Back From My First CKC Convention in Buffalo!
Well I did it! I went to the Scrapbooking Convention called CKC Buffalo (Creating Keepsakes Convention) sponsored obviously by the magazine called Creating Keepsakes. It started Thursday night and ended Saturday night and it was filled with very good classes (on various scrapbook and card making topics), crops and a vendor faire where you could spend WAAAAAAY too much money on sb products. It was held at the Buffalo Convention Center and I stayed at the Adam's Mark hotel which is about a ten minute walk from the Convention Center....not too bad unless you're lugging around a huge rolling scrapbooking tote. I learned that next year I won't bring half as much because you get most of your products that you'd work on in an evening crop during your daily classes or at the vendor faire. Live and learn!
I was hoping that a few of my very loyal "sweatshoppe girls" would be attending the conference with me but this time of year just isn't good for them as most go camping on the weekends when the weather breaks. So I decided to go by myself, like a big girl (ha!) I did run into my friends Laurie and Donna for a few minutes on Friday; Laurie was on a very short "roadtrip" to shop at the vendor faire, and Donna was working at the faire for the LSS she works for called Buffalo Stamps and Stuff.
I took a total of three classes on Friday and also volunteered as a Teaching Assistant on Friday from 9:30-1pm. In one of my classes I ran into a friend Marcea, who I later learned was going to be in one of my afternoon classes, as well as attending the crop that night. Phew; I thought I would not know a soul. I also met a new scrapbooking friend, Fran, and we learned once again what a small world we live in. Fran knows my husband Dan and my bil Frank from working at the 911 center in Rochester for 28 years! There are NO coincidences! So I attended a few classes with Fran as well as the crop that night and we will definitely be keeping in touch.
That evening I worked restocking products at a vendor's booth, (Dollar Scrapbooking), from 5:15-7pm before my evening crop started (7-11:30pm). I have to admit, however, that at 52, I probably shouldn't have booked my day quite so fully because by 7pm I was EXHAUSTED. I stayed until 9ish and walked back to the hotel where I promptly got into my jammies and watched a little TV before I zonked out for the night.
I was a little less rushed on Saturday, only scheduled to take 2 classes, but I did start my day off right by going back to the vendor faire to visit one booth in particular that I heard about for the first time on Friday night....Melissa Frances. I LOVE her product line!!!! She offers beautiful scrapbooking and home decor products, and they are very sweet and vintage"y" so I was totally in my glory. I actually got to meet the founder/president, Melissa Frances, who was very down to earth and approachable. We talked for a few minutes and I very assertively told her that I'd like to work for her. Bold move huh? Well it's true. When you know something is just right you better strike while the iron's hot right? Who knows when an opportunity like that will present itself again. So we'll see what happens! I've known I'd like to work in the scrapbooking industry for quite a while but the opportunity hasn't presented itself, so I'm just trying to get something started! Keep your fingers crossed that something good comes out of this!
My favorite class was the one presented by Simple Scrapbooks Magazine author Cathy Zielske. She is hilarious! I could listen to her forever so I just added her blog to my favorites on my blog in case you want to check her out. She truly has a great attitude about scrapbooking, but I don't know if I could ever journal the way she does. I'll give it the old college try though!
Dan and the kids faired very well on their own, as usual, but I missed Danny getting his cast off on Friday afternoon. He was a little freaked out about it, and he still has emotional moments wondering if the surgery worked and when he'll be able to function normally, but he's doing well considering all he's been through!
All in all it was a great (but tiring) weekend. I learned some great new techniques, met some terrific new people, and got away from it all for a few days to revive myself and rethink how great my life truly is and how blessed I am to have such a terrific husband, kids and home! Somehow I think I should be ending this post by chanting three times "there's no place like home, there's no place like home...."(I know I'm weird).
Happy 1/2 Birthday Aidan!
How time flies! Aidan turned 6 months old on Sunday...and today was his 6 month physical; he's perfectly healthy and the doctor says he's right on target developmentally. You can't ask for anything better than that right? So here are a few of the latest pics of our healthy, happy and handsome Grandson!
Meghan's new bedroom -- Finally!
For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while you know that we've been working on finishing our third floor and making it into Meghan's new bedroom (seeing as I took over her room when she moved to college and made it into my scrapbooking room). Well, it's pretty much finished so I'm attaching a few pics for you to see how it all turned out. She's happy with it....need I say more? Note the black chandelier she wanted....that I ended up buying at an antique coop and painted it black and added all the "bling". I love how it turned out!
The rest show the red/white/black theme and the photo hanging above her dresser (the long red gown) was the inspiration for the entire room...fyi. The powder room is right off of her bedroom so she has almost a little apartment of her own...lucky girl! Enjoy!
More auction treasures!
Last Saturday morning Dan and I headed off to an auction in Naples; at an antique shop that had gone out of business (I think it was called Karen's Collectables). Anyways, I got some great treasures and took some photos today to share. I don't know what possessed me to bid on these little goodies but they were colorful and cute and kitchy so I did and I'm pretty sure I got all of the Italian porcelain for a whopping $9....no kidding! I started researching this stuff on Ebay and come to find out it even has a name for it...it's called "Capodimonte" and the authentic hand painted porcelain pieces usually have special markings on the bottom; which I tried to take a photo of but it didn't show up so I gave up. I got one additional piece that I had to give to my Colleen because it was a white braided basket filled with cherries and that's what her kitchen decor is....all cherries. So unfortunately I don't have a photo of that one. But here are pics of the rest along with photos of two pieces of milkglass fenton footed bowls and one chamber pot that I got at the same auction.
And a special secret for my sweatshoppe girls; I got a few little antique paper "goodies" that I'm going to RAK each of you and start a little contest to see who can put them to good use on an up coming scrapbook page. So sweatshoppers if you read this please let me know if you'd prefer:
a) sheet music
b) an advertisement from an old McCalls or Life Magazine
c) an actual article from an old magazine (versus advertisement)
Enjoy!
Ok, so he's not quite 6 months old yet.....my BAD!
Yesterday was Tuesday....YEAH! That's my day with "my boy" and I always try to get a few "great shots" and yesterday I think I succeeded. Of course with the blazing heat, Aidan was lounging around in just a diaper....perfect opportunity to get some great baby belly shots...but this time a little thumb caught his attention and mine, so here are a few of my favorite photos from yesterday. He was so happy, and peaceful and snuggly....what color car or pony did you say you want Aidan?
Vidler's 5 and 10 Store...Look for the Red & White striped awnings!
On the way to CKC Buffalo I made a detour and finally visited Vidler's 5 and 10 Store in East Aurora NY. I had first heard about it from my friend Laurie, but then I saw their commercial which intriqued me. I've been meaning to go for at least a year now but never had the chance so I took it on Friday afternoon.
WOW is all I can say. This store has been around since 1930 and covers four consecutive buildings on Main Street in E. Aurora. It is like the old Woolworths stores for those of us old enough to remember, but it has tons more stuff than Woolworths ever did. If you ever have a chance to be in the Buffalo NY area you just have to check it out. It's definitely worth the trip!
Here are just a few of the things sold at Vidlers': penny candy, girl scout uniforms, kitchen gadgets, tea pots, garden signs, books, stationery, candles, Crabtree & Evelyn, jewelry, toys, vintage style hankies, yard goods (material), a few scrapbooking products along with some rubber stamps, greeting cards, women's boutique clothing, birthday banners, potting soil, lace curtains, aprons....and the list goes on, and on and on. Don't miss it!
Back From My First CKC Convention in Buffalo!
Well I did it! I went to the Scrapbooking Convention called CKC Buffalo (Creating Keepsakes Convention) sponsored obviously by the magazine called Creating Keepsakes. It started Thursday night and ended Saturday night and it was filled with very good classes (on various scrapbook and card making topics), crops and a vendor faire where you could spend WAAAAAAY too much money on sb products. It was held at the Buffalo Convention Center and I stayed at the Adam's Mark hotel which is about a ten minute walk from the Convention Center....not too bad unless you're lugging around a huge rolling scrapbooking tote. I learned that next year I won't bring half as much because you get most of your products that you'd work on in an evening crop during your daily classes or at the vendor faire. Live and learn!
I was hoping that a few of my very loyal "sweatshoppe girls" would be attending the conference with me but this time of year just isn't good for them as most go camping on the weekends when the weather breaks. So I decided to go by myself, like a big girl (ha!) I did run into my friends Laurie and Donna for a few minutes on Friday; Laurie was on a very short "roadtrip" to shop at the vendor faire, and Donna was working at the faire for the LSS she works for called Buffalo Stamps and Stuff.
I took a total of three classes on Friday and also volunteered as a Teaching Assistant on Friday from 9:30-1pm. In one of my classes I ran into a friend Marcea, who I later learned was going to be in one of my afternoon classes, as well as attending the crop that night. Phew; I thought I would not know a soul. I also met a new scrapbooking friend, Fran, and we learned once again what a small world we live in. Fran knows my husband Dan and my bil Frank from working at the 911 center in Rochester for 28 years! There are NO coincidences! So I attended a few classes with Fran as well as the crop that night and we will definitely be keeping in touch.
That evening I worked restocking products at a vendor's booth, (Dollar Scrapbooking), from 5:15-7pm before my evening crop started (7-11:30pm). I have to admit, however, that at 52, I probably shouldn't have booked my day quite so fully because by 7pm I was EXHAUSTED. I stayed until 9ish and walked back to the hotel where I promptly got into my jammies and watched a little TV before I zonked out for the night.
I was a little less rushed on Saturday, only scheduled to take 2 classes, but I did start my day off right by going back to the vendor faire to visit one booth in particular that I heard about for the first time on Friday night....Melissa Frances. I LOVE her product line!!!! She offers beautiful scrapbooking and home decor products, and they are very sweet and vintage"y" so I was totally in my glory. I actually got to meet the founder/president, Melissa Frances, who was very down to earth and approachable. We talked for a few minutes and I very assertively told her that I'd like to work for her. Bold move huh? Well it's true. When you know something is just right you better strike while the iron's hot right? Who knows when an opportunity like that will present itself again. So we'll see what happens! I've known I'd like to work in the scrapbooking industry for quite a while but the opportunity hasn't presented itself, so I'm just trying to get something started! Keep your fingers crossed that something good comes out of this!
My favorite class was the one presented by Simple Scrapbooks Magazine author Cathy Zielske. She is hilarious! I could listen to her forever so I just added her blog to my favorites on my blog in case you want to check her out. She truly has a great attitude about scrapbooking, but I don't know if I could ever journal the way she does. I'll give it the old college try though!
Dan and the kids faired very well on their own, as usual, but I missed Danny getting his cast off on Friday afternoon. He was a little freaked out about it, and he still has emotional moments wondering if the surgery worked and when he'll be able to function normally, but he's doing well considering all he's been through!
All in all it was a great (but tiring) weekend. I learned some great new techniques, met some terrific new people, and got away from it all for a few days to revive myself and rethink how great my life truly is and how blessed I am to have such a terrific husband, kids and home! Somehow I think I should be ending this post by chanting three times "there's no place like home, there's no place like home...."(I know I'm weird).
