Convention - Friday.. "Open mouth and insert your Neighbours Feet"

Bec and I woke at 6am.. and chatted for a while.. then realised that hours had gone by… So we manage to eat our brekkie.. (in house… bought cereal, milk and some bowls from the shops the day B4.. You know the budget style ritsie… hehe… ) We got dressed showered and prettied up all in about 30 mins!!! We walked (the long way) to the Convention Centre… HOW COLD was it???? Let me tell you… It was so cold.. you know when you put on your sunnies in the car after having a hot shower and they fog up??? Well my eyes were doing that!!! No glasses just smoke from my HOT (gerr) breath was foggin my eyes!!!
So we were a little later than we planed cause we talked… We lined up to register and caught up with some of the other PaperANGELS who were seated in a group on the floor setting their stamps… I pulled out all the team costuming… From my costume Department… heheh… (I have to go all out!!! Why not??? You only live once.. you may as well enjoy it…) And handed the Angel Halos to Kate and Leonie… We look HOT!!! How freekin cool are our shirts???… And everyone was wearing their name badges!!! I was so honored!!! No one was wearing their sash though.. but you can’t have it all.. Of course I was… I was PROUD and wanted to show it ALL off!!! Convention started… yeah…

Everyone was madly swapping… It was mayhem!!! Leonie and I went to Memento Mall to take a look… We grabbed a basket and a few things along the way…. Bec and Melissa were there already..Bec was trying on the little cardigan thingy.. and Man she looked HOT!!!! How good did it go with her skinny leg jeans & brown boots? Leonie dumped all her stuff on me and raced to get a photo… I pretended to struggle under the pressure of all our Memento items!!! Of course when had to take a photo.. and I discovered the other day that the professional photographer took a photo too!!! He then said that he would be following me round all day… perhaps my silly antics made for a good laugh.. or something.. maybe it was the halo that made me stand out??? I’m not sure..

So onto the hall where we enjoyed the opening.. We learned heaps on the history of Stampin’ UP!.. some of us won some stuff.. LUCKY DUCKS!!!And we watched some great demos… We were all in a row in our PaperANGELS team…. It was really cool!!! Then we broke for lunch… Which was great!!! And what I loved most about it was the wonderful containers they came in.. I had to grab a few to take home with me.. Leonie and I thought they would be great packaging for some kits to donate to the kids hospital for activity kits or to we could sell some card kits in… When the waitresses were cleaning up our table and they asked what we would be doing with the containers.. They loved our idea and asked if we would like some more.. FREE stuff.. Darr.. Of course… SO two of them returned with a HUGE pile of containers each…Now that was a spectacle.. How to get them home?? I’ll worry bout that later!!! I put them in the cloak room.. And onto the mini information sessions…

Leonie began to Hand out her convention gifts when were all seated in the Nicholls room… These cute little key rings with the PaperANGELS Logo on.. I shared with Leonie my idea for next years convention.. I told here she could use it if she liked as she really wanted to give something to all the girls…So I organised to have them made for her.... So she was happily handing them out.. then Melissa grabbed Bec… turned her around.. and covered her mouth held her stomach and then sighed from relief… Melissa has been a proof reader… She realised that the key ring read "PaperANGLES"… not ANGELS!!! And had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach thinking that the whole logo was wrong!! That perhaps all our T Shirts and our Sashes etc were WRONG!!! Opps… That's what you get for rushing a job!!! My bad... Trying to help people and make many happy at the same time.. sometimes it backfires!!! I'm glad that we did not rush the Shirts!!! And got the things fixed we needed to with the Aprons!!! (oh yeah it was not my spelling mistake for a change... It was the Laser cutter.. but i RUSHED him!!! - The ANGELS key rings are now collectors items... I am making a canvas with the left over ones.. So tehy can come to some use... Another Story to tell)

We went into the first session with Derek Christenson (Manager, International Support) & Makeesha Byl (Independent Demonstrator from Bedfordale, WA).. They talked about spreading the word.. and how we can grow our business… then there was an open forum.. Derek asked for people to share their experiences and ideas on how they spread the word in 3 areas… He asked Liz to start… Then Bec added more.. Then I felt I had something to say.. I started with how great our team is and how easy it is to tell new people and interested demonstrators how we support one another… by sharing ideas and having our quarterly PaperANGELS Events.. Where they are able to have friends, family and customers come along to and purchase the stamp sets for that class.. Which will help them meet their quarterly sales targets to stay active and maintain their discounted rate.. Then I went on to say 'get your name out there... Plaster your name everywhere.. I have magnets on the side of my car'… one lady jumped in.. oh yeah Vista print.. I love my magnets!!!... then I added I have signs and cards .. Derek must have thought that I was going to dig myself a hole in saying that I use Stampin Up Logo incorrectly… And jumped in with "you need to be sure that you do not breach copyrights" etc… I opened my mouth… and out came the most incorrect ill formed sentence I think I have ever said!!! “Oh we don’t need to use Stampin’ Up! logo.. we have our own now!!!” Then I looked in the audience… and added…. “Oh no offense Shelly”… The Co founder and CEO of Stampin’ UP! was sitting in the back towards the left!!! There was an immediate lack of oxygen in the room…. When everyone drew in their breath and turned…. In shock.. Not believing I had just said what I said… Neither did I!!!! The mike was taken from me… I could not make my wrongs right.. I was cut down!!! There was no turning back… I had dug myself a 10 foot grave!!! And was buried alive!!! SO I hung my head, slumped my shoulders and skulked back to my seat… a couple of others stood up and said their piece… Leonie stood up and introduced herself… “I’m Leonie from McClay Island in Queensland .. I’m also a PaperANGEL, BUT I’m not with HER!!” Pointing to me… again Shame shame shame!!!

After the session ended I needed to go to Shelly and do damage control.. To be sure that what she heard me say was most definitely not what I meant!!!

Now what I meant to say was that I stick to the strict guidelines that Stampin’ Up has with the whole we no use the logo (said with a bit of a ethnic accent)… and put the wording “Independent Stampin’ UP! Demonstrator” on all our printed things… She thankfully thought it was funny.. Phew!!!

Poor Liz.. She was hiding!!! I am sure that it is moments like these that one hangs their head and thinks.. ‘Kids and Animals.. NEVER work with them!!!’ I am in both categories at times!!! Heheh..

We had to rush our Make n Take session

so we could attend the 'Lead the Way' (optional session -if you have a team.. and I do now.. although it only is small.. It is up to me to be a good leader.. So I need all the help - in not leading people astray!!! heheh)

I didn't like rushing it at all... And it has taken me a month to get around to finishing off all the Make & Takes... There were some really good ideas in them too...!!! Some of which I have used... in some recent workshops!!!

I think that the rest of the day I was pretty good… I didn’t get myself in any more trouble… That I can remember… ;P perhaps someone can remember something else I did.. I am sure someone will bring it to my recollection…