Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Update Time!!! Installment #1...

I can hardly believe we have been home a week! It has taken me the entire week to get caught up on all the washing (we ended up having to go out and buy a dryer so I could get it done because the weather here has been wild!). I started back at work yesterday, faced with several HUGE boxfuls of the new Kaiser Q1 products. It is nice to be home- our road trip was hard work at times so being home is kinda my holiday from the holiday! That said, I'd LOVE to still be on the road rather than back to reality. We all had the best time!

The first leg of our trip saw us travel from Perth to Kalgoorlie, to Eucla (OMG so cold!!!), Ceduna, via the gorgeous hills of Port Augusta to Broken Hill, to Dubbo and then to Brisbane via Tamworth. Of these places, Dubbo was our favourite. In fact, we loved Dubbo so much that we stayed an extra day than we had originally planned. I couldn't help but visit the town's scrapbook shop (!!!) and we visited the beautiful Western Plains Zoo twice. It was here that I saw African elephants for the first time (my fave animal!) and where Til and I had the opportunity to hand-feed the zoo's giraffes.














We arrived in Brisbane on Thursday 4th June, two days before the convention weekend. We took the time to rest up, vist Starbucks (I had been waiting to slurp on a Grande Caramel Java Chip with cream since August of last year... I am an addict!!!), and wander around the city. I found a scrapbook shop just down the road from where we were staying so... of course... I popped in for a visit!














And then came the day of all days... the first day of the Brisbane Scrapbook Convention!!! OMG! I can even begin to describe just how awesome the convention was! If you have never been, then don't cos you will want to go every single year thereafter!!!

DAY 1
My first impression was "OMG, there is like a thousand people in front of me in this line. I am never going to get in!" Thankfully, this was not te case and I was in and surrounded by scrapbooking goodness within no time at all. I couldn't quite focus at first. I just wandered in circles trying to come to terms with the tonnes of product and inspiration that surrounded me. I have a feeling I was walking around with a crazed smile plastered across my face - I was just soooooo darn overwhelmed with that 'kid-in-a-candy-shop' feeling. I eventually managed to decide upon a few MME purchases before rushing off to my first class, Prima-licious with Jill Geraghty-Groves.

Jill has to be one of the most down-to-earth, talented, and friendly people I have ever met. Her class was fantastic. I am yet to finish the page we created (I didn't and still haven't finished ANY of the projects from ANY of the classes I did! Damn housework!!!) but it is sure to look stunning given the teacher and product we had to work with!

Crap photo, but here I am with Jill (and my enormous belly!);














After another quick shop, was my second class, Card Frenzy with Jodi Holbrook. I must admit, I wasn't too impressed with this class, not so much because the project wasn't so great but because it was meant to be done using the Slice and, well, there was no Slice action to be seen. On a more positive note, Jodi is awesome fun and quite the entertainer... plus she was the bearer of lots of Making Memories prizes! I didn't win but I did get a tonne of product in my kit. Making Memories classes are incredible valuue for money... so book in to at least one if you get the chance next year.

After my second class I had the afternoon free to shop, shop, shop... and that's exactly what I did!!! Among my insane number of purchases, my faves were a Corner Muncher, October Afternoon Cherry Hill Shapes die-cuts and Ducks in a Row Wild Cards, Maya Road Metric Ruler Singleton Stamp, and some yummy Prima ribbons.

I was tired and very sore-legged come home time at 5pm that night. DH quite possibly went to bed with an earache after hearing me crap on all evening about everything I had done and seen, plus he was sunburnt from spending the day at WhiteWater World with my daughter. She had the best time there, especially on the slides in Wiggle Bay. She also had a photo (and a dance!) with Dorothy!

Well, I am officially over typing so I'll leave you in suspense for now. I'll be back tomorrow or Thursday with the next installment of Road Trop Zero Nine!

xxx

10 comments:

Melissa said...

OMG Chloe....lmao here.Cause you said it in one.That is exactly how I felt last year.I am already planning on going next year with Leah and Leone and few other girls from SP.It truly is an eye opener isn't it, to have all that scrappy goodness only arms length away.And to see it for real, touch and look and drink in the Atmosphere.oh god do i sound like a scrap addict to you...LOL. I agree, did a class with the divine Jilly , and she is just the loveliest lady.Can't wait to see what you did in her Prima class.
BTW, you are looking blooming good too.

Unknown said...

You should be a travel writer Clo, you make sitting in a car, driving for weeks seem like really good fun, LOL.
It's great to have you all home again though as we missed you heeaappssss.

Kirsty said...

OMG sounds like soooooo much fun!!! Love how you managed to visit lots of scrapping shops along the way...was this how you planned your overnight stops??? LOL

Kaye's Crafty Place said...

Your adventure sounds like sooooo much fun, glad you managed to sniff out the local scrap shops. The convention sounds like great fun will maybe have to go one year (heres hoping). glad to see you back

Kerryn said...

You are looking awesome Chloe! Great to hear of your adventures and look forward to the next instalment :).

Also, saw your layout in Scrapbooking Memories! Such a gorgeous layout, woohoo!!!!

Anonymous said...

I so want to go with you, it sounds as though you had a blast, eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Her Essential Hand said...

Great to have you back!! :) we missed you!!
I loving reading about your trip. Dubbo zoo is great!! I love it too, havent been in years!
Great to see you feed your addiction while you were away too, by visitng the scrap shops!
x

Shimano (aka Christine) said...

I so love Dubbo zoo - it is my fav zoo in all of australia. We have done the behind the scenes tour there a few times (seen baby rhino being born, patted and feed rhinos, camels, giraffes, etc).
Glad your trip went well and you enjoyed it. xx

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear you had a fantastic time look forward to hearing the next update...
Keep well
Denise

Aussie TM5 Thermomixer said...

Your road trip sounds so cool! Glad you had an awesome time! We took exactly the same route when we drove from Perth to Brissy (I think it's the quickest way). OMG, I want to go to the convention now - maybe next year lol...