Aug 5, 2019 | Trips |
Today I’m sharing photos from our tour of the island of Mykonos, Greece. Neal and I joined a group of Stampin’ Up! folks to tour the lovely village of Mykonos and the ruins of Delos. at first our guide was commenting on how lucky we were that there was no wind, because Mykonos is known for being very windy. But it certainly started up before long. I gave up on trying to keep my hair in any sort of order. Besides it was very hot, so we were sweaty anyway. But it was a fascinating place.
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Mykonos
typical narrow street
The buildings, and paving around the stones, must be white, but the trim can be any color. Most people choose a shade of blue.
must have been laundry day
These traditional dried flower wreaths were everywhere.
Bougainvillea was blooming everywhere
Hey, look, another blue dome!
Neal and I got a quick pic in front of an old church. Did I mention it was windy, and hot?
We finally made our way to their Little Venice. 
The colors were amazing.
nice view from a restaurant
Neal taking photos of a local cat
windmills (they had no fabric on the blades at the time)
our ship from the shore
After wandering around Mykonos, we took a ferry to Delos to see the city ruins. Unlike Pompei, which was destroyed by a volcanic eruption, Delos was destroyed by people centuries ago. War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothin’ except destruction. The landscape looks pretty barren. Wherever you see green is where there is some underground water. Our guide said that in the winter (when it actually rains) the whole island is lush and green.
I didn’t actually take a photo of every cat I saw on the trip, but it was hard to pass them up. This is a mama cat taking a nap at the check in area of Delos….
…and these are her babies.
It’s amazing how much of Delos remains, especially since it’s been exposed to the elements for centuries.
an ancient cistern
Sorry for the wonky angle, but just look at that mosaic tile floor! The anchor in the foreground is in the entranceway. Of course, we weren’t allowed to walk on the mosaic.
A lot of the surviving relics are now in the museum in Delos, to protect them from the elements. These were lions that stood in a row like this outside. 
Thieves stole some and all they left were feet and hind quarters.
Whoever carved these had never actually seen a lion, so they’re a bit stylized.
The feet aren’t too bad.
These are some painted plaster frescos that were still on the walls. 
more cats taking a break in the shade outside the museum
I got a selfie with fellow demonstrator Julie DiMatteo, the Paper Pixie!
This is one of the little houses that archaeologists live in on Delos. The color is the same as many of the buildings would have been painted in ancient times.
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Here are some helpful links:
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Thanks for stopping by today, and Sweet Stamping!
Aug 3, 2019 | Trips |
Today I’m sharing photos from our tour of the island of Santorini, Greece. Neal and I joined a group of Stampin’ Up! folks to tour the villages of Oia (pronounced EE-ya) and Fira. Oia is where many of those stereotypical photos of Greece are from, with white buildings and blue domes (see the banner above.)
I used my phone to take some panoramic photos on my trip. The panorama software sometimes makes things look a bit wonky, which is why some of the lines are oddly curved, like this view from the village of Oia.
View of Santorini from the tender boat on the way to the island from the ship. The last photo is this same basic shot but as we were going back to the ship and it was getting dark.
Walking along one of the straighter streets of Oia, Santorini. These villages are like mazes. Our guide said it was to get away from pirates and other marauders who used to land on the islands.
iconic blue domes of Santorini
There are lots of cats on Santorini, and they’re obviously used to tourists. They never seemed to even notice all the people walking right by them.
The white buildings remind me of snow on top of the mountains.
Heading back to the ship at sunset. See the ring on the water at far right? It marks a shipwreck from 2007. A Greek cruise ship hit a volcanic reef and took on water. It didn’t sink until the next day, so everyone had time to get off safely.
Our ship, Jewel of the Seas, after the sun went down.
view of Santorini from the tender boat back to the ship
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Thanks for stopping by today, and Sweet Stamping!
Aug 2, 2019 | Trips |
Today I’m sharing photos from our ship the day we got the new 2019 Holiday Catalog. It was a full day at sea. Stampin’ Up! held a general session for us in the ship’s large theatre. They gave us the catalog and demonstrated some of the new products for us. I won a prize patrol and received the new Apple Builder Punch! It will be available in a bundle with the new Harvest Hellos stamp set, so you’ll be able to make apples and pumpkins with it.
That afternoon I went to the Hospitality Room and took photos of the display samples from the general session. The lighting wasn’t good, and the room was crowded, so the photos aren’t what I would like. But I hope you can see what fabulous new products are coming your way.
Holiday Catalog:
front cover
back cover
Stampin’ Up!’s Hospitality Room on the ship
The display boards
Samples 
I got to chat with Shelli Gardner, Co-founder and Board Chair of Stampin’ Up!
That night, Mary Fish treated everyone on her team and their spouses to a lovely dinner. Demonstrators at the dinner were Mary Fish, Brian King, Julie DiMatteo, Susan Itell, Paula Butler, and myself.
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Order from the 2019 Holiday Catalog right now!
Join my team, shop the new catalog now, and save 20%! Join by August 31 and get an extra $30 in free product in your starter kit! Pay $99 and choose $155 in product AND get free shipping. No obligation. No selling required.
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Here are some helpful links:
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Thanks for stopping by today, and Sweet Stamping!
Aug 1, 2019 | Trips |
Today I’m sharing photos from our ship, Jewel of the Seas. Stampin’ Up! provided buses from Rome to the port at Civitavecchia. One of the first things I did on the ship was visit the Stampin’ Up! Hospitality Room, and I got some photos of the room before the crowds. Of course, we participated in the obligatory safety drill. And we had dinner that night at the Japanese restaurant on board.
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on the bus to the ship!
our ship, Jewel of the Seas
I love how cruise ships put the day of the week on the floor of all the elevators. It’s easy to lose track on vacation.
Stampin’ Up!’s hospitality room on the ship. It was a place for demonstrators to gather, with seating areas, a photo backdrop, and plenty of candy jars they kept replenished. Each day we could spin a wheel for a prize. 
photo backdrop
Stampin’ Up! threw a welcome party for us by the pool, with lots of yummy food and beautiful food art.
And just look at that enormous cake!
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Here are some helpful links:
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Thanks for stopping by today, and Sweet Stamping!
Jul 29, 2019 | Trips |
Today I’m sharing photos from the third tour of my trip. Three other Stampin’ Up! demonstrators (Paula Butler, Lisa Freeman, and Lisa Padgett) and I toured Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. Our guide for Pompeii was an archaeologist who has studied the ancient city, so she was very knowledgeable.
I used my phone to take some panoramic photos. The panorama software sometimes makes things look a bit wonky. That’s why some of the lines are oddly curved. Like these two of the amphitheatre in Pompei.
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a Pompei street
These are stepping stones for crossing the street. The sidewalks are higher than the street. That’s because the streets were usually covered in animal droppings and frequently flooded, and no one wanted to walk through all that. The stones had to be low enough for wagons to go over them. You can see the ruts in the stones from the wheels.
Entryway to a building. See the rut along the bottom? That’s where there was a sliding door! 
Part of a house
This kitchen is exactly as it was found, with all the items in the same places.
Ancient graffiti! The stone walls in Pompei were covered in plaster and painted. On the outside of this store, there are ads for people running for office.
ornate ceiling
panorama of a large room with some surviving frescos on the walls
this is a laundry
frescos on the outside of a business
panorama of the entryway of a house – look at the amazing mosaic floor!
beautiful frescos, with a local dog taking a break in the shade
This is probably the only photo I can show you from the brothel. It’s one of the rooms where business was conducted. Yes, that’s a bed. 
The bath house. The openings in the wall are lockers where men would leave their clothes.
The sweat room. The floor was raised on the tiles you see here. Hot air was run under the floor so it was very hot. After sweating, they would be rubbed down with oil, then it would be scraped off. That was a bath. Remember, there was no soap.
I’m sure you’ve heard of the plaster molds of the victims of Pompei. Archaeologists kept finding empty spaces with bones in them. They started filling the cavities with plaster, then removing the dirt from around them. Here are a couple of those plaster people. The first one is lying down.
This one was sitting against a wall.
l-r: me, Lisa P., Lisa F., and Paula in Pompei with Mt. Vesuvius in the background.
Paula and me on the Amalfi Coast
What a view!
This was a wonderful day! I find Pompei absolutely fascinating. This was my second visit there, and I want to go back. They were very advanced, and after it was destroyed, it took centuries to get that technology back. This was my birthday, and the day my husband Neal arrived in Rome. He took me out for a delicious dinner, then we prepared to get on the ship the next morning.
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Here are some helpful links:
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Thanks for stopping by today, and Sweet Stamping!
Jul 28, 2019 | Trips |
Today I’m sharing photos from the second tour of my trip. Three other Stampin’ Up! demonstrators (Paula Butler, Lisa Freeman, and Lisa Padgett) and I were driven around to various sites of Rome, Italy, by our wonderful guide, Luca. He got us into the Colosseum and the Vatican without standing in the long lines. And he got us a private guide (Chiara) through the Vatican.
I used my phone to take panoramic photos of some of the sites. The panorama software sometimes makes things look a bit wonky in order to squeeze it all in to the photo. That’s why some of the lines are oddly curved.
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Circus Maximus and Emperor’s Palace
Arch of Constantine
The Colosseum (Il Colosseo)
See all the holes? At one time people scavenged for building materials here. The holes are where metal fasteners were removed. 
Partially restored area
A small area of surviving decorative plaster
inside Il Colosseo
selfie at the Forum of Rome
There’s a mirror in the Church of St. Ignatius so you can see the ceiling without having to strain your neck.
panorama of the Church of St. Ignatius
selfie in the Church of St. Ignatius
the Pantheon
Trevi Fountain – Fontana di Trevi
Looking down from the top of the Spanish Steps (Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti.) Paula and Lisa F. walked down them. Walking down steps hurts my knees, so I joined Lisa P. in riding down to the bottom to pick them up. I did walk up them after the cruise. The street you see at the bottom is Via dei Condotti, and it’s where all the designer shops are, like Tiffany, Cartier, Gucci, Hermes, Ferragamo, etc. 
Our driver and guide for the day, Luca, and our guide for the Vatican, Chiara. 
We filled our water bottles at a fountain in the Vatican.
one of the many ornate hallways in the Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani)
Amazing ceiling!
In this photo, the statue on the right is in the sun. Chiara said the Bronze statue of Hercules in the center really shines when the sunlight hits it. And look at that mosaic floor!
mosaic floor detail
The walls of this hallway are lined with ancient maps of Italy. And of course, the ceiling is magnificent.
Paula, me, Lisa F., and Lisa P. Right after this we went through the Sistine Chapel, where no photography is allowed. 
This is the balcony where the Pope addresses the crowd
The dome of St. Peter’s Basilica
Pietà by Michelangelo
panorama of St. Peter’s – it’s a bit wonky because I couldn’t get to the middle of the cathedral
bronze statue of St. Peter
You can see how his feet, especially the one on the left, have been worn down by people kissing or touching it over the years.
This gorgeous painting isn’t a painting. It’s a very intricate mosaic made with teeny tiny tiles.
Swiss Guard at the Vatican
Castel Sant’Angelo, Mausoleum of Hadrian
wide vistas of Rome
Here are some helpful links:
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Thanks for stopping by today, and Sweet Stamping!
