I'm Back From My Salt Lake City Adventure (picture heavy)

It has been quite a whirlwind of a summer so far.  Between birthdays, father's day, dance recital, dance exams etc.  And of course Stampin' Up! convention in Salt Lake City.  I returned from convention late Sunday night, Monday was chill and unpack, Tuesday took my mom to the dentist, and I have been sick since Wednesday.  We are suppose to go to my in-laws for a big family get together tomorrow, but I just might be staying home.  Still feeling kind of crappy and I have a low grade fever.   

Now back to my Salt Lake City Adventure.  After a year full of incredible lows and highs I needed this get away.  I met two of my team mates, Natasha and Gail, at the Detroit Airport and we arrived in Salt Lake City on Tuesday afternoon.  At the airport we found welcome signs everywhere, including a special priced shuttle to the Hilton where we were staying.  

We had dinner at the Olive Garden and wandered around the city.  I found Salt Lake City to be a gorgeous city.  It is surrounded by mountains, and there is an overall feeling of contentment as I wandered the core area around the convention.  We noticed that there were Stampin' Up! flags attached to all the light posts.  It is Stampin' Up!'s 25th anniversary, and they were getting ready to throw an awesome party!!!

The convention centre.  This place is huge, and it had to be as there were about 6,000 of us attending convention this year.  

Wednesday I slept in, enjoyed room service breakfast and met up with everyone for a day of shopping at the City Creek Centre and dinner afterwards.

During convention many of us noted it was more than just a Stampin' Up! convention, it was also a ThirtyOne convention.  I swear there were almost as many Thirty One bags as there were attendees.   I of course brought my own as you can see below, it has my name one it.

View from my room at the Hilton.  Not bad.  LOL

Convention was amazing overall.  Information overload by the time it was over Saturday night.  But worth it.  And all the free stuff I took home.  WOW!!!  Stampin' Up! knows how to spoil their demonstrators!!!

Thursday we started our day with a tour of the head office in Riverton.  I volunteer to work there for paper crafting supplies.  What an amazing place!

The room where all our orders are processed, packed and shipped.  I should say a small corner of the room.  This place is huge!!!

Our statement of the heart at Stampin' Up!

A small part of the idea board where it appears a lot of brainstorming goes on to bring us all those new amazing stamp sets etc that we all love.

With a view like this I would work here in a heartbeat.  I am sure Dave won't mind the commute to Mississauga ;)

Inside the facility.   Why yes, I would enjoy my lunches in the atrium by the waterfall when I am at work.

Friday was a busy day of general sessions, expo, mini classes etc.  Here is a small group (emphasis on small) of demonstrators from all over the world waiting to get into the main stage for one of the general sessions.  Later on this view was wall to wall to wall people.

Friday night was awards night, and I got to cheer on a number of members of my team who won various awards.   What an amazing group of women I work with.

Afterwards was the party.  And Stampin' Up! knows how to throw a party.  There was a live band, dancers, walking tables (actually girls dressed up as tables), cupcakes, lemonade, and more.  And the highlight was two gymnasts doing routines from drapes hanging from the ceiling.  At first I thought there has to be some foam pads underneath them to break their fall if something should go wrong.  But nope, there was just the concrete floor.  Amazing.

Saturday was more in-depth classes, and two more general sessions.  Sunday I came home with my luggage weighing a lot more than it did going there.  Now to sort through all the ideas and concepts I learned while there.   

Thanks for stopping by and visiting my little corner of the blogging world.   I am off to have some tea and honey for my throat.  Take care