weekend in phoenix

Goodmorning from one tired artist! I'm sitting in a little room at the Embassy Suites in Phoenix. When I left my room this morning Stacie was still snoozing..(she was on her back with the pillow on top of her face...how can people breath like that? My allergies have been so horrible here that I can hardly breath with nothing over my face!) and Norma was doing a happy dance because she'd just learned that she could tape her 4 shipped boxes together and just check them onto the plane for an extra $40...it had cost her $250 to ship them here from Florida.

We have had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, due to my half a brain, Stacie didn't arrive until 6pm on Friday, while Norma and I got here on Thursday at 6pm. This was my first time to see her face to face and I'm in love. She is this tiny red head (with blond "chunks of color") who is a total firecracker. I called her name (I looked like poop as I was ready for the shuttle that morning by the skin of my teeth, no time for makeup and having white trash fingernails (red chippy...well, not that bad but definately not good enough) so she was looking at me like...you're NOT tracy roos!! We just stood there hugging then staring at each other grinning like fools. We went to get our bags laughing and talking a mile a minute. While I waited for my bags, she went to get the rental car. I met her at the rental car desk and she was shmoozing her way into an SUV for the price of a much cheaper car...the guy at the desk, much younger and very cute was flirting away...I'm thinking, dang, here's a woman with confidence. :) We spent the night getting settled into our rooms, showing each other all the fun stuff we'd brought...exchanging presents, etc. The next morning I said...hey, lets go eat breakfast before we shower and get ready for the day...we threw on our clothes, brushed ratty hair and set off...we ran into some of our favorite artists teaching or vending at the event on the way...Karen Michel, (sounds like Michelle, for those of you NOT in the know....which I found out last year after calling her Karen Michael and getting corrected) and Susan Lennard Kasmer? I know I spelled that wrong....we also ran into a living doll, Randi F. Watts?? sorry, as many of my know, my memory is poop)...who ate breakfast with us. We spent bucks before even leaving the hotel at the Ink It! table in the lobby!! We headed to Michaels first to look for the new issue of Somerset Studio magazine...no luck, but we did find some cool ribbon and I bought some fun yarn and a crochet scarf book. We met a funny lady named Elvira and of course had to pose for a picture with her. We then headed to Memory Makers...the home base of 7 Gypsies...yep, met the skinny, gorgous, Engish sister of the husband half of the husband/wife team that make up the wonderful company. I refuse tell how much money I spent there for fear my sweet, loving hubby will decide to read my journal for the first time!! I went NUTS! Of course, I bought out EVERY ISSUE of Somerset Studio....(My Artist Playing Card deck has a 6 page feature in this new issue!) This was my FIRST time to see the article and they've been sold out all over town. I bought one of the issues for ME and the other 6 to sell and display at my vendor's table. By the time we left, I was not only dehydrated...I was tired, hungry and needing to sit down. We must have spent 3 hours at that shop. If anyone goes to phoenix, you've GOT TO GO TO THAT STORE!! Next stop, INK It! More money spent. This is the most wonderful shop, the shop owners are adoreable.....another MUST DO! We were given directions to an antique mall that was enormous....so cheap....didn't even make it through it all. Time to get stacie at the airport.......HEY...just got a call from Norma...they're ready for me, so I'll finish this later!! oxox