Wednesday, November 28, 2012




Hello FRIENDS!!


It's TIME TO SPREAD THE WORD...

I want to get as many people to "LIKE" my "A Kiss on the Chic's Creative Retreat" Facebook Page as possible, so here's what I would LOVE for you to do:

Tell your friends about my FB "PAGE", get people to GO onto Facebook and "LIKE" the "A Kiss on the Chic's Creative Retreats" FB PAGE and then tell me you've "SHARED" about it and I will enter you into a DRAWING!!!   Just leave a comment on my FB page (either the Laura McCollough one or the A Kiss on the Chic's Creative Retreat one) to tell me you shared about it on your blog, your FB page or whatever social media you have and you'll be entered to WIN!!

Here's the link:  A-Kiss-on-the-Chics-Creative-Retreats FB Page

SO, want to know what the drawing is for??? 

YOUR CHOICE!!!

You can have a CLASS KIT of your choice, a $25 Starbucks Gift card OR...

$100 OFF of the Creative Retreat in Italy REGISTRATION!! You can use this for the Italy Retreat this year or next, or you can get $50 off the Arizona Retreat in March!!

So please go SHARE!!

Thanks!  xoxo

Laura

Thursday, November 15, 2012



Hello ladies,

I'm working on sending out INVOICES tonight to those who have signed up for next Summers Creative Retreat since today is the 15th of the month.

So be looking for that in your inbox soon.

For those who haven't signed up, there is still time and a few spots left!!  We have 7 monthly payments left, so now would be a good time to jump on board to an unforgettable JOURNEY to Italy!!

Hugs,

Laura




Wednesday, November 14, 2012


Hello ladies!

I'm working hard this week to get everything in order for the Arizona Creative Retreat.  I am thinking about waiting to REVEAL everything until after Thanksgiving.  If you're like me right now, you've got a TON of things on your list to do...  Thanksgiving programs at school, parties, food to shop for, shopping lists ready for all the sales. etc, etc...



BUT... in the mean time, SAVE THE DATES:  March 21st - 24th, 2013
And I will ANNOUNCE all the exciting details after Thanksgiving!

I will say that this isn't going to be your average "scrapbooking retreat"...

We will be doing some fun TOURING in the beautiful Scottsdale area,

We will take a trip to a local artists STUDIO where we will take a class and enjoy her beautiful workshop and some yummy treats,

We will have a SURPRISE guest/guests for a class

We will be going to a "ONCE-A-MONTH" event in a very ARTSY part of town!

We will enjoy a night out at a beautiful OUTDOOR Restaurant with a giant fireplace and twinkling lights...

and ALL of this will be enjoyed while staying at a BEAUTIFUL RESORT where we will have time to relax by the pool, read a good book or CROP 'til you drop!
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And FYI to local Arizonians...  The cost of the event does not include hotel accomodations, so you are welcome to come out and enjoy this event with us and go home at night or stay at the hotel if you wish!  I will have a DISCOUNTED RATE for the hotel that everyone can enjoy.

For those who are thinking of flying out to this event, the iternaray looks a little like this:  Thursday will just be for checking in and a meet-n-great.  I'm not sure yet, but I don't think there will be any classes that day.  Friday will be an early morning start (around 8:30am) so that is why the Thursday check-in.  Friday and Saturday will be LOADS of FUN and Sunday will be check-out.   Just wanted to put that out there for those thinking of booking tickets and wanting to know the time frames...

Oh, I'm SO excited about this ladies!!  I can't wait to do this event a bit closer to home, so I hope you will join me in Arizona in the Springtime!  

Have a GREAT day,

Laura

P.S.  There are about 3 more spots left for the Creative Retreat in Italy!!  SIGN UP SOON!!
(I won't know if I can add more spaces until sometime early next year...)

Monday, November 5, 2012

Happy Monday ladies!



I wanted to let everyone know that the "PAYMENT PLAN" PayPal Button that was SOLD OUT last week is now working again.  I went ahead and added a few more spots (5) for this option, so you may go in and SIGN UP!  It's under the REGISTRATION page on the right side of this page.  -->

I really am SO excited to be planning another CREATIVE RETREAT in Italy!  Over the weekend I was working on my Travel Journal and it was making me SO happy.  I had such a wonderful week with all the ladies and it brings me so much JOY to know that I get to do this all over again!  I've been getting emails from the ladies to this DAY, who were there with me this year, and it makes me humbled to know they enjoyed it so much!  My JOB ROCKS!



So go tell your friends, bring the gang, put this on your Christmas WISH LIST...  Do WHATEVER you've got to do to JOIN THE ADVENTURE...

Speaking of which... I know some ladies who sold some old jewelry to afford this AMAZING trip!  I was SO touched that they would want to come and found a way to make it happen!  I Love, love, LOVE these types of stories!!  I know that's how my own family has been able to afford to go to Italy in the past.  Just this Summers trip to Italy with the girls was paid mostly by cleaning my husbands offices EVERY weekend.  The girls LOVE Italy so much that they JUMPED at the chance to WORK HARD and EARN their way to Italy!  So if YOU have questions on how you can afford this Creative Retreat... I am hear to tell you:

WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY!!!



My mom lived this motto growing up with our own family vacations and I think it really carried with me into my life and family.  We saved our change, didn't go out to dinner as much as other people did, worked little jobs to earn $$$ and now I LOVE seeing my own girls and our family doing the same thing!  It really makes it that much more SPECIAL when you know how hard you worked for it!



I feel SO blessed that YOU would believe in ME and want to come along to this little piece of heaven I've come to LOVE in beautiful Bellagio, Italy!

SO THANK YOU and know that I think about this a LOT.   I'm always praying that the Lord will bless this Event and bless all of you who are coming along with me to Italy.



Have a GREAT week!

Hugs,

Laura






Friday, November 2, 2012


Hello ladies!

Is Italy a bit too far to enjoy a Creative Retreat?

I get that.  My wish would be for EVERYONE to come to my Italy Retreats because I know you would LOVE it.  But I also know that's just not a reality...

SO....

In  just a couple weeks, I will be ANNOUNCING a BRAND NEW mini "Creative Retreat" in Arizona!!!!!! 


So save the dates: March 21-24th, 2013!!!! SO Excited!!!

This will be a COMPLETELY different type of "Girls Getaway!"  There will be some CREATIVE TIME, some relaxing time and some VERY COOL surprises!!  This isn't your normal "scrappy weekend"...  I want my Creative Events to be about the PLACE we're in, the SPECIAL events that I can share with you and the TIME we have together.  We will be going places together, enjoying special meals together, and of course, creating ART with a unique TWIST!

It may include a stop here...

and a meal here...
and definitely some realizing time...

I am going to be holding events like this 2-3 times a year, all over the WORLD!  Only 1 a year will be abroad and the other two will be in the U.S.   The Stateside events will not be "all-inclusive" so if you live close to the event location and just want to come for the classes and special events, that's GREAT!  Those who are flying into the location, there will be a hotel suggestion and it will have a discounted rate, but you are free to find your own accommodations.

So get ready ladies...

You are in for some REAL FUN!!!

Have a GREAT weekend,

Laura


Thursday, November 1, 2012

November 1st is already here and I am getting excited for the Holidays to arrive!  I'm already thinking about Christmas decorations and when it's "acceptable" to start decorating!  :)  Since I'm not having Thanksgiving at my house, it may start early this year...  In fact, a trip to Hobby Lobby this week was VERY inspiring and I couldn't resist a pretty "shabby chic" Christmas Cottage for my front porch.

But back to the present...

I am excited to say that more ladies have signed up in the past week and we are getting VERY close to being completely FULL!  I'm SO excited about this and have already started setting up the Yahoo Group for all the ladies.  So if you HAVE signed up, please check that you have the Yahoo Group Invitation and try to join the group soon!  I have started a little game in there so we can all get to know each other, so go on in and introduce yourself and play along!

If you haven't signed up yet...  DO SO NOW!  I don't know if I'm going to be able to take more than 20 ladies and I can't really make that decision for a while because the hotel closes down for the winter starting TODAY and communication with them is going to be very minimal.  So PLEASE email me if you are interested in going or if you've said you are going on the Facebook Page, but haven't signed up yet.  I just wanted to make sure you don't loose out and if I have a good idea that you are going, I can work around things if I need to with the numbers and apartments.

Now as far as the GIVEAWAY...

I have TWO WINNERS for the Class Kits from this years Creative Retreat:

The 1st WINNER IS:   Melissa!!

Laura, you make the most beautiful travel mini's and projects. I love all the unique elements you always add. P.S. Keep up with the yellow, its so refreshing.

and the 2nd WINNER IS:  Tracey!!


thanks for the opportunity to win a kit... mind you the locatino wouldbe better of course!! have to save my pennies... love to see all the photos, such a magical place.... thanks for sharing

So send me your addresses and I'll get those out to you!

Now onto the Travel Journal Class I taught in Italy... I said I would share some pictures from this album.  Just an FYI, there are 2 MORE LEFT and they are in my Etsy Shop now if you want one.


I can't begin to show you every page, but here's a glimpse into the Travel Journal.  Some of the pages are from the "before" pictures and some are of my pages I've journaled in.  You'll get complete color instructions if you purchase the kit on Etsy.

I'm getting excited about NEXT YEAR'S class and what I will be teaching for that!  I know Teresa Collins and Jeanne Oliver are REALLY excited as well!

Have a GREAT day!

Laura