Thursday, April 29, 2010

Only a month to go until PUDDLE! I hope you are all excited as I am.

If you are planning on attending but have not yet registered, please send me your information even if you are not ready to pay. So far, we have 58 total attendees, with 45 receiving gift bags. People are travelling from 11 states: Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, California, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado, Arkansas, Ohio, and Massachusetts.

Please check the list of nametag names below. If you think you have registered but are not on it, or want something else on your nametag, please contact me (TrueFan). Please note that, for security reasons, everyone who will be in the meeting room will need to wear a nametag when they are in the room.

Attendees/Nametag Names:

Mike/PullipStyle
Shana/PullipStyle
True
Blythes OCD Closet/Diane
Gina
Tafka
Keely
MissMandyLynne
Babelglyph
Pat Weller/WellerMade
Abby
Lara Mae
Elizabeth
Kathleena
Annie/icravemeowmix
Tricia
Megan/ravenwcatz
Kari/JrFanKari
Lori/May
Jan
Kim
Vicki
Stephanie
Dan
Caroline/Cara Chan
Karmin
Dwayne
Ben
Debbie
Athena/Asashi
Brian
Avi
Kisa
Renee
Claire
Julie
Laura
Carleigh
Kenly/Khait
Sohj
Taylor
Karen
Lynne Larkin/Queen-Bee
Kanamai
rpb3000z
Sheepie
Snowy
Requiem
Mamasllama
Kate
Krissy
Izzi
Lily
Rebecca
Bobby
Lynet
Joseph
Nicole

Sunday, April 18, 2010

I visited the Elk Grove Village Holiday Inn on Friday. It is very nice and staff were helpful.

I got to see a guest room and was happy with it. Two thirds of the rooms come with a mini frig and microwave in addition to coffeemaker. To make sure you get one, when you check in ask for an "Executive Suite" (or specify you want a frig and a microwave). Just a reminder: the deadline for reserving a room at the convention rate of $69 per night plus tax is May 15. The group code for reserving a room is PDS. You can book online or by phone. You can choose a king or two doubles.

Holiday Inn Chicago Elk Grove Village Hotel web site:
http://www.hielkgrove.com/

Phone numbers:
Hotel Local Phone: (847) 437-6010
Toll-Free: (888) HOLIDAY

There is a large open area with tables (and where breakfast is served) where we can congregate in the evenings for our "pajama parties." There is also a small outside seating area. There is free wireless throughout the hotel and two internet computers for guests. There is a pool, jacuzzi, and workout room. There is a free airport shuttle to/from O'Hare.

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The meeting room I currently have reserved is huge. On Friday I was given an option to use only half the room at half the price. (A wall can be pulled across the middle.) Right now we have the same number of people attending as last year. (That's paid attendance.) Cutting the room in half would greatly reduce my money worries, as we are a long way from paying off the double meeting room. Last year's meeting room was 625 square feet. The larger half of the room is four times that - 2500 square feet. The full room is more than seven times that. Comments please.

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The hotel is in a busy business area. There is an Old Chicago restaurant in the hotel. Across a busy street are Wendy's, Starbucks, Panda Express, and Quizno's. There are more places a short distance across more busy streets with many stoplights, so those are the best meal opportunities.

I need input on meals. Please let me know if you have any feedback.

- Friday night I suggest an informal meeting at 6:00 or 6:30 (any preference?) for anyone who has arrived. I suggest either Quizno's or Panda Express, which should have vegetarian options and enough space although we might not get to sit at one table. Any thoughts?

- For Saturday lunch, I suggest we are on our own. You can eat at Old Chicago, walk across the street to one of the fast food places I mentioned, or brown bag taking advantage of your frig/microwave. That way people can take a break from PUDDLE if they want, or bring their food into the room. Sound okay?

- Old Chicago has a room that can be reserved. It fits about 40. I am thinking of reserving this for Saturday evening. Anyone who'd like to keep partying can meet for dinner a short while after PUDDLE ends. We might have the option of a limited menu or buffet (pizza, drinks, salad for around $9 per person) if I let them know in advance. This would speed up when we eat. Old Chicago is more expensive than fast food but not extremely pricey. Thoughts on this option? I have to let them know pretty quickly if we want to reserve the room and also if we want the limited menu/buffet.

- Last year a few of us stumbled across each other having breakfast in the hotel. I'm inclined to leave breakfast to the same sort of arrangement next year. I'm sure many people will be hitting the road quickly. We can also make informal plans to meet at Starbucks or a Dunkin' Donuts down the road at PUDDLE if we like. If anyone is interested in meeting up at Mitsuwa Mall or going to the wildlife center we are supporting on Sunday, let me know.

Please let me know what you think about all my questions. Also please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

do you need sales table(s)?

I visited the convention hotel on Friday. More on that later, but for now, I need some information.

If you are bringing merchandise from a shop to sell, do you want one or more sales tables? They have six foot and eight foot tables. Please let me know which you need and how many. Thanks!

Friday, April 9, 2010


Many thanks to Denise's Dolls for donating a lovely outfit - the dress, overskirt, necklace, and boots in the photo. Asashi will be selling other outfits from Denise's Dolls at PUDDLE.

Just a reminder to get to work on entries for the PUDDLE contests! Bring one or two photos or artwork with a turtle theme to enter in the photo/art contest. Find matching outfits for you and your doll for the dress-like-your-doll contest. Modify or fully customize one or more dolls for the customization contest, and/or design and sew an original outfit. We will have lots of wonderful prizes for the winners!

Details on the website:
http://www.puddlestyle.com/contests.html

Sunday, April 4, 2010


A big thank you to Sleeping Elf for a generous donation of three mohair wigs, including the gorgeous mint green wig seen in the attached photo. Please visit her shop:
http://littlebloomers.tripod.com/thesleepingelf/id33.html

***

If you are pretty sure that you are attending PUDDLE but are not yet ready to pay, please go ahead and send TrueFan your registration information as soon as possible. If you don't know all the particulars, you can send the missing info later. You do not need to pay now, but we need a better idea of how many people are attending. It's only two months away now!

Here is the info needed:

- Your name
- The names of all others in your family who are coming, if applicable
- Your nametag name (and nametag names for everyone who will be in the meeting room)
- Where you are coming from (City, State, or Country) and approximately how many miles you will be travelling
- Your email address
- Other information you'd like to pass on, or any questions

Thanks!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

last day to enter!!

Just a reminder - today is the last day to enter the online photo contest! Please take a photo of your Pullip, Dal, Taeyang, Namu, or Byul with some sort of turtle theme and send me a link via PM on the various forums or email the photo to truefan@live.com. Entries will be accepted as long as it is still April 1 somewhere in the world!!