Scrapbook USA Expo in St. George

We left last Wednesday for St. George to sell more scrapbook supplies at the Scrapbook USA Expo held at the Dixie Center. We've gone to 4 Scrapbook USA Expo's (all held at the Southtowne Expo in Sandy, UT), but this was the 1st ever show in St George. The kids came along with us and my mom and sister, Ally watched them while Jason & I worked the booth. We stayed at my mom's Worldmark timeshare.

Jason drove all through the night while the kids & I slept. When we arrived at the timeshare, we noticed one of the tires on the trailer had a hole and was literally held together by threads of the tire. What a small tender mercy that we didn't blow a tire in the middle of the night somewhere in the desert.

We had high hopes for this show, but what a disaster! At the Salt Lake show, they usually have about 10-12,000 people come. At the Salt Lake show, we run 2 cash registers and literally for 2 days straight have lines of people and ring up transactions all day long. This show only had about 1,500 people come. We sold our products dirt cheap, (Papers 10/$1 and stickers & rub-ons 3/$1), but the people weren't buying. Luckily, we covered our expenses and had a mere $246.19 profit after all expenses! How pathetic!

However, some of our other "carnie" friends (other vendors at the expo, we call them carnies because these expos are like a circus/carnival show) didn't make enough to cover their expenses and took a loss!

Oh well, at least we enjoyed sunny St George and had a tax-deductible family trip. Honestly, if we didn't have our family, friends and accounting clients up north, I'd be packing my bags and moving to St. George! We stood out because we all wore short sleeved shirts and everyone down there was in sweatshirts. A few people asked us if we were from up north. How'd you guess?

Abbey, Aliza & Ava loved swimming at the timeshare. They loved the kids mini-pool that was a mere 1 1/2" feet deep. The kids & I loved seeing palm trees everywhere we went.

Oh, the crazy things people do for free prizes. Here's some scrapbookers enjoying the toilet paper wrapping contest. They also had a dance off contest. Someone walked by our booth and said, "I didn't know they served alcohol at these events." You'd think these ladies were drinking to do these crazy things, but oh no, it's just for a free prize!

We entered Alex in the ice cream eating contest. It was just to see who could eat an ice cream sandwich the quickest. Alex actually took 2nd place! WTG, Alex!

I'm sure Alex was mortified with me screaming in the background, "Go, Alex. You can do it." Call me competitive but I'm all about the free prizes too! Alex scored himself a canvas tote bag and chipboard letter set! Just what he wanted, I'm sure!

While the scrapbook expo wasn't financially worth all of our time & effort we put into it, at least we enjoyed some great food! Let's see, we ate at Inn N Out burgers 3 times! Jason loves that place so he went there each day and got us lunch!
We went to the famous Pizza Factory and enjoyed their amazing bread sticks. Ashley & Abbey had to stand up to see their faces over these bread sticks. The Pizza Factory was a test of my mom's patience since she hates loud noise and big crowds.

And we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant in St. George, "Pancho & Lefty's." I LOVE their homemade chips & salsa and the chicken chimichanga was to die for! Seriously so tasty! None of the kids would sit by the Mexican dummy so of course, Ava had to be the lucky one. She was okay until she looked back to see whose lap she was sitting on.

Poor girl! He was a little freaky looking. I've probably scarred her for life. I still remember as a baby my aunt would lay me next to this mannequin doll named Danny. I have baby pictures of me staring at the freaky mannequin doll.

Abbey, Alex & Ashley at Pancho & Lefty's water fountain.

So all in all, it was a good break from the cold and always great to have a change in scenery. Thanks Mom for watching the kids & letting us stay at your timeshare!