Convention 2009 in Review

I'm a little late on posting before, during and after convention. I had a blast! I learned a lot as usual but mostly just refresher courses since I've been attending for 9 years. So here is a rundown with a few highlights. It is all a blur now. It went by so fast! First, this is my WOW swap. I was inspired by my friend Debra Burgin. Again. I combined the two cards on her blog.

Wednesday, August 5th: Jolene, Anna and I were Make n' Take Helpers this year so I drove up the night before and stayed with Jolene in Kearns. We met up with Anna bright and early so we could get to the Momento Mall (I got NO sleep!). It was a special early entry for Make n' Take Helpers. YAY! Then we wandered around until I was approached by someone from the You Crew. They took us all into a room that was set up to film demonstrations. I had 2 practice runs on the teleprompter and then the real deal. Um. I kinda choked but it was a fun experience. We'll have to wait for my friends to send me a photo of the event. Then it was about time for us to head to Riverton for a self guided tour (again, for Make n' Take Helpers). Then back to SLC where we went to lunch at the Macaroni Grill and then went back to the convention center to prep for make n' takes. At 7pm we met up with the WOW swappers at the Lamb's Grill. Below is a picture of the group. What a day!

Thursday, August 6th: We found everyone and sat together in the usual spot. This year I had 3 downline attending for the first time. Heather, Jillian and Arlene. I did a lot of swapping and settled in for Main Stage. One of the first things that got demonstrated was the My Digital Studio. They sure sold me on it but guess what!? I won the My Digital Studio! My first win at convention was a big one! Up went the wristband colors and there they were, orange stripes! MINE! YAY! They also did the Build-A-Bear demonstration and announced that there would be a bear available in the Momento Mall. Isn't she cute? We even got Make n' Take buttons for ours.

Friday, August 7th: This was our big day as Make n' Take Helpers. We went to our usual classes and then put our aprons on and rushed over to get started. It was fun to be able to work on the track that our friends were in and to work with friends. There we are below:

Saturday, August 8th: Keynote speaker Belinda Ellsworth taught us about the Power Hour and then we learned about some upcoming Stampin' Up! specials and incentives. Again, it all went by so fast! Can't wait until next year!

If you would like to join us next year, from July 15–August 31, you can join the Stampin' Up! family for as little as $85 with the Mini Starter Kit. Ask me how or sign up here. The password is SeeJulieStamp. *Convention fees are not included.