I figured I would break it down into 4 parts: the road there, Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3. So here we go...
Saturday I woke up bright and early and drove myself to Hartford to catch my 7:55 am flight. Everything went smoothly and I landed in Minneapolis for a 2-hr layover. So I'm sitting there, eating my lunch, and I kept staring at this woman. She looked so familiar. I felt really bad staring, but then it dawned on me that it looked a whole lot like Nicole Harper from Pink Paislee and Studio Calico. So I finally got the nerve to go up to her and ask. At first I think she thought I was a stalker, LOL! But it was indeed Nicole!
Nicole was so sweet and personable. It was great to pass the layover time with her. Of all places to meet...in the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport!
After a smooth flight, I arrived in Orange County 12 hours after I left home. I was so excited because my friend, Linda Rankin, was going to pick me up at the airport. I could hardly wait! So I called her and found out that she was at the bottom of the escalator in Baggage Claim. As I got to the edge of the stairs, I saw her. I was waving madly, but she was looking at the escalator and not the stairs, so she didn't see me!!! She was as nice as can be and I felt like I had always known her. We have known each other for 1.5 years online.
So went went back to her hotel and her sister, Kathy Morgan, shortly arrived! I felt the same way about Kathy...like we had always known each other. We both design for the same online kit club, Scrapbook Deals 4 U, and we have known each other from a previous website.
Then it was off to a Creative Imaginations pre-show party. Creative Imaginations is debuting a Star Wars line of paper, so they had a Star Wars themed party...how fun that was! There were Star Wars characters walking all around...it was wild! Wonderful make and takes and super food. Couldn't ask for anything better! There I got to meet my friends, Stayce DeWid, Nicole Capote (fellow SD4U designer) and Alice Carmen. I also met the incredibly talented Cheryl Mezzetti. Here are some pictures from my wonderful experience at this CI party:
Linda and me. I just love Linda...she is always smiling, always bubbly...just a great person all around.
Linda, me, Kathy, Nicole, and Alice. So nice to get us all in one picture. We had such a great time!
Super friends Nicole and Alice. Aren't they cute?!
Cheryl Mezzetti. What a sweet, funny, and talented woman she is! Her Massachusetts accent made me feel like I was home...my fellow East Coaster!
Stayce and me. She is such a sweetie...we had so much fun together!
And now for the Star Wars characters I told you about!
Storm Troopers were everywhere!!! I think they had a really good time!
Kathy's son, Jeremy, LOVES Star Wars so she posed with all of the characters!
Too funny! I didn't tell him that I'm likely to be one of the last people on the planet never to have seen any of the SW movies!!!
Me, Kathy, Linda, and Nicole flanked by Storm Troopers
Check out this super cool product from Creative Imaginations. It's a scrapbook that you hang on the wall. The pages are held together by magnets and you can go up to the wall and flip through the book. What a great way to show off your work!
After the party, Linda, Kathy and I went back to the hotel and hammed it up for the camera:
And now for the funniest picture! Linda and I are both Chemistry geeks. There aren't too many scrapping chemists out there, so we nerds have to stick together! I brought my safety glasses and a pair for Linda and we put on our best contemplative chemist looks. Here's out it turned out:
Too funny, eh?!!
Stay tuned for tomorrow's installment, as I take you through Day 1 of CHA. :)
