CKU Detroit.

My little sister and I are so hoping to meet you at CKU-Nashville!

Good morning Ali! I so glad to hear you had a great time at CKU in Detroit. I hope someday to be able to attend a CKU. I received my January kit from Cocoa Daisy on Friday and also got an autographed copy of your second book. Very pleased and inspired. I am looking forward to your kit from CK too. I guess I will stay up late tonight or get up early tomorrow to order. Anyway...have a great Sunday! God bless!
Beth

Hi Ali,
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed meeting you at CKU Detroit. Your album class was awesome. You totally took my scrapbooking to a new level.
Thanks!!!!

Wow, Ali! That auction sounds great!
I really wish I could attend one of your classes in the future, I'm sure it's going to be a blast!

Ali,
All I can say is thank you. You are such an awesome person and such an inspiration. I was in your album class on Saturday and in the beginning of class you really touched me. I held back the tears until your closing at the commencement and when your tears flowed, the tears I held in the morning came out with yours.
Thank you so much. It was really a life changing event.
Michelle Herbert in Fraser, MI

Hey, Ali. I enjoy your blog and all the great sites you've led me to check out. I wondered if you've considered adding a "What I'm Reading..." category off the the side of your blog. I'd love to know if what you're reading inspires you.
Michelle

I had such an awesome time at CKU Detroit! Your class was so fun! I loved doing the homework and I love the products you chose. But, I think the part that meant the most to me was having the opportunity to meet some new people, and really connect with them over the 8 hours or so that we were in your class. I moved to the Detroit area about a year ago and really haven't made any friends in this area. It was awesome to be able to just sit and talk with people that I can relate to again!

One of the best weekends I have had in a LONG time. What an inspiration you are! Loved your album track! THANK YOU! Glad you had a good time too....:)
And YES, I will finish my album! I do so enjoy working on it!
God bless.

Thank you Ali! Loved your album (I'm almost done!) and your wonderful inspiration. And I'm glad to find someone who likes U2 almost as much as I do :) I feel so appreciative that you guys all take so much time out of your lives to come and share with and teach us.

That's so awesome, Ali!

I can not tell you how much my sister and I enjoyed meeting you and taking your album class Friday. I know all of us mothers of autistic children really do share a bond... Laura and I were so touched by your passion, your emotion, and your talent. Thank you for giving so much of yourself to perfect strangers! I really hope to get to see you again... (maybe at L's new store ;) ) or at CKU in the future (I am absolutely positive we will be back)... and don't worry we all cried along with you. Joy. Triumph. Tears. Good stuff.
Thanks again...
Jo Ellen Gates
Carthage, TX
CKU-Detroit Graduate!!!!

that is awesome ali . . .it's because of the person that you are and how "real" you are . . .that these ladies are so inspired to do what they do for themselves and for autism speaks. still watching the badge go higher and higher. so very very cool.
denise

Ali, it was a great class...loved seeing you again. All I heard were good comments about you and the Album track you taught. Such a laid back teacher, wish they were all that way :)
Probably see you again sometime this year.
April

as usual, i had a great time in your class..and this (my first) cku experience was wonderful. i thought it was very well run and everyone was awesome. it was great seeing you again and i am so proud of your commitment to what you do in your profession and outside of it. as i told you in class...simon may not know it but he will reap the benefits of what you do so passionately for him....i emailed you some pictures from the autism speaks presentation last night. great job girlie...
cindy

Just wanted to add another thank you to the list! I've haven't had a weekend away in a long time, and spending it with friends and being one of your teaching assistants was an experience I won't soon forget. Thank you for your kindness, your humor, your energy (have no idea how you do it girlie) and your passion. Love you to pieces!

Thanks for an incredible experience, Ali. Loved just sitting in a room and focusing on that one week...all of those moments that we too often allow to go unnoticed. I realized as I was working on my album that it was one of the last weeks of just the three of us in the family. It meant even more to have those moments captured, along with how we prepared for the baby, what our lives were like before she arrived...I am so grateful for taking the time to capture this period in our lives.
Loved your designs, your inspiration, your mellow attitude. Thanks for just being you and for sharing yourself so openly with all of us. This weekend was exactly what I needed.

wow, ...where do i start?! such a good time this weekend, met so many women that are amazing and i plan on keeping in touch with. SO wished you lived closer so we could hang more...we've got plenty more stories for you to laugh at, and it's just a shame we can't hang out more often. thanks for such an amazing opportunity...being your T.A. was simply awesome. thanks for even more memories.
love you, girlie =)

you have truly moved my my dear.. you truly have. i can not thank you enough for all that you do. you have inspired me, and i am honored to be part of the team!!! much love! (i'm trying not to cry)

Hey Ali! I'm tearing up again! Words can not hardly explain how I'm feeling right now. There definitely seemed to be "something in the air". I can not thank you enough for sharing yourself, your passion, your heart with all of us! I had such a blast in the class and with Nicole, Jen, Trish and Jennifer not to mention "the best table ever." The project is awesome and for me it is life changing. For me the photos and words are a connection to so much more. A way of looking at life. A real look. I thank YOU so much and your family for sharing you with us. YOU are such a gift.
I can't really explain it but it sounds like how you told us about your first CKU. The photos and word help make a connection in this scrapbooking-life artist world that otherwise would not be there. For that I am so grateful. I will see you again and I hope it won't take another year.
P.S. I love the t-shirt too! My friends are jealous!

what an awesome force of good that continues to come about... glad to hear it was such a great weekend.

Ali! You are so wonderful! I had the most incredible time. I will continue to work on my album and finish it soon. I enjoyed seeing you again and visiting feeling like we spent it with an old friend. You are truly inspiring and so fun! Keep on keepin' on!
Oh and I second the book list on the side! I would love to see what you are reading. Too bad we didn't get to chat more about that.
Lastly, I guess Parker has not played Max and Ruby all weekend!! He must be going through withdrawal!!
Angie

So cool! I'd totally love to do a CKU - someday when the girls are older...maybe.
Glad you had a great weekend!

I just wanted to say I am so glad that I signed up for your class. You are such an inspiration. Thanks for sharing yourself and your amazing talents!!!
I attended your Friday class (right in front of the speaker - great music so I didn't mind)
My first CKU - and I am spreading the word. So glad that I didn't let going by myself stop me !
Karen J
Detroit cku

Hi Ali,
love to read your journal everyday! I so much want to attend one of your classer some day. Being a patchwork teacher myself, wondering how you manage to teach such big classes (170 people in 2 days!)
anyway, always enjoying your blog, and very inspired by you for my scrapbooking,
Mieke (Belgium)

Hi Ali - I know you are not a digi scrapper but thought you might be interested in this freebie wordart created for someone with an autistic son:
http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=182699