Monday, February 20, 2012

Punta Gorda Wine & Jazz Festival 2012

Have I told you that I have the best job in the world??? No??? Well... I have the best job in the world!!! Our Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce (my employer) hosted the Punta Gorda Wine and Jazz Festival this past weekend. We began selling tickets April 7, 2010. Ticket prices were $75-$130 per person. The ticket price included 3 headline performers, all the food, wine, beer provided by over 25 local vendors. VIP tickets sold out in May with the Premium tickets selling out in June. The performers this year were Mindi Abair (the mystery sax player from the last season of American Idol, Peter White-Jazz guitarist and Russ Freeman & the Rippingtons. Our venue is the local park located on the harbor. The weekend started Friday night with a VIP reception at the Visual Arts Center for all VIP ticket holders. Mindi and he husband made a special guest appearance....




Saturday was the main event..... The weather was perfect as were the musicians, attendees, the food, the wine, the beer.... I took tons of photos and when I was looking at them, there was one theme... Smile... I put some of the photos together with one of my favorite Mindi Abair songs "Smile" and made my first movie!!


http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyNB3fnf2QY&feature=g-upl&context=G2cc2986AUAAAAAAAAAA

On Sunday we had a brunch at the local yacht club with 250 people attending. In the afternoon a concert in the park by one of our local musicians. The weather was not agreeable.... very windy, rain off an on, so the camera stayed in the car.

Needless to say, there was no stitching done this week with the extended work hours. I'm on exhausted puppy!!!

Enjoy your day.... and Smile!
xoxo ~~m~~

Sunday, February 12, 2012

WIPocalypse Update #2

Time for an update! Have to say I am pleased with my progress this past month. Ladies and gentlemen.... we have 2 finishes!!!

First finish of 2012:






Tina's Stocking-Shepherds Bush, for daughter-in-law Brandy!

Second finish:




Keslyn's Vicki's Essence

This is a late add to my WIPocalypse list. I have had my eyeball on the chart for several months. I confess... every time I went in to the Golden Needle, I would gaze at the chart.... but several weeks ago, I found the perfect piece of fabric and the rest is history. I love this piece! Too bad my photographic skills do not do the piece justice (I'm working on my new camera skillz... bear with me!!)

RIP Whitney Houston. You had an amazing voice and presence in our lives. Life did not treat you kind. I wish you peace and happiness. Adding my own editorial here, and please, do not think me cold and heartless, as I truly believe we all have the ability as well as the opportunity to pick our pain... and our joy....ie: choices... I am deeply saddened by the death of Whitney Houston, but do we really need entire news/entertainment shows dedicated to her life/death? Wouldn't it be nice if we spent this much time talking about and honoring our solders who made the choice and are killed each day, protecting us, our rights, our safety, our liberties, instead of focusing on the wasted talent of a drug addict who, like you and I had the ability to make a choice?

It's an unusually cold and breezy day on the Gulf Coast. Off to a surprise birthday party for a dear friend this afternoon.

Happy stitching!! xoxo ~~m~~