For 10 years Tapestry has been raising funds for women's scholarships and providing women with a rare commodity - a day off! Throughout those years, we have been fortunate to have a mix of returning and new sponsors to provide guests with a wide variety of information and shopping experiences. Here's a summary of both our returning and new sponsors from the Gold level and up. For the complete list, please click here.  Booth spaces are still available. For more information, contact Kathleen at tapestry@ipfw.edu or (260) 481-6854. 

Diamond Plus
IPFW
Parkview Health

Diamond
Majic 95.1 WAJI

Ruby
Fort Wayne Newspapers

General Motors Fort Wayne Assembly (new!)
Indiana's NewsCenter

Sapphire
Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (new!)
KPC Media Group, Inc.

Emerald
Dorian Maples & Associates Angel Corps
Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management
Moore & Associates

Tapestry: A Day for You embraces the creative minds of women by inviting area artists and artisans to exhibit their work in the Tapestry Boutique. Located inside the main exposition area among the sponsor exhibits and the main program area, the Tapestry Boutique exhibitors have a wonderful opportunity to introduce their work to 1,400 women in a single day.

Artists and artisans are selected by the Tapestry Boutique Committee based on the quality of their hand-crafted work and the anticipated interest level of the Tapestry guests. The Boutique area sold out in 2010 with more than 30 booths. We are halfway to that point right now. Please view the Boutique Electronic Packet for more information or contact the Tapestry office at tapestry@ipfw.edu or 260-481-6854. Applications are due January 14, 2011.

Volunteers at Tapestry

Volunteers have always been critical to the success of Tapestry: A Day for You. Their efforts make the day flow smoothly for the guests, sponsors and exhibitors. Since we value the time and energy of our volunteers, their registration is FREE! Volunteer spots are limited and are filling fast. If you are interested in being a volunteer for Tapestry 2011, please see the Tapestry Volunteer Agreement or contact the office at tapestry@ipfw.edu or (260) 481-6854.

No, I don't mean the spread of your credit card bill; I mean the spread of your body after this four-week whirlwind of parties, never-ending office buffets, and shortage of exercise time. The average American gains one pound each year during the holiday season. While one pound does not sound like much, consider that the one pound is likely to stay on you for the rest of your life. So, I guess as I look at my hips today, I am seeing the ghost of holidays past...in pounds. Yuck! To help you (and me) avoid the spread, here are a few tips:

• Keep a snack in your purse or car - yummy fattening foods are everywhere now. Avoid the temptation caused by a growling stomach and be ready for it with a low-fat snack bar (many are covered in chocolate!), bag of nuts, or piece of fruit.
• Think about your options - make better choices. No fat, no whipped cream vs. full-fat everything; candy cane vs. chocolate; cider vs. eggnog; gingersnaps vs. frosted sugar cookies; one cookie vs. two.
• Don't hang out at the buffet - choose two or three of your favorite things and then walk away so you're not tempted to keep nibbling on the food.
• Plan ahead - going to a holiday party? Eat light and low calorie all day before the party (notice I did not say starve yourself) and try to fit in an extra walk and/or set of stairs.
• Set realistic expectations - don't try to condemn all sweets during the holidays. Instead try to eat half as much of them as you usually do. Your workout time is going to decrease, but decreasing is better than disappearing. If you usually work out for 40 minutes but can't squeeze that in, aim for 20 minutes. If possible, chose an activity that is more intense than usual. Set yourself up for success so you feel good about yourself.
• Manage holiday stress to prevent emotional eating - break down your holiday to-do list into manageable tasks; remember, you don't have to accept every invitation; don't overdose on "quality" family time, and remember to allow time to do whatever refreshes you.

Remember, one pound that will stay with you for EVER. Try this new approach and let us know how it worked on our Facebook page. Happy holidays!