DC Retreat

So this last weekend I flew to DC to hang out with a bunch of ladies I'd never met in real life but know extensively on-line. What fun we had! Inbetween the talking, laughing, eating, and drinking we got a little scrapping in. Here we all are...well, those of us who cropped. We had several visitors this weekend. Ladies who were able to stop by but not stay and crop.

Here are Erin and Eve. Erin was the hostess with the mostess...she picked me up at the airport Friday and let me stay at her house Sunday night before I flew out Monday. Eve was one of my tablemates and sat across from me. When she FINALLY got there. She and Caroline took advantage of big city shopping and spent quite a bit of time hitting the malls. Eve is the Basic Grey dealer for our group. She brought a ton with her and I had already purchased enough to last me years, but of course I had to pick up just a few more sheets for what I was working on. But I was good.

Caroline and Eve. Caroline was also a tablemate. She speaks three languages and was apparently the only person in the hotel who could communicate with the housekeeping staff when I left a t-shirt in my first room Saturday afternoon after I changed rooms (they had us in a smoking room and so we had a different room Saturday night).

My last tablemate...Jill. Jill flew up from Florida for the crop. I've known her for years on-line. Who would've thought a Texan and a Floridian would meet in Washington DC? Jill is an awesome (if messy) scrapbooker, always doing these incredible layouts, but I think I have a better photo of her in her natural setting:

Yes, Jill was our fearless bartender. Cosmopolitans and Appletinis were the order of the day. We went up to the "bar" in her and Cheryl and Erin's room every now and then. That's Terri, Cheryl, Heidi, Michele, and Gin acting so mature.

We also went out to dinner and made a ton of noise, but had A LOT of fun. I don't remember the last time I laughed that hard. Guess it was good that the restaurant was mostly empty except for us and we had our own room anyway. We had a very good-natured waiter, too. And I saw several Long Island iced teas, and a few cosmos and a few glasses of merlot....

Gin and Melinda. Take it easy, you two, the night is still young. (Like I had room to talk.)

Afterward, we talked via computer with some Aussie ladies that were also getting together. Hi Veronica and Mel! That's Jill (buysalot) sitting behind me. We moved the big basket of chocolate temptation to make room for the PC.

Here I am visiting the far end of the room...Susan, Pat, and Michele.

Sunday afternoon after we dropped Jill in Fl off at the airport, Erin and I headed back to her place where two little Redskins fans watched football with me until it was time to go eat some great Italian food.

After which I promptly crashed. The next day we picked up Heidi and went to the Sully Farm, a historical house in Virginia and then to Milwaukee Custard before my flight home.