Friends, Freaks, Food & Fun!

I have been trying, IN VAIN, to get Blogger to upload my Convention pictures for the past TWO DAYS!! It has decided it does NOT like me (which I have decided not to take personally), and I have had a very frustrating time trying to get this post finished!! Sigh . . . at least I have been successful this morning (hooray!!)! Here I am with some of my chattin' buds from SCS. Front row - Melissa (toknighton), Kelly (Kelly H), Kelly (kellyjg); back row - Deb (debils), Karen (imastampin), ME and Bev (BevMom - love that this woman is one of the few adults on this planet whom I can look right in the eyes!!).

Can anyone say WHIRLWIND??? That is honestly how I feel about this past week. This was the BEST SU Convention EVER!! I have to say it was due largely, in part, to the fact that I got to meet soooo many of my friendies from all over the US (hey-howdy to my SCS Challenge Chasers girls, my Control Freak swappin' buddies AND my good ol' friends right here in SLC!). This picture is of me and my most wonderful stampin' girls from home . . . that's me, Cheryl, Shellee and Chairl. Can I just say that I LOVE these girls?? I have learned soooo much from them over the past few years. It is so wonderful to have friends with whom you can share a passion for something you love (and to have those who help to enable you in you "must haves!"). Thanks, Shellee, for introducing me to the Wonderful World of Stampin'!! And thanks, Brooke (who is hiding on the last row, second from the right of the last group picture at the end of this post), for helping me buy my very FIRST pair of Fiskars scissors oh-so-many years ago!! You have created a MONSTER!!

The fun started for me early last week with the arrival of my friend Melissa, who got here from Mesa last Tuesday. We have had the opportunity to hook up more than once this past year (both there and here), and it is always a great time. Mel stayed with me until Sunday evening. It was great having her here! Then, on Wednesday, I got to pick up Kelly (hey-ya Kellybella!), who was here from the beautiful state of Washington. That girl is an absolute RIOT!! She had me laughing on a regular basis!!

On the first day of Convention, I ended up sitting with LOTS of my Challenge Chaser friends during the general session!! Man, oh man!! What fun!! Better than a family reunion!! I knew where some of the girls were sitting and was making my way towards them. As I was quite literally stepping over people to get to them, I said, "Excuse me" to this cute little gal who I was trying not to step on. When she turned around, I discovered it was none other than my good pal Bev-y Baby!!! (aka BevMom on SCS!) We recognized each other right off, and squeals and hugs soon followed. I felt like it was "Old Home Week" every single day!! How terrific!!

Not only did my friends from SLC and the Challenge Chaser thread on SCS come over to my house for dinner and a much-enjoyed round of visiting and laughter, but I also got to meet face-to-face with some of the most talented swappers/stampers I know. We are known as the Control Freaks, and I have been privileged to be part of this group for the past year and a half or so. It was wonderful to be able to put faces and personalities with the names and creations I have been seeing since last year. You girls ROCK!! Front row - Chat Wszelaki, ME; Middle row - Lisa Martz (Mama Freak!), Pam Findlay, Shona Watson; Back row - Mary Brown, Julie Dinn and Liz Schultz. I am only sad that Cindy Lawrence, Ann Walker and Karen Barber had another bunch of friends to hang with and ended getting to my place AFTER we took group photos!! It was great meeting them as well. My goal is to meet ALL of my Freaky Friends some day (there ARE nearly 50 of us, so that is going to be tricky!!).

Here I am looking oh-so-tired, but nonetheless thrilled at discovering one of my cards on the display boards (it's the Pretty in Pink/Chocolate Chip one . . . SNORT!!)! I actually found TWO of my cards on here. Nothing like seeing your work on display at Convention to make a girl feel like a Rock Star!! I was so mad that the battery on my camera died! I borrowed Amelia's camera, and then proceeded to take all of the pictures on the last day with it on the WRONG setting (it was set for low light, so all my pix came out grainy!! Grrrrrr!!)

I have gotten to know these girls online quite well over the past couple of years. We spent TOO MUCH time chatting while we are waiting for the daily challenges to be posted on SCS (and sometimes we just chat 'cause we like to!). I was sooo happy they came to visit, as I was able to prove, once and for all to my 17-year-old son, Garrett, that these girls are NOT a figment of my imagination!! Front row - Chat (nitestamper), Amelia (Wendybell'sGirl) with Daisy, Jackie (hpyscrpr2), Bev (BevMom) and Mel (toknighton); middle row - Deb (debils), ME, Kelly (Kelly H), Amanda (tropicalichick), Connie (cmc2stamp), Rhonda (rhondag), Karen (imastampin - who does a FABULOUS pole dance, by the way!!), and CarrollAnn (MrsBoz).

Isn't this a lovely altered item that my friends Kelly and Mel made for me (how is THAT for considerate house guests??)? They also had help from my conspiratorial daughter, Amelia. They have proven, once again, that NOTHING is beyond alteration!! I think I should send it in to SU as a suggested Workshop Wow . . . this would be GREAT for your once-a-month Stamp Clubs, ladies!! Also, it proves you can sTAMPON anything!!!! Thanks, girlies!! LOVE ya!!

Here is the whole dang gang!! (Minus, of course, Cindy, Ann and Karen, darn it!) It was such a bonus meeting so many of my stamping friends. Since they announced that Convention will be here in good ol' SLC again next year, I am DEFINITELY going to arrange for the Second Annual Party!! Can't wait!! I have a TON of pictures with my friends, and only wish it were possible to post all of them here. I may just have to pull them out occasionally over the next year to put the smile back on my face!!

The confetti in this picture (which was descending on the heads off ALL Conventionites when the UPS man brought ALL of us FREE stamps on the last day) pretty much says it all . . . happy, joyful times, good friends and a love of papercrafting and sharing. It doesn't get much better than this!!