Catching up...

Wow, this week has FLOWN by!  So much for my updates being timely...

Quite honestly, I think I just needed a few days to be unplugged and to hang with my family.  After putting in so much computer time, writing and editing the 25+ page workshop handbook for my ScrapFest class, plus the Power Point presentation, it felt good!

But I've missed blogging - and I was on a roll there too!  I think I had 20 posts in 21 days! :)  Thanks for your comments and visits!

So here's my recap:

ScrapFest was incredible!  Sadly, I didn't not take out my camera once, except to use for demonstration purposes during my class (and in the Walper Hotel afterwards, to review camera settings with Holly and Jennifer!)  So if you attended ScrapFest and have photos of me or my class, I'd love copies for my scrapbooks!! Please email hi-res images to me at sue{AT}canadianscrapbooker{DOT}com.

My photography class went well, for my first one at ScrapFest.  I was nervous and I'm sure it showed, but once I got into a groove, it became second nature.  I ended up running out of time to cover it all, but in hindsight, I probably could have skipped the Camera Accessories section - even though some of the info was valuable in later sections.  Oh well - live and learn!  I hope that if you attended, you had a great time and that you now are more comfortable with the manual settings on your camera!  Don't forget to check out the Hands On! photography tutorial this month and send me your submissions for a chance to win one of two Colour Catchers from ClearSnap that we're giving away:

Although I didn't get much done at ScrapFest, aside from finishing the mini photo albums I made for the class goodie bags, I had a great time.  We were seated at the Sauvignon Blanc table, and met some lovely local ladies. 

And after finally meeting up with Lisa Furtney, event planner extraordinaire of ScrapFest, I sat back down, only to hear someone call my name from the table next to us... It was my online friend, Dorrie!!  I had met her years ago in an online forum and recognized her right away from her avatar.  She was surprised to discover that I was only 5'1" - which many people usually are - I think it throws everyone off! :)  We managed to have this photo snapped just before my class on Saturday night:

Isn't this a great picture, despite the bags under my eyes from 12 hours sleep in 4 days and why do my cheeks look like I've been into the Sauvignon Blanc?!?  Anyhow, it was wonderful to meet this incredible lady who has bounced back from a difficult year and keeps on smiling... Love ya, Dorrie!! *smooch*

I was also excited to meet up with a couple of fellow Canadian Scrapbooker teammates, Connie Nichol and Cathie Allan.  They flew in on a whirlwind trip so we didn't have much time together, but Connie managed to have the sense to ask Holly to snap a couple of photos of us together!

I also had the extreme pleasure to meet the very talented Miss Karen Ellis of Art House Studio in Kitchener.  This girl is a hoot!!  We didn't get a chance to chat much at ScrapFest but we all met up for dinner on Saturday night after it was all over and done with - we got on famously!  Later, my friends told me that they weren't surprised that we hit it off so well, as Karen reminded them so much of me!

I got a chance to meet up with my old friend, Vicki Boutin, too, in between her classes and contest judging.  There were many other online friends, new and old, that I got a chance to finally place a face to their name - so nice to meet you all! 

On Saturday night, Nancy and I cleaned up after my class (thanks, Nancy, for ALL your help this weekend!!), then we all packed up our scrapbooking stuff and piled into the car.  Nancy, Holly, Jennifer and I headed back to the hotel room and being beat, I intended to head to bed.  But then I realized that we hadn't eaten since noon that afternoon so we headed down to the Rum Runner's pub, located in the hotel.  We met up with Lisa, Lorna and Sandra of ScrapFest and Karen of Art House Studio.  I wondered initially why they sat us in a room to ourselves, but after about 20 minutes of conversation, I understood - we were laughing so hard!! I honestly had a headache and my stomach muscles hurt from laughing that hard!  Much of what we discussed are private jokes and ScrapFest related stories but we also covered the gamut of the following topics as well:

1. "fun" drinks - in all different colours
2.  ghost stories
3. Walt Disney World princess stories
4. Holly's spectacular dive across the floor
5. Her subsequent near-trampling
6. ugly babies
7. hotel policies and why you should always fight for a room at 1pm
8. Nancy's scalding from the shower
9. Nancy's near-fatality with the hotel hairdryer
10. the discussion of Nancy's curse
11. the mad dash for the after dinner mints

I'm sure there was tons more that we discussed but for the life of me, I can't remember!  This is why I should blog immediately!  I had brought my laptop for the express purpose of blogging each night, but the 4am mornings didn't leave much time for it!

That's ScrapFest in a nutshell - I can't wait to go to the fall event in October in Oshawa!!  Who's going to that one?!

Connor's weekend in Ottawa (not Nepean, as Dorrie pointed out, even though that's what the swim meet calendar says!) definitely deserves his own post so more on that tomorrow!