My Infomercial Experience

So where do I start? OK, I’ll get right to the point…and hopefully I won’t bore you with all the details. I participated in an infomercial for the Making Memories Slice. Word is out that its being played in certain areas on TV. The whole experience was amazing and I cannot believe I was asked to participate in it. This kinda stuff doesn’t happen to me. Now I have to tell you upfront that I was asked to participate (key word here) but I didn't make the final infomercial. I was left on the cutting room floor. LOL.
It started out with an email from Making Memories asking me if I’d like to submit my Slice work and possibly be on an infomercial. At first, I was on the fence about it…ok, that’s an understatement. I developed serious anxiety and then realized that I should just go for it. When I got the call from the producer to interview me on the phone, it seemed like more of a reality…like this could really happen...it became more real. Carrie was really nice on the phone and we chatted for about 30 minutes or so. Problem was I had laryngitis and I was afraid that it would hurt my chances.
Sometime later (was it weeks or more than a month? I have no idea) I got an email followed by a phone call asking me to come to California. I was shaking in my shoes, literally. What the heck did I get myself in to? Can I do this? So I was told that I would be flying out to Orange County, California in just a couple of weeks and I would be staying for 3 days. So while this whole trying out thing was going on, I was consulting with my good friend Laura Vegas…then I found out after my phone interview that Laura might be possibly be going too. That would be way, way cool! I’ve known her for 2 years and we’ve become really good friends but we had never met IRL. So the moment I got the email that I was accepted I told Laura and she was chosen too. I think we were both had a mix of overwhelming excitement. It was also a double win since we were finally going to meet.
OK, this is getting long, sorry. Are you with me?
Fast forward 2 weeks later…yes, only 2 weeks to get ready. LOL. I’m up at 4 in the morning to travel 2,000 miles to California. 11 hours later I arrive in Orange County California. When I got off the plane Cindy Liebel was there to greet me. She was also chosen to be in the infomercial too. I introduced myself via email a couple of days before and she was so funny and nice and now we’ve become friends.

We got to the hotel and rested for a few hours. Laura was due to come in the early evening. Later, Cindy and I waited in the courtyard of the hotel for her…and when she did I pretty much knocked her down with a hug. It was nice to finally meet my good friend! Cindy took pics of us and we headed out with Lori, another participate, for dinner. It seems like we sat at dinner forever chatting away. I was a bit tired with the time change but I held on because I was having so much fun. We got back to the hotel and I think Laura and I stayed up until 2:00 chatting away forever…I actually stayed up 24 hours, I NEVER can do that. LOL. It was so nice to actually have a real life conversation with her.
The next morning I was up at 6:00, surprisingly rested for some reason. Laura, Cindy, and I hung out and then got ready for the shuttle us to pick us up around 11:30. On the way there we bugged begged the driver to please stop at Starbucks for our much needed coffee.

We were taken to this gorgeous mansion here where the infomercial was being filmed. Right away we were taken in for a make up and hair touch up. We waited in this room with some other ladies to be called into the room to be filmed. In between shots, we were taking pictures of the house and of each other. I was so nervous when I was called. I was in this dark room and all these people are looking, no staring, at me...no pressure or anything. There was no air conditioner and I could feel my face just sweating away, LOL. Carrie just asked me a bunch of questions about the Slice and I just answered. I think I was there about 20 minutes or so. Laura went a bit after me and after that we started snooping around the house. When it was time for Cindy, they filmed outside on this gorgeous patio.

(one of the make-up artists touching up the girls before filming)

(that's Cindy in the chair for her spotlight)
Laura and I got to watch Cindy…and I was trying to take some pics. Her scene took quite a while…Laura and I snooped around the patio and then snatched Cindy’s camera (since she has an awesome lens) and took some profile pics of each other. Laura was giving me some quick photography advise and setting up the camera for me since I'm clueless in that department. I took this one of her, with her advise and settings of course. She took some of me as well...which is my profile pic in the sidebar.

(some of the participants)

After Laura and I were done, we found a room with a ton of supplies and finished projects. A lot of Laura's project from the summer CHA were in there! It was so cool to see her work in person, you can't even imagine how gorgeous they all were...twice as nice IRL. Seriously!

After that it was time for Laura to head to the airport. She got picked up in this gorgeous car…first class service! It was sad to see her go. Of course I was glad to spend some time with her but it just ended too soon.
Still with me?? After we got dropped off to our hotel, Cindy and I treated ourselves to a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant. We sat on a patio with an ocean view. We chatted forever until it got late. (the hotel)
The next morning Cindy, Tammy, and I headed to the beach to get some pics before we headed to the airport. The 3 of us and Heather went to the airport together and went to each of our terminals together until the plane was ready. Of course, I was the last to go.

(landing back in Chicago)

I gotta say that the infomercial was quite an experience and I was so lucky to have been chosen, to meet Laura, and to make some new friends. A few weeks later Making Memories sent us a Slice design card of our choice and last week they sent me a pink Slice with a ton of goodies. So, here’s how the story ends. I just got to see the DVD the other day and I didn’t make the infomercial as well as a few other people. That was sad I have to say. But I don’t regret it at all, it was quite an experience! I made new friends and had a blast! Lastly, I have to thank Laura, Cindy, Heather, Tammy, and Lori for all their help with pics and emails...we shared pics and that helped so much.

Check out Laura and Cindy's blogs on the links below...

Laura's blog and her entry HERE

and Cindy's blog and her entry HERE

My visit with Heather

So my fellow scrapbooker, sweet friend, and owner Scrapbook Bakery, Heather, came to Chicago last weekend for a visit with her husband. We've never met IRL so we planned an afternoon visit of some Chicago pizza and scrapbook shopping! It only takes me about 30 minutes to get to the city during non-rush hours so it was an easy trip.

I brought Kendall with and she was pretty good the first half of the visit.

I picked her up from her hotel and immediately we headed to Lou Malnati's pizza.

Its my favorite pizza! If you ask anyone here what the best Chicago pizza is, you'd get about 3 different answers so there's a debat about it but Lou's is definately one of the top choices. We started with some deep fried cheddar cubes and then shared a deep dish butter crust pizza with pepperoni. A true deep dish Chicago style pizza has the sauce on top. Yum!

After Lou's we headed to Windy City Scrapbooking for some much needed shopping. Even though its only 5 miles away, it took us almost 45 minutes because of the traffic. I had to take a detour from my planned route and Heather was looking at my map for me and telling me how to get there. LOL. Good thing we have Lake Michigan to use as a reference. I always head there when I get lost.

Yeah, typical traffic here in the city...that's why I like the suburbs!

Windy City is amazing. It isn't huge but it is jammed packed. I think we spent well over an hour in there. They have a whole corner of Creative Cafe supplies! You can buy buttons by the scoop, which I love!

Look at those jars of goodness...it was hard to hold back!

We both loaded up on goodies...Kendall kept sneaking papers and stamps in my basket and then running all over the store. She definately was a handful but I can't blame her, I would be doing the same thing if I was her age!

Next to the store was this awesome cake bakery with some fun shaped cakes!

Just some views of Willis Tower (aka Sears Tower), the tallest building in the US. Yes, took these while I was stopped at lights. Another view of Willis.
(Just some random pics)
On the way back to Heather's hotel, we got stuck in traffic again and had to take some detours. Even got some pics of carriage rides. I was turning right and was side by side with the carriage. I got kinda confused over who has the right of way and which lane I was supposed to be in. I'm so not a city girl.

And there you have it, a perfect afternoon! I'm so glad that Heather and I got to meet. She is super nice and I'm pretty sure she had fun!

My New Baby

I've been on a hunt for a library card catalog for months now..scouring ebay, craigslist, etc. I was just dying to get my hands on one. They can cost a lot of money and that's what stopped me. Imagine my surprise when a nearby university was selling 8 of them for $100! I would have gotten more, but I don't have any more space in my room. Its solid oak and weighs a TON! My poor stairwell is going to need some drywall repair but it was worth it. I'd take more pics but I'm still working on loading my baby up...as you can see on my messy floor. TFL!

More Halloween Project

I have had SO much fun the last couple of weeks making some Halloween decorations. I'm not really into that holiday but the stuff out there is so cute and fun! I made this coaster, after seeing Laura's adorable one here. I didn't have the same background paper so I found this oldy but goody PP from 7 gypsies. I hoard this paper because its a classic!

I purchased a little easel for the coaster to put by the front door. This would be a fun project to do for all the holidays and seasons...hmmm.

The die cuts and paper are from the Recollections (Michael's brand) Halloween line. Used the Slice to cut out the word "Halloween" and also the green index label holder. I added some extra owl die cuts with pop dots and added some googly eyes. I also added a sakura glitter pen to the die cut word.

This 8x8 layout used products from the Making Memories "Autumn Splendor" line. Love the colors in it. Just wanted to do a quick layout of my girl at the pumpkin farm. She's 8 months old, then 2 years and 8 months old. I think we skipped a year. LOL.

And lastly, I'm making these treat bags for Kendall's first grade classroom. Used the Recollections line again here. I used my SU Big Notz Die cut and folded it in half. I added the border using the Martha Stewart drippy goo punch, stamped the sentiment, and added some bat confetti. The treat bags I purchased are a little big so I cut them down but I think they are too wide, I'm not about to go out and purchase more.

I have about 23 more to make so I'll be busy!

Supplies Used

Coaster: Bazzill Coaster, 7 Gypsies and Recollections PP, Recollections Die Cuts, Slice Machine and Design Cards (Calendar and Studio Essentials), Sakura Glitter Pen, Heidi Swapp Distressor, Memories Ink, W R Memory Makers Corner Chomper, and Ranger Inking Tool.

Lil Pumpkin: Making Memories PP, mini letter stickers, and leaves, Hobby Lobby Kraft CS, SEI Ribbon, Basic Grey mini chipboard letters, EK Sucess Circle Cutter, Fiskar's Border Punch, and Jute

Treat Bags: Recollections PP, Martha Stewart Drippy Goo Punch, Stampendous Stamp, Memories Ink, Hobby Lobby bat confetti, Michaels treat bag