Monday, September 21, 2009

this could be long.. yup.. its long!



The country living fair!


What a weekend! first of all, we all three left friday am on approx 3 hours of sleep each. But we were excited and ready to have fun. We left my house at 5:00 am Nataleas at 6:30 and arrived at the country living fair at noonish! We got a perfect parking spot and spent the next five hours in heaven! This show is not your average craft show. EVery thing there is high quality, we wanted to look at everything, and I'm pretty sure we didnt miss a thing! My favorite spot was the earth angels tent. OMG.. I felt like an over whelmed fat kid in a candy store or bakery!
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Beautiful awesome artwork in that tent. I wanted one of everything! I was mostly drawn to Jody battaglia, letty woorley, Nicole bowen, pat murphy, and valerie weberpal's work, But didnt buy anything at that time. I knew I wanted to get through all the booths and come back the next day with a plan! It twas also very neat to meet some of the artists! We felt like we were meeting celebrities!


The next thing we did was find Kecia of Lemoncholys. I was excited to get to meet her! Kecia had a great booth full of her fun artwork. she makes great jewelry and art dolls. I screwed up though and didnt take any pictures of her booth! DUH!! She had painted a large old doll green and dressed her like a witch for a display piece. Lots of people were commenting on her. I so wish I had pics to show you of her. I was able to help Kecia out and watch her booth for her several times during the weekend, so that she could get a quick break. Kecias personality is just like her art work; fun and funky!



We wandered the rest of the show and then met up with Kecia and her friends for dinner at a great restaurant. Elizabeth from Creative Breathing also met up with us there. I was so happy to meet these two girls who I've been talking to here in blogger land for quite a while. Kecia and I had been planning on doing a swap together and had decided this would be the perfect time to do it, and Elizabeth and I were partners in my pinkeep swap so we also exchanged at this time too. Doing your swaps in person is fun!


Elizabeth is the sweetest soul ever! she has a soft sweet voice and a personality to match. I was soo happy to be able to meet her in person. If you havent checked out her or kecias blogs be sure to do so!!

We did our swaps at the restaurant that evening and I love what the girls made for me. i hope they loved what I made for them as well!

Kecia made me the sweetest little art doll on a wonderful old bottle full of marbles. She has music wrapped around her neck and little tiny fairy wings as well. she is perfect and is now residing on the shelf above my work table where I can keep an eye on her and her on me! I love her, thank you so much Kecia! Oh, and check out the lion on the key she is wearing..
Isnt this just an awesome little artdoll? I feel so lucky to have her! thank you again Kecia!

I made Kecia the little halloween bear sitting on the round box. You saw him back a posts ago.
Elizabeth was in my halloween pinkeep swap, so I made her a black cat kitty pinkeep, also shown a few posts back. I also made her a little gourd man and skeleton girl. And she made me the sweetest things. Really her spirit and personality shines through in her work... as does Kecias!


Check out the vintage crepe paper and little card..
now look at this sweet little pinkeep halloween crow sitting on a jar of buttons! and look at all those awesome little purple flowers! LOVE this!

And did you notice this heart? Elizabeth makes these special hearts for people. I feel so honored to have one.. look at the tiny bear and little bluebirds.. beautiful! thank you Elizabeth!


And look at these precious little snowman jars! "I is spoiled I tell ya!"

Dont ya just love it all? Kecias sweet and funkiness and Elizabeths total cuteness! I couldnt have been happier and Love my gifts! thank you so much to both of you!

Well, you will be surprised to know that I really didnt buy too much! I bought the punch needle kit above.. and this Wonderful little Jody Battaglia bear below! I love this sweet little creation!

I also bought this great necklace from Kecia. The little charm I got somewhere else.. cute huh?

I bought this old mirror dresser set for my daughter for her birthday. She loved it. I ended up running to a place in the city on sunday and finding a mirrored tray to go with it.


I did pick up a few other little things and some art supplies, but thats it!
We had a great time.. so much talking and laughing that we got sore throats! Poor Nataleas dad had been sick and was not doing well and he passed away on Friday night. so that put a little damper on things. but we dealt with it and carried on. NAtaleas a trooper. Im so glad we got to spend the weekend together. She did get a speeding ticket on the way down.. two hours into the trip. Geeky trooper.. I tried to be friendly and talked to him, hoping that he would let her off.. but he didnt.. We did learn that his birthday is october 4th though! Coming home we stopped for some redbull to keep our driver awake and we told some interesting stories about our pasts! SECRETS!! such fun.. then we got back to nataleas and my husband was supposed to pick us up at 11:00.. didnt get there until after 12:30, because he fell asleep on the couch!!!!! We were so tired and you know when your tired how you can laugh.. omg.. did we laugh.. I was snorting!!!

anyways.. we had a great time.. I'm already hoping to go again next year! (looks like I'm mauling the girls in these two pics!) I just love them both!


Are you still with me?? I need to show you some things that Ive recieved in the mail lately! LOOK AT THIS!!! this is my shadow box from Lori Karla. She was my shadow box partner. Love it love it love it! thank you Lori!


This is a sweet little piece from Sandy Camarda, a hostess giftie for hosting an ornament swap that we are doing! I love my little doll Sandy! thank you!

And this sweet sweet little bear, hanky and teacup and saucer was a sweet surprise from Suze.. OMG! just look at how cute he is! thank you so much Suze! She sent him for really no reason other then that she thought that I would appreciate him. I am his new caretaker.. Shes had him forever! I dont know how
she could part with such a sweet little thing! thank you !!

Then there's this sweet package recieved from my good friend Cindy owens.. These are the things she sent me with her pinkeep as she was one of my pinkeep partners! I love it all!! and just look at the awesome little halloween pinkeep! Thank you SOO MUCH Cindy!


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thats all girls.. Now.. I have to get caught up on all of your blogs!

24 comments:

Mary Isabella and Kiley too! said...

Just one word WOOOOW!!!!!!!

Carrie @ Cottage Cozy said...

Wow Viv! I just knew I was going to be missing out on a wonderful weekend. Glad you girls all had so much fun...just fabulous!

Prayers are with Natalea and her family!
Stay Cozy, Carrie

Anonymous said...

What a fun post.

Suze's little bear is so adorable.

Diane Shiffer said...

Oh how fun!! That looks like it was an amazing craft show.... I haven't done anything like that in years and years and years. So glad you went and filled us all in on all the details, so I could enjoy it vicariously;)

Have a wonderful day, my dear♥

kathy said...

OH how much fun you had -- Glad the weather was great --we are having a monsoon here -- All your goodies are adorable --
Yipee will be waitingfor my sweet little bears arrival --You are so sweet VIV-- Kathy - ga

Susan said...

OMG! What a wonderful trip you had and the great things you've acquired. I'm jealous. Get togethers like that are always a good thing.


Sorry to hear about Natalea's dad.

Kai said...

THANK YOU, VIV! I am SO HAPPY because you made me feel as tho' I'd been right there WITH all of you! Your photos are awesome; they're a pictorial DIARY of your good times! LOVE all the goodies you received, all the booths & people you shared with us, and most of all, love YOU!

Carla said...

WOW Viv!!! Great photos of so many wonderful things! Just love them. I'm so jealous. I also am the lucky recipient of one of E's gorgeous hearts. And, I wanted to reply to your email but you are set to no reply. :(

Heather ~Pretty Petals said...

what a wonderful trip with friends!!!! I bet it WAS fun to do the swaps in person... you got such lovely things.

xoxo Heather

Sycamore Moon Studios said...

Wahhhh! I want to go next year. I keep putting it on my list, but never get out there. *Sigh*

Lori said...

Viv, the country living fair looks like it was so much fun...i love all of those cuties in your first set of pics...how fun that you were able to share the fair with some of your blogging buddies...the swap goodies you received are SO wonderful...how fun that you did it in person...that heart from Elizabeth is SO pretty and sweet...love it!!!



ps: i will watching for my mail:)

AwtemNymf said...

Welcome Back Home Viv. Glad you had a blast! You are awesome company! :O)
Great finds too! Hugs!

Bearly Sane said...

Well it certainly looks like you have been having fun and getting into mischief!
Love that early shot of those pumpkins, they look fab...actually they are all great photos and wonderful memories of a fun weekend, thanks for sharing.
Hugs,
Sandi

Bearly Sane said...

Hi Viv!
Back again to annoy you!
I have an award here for you if you'd like to accept it.
I realize that some bloggers are "Award Free" and rules sometimes must give way to practicality. So, even if you can't play along please accept this award and my sincere belief that you deserve it.
Hugs,
Sandi

Fran said...

OMG!! What fun y'all had. Wish I had been there. I only dream about craft shows like that. Las Vegas had craft shows BUT NOT LIKE THAT!! Glad you had fun.
Hugs
Fran

Unknown said...

LOVE all the pix and I'm glad you like my sewing Charlotte. I want the doll on the yellow chair in the last pic. you took at the fair!!! Anywho, we had a great time as well but I'm still in Cali. Will talk more when I return :)

Sand xo

Anonymous said...

holy moly! I bet you were in crafting heaven! hehe bighugs

toodles-
Sarah

Just Between Us Girls said...

Wow I love all the things you purchased at the art fair. Love the jewelry with the charms and the art dolls. What a wonderful time was that. Stop over to my blog when you have a chance and see what we are doing this October. Wish you could be there.
Have fun whatever you are doing.
Pat

Sassafras and LuLu said...

Hi Ya, Viv! Wow, you found me again. Thanks for looking for me, yep i am back! Nothing like a "swap" to begin with, right? Sounds like you had a great time...fun show and good friends! luv the special pillow made for you and everything else. Just trying to catch up after sooo long and see what you all are up to. Have to come back soon and check out what you have been crafting too, they are always the cutest creations.
hugs, Carol

ginger@bearbits said...

Hi Viv, I arrived here through my faerie window which ended up being very serendipitous. I enjoyed your photos from the fair and certainly wish I could have gone myself. Well, this is the next best thing. Thanks so much for sharing! I saw some familiar artists' work and I can see why you had a fabulous time.

Barbara said...

oh my GOSH...THAT SHOW WAS DIVINE!!! WHAT FUN!!! next year? oh goodness...what a road trip! thanks for sharing all the memories...FUN FUN FUN!!!

Libby Buttons said...

Awesome! The weather was perfect.....can't wait for next year.

Melanie @ Whimsical Creations said...

WOW, sounds like an AMAZING time!! What an FABULOUS show!

Merci-Notes said...

Yes~ WOW!!!
LOADS of fun! I bet I could stay awake with all of the fun to be had!
thank you so for sharing it all with us!!!
Hugs,
Mary