No Time To Stamp?

Hi everyone!  Home again!!!  I’m late, as usual, and you may have read on other blogs, but several of the Stamp Simply Challenge girls met for a weekend in Shipshewana, Indiana.  What FUN to get to meet these lovely ladies in real life — and I have several photos to share but first a bit about Shipshewana — a small town in northern Indiana filled with  horses, buggies, people of the Amish faith, little gift shops and great restaurants! 

On our way down (we came via Milwaukee, Chicago) we stopped in at Joan’s Garden.  Well, what a treat that was!!! And I’m just kicking myself I don’t have photos, but as soon as I get to blog hopping and find some, I’ll put links here. (OK, here are Darlene’s great photos from Joan’s Garden.) Joan’s Garden is the name of Joan’s little shop and her blog; however, her home could be aptly named.  Her gardens are absolutely beautiful with THE most inviting pond and waterfall.  We got the grand tour and relaxed by the pond with delish!!! homemade fresh blueberry pie!!!!  There we met Tammy and Darlene who had spent the previous night on their journey to Shipshewana.  And I am SURE those ladies will be telling you all about their lovely bedrooms at Joans!

On Friday night we all just got acquainted and played a silly game I love to play (you know me and games) and I think we colored for a bit as well.  Then we enjoyed dinner together at one of the local eateries!  Then Saturday morning after breakfast we all headed out to shop!  What fun!!!

I thought this table setting was so pretty and wanted to photo these girls with it.  Left to right are Tammy Hershberger, Darlene Pavlick and Joan Fricker.  I didn’t purchase much on this trip (other than clothes in Milwaukee on the way down), only a few things for photo props.  At this store I bought a pretty doily for under a card, I got another doily from another store and some wire photo hanger display things at a gas station of all places, in Wisconsin. I hope they work for what I intend!

Here’s our entire group at another store in Shipshewana.  The clerk was kind enough to take the picture for us.   Back left to right:  Tammy Hershberger, Janine Orchard, Sharon Johnson (me), Joan Fricker. Front:  Pat Adam (Julie’s Mom), Julie Koerber, Darlene Pavlick.

Just another fun shopping photo of Julie and Janine, and it looks like Janine is buying something!  After shopping for a good part of the day we returned to our motel to relax a bit and to find out Julie had done a little shopping for all of us!  She had purchased odds and ends of papers and embellishments at the scrapbook store, divided them up between all of us, and told us we had to make a card with what she gave us.  So that we did!  Here’s what we made with our given items –

It was then time to head out to eat again where we enjoyed lots of good laughs over dinner.  Afterwards we all congregated in Julie and Pat’s suite to have some heartfelt conversation and to write in the adorable  journals Janine had made for us all.  Our time together was nearing an end, and it was sad.

This was at Sunday morning breakfast where we pretty much had to say our goodbyes.  Notice the *I Got Stamped in Shipshewana* t-shirts that Darlene and Joan are wearing!  Too funny!!!  A gift from Janine to all of us.

Another Sunday morning shot shortly before leaving the hotel.   And are we planning to do this again — absolutely!  Same time next year, new place!  Time will tell!!

I just can’t express how fun it was to actually meet all of these women face to face!  We, of course, all KNEW each other, and you know, we TRULY DID!  It’s such a unique experience to meet someone you’ve known online for several years and actually see them IRL, hear their voices and watch them smile and laugh!  Most definitely worth all those hours of travel and something I very much look forward to doing again!  Thank you ladies, for this experience.  I truly enjoyed each second of it!!!

Now, what’s on my agenda next?  Well, lots!  I came home to many boxes in our front porch filled with new things I had ordered for the Stamp Simply Ribbon Store — Page 3, Supplies and Fun Stuff.  No card making for me until I get all those items loaded in for you all to see, which I hope I can complete sometime on Wednesday.  Not ribbon, not tools, but just *fun stuff* to use in cardmaking!!!  Hope you can check in sometime to see!

Then on July 31/August 1 our local ladies have planned our annual stamping event right here at home in Baraga, MI — Stamping in the UP of Michigan.  I just checked the thread at SCS and it appears to me there are still 2 openings if anyone is interested.  Just click the link above to read more about it.  All pertinent info is at the top of the thread. 

So, lots on the agenda — add in some company and the usual daily routine — and away go the days!  And if all goes well, I HOPE to get a card done really, really soon!!! Fingers crossed.  Thanks for stopping in and hope to see you again real soon!