Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Leadership, Day One

We should start at the beginning.

I got to the airport 2.5 hours early, because the UT cult members were flying to Pasadena, and I had been warned the airport was a mess. And a mess it was. A giant, orange mess.

The 2.5 hours was barely enough.

I got in line at curbside check-in to check my bag at Southwest, and I was behind a family flying to California. Not an ordinary family. They had three large boxes. Seven suitcases. Two walkers. They needed three wheelchairs to the terminal.

Cult members behind me were grumbling about the wait. 5:30 seems to early to grumble, to me, so I watched. The man turned around. He was missing teeth in the front. Above the teeth, a hat that said Vietnam vet. His wife, maybe a foot shorter than me, was Vietnamese. Her mother was traveling with them. All three spoke alternately in Vietnamese and English. The wife kept turning around and apologizing to me for the wait. Their daughter lived here. They'd come from California for a month. They'd shopped a lot. They were sorry for the wait.

You can say whatever you want about Vietnam. Just the word makes people my age and older cringe a little.

But this man, sent to serve, found his wife there. He brought his Vietnamese mother in law to Austin for a month, to shop. So it is what it is. Like most things - not all bad. Here's the only picture I thought it was decent to take. You can see his cane.

On the plane, my prayers were answered. My row was: Emergency Exit, Navy , Marine, Me, Aisle, Navy. The Marine next to me was a fascinating and friendly person.

I actually was kind of hoping someone would make trouble, just for fun.

Trouble? Did someone say trouble? Here you go. Dana and me at dinner.
Here we are at Make & Takes
We got to see Patty Bennett demonstrating the kits from the Occasions Mini - I love her.
They had these mirrors over every demonstration booth so even if you were in the back, you could see.Then, we found fabric. There was a whole booth dedicated to quilting with the Big Shot and other fun things to do with fabric and the dies. These quilts were all pieced with the Big Shot..




Then, how bout these sassy bag decorations with the Flower Folds die?
Or this onesie and fabric flower?
Or this beautiful rose?
Or all these fun flower embellishments?
Oh yea, did you see our bag?

And our cardigan?

The tote bags?

Anyway, that's pretty much day one. I'm pooped. More tomorrow.

Oh, and if you're new here - the best word verification sentence gets a prize. So when you go to leave your comment, make a sentence with the anti spam word and you'll get something from Memento Mall!


Lydia B. Fiedler
lbfiedler@gmail.com

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37 comments:

  1. I'm so living vicariously through your tweets & blog!

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  2. I want to hear more about the Navy Marine Navy Marine seat mates. Va va va voom. :O)

    And I won't "intersu" you any more while you are in Phoenix. Wait. I'm in Phoenix too. Let me know if you need anything from a local.

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  3. Hope you are all having a wonderful time..hard to do without me I know but try OK? (look mama..no typos...so far)

    WV HIREP pronumced hir-ep
    as in
    HIREP and come home..we miss you Mama Kydia

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  4. So glad to see some leadership news! Innest me with stamps.
    My silly sentence above with the word verification thing...hope I win!
    Hugs!
    Jolie

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  5. That was all incredibly interesting to me especially because I am NOT a traveller. I thought it was great the way SU put up mirrors. The black and white and yellow shot blew me away. But what I most enjoyed was your little blurb about Vietnam - I believe it honestly took away a little of the nastiness I harbor in my heart involuntarily.

    And I sure hope none of the Navy/Marines had to sneve on you - without a tissue handy.

    BTW, the Marines are part of the Navy, but they hate to advertise that : )

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  6. So jealous: I want to be at Leadership! Snow storm here, no fabulous motivation, no new projects. Crud. No marines, no warm weather.
    Yes, the Marines are a branch of the Navy, but Congress is working to separate the two branches.

    WV: Trotron: noun, trophy wife/robot/Transformer
    Use: When Tiger Woods paid good money for his Trotron, he never expected the malfunction that splashed his life all over the news.

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  7. Wow Leadership looks a lot of fun - I wish we had something similar here - that and all those scrummy memento mall items ...

    on REFECtion maybe my bank manager is pleased I dont!

    Have a wonderful time

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  8. I'll have to spend some more time on your blog - I'm already smiling at your comments and I only read two posts so far. So you want us to write a sentence with our word - haven't done that before -
    I'm "scoving" I was at leadership with you and everyone else....
    "scoving" = so wishing
    Well that was probably a very poor attempt - I'm just not funny....oh well - I'd love to win something from Memento mall - I think I should have gone just to shop. Probably a good thing I'm not there - I'd be broke about now!
    Happy Stampin'!
    Monika Davis from Georgia
    monikastamp.wordpress.com

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  9. Those quilts are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing pictures and I LOVE your commentary! Lydia, you are a ROCK STAR in the stampin' and bloggin' world!

    "Commiseme" (read as: come and see me) when you get home from Leadership so I can check out all your swaps and memento mall goodies!

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  10. Hey girl! Looks like my baby's Big Shot butterfly jeans would have been right at home at leadership. Those quilts are gorgeous!

    OK...mine is too easy today:

    Makeneu: I'm very glad that Lydia got to makeneu military friends on the plane. I'm sure if some panty bomber had been there, she would have taught them some combat moves.

    Have a blast there...you are missing nothing but freezing cold arctic winds at home right now!

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  11. Mirrors above the tables ROCK! I first saw that at a cooking show and was totally thrilled. Helps us shorties out too :)

    The bags are fantastic also so pretty.

    Glad you are having such a fabulous time.

    Apparently my word verification is Portuguese LOL! So please do not be latesses to anything at your Leadership conference or with your updates about it - we are loving it!

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  12. I hope you can freogemi (forgive me) for all of the jealous thoughts I am sending towards Phoenix. It looks like you are having a great time. Thanks for sharing everything with those of us who had to stay home.

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  13. I always know I can count on you for the best updates to all the SU! events! Thanks for taking the time to give us your unconditional reviews, comments & meanderings! I just love coming here to visit you virtually. At reast (that's Scooby Doo language for "least") I have you to live through vicariously! And a quote from somewhere...
    Loveyameanitbye!!

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  14. Thanks for taking the time to post while you are at Leadership. I love living vicariously through people.

    I really love that cardigan. It would look great over my "bloussi"

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  15. Thanks for sharing your leadership experience!!!
    My wv is suchag: My first thought when I saw it is-she is "such a hag", but that is not kind. Next I saw su for Stampin'Up! So I came up with:
    S=Stampin'
    U=Up!
    C=career
    H=helps
    A=artistic
    G=growth

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  16. In the Land of the Lost, do you suppose the Slistacks sleeep on slisatin sheets?!?

    Anywho, thanks for the funny updates. Those quilts are AWESOME!! I have a customer who quilts using her BS so she'll love seeing that.

    And I agree....more about the Navy Marine sandwich you had goin' on! :)

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  17. thanks for sharing all the dessivi (delicious) amazingness that is leadership. Memento mall looks like it would have a good portion of my wallet...and probably the entire limit on my AMEX. hehe

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  18. Sounds like a great flight!

    In flight, I wouldn't subless than navy and marine for my "piece" of mind!!

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  19. I cannot see his cane.

    And this is why it is so VERY expensive for me to attend an SU event. STINKIN' CUTE STUFF TO BUY! There, I've said it.

    WV: carclac. I have carclac, so I think it's time to take her to the mechanic.

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  20. I am no leader so I'm not there, but I'm hoping everyone else's sentences stink so I get some hapmali from Memento Mall.

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  21. Thanks for the updates and pictures! I LOVE that shopping tote bag, and I hope they make them available to non-Leadership demo's afterward on the Supply List (one can only hope!)

    Keep the good news coming, can't wait to hear all the new SU! details.

    Word Verication Word: remess
    Usage: I cleaned my stamp desk yesterday (TURE STORY!), so now I just have to wait (rather impatiently) until tomorrow for my SAB order to arrive, so that I can remess the desk this weekend while I use my NEW GOODIES!

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  22. More pictures!!! Where have you been walking, what have you been eating, see... I know too much about you, but you are "cionc", a cyber icon!

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  23. Ohhhh Memento Mall items?? Love it!

    My word is beake....

    Beake-ause I spent all my money on my house, I don't have any left to leave wintery Canada to go to Leadership! And beake-ause I am not at Leadership, I can't shop at the mall!! Wahhhhhh!

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  24. Loving your leadership comments, the photos are all awesome - wish I was there!

    As for your seatmates, I am sure that each Marine was ready to sit down and read his phumag (word verification word) as you happily ready your latest issue of Stampin' Success!

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  25. Lydia, sounds like you are having a blast at leadership. I absolutely LOVE the your Love what you do bag. Awesome. thanks for sharing your leadership experience with us.

    word strac

    All you Stampin' Up! demos are so friendly you will just sit right down and strac up a conversation with anybody that will listen.

    sorry, couldn't resist.

    hugs,

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  26. HTanks for your postings- i always love to see what is in Momento mall. I love the bags!!!

    Enjoy a 'Cottici' Martini for me while in Arizona.(word verif. sentence)

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  27. Can't "strae" (verification word) away from all the updates.

    They're totally awesome. Thanks for letting us know about all the news and updates.

    {hugs}
    Mary

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  28. Thanks so much for all the wonderful updates! My favorite is the star quilt.

    WV: Now go-tic(kle)our fancy and take more pictures :)

    -Theresa

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  29. Cool Stuff! I love those quilts!

    My word is "panki".

    Stop the hanki panki at Leadership and send more pictures, already!

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  30. My word is "chrol"

    I would "chrol" to the ends of the earth to meet you. Your blog cracks me up and I've been a reader/lurker for a long time and never commented. But this sounded fun so I gave it a shot. Thanks for your never ending humor. I love it.
    Kasie Hamman
    AZ

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  31. Your blog is great - thanks for the laughs even though I'm in snowy Chicago instead of at Leadership.

    I think Sylivier is something crafty in French.

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  32. due to the happenings of yesterday i took leave of all my senses and posted my word verication and comments in the wrong post. I'm totally embarrassed.

    Anyhow...i've been totally enjoying all of your posts and tweets. It's been giving me smiles throughout my grumbles and weeps. You are a doll. Thanks for all you do!

    This was my word verification from yesterday:
    W.V. Indshint. I'm wearing a positively indshint pair of undies, I hope i don't get hit by a car on my way to purchase some new ones. :)

    I hope that made you laugh, like i laughed and smiled at the things you've shared :).

    and because I'm a ditz, i have a word verification for this post which is my repost. Let's see if i can do it again.

    W.V. airric: There was an airric (air wreck) of gigantic proportions when Lydia got her hands on the pink panty bomber who threatened to stop flights to Leadership 2010.

    Amen Lydia, I adore you.

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  33. I wish I could just be wingly awayed and join all of you at Leadership but since I couldn't go thanks for filling me in with such wonderful updates.

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  34. Thank you for the pictures! It's "Sensitis" -- the perfect sensory load for not being able to be there!

    (my verification word was "snessiti" ;) )

    ~Erica

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  35. Thanks for all the great photos and updates. I'm sure I'm "bounb" to see something I'll want to recreate. :)

    W.V. "bounb"- how a first grader might spell bound (they sometimes get their "b"s and "d"s mixed up) :)

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  36. While on the plane I think you must have been thinking crazily about the service men, and had their branches mixed up in your mind. Because I am sure your thought was 'plutorme'(please, you two are army) until you realized you were incorrect and they were Navy.

    Thanks for all the wonderful updates - sounds like a blast!

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  37. i've enjoyed reading your comments....almost like being there!

    really want a sentence? i have peens not being able to attend leadership....is peens really a word?

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