I have been on a mad search for this stuff but it cannot be found... (edited to add: OMG, I think the ribbon got left in the bag and thrown away and its garbage day! I've got to go see...)

Well, its the first of October so I'm going back on my no purchase diet. Wish me luck. I'm home for the entire month... can you believe that! I have two Silver Bella swaps to finish this weekend. Looking forward to it!

Guess Who's Going To See Mary!

I am! in St. Louis next April! I'm so very excited to get in the classes that I wanted to take with Charlotte Lyons, Matthew Mead and Kaari Meng. Wendy Addison, Linda Solovic and Claudine Hellmuth are also teaching , plus a few others. I am so thrilled to be going to an event that has such diverse talent for teachers. Just the whole notion of the event gets me excited because I think it will be like no other. I thought it was interesting that they are offering two lectures also. I'm taking the Copyright class and Artistic License. I figure - why not! Mary was the keynote at last year's Silver Bella and this year's Scrap St. Louis. So, the thought of being able to tour her studio - and having been a fan for - forever - I'm just ecstatic. Can you tell? I've never stayed at the hotel, Chase Park Plaza. And by the way, they just reduced the room rates at the hotel - the new rate is $170 - whoo hoo! If you want to go too, you can sign up here. Drop me a note and let me know you're going.

We started a Yahoo! Group for the event, it can be found here. I'm hoping to participate in a swap or two before the event...

Bahhhhhstan

I can't help myself when it comes to Paper Source. The quality and color of the envelopes are heaven to me and as I selected my colors - I had every intention of checking my inventory before I went to Boston, but it doesn't look like I have but one duplication of red envelope #9. I'm going to print this page and mark my inventory - really I am. I usually treat myself to a little prize and this time I picked up some chalkboard wallies. I love chalkboard. I still have a large mirror outside to convert to a chalk board. Lots of projects... always.

Boston weather was beautiful, as was the location of the Hyatt. I arrived Wednesday and left early Sunday morning and while it was a bit windy at times near the water, the weather was generally in the 60s. Hyatt Harborside has some great fire pits on the patio and we all sat outside one night, enjoying the fire and the evening. I took a water taxi to get to downtown and enjoyed some Italian food and then Mike's Pastries in the North End. OMG, they had some pistachio cookies that were amazing. I shopped on Newbury Street and on Charles Street and found some fantastic pens and turquoise embossing powder at Rugg Road. I walked around Copley Place and took the subway back to catch the water taxi. I had dinner one night at Union Oyster House, which was very touristy - you can skip that!

I'm getting very excited about Round Top in two weeks! Very. After looking at this schedule, I decided to take off Wednesday and spend the day there. I may go back on Saturday if I haven't spent all my money, errr, I mean - seen enough of the sites! Oh c'mon... we're talking about Round Top, twice-a-year-filled-with-the-good-stuff, Round Top not HL.

And Saturday we're having a post-Creative Escape crop at By Design - I won't be missing this one! I'm not too sure what I'll work on.. probably a Silver Bella swap or the beautiful canvas I won on Carol Wingert's blog. Yep! That was me! Lucky girl, me!

Sorry I have no pics... I looked at using one from Flickr but it just feels too creepy - like you're stealing... So until I get a memory card for my replacement Sony camera - we'll just have to use our imaginations.

The Unfamous

It was another great time at Creative Escape in Arizona this year. I feel a bit jaded because I don't share the new love enthusiasm that I keep reading about. Instead its kind of like old married love - sure and steady and warm. That's good too. It was great to see my friends - it is so easy to be with them and laugh. We had dinner Thursday night at Macaroni Grill and laughed. Gosh, did we laugh. Wednesday we shopped like raving maniacs at Melrose Vintage, Creative Quest, then Mystic Paper (my new favorite), then SAS Fabrics. The ribbon is like $0.25 a yard at SAS... just unbelievable. I spent $11. We also went to Scrapbooks etc. - the flagship store for the event. On Thursday morning we went to ANOTHER SAS and Scrap Happy Sisters... Am I forgetting anything? No, I don't think so. I didn't really buy that much. Really, I didn't. It felt good too - to be choosy.

Thursday afternoon was the trunk show and technique boutique. It was alot simpler this year, thank heavens. I was intrigued with the chipboard number that we painted black and sanded, for Paula & Deb's 7 Gypsies class. With the 4 brads added and the swatch of _____ behind it (I can't think of the stuff - nubby heavy fabric) - anyway - it looks way cool. That wall art project turned out to be my fav. But not by much because Lynette Carroll's wall art was just my style. Loved it too.

Sorry for the interruption but I realized, before the night got any later, I needed to pick my classes for Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion workshop. Registration is tomorrow at lunch, so I wanted to have that all figured out. Looks so interesting - artist of fabulous caliber and different ranges. It will be quite nice to attend. It's going to be an expensive day tomorrow... Donna Downey's Inspired also registers... AND we were able to register for 2010 Creative Escape after the event closed on Saturday night. Whew. That's alot of workshops all at once!

Okay - back to the event at hand. Friday we started off with the 7 Gypsies wall art project and like I said - loved it. I really sucked at taking photos and I'm having a hard time finding photos from others so just bear with me. Our second class was a bird book with Heather Bailey. I was disappointed that she didn't do a fabric project. I think she really missed the mark here - but what can you do? After that we had Tim Holtz and of course, it was genius and fun and we learned something about Ranger products. And our last class for the day was Carol Wingert. Picture is blurry - my bad. I loved her explanation of how on Christmas morning her daughter made tea for her - the tea bag was this shape and she had just a couple of days to design her project and poof - there it was. I also liked the other ideas for the project - with feet or Christmas tree inside. I could definitely make another one - and will, once I finish these 8! I was kicking myself when I saw kits of hers that I haven't bought. Book of Lists. Oh, too cute. I wish there was a black market for Carol Wingert kits... ha. There was a nice sit down dinner Friday night and Tanya and I slipped off to the pool and jacuzzi for a relaxing bit.

Back at it again on Saturday with Lynette Carroll's black wall art, that I just loved. Loved her style and her teaching and the project. Nice surprise, because I knew nothing about her before the event. She's an Aussie living in Boston (where I'm going in two weeks!). Our next project was a cute CE book with lots of Debby in it. I made an Anthropologie album for my friend, Heather who celebrated a birthday a few days before mine. Fun stuff! In the afternoon we had Marah and even with her drill sargent manners, I liked her - she was take charge and bossy but charming. I slipped out of class to get some class kits that went on sale at 2:45. And I scored 5 Tim Holtz! Yikers... The Chicago girls needed them and I didn't want them to be disappointed. We missed you, Jeanne! Our final class was Heidi and it was cute and fun to make - easy too. I don't know if I'll make it but it was definitely cute!

And then it was time for dinner. With dessert first of course. And lots of free gifties - of which, my roomie, Ronda won one! Very nice scrapbook frame box - forgot who makes it but it was very cool and I thought about sneaking it into my suitcase, but didn't. I bought several raffle tickets for the lamps, especially Pam Blacks. Oh man oh man, did I want to win that lamp. Our new friend, Shelly Berg did, so I can't be too sad. I also bid on Tena Springers and Heather Bailey's - but no such luck. The auction for Heidi Swapp's lamp yieled $8200. Our gang thought for sure it would all be under $4,000 - what with the economy and all. Ha! fooled us! Tracy Keith from By Design was bidding heavily for it - I really wish she could have brought it to Houston. But it wasn't meant to be. The bidding for Tim Holtz's lamp started fast and furious and ended at $29,000. Wowza. I think the word was vahklemped - he was teary eyed and speechless. It was really magical to be in the room and witness it. Just like last year. A girl from SF Bay area bid it, Nicole, who we met Thursday morning during breakfast. There were 6 girls in their group, first timers - outgoing and friendly. So that's $45,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. And as a person who lost a brother to Hodgkin's disease, I was glad for this! Sorry but I don't remember the Key Note speaker's name. She was pretty and funny and interesting but ... well, I just wasn't in the mood much. So, I'm glad she got off the couch and ran a 1/2 marathon for her friend and we'll leave it at that.

It was another great event, I'm glad I went, I'm glad I spent the bucks and I signed up for 2010. I feel lucky being a 5 timer! And now I'm a sleeping girl because I'm off to bed. Nighty night.

Birthday Celebration.

I had a birthday... on the 24th... it was fun. I was surprised and had alot of nice people at my house that are also called family. And we ate alot of nice food called spaghetti pie that is an old family recipe. And I opened alot of nice presents. And then I went to CE. I didn't get any pictures because a) it was MY birthday b) I left my camera on the plane from Rome to London. Yeah. I suck. But so does the douchebag that didn't turn the camera in when they found it. I must be getting old because a while back the word "db" used to offend me. Oh well. I'm a year older.

I'm making this story short because I want to talk about CE... But I also want to remember the surprise. My husband woke me up at 8:45 am on Sunday with the offer of birthday breakfast at the Egg and I. Who can turn that down??? Not me, that's for sure. I love that place. We went to ACE Hardware and wasted an hour or so and then not one, but two Half-Priced Books. Right then and there I should have realized something was up - for my husband to say, let's go to another store - across town. But I was unsuspecting... And on the way home, I said, let me run into Lane Giant and get some unmentionables... I'll just be a minute - wait in the car. And when we pulled onto our street I noticed my brother's car still at my house. He visits my Mom on Sundays so I was excited that he was still there... And then I noticed Nancy's car and then my stepdaughter's car... and then it was Oh! duh! There's a party for me... Yipee. It was very nice to be waited on - and my sweet niece did all the work of preparing not one but TWO Spaghetti Pies and a cake and fixins... My husband surprised me with a gift card from Crate and Barrel for a kitchen table - whoot! and a baby Dell so I can sit on the sofa and read blogs. Secretly, I think he got the computer so he could look at gun stuff... but we'll just keep that to ourselves. Okay - birthday over... on to Phoenix! Oh, here's the only photo...

Fair is Fair

I had several coffee-spitting laughs over Julia's blog post adventure of obtaining an acceptable passport photo (she's going to London this year). And in my haste, I said I would post my passport photo if she would post hers.

She did so now I will, being a girl of her word.

I get a bit of a pass though, since the holographic is on top of my face...

I'd rather post a photo of me when I was 6, so I will.

So Linda, its your turn. Have a good Sunday everybody! We're going to Mardi Gras Cafe on Shepherd for a birthday luncheon for my mother's 86th birthday. Only problem is I have to find something non-fried there to eat! Good luck.