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. 

Nervous at the Doctor's Office

For the third time in a week my sweet p. was back at he Doctors. Five days of a fever, vomiting, crying, sleeplessness...she was lethargic and scared me half to death. Yesterday 104.9! In the olden days my good old GP would give the kid some amoxicillin and call it a day. Well, not today. They did take a urine sample and Mom has to call in the morning for results! Maybe my memory is getting bad, but I don't ever remember any one of my kids running a high fever for 5 days! Maybe it 's one of those selective memory things.
Thank goodness, last night she played with me a little during our face time. I was so happy to see her tearing up Kris and Doug's mail. I said she could tear up my check book and drivers license, I was so relieved to see her up and playing. Kris and Doug earned their stripes these last few days. Grandma, more gray hairs, a few cups of tears and a house so clean it goes "bling"...
Meeting up with some blogging friends today...so excited. Pictures and stories, I'm sure there will be stories...coming soon.
Have a great day my friends, enjoy this beautiful day!
Love, Penny

Favorite Things

 

I don't have much to blog about today, so I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite things.  It's this frame.  It originally held a Blessed Mother and Sacred Heart photo shrine, I guess you would call it.  It hung in my Buscia's house, then room, then in our house forever.  It was not something I would ever display in my home.  I am not much for photos of Jesus, except hunky Jesus...remember that one?  Anyway, to make a long story short, I gave myself permission to empty the domed glass frame and create something else for my home.

I painted the gold toned frame in white and used velvet as a background and added many little items that are special to me...a love letter from my Dad to my Mom, their wedding picture, our wedding picture, a picture of our kids, a leaf from a favorite tree, a sticker that was on my dress the night I met my husband, a pocket watch of my hubby's...it says, Love is an Endless Season, on the inside. A photo of my favorite place, the Maroon Belles in Aspen Colorado.  Now, it is one of my favorite things, and I know Buscia wouldn't mind.

Penny is still sick, and back at the Doctor this morning.  She was well enough to say hi repeatedly to a baby that was crying.  Checked airfares while I waited for some news.  Mom assures me they are ok..and to hold onto my pants. (an old Polish saying;-) In other words, stay put!  It's so hard not to be there for my little sweetheart, and for sweet p. too!

Take care my friends, and thanks for visiting and your kind comments.

Butterfies in my Garden...

 

Well, yes they are metal, but I couldn't wait a moment longer to put them outside.  A beautiful gift from my dear pal Jean for Christmas.  The butterflies are cantilevered and rock with the slightest breeze. 
And yes, we did have more snow, and yesterday a small blizzard. 

 

I took advantage of son Jon and brought back in my dining room table from the deck.  That's the nice thing about using a patio table as a indoor table.  It sits on the deck from Thanksgiving till spring and is no worst for being out in the elements.  Then I polish up the glass and it's ready for Easter.
(for the winter holidays I use banquet tables)

 

The curly willow I have has sprouted leaves
 and roots.  At this time of year, even I need a little green.

 

It can be planted outside and it will grow...if you know anything about willows, they are tenacious.

 

My spring mantle...I've got a few bunnies to add for Easter.  Wonder why I got so busy...

I am a worried Grandma as my sweet p. is sick for the very first time.  She's got a virus and is so sad and sick.  Poor Mom and Dad are experiencing the worst of parenthood, when a child is ill and you feel so helpless.  I held Kristen many a night when she was little...and her brothers.  Holding a feverish child till the dawn is a lonely scary thing.  I've also taken a lethargic baby to the emergency room, only to bring him (Jon Jon) home and have him run around like nothing was ever wrong.  These are the things you can never know until you are a parent yourself.  So if you are so inclined, say a prayer for Penny and for Kris and Doug.

So a crying Grandma ends this post, hoping Penny bounces back quickly, wishing I was there...
Thanks for stopping by.