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This past weekend I attended a scrapbook retreat at The Paper Doll House in Sycamore, IL.  I was on a mission to complete my daughters' baby books.  Not an easy task!  I did get a lot of work done and had a great time in the process.  Marykim was a fantastic hostess who is a genius in the kitchen.  All of the delicious meals, included in the cost of the weekend, were home cooked.  We had full breakfast, lunch, traditional tea time, dinner, and yummy desserts!  Not to mention, the drink station was always open.  The weekend was a vacation... you were encouraged to do what you want when you want.  Want to take a nap all afternoon; go for it!  Want to take a walk to the quaint downtown shops; have a great time!  Want to scrapbook until the wee hours of the morning; here is some caffeine!  We had karaoke, sappy chick flicks, a vast music collection, idea books, and many other comforts while we were on vacation.

The house itself is historic.  The Paper Doll House was once a Victorian mansion for a family who loved to host parties.  Much of that Victorian charm remains today.  The built-ins and designed wood floors were unlike anything I have ever seen.  The guest rooms were comfortable and each had their own temperature control.

It was truly a treat to get away and do something that brings me joy and relaxation.  Even better was that I was able to do this with one of my best friends, Ranell.  (Big thanks to our husbands for watching the kiddos alone over the weekend!)

There is an informal group of Windy City Scrapbooking customers heading out to The Paper Doll House over Labor Day weekend in a couple of weeks.  If you would like to join them, call Marykim directly to make your reservation.

Now for the fun part!  I am hosting a contest to see who can most accurately guess how many pages I finished while on my retreat.  Here are the variables that will help you create your guess:

I arrived at The Paper Doll House at 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon.  I went to bed on Friday (Saturday) at about 2 a.m.
I woke up on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. (guess I was still in mommy mode)
I went to bed on Saturday (Sunday) at 2 a.m.
I woke up on Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m.
I took a break while I had an on-site pedicure.
I departed on Sunday at 3 p.m.
I count a 2-page layout as 2 pages, not 1.

For an extra bonus, guess how many pages my friend Ranell completed.  She arrived on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. and departed on Sunday at 2 p.m.  She slept about 2 hours longer than I did on Saturday night. 
Please leave a comment with your guess and I will determine the winner on Saturday, September 5th.  Good Luck!  Fantastic blog candy will be given to the winner!


Photos of The Paper Doll House: