Monday, July 23, 2012

Home Again!

Hi Stampers!


It has been an exhausting, fun week for me out in Salt Lake City.  I have to say that I am so glad to be home, even if I did land at almost midnight last night.  Usually I take the first flight out but this year I ended up taking the last flight from Salt Lake back into Austin.  I wanted to be able to just relax in the morning and not fight the mass of demonstrators all trying to get back home.  See, I need as much "relaxation" as I can get right before I get on the plane, because I don't fly very well at all. 

Let me share just a couple of tips for people who may find themselves on a plane with me one day, and more importantly, the crew members of those planes: 

1.  I really, truly want to trust you, dear crew members.  Honestly, I do.  But for me, trust comes through an open and honest line of communication, and I feel that you are most likely lying to me right at the get-go.  Let's take your little speech at the beginning of the flight where you explain all of the safety features, like the little flotation device I am supposed to use "in the event of a water landing".  What you really mean is "in the event we plummet like a rock and disintegrate into the water". 

I may not be a physics major, but I still remember the time I came off the 20 foot high-dive board at the pool the wrong way and landed on my back.  That hurt so much the lifeguard almost had to fish me out.  Now let's just extrapolate that to 35,000 feet in a metal tube loaded with flammable fuel.  Unless your pilot is named "Sully" I am pretty sure none of us will be using that yellow vest.  Besides, I guarantee that any landing that our plane makes that is not on an FAA approved runway will be a "water" landing, at least in my seat.  

2.  This:




Can you pretty please reassure me that this wing was not on fire the flight before mine?  I posted this on Facebook to ask my flight attendant friend that I love and trust for a good explanation, and one of her friends that sounded knowledgable told me it was most likely dirt that was forced through the flaps, but really?  I saw both episodes of "The Twilight Zone" where there was a man on the wing of the plane.  So, just pay someone a little extra to pour some Dawn dish soap on that and give it a little scrub, okay?

3.  The two-fer landing.  I know all you pilots were likely really into competition with your friends when you were kids.  You probably liked to skip rocks across the pond, run races, and play chicken on your bikes to see who would swerve first.  HOWEVER...I really need you to not play "skip the plane across the runway on landing to see which passenger will scream first".  It's me.  I will scream first, loudest, and longest if our tires do not solidly contact that tarmac and then stay there. 

And flight attendant, I understand that objects in the overhead bins have probably shifted since my kidneys just shifted into my spleen and my liver shifted into my lungs.  I'll just be sitting here trying to regain my composure while some other passenger risks opening the bin up top. 

So, those are my tips for helping me fly a little bit better.  Please feel free to forward this to anyone you know that is in the airline industry.  I am sure I am not the only person who feels these things, even though I am one of the few who will admit to them. 
On a happier note (meaning all things to do with stamping!) take a look at this:



Anyone who signs up to be a demonstrator with me during the month of August will get this amazing kit to decorate for free.  And, as an added bonus, I will have a day when you can bring your kit, come over, and I will show you how to make it up!  This is a great project for you to show to your new customers at your first workshop that Stamping Up! is a lot more than cards and scrapbook pages.  Feel free to ask me if you have any questions about our starter kit or what it means to be a demo.  I am happy to answer them. 

I'll be putting up a few more convention pictures soon, as well as blogging from the road as we travel west this week.  While I am gone remember that you can still shop my online store by clicking the highlighted words and going to the "Products" tab.

I hope you have a great day, and until next time, Happy Stamping!

Kim









Thursday, July 19, 2012

A Day Full of Fun

Hi Stampers!  Today was a day full of fun, which has led me (unfortunately) to a night with a headache, so I am just going to make this one quick.  For those who have never had the pleasure of living in a city that sits at 425 feet above sea level, then traveling to one that is 4,327 feet above sea level, let me be the cautionary tale for you:  it isn't always pretty. 

I am good about drinking a TON of water while traveling to try to stay ahead of this, but today the headache caught me anyway.  I have to give serious credit to the amazing men and women who live and work here in Salt Lake City, because I have been struggling just trying to find enough oxygen molecules to keep me going here. But, enough of that...let's look at the fun today: 



Main Stage was fun as always.  Our theme this year is "i am".  (Note the lower case letters.  I don't want anyone thinking that Stampin' Up was saying "I AM" as in the Lord.)  We have been encouraged to think about how we would finish this sentence this week.  The first word that I filled in was "worthy".  I will talk more about that in another post, but for me it is a reminder that I am just as worthy to be successful as the next demonstrator, and I am worthy to work for it.


Next we got to enjoy watching Shelli Gardner make this beautiful project.  I have a feeling that those of you who enjoy attending my classes will be seeing something like this in the near future!  Shelli is such a fun person to meet and talk to, and watching her stamp is always a fun way to begin our days.

The following pictures are from the MASSIVE display areas that we get to enjoy and take pictures of while we are here.  I hope you all enjoy them:  






Finally I want to tell you all about one of my classes today:  "I am Having Fun" presented by Shannon West.  First of all, let me tell you about Shannon.  Imagine for just a minute that sister that you would tell everything to.  The one that you would stay up all night long giggling with, confiding in, and making pretty projects with.  That is Shannon.  And the best part of this is the Shannon that I have seen on stage over the years is the exact same Shannon that I see out in public at these events.  She is fun, so she was the perfect pick to teach this class. 

The class talked about how much fun a Stampin' UP! party can be.  Now, I know how much fun they are, and so do many of you, but do you ever stop and think about why they are so much fun?  Is it the fact that you are spending time with your friends?  The cute projects that you know you will make?  Maybe it is getting to just relax for a little while and not worrying about the laundry, or dishes, or the big project that is due at work tomorrow.  Well, I think it is all of those things and then something else. 

When I am getting ready to come show you those cute projects at your workshop, I like to think about you.  I think about the things that I know you like, or would appreciate, and then go from there.  I think about the last time I visited with you and you showed me the new paint color in your house, or the fact that you daughter loves Paris and all things Parisian.  Like any friend, I like to think about what would make you happy, and that makes me happy. 

I can't help but think that when I come in your door happy, then you start feeling that same happiness, and suddenly you, your friends, and I are all  having a great time!  When people ask me what I like best about what I do, that is the answer:  I like to see girls happily realizing how much pure fun stamping is.  And Shannon talked about this beautifully. 

So, that is all for tonight.  I am going to go enjoy my favorite tea, get a good night's sleep, and get ready for another full day tomorrow.  I hope that you all will think about how you would finish your "I am" sentence this week.  I would love to hear your answers when I get home, and I can't wait to share all of my happy from here with you! 

Happy Stamping!

Kim

Convention Starts...

Hi Stampers! 

We got Convention under way today the way I like to...we slept in!  Now typically, I like to be in the line, waiting for all the goodies I know we are going to get, but today meg and I agreed that it would be nice to get a little sleep today because we know the rest of this week is going to be non-stop.  In fact, it is almost midnight right now and my alarm is set for 6 a.m.  Eek! 



This is a special year for me, because I won an award this year!  I earned a Leadership award based on my downline members promoting.  I know it may seem strange, but that pin that they handed me today makes me think that next year I want to get the one that says "Trip Achiever" or even "Founder's Circle".  I like the knowing that I can do it! 


After the award booth we moved on to Memento Mall.  There will be more pictures tomorrow, but I had to share this one of a beautiful card tree that they had.  I plan on more shopping when tomorrow gets here!

That is all for now...have to get some shut-eye.  Check out my Facebook page and my Twitter feed for more tomorrow!

Until then, Happy Stamping!

Kim




Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Welcome from Salt Lake City!

Hi Stampers!

I know that many of you have probably thought that I have given up on ever posting on my blog.  Rumors of my demise have been highly over exaggerated, however, and the truth is I just let life get in the way.  I found reasons to not post, but I have made a promise to myself and to many of you that I am not going to continue this trend of not posting.  For me, there is no better time to renew my committment to both the blog and to my customers than Convention time!  So, let's get to it! 

First of all, how about a couple of pictures? 

These are the beautiful mountains that surround Salt Lake City.  Everywhere you look, there is something amazing to see here, and I love the constant views of mountains, desert, and the city right in the middle of it all.




Next, a quick view of our room at the Hotel Monaco: 




Finally, a quick look at the gifts I made for the girls in our group that are here:



These little cuties are made using the new Reason to Smile stamp set, along with Apothecary Art.  The colors are Summer Starfruit, Pool Party, and Real Red.  What the picture doesnt' show is that there is a little box (cut from the Box #2 die) on the inside, and it has some really good chocolate truffles and some Zen tea in it for my friends. 

One of the most fun things each year is seeing our friends, both new and old.  It is amazing how generous these ladies all are, both in word and deed.  The best part for me has to be the fact that even though I haven't seen many of them for months or even years, we pick right back up as if we had never been away from each other, and that is something that I will never tire of!  I love being a part of such an amazing company, and in the company of so many amazing women! 

I hope that you will follow along with me as I share information from Convention this week!  Tell you friends that I will be posting here, and you can also friend me on Facebook (Kimberly Denise Williams) or follow me on Twitter (@baxtif) for up to the minute information! 

I can't wait to read your comments in any of these arenas, and I am looking forward to the start of a brand new Stampin' Up year!  Thanks for all you do to help me love what I do, and share what I love! 

Until next time, Happy Stamping!

Kim