IN THE LION'S DEN ...

Okay, promise this will be my last pictures from incentive trip, but this was the best thing we did on trip!  I would have put the pictures up earlier, but I've had a sick boy at home all week and haven't had a chance to update my blog.

 

 

The last night of incentive trip we were taken to have dinner at a Safari park (hopefully not to BE dinner!).  It was the coolest thing!  As you can see from the first photo, we were literally sitting eating our dinner just a couple of feet from the lions.  I'm not sure that sitting eating steak and chicken just a few feet in front of a lion is such a clever idea, but boy was it awesome!

The second photo I took by just sticking the lens of my camera through one of the holes in the fence without a zoom even (thinking back now, that probably wasn't the cleverest idea I've ever had either, but hey "everyone else was doing it"!)  There were 4 large males on one side of us and then another 20 or so females and younger males on the other side.  It sure kept things interesting during dinner hearing them roar back and forth all around us! 



Although they look like big cuddly kitties, you wouldn't have found me climbing in with them ...

MORE PHOTOS FROM INCENTIVE TRIP ...

You are going to be sick of hearing how amazing the Stampin' Up! incentive trip was, but I just can't even begin to tell you just how incredible this trip really was. Stampin' Up! really blew my mind with all the gifts they heaped on us (talk about spoilt rotten!), and then there were all those incredible demos who were just so amazing - talk about open and willing to share, it was really just an incredible experience on so many levels.

Harry and I are determined to be heading to Noosa next year for the next incentive trip to meet up with all these amazing people again, but for now, I want to share a few of the photos that we bought back with us ...

Our room was actually more like a townhouse than a hotel room - upstairs and downstairs and as big as some of the houses that we have lived in! As you can see below, Harry thought it was really comfortable!!

It seemed that every time we came back to the room there was another gift for us! Talk about making us all feel special - it was like Christmas every day!!

Shelli & I

Everyone wanted to have their picture taken with Shelli, however, Harry didn't think it was fair that Sterling (Shelli's husband) wasn't given the same attention. As we rode down on the cable car with them, Harry said to Sterling "It's so great to meet you. Can I have my picture taken with you?" Leave it to Harry to get the giggle!

We had the privilege of spending a few hours with Ngaire and Don Anderson on the train trip up to Kuranda. Ngaire is the Australian #1 demo and has just blown the minds of all demos everywhere as to how well she has done, but you will never meet such a really lovely and humble couple as these two. We had a really great time with them, of course it helped that Don is also American and he and Harry started talking USA stuff from the start ...

One of the gifts we received was a beautifully soft bathrobe (really scrummy!). Somehow we ended up sitting by the pool in our bathrobes in the middle of the resort complex having our photos taken with Aaron the Aussie Country Manager (yes, he does have tickly feet!)

These are the incentive trip earners for 2008 (albeit a little more formally dressed than in the bathrobe photo!). 22 Aussie demos and 3 Kiwi demos. What an incredible bunch these ladies are to hang with. I have been truly blessed to be able to spend a week with them!

BLOOMIN' WITH BEAUTY SWAP

Now that our incentive trip is over and we have already swapped our cards, I thought I would share the card that I did for our swap..

This is still a favourite set from the mini catalogue, it's just so elegant, and of course you know how much I love Purely Pomegranate ...

I stamped the main flower from BLOOMIN' WITH BEAUTY twice in Versamark, embossed it in black embossing powder, then coloured each flower with watercolour crayons. I cut the second flower so that I was only left with the front petals, and then popped it up to give it some dimension and to make it look like it was peeking out of the punched oblong.

The large swirl is of course from my BAROQUE MOTIFS set, just embossed in clear embossing powder over top of the Purely Pomegranate cardstock. Then I just added a little paper piercing for a little extra detail.

BACK TO REALITY ...

Hi everyone, well just a quick note to let you know that I'm back from one of the most amazing trips I've been on in forever! The Stampin' Up! incentive trip is just incredible - the place was great (Great Barrier Reef), but Stampin' Up! just outdid themselves in spoiling us all rotten!!! I'll share more of that in the next couple of days.

I got to hang with the most amazing ladies who were so incredibly giving in their ideas and so much fun to be around. It was so much fun that even Harry can't wait to go on the incentive trip next year (he's already set up golfing buddies!!)

After travelling most of yesterday and getting to Auckland at 11:30pm, we stayed at an airport hotel to get some sleep before our flight this morning. When we arrived at the airport again this morning for our flight to New Plymouth, the airport was closed due to fog! Thankfully we managed to get on a flight back to New Plymouth and have just arrived back this morning.

Rebecca & Eric, me (Sharlene) & Harry, Emma (NZ Country Mgr) & Shaun, and Jacqui & Jared

This is a photo of the Kiwi team who went on trip this year. We only had 3 demos from New Zealand this year, but the plan is to have way more Kiwis next year!! If you want to come and join us, then let me know and let's figure out how we can get you there.

Right now I'm off to bed to get a little sleep before I pick up the boys from school ...