Hey there. Let me start by stating how very sorry I am for my absence. My hard-drive collapse, coupled with final preparations to leave for the Stampin' Up! Founder's Circle Retreat, and then the whirwind of travel, has left me with no opportunity to blog at all!

Here's my technology status:

• New hard-drive for computer: CHECK
• Windows 7 Installed until replacement Windows 8 disc arrives from HP: CHECK
• Major bookmarks and log-ins re-established: CHECK
• Pictures re-loaded from camera SD card: CHECK
• LOOONG process of categorizing said pictures: BEGUN

Things are still not where I want them to be: I still have to re-create my Carol Payne Stamps watermark in Picmonkey, re-edit the three September Christmas Card Class videos and get them uploaded to Youtube, and get my back-up programs established so when (and there's always a when) this happens again it won't be quite so devastating.

That said, let me just say that so far the 2014 Founder's Circle Retreat has been all and more than I expected it to be! If you are my friend on Facebook or follow me on Instagram (if you want to follow me I'm instagrammy1959) you were able to see my progress across the country on Wednesday to first Las Vegas by plane and to St George, Utah by bus.

A couple of weeks ago I received this packet in the mail from Stampin'Up! containing my travel documents and info for the event:

Inside were luggage tags, flight info, and an itinerary for each day:

Arrival day itinerary:

Here's my first glimpse of my home-away-from-home for the next few days;

Each Founder's Circle member has a WHOLE ROOM all their own! You just want to pinch yourself! Each year they decorate the doors with a special memento of the event:

Shortly after our arrival we met in the Gathering Place to pick up our name badges, play a little Holiday Catalog Trivia game, receive a little welcome gift, then our first activity with our teams. I'm a Nutcracker!

Each team worked together to assemble and decorate a gingerbread house!

We then enjoyed a delicious and beautifully appointed "Holiday Welcome" meal:

Every day we receive gifts, culminating each night with "the pillow gift"! Here's my collection from just Day 1:

The "lumps of COAL"-wrapped package contained a brand-new stamp set and framelits from next Spring's Occasions Catalog! Sweet!

That's all for now! I will be back tomorrow with more Founder's Circle fun!

Until then, have a Stampingrox! day!

 All images ©Stampin' Up!™1990-2014