Great American Scrapbooking Convention

I went to my first scrapbook convention today. I had to drive to Grand Rapids but it wasn't too bad of a drive. I was pleasantly surprised to find GR has a nice downtown area. Anyway, after spending $6.50 to park and $14.00 for admission for myself and my son, we were inside.

I'm not sure what I was expecting but it was smaller than I thought. I think there were about 70 vendors but I was through them all within 2 hours. My son and I did a few make and takes but for the most part, the lines were too long for those. So we browsed and I picked up a few items that I wanted. Not a lot since I thought the prices were a little high. Page kits were running a minimum of $10. Completed pages were running from $15. But it was fun and an experience.

They came. They ate. They left...

...a big mess.

After weeks of preparation and planning, it was all over in 3 hours. I actually started preparations over a month ago. Using a template I found, I started building the cake. Trace, cut, fold, trace, cut, fold... a total of 32 times. Then the fun began. More tracing and cutting but this time instead of folding it was pasting. But it was quite worth it. The kids enjoyed taking home a slice of cake filled with party favors.





With that cake done, it was time to move onto the actual cakes. I found something similar to the green cake online (where else?) and with needing another one, asked my son to design a monster of his own. I think he did well.

This marks my first time working with fondant. Interesting. Like play-doh, only frosting. I think they turned out great, even if it was almost midnight before they were done.




D's friends started showing up and in eerie teenage-style, immediately wandered off from the party. He's only 12. He's not supposed to started shunning me in public yet, is he? Okay, whatever.


After devouring the food that took so long to make, they were off to make water balloons. I had made 50 myself but after that, they were on their own. Bad idea. They polished off another package of them, even though I don't think they ever tied them off. Simply filled with water and threw them. No tying necessary. Silly me for wasting my time on that! Then it was off to Bonzai Falls, (an inflatable water slide), before finishing off with cake and 'make your own' sundaes.


A good time had by all...but now I want to pass out from exhaustion. I leave cleanup to nature and the wildest animals found in surburbia.