action packed blog post!

i ended the summer.. where else? but the beach… i got one whole day in at the beach on labor day weekend… and enjoyed every last drop… (77 days til mexico 😉 )

mister harley went to the vets to get a check up and his shots.. his first time visiting dr. venezia… who took care of watcher so well.. it meant a lot to me 🙂 although i think mister harley is just as happy to stay island bound! (he hated riding in the car)

let's see… what else? oh yea… heidi one of my customers and stamp club members had an extra ticket to see ingrid michealson at the cape cinema and *shocker* i had the evening free!! it was a great show!! (did you know that wizard of oz was shown 1st at the cape cinema a zillion years ago? 😉 ) look at this pic of how beauiful the sky was that night!!

I prepped for what felt like a zillion hours for my classes at ink about it and stamping around vermont…. i dared all my a muse addicts in the area to sign up for my spooky halloween class at ink about it… to help me FILL the classroom they had expanded for tim holtz classes that weekend…. i was happy with the turn out 😉 thanks everyone for making it, we had a *wicked* good time!!

I was able to stick around ink about it for friday… and take one of tim's classes. I have been lucky over the years to take a lot of classes from him, and i always look forward to them! I take what i learn from him and turn around and use it in the store and in my own classes… super inspirational!! 

then i was on the road again… about a 4 hour drive to manchester VT.. where i was teaching at the stamping around vermont event. I have been excited to teach at this ALL summer!! When i walked in they were in between classes.. and the crew from colorful creations that went to event gave me a cheering welcome 😉 it was very sweet!! Some of the ladies made pins that read " Jenn Shurkus #1 fan" people who hadn't even had a chance to meet me yet were sporting them ;) 

Julia who has taken my classes before and was at the event has a great recap of the weekend on her blog here and Julie who was one of the event organizers has a good recap as well here

A muse was very generous and sponsored me for the event… so a HUGE shout out to Linda for that ;) 

I headed out early the next day, cape bound… we had a surprise baby shower planned for melissa.. so i wanted to make sure i got home in time… i DID stop for a few scenic pics and to pick up some fresh apples along my way through the back roads of vermont 😉

My weekdays have been super busy.. the store is busting at the seams…. were getting in all kinds of fun new product AND getting ready for some FANTABULOUS events this fall 😉 ….. 

Last weekend Cheiron came up from NYC for a visit.. we headed up to NH to my dad's to see the original M7 car race again ( it's third race, when everyone told my dad to scrap it after the first. he won 3rd place with this car in June on only ONE axel 😉 ) Stacy was also able to meet up with us for Jimbo's race.. so the four of us piled into his truck and headed to "rattlesnake motordrome" in rumney new hampshire ;) 

I didn't get a chance to take many pics, stacy snapped this one for me. I was the very important score keeper for my dad 😉 Cheiron snapped some for me too…. My Grandfather and my Uncle (on my ex-stepmothers side) came to the race to, it was nice to see them. My Grandmother passed away 2 years ago.. and since my grandfather hasn't been able to spend his winters in FL.. his first question to me was if i would move there with him…. i told him he found a weak spot as i'm not a huge fan of winter either ;) 

the original M7 only made it 11 laps this race 🙁 a car rammed my dad onto 2 wheels, almost tipping him over.. when the car came back down on all fours.. it ended up ruining the front axel and ramming the drive shaft into the engine block (listen to all my fancy car talk!) soooo… my dad will have to retire the car…. he was pretty bummed.

The next morning Cheiron and i got up early to head down to ink about it for the second New England A Muse Get Together…. a day full of stamping and creativity, a fun time was had by all!! I will take pics of all the projects we made and post them in an album here on my blog next week. Below you can see us all "heard at work" stamping , and a pic of Liz, Cheiron and I (Jen D was there earlier but we forgot to snap a pic), all New England A Muse Instructors!

Needless to say mister harley is NOT loving my busy schedule… when i came home from Ink about it.. he parked it right on top of my overnight bag… sort of saying " you are NOT leaving again" and each day when i leave for work.. i get the pathetic stare out the window :( 

shhhhhh….. don't tell him i'm heading out 2morrow for Maine.. my bitch (aka miss josie) is getting married this weekend!! More stories to come!!  Hey, since after this weekend  i will have been a bridesmaid  FIVE times, does that mean never a bride???