Finally, a moment to post

There is now proof!!

The proof is not just in the pudding, it’s in the scrapbook too!! The proof being that when you spend money, you are happy, and there is no buyer’s remorse!!!!

I set myself up on a plan of what I wanted to spend on my first ever scrapbook convention….which also proves that the best plans don’t always come to fruition! To make the long story short, I made that trip to the ATM not once, but twice! No shame, no regrets, no idea that I should have taken more cash out the first time not only to avoid the fees, but to avoid interrupting my valuable shopping time!!

I also learned that you don’t have to spend $9.95 to get internet service in a 5 Star hotel….just pilfer the FREE internet from the conference center!!! What kind of fool did they take me for, that $9.95 bought me a beautiful acrylic album kit!!!

Moving from the convention to the short 3 hour trip to yet another scrapbook haven….I managed to spend some more, imagine that, more treasures!!!! It does not end!!!!

In case you’re lost here….I left last Wednesday, with my Amber, to Charlotte, NC for the Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Convention! We arrived at our hotel that night, unpacked and settled in for our 4-night stay. We prepared our bags for the preview crop on Thursday and the first of our 11classes that evening. We stayed up pretty late with excitement for the next day. I was giddy with excitement as I looked through the glass windows overlooking the convention floor. All the treasures that waited below would be in my hands the very next morning!!! But first things first…we had to pick up our registration packets and head to the preview crop…where I got nothing done on any of the projects I brought to work on…but, I did some early shopping (enough to cover my queen size bed). I had to bring myself to reality for a moment and realize that this is to me, what Disneyland is to a child….pure awe and amazement!!! I am in heaven here!!! We had a sketchers crop that night after the first of three amazing dinners at Uno’s restaurant (YUM)!!! I have been in such a blur, If it were not for my Amber taking pictures, I would hve no clue what we worked on that night. Thanks girlfriend!!! Back to the room to revel in my first glimpse of heaven!

Friday is here!!!!! We get to get up, and ……………go to the……………………………Sprint Store!!!! What??? Thought we came here for a scrapathon!!! Oh did I forget to mention that Satan called my Amber last night and broker her charger port!!!!! Being as my Amber is self-employed and hundreds of contacts are stored in her phone, it needed to be addressed immediately!! With the best customer service ever, we were on our way to go Shopping!!! We also had our first class of the day!!! Hummmm, no idea what the first purchase was, but my Amber took a picture of it!!!! YEAH!! I don’t know how it happened, but in our first class of the day, my Amber was covered in black ink!!! And she’s an old hand at this stuff! We had very little space to spread out for our classes, but we had so much fun!!! More shopping, and then dinner and then…..another bed full of treasures!!!! Can’t wait to get home and see what I bought!!!! More classes and shopping tomorrow!!! And even better, my Brandy will be here tomorrow!!!!

With the excitement of the day ahead, I managed to get three whole hours of sleep!! Running on adrenaline and coffee, my Amber and I set out for an early class!! Got to the class and realized it was a beginner class, who doesn’t know what a stamp pad is!!!!!! Are you kidding me!!!! We made the decision right then to blow off the other classes, but to go pick up our kits for each one. We wanted to spend the day with our Brandy and SHOP!!!! Boy did we!! We also made several passes by the Skinny Cow booth, where every time you walked by, someone was shoving an ice cream bar in your hands, and being the polite southerners we are, we took them, said thank you and ATE THEM ALL!!! I will not tell you how many, because it is a girls right to some privacy here! But we know, and it’s okay, it was a skinny cow right?

Back to the room with so many treasure and those two ATM trips!! The bed is again covered with treasures!!!! WOW!!! I can’t remember seeing so much love in one room for something other than my amazing Michael!!! Did I forget to tell you that he is the most amazing, supportive, loving man ever!!!!!

Our trip to Raleigh to Archiver’s was fun. I loaded up on all the new Smooch colors!! We found some more good deals, my Brandy and my Amber and I stayed within our budgets too! Good Girls! We headed to dinner at Ted Turners place, Ted’s Montana Grill, where I had the best prime rib ever!!!! WOW!!! Then to our final night of scrapping! We had some interesting aroma therapy compliments of my Brandy, and some trickery on my part with a Baby Ruth bar floater. We realized that we are never to fun to play!!! We settled down like big girls and actually did something new….my Amber taught us a Donna Downy technique for painting on canvas! Our books we received at the convention as freebies (gotta love those) were a hideous yellow. We each used some really pretty colors to paint them and they are now b-e-a-u-t-I-f-u-l!!!
I made it home with all my treasures, greeted my wonderful husband, who has been sick for three days (he missed me!), all my puppies, my cat, my beautiful Jeni, and my sunshines, Dylan and Noah! I showed all my treasures to Jeni, make hot dogs and fries and am now sitting in the loft with my honey! Life is so good!

Time to get down to scrappin'

Woohoooo! Time has flown by since we made plans to get to the convention, and as eager as I was in the beginning, I am eager now!!! The only problem has been life getting in the way of finishing my cards for the card swap, and gathering up the things I need for all the crops and such. Now, I do need to ask the question of what should I take to put all my treasures in once I purchase them!!! The list said no rolling totes or cropper hoppers on the sales floor!!!! WHAT!!! Where will I put my new toys!!!

Here I am!!!

Well.....now that my best girls have a blog, I must get on the bus and go for the ride. I guess this will be a good way to clear my head of the aimless meanderings that float in and out....trust me, there is a lot of floating going on up there!

I have worn many hats in my life, but so far the best hat I have been blessed to wear is the one of "Nana" to my beautiful grandson's Dylan (6) and Noah (4). These little guys never fail to light up my heart everytime I see them!

Here I will try to keep you up to date on the many changing career fields and hobbies that my life twists' and turns through. Hummmm...does that make any sense? Oh well....you know me, so therefore it makes perfectly good sense....right ;-)

Stay tuned....