BONUS!

Some days come with a bonus...a cherry on top if you will. Well, today was just such a day. We finished walking the CHA show and placed several orders which was a good accomplishment all by itself. Ordering at the end of a long day when the brain fog is thick is always a challenge! Our bonus came when we met up with Georgia of Grandma G's! Bless her heart for driving down to have diner with us! We know Georgia through the on line business network we all belong to Make Mine Pink. Georgia has the cutest vintage on line boutique! Do check it out!

I had the pleasure of meeting Georgia at the MMP Retreat in Virginia this past September, but Karen and Georgia had never met. What a hoot! We laughed and laughed till the restaurant was ready to close. I think we just about have Georgia convinced to hop on the plane with us to Tucson tomorrow! See you at the airport Georgia! What a hoot! I know, the picture is bad (sorry Georgia and Karen), but just focus on the cherry on top of those cute felted cupcakes! I love cherries!

DAY 2 AT THE CHA-CHA

Here we are, Day 2, actually, Day one of shopping, at the CHA show in Anaheim, before total exhaustion has set in. Where is Mickey when we need him? We have collected hundreds of catalogs, translating into major poundage to transport home. The displays have been incredible, the sheer volume of ideas overwhelming, and we haven't ordered yet! Tomorrow we have another 2-3 hours of walking and then as many hours of placing orders.



This is such a wonderfully diverse show... the buyers are of all ages, many nationalities and of course, differing interests. The exhibitors are many and the catagories vast... everything from chenille sticks to scrapbook brads and speciality papers. We are in Heaven!!



Yep! Look close, it's a shopping cart!

On The Road Again!

Willie Nelson may be the artist who made this country western song a hit, but it was my nephew who made it a favorite phrase in our family. When he was just little, he sang in his best monotone voice “on the road again, on the road agaiiiiin” for hours and hours upon end! Karen and I are singing that tune this week…yup, were on the road again! We are in Anaheim CA attending the CHA (Craft and Hobby Association Show) looking for supplies and new products for our handmade projects. It was a wild travel day! Three airports, two de-icings, and one dead run through the airport to catch a connecting flight and we are finally here. Too many flight delays to catch the show today, but we’ll have our shopping shoes on tomorrow! By the time we got here, checked in, moved to a new room because the internet signal was too week in the first one….we were starving. Have you ever eaten at a Buca di Beppo? Oh my, fantastic Italian! I’ve never eaten there when it was packed, but it was especially jammed with the show going on nearby. It was so noisy and fun! Sitting next to us was a group of 12 women all Scrappers here for the show. All food is served family style and passed. It was hilarious sitting next to them yelling at the top of the lungs “pass the Pizza” and “do you want any more salad down there”. Too funny!

Here’s a pick of one of our cute waiters and his funny shirt! A good time and great food…what more could you want! Ok, I’ll take a soft bed just about now too! Till tomorrow!
Eileen & Karen

ROSES!!!

If your a frequent blog follower, you know we participate in Make Mine Pinks, Pink Friday promotions as often as we can! This week we are so excited because the theme is one of our favorites, ROSES ROSES! We has just listed a bunch of new vintage and most of them have roses on them! We'll be moving them over to our Pink Friday category and offering a discount to all our Newsletter members. So...if you haven't joined our newsletter group yet, better do it fast! This sale is going to be great! Woo Hoo for Pink Fridays!

WEIGH-IN WEDNESDAYS

Another week has passed! I am always shocked at the way time zips by when I am busy and my mind is working overtime. Have you had a good week? I surely hope so! This morning I jumped on the scale,(not too hard!) expecting to have gained, and SHOCK!!, I have lost 2 pounds. The boys down here have been snacking big time and Nana was requested to make M & M cookies. I did. Mainly, I have tried to up my fruit intake and when I think I must participate in the snacking, I grab another flavored water and have that instead. Undoubtedly my exercise has increased, nothing organized, just chasing after a 4 year old. So, I am pleased. Nothing dramatic, just a slow, steady weight loss, but it is consistent.


On to another week of excitement! I will be returning home again, only to trade underwear and leave again after less than 48 hours. I see that being away from home is tons of fun, but makes it difficult to control eating patterns. This next trip I will have to pack some healthy snacks and really watch what I eat. I will not be near a scale on Wed., so Thursday will be Weigh In next week. Thank you for your support. I hope we can all work this healthy help program together!

Karen

TENACITY

Tenacity: persistent in maintaining, adhering to; seeking something valued or desired; stubborn; strong.



We are down in Marana, north of Tucson, with our grandson for a week of fun. The desert is not my favorite place, I need water nearby, so I need to find the beauty here and it has been difficult. Our 4 year old grandson loves “the Arizona house”. The first morning, he woke up and went outside to check things out. As was standing by him, he looked up and said “Nana, isn't it beautiful here?” I had to ask why, what am I missing? He came back with “I love the cactus, the blue sky, the sunshine and the swimming pool”.
I had to ponder the entire day, what beauty can I find? Finally, the word tenacity came to mind. This vast country is tenacious. It persists in struggling for life, stubborn and strong in fighting the incredible temperatures, lack of rain and now man scraping and scarring the ground in favor of development. Life is tough here. Vegetation growth shuts down during hot and dry months, springing to life again at the advent of rain. The rains can also be so ferocious, flooding the washes and spreading onto roads, ripping the foundations from under them. Yet, the cactus bloom, the delicate wild desert flowers burst into flaming color and the skies are blue. The beauty for me is the tenacity.

Karen

Please visit our website and enjoy the new pieces that I have been adding... growing my own virtue of tenacity!

Atlanta-Fun & Inspiring

We just came back from the Atlanta Gift Market! What a fun trip! My daughter and her husband moved to Atlanta in July so it was definitely a “business mixed with pleasure” trip! I’ve been attending the Atlanta Market for the last eight years with friends or coworkers, but this is the first time my daughter and husband have gone with me.

We stayed in their beautiful new home and commuted in. It worked out just great.

We had a blast at the market too! It was so fun showing them around my favorite market. It was great to have their fresh eyes and opinions as we looked for great new products. I always come back from the market feeling so inspired, ready to tear it up! Just wait till you see our 2009 offerings! It’s going to be a great year!

We even managed to squeeze in some fun this year and visited the Coke Museum. Here we are in our 3D glasses!