Visiting the RAM

I'm sorry I've been a little absent lately.....I've been trying to concentrate on getting myself in better shape with a little help from this place, along with subbing many days while the teachers recuperate from a sick bug that's been going around our school for quite some time. (If they aren't sick, their kids are and they have to stay home to play nurse.)

Anyways, my hubby and I spent a delightful morning yesterday checking out the sites at our local arts market. Here's the logo with the name, but if you are a local, we simply call it the RAM.
Lots of really neat stuff there. I could have spent a good bit of money. One thing I did buy from a really sweet lady (we talked a good while about what kind of sewing machine I should purchase next) were these Bird-E Towels. Here's a neat picture I found on her etsy site.

And here's a shot (from her site again) of them all stacked up and tagged. I love her new logo!

I've been using barmop towels for quite a while as a way to reduce my paper towel usage. I really like them, but I am finding that after a bit of time, they tend to shred and leave lots of little fibers hanging around. Kerri assured me that these towels were super absorbent, fast drying and strong. I can't wait to try them out.

I also picked up a set of flannel cloths that I will use to tuck into lunchboxes instead of paper napkins. My youngest has been carrying a cloth napkin everyday in her lunch this year (she does not like the hot lunches at school so she brings a lunchbox almost every day) but I noticed they seem a little big for proportions. I think this size will be perfect.

I'm also working on a set of holiday stationery that I will photography today and get up for you to check out. And also, I may d-r-a-g out my dusty sewing machine (we got in a fight about a month ago and haven't "spoken" since) and work on a stationery holder to complete my gift set. No pattern here, I'm just going to "wing it" --- that means I'm going to ask my faithful engineer-of-a-husband to construct a pattern for me to play with. He's so good at it. Until then....

Birthday Trip

We made a special drive down to Orlando yesterday to visit this incredible place--
Can you tell that I'm still excited about it? It was my very first time visiting an Ikea and what a great time it was!

We looked and we looked and we shopped and then we shopped some more! It was a little visually overwhelming, but once I "collected" myself, I managed to organized my "desires" and I came home with a few treats. Happy Birthday to me! I'll share some peeks later!

Shop Hopping

Have you heard about the "Shop Hop?" If you don't live near northeast Florida, then probably not.....here's the logo for this year's event: A group of girlfriends and I have gone every year since it began (3 years total) and it is going on this week. We had a great time yesterday visiting four different stores, checking out all of their scrappie goodness and also participating in some exciting giveaways (this has to be the year one of us wins something). We also relaxed over a yummy lunch and shared some funny stories and a few giggles.

Saturday we are headed out of town to visit three more stores and then back into town for a few more. We are so fortunate to have some really great local scrapbook stores around.

Yesterday, I was able to find some really cute things which I will share later....either in a finished project, or maybe straight from my loot bag. So, if you are looking for me this week, I'll be shop hopping!!