Wow, What a Weekend!!!

I am overwhelmed with gratitude and thankfulness for this past weekend. I attended the Charlotte Creating Keepsakes Convention. I did volunteer work for CKC at the Registration Desk. I saw so many people I knew and it was great. I also worked for Eyelet Outlet. My main job was demonstrating the Quicklets. They are a cool little eyelet that you can set with a pen. It was fun. I saw friends from NC and SC as well as Fiskateers (Hi Angie, Kim, Veronica, Mary...of course Sudie) and I saw some Peas from Two Peas in a Bucket (Hi Selena and Lisa!!).

(Sweet Glenna)

I have to tell you that Sudie worked for Quick Quotes and they were kind and generous to Me as well as our Sudie. Andrew, Stacy, and Michelle were out of this world. Michelle is one of my all time favorite teachers. Andrew and Stacy both talked with me and was generally very kind and wonderful. I can't wait to work on the kits I purchased and show you their wonderful work.

I had several highlights from the weekend.

Sudie and I drove up together, roomed together, and generally got in trouble together! Sudie got a free upgrade on our hotel room at the Hilton Garden Inn and I'm telling you it was to die for. The biggest bed you had ever seen. A jacuzzi in the bedroom (LOL). We had a huge sitting area and kitchen. Basically, we had a room that was the width of the hotel. I could go to one window and see one side of Charlotte and run to the other window to see the other side of Charlotte! Hanging with Sudie was the best. I have to tell you that I have tons of friends that I all truly love. But I have three great friends I trust with my life....my Ruth, Bob, and my Sudie.

Ask Sudie about her "Toes Story." Sudie will be on Ustream tonight at 9:30 EST TONIGHT. Get there early to sign up and sign in because it is considered Prime Time on Ustream.)

I loved meeting Veronica, Angie, Kim, and Mary from the Fiskateers. We laughed and took pictures. I wish I had had time to hang out with them. Veronica was passing out beautiful flowers that she had designed as part of sharing Fiskateer Love. It was awesome.

This is Fiskateer Mary to my right. (I need photos from Veronica and Angie!)

I met Nic from Scrapbook.com with her tiara on her head. She is a hoot!

I saw friends from Columbia, Charleston, Lexington and made new friends from Spartanburg, Augusta, and many other places. It was so much fun.

One of the great highlights was winning the Simple Scrapbook Simple Layout Contest....1st PLACE! I was not able to be there for the announcement because I was working. As soon as I finished I ran (with a foot in a boot I didn't run too fast LOL) up to the CKC Registration booth.

I asked the first CKC person if they knew who won the SS contest. She pointed me to the end of their booth telling me that all the winners projects were laid out at the end of the table. As I moved toward the end of the table, before I even got there, I saw my layout.

I let out a scream. I didn't even know if it was 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. When I got up to the layout and saw that it was 1st Place. I was screaming and crying. Two ladies were there looking at the projects. I grabbed them and hugged them both. They were laughing. Glenna walked over and I hugged her too. Glenna works with the CKC volunteers. The person representing SS came over and I hugged and thanked her. The ladies who were operating the area where the rolling totes were stored were cheering and I hugged them too! It was just too much for my mind to grasp and it was fun sharing. Of course when I told Sudie who was still working, she non-chalantly said "Girl, I told you so." Friends!

My Prize

The absolutely most wonderful thing happened Saturday morning. I had run over to the Melissa Frances booth to purchase some chipboard books that were awesome. As I was hurrying to get the books I wanted and sales person walked up to help. I told them how awesome the Melissa Frances line is. They very happily said thank you. I looked up from digging in the bin and the sales person said "I'm Melissa Frances." OMgoodness! I hugged her probably 25 times. I cried as she shared with me. She looks so good. I shared about my aunts and immediately she asked if I had been having regular checkups. YES! Everyone should by the way. I didn't have my camera with me, but I did take a break later and had my photo made with Melissa. It was fun as we did the little formal together shot. Then she grabbed me and hugged me and said lets take this picture. I'm in awe of this woman. Visit her blog, stay alert with your mammograms, support Scrap Pink, and continue to remember her in your prayers.

Me and Melissa

When I made it home I was so tired, but not too tired to stay up and watch Michael Phelps win his 8th metal in this Olympics! Wasn't that totally over the top awesome!?! The next morning I was up with my morning coffee. Bailey had missed me so much, so I let me jump up with me. This is the photo my son got of Mr. Bailey and his morning coffee (no worry he did not drink any LOL).

Mom's here for a while longer. I'm hoping to get her to stay until I head for Florida for training of the Certified Fiskars Demonstrators. I will be in Jacksonville, FL at the AC Moores September 13th 11 am - 2 pm(ish) AND I'll be at the Ft. Walton Beach AC Moores September 20th from 1 - 5 pm training folks who want to become Certified Fiskars Demonstrators. If you are in the greater area...Alabama, Georgia, or Florida and want to attend this free training contact me via email at DeborahL591@yahoo.com.

Gratitude List:
1. Safety for me and Sudie
2. So many friends, old and new
3. Watch and at times being a recipient of other's generosity
4. Dave...Sudie's other half
5. God's watchful eye over me this whole weekend. My gratitude overwhelms me for His loving kindness.

PS...It was my goal to hit 10,000 unique posts by the end of August. I don't think it is going to happen. But I don't give up easily. So here is Debby's Dare: between today and the end of August, post a comment on the most current post. Contact your friends and ask them to come and comment putting your name in as the person who sent them. Then they can also ask their friends to come over and post that their friend was sent by your friend. Isn't that nice and confusing! The person with the most friends to post a comment will win a Scrap Pink apron and T-shirt. How is that?!? Please note: I can not ship outside the continental USA.

Special RAK: All Ladies...including all those living outside the USA....If you make an appointment for a mammogram for the month of September, post your scheduled date and time, promise to keep your appointment and I will send you a pack of Pink Raindots! Everyone.

Have a wonderful day!