A weekend escape!

Last weekend I had such a fun little escape and I did it with some of the finest ladies around. I am so blessed to not only "work" with some of the best artists/designers in the world with Flourishes - they've become like sisters. And, nearly every summer for the past few years -- we've tried to meet up. We've done it mostly at CHA but this year, we wen't off the beaten trail. Since Christine was in the states already and was planning a trip to Yellowstone (which isn't far from my home), I suggested that the rest of the gals come too and make it a party. Well, sadly not everyone on the team could join us -- but these gals below said YES!

And here's who showed up for the party... (L to R) Tosha, Christine, Sharon, Stacy, Cindy and... yours truly! This was on a deck overlooking Lake Yellowstone.

And here are the family members who came with! Christine's family, my hubby and daughter, Stacy's hubby and their twin boys. Gosh, what a good lookin' group! ;-) I am a wee bit biased of course!

And here's some of what we saw -- the beautiful Hayden Valley in Yellowstone. While this pic doesn't show it -- it was home to hundreds of buffalo! 

Here are some of my peeps on our way to the Gallatin River for a whitewater rafting experience!

And.. here's a few of us ON the river! We had a blast!

Here's sweet Stacy and her twins. LOVE those smiles!

And here's a shot of the "shutterbugs!" These ladies were funny. You almost never saw them without their cameras. While on the trip they swapped lenses, talked about manual settings and were always on the hunt for the money shot! They got GORGEOUS pictures by the way!

I am so blessed to have these ladies in my life and it's so fun when you can enjoy more together than just card making. We are already thinking about where we'll go next summer! 

~Julie

A little bit of a SALE!

Hello Flourishes fans! Just a little note to say that Flourishes is having a.....




That's right... everything in the store FRIDAY ONLY is 15% off!! To shop, simply use the code SAVINGS4U at the time of check out in the promotional code box. Stock up for yourself or think of those crafty folks in your life that might want some Flourishes goodies under the tree. So, get shopping! This BLACK FRIDAY sale ends when Friday comes to a close -- 24 hours only!

Switching gears, I hope and pray that everyone out there that celebrated Thanksgiving enjoyed some time with their family! It was a VERY quiet day at my house. I think because this was the scene outside...
Yes, you can see we won't be out grilling on the patio anytime soon! So, instead, I cozied up and worked on a U.F.O. (unfinished object!) I've been working on this sweater forever and I am bound and determined to finish it up before Christmas!!! I have to knit the sleeves and collar and... done!

And, like I said, since it was quiet .... this was DH, who admitted today that he would be the king of the "duff sitters" with football on TV....

My mom's hands were going so fast with those knitting needles you can see a blur!!! Look at that look of concentration!

The little gal, DD, was busy reading in the bean bag...I'm not sure if I even brushed her hair in between knitting and making the Thanksgiving dinner... ;-)

And, DS just wanted to look cerebral. Um... ok. :-)

So, hope you and yours had a nice day and know that I'm wishing you all the BEST! See you back here soon!