I think this sounds like a GREAT idea. Let us know when and where, ok? Thanks!

I'd be really interested too! We'd be dangerous together as a group!!

I just looked this up. If this is the one you're talking about, its April 2-5 in Miami, FL.

Here is a link that might be useful: SAMA

Oooo, that's my neck of the woods! I'm only an hour from Miami.

I'm going back to the site to read more! DEFINITELY want to go now! I think maybe I'll have to join NOW instead of waiting til Chrismtas. Registration might close before I could join in Jan! That would be DISASTROUS..

Hmmm, go to that and see everybody....oh man that's worth concidering!!!! Or have our own in Texarkana!!

Couldn't WAIT! Took the plunge. Am already planning the trip. DH wants to go since we have other friends in FL. We'll drive and plan to visit along the way.

Not I - I'm going to Mexico.

What a great idea. I'm only a couple of hours from Miami. Let's do it!!!

SLOW: It won't be the same without you!

PS...I'm 21 hours away...it may not be the same without ME either! But it's far enough in the future, start saving my nickels...who knows!

It would be great, but I'm definitely going to Mexico, so two trips together might be too much for me to be away from my gardens that time of year. The Mexico trip put me way behind this past spring cuz I came home so inspired to make stuff that I put the garden on hold and haven't caught up yet, but thanks, LADY! That's darlin' of you to say that. I'm looking at CALAM's response above. That sounds more interesting to me at the moment. I'm truly planning on the Texarkana reunion.

Texarkana would be an ABSOLUTE, DEFINITE, POSITIVE (ifDHwillletmegoandIjustknowhewould!)FOR SURE AND FOR CERTAIN! You're only six hours away, and that's if I drive the speed limit, which I rarely do!

OH! And that was before they opened the 540 from Fayetteville to Alma!

Yall would decide to do that after I moved from Texas!!

In the first place, I can't imagine ANYONE, BAMA, moving FROM TX. I love TX, and especially where I live. The welcome mat is out, so whenever y'all decide to come is fine w/me. BAMA, I'll bet you have friends in Tyler to visit, so a trip back to TX w/be good for you. There are lots of forum members close enough to make this happen. Bring your mosaicing toys, AND YOUR DANCIN' BOOTS!

Rosemary, that conference in Miami sounds very enticing. My daughter lives down there so I will have to tell them to stay put until this conference (they want to move out of south FL).
Has anyone attended one of SAMA's conferences to tell us about the experience?
Thanks for the heads up.

LADYRONNIE, BAMA, GINGIN, LYNDALU & D3BBI,

OK, let's plan on it! Mark your calendars NOW (Miami, April 2-5) and later in the year we can remind folks, just in case others want to join us for our own mini-convention in Miami!

My calendar is marked! This will be exciting if several of us can make it.

OK!! I'm marked. Do we need to see about a hotel?

Okay, my calendar is marked, also. This will be great!

I'm thinking off it to, do any of you belong to sama now?I have never been to anything like that..I want to go to Mexico too but think Miami wouldn't cost as much and would be fun to so others work..I guess thats what you do there?Annie

I've been to national conferences like this for quilting, papermaking, and for weaving. They all have several things in common, in that most of these things will have workshops, lectures, shows/exhibits, maybe some field trips, FOOD!, and the very best thing: VENDORS. Be sure to save loads of extra spending money for those vendors. Be sure to take an extra piece of luggage (or three)... or be prepared to ship things home.

Signing up early is good so that you can be sure to take the workshops you have your heart set on. Veronica, the website should have hotel information .... and yes, you should think about that now.

What's neat is that the mosaic world is much like the fiber world, in that they are really small worlds. The "stars" we all read about will likely be there to bump elbows with. They're all really nice, really accessible, and really easy to get to know. You will learn more in a short few days than from anything else you could do.

One thing I did at one of the conferences was to rent a car for the week. My girlfriend and I split the expense, which wasn't a whole lot of money because I got a tiny little car. This thing gave us so much more freedom. We could get away from it all for a bit, anytime we chose. We found some great shops!

Nancy

I just got an email from SAMA. I had asked if you had to be a member to attend and at which hotel it would be.
This is the reply.
"Yes, the conference is for members. We will be announcing the conference hotel and program in September. Watch the SAMA website for details."

I received copies of the GROUT line newsletter SAMA puts out. FYI: For the conference just held in AZ there was an early registration fee of $175, late registration fee of $225 and walk-in registration (if available - space limited) fee of $325. It pays to register early!

Holy snot dawg!!