I've read all the forum posts from folks saying how much they enjoyed our (first annual??) Community Circle. Thank you so much for posting. I want to add, though, that no one had a better time than I did. I arrived home invigorated and ready to get back up to my elbows in embroidery.
Tote Bag Photos - Folks! Where are your tote photos? Last time I checked there were only two in the gallery and, although those two are pretty spectacular, they're getting lonely. I really want to see what you've done with your totes, so hop to it!
Photos from Community Circle - If you took pictures at the Circle, I'd love to have them so I can scrap a memory book of the event. If you're willing, please send the full sized photos to me at the address I gave you. If the photos are too large you can use a service such as YouSendIt or Pando to get them to me. Pando is my favorite and I use it often. Putting them in our gallery is fine too -- Beamish Boy has a great post on uploading photos, and there are links in our galleries to information on re-sizing photos for upload if you don't know how.
New Laptop - For those in my classes when I was wrestling with my laptop, I want to assure you that I've gotten a new laptop and everything is running tip top. Well, almost everything. And, believe it or not, I'm actually beginning to like Windows Vista. 
So, next time, no computer hang-ups. New computer=New Desktop, so, as many of you commented on my computer's desktop in Orlando, I'm showing you my new desktop (the picture on the left).
Onward and upward! One of the things we talked about at our Community Circle was how important it is for us to get together locally once in a while. Machine embroidery is a very solitary hobby. Sure, we have lots of friends on the Internet, but how often do we get to sit down with our embroidery friends, face to face. It doesn't have to be an "embroidery event." Getting together for lunch would be a good start. As soon as I get myself settled down and together I'm planning to corral the bunch in Central Florida for a sit down. Please feel free to correspond on our forums to get a local group together. I see we already have someone from Alabama trying to get a group together. Remember that your privacy is safe with us. Talk about projects, problems and kids, whatever. Just GET TOGETHER. Please? I'm going to keep nagging you until you do it! 
Empty Container Challenge - How many of you have empty containers that were just too cute to throw away? Or that looked like they could be turned into an interesting project? Well, I have a bunch. Right now, sitting on my coffee table, is one of the little round boxes that Laughing Cow cheese came in. Every time I toss one of these out I regret it, so I'm keeping this one around. If anyone has any suggestions about what I can do w ith it, please tell me! In fact, I am going to do something with it and I challenge you to do something with one, too. It doesn't have to be an embroidery project, though that would be nice. I'm giving myself a week to get a picture of my project into the gallery.
Spring Cleaning - While you're dusting and scrubbing (You were, weren't you? 
), don't forget your bobbin case. If you haven't been cleaning it regularly you're going to find a lot of gunk in there. Once you've polished it up you may find that some of your embroidery problems, like bird nests, skipped stitches and broken needles, disappear. I like to take the bobbin case out of the machine and brush it off with the wire handled brush that came with the machine. Then I moisten a cotton swab with alcohol and wipe around the inside. When it's dry and shiny I pop it back in. Sometimes I have to wrestle it back in. Next time don't wait so long!
For Your Computer, Too - Don't forget your computer either. Empty your recycle bin, delete your temporary Internet files, do a search for *.tmp and delete all of those. When you're finished run defrag, then click here for a FREE computer screen cleaner. There, doesn't that feel better?
Until next time, keep on stitchin' and stay out of the kitchen!
Ann