Midwest Meetup, Part Trois

 

This is what I actually bought at Room 363.  This old looking ledger sheet and the baby tears faux plant.

 

Thanks again to Mark and his great shop for hosting us.

 

This was the inspiration vignette from 363.  I purchased the baby tears and came up with this...

 

My tray is aluminum, I didn't have a succulent, so used a peony and a nest, moss and eggs for a pop of color.  That feather I found on a walk in the neighborhood last year.  I think it might be from a Horned Owl that scared the #$% out of me one night, swooping off my roof.  One of those terrifying and exhilarating moments.  It's wingspan was 4 maybe 5 feet! I think the feather was a sorry
 I scared the stuffin out of you gift!

 

This was the gift I added to the swag bag.  It is a decorated peat pot with wheat grass seeds to grow. Tomorrow I will show you how I made them.

 

After the festivities at Room 363, Lynne, Barb, Melanie, dearest hubby (who had been sitting working on his computer next door at Barnes and Noble while I played) and I sat down for a quick lunch. After a great visit, we sadly parted ways...Barb and Lynne headed back to Michigan, Melanie a little north of me, with promises to meet again soon.

 Dearest and I headed to Paper Source for a quick look.  I don't get to a Paper Source very often and didn't want to miss the chance.  I talked to one of the associates there and mentioned that I was one of the bloggers from the Midwest Meetup.  There was going to be a make and take later in the day for all the girls who attended.  They gave me the group discount on the wreath kit I bought.
It's a paper Peony wreath.  I'll show that to you when I make mine. They gave me the cards from the make and take so I can do them myself at home.  Very nice staff.  It was so kind and generous of Sharon Rexroad to make this available to us all.

 

Lynne, my generous friend brought me two old (the best kind) of clipboards.  They were used at the hospital where Lynne worked. Thank you my dear friend.  Love the pop of green;-)

Well, that wraps up the Midwest Meetup.  Now the fun, new friendships, new blogs to visit, favorite friends to visit again and again.  This blogging thing, unless you do it yourself and know how cool it is, you can't really explain it. 

Tomorrow my favors and back to real life.  Thanks for stopping by my friends.  Enjoy this beautiful day.

Midwest Meetup Part Deux

 

Out of Room 363's amazing contents, I wanted just two things.  This beautiful "Penny Sized"
dress form...Isn't she a beaut?  I called my hubby and said, I've found the mannequin that I've been
looking for...I don't know how much it is, but I am buying it.  He said, OK, he always says OK!  (Sorry girls, he's mine;-)  Mike and Frank found one once on American Pickers, and since that time I've been on the hunt.  Well, I asked Mark, (terrified of the price, I might hear...)  How much for the big lady out front?  He said, she's not for sale..."She's my favorite!"  That's when I really started liking Mark!

 

The second thing I really wanted was this vignette.  Something about it spoke to me, but it was one of those moments when I thought to myself, I have almost everything at home to recreate this...more on this in my next post!

 

My only regret is that I didn't take more photos of the girls that attended. 

 

The time just flew, so many conversations, so much to look at.
It would have been a great way to remember who's who.  Now I must rely upon my bad short term memory. What was I saying?...

 

This was our "swag bag" with many of the contributions.  Some of them edible!  The bags here are stuffed with paper, Melanie's awesome cookies and Barb's yummy peanut treats did not last long.
Isn't this a cool bag?  I love the old timey graphics.

 

This so sweet canvas from Kim at Serendipity Refined.

 

This cool washer necklace...it really looks like enameling on metal... It's from Lynda at Oh So Shabby.
I wonder how she did it? That paper flower and the others in the photos were a gift from Barb.

 

A truckload of info on a upcoming crafters retreat in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin from Linda at Linnie Blooms, with the sweet decorated spool. Linda's bag topper was burlap, lace a bird and button...
What's not to like...  The retreat sounds awesome.

We got green nail polish from baileywife at Irishman Acres... Kris has already called dibbies and Lynne made these sweet shamrocks from air dry clay...I didn't get one...but I did get some of her sweet hearts for Valentine's Day.

I am missing so many of the names and faces, the great part is we have a Facebook space where we are still able to leave messages and post photos.  I swore that once the Meetup was over I was OVER facebook...but I am getting more comfortable with it.  I don't feel so much as an air traffic controller as a willing participant now.  We'll see. 

There is still a little more tomorrow, yes Part Trois!  (My High School French is really paying off;-)

Have a great day my friends and thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy this beautiful day.
P.S. Sorry I have no links to the bloggers mentioned here.  I have yet to update my favorites list...

Midwest Meetup!

 

On Saturday I attended an event called the Midwest Meetup.  It was at the amazing store called
 Room 363 in Naperville, Illinois.  Bloggers from four states gathered for a little food,
 a little fun and a lot of shopping. 

 

I have a crush on Mark, the owner and boy genius behind Room 363.  He was so gracious to all of us.  Hard to conduct business when more than 25 women crowd your store on a Saturday morning, but he was kind and friendly and helpful.  The store, well, I was overwhelmed.

 

You can tell before you walk into the door that it will be amazing inside.



I never noticed the chandelier until I loaded this photo...I told you I was overwhelmed!

 Here's Jen Rizzo, the organizer of this meetup.  She is one of the reasons I blog...her kindness to a lurker three years ago.  That lurker was me, and Jen invited me to come to a blog event, even though I didn't have a blog.  I've told the rest of the story countless times, and as they say the rest is history.
Thanks again Jen for your warm welcome and for all your preparation and work in putting this day together.
It was wall to wall women.  The vibe was excited and everyone was happy to be there.



Every cubby had a treasure!

We went around the room and introduced ourselves.  There are always people who make an impression on you, because of their confidence, sense of humor, cheerfulness or grace.  There were amazing girls galore, and I was able to connect with a few.

 

Can you believe this store?  One amazing display after another.



I forgot to ask about this banner...so cool!

 After we introduced ourselves we shopped the store and had conversations and exchanged business cards and emails.  I was so happy to have two dear friends come all the way from Michigan to attend the meetup.  My friends Barb from Babs Just a Babblin and Lynne from Irish Garden House.  These two, besides being talented bloggers are the sweetest. I got the warmest welcome and the best hugs. We are now old friends, and I love that...we are so comfortable together, and had the best time.  A new friend Melanie, from Comfy House also came. We were friends from the first hug. She was just like I thought she's be.  Kind and easy going, quick to laugh and share a joke or comment.  We hit it off.  She's local and haunts the same thrifts that I do.  You know we are going to be getting together in the future.;-) Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold! (I learned that in Girl Scouts!)

Part Two tomorrow...

P.S.  Penny is much much better...no fever in 24 hours!  She's playing and eating a little, and seems to be on the road to recovery.  Thank goodness!  Thanks for your prayers and kind thoughts for Penny and for this relieved grandma.

Have a wonderful Sunday my friends, thanks for stopping by.