So, when I tell people I'm going to a scrapbook retreat, I often get the response, "What is that?" Well, lemme tell ya...
Imagine three days of nothing but doing something you really love! What a retreat is is I get to spend three days, half of a Friday, all day Saturday, and half a Sunday with my friends and usually my mother, scrapbooking. Yes, you know...
SCRAPBOOKING! I get to sort pictures, put them on colorful papers, use my
cricut, and get as many pages finished as I can in the 48+ hours I have away from home. All usually sleep deprived from staying up too late the night before scrapbooking, or enjoying such yummy goodness as a Margarita or a nice glass of wine or rum and coke. I have several friends who love scrapbooking as much as I do, and so when we get together, it's a fun filled weekend of CRAZY, sweet, sad, and drama filled stories! This past weekend was just that. FUN!
Packing! We packed up the night before. When you go to a retreat, you don't want to leave anything behind! So, needless to say, we have a TON of stuff to bring! I believe I had 6 varying sizes of cases and bags all full of my stuff, and ONE small suitcase. My mother was the same. Awesomness!!! This conveniently fits PERFECTLY in my totally awesome BB (my Jeep) so we are all cool with the load we need to bring.
Friday, my mother and I headed out around 9 am, first stop: HOBBY LOBBY! They were having an Awesome sale, 50% off on all their brand of scrapbook products, paper, embellishments, etc. We got our fill there and then some, then we headed off towards Tomball. along the way, we pulled over at a Specs for some adult beverage supplies. Let me just say the guys at the Specs off Cutten Road and 1960 were really great! Not only did they help us find everything, they packed it up and brought it to the already full Jeep! NICE! Then, off to Sams for snacks to share. We got just enough stuff, crackers, cheeses, fruit, chips and salsa! And, after stopping at Dairy Queen for lunch on the road, we were headed to Tomball.
Willowcreek Retreats!
We have been here before, and as an avid Retreat goer, we know what's great about this place. 6ft tables EACH, an nice comfy bed to sleep in, a separate kitchen/dining area, our own fridge to use, plenty of plugs for electronics and chargers, AND, to top it all of, the owner has an extensive Cricut Cartridge library! This is totally awesome for trying out carts to see if you really want them. I think I want the Winnie the Pooh Font cartridge after this weekend, it's a cute font I didn't think I would ever use! We got all set up and ready to go and cropped the night away! Mother went to bed around Midnight, I went to bed just after 1:00 am. Sweetness!
The retreat center. Only one of these doors opens. They use it for bad weather storage
Look at ALL THIS SPACE to scrapbook!
The host's house. They have a lovely pool outside!
Laura's Chair BROKE! The bolt that held the back on the chair just snapped!
It was her own chair, bummer! Her hubby fixed it when she got home.
My scrappy space! Look at all my stuff!
Saturday, well this is a full day, spent mostly in my PJs, chatting, sharing ideas, eating good food and fun snacks, scrapbooking and sorting and scrapbooking again! I don't know why, but I so love it! Drinks after dinner, and well, a little too much means pictures are put in the albums upside down, but it was all good fun! I only made it until 12:30 am that night, but still had a great time!
Me in my space
Eating grapes!
a work in progress
Mother went to bed first. Her desk was wrapped. :)
Sunday morning came too soon, as the room has a black out curtain so you have NO concept of time in the morning. Slept until 8:00! That NEVER happens at home! Anyway, I get mother up around 8:30 and for some reason she thinks its Saturday, and is wondering why everybody is packing! Funny Lady!
more work in progress
Mother finding her wrapped desk!
After all is said and done, I completed 62 scrapbook pages for Jake's 5th baby album! Since I'm up to November, I'll be starting Christmas and his birthday next, so almost finished with Jake's First Year! Oh, and I won a ticket game prize! A digital art set! YEY!
Here's to the next one, in January 2014 at
Deep Woods Retreat in Smithville!
no make up picture. it's a tradition
late lunch at sonic!
I just want to say a few nice words about my friend, Jaime Windfont! She has been a Creative Memories consultant for a while, and I met her by chance thru the CMC locator on the main site back in 2005 I believe. I picked her because she was listed as a "Unit Leader" which meant she had some downline consultants and probably had a good customer base and when I contacted her via email, she did hold crops. Now that CM is going under, we are all sad this chapter in our lives is finished. All good things must come to an end, but we do have hope that the new company coming out of this mess will be great.
Meeting Ms Jaime was a chance meeting that I'm so very glad happened! She is not only the Best CMC I've ever had (including myself since I was one for a few years in Denver), she is a great friend! Thank you Jaime for having these retreats to help us all get away once and a while to be with friends and crop til we drop!
I'm also reminded of my Dear Friend, Eriika Amis. She passed away on 10/10/10, and I miss her so. We started Scrapbooking together in 1998, after knowing her for about a year. When I became a CMC she was my best customer! Never missed a crop or event! We had so much fun together in those all day crops, I wish we could enjoy retreats together now. I know she would have LOVED them! Just know, dear Eriika, I always think of you and that CRAZY Jungle page you did, and let's not forget the 3D fold out Pinata layout! Also, we made a pact long ago - never title a page "Cute as a button" or "Pickin' Punkies". I'm still honoring that pact, even though my boy is well, you know...
