October 27, 2008
37 Comments
Sistahs,
I am back home from da CRUISE and am staring at my monitor trying to find my “muse”. I mean, there is SOOO much to write and show and tell and describe.. where would I even begin?
I think I am gonna start with a recap of events and then show a little pictorial. Unfortunately, I didn’t carry my camera at all times and I feel like i missed out on a lot of good shots :(.. if you don’t see your picture in my collection, please don’t be offended because each and every sistah who attended this event will be in my heart FOREVER… I am so emotional and was SOOO emotional throughout the cruise.. I revelled (sp?) in the closeness I felt throughout, the spirit that was CONTAGIOUS and the kindness of everyone… I give a BIG MWAH to everyone who attended this cruise and supported Gina Nichole and I and I want to thank NICKY for outdoing herself in class.. Nickabella is a SUPERSTAR and I love her very much 🙂 thank you Nicky for all your hard workand patience :). I also wanted to thank our SUPERSTAR hubbies for helping us so much.. without them, I don’t think we would have made it (ok, well maybe but don’t tell them)
Ok.. so I blogged about Gina’s conference room/bedroom where we worked like crazy stuffing, unstuffing piling, lugging etc.. we really got to know each other so well those three days and really bonded.. David (Nichole’s hubs) I think felt a littttle outnumbered, however but he always had a smile on his face! Ryan and Joe (Nicky’s hub) and Tom (Gina’s hubs) and Gina’s kids Alicia and Rina arrived on Saturday and packed up the UHAUL…
Do you see those little chicklets about? Alicia and Rina K… They are the most BEEYOTIFUL, LOVABLE, FUNKYABLE and DEELLLISH kids I have ever met in my life.. I love them SOOOO very much 🙂
So once we hit the ship and tipped the guys that load the ship very heftily, we were promised that our boxes would be placed carefully and QUICKLY into the conference rooms on the ship… about 6 hours later, we peered outside of our balcony and saw our boxes UNTOUCHED and still placed where they were that morning.. I felt like asking for my tip back but figured Gina and Nichole would kill me ..LOL
So our first night was a BLAST! We got to meet everyone and present them with their goodie bags.. which were OUTSTANDING if I do say so myself 🙂 and there was mingling and meeting and greeting… we presented them with the fateful ball chain necklace that they would have to fill with beads by the end of the week… no how did they earn the beads you ask? YOU DON”T WANNA KNOW!! There was trading, there was begging, there was screaming (whomever screamed the loudest got a bead..LOL) and there was trivia questions needing to be answered.. oh.. and then there was flirting with ryan.. LOL.. whomever flirted with him would get beads.. well we had a MAJOR participant who we all came to love and adore.. We all called her “Ryan’s Girlfriend”
here she is alllllll the way to the right.. we wanted to constantly hug her she was so cute!!
before I move too quickly, I must talk about our EXCURSION.. the second we arrived on the ship Ryan had to book excursions. Well I told him I would join him Dune Buggying in Ocho Rios (Jamaica).. Sistahs, I just wanted to make him happy.. the thought of dune buggying made me NUTS..LOL.. take a looky at one HAPPY SISTAH
I still have memories of the GLOBS of mud hitting my arm and my legs and my mouth and my hands.. and I mean GLOBS.. every time another GLOB would hit me, Ryan would kill himself laughing and drive right into another puddle… Needless to say, ryan booked me for a jungle ATV ride in Cozumel, I sent Joe (Nicky’s husband).. LOL
Classes went without a hitch.. we all had so much fun with eachother
Does it not look like everyone was having a BLAST?????
Dinners were fun too.. I decided that tonight I would wait in my kitchen at 6:00 pm and see if Maurice (our waiter in the dining room) shows up. I am thinking “not so much”..LOL
here are a coupla groups who sat near me at suppppah time
Formal night.. bought a stretchy dress on the streets of grand Cayman.. NOTE TO SELF.. Try to wear pants instead 🙂
All in all a great time was had by all.. I will probably add more anecdotes as the week progresses. I am SURE i forgot lots of stuff but will post as soon as I remembah!
and guess what?????/ TOMOOOORRRRROOOWWWWW is a BIG day.. A BIG SURPRISE… A HUGE surprise cuz I missed you all so much!
Mwah to da sistahs who dunebuggy and wear dresses but NOT at the same time
Em
Sounds like an awesome time…. mud and all!!!!
Welcome back!!!!
OMG I LOVEEEEEEEYYYYYYY That pic of you with mud all over. It’s classic.
And your makeup looks awesome in that last one!!! WOWEE!!
Yeah Emily! I was patiently waiting for the blog…ok maybe not so patiently, tell Ryan I’m sorry I yelled at him for taking so long. Next year I’ll pay just to see you covered in mud!
Welcome home darlingggnnnkkkk!!!!! I’ve been anticipating your post of tales – this did not disapoint! Love, love, love Em covahd in da mud. Think of it as a spa treatment without da spa. Ah, the things we do for luv!
So glad you had a great cruise, so glad you are back, so glad to hear there is a surprise tomorrow.
Mwah, Pinky
Your cruise looks wonderful Good for you to get on a dune buggy!!!!! I LOVE that picture of Ryan taking the plunge. I bet it felt fantastic! Congrats on a successful event:))
Yes…..We had a great time on this cruise….I’m so so disappointed i didn’t get to see you when you came back on board from your muddy ride !!!! To all the sistahs who didn’t have the chance to come on this fabulous journey, make sure you do whatever it takes next time to get a ticket for it ….To all the sistahs who came, just wanted to let you know I had a great time sharing this EVENT with you.
I am soooo glad you are home and that you had a good time…..wish I would have been there !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Em I missed you!! I love the cruise recap, and the mud picture is hilarious!!! You look beautiful in your dress!! Can’t wait to see your big surprise, it is good to have you back.
Wasn’t it the BEST???? Thank you and thank you Nicky and thank Gina and thank Nichole for the best time a stamper eva had!!!
Sounds like a fabulous time. Wish I could vacay like that. Mud and then a formal! How much fun is that!! Great to hear you’re back safely. Can’t wait to see what’s to come next in Bella’s world!!
Oh, MY GOHD! We had so much fun with you and the rest of the sistahs! I am so sorry that I missed you all muddy coming back onto the ship! ROTFlmfao! (the f is for fat, just in case you’re wondering!) Miss you like I’ve known you forevah! Mwah! xoxo
I cannot believe you posted pics already! You are gooooood!!! I haven’t even opened my suitcase (because I can’t stop napping today) let alone found my camera.
I am so happy to be home but so sad that it’s over. Waking up without my Calgary Sistahs is not the same. And I miss you and Nikky already!!!!!!! I will email soon…after my 15th nap I am sure. This is my 2nd attempt at commenting so it means I need to nap again.
Welcome Home Emily! I missed you. So glad that you had such a Fab time! Great cruise recap-love all the pics. And you look Stunning all dressed up for the formal night. (Who is that handsome guy you’re with. LOL-Ryan cleans up pretty good too). Sounds like you all had such a wonderful time-and well-deserved too.
Can’t wait to see what you have in store for us tomorrow.
Em–
My sistah and I had the best time evah and loved getting to know you. YOU ROCK and are so much fun!!! We loved all the laughs with you. So awesome to meet someone with our wacky sense of humor. Thanks for all the amazing goodies and for just being you. You are an inspiration and we feel forevah bonded with the Bella after getting to cruise with ya! I know what the surprise is for tomorrow and I’m getting ready. Love ya sistah! Thanks for an incredible week of stamping!! -penny
Emily, Melissa from Jacksonville Florida here. Met you on the cruise and had the BEST TIME EVER!! I want to thank you for all the hard work that went into planning this trip and of coarse for ALL the MARVELOUS goodies you gave us. It was truly an experience I will never forget.
You are awesome!!
P.S. Let me know when the ‘men of stamping’ calendar comes out. HAHAHAHA!!!
Oh, Em! What fun! So happy that you’re home and so glad to hear all about your wonderful trip! The pictures are wonderful!
Can’t wait for the Surprise–Hooray!
So glad to have you back, looks like a fun time was had by all. I love that you posted the muddy pics, so funny (but I bet they much fnnier now than at the time). I hope there are plans to do it again next year. I’ll start savin my pennies now!!!
Bring on the surprises…we’re ready!
Looks like you had a fantabulous time, and you’re still so cute even covered in mud! I can just hear Ryan laughing at each mud glob…grin! Your formal picture is beauuuuuutiful. Welcome back. 🙂
Sweet Em – just wanted you to know – this was the trip of a lifetime. I came back exhausted (cause I simply had to do it all) but SO inspired and excited about all the new ideas, techniques and the supplies and goodies to work with. HUGS to you and Nicky and the husbands too. You were all so amazing and wonderful. It was great to meet all of you and to make some delightful NEW friends too. Loved meeting the Calgary girls – I, too, waited for my table waiter, Imelda, to appear and serve me dinner tonight – hmmm she didn’t show up – darn!
Happy stampin’ gals – and thanks again for every, every, every thing~
Pam aka AkiteFlyer
SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK!!!
And can’t wait to see what you have for tomorrow!!!
so happy to see you all had a blast!
Wow, Em, you had a great time on your cruise, I wish I were there with you!
Guess I get the next best thing, seeing what you have to post tomorrow…
Wow. Wow. Wow. I can’t even imagine anything more heavenly. Glad you had such a great time!
[[~~**WELCOME BACK EM**~~]]
Thank you THaNk YoU tHanK yOu SO very much for the photos of your wonderful cruise, especially since I know how much you love sharing pics of yourself and your hair 😉 You look like you had a blast, yes, even in the dunebuggy slamming around in all that dirt. Have to make note to self: “If I roll around in mud and get dirty … this equals gifts of jewellery” LOL
And you’re not home for a day and already teasing us Sistah’s!!
MWWaaahhHHH
sounds like great fun was had by all! sorry i missed out.
You know, some women pay BIG BUCKS to be covered in exotic mud~so think of your dune buggy ride as a day at a Jamaican spa! LOL
You know, you are gawgeous with mud, without mud, in strechy dresses or pants, sqatting in front of a mirror, and even while wearing a dress in a dune buggy!
Welcome back everyone!!!! Sounds like you all had a fabulous time. The pictures are great, even the ones with mud all over the place. Just think of it as an “all-over mud facial”. Can’t wait to see the rest of the pictures & hear all about it. See you soon.
hmm… wondering if the surprise has anything to do with dune buggying? 😉 LOL Looks like your cruise made me feel just as I suspected…. envious! 😀
glad to read you had a great time 😀 but even glad’er you’re back home again! 😀
My Emmabella,
I miss you soooooo much! You’re right, that was an experience of a lifetime! Tell Ryan, Nicky and Joe that we love them and miss them too!
I guess Tom will have to drink that eyeball drink here in Wisconsin because that was Rina’s favorite part of dinner! She couldn’t wait to see Joe’s face as he tasted it. LOL!
Em, you and Nicky are two of the most gracious and talented hostesses around. What an honor it was to be able to work side-by-side with you. See you next time? Maybe? 😉 We’ll see. 🙂
Well, I am definitely jealous! It looks as though you definitely had the experience of a lifetime.
I would have loved to go dunebuggying! How fun would that be!
Glad you are back home to the motherland, and can’t wait to see what happens today!
welcome back EM!
Glad you’re back and wish I could have been there. Sounds like a blast and can’t wait for tomorrow!
So So So Sooooooooooooooo happy your back! 🙂 Everytime I came over to see if you were back (even though I knew you were coming home last night) I would let out a *SIIIGGGHHH*.. so glad you are back! LOVE that MUD pic! lol.. that would sooo be me! and I wouldn’t have jumped in that water.. hmm can’t swim! lol so I would have walked right alone side you in our new addition! lol.. 🙂
HUGS and MWAH to you!!
Looks like it was fabulous! And uh Em, glad I read it because for a minute there I thought you were covered from head to toe in tattoos! LOL!
Oh Em I had so much fun seeing you again! It was an absolutely FABULOUS cruise!!! Thank you so much for all the goodies, all the great projects, all the laughs and fun times!! It was fun to meet Ryan and see Nicky again & meet Joe – what a great great week!! I was truly sorry to see it end! MWAH!! 🙂
Em! Looks like you all had so much fun! I hope you are able to get some rest – I know that was a working cruise for the instructors. :o) I’m looking forward to seeing all the new stamps!!
Take care and STAY POSITIVE!
OH Em……the math question was way 2 mucho!!!!! te he he…..they should all be add 9 and 0………………
so……u hav to do the cruise again………give me notice and promise!!!!!! i’m in……………………..so what’s da date chickie!!!!!!
so when r u gettin them shimmerz!!!!!!……i get first crack at colours…..sending order pre-bella order…………….te he he!!!!!
missin my visits………promise be in soon.
stamp on my friends
L