NEC sharing the fun times!!!!

 NEC Birmingham UK, oh my word i had such a good time!!!  Before i get to sharing all the fun let me tell you i was livid when i heard that Magnolia hadnt pitched, i felt positively green around the gills, i could have thrown up.  Although i must add it didnt deter me one bit, as you will see further down i still managed to spend a LOT on Maggies.

 i met Carol from blog land as she is also South African we connected right away and had been visiting one another on Skype daily for the last six months or so.  I was so happy to meet her and it sure was the highlight of my trip to actually connect with her.  You can visit Carol's blog HERE to see her amazing work.

Now this was a real surprise, i met Marlene who i have been stalking in blog land FOREVER!! long before it even occurred to me to start a blog of my own i found this lovely ladies blog.  Marlene was probably one of the first blogs i discovered and surely was one of the first to inspire  me to get blogging, also after finding her blog i bought my first Sugar Nellies.  Was a real treat to meet her in the flesh.

I follow Tammy's and had no idea it was hers until Carol introduced us.  This lady was so bubbly and warm i felt like i had known her all my life.  Her work is out of this world and she is fairly new to having her own blog so if you havent started following her yet you GOTTA POP IN FOR A VISIT AND FOLLOW! HERE

had to get Carol and Tammy together.  I must also add that i hate having my picture taken i always look so stupid, never know how to pose etc.  All of the above pictures were taken on the Friday and for me it was such a short day as i still had to make my way back to London where i was staying for my holiday in the Uk, so it was rush rush rush.  I got to meet Jacqui from Cats whiskers and she is such a  darling, a sweeter lady i have yet to meet.  I have met real dragons while doing this blogging lark, but this lady was a real honey.

 Then on Sunday since i am a sucker for craft goodies i raced back all the way to Birmingham and the NEC to meet my friend Penni and her family.  Penni was the winner of my very first candy that i ever had on my blog and we thought the candy had gotten lost along the way as it took sooooo looong to get to her and while emailing back and forth we became firm friends and keep in touch regularly.  Luv ya hunny.

These are some of the goodies that i either bought or were given to me by either Carol or Penni, boy was i spoilt rotten!  We raced from stall to stall and couldnt get enough, believe me had i had more money i could have gotten ssssoooo much MORE!!

 Twenty stamps from the LOTV stand, lucky for me that Carol already had been in touch with Jacqui and asked her to put stamps aside for us, and we got there real early to pick them up, cos by Sunday they were almost gone, some of the new releases were gone.

30 Magnolia stamps that i had to get from Crafts u love since Magnolia didnt get to the show, but i wasnt too put out as i am not sure my budget would have managed had Magnolia been there, LOL.  As you can see i got a lot of stuff, my dear friend Penni also bought me a light studio for taking better pictures of my cards, i just havent managed to change the plugs and set it up yet.  There were just toooooo many things i WANTED!
Half way through the day i was run down by a geriatric on a four by four and my left foot was crushed under the bar at the back of the little cart she was driving, now believe me when i tell you i was in agony, my foot is broken and i am now in a moon boot for six weeks, but that didnt stop me running from stall to stall and my dear friend Penni and her husband were so worried about me, they saw me back to the train and waited till it came and saw me on safely.  BRITISH people ROCK!!!!! so polite and accommodating, wish i could have stayed a little longer, but i missed my husband and my kids and i am doing dems at a craft show in South Africa tomorrow, hope no one else runs me down, he he.
Have a great weekend, and if you have been through this long post and are still here, come back soon as i will be sharing some of my new goodies with a little candy.
smiles
Paola