I won the lottery!

No, not THAT lottery ... perhaps a lottery that's just as exciting though! A few days ago, my name was drawn in the Creative Escape 2009 lottery! WHOA! I was stunned and elated! :-)

So, I'll be heading to Phoenix, Arizona in August! YAY! I can't wait ... the event incorporates lots of my favorite things ... travel, scrapbooking workshops (with great teachers), a gorgeous resort (& spa!), shopping, friends, surprises & treats, and on and on. You may recall from my blog posts about last year's event that the ONLY way to attend is if your name is drawn in their lottery. CE is so wildly popular that far more people want to go than they can accommodate. So I'm a LUCKY girl!

Actually, in the back of my mind, I had written-off the idea of attending CE this year. My friend had even offered me the "bring-a-friend" spot that she got when her name was drawn recently (thanks, Barb!), but I politely declined. Buddy was seriously ill, we have veterinary expenses, the economy is uncertain, etc. etc. etc. But, then my own name was drawn ... against the odds ... so I just HAD to reconsider, and find a way. There are only 640 seats for the event, and as the CE blog points out, "...there are thousands and thousands and thousands of Creative Escape wannabes just waiting for an email saying their name has been pulled...". After beating those odds, it would've been hard to let my chance slip away!

And Sal, what a sweetheart, told me that Buddy & Aruba would love for their Dog Mom to have this gift for Mother's Day. Awww......

So, I registered for the event and booked my flight (luckily, like last year, I was able to get a free airline ticket with my frequent flier miles. Very helpful!).

What an incredible way to celebrate National Scrapbooking Day, right? Speaking of NSD ... I had a blast "shop hopping" yesterday. Met up with friends I haven't seen in a while, and I even won a $10 giftcard at Everything Scrapbook!

Have a great week,