Lyon's Order Just Arrived--YAY!!

UPS just rang my bell and handed me a box of AWESOME!

Clockwise from top-left: Cherry Princess, Cranberry Crush, Lexi, Little Misty Blue, and Eternal Orbit
(Click pic to enlarge)

Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses is THE BEST! And they have a new facebook page--Check it out! When it reaches 300 "Like"s (which is hopefully really soon), there's gonna be a CONTEST where the prize is gonna be a $10 LLG gift certificate!

Aaaaand now I'm gonna go unpack my new babies! :-)

Sad News

Sad news.
Janet Riemer, who was just inducted into the AVSA Hall of Fame at convention last week, suddenly lost her husband on Wednesday.

I'd like to collect sympathy cards for her, I know cards from ANY violet folks would mean a great deal to her whether she knows you personally or not--she has worked countless years spreading the love of African violets in more ways than I can even list here, so can we all take a moment and give some love back to her?

Please send cards to:

Janet Riemer
C/O Ann-Marie Keene
PO Box 10395
Portland, Maine 04104-0395

Thanks everyone and feel free to share this!

Winners Winners Winners

Back from Detroit and in MA now (not quite home yet), and I'm so bummed that convention is all over :-(
But, looking forward to next year's convention in Austin, TX!

CLICK HERE to see the FULL Winners List on the AVSA Facebook page.

Here are some not-so-great photos I snapped quickly with my phone when I had a free moment (those were rare!) Note: You can click the photos in this post to enlarge, but I'll warn you that some of them are best left alone because they're blurry. I feel bad, but I'll try to do better next year.

The Winners Table!

Best In Show - Eternal Orbit - Kathy Lahti

2nd Best In Show - Fropzen In Time - Olga Semova

3rd Best In Show - Pink Playmate - Tracy Lorence

Best Miniature - Rob's Jitterbug - Debbie Mcinnes

Best Trailer - Rob's Boolaroo - Marge Ferrand

Best Species - S. ionantha Subsp. ionanth var. 'Parker' - Bill Price

Best New Cultivar -Amateur - Sport of Yukako - Debbie Mcinnes

Best Other Gesneriad - Sinningia speciosa 'Carangola' - Eileen McGrath

Best Streptocarpus - Heartland's Peacock - Dale Martens

Best Canadian Origin - Picasso - Marge Ferrand

Best New Cultivar - Commercial - Cranberry Crush - Paul Sorano of Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses

Note: If you're ordering a Cranberry Crush from Lyon's, save a leaf for me. That is one standard I might just have to grow! :-) Oh, and I've wanted Eternal Orbit for a while too, and now that it took Best in Show I REALLY want it. Guess I'm gonna have to make a little LLG order soon!!

DMX Stops By The AVSA Convention!! (Kinda..)

Check it out--rapper DMX is at our convention hotel here in Detroit!
So next time you think only little old ladies and boring nerdy people show up to African violet conventions, remember this moment!

Is it weird that we both happened to be wearing sequined shirts?

Y'all gonna make me lose my mind grow some violets, up in here, up in here!

Invitation To Austin 2013

We are all officially invited to the 2013 AVSA Convention, which will be held in Austin, Texas from May 26th to June 2nd (which will officially be THE BEST birthday of my life!)

Danny Tidwell and the Texas gang!

AVSA General Meeting

The big yearly meeting. Mostly business stuff.
But one cool thing happened--I got quickly recognized as the individual (as in, not a commercial or club) that got the most new AVSA members this past year!! So thanks to all 12 of you!
:-)
I'd like to try and get even more this year. If you join AVSA as a new member, list me as your referral & send me $5, I send you 10 free mini & semi leaves.  As a member of AVSA, you get 6 issues of the awesome magazine and lots of other perks. It's a win-win situation, join now!

2012 AVSA General Meeting

Plant Pics!

Stephanie Darrow stopped by the convention ye sterday and took some great pics, and I'm sharing the link to her album because I'm so busy I haven't taken many!
Click here!

Internet Buddies Dinner 2012!

Jana put together yet another successful internet buddies dinner! It was a great time with awesome people & lots of prizes! (Click pics to biggerize)

Dinner & prizes!

Here we all are!

Auction Time!

Right now I'm at the auction luncheon, where awesome stuff that's been donated gets sold to the highest bidder with the profits going to the AVSA. Bill Price is doing his auctioneer voice, he is really awesome.
If you'd like to donate an item for next year's auction, contact the AVSA office! This is a great fundraiser that really helps our beloved society.

HetalkssofastI'mgonnatypethiscaptionwithoutusingthespacebar!

Blue Ribbon For Me!

And, as usual, they spelled my damn name wrong.
@#%$!!!!!!!!!!

:-/

Awards Results!

I'll keep updating this as they come...
Keep in mind I'm not gonna be able to catch then all!

BEST IN SHOW - KATHY LAHTI - ETERNAL ORBIT!!!
Best Optimara Collection: Kathy Lahti
Design Sweepstakes: Karyn Cichocki
3rd Best Design: Deanna Belli
2nd Best Design: Mel Grice
Best Design: BJ Ohme
Best Gesneriad: Eileen McGrath
Best Species: Bill Price
Best Lyon's Collection: Steve Turner
2nd Best Lyon's Collection, 2nd Best Robinson Collection, Best Russian Collection: Marie Burns
Best Robinson Collection: Diane Miller
Horticulture Sweepstakes, 2nd Best AVSA Standard Collection, Best Buckeye Collection, Best Mini: Debbie McInnis
Best Trailer, Best AVSA Standard Collection: Marge Farrand
3rd Best In Show - Pink Playmate - Tracy Lawrence
2nd Best In Show /Best Standard - Frozen In Time - Olga Vertlib
Best New Cultivar - Cranberry Crush - Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses
Best Commercial Display - Fancy Bloomers

Note: If  I got anything wrong or anyone's name is spelled wrong, lemme know!

Kathy Lahti gets awarded Best Optimara Collection from the Holtkamps of Optimara Violets

Kathy Lahti - Best In Show - Eternal Orbit!!!

Paul Sorano of Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses accepting the Best New Cultivar award!

Happy Hour!

Time to get our collective drink on! I'm happy, 'cos I got carded when I ordered my glass of white zin.

Drink up!

Almost time for the Awards Banquet. I'll do my best to blog the results, but no promises, it's not always easy keep up when they're announcing things!

Sales, Sales, Sales!

Buy, buy, buy!

Shop, shop, shop!

Spend, spend, spend!

My FAVORITE vendor, Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses

David Harris of Dave's Violets (Altho, he specializes in Sinningias)

ACA's violets from Canada, eh?

Pat Hancock of Buckeye African Violets

Dave Thompson

Donna Brining - Fancy Bloomers

Rob & Olive Robinson - The Violet Barn

Brenda & Mahlen Petry - Violet Gallery

Apologies to the vendors I didn't get pics of!!! There were even more... Ooops!

Pic From Yesterday (my entry)

Here's the pic I said I'd post after judging was over... Me grooming my tiny little entry for the "Unusual Container" class.

No I don't have a mustache, my skin gets really blotchy when I've got a case of "the nerves".

Get In Line!

The sales room is about to open!
Of course, I'm already inside haha! Time to work at Cape Cod Violetry!
(note: the Blogger app messed up earlier, so this post is not "live")

Lots of eager African violet shoppers waiting to bust thru the sales room doors!

Our Team :-)

I am happy to be clerking with an awesome team! My judges are Maida Den Oudsten from Calgary, Leonard Re from California, and Laurene Jones from Virginia. And of course my silly self from Maine.

These judges are very cool about including me in the process, especially Leonard--it feels nice and I'm learning a lot!
We're doing the Optimara, Robinson, Buckeye, Lyon's & Russian collections.

Yay!

Judging Time!

Can't type much, I'm clerking!

Here come the judge(s), here come the judge(s)!

Hello From Detroit!

Is this hotel HUGE enough OR WHAT!?

GM Renaissance Center

I'm SO HAPPY to be here and see so many friends!!

I had someone take a pic of me grooming my one measly show entry, but now I've decided not to post it here on my blog because if any judges happen to see it, they'd be able to easily identify my plant. Will show you all tomorrow after judging is over, just pray I get a blue ribbon because it's not perfect, but it definitely is SO CUTE!

Now I need to see if my lovely roomie Andrea is here because I am SMELLY after that long road trip and need to get into the room and make use of the rain closet!

Optimaras And We're Off!

John Cook and I are at the airport in Providence, RI picking up all the Optimara plants to sell at convention, and we are now OFFICIALLY on our road trip to Detroit!!

If you're gonna be at the convention, be sure to drop by the Cape Cod Violetry sales table & buy an Optimara or two! But don't tell John I sent you or he'll charge extra. ;-)

DAMN, that's a lotta plants...

Packin' It Up At Cape Cod Violetry!

Almost time to take off on our long road trip to Detroit for the 2012 AVSA/AVSC Convention!