The Invasion of Key West and a Little Chemistry

On Thursday, after two wonderful but very intense (and long) days with the fantastic Lynne Perrella, we took the day off and headed out to Key West, caravan style.  Three cars, 14 women, and only a vague plan that included Margaritaville and a sunset.

We stopped for a photo op (and a bathroom break....I did mention there were 14 women, right?) on Islamorada at Anne's Beach:

The speed limit is pretty low, and passing is pretty dangerous, so if you have a slowpoke in front of you, as we often did, it can be a long drive from Key Largo to Key West.  By the time we got there we were starving, so we headed straight for Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.  No wasting away; the burgers were enormous and the margaritas even bigger. 

We did some wandering around by foot, found a cool jewelry store, but what caught everyone's eye even more than the jewelry was this shirt:

Several of the ladies purchased it.  Not me.  I looked at the XL and it didn't look large enough for even the likes of Demi Moore, so I passed.  But still, gotta love it.

Then we spied a powder blue vintage car, and got Teri to pose in front of it. I really wanted her to do an Angelina, but she wouldn't hike up the skirt far enough.   Just as I was getting ready to snap, the owner came out and he was absolutely delighted.  We saw him and his car about three more times that day.  He loves it and loves to see people's reactions to it.  Hey, everyone needs a hobby.

In the late afternoon we decided to buy tickets for a trolley ride around town.  Good idea.  We had a great driver who had an amusing running commentary and passed by every hot spot.  It was a hop on hop off deal, but we didn't do any hopping.  We just sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed the ride.

 If I remember correctly, this is the bar that is in the oldest building (of all the bars) in Key West:

 The driver made a stop for those who wanted to sample some coconut water.

After the trolley ride we decided we'd walk around a bit and meet up on the rooftop of the tallest building in Key West....The Conch Hotel.....all seven stories of it.  It's the best place to take in the famous Key West sunset.  Unfortunately, the clouds came in, followed by torrential rain, so while we enjoyed the view for a bit, the sunset was not in the cards.

On the way back we stopped for a late dinner at a place called (I think) Lazy Days.  Elena had been raving about their lobster roll sandwiches, but they didn't serve them for dinner.  I think I once described Elena as tenacious.  Well, she spoke to the owner and the waiter, who spoke to the chef, and you guessed it, we got the lobster rolls and they were beyond delicious. 

This was a 12+ hour day, and we got home exhausted.  We'd be needing a good night's sleep.  Tomorrow's project with the talented and extremely patient Kathy Files (or is it Kathy Orta?  I've seen both names.  Someone, help!) would be a very complex feat of paper engineering.

OK, the "Little Chemistry" I referred to in the title is Tim Holtz's online class called Creative Chemistry.  It is an extensive overview of all the products he uses, the science behind them, and three techniques each day.  Oh, and two videos.  Very cool.  I highly recommend it, as it is self paced and once you register you'll always have access.  The first three techniques are blended spritz and flick, wrinkle free distress, and brushless watercolor.  Here are my samples.

The next day we did alcohol ink agate (my favorite so far), archival resist, and reflections stamping.

Always super organized and detail oriented, Tim includes downloadable labels for the backs of the tags with all the directions and supplies used, so at the end of the two week class I'll have a great reference guide to all the techniques.