Sunday 6 February 2011

Glad to be Home!

This is some of my stash of freebies from CHA which, above, includes a 12 x 12 pad from Graphic45, Tsukineko ink pads and reinkers, pliers, Prima flowers and papers, etc., etc., ... below are all the totes I was given by many of the manufacturers. I also bought quite an amount so you can understand why I wore 6 layers of clothes to come home! Well .. really it was incase we were stranded due to the snow, in NY or diverted to anywhere cold!!
Arrived Friday morning in good old Blighty (that's a slang and very fond term for homeland England, incase you don't know) after an eventful flight. 
In LAX Carol was taken to another place and given the full search treatment to her bags and her person so it was not too pleasant. With lots of crafty bits and bobs in her cases it took ages as they dusted and checked over every item. Eventually focusing on the Martha Stewart score boards in there so I don't know if they thought they were hollow and holding illegal substances. Luckily they did repack her cases but we barely got to the gate before boarding was announced.
In JFK we boarded and waited for takeoff for nearly an hour then had to get off with all our baggage as there was a problem with the cabin air pressure. Worry, worry..... so another wait before we finally took off, 90 mins late, for a VERY turbulent flight due to all the storms across USA. Amazingly, the plane made up time and we arrived home only 20 minutes late from sunny LA to cold wet Manchester.
CHA was a wonderful experience after a relaxing and fun visit to our friends in the San Fernanado Valley but it really is good to be home.
I loved the warm open friendliness of all the people we met and all the wonders we saw in that different world apart but I'm glad to get back to life without air conditioning drying out my lips, skin and hair. It's lovely to have cold drinks without more ice than liquid, fresh cooked food, a lovely cup of tea, and most of all my DH... I really missed him. Oh yes... it's good to speak and hear REAL English too. I'm longing for fish and CHIPS!!!! real chips, not crisps, fresh cooked CHIPS not skinny fries!!!
Thanks to Carol introducing me to Melatonin, which we took on flights outbound and homeward, I slept solid Friday night from 11.30pm until 9am, bringing me right back to the UK time scale, then I went to Victoria Stampers on Saturday for a full day's workshop. No jet lag, feel fine and slept last night from midnight until almost noon today. Last us trip I was a zombie for 3 weeks and it put me off flying long haul.
A few more CHA treasures....
 These acrylic memory books are a really excellent idea.

 Claudine Helmuth's retro style stamps and new rocker blocks (these work so well and even if you get excess ink round the image the ridge on the rocker stops it transferring to the card when stamped)
 Save all your cotton reels for this great idea
Some of Wendy Vecchi's great artwork
I'll keep adding CHA pics day to day until I run out but here's a place we loved ...
we visited Golden Spoon where Mary treated us to their specialty, low fat absolutely delicious frozen yoghurt.....
 Mary, Neet, Jo and Caz
If you ever spot a Golden Spoon  be sure to pop in as it was the most delicious and lowest calorie item I ate in America.
So many flavours and lots more choices of toppings. I chose fresh strawberries and blueberries for mine but the lovely server, Josh, let me sample, for free, 4 other ice creams and about 10 toppings, so much so that I could only manage to eat a mini serving that was paid for!
 All served with the Golden Spoons by the lovely, charming young guy we all fell for..... Josh!
 I bet there's a pic on Neet's blog of him.





17 comments:

Larisa said...

Great amount of stuff!! I wish I had a pad of Graphic45 at me...)))
Hugs. Larisa.xxx

sam21ski said...

So pleased you're glad to be back, nothing quite like getting your feet back on british soil so to speak is there. Know exactly how you feel, and oooh fish and chips, you're making me hungry!!!

More stunning photos and can't believe how much free stash you've picked up, but even more, I can't believe how much you all look like each other, if you didn't say who was who I'd of got you all mixed up!!!

Tuire Flemming said...

Glad to hear that you are home and in one piece after the stormy flight!
Unbelievable amount of free stuff!!!
And thank you for all the fab pics!
Hugs
-Tuire

Sheilagh said...

That song that says "It's nice to go travelling, but it is so, so nice to come home" is so true. There is NO place like home, especially when your DH is waiting for you. That first cuppa is fabulous as well. Enjoy your fish and chips when you have them.

Thank you very much for sharing your journey and all the fun, it has been great seeing your photo's.

Sheilagh

Annie said...

So pleased to hear you're home safely. I'm really loving all the fab photos you've got to show us Jo.
A x

olive said...

great to see you on Saturday..... and once again thanks for the lovely gifts, no wonder you needed to wear all those clothes, you lucky person. you deserve it!!!! I hope some of these fabby goodies make it across the pond. Hugs Olive xxx

Ohhh Snap said...

Sounds like you had a great time! One of the best parts of traveling is coming home. Lovely goodies! TFS :D

Carola Bartz said...

I had to laugh out loud when you wrote about the US air-conditioning and the incredible amount of ice in the drinks!!! You are so right. I hate all the air-condition (we don't have any in our house but good old ceiling fans) and we always get the funny look when we order our drinks without ice. However, we have a really great fish 'n chips here in town, absolutely fabulous.
Glad you made it home safely. Enjoy your hubby and some decent tea.

Diane said...

It sounds like such a wonderful experience, Jo but I understand why you're so happy to be home!
Diane x

donnalouiserodgers said...

that little bug caught my eye, so much stuff Jo - it will take until next CHA to use it all!

dx

minnie_mac said...

Have enjoyed following your travels. Glad to hear you are safely back and enjoying the home comforts.

Marilyn

Neet said...

Don't know whether I put the photos up or not - I know I have to do a card for Josh yet. Glad you got home safe and sound - was worried about the snow for you.
Gosh, you did collect a lot, makes my little bit look sickly.

Von said...

You really have had the most amazing adventure and thanks for sharing it with us and wow what a stash to come home with :)
Von x

Dragon said...

Woo what an adventure Jo... Please take me in your case next time ... Oh no you would not have room for the goodies... Oh well back to the drawing board of how to get over there!!!!! That searching sounds grim but glad you are back safe and sound with SO much stash!!!
Frankie
xx

Carmen said...

Aprt from the rubbish bit on the trip home it sounds like you had an amazing time. Not jealous at all of all your goodies, nope not one bit. (My nose just knocked my tea over!)

I hope you had a big old portion of chips to celebrate coming home too :P

Helen said...

Just been catchingup on your trip - sounds fabulous!

Zue said...

That is a good suggestion. I have always wanted to go to the Port Sunlight show. May be I shall see you there.
Sue xx