WOWSERS!  What an awesome, fun day today!  I cannot even really begin to describe how I felt going through today, but I have never had a day like it.  Today (sort of) started our Stampin' Up! convention.  Today was check in day.  Which includes getting your convention bag, getting in line to shop at Memento Mall and going to pick up any awards that you have earned over the past year.

This year was a special treat, there are six of my team members here at convention with me.  All but one, this is their first year.  And there is nothing like your first convention!  There is so much excitement, you wish you could bottle up and store it for later!

So we shopped, got our bags and headed to awards.  Now I knew that there were a couple of goodies to pick up at the awards booth.  I have the best stampers and the best team you could ever imagine.  And together, we have all had a great year.  So the lady behind the booth/counter asked my name and printed up what I would receive and handed me a white Stampin' Up! bag (you would all recognize the bag, it is what your orders are in) and said, “Ok, that is all”.  And THEN, a moment in time later, could have been a second, a minute, two hours, I have no clue how much time lapsed, she reached under the counter and pulled out THE BAG!

So what is THE BAG?  It is not the bag that is the big deal, it is what it represents.  It represents Founder's Circle achievers!  Stampin' Up! awards the top 100 ranked demonstrators (Founder's Circle Achievers) with an incredible trip in the fall like none other and in your bag is all your trip info.  And of course there is more, but I am will get into all that another time.  But yes, yours truly, who set this goal a while back earned it!  I don't cry often and the tears came!  It was incredible!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  To all of you!  I cannot share with you the extreme gratitude to all of you!  It is not even possible!  Every time you ask and I have a workshop together, you come to club, you ask me about a project, a technique, anything, you encourage me to do more.  You encourage me to learn more, to teach more, to share more.  And that is what has made the difference.  I have always been determined to be the best at what I do, and I love what I do!  I love what “going to work” means for me – it is like nothing else I have ever done!

What could possibly make today more incredible?  Sharing it with my group that was right there screaming for me!  Remember when I said I have an awesome team?  Here are some of them…

So do you wanna see the bag?  Yes, I even took a picture of that!  It is really pretty!  So tomorrow we kick off convention – I know I will learn a lot to share with you!