ROMANZA

Italian, of course! and so close to the English word, romance. We probably stole that from them! Long before I traveled to Italy, I was entranced with all things romantic...the meeting, the glance of eyes, the exchange of sighs, the seduction...(splash...a dash of cold water to bring me back to the topic at hand!). In short, I have always wanted to create the ultimate tribute to ROMANCE...and if this isn't it, I am so close I can taste it.

This is my class for the MS Crop for Hope in November for KnK. Those who take the class (or who want one of the kits...e-mail me)will get velvet, tissue, ribbons, an 8x8x4 paper mache box to hide the album that offers an opportunity to tell all...or not! Ribbons and lace and pearls...what more could a girl ask for? Well, if you have to ask, perhaps you should sign up to take the class or get a kit and find out!

See you at the MS crop!

Where did the weekend go?

Yesterday morning we biked to Spring Bayou and walked around the basin. It was a beautifully cool morning and it seemed like half of Tarpon Springs was out biking or walking and the other half were having coffee and reading the paper on their front porches!

We did a bit of needed lawn work and I vegged the rest of the day while E watched marathon football. Rob did not get over as he had plans with several of his pals. He'll be over for supper tomorrow night so we can go over some things with him about the cats and the lawn during his house/cat sitting.

My dad is back in the hospital. This chemo is just playing havoc with his system but he has been told that some people react to it this way. He has thrush and has become dehydrated again. He also has pneumonia again so he'll probably be in the hospital when we get to town to visit with him. Good thoughts would be appreciated.

I got absolutely nothing done on my To Do list. I took a book instead and read out in back enjoying the mild weather. If the list does not get done, it will still be here when I get back. I'm done with stressing out over it and trying to hurry through things to get them done.

And the good news is that I am back into my favorite pair of jeans and am a happy camper.

Off to do a whole lot of nothing which seems to be what I do best lately. Love to all

Had a great Sat!

Well, we got so busy talking and eating that I forgot to take any pics while Janet was here for the day! E fixed us a wonderful grilled sandwich. The spread was made of Philly creamed cheese, blue cheese, honey and toasted walnuts. You put this on thin slices of white bread (the Peperidge Farm ones) with arugula and thin apple slices. Oh my. He served this with the Greek lemon soup...what a great treat for our taste buds.

Janet and I headed up to Ruban Rouge and met up with the gang: Mary, Mary, Michele and her mom, Alice, Teri (whom I haven't seen in eons...smoochies), Ms Linda of Hilltop Memories, Elle and her pound and a half tea cup puppy, Chalupa, Di,Roz and Kelcy who came over from the other coast,the Kipster of course, and sure hope I didn't leave anyone out! We shopped and visited.

I bought some raffle tickets and actually won something for a change! The basket itself is darling with a cute liner of material with pastel buttons in the print. And it was filled with tons of goodies.

Several of the gals headed out home but Mary Mary, RoZ, Kelcey and I went for appetizers and drinks before calling it a day. What fun. Good to see everyone as I have been hitting and missing with the crops lately.

Love to all,

Sat. is Sizzling!

We've been doing some major housecleaning around here. We are leaving Wed. evening and #1 Son moves in to cat and house sit earlier that day. We also have our dear friend, Janet M, coming for lunch and then she and I will head up to visit with the gals doing the Scrap Pink event at Ruban Rouge.

Almost packed here. Heard the weather is going to be in the upper 60s so I keep adding more and more sweat shirts and sweaters to my ever growing pile of clothes on the spare room bed.

Now, for the winners of the title contest...NORMA AND CARRIE ARE THE WINNERS! Please send my your snail mail addys via eeickmeier@hotmail.com and I'll send you goodies as soon as we get home from St. Louis. I'll do some special shopping for you two while I am there!

Have a great day all and I'll post some pictures later of Janet's visit with us.

Oh what a beautiful morning!

EDITED TO ADD: my project for this week is up at Gypsy Rose Paperie!

http://gypsyrosepaperie.com/?page_id=44

It is cool here today and in the lower 70s but the temps are rising slow but sure. E and I headed into town for our bike ride and had breakfast at Toula's right on the Pinellas Trail. It is fun to watch our little city wake and go to work.

I am officially 12lbs from my goal weight. Hope next week is not the downfall of me. I will try to be as good as I can but know the lure of freshly baked crusty bread and locally produced cheeses, not to mention the wines are going to lead me astray when we all head out for the Winery Tour a week from tomorrow. E and I plan on continuing with our daily walks so it shouldn't take too big a toll.

I am off to get a cut and color in just a few minutes. Taking a pic of the tipping I like and the cut with me so I get what I ask for! Seems every time I get someone who cuts/colors my hair to do it just like I want, she changes salons or moves far away!

Hope Kristen and Chris are having a blast in San Francisco. They have a couple of days there before they head up north a bit for Tracy's wedding (Tracy is one of Kristen's oldest girlfriends from high school and was a fellow cheerleader with her).
They were really excited about their upcoming trip to Alcatraz and to Napa Valley!

Have a great TGIF.

and a big congrats to my friend Chris on her 25lb. weight loss! Way to go...you are my inspiration!

The Boys

I have snapped some of the funniest pics of The Boys recently. I am gathering papers etc. now to scrap some of them. These are four of my current favorites and I am looking for titles. So here is the deal; please leave a note in the comments section with suggested titles of either a. b. c., or d. or you can leave suggested titles for all four. I'll pick one of the suggested ones and send that person a something fun for helping me out! I'll leave this up for a couple of days and pick one on Sat. so check back then to see if yours is the selected one. If so, you'll have to e-mail me your snail mail addy and then watch for Mr./Ms Postman.

Thanks!

Got tagged by a couple of gals so here we go

THE FIVE TAG
5 years ago I
1. was living in Ft. Myers Fl
2. was doing scrap book convention teaching for Kim (SNS)
3. had an itty bitty work room and no pool
4. was taller than I am now (lol)
5. we were getting ready to attend Jazz on the Green

5 things on today's "to do" list
1. write directions for the Haunted House kit at KnKclub.com
2. pick up more paper mache boxes for my class at the upcoming MS crop
3. find some close toed brown shoes pronto
4. play with one of my new toys
5. design my project for Friday's reveal at Gypsy Rose Paperie

5 snacks I enjoy
1. Gardetto's Snack Mix
2. any ruffled potato chips
3. a good Cuban sandwich
4. the fries at Snookers
5. pop corn

Can you tell I am having carb withdrawal?


5 things I would do if I were a millionaire
1. buy both kids the houses they want
2. treat our friends to a cruise to the Med
3. actually look into a small villa in Italy
4. get my sister a condo with all taxes etc. paid for and my niece too
5. pay for health insurance for some deserving family


5 places I have lived
1. Waterloo Iowa
2. St. Charles, Mo
3. Lindenhurst Long Island, NY
4. Kirkwood, Florissant, and Maryland Heights, Mo
5. Ft. Myers and Tarpon Springs, Fl

5 jobs I have had
1. soda jerk at a drug store
2. camp counselor through out high school and college
3. English teacher
4. Cheer coach
5. sb designer and instructor

I am tagging: 1); Mary Mary from HIlltop Memories yahoo group 2)Jillybean from the Monkey board; 3)Mary Grimm from KnK (who can put her answers up on the mb there if she doesn't have a blog) 4)Pam from KnK and ACOT 5) Angie De from Creative Scrappers mb.
Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

Happy Tues and what a lovely day here in Paradise

These amazing cards are by my pal, Chris Pozzi. She is the new Card Kit designer for KnKclub.com and these are a have to have! The picture hardly does them justice. If you are not a member of KnK, this kit is also available through Creative Boutique on line.

I am scrambling like a mad woman to get my To Do List done before we leave for 'home' in 8 days. Thank goodness our flight is a late afternoon one as I am thinking I don't want to miss the excitement at KnK the morning of Oct. 1. What excitement, you ask? Well, you will just have to show up on the mb and find out. Now, KnK is by membership only but ordering a kit gets you in! and you really don't want to miss the fun we are going to have and the fun we do have on a daily basis.

For more information on joining the message board or about any of the kits, e-mail Gerri-anne at admin@knkclub.com.

Off to knock a few items off my To Do List. Have a great one.

What I did at the crop....

and a happy Monday to everyone! I worked on my Wine Journal box. I still have to line the lid and the bottom of the box with some velvet papers I have but the project is almost finished. I started my Wine Journal but have a long way to go on that yet. I've been taking photos of the wines we love along with close ups of the labels and am hunting for the perfect information to put on tags for each bottle. The journal is going to be an on-going project. The box is a prototype for a Romantic Box and mini album I am preparing for a class I am teaching at an upcoming MS crop in November for Knkclub.com

The wine bottle shaped mini album is an album I got from Owl and the Pussycat Stamp Art Store in Ft. Myers Florida a couple of years ago and am just now putting together with my papers, stamps, inks and rub ons. The labels are from bottles of our favorite wines. The little glass grape cluster on twisted wire slides over the front and back and hold the accordion tag album closed. I had such fun with this one and it was just for fun!

My "Back 2 School" kit went live last evening at knkclub.com and I am both nervous and excited. Chris Pozzi has also released a card kit called Candied Sunshine at KnK and it is awesome. These both should be available for purchase at KnKclub.com and if you are not a member, you may purchase them through Creative Boutique, the knk sister site or by e-mailing to admin@knkclub.com

Kip Mitchell and I both have Halloween themed project kits due for release Oct. 1 at KnK. Hers is a darling little paper mache casket that has the coolest embellishments and a mini album. She has some pics on her blog! Mine is a chipboard gingerbread house from Retired-Let's do Lunch that I turned into a Haunted House that comes with a lighting kit. We both used the Frightful papers and embellishments from Little Yellow Bicycle!

Have a great day and thanks for looking!

This week at Gypsy Rose Paperie

We were sent 2 images from which to select and develop our project. I selected this one and used part of the free download to make what I call a Victorian Sun Catcher. For details on how I made this relatively fast project, please go to www.gypsyrosepaperie.com and click on the top left icon. That will take you to the blog and to the projects the Creative Team developed this week. I am making a few of these Sun Catchers for stocking stuffers for holiday gifts. Hope the recipients like these.

TGIF to everyone. I am cleaning in here today and packing for the one day Hilltop Memories crop in Ruskin at Deb's lovely little church where her husband, whom we call Zutterman, is the pastor. Can't wait to see everyone and hear all about the plans for Creep Over Crop and Winter Retreat. Messages have been flying as our dear Linda has been scrambling to fine us the best place for the beloved Winter Retreat. I woke to over 50 from the yahoo group alone this morning after clearing them all right after supper last night! The excitement is building.

We leave in eleven days for St. Louis...another "I can't wait" time! We got a lot done on the yard yesterday and are off to another nursery today as we found some white gunk on some of the plants that line the path during our clean up. These are white smears of something so will take leaves to the nursery for treatment advise and will probably end up bring home more plants. That seems to be our weakness! lol

Hope you have a great weekend!

When Autumn Leaves Start to Fall...

grab this month's Oct. kit from KnK and capture those fall moments with the wonderful papers and embellishments that are included! Scroll down to see all you get. Contact Gerri-anne Duke, the owner, at admin@knkclub.com for details. You don't want to miss this kit!

Altered Album Cover

When Jill and I visited Sanibel, I took her to one of my favorite small craft stores, Three Crafty Ladies. We found lots and lots of beach-y papers and embellishments we had not seen elsewhere plus there was my greatest find: this wonderful fabric of these oh so much fun big butt beach gals. I used a double sided binding paper to adhere. I had to search quite a bit to find a cloth album and ended p with The Perfect Scrapbook by Colorbok. Wouldn't these make great gifts? Now if I just had more fabric!

Tagged by the Kipper!

A) People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs

B) Tag 8 people to do this quiz.

1.How many songs are on your iPod?
NO IPOD

2. What music would you want played at your funeral?

JIMMY BUFFETT AND ANDREA BOCELLI
3.What magazines do you have subscriptions to?

Southern Living, Coastal Living and Somerset Studio

4. What is your favorite scent?

LAUREN

5. If you had a million dollars that you could only spend on yourself, what would you do with it?

BUY A SMALL ISLAND SOMEWHERE OFF THE KEYS, A VILLA IN ITALY AND ONE IN GREECE AND TRAVEL (OH AND THE ESTATE THAT IS FOR SALE HERE IN TARPON AND TURN IT INTO A B&B FOR SCRAPPERS)

6. What is your theme song?

IT'S FIVE O CLOCK SOMEWHERE

7. Do you trust easily?

PROBABLY TOO MUCH SO

8. Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think?
NO BUT TRY TO

9.Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, THE ECONOMY, YOU NAME IT.
10. Do you have a good body-image?

WORKING ON IT

11. Is being tagged fun?

sometimes...

12. How do you spend your social networking (Facebook, etc.) time?

NOT A PARTICIPANT IN FACEBOOK BUT AM ACTIVE ON ABOUT THREE SB ON-LINE COMMUNITIES
13. What have you been seriously addicted to lately?

LOW FAT COTTAGE CHEESE (SERIOUSLY)

14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?

KIPPER IS A HOOT AND SHE HOOKED ME UP WITH THE HILLTOP MEMORIES GALS!

15. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?

JINGLE BELLS...DON'T ASK!

16.What’s your favorite item of clothing?

COTTON JAMMIES

17. Do you think Rice Crispies are yummy?

NO
18. What would you do if you see saw $100 lying on the ground?

DEPENDS ON WHERE I FOUND IT! IF IT WAS OUTSIDE A BANK I'D TAKE IT IN OR OUTSIDE A SMALL STORE, BUT IN A BIG PARKING LOT, LIKE KIP SAID, PROBABLY CONSIDER IT FOUND MONEY.

19. What items could you not go without during the day?

COMPUTER AND IN MOST MONTHS HERE IN PARADISE, A/C OR POOL UP TO MY NECK

20. What should you be doing right now? NOTHING AS IT IS 6 AM


I tag Anne, Chris P, Martha, Pam B, Shar, Amy from KnK, Sue from KnK, Laura from KnK and Teri from Hilltop.

Oct. kit is up at KnK

I got my DT kit yesterday and had 3/4 of a layout done before supper! I could not resist playing with all the goodies and I have the perfect picture in mind around which I have built my layout. The kit, as you can see, is packed with lovelies and I must clear my schedule today to play play play! You can order a kit through admin@knkclub.com. Don't delay. These will go fast.


Lots of errands to run this morning as soon as the stores open. I want to get them all run early so I can come home and scrap. The cable guy is due early to repair or replace our box for the big tv. It kept shutting itself off during a football game on Sunday and we just can't have that now, can we? lol

Enjoy your day!

Mark it on your calendar!

Kit N Kaboodle and Hilltop Memories invites you to our Breast Cancer

Crop for Charity

When: October 4, 2008

9am to 9pm

Where: Elks Lodge- Temple Terrace

11807 N 56th St Temple Terrace, FL 33617
$35.00

Includes 3 meals
Logo Chipboard Ribbon Class

Hat Decorating Contest

(Hats being donated to chemo patients)

Door Prizes

Registration information: email

Linda@hilltopmemories.com

Happy Birthday to E...and many more

After we worked in the garden weeding and mulching for over two hours yesterday, we went swimming just to cool down. It was a hot one here in Paradise. While we floated, I persuaded E to celebrate his last day of being 62 so we headed to a place in New Port Richey (a town or two up from ours)that we had been wanting to try.

This is a tiki hut-on the river-laid back fun kind of place. The food was excellent and there was a duo playing incredible blues. We moved from our table right on the river to the bar (shaded and with a nice big fan right over head) and stayed through at least 2 more sets. WOW. We will be going back to the Crab Shack for sure.

We're heading out in bit to bike our 5-10 miles and then the boys are coming over to help E with some yard work that is beyond us or one person alone. A swim will certainly be in order and, of course, we have to get this all done before 1pm when the Bucs are on and all live as we know it comes to a screeching halt...lol. K will be over with a salad and the boys will bbq for E's birthday supper. I have managed to not have to cook, once again!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY E. I LOVE YOU MADLY AND HOPE WE CELEBRATE MANY MANY MORE OF YOUR BIRTHDAYS TOGETHER!

Playing Hookey Today

See you tomorrow!

Stopping to smell the roses

and they are lovely! E is working on the final step to my arbor seat and then I'll start the mulching. Our rose garden and its rock border are scheduled for work next week and we'll be about 3/4 through with our lower lawn and garden restoration project.

While I was being intoxicated by the aromas, E pointed out two of the most lovely butterflies flitting from flower to flower. It is hard to see but they are actually a lovely light shade of blue with the soft yellow and tan markings. And then there was my iridescent blue dragon fly. His wings were so gossamer, I was afraid they would not show up but bless my zoom on my camera, they did!

We've had numerous visitors to our meandering walk way, through the gate and back among the flowers since we planted. Kristen put her butterfly garden in first with great thought and research. We went to Lowe's and another garden place on Alt 19 and bought what they told us and what we liked. What I have not seen again is my emerald green hummingbird...come back little pretty!

Have a great weekend and don't forget to smell the flowers...

Back 2 School mini album

This kit goes up for sale at KnKclub.com on Sept. 15th. but preorders can be placed by e-mailing admin@knkclub.com and telling Gerri-anne, the owner of KnK, that I sent you! The kit is done with tons of embellishments, Tinkering Ink papers, and an 8x8 Peek a Boo chipboard and acrylic paged mini album. Each kit comes with color photos and step by step directions. Please contact Gerri-anne or pricing and shipping information. There are more photos if you scroll down to the next post. I'd have done a slide show but am having problems with internet connections and this was more simple to do at this time. Thanks for looking.

More pages from the Back 2 School album

Haunted House prototype is up...

http://jules-atoasttoalteredart.blogspot.com

The house takes about 2.5 hours to assemble start to finish and measures approx. 10" by 8" by 6" and Gerri-anne is taking preorders at admin@knkclub. com. ($35.00 includes all you see and the light kit)!

Anne Morrow Lindbergh wrote

her book, Gift from the Sea, here on Captiva. I can see the inspiration every time I visit in the sand, shells,the hypnotic sound of the surf, the birds and the seemingly endless procession of wave upon wave. There is something about all this that brings us to introspection and reflection as it did with her.

We rented these cabanas for the afternoon we spent on the beach on Captiva and cooled off in the clear waters. What a lovely way to pass time doing absolutely nothing! We went to Key Lime Bistro for supper and walked over to the infamous Bubble Room so Jill could see. It is such an amazing place with vinage ephemera everywhere you look. I have always loved this little booth inside what looks like a trolly car and promise myself someday I'll actually sit here to eat. Don't you just love this pic of Jill in the Love Tunnel boat? Too funny.

Off to start laundry from the past 5 days trip. More pics later today so stay tuned!

Get away to the Islands

After we finished helping G-a, Barb, Sonia, Janet and Coleen take down the Hoed Down Crop, Jill, Barb and I had supper at the Fish House in Bonita right on the water...lovely breeze, beautiful view and fantastic company! And the food was aok too@ The next morning, after staying up very late chatting with dear Barb, Jill and I headed toward Sanibel and Captiva Islands. Our first stop was the lighthouse and we hit the Lighthouse Cafe for breakfast on our way back. I showed her where my folks use to live and where they had their restaurant, Joey's, right on Periwinkle. We shopped our way down the right side, cruised through Ding Darling Wildlife Preserve, where Kip's car, Flo Darling, got her name and checked in to the 'Tween Waters Inn on Captiva

Our room was on the 3rd. floor of one of the condo units and had a direct view of the Gulf. I had been going to the Friday Holiday Carol and Lighting at "Tweens since we moved here in '01 but had never stayed at the resort. What a wonderful place.

We spent the afternoon on the beach under the cabanas (pics tormorrow) and Jill gathered tons of lovely shells along the beach. We headed to the pool to cool off and then back to our room to clean up for supper. We ate at Key Lime Bistro and had an amazing blackened chicken with a plate licking sauce and ate to some J.Buffer style music.

On to the Bubble Room for dessert (Jill, not me...I am still doing my best to stay on South Beach but...I did have a glass of vino while we shot these wonderful sunset pictures from the front porch of the Old Captiva Inn).

And, for evening entertainment, we did pay for view of Sex and The City movie and laughed the night away.

More tomorrow...I am thinking of doing a collage of Barb and her multiple personalities...Barb, Miss Kitty on the skids and the Hoe Down Bandit who looked a heck of a lot like Yosemite Sam!

Stay tuned!