I’m dog-sitting this month for some friends who are gone on a 4 week adventure.  The dog is the most adorable animal I know.  He’s 11 years old but happy go lucky.  Just such a joy to be around.  It’s funny how an animal can bring out the feeling of joy and remove stress just with their presence. Here is a picture of Gomez.

I’m out of here for a long weekend.  My hubby planned the whole weekend and all he asked is that I don’t bring a computer.

Good times are always had at convention and this year was no exception. I love how Lois Folla captured it in writing.  If you haven’t meet Lois, she is a blast.  See Lois, I told you the cupcakes are to die for!

You can read the skinny on Lois’s blog.

Amy Barnes and Lois Folla

World's Best Cupcakes from Lion House Bakery in SLC

One of the highlights for me each year for Convention is seing the Stampin’ Up! Home Office and specifically – The Museum.  It’s like a journey through IKEA for the stamping enthusiast.  Beautiful every year.   This year, this space was setup for a home office.  Fellow demonstrator and cruiser, Debbie Makovec, looks at home doesn’t she?

Can you believe we are less than a week away from convention? Wow, time sure does fly! We are looking forward to seeing many of you there. Don’t be shy about stopping Amy or I in the halls.  We would enjoy the opportunity to say thank you for your support and referrals throughout the year. Here’s a picture of us so you know who to look for.

Question for you.  Are you sending out 4th of July celebration message to your customers?  It’s Friday morning (July 2nd) and I’ve already received 5 emails from vendors and people who I’m on their mailing list.

And it feels odd.

It might be because I’m receiving these notices so early.  We don’t really have a 4th of July season like we do with Christmas.  Maybe because 4th of July falls on Sunday this year they won’t be in the office to send the emails, but there is a way to schedule the emails in advance.

But that’s not it.

4th of July seems very personal to me.  I’m a patriotic person and I certainly like to celebrate this very fine holiday. We have our 4th of July rituals where we spend the day on our boat with friends.  Make yummy cheese-stuffed hamburgers with all-American potato salad and chips. Sit around, sip a few beers and wait for nightfall so we can watch the fireworks over the water.  Of course, we always feel very thankful for the life we are living and those who have helped to make it that way.

But…what does that have to do email marketing?  I don’t want to hear from my vendors on this holiday unless they have a knock-your-socks off recipe or crafty decorations.  And…they didn’t.

So back to my question.  Am I reading this all wrong and being too cynical?

I’ve been getting questions about the Convention Cruise to Riverton.  The most frequently asked questions so far is how does it work and can anyone come?

If you are joining us for the cruise to Riverton, we will meet you at the convention center.  A seat will be waiting for you in our luxury, air-conditioned bus to take you for a whirlwind tour of Salt Lake City (1pm bus only). Trust us when we say you will arrive in style at the Riverton Office to explore the home office. You will have 1-1/2 hours to visit the office. Along the route we have games and prizes! Have you ever played New Product Bingo? It’s a great Open House crowd pleaser. We will give you all the instructions so you can entertain your customers when you get home.

Yes, at this point we have added a second bus and we do have open spots so all demonstrators and support staff are welcome to join us.

We only have 10 more seats available on the cruise. Feel free to forward this on to your demo buddies to join you by signing up at http://party.craftyperson.com.

Ireland and Italy were great.  Although, I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation. The food, people and music were fabulous in Ireland.  And we had great weather too…I know in Ireland!  You should have seen all the fair Irish locals with sun burns. I of course, brought sweaters and a rain coat. Even though I didn’t bring a sun burn home with me, I do have a few Irish drinking songs that are stuck in my head now. Have you heard the No, Never, No More song? It’s fun and addicting.   More details coming.