Coming up for air.......

I try to make this about things other than the store. It's hard when that is all I am consumed with all the time! I think I have caught up on my sleep. Chicago was soooo fun and overwhelming! It was so much better this time. I wasn't as anxious and I knew people. That was fun. It's kind of a soap opera. So many designers and what companies they design for and then the reps with each company change.......lots of drama!! This is pic I pulled from Amy Tan's blog. She took it at the Making Memories booth, while we were congratulating Kayla Aimee for winning a new scrap room from them! Wow, it was too cool to be there for that and someone we knew won! yay for her!
How cute is Amy? You need to check her blog. She is a FAB scrapbooker........and you will all get to meet her........soon.......what am I talking about? Oh.....Sorry, you will have to wait and see. :) (Hopefully, not too long!)

I must tell you about the two that were my bookends over the weekend. Gretchen and Brittney. Now, most of you scrapbookers know these two! Right? I do not know how I would have gotten anything done without them! We stuck together for the most part, but there were times when we separated and one would wander or go and turn in an order. We had so much fun and laughed and laughed and laughed........i got a great ab workout!hehe

After going to a place like CHA, Craft and Hobby Association, you need rehab. There are so many scrapbooking supplies and craft supplies.......it's over kill. We saw so many lines that had fabulous stuff and then there would be some that look just like everyone else! I guess it's hard to come up with something new in a 12x12 inch square!.....a piece of patterned paper, for those of you out of the loop.

One of the first things you have to do is RUN to the Basic Grey booth and get your armband. I am talking, pushing and shoving! The smaller your number the earlier you get your shipment. So, we want to be the first to have it, therefore, we pushed and shoved! ha....we really didn't but we ran......fast. Gretchen and Brittney had on tennis shoes and they run in marathons. I guess we had an advantage! (that's really the only reason I brought them!) just kidding girls.....

Our next stop was Heidi Swapp. She is always one of the best booths. She has 3 new lines. One is very elegant, Dream Dining Room, there is a fun girly holiday line, Winterfresh, and a grungy boy line, Street Smarts. They are all very cute! I love the more elegant one. I want to wallpaper my dining room with the papers........i'm serious!

After that, I can't tell you step by step where we went. We saw sooo much and had so much fun. We did order the Slice.......we weren't going to.....and then we got the sales pitch from the CEO. I mean, when you have a CEO that wants to show you how it works and give you all the details about it.......how can you resist? Then he says he will send us one......for FREE!!! We don't even have to order until we get it and try it out. We can take preorders, blah, blah..........the tiny catch was, if we don't go ahead and place an order........we might not get the first run.......hmmmmmm.......lots of thinking here. Why don't we place an order and we can cancel it if we don't love it once we get it? Ok, we're in!! ha, good sales pitch or suckers? you decide! In all seriousness, it is an AWESOME tool. It is very lightweight and portable. Very cute, too! You can cut each design in 4-6 sizes...depends on the design. So that means your alphabet.......you can cut in all those sizes from this tiny little green thing! I love it!

All the booths were super. We spent a lot of time in Little Yellow Bicycle.......I tried to win one of the adorable yellow bicycles they were giving away......I didn't. oh well! maybe next time. We ordered from a long, long list: AccuCut, Making Memories, Hambly, Jenni Bowlin, Glitz, October Afternoon, Pink Paislee, Heidi Swapp, Tim Holtz, Basic Grey, American Crafts, Scenic Route, My Mind's Eye, Prima, Stickles, Piggy Tales, Creative Imaginations, Creative Cafe, Creative Lifestyle, 7 Gypsies, more Binditalls!, Crate Paper, Doodlebug, Cosmo Cricket, My Little Shoebox...............and so many more!! ahhh, it was so fun!

So, now to figure out how to get it all in and sell it! We have lots and lots of ideas for classes and projects. We have lots of change in store for Scrap ETC. I can't WAIT to share it all!

Oh and I do have a couple of kids......they got to go to Nashville and the Porche race this weekend. So, don't feel sorry for them. They are being entertained to the max! Emma is at Performing Arts Camp this week and John Connor is doing tennis camp. We are planning our last beach trip for next week. My mom is coming. She hasn't been to the beach with us in foreVeR!!! She will probably take the kids early in the week and I will join them at the end. School starts the next! AAGGGHHHHH.......