uh-oh!

just when i thought i could relax & catch a breather or two
from craft/antique fairs
{as i am feeling craft/antique- faired out!}
this flyer jumped out at me as i gathered my country living mementoes…
i don’t know if i’m game to go to this one at the end of the month.
who knows? curiousity may get the better of me
& i may just check it out!
but for now,
i’m gonna stay put for awhile…
i like adventure just like anybody else…
but not one right after another.

okay?!!!
hey, that’s just me.
a girl’s got to rest & take it easy
every now & again.
you know, to refuel & all that.
& besides, i really want to go to the glitter workshop’s
fall craftacular in november.
& that will be in madison>>>
way closer to home than chi-town!
***
on another note,
i just finished pairing up gals for the cookie swap {yay!}.
i will notify each member tomorrow.
it’s gonna be a good bunch of cookie swappers>>>i can just tell {smile}.
i’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s creations…
okay,
it’s late & i really need to go to bed now!
bonne nuit
catch ya later!

meandering

through the chicago botanic garden… just wonderfully serene & tranquil…

the last time i walked through these lovely grounds was nine years ago, when i had been an actual member…all sorts of memories came rushing back as i eased my way & leisurely strolled in & around the beautiful gardens. my favorite area is the english walled garden>>>i think because it feels like a secret garden, with its high leafy walls & seating nooks to contemplate the day away…
a couple of newlyweds were seen to take their outdoor after wedding ceremony shots here…how happy the brides looked…

there is something magical about being there>>> it is a place that truly delights the senses & fills the soul. making time to visit & savor the delights of a magical place, now that is a good thing {smile}. 

hey cookie swappers

i haven’t forgotten about the cookie swap pairings…
just trying to unwind after being away from home for awhile…
will get right on it today & will notify each & everyone of you
via your personal or flickr email,

hopefully by tomorrow…
thank you for your understanding & patience as i “detox” from all my recent adventures…
oh yes, i haven’t forgotten about the lucky recipients of this past week’s
wysiwyg wednesday…i will be mailing out your freebies shortly
(just waiting on overwhelmed to send me her snail mail addy
& for suzie q to return from her vacation)…
also, i will be sending out some orders from my etsy shop
as well as updating it…
busy, busy sunday…
i wouldn’t have it any other way.

day trippin’

as i took country roads back home yesterday, i drove into the resort town of lake geneva…i was talking to my sis looney on my cell when i said to her, what’s going on over here? well, i just happened onto the town’s oktoberfest! how serendipitous! naturally, my sis was like, stop & check it out & take lots of pictures please! i have never been to this town, even though i live about an hour or so west of here… so i parked the jeep & checked it out>>>it’s a cutsey little touristy town & i imagine in the summer this place must be jammed pack with tourists! i walked around, tho didn’t buy anything, just soaked it all in…they were just setting up when i happened by… i did go up to the creative elements shop>>>cannot resist perusing stationary/paperie stores! i’ll have to remember to head back there to get some of their speciality papers…
of course, what’s cheeseland without its cheese?! nice samplings at this little local shop…didn’t catch the name as i was far too busy nibbling on all those cheese samples! of course, i had to refrain & not hog up all the cheese bites! there was this apple-bacon concoction that was actually quite good…have to remember to come back to this place when i am not so anxious to get home…maybe i will take my mom & sisters here when they come to visit next…
the next town over, delavan, has this fab antique mall which i have to say, i could not just drive idly by! i know i had told joe i was an hour away, but i simply could not drive away from there! so a quick stop! i love the prices here (no 4+-digit pricing going on here, no siree bob!)…i picked up some vintage song books, buttons & postcards…
& after a morning of adventure, i finally made it back home to joe & the kitties>>>these are the withering cornfields (see annie & brad>>>there’s all this kind of stuff by me!) as you approach our humble abode…yep, i’m definitely not in maine or chicago anymore…but you know what? it’s good to finally come home to my joe!

more goodies

last friday after the fair, i was (understandably so) wicked tired! & instead of driving myself back to cheeseland that night (& joe didn’t want me to drive home in an exhausted state), i hung out with my pal angie wangie & got better acquainted with her buds, jennifer & lori (not sure how she spells her name). we had a nice dinner at a local eatery not too far from the botanic garden & the hotel angie, et al were staying. i’m glad i waited until morning to head back home, because i so hate nighttime driving & i was very tired…

it was a fun, impromtu girls nite out>>>we even picked up some cocktails at a local liquor store to take back to the hotel room & have an old-fashioned slumber party (i hadn’t done this, apart from hanging with my sisters, for ages!)… can you believe this?>>> the man at the liquor store carded me! well, all-right is all i gotta say! & i found my most favorite blueberry beer (bar harbor brewery) there (yippee!!!!)… it was a most enjoyable evening catching up with my long-time friend angie & meeting & getting to know her pals…

yesterday morning i started my trek back home…i decided to take a different route home as i didn’t want to backtrack to chicago (argh, the highways & traffic there are ATROCIOUS!)…as i left illinois & entered cheeseland in kenosha, i decided to gas up when i spotted a cracker barrel nearby (my friend annie loves this place>>>ever since she came to visit me last april, she has been hoping one would crop up in maine!)…thought i’d check out their country store>>>& i’m glad that i did bec. they were having sales! NOW we’re talking my kinda prices, hehehe!
like some of these halloween trinkets (the pumpkin votive holder & faux carved pumpkin & cat/pumpkin pin were from cracker barrel; the rest i found recently at the christmas tree shop in south portland, maine)…
i couldn’t resist taking this pocketbook home from the cracker barrel>>>it was seriously marked down (50% off)!!! it will be my new fall carry-all>>> i am such a sucker for butterflies & flowers!
when i finally made my way home (more about that later), i found this halloween prezzie from my pal explosive kitten. sadly, there was not enough interest in her secret swap, so she sent this “thanks for trying” goodie package…she made the pumpkin doll, isn’t it darlin? & the little treat bag was yummy! thanks ek for your generous prezzie…only sorry that the secret swap didn’t take off as you had hoped! i would have greatly enjoyed it!
a few months ago, i won this from ebay (actually won a preorder) & it arrived while i was at my sister’s! i’m so wicked excited!!!!! i absolutely, positively LOVE the aussie series, mcleod’s daughters (i so wish the WE cable channel hadn’t cancelled this series!)…so now i’m resorting to buying the release of american dvds!!!! the show is in it’s 7th or 8th season (wouldn’t know now as i’ve been caught off thanks to we channel!)…well, anyhoo, something to strive for>>>to collect all the dvds…i cannot get enough of this show! i just admire stories about strong, independent & intelligent women (& the men casted in the series are not too shabby>>> definitely easy on the eyes, lol)!

well, i have more to share, so stayed tuned…

friday’s finds {late entry}

gosh! it’s been ages since i posted something for friday’s finds… since i went to the cl fair on opening day this past friday, here are some {quite modest} things i picked up there {i’m still waiting to receive the box of my maine loot that i had mailed to myself when i was in maine, lol!}>>> a $10.00 usd tee (a virtual bargain compared to the 4+-digit price tags i saw there)…
cool biz cards, cost:free {except for the farm chicks’ stickers @ $1.00usd each & the sweet photo of child>>>that one was actually in my pocketbook & cost me a mere .25 cents at the montsweag flea market in maine}
assortment of free (doncha just love freebies?!) flyers, brouchures & postcards (except for the santa postcard, which was hand pressed by julie belcher of yee-haw industries & cost me $4.00 usd>>>i know, i “splurged”, lol!)
& small ticket items ranging from $7.00 usd (the kitty ornament made out of glass glitter) to $1.00 usd (like the vintage christmas decals & dies as well as sweet sticker foils >>>click on pic to enlarge)… believe me, if money were not an issue, i would have been shopping till i drop!!!

while it cost me $24 (12 for tix & 12 for parking!) plus not to mention, the $$$ for gas to get there from my sis’ house & the $7.00 + change for my “gourmet” hotdog lunch) to attend this event, the memories i have taken away from this whole country living experience: priceless.