Two week Countdown!

Hello Ladies! 

We are just TWO weeks from the retreat and I’m super excited!  I need to do a final count but I am fairly certain everyone will walk away with a door prize J

A couple of reminders:

 You are more than welcome to bring your own alcoholic beverages if you’d like.  I know a couple of ladies will be bringing extra but just letting you know.

There is still time to order a shirt if you’d like.  Seems like turnaround time is about a week including shipping.   You can customize size, color and style and 10% of sales go back towards the retreat.  http://www.zazzle.com/miraminionsretreat

Dinner will be catered by MacAllister’s Deli both nights and will be a baked Potato Bar Friday night and sandwich trays and chips on Saturday night.  Breakfast is provided by the hotel but you’ll be on your own for lunch.  There are tons of restaurants within 5 minutes of the hotel and a couple in the same parking lot that can be walked to.  Also, please feel free to bring a little goodie for the snack table.

We will also be setting us a stash swap table.   There are no rules centered around this.  Just drop off something you may not stitch and pick up something you might.  I just ask that no one person hog all the goodies.

I hope those who are choosing to make Mystery Boxes are having fun!  Please don’t feel pressured to make one if you don’t want to or can’t afford to.  I want everyone to just have fun!

I am putting together a box of goodies for Nora.  I’ve had several inquiries and yes, if you’d like to contribute something, it will be fine.  If not, no problem either J  If you choose to, let me know.

We are scheduled to start in the stitching room Friday afternoon at 3pm.  Please come early if you want as we will probably take over the little breakfast room until then.

The stitching room will have plenty of power strips and extension cords for those who need extra lighting.  The lighting isn’t super great so I encourage bringing a light if you have one.

As most of you know, a new Mirabilia pattern will be released just a couple of days before the retreat.  We will have the pattern available at the retreat for purchase and we will probably be among the first to get it.  But I need to let Wichelt know how many to send so if you’re interested in getting it at the retreat, please let me know so I can give them an accurate number to send J

There are only two rules for the retreat: 

Show respect and kindness to each of the other attendees and have fun!

Please call me if you’re delayed or something unexpected comes up and you cannot attend.  I don’t want to spend all weekend worrying if someone is MIA.

The local cross stitch store will be giving us 10% off our purchases.  I need to verify with Donna whether it is the whole weekend or on a certain day and I will be letting everyone know at the retreat.  We’re blessed to have several crafty ladies in our midst at the retreat so there should be a smorgasbord of hand-dyed fabrics and stitching accessories available for purchase from some of the ladies attending.

Thank you for attending and I’ll see you in 2 weeks!

Leslie LaFleur

An Update with lots of info!

Hello Everyone!  We are officially less than 60 days out from the first Mirabilia Minions Retreat!!!!!!!  I’m sending out this email to make sure that everyone has some of the basic information and to tell you about some fun things going on!

                First, Super EXCITED that Nora is coming!!!!!!!!!  How great is that?!?!  She’s said she would be happy to sign patterns for those who want her to but since we want her to enjoy the retreat too; we are limiting it to two patterns per person.  I’ll be working with her to figure out a time both days for her to sign patterns so it’s fairly organized.

                Second, don’t forget the Mystery Box!!!!!  I’ll add a copy of the rules at the bottom of this email.  This game is a ton of fun so I encourage everyone to participate!  Kathy and I are working on a special box just for Nora J

                If you want to stitch a nametag, please feel free!  I’ll hopefully stitch myself one!  If not, I’ll have name tags so we can use them the first night at least to get to know each other’s names.

                A couple of little things:  I’ll be setting up a stash swap table and a snack table.  Do you make an infamous brownie or have grandma’s awesome snickerdoodle recipe?  Bring them to share!  We will have some chips and crackers and things like that but please feel free to bring other treats to share! 

The Hotel is BYOB.  They do not have a liquor license so you cannot buy alcohol at the hotel but you are allowed to bring it with you if you want.  I know a couple of ladies are bringing wine and beer so be advised that there will be alcohol there and please feel free to bring some with you if you’d like.  For those who do not drink alcohol, I’m going to bring a couple of cases of bottled water and we will have tea and lemonade with dinner both nights.  The hotel does have vending machines for those who prefer cokes or you’re welcome to bring your own.  For dinner Friday night, we will be having a baked potato bar and for dinner Saturday we are having sandwich trays with potato salad and chips delivered.   I know several people will be out and about Saturday and I wanted to make it easy for everyone to eat whenever they get hungry.

Teeshirts have been designed and are available for purchase from zazzle.com.  Immediately after I send this email, I will email a link to the shirts.  Don’t feel obligated to buy a shirt, but if you do decide to purchase, zazzle will give 10% of your order back to the retreat to be used towards door prizes and stuff like that.  The neat thing about the teeshirts is that you can change the style, color and size of the shirt to whatever you want! 

The Local shop in the Greenville area is called Panda’s Crossing.  They have lots of Miras and TONS of beads!  While you are welcome to go anytime during the retreat, they will open especially for us Sunday for a couple of hours and they are offering a 10% discount on all purchases that day!

I’m still waiting on deposits from a few people.  You know who you are!  Please get them to me ASAP so I can order a few more things for our giveaways and stuff!  We’ve been BLESSED to receive donations from: Kreinik, Rainbow Gallery, Wichelt, American Dreams, K’s Creations, Laurel’s Stitchery, The Stitch Menagerie, Down Sunshine Lane, Needlepoint Inc, Panda’s Crossing, Under the Sea Fabrics, Dinky Dyes, Crescent Colors and more that I can’t remember at this moment!  Please support the businesses supporting us!  The way things are going, there might be a door prize for every person as well as goodie bags we’re putting together!

For those who are flying in, please send me your arrival and departure times and which airline you are flying on so I can set up either shuttle service or work out airport rides and car buddies.  I don’t want anyone to have to rent a car unless they want to.

Check in time on Friday the 19^th is 3pm and that is also when the room will be available for us to stitch.  We should be able to use the room pretty continuously until Sunday morning when we all pack up to head home.  I know some of us are coming in early or staying late.  The little lounge/breakfast area is available to stitch in for those who want to use it.  The hotel also has an indoor pool and small fitness center.  Check out is 11am Sunday the 21^st and the cost of the room includes a nice breakfast.  There are several restaurants within a couple of blocks of the hotel if you decide to go to lunch or have dinner elsewhere.

I’ve been asked a couple of times and I’m going to go ahead and answer the question here:  No, there will not be any classes.  Aside from when dinner is being delivered, there isn’t really a schedule either.  I want everyone to relax and enjoy themselves.  J

Thanks for joining us!  I will send out another email in a month or so with reminders and stuff!

I will post this info to the retreat website as well!  http://miraminionsretreat.blogspot.com

~ Leslie and Kathy

 

Mirabilia Minions Retreat Mystery Box Game

 

 

Note: This game is completely voluntary but if you do not create a mystery box to bring to exchange, you will not receive one. This game is A LOT of fun and I encourage you to participate!

 

Rules: Each Person creates a mystery box by buying one of each item off the list below. These are very general items and should vary from person to person. Then you wrap and number each item according to the list. You place the wrapped items into a box or basket and bring it to the retreat. Each person who brings a box will get to pick a different box and we will open the numbered gifts randomly throughout the retreat. Hopefully, you will get to know the creator of your box as we go and the last parcel will be a card telling who made the box.

 

 

1. Your MUST-HAVE stitching accessory.

 

2. Something Soft.

 

3. Something Froggy (maybe by having frogs in our boxes, we won’t have them in our stitching!)

 

4. An item in your favorite color.

 

5. An embellishment for cross stitching of some sort.

 

6. Something Hard.

 

7. Something you find necessary for travel.

 

8. A dozen of something.

 

9. A skien of overdyed floss.

 

10. A postcard of where you live that tells your name so that the recipient of your box will know who made it.

 

 

The total value of the boxes does not have to be significant. Have fun and be creative in creating your box!

 

Nora is Coming!

Super excited that Nora Corbett will be joining us at the retreat!  Sooooo excited!

Don't forget to Book your room and also to send your deposit!

Also, please check out the page above for the rules for the Mystery Box game!  It's a ton of fun and helps us all get to know each other!

We are being sent generous gifts from Jo at Dinky Dyes, Sharon of Crescent Colors, and Cecelia from the Threadgatherer!  Please support these companies since they are supporting our retreat!

I'm working on a design for the teeshirts.  Since I've had several people express concern about the colors of the shirts, I'm going to upload the design to Zazzle so everyone can order their favorite color and size. 

I've been working on food and think we have a plan.  We will order in food for the evenings.  We will set up a table in our little lobby area so if you want to bring snacks to share, there will be a place :)  Wonder what yummy treats I will come up with to bring!

TTFN!
Leslie and Kathy

The Mystery Box Game!

Here all the rules for the Mystery Box!  I'll also post them in a tab at the top of the blog for easy access.

Mirabilia Minions Retreat Mystery Box Game

 

Note: This game is completely voluntary but if you do not create a mystery box to bring to exchange, you will not receive one.   This game is A LOT of fun and I encourage you to participate!

Rules:  Each Person creates a mystery box by buying one of each item off the list below.  These are very general items and should vary from person to person.  Then you wrap and number each item according to the list.  You place the wrapped items into a box or basket and bring it to the retreat.  Each person who brings a box will get to pick a different box and we will open the numbered gifts randomly throughout the retreat.  Hopefully, you will get to know the creator of your box as we go and the last parcel will be a card telling who made the box. 

 

1.      Your MUST-HAVE stitching accessory.

2.      Something Soft.

3.      Something Froggy (maybe by having frogs in our boxes, we won’t have them in our stitching!)

4.      An item in your favorite color.

5.      An embellishment for cross stitching of some sort.

6.      Something Hard.

7.      Something you find necessary for travel.

8.      A dozen of something.

9.      A skien of overdyed floss.

10.  A postcard of where you live that tells your name so that the recipient of your box will know who made it.

 

The total value of the boxes does not have to be significant.  Have fun and be creative in creating your box!

Also, a big thanks to Amanda at The Stitch Menagerie for creating a wonderful prize for our goody bags!

It's getting Closer..

To the holidays and the new year!  I've decided to postpone the deadline for deposits until January 31st, 2013.  I know the holidays are crunch time and money can be tight.  Please email me at Leslie.LaFleur@gmail.com to get info about sending your deposit.  I'll be posting the Mystery Box list tonight. 

The way a mystery box works:
A numbered list of items is sent out or posted.
Each person buys one of each item (they are very general in nature)
Then, you wrap each of the items and number them according to the list.
Put the wrapped items in a box or basket.
At the retreat, all of the participants will pick a random mystery box from the stack of boxes and we will call numbers randomly throughout the retreat.

It's fun to guess what is in the different packages and who created your box.

Laurel's Stitchery has created an AWESOME prize to be given away as a raffle or door prize.  Many Thank Yous to Laurel!  Please help support the companies and shops that are supporting our retreat!

TTFN!
 

An Update!

Hello Everyone!  I have some updates and info for everyone! 

First, our block of rooms at the Holiday Inn Express is set aside for us from Friday, April 19th- Sunday April 21st.  The rooms all have double beds and can sleep 2 people and cost $95 a night. We ask that you PLEASE book your rooms as soon as you plan to attend!  You can call the hotel at (864) 678-5555 and ask for a room in the Mirabilia Minions Retreat block.  There is no charge to reserve your room, they just ask for a credit card number just in case.  While we would like you to book your rooms as soon as possible, our deadline for booking them is February 1st, 2013.  That way, we can try to find more attendees if you cannot make it.

Secondly, the paypal fees are pretty high considering our budget for this retreat is very low so I have set up a bank account just for the retreat and ask that in order to reserve a spot, you send a check, money order or well concealed cash (at your own risk) to me.  All deposits are used strictly for the retreat to cover the conference room, food, and door prizes.  To reserve your spot, I'm asking to receive deposits by January 1st, 2013.  Again, we want to give ourselves plenty of time to order tee-shirts and work with the catering companies.  The deposit is $50 and covers the conference room, tee-shirt and door prizes.  I'm waiting for quotes from several catering companies and we are certain we will include Friday Night's dinner within the $50 but are unsure about Saturday night's dinner.  The hotel has a free breakfast for all who attend the retreat and we will be setting up a snack table so that we can all bring our favorite treats to share :)  You will receive an email confirmation as well as a written receipt when your deposit has arrived.  To find out where to send your deposit, please email me at Leslie.LaFleur@gmail.com.  If you prefer paypal, please email me and we will work out a way to do that type of transaction.

Thirdly, I am finalizing the list of items for the Mystery Box Exchange and will be posting it here within the week.  The Mystery Box exchange is voluntary but it is so much fun!  We hope EVERYONE will want to participate!

Lastly, we have already received donations of door prizes from Kreinik Manufacturing and Rainbow Gallery Threads!  A BIG Thank you from the Mira Minions to these wonderful companies for supporting our retreat!  So please do your best to support them!

Thank you for now!
Leslie and Kathy

The Mira Minions Retreat Basic Info

This blog has been created to provide information about the Mirabilia-themed retreat planned for April 19-21, 2013 in Greenville, South Carolina.  The Hotel we will be staying at is Holiday Inn Express located at 1036 Woodruff Road. Greenville, SC.  We have 20 rooms in our block which have 2 double beds.  The room cost is $95 a night and can be split between two people.  The cost of the retreat is $50 plus your room cost, which you will have to book yourself and reserve within our block.  In order to hold the retreat, we need to have all 20 rooms booked. 

We are asking that each attendant pay their $50 by January 1st, 2013 and have their rooms booked by Febuary 1st, 2013.  We are setting up a paypal account to accept the deposits.  Your name will not be put on the official list of attendees unless you have paid your deposit and reserved your room.  You can reserve your room  by calling the hotel at 1-864-678-5555 and asking to reserve the room in the Mira Minions Retreat block.  It might also be under Leslie LaFleur.  The hotel will ask for a credit card when you reserve your room but they will not charge it until your stay at the retreat. 

The $50 will include the conference room fees, dinner for Friday night (and maybe Saturday if we can get reasonable catering) and a tee-shirt.  Anything extra at the end of the retreat will go towards purchasing door prizes and goodie bags. 

I'll be adding more info in the next couple of days as we have the pay pal account set up.  We are planning to do a mystery box project and more info on that will be available soon.

Hope you can join us!

Leslie and Kathy