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Just returned from a glorious weekend scrapbooking get-away with my Creative Memories unit.  Our annual get-away retreat takes place at Henry Horton State Park, a calm and restful secluded oasis in the maddening and demanding world we all live in.  One of my downline consultants, Jessica, shared a room in the inn which was just a few steps away from the croppin' room.  Our room included a small private patio with some chairs and a small table-- including a rocking chair!  I spent a lovely hour or so on Saturday reading and rockin' and enjoying the fresh breezy air.

Now, try to imagine a large conference room full of CM consultants who literally own every scrapbooking product imaginable.  Imagine the largest and best equipped scrapbooking store you have visited and spent lots of money at.  Let your eyes graze over photo mounting paper of every shade of every color man can make.  See a table reserved exclusively for "Sissix" and every single letter pattern you might need to churn out those addictive alphabet letters.  Throughout the weekend, this table stays busy. 

Now imagine highly skilled and easily some of the most creative and dedicated women alive at work on their "art" of family album making, the occasional voice arising above the background chatter and laughter of "Anybody got another pack of Precious Elements vellum?"  The voice is Michelle, our "designer in residence," who instead of working on her albums has opted to create a "Masterpiece" vellum set of layouts which she will make into "kits" for her clients to use at her upcoming vellum workshop.  I have 2 packs to contribute.  In exchange for one, I choose a trade of "Shades of Red," which contains my always exhausted supply of the richest shades of cranberry, brick, pure salmon, and "stitch" which is a perfect blend of all the reds.  I tell Michelle to "surprise" me with a new October shade soon to be out for the other pack of vellum.

Three ladies have their "stations" set up with high-powered Ott-Light lamps inside an enclosed cubicle of upright paper dividers.  This is a beautiful scene.  The lamps cast a sharp daylight glow over the paper rainbow.  These gals are serious.  Not much chatter coming from their table.  Their work product -- album pages -- is astounding.  I make a note that I must get an Ott-Light for my home workshop.  It has become a necessity. 

Jessica makes a request of pink blush ABC's.  She is working on a page I have suggested she send to CM for their Quarterly Layouts Editions, or maybe even an online page layout.  It is a picture of Katelyn, her sweet 3-year-old, eating a slice of watermelon, her blond hair tied in pigtails.  Katelyn is a photographer's dream.  Jessica has created slices of watermelon using red and green paper with black paper for "seeds."  She has "wallpapered" the page with "Red Speckle."  I suggested the blush pink letters to match Katelyn's pink dress.  The photo is matted with a watermelon-rind shade of green.  Another table has the pink letters.  The girls with the Ott-Lights also have some title ideas books.  Jessica likes "A Taste of Summer."  She adheres the letters -- something missing.  Not bold enough.  She removes the pink letters carefully with her All Purpose Tool and we decide to "shadow" the letters with black ABC's, black being on the bottom.  The result is astounding. 

I have discovered I need "BIG" flowers on a page.  Our "idea" gal, Michelle teaches me how to create white vellum blossoms made in layers and outlined with a pink pen.  We punch pink small hexagon centers.  The large blooms are beautiful surrounding my precocious little granddaughter Erica.  I smile.  I marvel at how God has blessed me so abundantly to be among these awesome female creatures doing something that almost takes my breath away.  I love it that much. 

We have been fortunate to be here the same weekend as the "Step Back in Time" craft fair taking place right across a field outside our large glass double doors.  Mid-afternoon we stroll through the display and vendor booths.  Jessica buys a wonderful handmade birdhouse for her father for Christmas and a "walking stick" for his collection.  I am enchanted by the pure handmade soap and buy 2 bars of exquisite white tied with green raffia.  Such simple pleasures are the best part of God's kingdom on earth. 

Back in our cropping room, we snack from the bar of various goodies.  I brought grapes, cheese crackers, tuna, and almond cookies.  I sample Vickie's coconut cake.  Someone's to-die-for snack mix.  Throughout the weekend, I sneak off to my room and catch up on Hurricane Rita news and catch a short nap.  We order pizza Saturday night.  Cathy has made mouth-watering sausage bites wrapped in bacon and grilled with brown sugar. 

I retire early.  Jessica returns to the room after I am asleep.  I wake while she is now asleep, shower and get ready as quietly as I can, and sneak out of the room to breakfast and then continue my album-making.  I am among the early to bed, early to rise group.  There are others as we enter the room who have been up all night and are now going to sleep for a few hours.  There is such a spirit of freedom permeating the air.  We are alone and yet together, removed from to-do's governing all of our lives.  We are different and yet alike.  Some are corporate business professionals, nurses, teachers, stay-at-home moms, retired, young, middle-aged, "mature."  These are the most focused girls and ladies I have the pleasure to be around.  We know what is important, and we are dedicated to it. 

We break for a short "business" meeting, thus being able to write this off as a legitimate expense, and we come away even more rejuvinated and refreshed.  Our beloved leader Patty has a most awesome gift which stands apart from her many talents.  Patty has no qualms or security issues about standing up in front of a crowd of thousands to speak.  I have watched this at large conventions.  And she has no such hesitation about declaring her main purpose in life to be obedient to God and teaching her daughter to do the same.  After this, her mission focuses on her business.  She is "noble among women" as a Christian business woman.  And business she is about.  She has a shrewd grasp of economics and is an excellent teacher.

It is bittersweet to end this long awaited weekend.  Jessica and I drive home reminiscing and planning for upcoming events.  In October we go to hear our Executive Director Barbara Burnes.  It has been a little over a year since we last saw Barb, and we are so ready for this.  Having the choice of meeting Oprah in person (one of my goals) or listening to Barb speak, I would choose Barb hands down.  You are crying one moment and before you can get your hanky out, you are almost falling off your chair laughing.  I've never, ever heard anyone speak like her, and this includes the cream of the crop Christian speakers, every Charismatic preacher, and every highly-paid motivational speaker in the country (even my hero Zig Ziglar-- really had to think hard before I made this statement).  God uses this lady big time!  I have stated many, many times that the three big reasons I would never quit being a Creative Memories consultant are getting my products at cost, being able to do what I love and actually be paid for it, and number one, having the opportunity to be around Barbara Burnes.  I await my next opportunity like I used to await Christmas as a child. 

Happy scrapbooking to you all... I've come away from this weekend with so many new ideas and motivation, I am posting them as well.  So please take a look if you need motivation or fresh directon.  For those of you wanting to get started creating your family memories but are just so overwhelmed with all that is out there detracting you, please see my post on Scrapbooking 101.  You will find motivation for getting started there as well as simple, doable, time-sensitive instructions.  This will be posted hopefully by the end of the day.  Signing off for now.  Betty