happy get inspired weekend

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hhhhhaaappppyyyyyyy
ggeeeeeeeettttttttttt
iiiiiiiiinnnnnsssssss
pppiiirrrreeeeddddd
wwweeeeeeeeeee
kkkkkkeeeeeenn
nnnnddddd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yay! it's finally here.
i am soooooo crazy excited!!!
it is going to be
a heck of a good time!!!
are you super-stoked?

now that we're in the animal learning center
there is now ample room for our
wall of inspiration.
(this is where scrappers can "show off"
their scrapbook pages to
share ideas and get inspiration.)

i absolutely LOVE seeing
what everyone is working on
and always impressed by the pages.

so, i made this pins from bottle caps
for those who participate
in the wall of inspiration.

totally fun, right?
...and i also made these fabric rosette pins
for those who are volunteering me
set-up today:

i've also scored on a supercute sweater
for suri to wear this weekend.
not a detail overlooked, right? :)
btw, this sweater is totally me...in a mini version.

$7 clearance at target. woo hoo! :)

i added one of my rosette,
but i'm guessing the little booger
will yank it off and refuse to wear it.

she's just starting to talk
and actually know the meanings for
da-da (daddy), mama, nana (banana),
yaya (grandma), more, mum-mum,
thank you...
(btw, i said "i love you" to her just the other day
and she responded with "thank you". hmph.)

my mom-in-law will also be coming
to visit during get inspired .
she claims i've never invited her in the past,
[insert big "whatever" here. LOL!]
so be sure to say hello if you see her.
she's very friendly.
i'm thinking i'll make a big announcement over the PA
and embarrass her a bit. haha!
like every grandma,
she is seriously suri's #1 fan.
i'll leave this post with a pic
of suri and her grandma,
so you know what she looks like. :)

see you soon, my lovelies!
sooooooooo excited!!!!!

clownin' booth props

it's pretty much impossible to
not have fun when you're in
a photobooth.

there's a silliness that comes out
in all of us that enter.
just ca aaaa an't fight it,
just too ir rreeeesist aaa able.

throw in some extra-cool booth props
and you're done for.

sure, there will be the boa, floppy hats,
wacky sunglasses, etc. that come along
with the photobooth guy
(ours is tim from a special event dj)

but, that just ain't the way of the scrapbooker, is it?
definitely gotta mix in our own crafty ones. ;)

presenting...
the 2011 get inspired fall event booth props
(handmade by muah)

oversized bowties and neckties

framed chalkboards

and, of course, mustaches and glasses on a stick

definitely scrappy-style, right?
i think they'll be a fun addition.
cannot wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

p.s. thank you so much to those
who came to my thirty-one party,
i appreciate it.
i am truly blessed to have so much support
and especially LOVE getting to
spend some time with friends.
here's just a few pics from
the end of the night.

1. rachel + suri with their matching outfits 2. me and hubby + suri and her bff eva 3. suri and her cousin averi 4. girls at end of night.

scrapper challenge: tell your story

...
note: i was going to do a video post
about this year's scrapper challenge,
but after attempting it,
i realized i suck in front of the camera,
so here i am instead. :)
...

being the organizer of get inspired,
i have met many amazing women
and have heard tons of super-amazing stories.

many of you probably started
scrapbooking the same way i did...
creative memories party? ;)

we all start for various reasons...
but, what keeps you scrapbooking?

some women started when
they discovered they were sick
and wanted to leave their legacy
for their children.

some women use it as a creative outlet,
because they don't feel creative anywhere else.

tons of reasons.
tons of stories.
so, i'm asking you to
tell your story
for the scrapper challenge.

my hope is that you hear stories of
why other women scrapbook
and it reminds you of
why you love it so much
or you discover you
have something in common
and maybe make a new friend.

(btw, if you remember,
make a new friend was
the spring event scrapper challenge
and it was a big hit.
gina myers said she made 50 new friends.
LOL! sorry, i couldn't resist that shout-out.)

i'll start.
there are several reasons why i scrapbook...

1. i think of scrapbooking as something sheerly for me. yes, i love that i'm leaving something for my children to look at 50 years from now. but, i'm also creating as a way to express myself.
2. i'm hoping that one day suri and her future siblings will look through my scrapbooks and say: "hey mom was kinda cool...at one time." LOL!
3. i love the social aspect of scrapbooking. this is why i push for that so much for the get inspired events. i've made some great friends from scrapbooking. i think its a great opportunity to connect with people.
4. it makes me reflect on my blessings. i always feel more grateful after scrapbooking because its usually about someone i love. it's hard to be grouchy when you're scrapbooking.

so, please think about your story.
this is a heads-up:
i'll be asking scrappers to share their story
on the microphone.
*dun, dun, duuuuuuuuuunnnn.*

don't worry, myself or my sister
will be faciliating this, so no pressure.
it will be more like we're having a conversation. ;)

i have given you some nifty gel pens,
so you can write it down.
you could also share your story
with your scrap-neighbor or someone else.

thanks, loves.
over and out.

get inspired fall event: crank that knob

hello, my get inspired lovelies,

i know it's been quiet on
the get inspired front lately,
but now it's time to crank that knob
up to CRAAAAZZZZAAAAYYY. 

it's only six more weeks until the Fall event
and with the way time has been flying
it'll be here before we know it.
woot, woot!!!!
(that's a double woot, btw.)

there are about 11 spots left,
so if you know of any scrappers
who'd like to join us,
please let them know asap.

how about some quick updates?

1. prizes will be given by.the.row.
there are 20 rows total with 17 scrappers each.
ten rows will be winners of
some pretty awesome prizes.
(there are 17 of each prize,
so row winners gets the same thing.)

do the math...that makes your chances 50/50.
pretty good, right?!
plus, vendors will be giving prizes on top of that.
here is a sneek peak at my prizes:

did you notice the rub-ons, clear stamps,
metal embellishments and scrap kits?
exciting!!!!!!

and...

2. the get inspired gift + scrapper challenge....
as you know,  e v e r y o n e  gets the get inspired gift.
so, if  you don't win one of the many prizes,
you won't be leaving empty-handed. :)
(not counting the 5 totes of scrapping supplies
you'll probably be bringing with you.)

for the get inspired gift, you'll be receiving a large  
page embellishment that either says:
"true friendship is seen through the heart not the eyes"
or a glittery "home sweet home".

also, the additional get inspired gift is gel pens.
(metallic gold/silver or black/white).

i've combined this gift with the scrapper challenge this time.
the scrapper challenge is: tell your story.
i will be posting up more about the scrapper challenge later
and explaining why i chose it for this year.
(i'm debating with myself on whether to
do a video post for this one.
eeekk. nervous.)

truly excited and looking forward to this event.
of course, the photobooth + my special props
(yes, the ideas are a'brewin for those)
and wall of inspiration are returning also.

start countin down the days, ladies.
we'll be seeing each other soon. ;)

spring event, you are my fave

a photobooth pic

the spring event was sooooo much fun.
i think it was because i got to relax and enjoy myself.
this past november, i was nervous about the new location.
this time, i had things figured out.
it was sooooooo nice.
i felt like i just socialized the whole time! seriously.

it was a different crowd for sure. lots of newbies.
and the veterans were so sweet. they did a great job of
settling in and helping create a positive and social atmosphere.
i feel like they always get what i'm trying to do.

at the end of it, i thought:
this is exactly the type of event i want get inspired to be.

i'm not gonna lie...this april timeframe was hard.
it's unlikely the event will be 2x a year.
but, it was worth every stinkin bit of crazy.

here are my (random) thoughts about the event:

1. wall of inspiration participants were awesome. there were many deserving FAVES.
2. the vendors rocked!!! they were generous with the prizes and the make-and-takes were impressive.
3. there were lots of younger girls at this event - so precious. keona (who i'm guessing was around 10 years old) stayed with her sew many memories crew until midnight. she also won the 1-hr free massage from massage heights. LOL!
4. photobooth from a special event dj was priceless - the amount of laughter and giggles that came from that thing was truly amazing.
5. kim and kat from scrap inn gave away 200 free t-shirts. wowza!

and...it was so wonderful making new friends. thank you, ladies, for embracing the scrapper challenge. seriously, i don't think that anyone left with a frown on their face.

suri with a 'stache

at first, she kept trying to eat it.

so.damn.cute.

rad booth props

hello again sweets,

look what i made!
pretty rad, right? (if i do say so myself. hehee)

i used my silhouette sd machine.
definitely need to use THICK (i'm talkin bazzil-thick paper)
when attempting these. otherwise the paper doesn't lay flat.
i have a whole reject pile to prove it.

i used some of my old 'rockstar' paper + black cardstock.
the one in the upper left says: Get Inspired Spring '11 ROCKS
pretty hard to read, but i attached with a zot. nuff said.

guess who those baby-size ones are for...

the girl that looks more and more like her mama!
unfortunately, my assistant is not here to model her mini props.
i'll have to post a pic later. :)

real simple x 2

hello my lovelies,

look what arrived in the mail today:
my all-time favey magazine Real Simple!
two of them.  
uh-oh.

funny story...
i accidentally subscribed to real simple...twice.
one came address to my married name...
and one to my maiden name.

oopsies. i thought my old subscription was over. LOL!
well, i'm giving this extra issue to a lucky scrapper -
as a prize at get inspired.

i am not kidding you, i LOVE this magazine.
it's chock-full of ideas to make your life easier,
hence the name.
i even love the type of paper it's printed on.
sorry, it's the graphic designer in me.

so, keep 'em coming, mr. mailman.
i'll keep paying it forward. hehee.

get inspired: wall of inspiration

yay!!!! we're bringing back the wall of inspiration.
it's a place to hang up your completed layouts,
so others can share in your beautiful pages
and maybe find ideas/inspiration for themselves.

i made some goodies!!! woot! woot!
check out these mini metal birdhouses...
i only could get my hands on 17 of these little metal cuties,
so the race is on!

AND...
several scrappers requested a "contest" of sorts.

i am definitely not being a judge.
it would be waaaaaay too hard to choose.

so, i made these "you are my FAVE" ribbons
for those unlucky ladies with this duty.
(anyone want to volunteer for this?)

little badges of honor.

they say "LOVELY PARTICIPANT: wall of inspiration" on the back.

get inspired: scrapper challenge

as you know, i've been trying to fill the last scrapper seats.
which means... going back to grassroots.
i.e. handing out info cards to scrappers in aisles.
i knooow, doesn't sound fun.
but...it's actually not that bad.

with finding my business clients and organizing get inspired,
i've really had to push myself to be more outgoing.
this was a definite struggle at first.
i'm much more comfortable as an introvert.

but, over the years, it's gotten easier and easier.
i learned a valuable lesson:
you just have to put yourself out there.
(my hubby would actually say these exact words to me -
when i'd get discouraged. and it's so true.)

i've found, even when i'm approaching a random person,
people are generally open and friendly.
especially scrapbookers. :)

one of the comments from last year's survey was:
"i made a new friend."
that brought a instant smile to my face.
i felt so proud that i helped create a friendship.
there is nothing more inspiring than a friend.

so, my scrapper challenge for this Spring event is:
MAKE A NEW FRIEND.
:)

my lovely assistant

...with one of the get inspired prizes.

vanna ain't got nothin' on my baby girl.

;)

get inspired: a switch-up

originally my idea was to get everyone birdhouses
as their 'get inspired gift' (going with the Spring theme.)

however, i couldn't find any that had the value i wanted.
(flashback to my drake days ... quality + price = value)

so, i decided to switch it up...

first of all, i got everyone travel mugs:

i listened to 'my peeps' on this one. hehee.
several scrappers gave feedback they wanted covered cups.
nothing worse than spilling on your scrapbook supplies.

these are 'design your own mug' ones and look how cute they are -
i simply put a piece of scrapbook paper in there!
they are only 11 oz'ers, but they get the job done.

secondly, i got everyone bags:

another practical choice.
when were were setting up at our last event,
the papers went flying when the doors were opened.

i thought: if i'm gonna get bags, why not get colorful ones...
and reusable??? weeeeellllll...
freebies that are F U N and practical,
not a bad switch-up, dontcha think?

get inspired: t minus 11 days!

the countdown to get inspired has officially begun.
this is the first year i've tried to pull off a spring event,
and i gotta be honest, it definitely snuck up on me.

i  REALLY hope these last 40 seats get filled.
sorry, i can't help but wish for a sold-out crowd.
i'm seriously thinking this will be the best one yet.
things are starting to come together nicely
and it feels so goooooood. *sigh* i love this event.


i got most of my prizes today....

i decided to go crazy on THICKERS. they happen to be my fave.
i have 20 thicker packs right now - need to track down 6 more.
i want to give them to a whole row of scrappers.

and there's scrapbook page kits, chipboard kits, mini stamps,
glitter sets...just a mention a few other goodies.

the vendors are also required to give away 10 prizes each.
might get a little microphone/prize-crazy up in there.
guess that's a good problem to have.

stay tuned...it's gonna be get inspired central around here.