Remember that time, just last weekend, when I was chosen by Hometalk to be the host blogger for the Michaels Stores & Hometalk Pinterest Party?
I chose the stretched burlap canvas project. I decided to use a wooden arrow for my project instead of a letter.
I wanted something different, trendy and modern for my favorite wall in the house – which ironically is located in the youngest person in house’s room. How did that happen?
Oh yeah. Because my bedroom is still a hot mess.
I would be hosting at the Augusta, GA store. I was so excited. So honored to be chosen and I so hoped for a successful event.
Then this happened.
4 trillion tons of ice fell from an apocalyptic sky. Thousands of trees snapped under the pressure and hundreds of thousands of people were without power. We were without power for 3 days. For others, the wait was even longer. For Augusta, it was even worse.
Our power was restored on Friday afternoon of the same weekend the event was scheduled for. The good news was, I would not be smelly at the event, I could shower now. Yay.
The bad news was, later that same night Augusta, GA and parts of South Carolina experienced a 4.4 earthquake. Not yay.
For those of you up North who get ice and snow all the time, this is no biggie. Here, we are not equipped for this kind of weather and neither are our pine trees. Many of which no longer exist.
Then those of you out West are probably all like, 4.4? That must’ve felt like a massage!
For me, it felt like Mother Nature was trying to tell me something. Something nasty. Something I can’t type on a family friendly blog.
On the way to the event Sunday morning, not having any idea how things would go, I encountered hundreds of bucket trucks in convoys along the highway headed back south from where they had come from to help.
There were so many of these trucks they had a stopping point for each convoy. They would pull over at this stopping point and wait for the convoy ahead of them to get a jump start before continuing. This in an effort to keep from clogging up the highway. That’s how bad things got.
I had a mini-cryfest on the side of the road at the sight of them all.
The sight of all of the downed trees, pulling over on the side of the road impossible because of a 10 ft wall of downed trees and all the people in their yards picking up limbs and trying to return things to normal. The sight of an Alabama Power and Light truck just as common as a Georgia Power one.
It was almost too much.
Admittedly, it was already a hormonal time for me but seriously, it was a miracle I arrived with my makeup still intact.
But arrive I did and the first thing I got was my very own store headset, “in case I needed anything”! It kind of felt like my own personal Michaels store assistant. I promise, tempted as I was, I did not abuse the privilege. Tempted. But still.
I had a small handout from Hometalk and a little paper bag full of flower seeds and the promise of spring as a little gift to each attendee.
Naturally I did a little shopping while I was there and I would like for it to be noted that any craft store worth it’s salt should totally have registers that look like this!
And of course I forgot my painter’s tape but the store was nice enough to lend me a roll of masking tape. Who knew that stuff would live up to it’s name for painting on burlap? It totally did!
At this point, it was an hour into the event and no. one. had. shown. up. No one.
So I did the only thing any self respecting crafter could do, I just started to craft.
And that’s when things began to happen.
The ladies assigned to help me did a great job working the store and recruiting participants. The managers were so friendly and there, it felt like, just to take care of me. They announced the event and my blog several times over the in-store system directing everyone back to craft with me.
And then someone finally did.
Someone who had hand bejeweled her own ruby slippers for her wedding day.
Someone who hadn’t wanted to stay home that day because she had no heat.
Then of course, because once you’ve been a preschool teacher and had a couple of your own, children always know where to find you.
It was an effort to keep a straight face while trying convince these two that Michaels had told me they were coming. Little brother wasn’t buying it. They were hilarious.
I never craft without kids around. Why should this day be any different?
And so we crafted.
Turns out someone was inspired by me and chose to create some burlap canvases of her own.
I recreated my original canvas as a demonstration.
Only this time, I made a girly version because around my house I never really get to do that.
And then I was totally I inspired by her. How cute are these gold stripes on the burlap? And that flower!
I had come here wanting to be the kind of blogger that drew a big crowd. The kind of blogger that was such an inspiration people would enjoy the chance to craft with me. Not just for my own ego, but because that would mean I had helped make this event for Micheals, Hometalk and for this Augusta store that treated me so well, successful.
I left there knowing, that no matter what kind of blogger I am, I was right where I was supposed to be that day. And I will be forever grateful for it. And really, what’s more successful than being reminded of what really matters?
Join me this evening on my Facebook page beginning at 8:45 to enter to win this canvas. Drawing held 8:45 am Friday, Feb 21st. Open to US residents 18 yrs and older.
I still love you my Australian friends!
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