CHA was a whirlwind trip for me this year. With only 24 ours to spend in southern California, I left home early Saturday morning and arrived in Anaheim mid-afternoon to find our iLoveToCreate show booth almost completely ready for opening day on Sunday. Lots of hard work and creativity went into this year's booth, and it showed. Sunday morning we started the day with an early breakfast and a key-note presentation on the new creative consumer by a panel of industry experts, including iLTC's own Valerie Marderosian. I walked the show at a fast clip, attended a seminar, and was back on the road home. Here's some pics from CHA:
Hope Perkins did live body art on our model in the booth. It was a work in progress throughout the day. It kept people coming back to see the final look.
Two of our fabulous designers, Kathy Cano Murillo aka the Crafty Chica (above) and Pattie Wilkinson aka PattieWack
And our Swell Designer, Alexa Westerfield, at her post in our Blogger's Lounge.
On Saturday, Allee and I had to go find a place to have a giant red balloon inflated as part of our 'show-stopper' piece.
Yummies could be found all around our booth for anyone to enjoy. My favorites were the pink heart-shaped Peeps.
Me and my sweet friend, Chris Wallace, from Walnut Hollow.
The iLTC entry in the Innovations area of the show - our deluxe heat-setting tool that allows you to apply crystals on a vertical surface without dropping them.
Regan and Allee
Fashion art created for our booth by a designer who works with fashion icon, Betsey Johnson.
Almost done! The body art didn't stop until the end of the day. Unfortunately, my day ended before the body art did. Each day features a new body art work in progress.
A lot happens in a week. Last time I posted it was December 29th--right on the brink of a new year. I wanted to write about my reflections on the past year, or my resolutions for 2012. Instead, my old German Shepherd, Phoebe, who was struggling with old age as it was, went downhill over the New Year's weekend. (This picture was taken back in September). We said goodbye to our good friend on Wednesday, January 4th at Abby Pet Hospital. I have to give high praises to the staff at Abby Pet because they were so attentive to my husband and I as I sobbed and held Phoebe's head in my arms for the last time. Goodbye, sweet girl... My backyard (and my heart) are a little empty right now.
Without giving away her age I will say it was a milestone birthday--one we are all celebrating this year. It was so much fun - just what I needed after losing Phoebe. Here's what we did: We walked on the beach, shopped in San Louis Obispo (the picture below shows us cutting through the famous Bubble Gum Alley), gossiped in an oceanfront hot tub until we were prunes, ate See's Candy without feeling guilty, drank champagne in a limousine while enduring green strobe lights, toasted Jamie at sunset on the beach, took pictures of each other, ate Italian food, drank more champagne in a limo, discovered how to turn off the strobe lights, made fun of Andy-the-limo-driver when he drove us through a strip mall shopping center and bottomed out, rocked out to the music we loved in high school, and laughed over old pictures of us from our younger days. Wow, time flies when you are living life! We all looked pretty good, too, but Jamie looked the best!
