Honey, I'm Home!!

I'm back from the Scrappers Unlimited Retreat!! Had the most fabby and amazing time - I've been gushing on and on about it here there and everywhere so I'll try not to repeat myself here, but Chrissie and "The Team" were fantastic, Rachel was a great buddy, everyone was so welcoming and friendly - I can't believe I was ever worried about going. It was fab to get to know people even better, like Nicola, Eileen and Sian, and even better to finally meet people in the flesh like the super duper and fabby Tina (you really are one of the nicest peeps I've ever had the pleasure of meeting - love ya loads!!), Michelle, Chris and Gill, Sarah and Jakkii (bit loopy those two) and Juliet, Flick, to name but a few (I know I'm missing loads of people out!)...........I feel so scrummy inside to have met so many talented and amazing new friends and hope that we all stay in touch :)

I feel a MASSIVE sense of personal achievement for going there all alone and finding the courage to pick myself up out of my seat and go and speak to people I've never met properly or at all before rather than just staying in my own spot minding my own business (I'm not that great at socialising unless it's with peeps I know). But I must say, I wouldn't have been able to do it if each and every delegate had not been do darn friendly and welcoming! Thank you, everyone for that - it means so much. It's given me a little boost of confidence in that respect and I hope I can draw on the experience should I start a degree later in the year, the social aspect of which I'm terrified of!!!!!!!!

The classes were amazing, the Manor hotel was gorgeous, and it was just fun fun fun :)

The only down side now is that teeny weeny part of me hopes I won't get into uni in September now so that I can afford to go to the next retreat in the Autumn lol!!!!! Hehe!!

So all in all it was totally fab, I even won a few prizes and had a little blub before I left! I'm such an over-emotional wuss at times!!!! I think only Chrissie saw me blubbing – but I guess the secret’s out now!!!

Right, I did say I wouldn't go on and on didn't I?! Well, I have oodles of photos I want to share with you, of the classes, challenges, peeps and hotel - I had over 160 pics to sort out last night so I'll upload a few every day over the next week or so.

Today I'll start with the pre-retreat challenges!! As some of you know - due to my general unorganised lazy-bummed character, and the fact I worked six 12-hour shifts last week, I left both the box & matching planner and my name badge until last minute. But what I will say for myself is that when I do do something, I put my heart and soul into it - and these two projects took precedent over sleep last week! And, to my amazement, the hard work paid off as I came first place in both challenges. It was such an amazing feeling :)

Now, be warned - I did say I have OODLES of pics lol!!!!

Here's my badge:Here's my box and planner. Unfortunately these pics are the best I've got - and they are pants of the largest and frumpiest variety I'm afraid!!! As I was up until 2 am finishing it I had to take rushed pics in the morning before I left for the retreat - the light was poor and I've got a sneaky suspicion that I had my camera set to landscape rather than macro! Doh! Oh, and another thing was that I got on the motorway to leave and suddenly had this realisation that my box was still sitting on the sideboad at home!! Good job I turned around and went back to pick it up eh?!!! :)
Planner cover: Intro page:Examples of pages:I was absolutely chuffed to little itty bitties to hear the announcement that I was to swap boxes with Scrappers Unlimited team member Amber - this girl is MIGHTY talented with a capital MMMMMM- wait 'til you see the pics of the class she taught! It is fabby fabby fabby!!!! And her box and planner were nothing short of magnificent either!!
See - lot's of piccies - and there's plenty more where they came from lol!!
It's nice to be back - will catch up with everyone soon xxxxxxx