Well it's over. I am still trying to recoup from all of it and I just went for one day!! LOL!!
My camera decided that it was going to be a pain so here is a link to pictures that were taken by John Barrington:
http://barringtonviolets.org/AVSA2010Raleigh.html
It was an awesome day to say the least. I got to me some really nice people, Jannich and Susan. Along with Pat Hancock, Teazs (teazs violets) Dale Martin, Thad Scrugs (sp?) just to name a few.
I came home with so much information that my poor little brain is on overload!! LOL!! At least I know that I can go back and ask Jannich and Susan .
I'll tell you what...I didn't have any idea of the size of the convention!! Hundreds of entries!! It was so much fun!! I got alot of excerise running from show room to sales room. I can home with a few beauties, I'll list them later. But I do know that I came home with a new love....Russian AV'S. I have never seen such big blooms. So know I'll be on the hunt for some leaves.
The Internet Buddies Dinner was really great. I met alot of people from other forums. I think that I was the only one from Daves at the dinner.
I made lists.....but threw them out the door when I saw how many vendors there were!
It was so much fun!! If you ever get the chance to go to one...by all means go!! It really great!!
Melanie
AVASA Convention
HI mealnie;
I just know you had a great time. i have been to a few conventions. They are so much fun & the plant room is awesome. It's wonderful to meet the people we hear so much about, & they are usually great people. I know many of them.So glad you got to go. John takes some wonderful pictures & video's. You should go to his web site & read some of his blogs, wonderful. barrington bloomers is his web site for the violet club he belongs to.He is a member of one of the groups i belong to, what a talented man he is.
mrsbonnie
guess i should have read the last post again, just duped about barrington bloomers, sorry lol
bonnie
These are what I came home with:
Blue Dragon
Ness' Crinkle Blue
Petite Barney
Pacific Pearl
Rob's Voodoo Blue
Rob's Cotton Ball
Rob's Chilly Willy
Little Oneide Girl
Little Ottawa Girl
Little Chickasaw Girl
Sors Kalissa
I thnk that I got some really nice ones!
Thank you for sharing the pictures with us Melanie!! I'm so glad you had an awesome time and got to meet some of our group as well as some of the growers.It looks like you came home with some great choices ^_^.
Lynn
Oh Melanie it sounds like you had SUCH a wonderful time. Just reading your post has me all excited about my first convention in September.
You came home with lots of new beautiful babies! Congratulations to you!
I can only imagine what your first convention must have been like.
You met some VERY nice people! How awesome! I just love reading and seeing all the pictures from the convention.
I sure plan to bring my camera to Tower Hill when I go.
SO glad you had a good time!
Kim
Hey Melanie!
I just got home...from our daughter's. Waited an extra day to come home, but...No baby yet :((( So....share with us what you learned. You can be our teacher. I know you had fun and were you able to meet up with Sista Jan and Sista Susan? Pictures of you, Jan and Susan please :) Looks like you found some more beauties to add to your collection! So glad you got to go YAY!!!!
Connie
I had a great time at the convention too. I've been to our local Dixie Convention (southern states) - and actually helped host it last month. This was my first national convention though. One of the ladies in my violet club wanted to go and meet the violet barn "Rob", and she couldn't get anyone else to go with her, so I thought about it and decided to go with her. I wanted to buy some sinningia's and meet David Harris. I wasn't disapointed, he had a lot to choose from. I only bought 4 violets, but I brought home many gesneriad plants, rhizones and tubers...it was great. We were there Friday and Saturday.
The internet dinner was really wonderful! There were a LOT of growers and hybridizers there too. Fun to put faces to so many names I've seen on the online groups. I brought two friends along to the Internet dinner, Barbara and Pam...both had a great time and are interested in joining a couple online groups. We sat across from Linda Rowe, Bloomin Jungle and she was quite interesting to talk to. A few people brought some hand-out gifts and I wish I'd have known, I'd have loved to have had something to share as well! Melanie!!!!!!! those handpainted cups were WONDERFUL and a BIG hit with everyone! ....LOTS of oooh's and awe's.......!
So glad I went! tish
Oh Tish!! It was so nice to meet you too!! Wasn't it something else?? I could have eaten cardboard and wouldn't have known the difference. LOL!! I got to sit across from Dale Martin, Thad Sruggs, and Mr. MacDonald.
The cups were my pleasure. I hoped that I didn't miss anyone. There were so many people there.
Did you happen to take any pictures? My camera messed up, wouldn't you know.
Melanie
Man how I wish I could have been there!
I am SO jealous of you ladies!
Sounds like it was the time of a lifetime!
Maybe someday.......................*wishing*
Kim
No, I didn't take any pictures, sorry! But Jana's daughter did.
The pictures are in my head, ha. It was like being with the stars! - don't you just love hybridizers!
I was surprised there were so many people there at the dinner! I don't know how you knew how many cups to paint and they were all just beautiful, we were passing them around at our end of the table admiring each one!
tish