And they call this 'retired'?

I've managed to do it again...fill my dance card to overflowing. But then, I've always loved to dance!

I had a wonderful day today here in Paradise. I was invited to lunch with Gloria, a fellow art lover that I met at our mutual friend, Sandy's, party a couple of weeks ago. You know how it is with kindred spirits? Gloria served a lovely lunch and the time went so fast. We have lots in common and shared our love of books as well as the creation process.

Our new glasses came in today. Got the call a few minutes before I left for Gloria's. I love mine. There are totally different from any I've had before (I know...where is the picture, Jules? Maybe later, k?)and they don't slip down my nose like my old ones.
E's look fantastic on him. We got him away from the 'aviator' look he has had for eons but he is having major problems with the progressive bifocals. They do take some adjusting to.

Then we went by to see our favorite barkeep, Susie, at Snookers here in town for our Friday happy hour. Old habits die hard from our school faculty happy hours almost every Friday. She has concocted an amazing new drink that as yet has no name: crushed mint, simple syrup, green tea liquor and a little tonic water. Talk about one wonderful sip after another.

So here is how things are shaping up for the next couple of weeks...

Sat. Pampered Chef party at Kristen's tomorrow
Sunday: Our 13th. Anniversary...supper out/Tech goes up at Knkclub.com
Monday: get fitted for my contacts
Tues: work with second graders to finish their scrapbooks
Wed.and Thurs FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Fri: Fun begins for the weekend with G-a, Barb and Sonia coming up from Ft. Myers and Kip from St. Pete and we have a road trip planned for all day. Supper here catered by Chef E!
Sat: HilltopMemories.com crop in Ruskin.

So, what's on your agenda?

Almost Friday

It has been a couple of days since I posted any layouts. These two were out for a call but the time limit passed and they were not picked up so I can post them here. The first is done with lots of goodies from Making Memories {note}Worthy line and some added gems, Thickers and script letters from Zsiage which I love and the second layout is done with more of my fave papers from PDQ by Bisous.biz.

Our anniversary is coming up soon...E and I will have been married for 13 years come this Sunday. Think we'll go out to dinner at a cute little Italian place here in town and toast to many more years to come.

I am having lunch with a new craft friend tomorrow and am looking forward to that very much. And Tues., we finish off the second graders' scrap books....now I remember where little kids get all their energy...they suck it from adults. I was in bed by 8:15 last night, a new early to bed record for even me! lol

Have a great one!

Tuesday and I'm back...

Took a brief pause that refreshes here in Paradise. We had the kids over yesterday for food and fun and, in between, I've been working on my projects for my Tech at KnK on June 1, a layout and a card with the awesome June kit, this round's challenge at Scrapperie (I made it to Round 4...yeah)!, working on my August article for Scrapbooking. com and just some general playing.

I had some delightful news when I opened my e-mails this morning...I've been asked to join the staff at Scrapbook News and Review! I am not exactly sure what I'll be doing yet as I am still a bit pleasantly surprised but I am sure if it involves writing and scrapping, I'll love it. Thanks Katie!

Thought I'd share our wonderful waterfront with you today. I love all the rusty old buildings, the fun touristy shops, the shrimp boats and the sponge docks with their little boats as well. Could I live in a better place...perhaps but can't prove it by me!

Have a great one!

Through My Garden Gate

This was my entry for round 3 at Scrapperie's Gauntlet contest. I survived the cut and I am here to tell you the competition is stiff...the talent in this contest is amazing.

This is done on a piece of 8.5x11 chipboard (thanks Lauri for my stash)as will be all the layouts for my garden book. I was pleased with how it turned out. Lots of Glimmer Mist and Lumiere and the photo printed on canvas with ink and pens and paint to high light.

Thinking of Gerri-anne, Barb and Janet today and hoping they are having way too much fun down in Bonita. Janet, who owns the lss Scrapbooks Etc. on Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs Fl, is having a 3 day crop. Wish I could have gone but things don't always work out the way we want them to. Next time, Janet, I promise...and is my bff Sophia there too? lol

Have a great one all.

Happy Three day weekend and Happy Memorial Day

We have a fairly quiet weekend planned. The kids will all be over on Monday for bbq and swimming and I have a few errands to run sometime between then and now. I woke up this morning all excited about it being Sat. and having the whole day spreading out in front of me with nothing but scrapping on the agenda! What a great way to spend the day.

I have my Garden album which has a couple of chipboard pages done and my Nana Album which needs to be finished up. I think the journaling is throwing me for a loop. I want it to be perfect and visual so my kids will know better the woman I called Nana.

Kristen is having a Pampered Chef party the last Sat. of the month so if anyone needs anything, let me know. I've got E's Christmas list already turned in! lol He wants the wonderful can opener and an oil spritzer...must be the only two items he doesn't have out of the catalog! lol

Off for coffee with a couple of cyber pals and then warm up with a layout that is sitting on my desk needed completion. It is so cute with the wonderful little penguins featured this month at KnK.

Have a great day.

It was a dark and stormy night...

Well, not really but it did rain on us at the Sunset Beach concert last night. We had debated most of the afternoon. Should we have Sandy and Walt over here for our share supper or stick to our original plan to meet at the park for the last Thurs. of the month concert here in Tarpon Springs? We decided to take the chance on not getting two wet and go. We were fortunate to find a table under the pavilion roof and stayed high and dry. We did get spritzed on during the concert but Sandy had an extra umbrella so we stayed relatively dry. Thanks Sandy! The trio was loud and enthusiastic and played music we could sing along to (quietly of course for E and I do NOT sing)! We left at the break and, once again, did not win any of the drawings...we were really pulling for Sandy and Walt to win the grand prize which was this incredible lava lamp with a parrot perched atop. Now, who wouldn't want that? But, alas, they didn't win either.

We had a great evening!

I've added some new tunes to the music machine on here. Most have a summer theme and I am certainly in the mood for long walks on the beach, floating in the pool and loads of good summer reading...how about you?

Flower Power

The garden is coming along day by day. We seem to have fixated on purple, lavender and pink in our selections with one poor little orange flowered plant that sticks out like a sore thumb. (Memo to self: variety is the spice of life).

I did another page for my "Through My Garden Gate" album for the Gauntlet contest at Scrapperie and can post it early next week. You can view it in the Gallerie there if you do not want to wait...lol.

KnK's crop was way fun! We laughed and scrapped and Bingo with Laura was a stitch. Can't wait til the next one.

E is getting his 6wk. blood work done today and then off to the grocery store, of course.

We are finally getting some rain here but it is still just sprinkles here and there. It has been a chore keeping our plants alive even though most are bred for low water need. Baring any rain tonight, we are meeting up with Sandy and Walt at Sunset Park for the Parrot Head band concert. Our little town has some sort of music the last Thurs. of every month at the park on the beach. We had such a great time the last time we went, we knew we did not want to miss this one. We are to meet up at 6 and share supper before the concert...watch for pics. Hoping the rain comes early and the concert doesn't get called off.

Enjoy your day

Happy early birthday to me..............

When we were out yesterday hunting for a new center piece for the dinning room table (a long quest here...we've been looking for weeks and weeks), we ventured into Home Goods on 19 between Palm Harbor and Clearwater. I love that store!!! While we did not find the center piece, smack dab as you walked in the front door was this lawn thingy. The color of the rod iron matches our gate perfectly and it even fit in the van once 3 of sales people, the manager of the store and E took it apart. The people at the store were so sweet and so helpful...my return there is guaranteed.

E has hated the table and chairs set I had down on the lower lawn. We've had the set for 7 years and one leg was almost all rusted off the table. We made a deal: I'd get rid of the table, which is currently out by the curb for the trash man (we'll put the chairs in Rob's yard sale on Sat.), and I could have this seat and arbor for an early b'day present.

As you can see, we still have lots of weed guard down in the back that needs mulching and "miles to go before we sleep" until the lower lawn looks the way we went it but we are making strides. I've moved a hanging solar lamp so it shines through the open space in the seat's back and, after E levels it, we'll plant a couple of pretty things on either side and slightly to the front to enclose it a bit.

I'll keep my eye out for an outdoor cushion for the seat and maybe a pillow or two. I am thinking floral print...what do you think?

Before I forget, the second edition of Scrapbook News and Review went live yesterday with my altered martini glasses, my childhood home fold out house, and several of my layouts. Chris Pozzi also has four of her wonderful creations in this edition. This is really a nice e-zine....love the articles by my pal Thena, of course.

Have a great one!

Welcome to Monday

I made it to round three at Scrapperie's Gauntlet 6wk. contest with my card posted here. As soon as I posted it at the site, I found one of the Heidi Swapp mirror birds in pink I picked up at Ruban Rouge that was perfect for it. It is on the card now and I will save this one to send in thanks to someone. I have such fun making these tri folds.

The next round is to scrap something inanimate and, since we have been focusing all our time and effort lately on the lower lawn through our garden gate, I am thinking about scrapping that! It will be one more page in my on-going Through My Garden Gate album. Wish me luck.

I love doing challenges and boy! were there tons of great ones this past weekend at Knk (www.knkclub.com) and the prizes to be awarded are awesome. The challenges are not due until Tues so you still have lots of time to register and play!

We have eye dr. apt's today which I sure like better than going to the dentist but that one is coming up later this month too! EEEK.

Have a great day!

Happy Sunday to all

If you couldn't make the cyber crop at KnK Club yesterday, there is still time to register and join in today's excitement with tons of challenges, games and big prizes!

This was my challenge for yesterday. I found two color pages from last month's Martha Stewart Living magazine and challenged the croppers to use 3 of the 4 colors from either of the pages on a layout. The results are still coming in and everyone is doing an amazing job with this challenge. These are different colors than I think most of us are use to working with and I had fun creating the two sample layouts for my challenge.

The crop starts at ten EST time today so stop on by and play!

Whole lotta croppin' going on!

at KnkClub.com today and tomorrow from ten to five both days with challenges and prizes and fun oh my! And just for a teaser, here is the June kit...I've done more layouts with this kit so far than almost any other. And the penguins are so darn cute. Those of you who know me well, know I don't do 'cute'. But never say never...I am having too much fun!


Will show you some of the things later in the week. Meanwhile, come on over to the crop. It is EST today and tomorrow. Register and join and come play!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

And here are a few pictures from our boat trip on Tues and the rest are of our lunch out to Snookers on Alt. 19 for a late lunch with JoAnne before she headed out to the airport and back to St. Louis. We love the food at Snookers (the Cuban sandwiches are the best and the fries are battered,hot and crisp), the entertainment provided by the gators in the pit behind the Tiki Bar where we usually eat and our favorite bar person, Susie.

The crop at KnK starts tomorrow at ten EST and ends at 5 and then has a second day on Sunday with the same hours. The prizes are great, the challenges fun and I've got all mine ready to go. Come join us...join the site and have fun!

The next issue of SNR comes out May 19 and I am looking forward to seeing it. I really enjoyed the first issue. I found it informative and filled with good layouts, projects, and articles and can't imagine the second issue being anything but even better.

Round Two at Scrapperie ends soon. My card is done and posted so I'll just have to wait and see if I make the cut this next round.

Have a great day all!

It was a wonderful Wednesday!

We had a leisurely morning before putting on our city duds and heading to Ybor City and the amazing Columbia restaurant. On my 60th. birthday last year, several of the wonderful Hilltop Girls took me out for a late lunch to celebrate. Kim HOdges joined us as did Michele's mom. The food was amazing. E and I went last year when Steve and DeeDee were in town and we knew we had to show this place to JoAnne too.

The restaurant dates back to 1905 and has been in the same family the entire time. WE had a great lunch and made our obligatory stop at the gift shop to stock up on the 1905 salad dressing and the sangria mix..best sangria I've ever had. Jo was so delighted with the food and the restaurant but then, what is not to love?

Here are a few shots of some of the many rooms. My favorite is the garden room with the fountain in the middle. The tiles on the walls of the dining rooms alone are worth the visit as they are all hand painted.

Jo leaves for the airport tonight around 5:30. It has been a wonderful visit and we have a few plans for today one of which is lunch at our favorite Tiki Hut here in Tarpon Springs, Snookers with the gator pit for fun viewing during lunch!

I did finish my card entry for Scrapperies' Gauntlet contest. We'll see if I make this cut. There are tons of very talented paper artists in this competition.

Oh and do NOT forget that KnK Club is having a two day on-line crop this Sat. and Sunday. The Dt has come up with some fun challenges and Gerri-anne, the owner, has fantastic prizes as well. If you are not a member, please click on the link to the left and join in the fun!

Tues on Anclote Key

After a leisurely morning, Jo and I headed off on an adventure. We took a drive along Alt. 19 and up the cause way to Honeymoon Island with her writing down phone no.s of possible rental/buy condos for her and Bill for next winter. We headed back to Tarpon Springs and the Sponge Docks for lunch (gyros of course) and boarded the boat for the two hour ride around the area.

Our boat guide was knowledgeable and entertaining and pointed out this Osprey mama and her fledgling peeking out of their next on the top of a marker buoy. We had a family of three dolphins play in and out of the boats wake for a good fifteen minutes and finally made landfall at Anclote Key.

The lighthouse here is over 100 years old and is fixed to a metal plate rather than into the ground. The boat guide told us that way the lighthouse could be moved in times of hurricanes etc. but it is pretty tall and I think this must have only been undertaken in situations of duress.

We hiked out to the lighthouse about a quarter of a mile from the beach and got some great shots. There is a boardwalk which is great as the surrounding island is pretty overgrown and wild. I can't imagine how the lightkeeper and his family could live out here but live they did.

Our ride home was cool and refreshing after which we did a bit of shopping. E fixed us his famous seared salmon with a bean ragout in a merlot wine reduction for supper followed by baklava from the bakery here in town.

Today we are heading to Ybor City for lunch at the Columbia. Yummmmmmmmmmm!

Through my garden gate...update

We've been crazed people here lately, anxious to get our lower lawn shaped up into some semblance of a courtyard garden. The photos walk you down from the pool and follow the new path way through the gate into the main patio below and then back up. We are putting down sod on the right side of the path leading down and through the gate and have tons more mulch and about 3 more palms to acquire and plant. It is still a work in progress but we are making headway.

Yesterday afternoon, E called for me to come see our visitor to the garden. While I was expecting one of the huge butterflies who are attracted to our butterfly friendly plants, I was not prepared for the tiny emerald green hummingbird. I was so unprepared that the photo I finally took, came out unrecognizable. I have one of my camera ready and on my night stand just in case the tiny bird returns. I will also be getting a couple of hummingbird feeders today to encourage his return.

Hope your day is a good one.

Whole lotta shakin' going' on

Another busy week here in Paradise. My friend of 46 years, JoAnne is coming for a couple of days visit. When she gets in tonight, I think we'll just order a pizza from our favorite pizza place, Queens but E has plans for yummy meals for her for the rest of her visit. I am thinking that tomorrow, she and I will head for the Sponge Docks and take the boat ride out to the lighthouse. I could use some lighthouse pictures and the boat ride is lots of fun. Jo wants to do some shopping for an upcoming trip she has planned to CA so that is also on the agenda.

Before she arrives this evening I need to finish up my layouts for the KnKclub reveal. I have a mini tech going up on the 15th. and need to send Gerri-anne, the owner, a layout for the June newsletter. If you haven't seen the KnK kits, they are always jammed packed with goodies galore.

All of you Sarasota area gals, Linda has a crop planned (Hilltop Memories) and her food is to die for. You can reach her through the site www.hilltopmemories.com If I didn't have the cyber crop at knk Sat. and Sun., you can bet I'd be at the Sarasota crop!

Have a great one all!

Early Mother's Day for me

The kids are on the way over to hang out and help me celebrate being a mom. I've been scrapping all morning and E has my favorites prepared for our culinary delight. I'll try to get some pics of the amazing Lemon Basil Potato Salad served warm over spinach...it is to die for!

I've been working on my challenges for the upcoming on-line crop at www.knkclub.com. this coming Sat and Sunday...May 17-18th. These are going to be fun!

Have a wonderful day all!

TGIF

We have our friends, Deb and Ed, coming for a visit today on their way to Orlando. It has been almost a year since we saw them last. Life has a way of getting in the way of living, ya know? It will be good to catch up with them and our other great neighbors from Water Way Bay Dr. in Ft. Myers. Will post some pics later.

Joeen, please e-mail me again...something went awry and I can't find you!!! Thanks,

Have a great one all,

Last post about kits, I promise

This is the "Memories" kit and I have just four left. These are 30.00 each plus shipping and I will throw in either a mini card kit or a mini kit with enough goodies to cover the two little boxes with handles that come with it.


______

Jooen, your e-mail got deleted before I could respond...pretty sure it was pilot error. Sorry. Please resend to the eeickmeier@comcast.net addy and apologies for not being able to figure this out.

Kit #3 What I Did on my Summer Vacation

(to order: eeickmeier@hotmail.com)

This one comes with all the pattern papers precut, two full sheets of Bazzil card stock, a Boardz Book, full color pictures with step by step directions and lots and lots of goodies. You can change the title to whatever your little heart desires or save this one for this summer. It works for adults as well as for your little ones returning to school.

Here is what is left as the kits have been selling fast to day (many thanks to all who have ordered so far!)

"Things that touch my heart" 1 kit remains
"Memo to Self" 3 kits remain
"What I did on my summer vacation" 7 kits remain.

I have lots of the mini kits, both the 3 card tri-level cards and the two mini wooden box alter kits. I'll post pics tomorrow of these and of one more full price kit (30$). If you want the mini kits and don't want to order a big kit, they will be 7.00 each or 10.00 for both. The deal with the free mini with an order of two kits takes preference of course.

Tomorrow's kit "Memories" is 30.00 but does come with one of the mini kits because that is the kind of generous gal I am! Tune in tomorrow for another exciting episode of 'how the kits sell'...and thanks.

Hang Ten Kit Sale (kit #2 Memo to Self)

Memo to Self is a handy reminder carry along for the car or your desk top. As you can see from the kit contents photo, the kit is jam packed with goodies and complete directions that include color photos of each step.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the third kit! and thanks for looking!


For details on ordering and costs please see the post below this one. Thanks.