Hats off to the Goddesses (and to our missing member Anne)!

It never ceases to amaze me how much fun we can cram into such a relatively short space of time. We shopped at a scrap store, went out to lunch at Olive Garden (thanks Janet) and had her and her hubby's company dessert, Zappoli! You have to try this next time you go to O.G.! It is wonderful! We spent so much time at the darling store in Bradenton that Debbie Schuh recommended, Retro Rosies. The two women who were there were so wonderful to us and let us release our Garden Party selves trying on hats to our heart's content (more pics to follow tomorrow). We walked on the beach, had a supper of salsa, dips and chips and the fantastic margaritas that Janet makes in her industrial sized frozen margarita machine. We watched a movie, called our pals Anne in Tenn. and Clare in New Zealand, neither of whom answered their phones and slept in. Breakfast down on the Gulf at Two Scoops on Anna Maria Island where Janet lives in the humble beach shack pictured here and shopped some more.

And dear Anne, we wrote in the sand just for you! We were missing an important piece of a great Goddess Weekend...you.

Love to all and can you just imagine the layouts I am planning with all the hats pictures? Yum!

No moss growing under my feet

First, here is the photo I took of the appetizer spread E made for Book Club last Thursday. I just sent out the recipes for the entire evening to the group. For those who are curious, this is what E fixed:

Appetizers: Sweet and Salty Honey Cheese Spread and Gorgonzola Truffles

Salad: Rich and Charlie's Salad (a St. Louis restaurant also known as Pasta House)

Main Course: Cajun shrimp and andouille sausage with Alfredo sauce over pasta.

Dessert: Apricot glazed brownies

___________

I am meeting Kip and Janet at Kip's around eleven today. We'll hit an lss or two and a store that Debbie Schuh recommended on her blog in Bradenton. We'll be hanging out at Janet's beach house on Anna Maria and head back some time on Sunday. Will be good to see Janet and how her pool has progressed. Will post pics.

Love to all

Drooling here in Paradise

Short blog today. Had a deep clean done on the gums one one side of my face. Not feeling pain right now but not feeling terrific either.

Meeting Kip and Janet tomorrow for a day of play on Anna Maria Island (Anne, where are you...one of the Goddesses is missing!). Be home Sunday.

Posted my altered bird house that I did at the KnKclub.com Sock Hop Crop on my altered blog.


Love to all

Can not get enough of PDQ by Bisous

I love to cut the papers into the individual pieces and reassemble them to fit with my picture and title. Suzanne, the owner and artist responsible for these wonderful papers, makes scrapping so easy and fun. No wonder KnKclub.com featured her papers this month in the kit!

Bye bye March!

I played hard this past weekend and actually got two layouts done and altered a bird house with some of the new Chatterbox papers that G-a had for sale at the KnKclub.com Sock Hop Crop. Here is one of the layouts and a close up of what I did with one of the clear acrylic paper clip that came in April's kit. I used a wonderful new stamp I bought from Artful Illusions and Stayz on ink plus my new Prang metallic markers to create the stained glass look on the clip. There are so many things that could be done with these it is unreal. Achieving this result was my technique for the month of April at KnK and the steps were posted today.

I'll put the bird house up tomorrow on my altered art blog and two more layouts for my reveal at KnK. Have a great one!

Sock Hop Crop

If you were not at the Sock Hop Crop in Bonita Springs, Florida, you should have been. Gerri-anne, Sonia,Barb and Jim assisted by the gals from Scrapbooks Etc in Bonita did a fantastic job. Bravo. With a special shout out to 'Hollywood' Jim for the pink Cadillac rear end complete with KnK Club plate, he designed and executed for the food serving and the soda glass...oh my!

And then there was my pal Barb! What a great Lucy she made. I was her dresser for this star performance! and I almost wet my pants laughing helping to get her ready. Then, on the way back to the crop, our first encounter was with two men getting on the elevator as we were getting off. As we drove off out of the hotel parking lot, they were still standing in front of the elevator laughing. Perhaps it was because I told them Barb was on a weekend pass and I was taking her back to the home! lol

And then there was the looooooooooong red light we hit and, as I slid lower and lower into my seat, Barb said, " Those people are gawking at me" as if I should be surprised. Oh my dear friend, the fun we have had together! Let there be years more!

And Linda and I had flash back moments about Captain Tracy!

The crop was far too much fun. And I got far too little done as usual. The Smoochie Girls Society was well represented and we had to have kissy kissy time all around.

After the clean up, a bunch of us crashed at Barb's. PARTY TIME!. We stopped off first for a wonder dinner at our now regular apres crop restaurant, The Fish House, on Bonita Beach Road. Amazing food, great company and sucky Lemon Drops (so say Kip and Jayne)When we got back to Barbs, we played "left, right, center", which has been renamed QUARTERS and I only won once...as Kip would say, "this is dumb _______game (fill in the blank)!". Everyone should have friends like these!

This morning, Jayne, Susie, Jill, Kip, Barb and I all planned our senior years. Actually, all of us but Jayne are AARP card carrying members. We have decided we need younger recruits as Gerri-anne and Jayne are going to some day tire of wiping the spittle off our chins and driving the Senior Bus (as Jack Flash called it). We have envisioned an old fashioned motel (the kind with the cabins and a central lobby), but have added a few updates for our 'home'...such as pool, sauna and hot cabana boys. Sound good so far. We are aware we will have to hone our paper tearing skills as the young 'uns will probably take away any sharp objects at that point.

We are currently taking applications...anyone?

Love to all, Jules

KnK Clb Sock Hop Crop

I will catch you all on the flip side of the weekend. I'll try to post pictures of the crop in Bonita Springs and the demo I am doing along with lots of fun gal pals scrapping away when I can.

I still have to pack up my scrap crap (as my honey calls my supplies)which is loosely stacked all over my work room. Clothes are ready and packed so it should only take me a half hour or so. And then there is the stack of clean clothes on top of the drier that I would really like to get put away before I go.

Had I not gotten up at 3 am yesterday thinking it was 6, I'd probably had more energy to get stuff done yesterday. I could not keep my eyes open and fell asleep twice in the dr. office.

Speaking of the foot dr., good news! No surgery scheduled yet for the foot. We are going to try some other things first. In addition to the bunion causing pain, I also have a spur and some joint disintegration in the big toe on my right foot...so steel insert for the shoe, a shot with a long thin needle full of something that helped tons and a script of some ointment. This weekend will be a good trial for the treatment.

Will be good to see all the Florida scrappers this weekend, the Hilltop Gals and Susie and Jayne all the way from Pensacola and Alabama and Jill from N.C.

Wish you all could join us!

Are we there yet?

My kids use to ask me this question all the time when we would travel from St. Louis to Florida for Christmas and Spring Break and summers on the beach. It use to drive me crazy but I have spent more than my fair share of time lately asking myself, "Am I there yet?" which is a hard question to answer where one is not quite sure where "there" is! lol

So, today, I dug out my canvas paper by Claudine Hellmuth Studio and some paints and Pearlescent watecolors by Yasutomo and some transparencies by Artistic Expressions and called play time. This is better than therapy. What I found out is that I am right back where I started...the journey is not over and I travel a different road every day. Care to join me?

Fun! a 4x4 star book from Genuinely Jane Studios

This is a birthday present for my sister (she turned 39 AGAIN yesterday) but hush! Don't tell, k? BTW: she reads my blog almost daily so Janet, this is coming your way! Hope you like it.

The mini album has a wood cover with a star cut out and three other pages. I used both Pearlescent Watercolors on the front and Prangs Metallic Brush Pens to show off the grain of the wood...too pretty to cover up. The rest of the pages use My Mind's Eye "Bloom and Grow" collection.

Thanks for looking!

Monday Monday...

Just finished my first project for Genuinely Jane Studios and these little wooden albums are such fun. The wood takes paint, ink, Glimmer Mist and stamping so nicely. Love using the grain of the woods and paper sticks so well. This little owl book was perfect for a gift for my friend, Barb, who, as the title of the album states, is a hoot! Hope she likes it. You can check out the rest of the DTs work at http://genuinelyjanestudios.typepad.com and to order product! As usual, blogger mixed the pages from the order in which I loaded them...cover page is the last!

And KnK Club just revealed the April kit...it is chocked full as usual. My reveal is not until April 1 so watch this spot but the rest of the team has been having a blast with the PDQ papers by Bisous.biz.

http://www.knkclub.com/Store/Kit/New.html

Back in a flash

We're leaving soon to take Steve and DeeDee to the airport for their plane trip back to St. Louis and then I'll update my blog and scrap the day away. More later!

So long Savannah (we'll be back!)

This is a view or two of our room here at the Kehoe House on Columbia Square. We could not have wished for a more gracious accommodations or a more helpful,friendly staff. Connie and Robin, who were our two main contacts here went out of their way to make us feel like an important part of the Kehoe House family. Thanks to you both. Our veranda was accessed by way of one of the tall windows rather than through a door, which made some fun times. The view from our veranda overlooked Columbia Square and the fountain dyed with green water.

The parade was fun and the crowd (at least as long as we were partying)was controlled and friendly. We returned to our 'home', enjoyed wine and cheese on the main veranda with some of the other guests and had a wonderful dinner at the 1870s (or is it 1780s) Restaurant directly across the street from here. Will upload those pics another day.

Today, after breakfast and packing up, we will head to the historic cemetery a couple of blocks away for a short walking tour and then to the museum, garden and gift shop at the house across the street. Then we're on the road again, heading to
Titusville, Fl. to visit with our pals, Kim and Jerry. We haven't seen them since last summer and they are such fun people! We'll spend the night with them and head back to Tarpon Springs Thurs. morning.

Have a good one.

Savannah: Day Two and Three

Day Two was spent shopping and riding the trolley tour and walking walking walking. We covered most of downtown from the Savannah River to the City Market and parts in every direction. I am now the proud owner of far too many Savannah tee shirts than any one gal can wear in one lifetime! lol

Upon the recommendation of a bar maid at Murphey's Law bar, we ate at the Pink House last nigh in the Tavern. If ever need to know where the best food places are in a new town, as the bar maid. Ours was actually from St Charles originally and she was not wrong. Our meal was divine. We have been pigging out on seafood (not that E and I do not get our share in Tarpon Springs)and the Pink House's was yummy!

Today we hit the road running. We wanted to be near the start of the parade but still able to get to River Street. We finally found a place to stand and the parade (which is about 3 hours long) was well worth the wait. I've never seen so many men in skirts (ah, sorry! kilts)in my life. And there is something is bit offsetting about bagpipers playing Dixie...lol.

We're back home having a cool libation on our veranda and listening to some blue waft up from somewhere close to the river. This has been amazing!

Savannah Day One

 
 
 
 

We got up early Sunday and were on the road by 8:30am. Our first stop was St. Mary's Ga for lunch at a cute bar and grill right on the river. I had been wanting to visit St. Mary's ever since I had been reading about the Altered Jubilee which was held in the town each spring. The artists who visited and taught at AJ were some of the best the altered art world had to offer. We only toured the town and ate some fresh fish and shrimp but I will go back. The town is filled with about 3 solid blocks of darling shops, beautiful Victorian homes and restaurants and B&Bs.

On to Savannah and our amazing B&B, The Kehoe House. Our hosts here are gracious, the rooms exquisite and a person would be hard pressed to be hungry or thirsty as there is food, wine, tea etc available. Can't wait until 8 am when we will go to the dinning room in this historic house for our custom breakfasts. Our menus were on our bed last night along with two home baked cookies.

Aftr we arrived, we unpacked and freshened up and headed down for the complimentary wine, cheese, fruit, crackers and tea severed daily from 5-7. We walked around our square taking pictures of the green dyed water fountain and the many historic homes that surround the square

Our trolley picked up up a bit before 7pm for our haunted tour of Savannah. While our guide was very funny, we didn't really learn that much. We did, however, get a good overview of historic Savannah. The best was the stop at the cemetery where we could get off the bus and take pictures. We were warned that cameras either don't work at that spot or they produce 'unusual' pictures. Most of the ones I took were blurry but two produced eerie results. The one with what looks like two people in front of the gate is the most eerie. When I took the pictures of the gate, there was no one in front of them. You can see the gates through the people. If I didn't know what pictures I took, I would think that I had a double exposure (is that even possible with a digital camera?)but I know that I only took pictures of the gate taking care to not have people blocking it when I did.

We've had wonderful weather so far but there is a 90% chance of rain today. Guess we'll just have to shop the day away! More to follow!

Just another day in Paradise

We picked Steve and DeeDee up at the airport around 9 am and didn't stop until late, late, late last night. (yep, this ol' gal made it to past midnight!). We started with lunch at Bon Appetite in Dunedin on the water. Fantastic food and lovely view. Our next stop was Flannigan's for an Irish beer and then on to Snookers where we met up with Suzie and Bob. Our next stop was Miss Vickie's where Justin joined us and last call at Cap'n Jacks on the river where Buddy rounded out our group with Kristen and Chris. Too much fun and a bit too much liquid refreshment.

Today, after breakfast, we hang out a bit here, go shopping a bit, pick up Kristen around noon and head to the Crab Shack in Port Richey for some good food and great blues. Then it is on to Old Palm Harbor for their annual St. Pat's Celebration. Trying to figure out when to fit in a short snooze! lol

We hit the road early tomorrow for Savannah. Thanks to Rob, we have a house sitter and companion for our cats. Good sons are hard to find! Glad we got this one.

Have a great day all and I'll try to upload a few more pictures before we take off tomorrow.

TGIF

and a happy Friday to one and all. A few more pictures from the cruise: my room mate, Jill, and me our last night on board, our goody bag exchange (great idea and wonderful bags Jill) and many thanks to all for my darling gifts, the little journal Kip made, and Mustapha, our amazing waiter! (and Marcos wasn't too shabby either). Poor guys...I am not sure they were ready for a table full of women like us!

We're off to the airport soon to pick up Steve and DeeDee, our friends from ST. Louis. We'll hang around town for a couple of days and then head out to Savannah. I'll up date as often as I can. Love to all.

Home Again...well, for a little while!

Where to start...wonderful cruise with mad, crazy, wicked women (and smoochies to each and every one of you). I'll be posting pictures over the next couple of days with any luck. Our good friends, Steve and DeeDee arrive tomorrow morning from St. Louis and we'll be in and out until we leave for Savannah and St. Pat's on Sunday. As always, I'll be taking Minnie with me and will try to update from the festivities.

The weather was lovely and the food yummy. We had a great room in which to scrap and take our two classes and had such fun. Cozumel was Cozumel. Most of us had been before. We were suppose to go to Belize but our ports of call were changed. I did find a couple of fun things, of course but did not take a tour.

When we got to Costa Maya, after shopping the tourist area, Val, Jayne (with a y in the middle) and I hopped on a bus to the 'downtown', a rebuilt area right on the beach. When the rain started, we took refuge in a no name bar and had some of the best cilantro salsa any of us have ever had. Yes, dear reader, it was even better than E's but hush! don't tell! We ordered food and beer and even ventured a swing or two in the swings at the bar. The water was cool and lovely and our cab driver on the return trip stopped at the light house so I could get a pic.

More tomorrow...I have some household chores to finish before our company arrives and a few loads of clothes to wash so I have something to wear this next week. Hope you have a good one!