Introducing the Paper Tree

There is a new beautiful store in town called the Paper Tree and it is owned by my friends Barbara and Amy. The store sells the most beautiful gifts and stationary and you must check it out. They are located in San Marco Plaza in Lakewood Ranch and are open everyday. The store is so beautifully decorated and they have the most amazing baby, wedding and hostess gifts. Tell them Jocie sent you.

I love Ron Clark

I am in love with Ron Clark! This is not a surprise to many of my friends in town and certainly not to my work mates. I think he is super incredible and inspiring. He is one awesome teacher. It was unbelievable to get to spend time with this incredible person.

Thanks Aunt Muriel

Muriel sent Andrew the cutest Obama hat! Thanks Aunt Muriel. You're the best.

Project 365

I am so excited, I was one of the lucky one's to get the new CK Kit of the Month: Project 365. For you non scrappers that read my blog, CK is Creating Keepsakes and I will be taking one picture a day for the whole of 2009. The kit includes an album and special pages that will hold 7 photos, one from each day of the week and then it has special journaling blocks at the bottom of each spread for you to do a little journaling. I started taking my pictures last Sunday and so far so good. I have been having so much fun thinking about this project. It was hard to get this kit. There was so much hype on the kit that when it went on sale on New Years day, people went nuts. The kit sold out in less than an hour.

Back to work tomorrow, one week til Ron Clark, the Disney Teacher of the Year 2000 comes to Sarasota. I am so excited.

Happy New Year

Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year. I received this amazing picture from Ithaca College last night wishing all their alums a Happy New Year. The campus looks so beautiful covered in snow.

We had one busy December, I promise to post some pictures once I upload them. I have big plans for 2009. I am hoping to get one of the new Creating Keepsakes 365 kits today and have already started taking a picture every day. I would love to document a year in our families life. I started Weight Watchers the week before Thanksgiving and am committed to losing weight, changing how my family eats and getting healthier this year. I will have a new nephew this coming Feb/March and am so excited to be an aunt again. I have some huge events at work this month and it is going to be exciting and fast paced for the next 31 days.

Last night I won our poker game, we play with our friends David and Fern and Melissa. We have a small globe that you win which makes you the "world champion" so I am the current champion. We started playing last night at 9 pm and didn't finish til after 1:30. It was one long game.

I have been re-connecting with so many IC Theatre Alums and it has been so much fun to hear what everyone is doing and catching up with everyone. Hard to believe that we started as Freshman at IC over 25 years ago.

Girlfriends Luncheon

Wow, what a weekend. My dear friend Karen Brown flew in Thursday night for the Girlfriends Annual Luncheon on Saturday. We all met Friday for breakfast at Peaches and then later shopping at Ellenton, I got a killer Coach bag for 60% off! Then off to get pedicures, dinner and the movies. We saw the Secret Life of Bee's and then on Saturday after our lunch we were at Nordstroms in Tampa and we saw Jennifer Hudson, I went up and talked to her for a second.

We went to Tampa for our annual luncheon on Saturday to a fabulous restaurant TC Choys. We had a private room and so much fun. Our dear friend Jeci who used to live here and also flew in for the Annual Luncheon. It was so wonderful having Karen and Jeci there. We enjoyed Dim Sum and many other delicious dishes and then exchanged gifts. This year in honor of Stacy Julian we each brought some product we can't live without, nothing expensive. We exchanged those too, purse holders that clip on the table, glade candles, hair spray, foot smoothers, hand lotion from Ulta. We were at the restaurant for over 4 hours!

After lunch we headed to the International Mall for a little shopping and then later dinner, we got back to the Ranch at 10:15 PM. What a fabulous day. I just love my girlfriends! I made a photo book of all the past December Girlfriends luncheons, and it was fun to look through and see our different hairstyles, clothing and some friends we lost along the way.

Today I was on the hunt for my green wallet and that lead to cleaning out my closet looking for it. 3 bags of stuff later, I can say my closet has never looked better, but still no green wallet. Laundry, Publix and all the fun stuff of a Sunday.

Happy 70th Birthday Muriel

A toast to my friend Muriel,
Words to describe you…
Love
A love of life
Love for your friends
Love of reading
Love of bridge
Love of travel
Love of learning
Love of home
Love of culture
Love of diversity
Love of sharing
Love of planning
Love of ice cream
Love of Danielle Steele
Love of shoes
Love of handbags
Love of fun earrings

Smart
You are one of the smartest if not the smartest person I know. You are not only a news junkie but an information junkie. You are always on a quest to learn.

Laughter
I love to hear you laugh, you have laugh that fills the room, it is a happy laugh and filled with joy

Mother
You are a mother to so many, and to many of us sitting at this table

Grandmother
You have beautiful and loving grandbabies all over this world, and I am proud to say my son is one of your grandbabies. I remember the first time you met Andrew, he was so small (only 5 pounds) you didn’t want to hold him, you said you would hold him when he got a little bigger, and that you did. You have loved my child like he was your own, bringing him shirts from all your travels, babysitting, coming to his soccer and little league games, reading to him, playing with him, laughing with him, loving him.

Passion
You have a passion for so many things, it is deep, it is heartfelt and your passion is strong

Vitality
Just look at you. Your buttery soft beautiful skin, your delicate hands, you happy face. Your warm and loving eyes and your huge smile.

Generous
You are generous with your time, with your love, with your treasures, with your talents, with your advice, with your soul.

Kind
You are thoughtful, you know when someone needs that little extra, you send notes and cards, you clip articles from newspapers, you support school walk a thons, wrapping paper sales, girl scout cookies

Spiritual
To look at you and see your smile, I know there is God. You believe, you celebrate all religion

10 years ago I sat at Chutneys at your 60th Birthday, I was 28 weeks pregnant and knew I was carrying a boy named Andrew. What I didn’t know was that Andrew would be born only 4 weeks later. I remember sitting at your party and laughing and enjoying everyone’s company like it was yesterday. I feel like I just took the fast forward on the Amazing Race and now it is 10 years later. In 4 weeks my baby will be 10.The time has gone so fast. I have known you for over 14 years. You have filled my life with love and support and friendship throughout. You have laughed with me, celebrated with me, cheered me on, cried with me and been there for me. You have enriched my life beyond words. You have been like a mother to me and you have been a grandmother to my son. You have been a loving friend to my friends. I simply can’t imagine my life without you in it. I was so sad when you moved to Tampa, I was afraid that distance would take you from me, but you have an amazing ability to keep your friends no matter where you live. You bring me joy, you are always teaching me something. It is my greatest joy to sit here tonight and share with you on your 70th Birthday. I love you.

Bucket List

The Bucket list

so here goes. i copied this list from a blog & the idea is to bold (highlight/change the color/bold) all the things on the list you've done. I swiped mine from Karen who got it from Kim’s blog...and then highlighted what I had done. Feel free to swipe it to your own blog!
1.Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Held a praying mantis
9.Climbed a mountain
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44.Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day