CZ Design

Well, Kiaora to You, Mr. Finn

Well, Kiaora to You, Mr. Finn

Okay…I'm geeking out, or at least I did geek out REAL bad yesterday at roughly 4 p.m. C.S.T.

That's when the mail came. And I geeked out royally.

The backstory first…

I have a friend named Krista, who is a righteous babe, a music publicist and a digital scrapbook product designer, and who also has one extra tag she can boast: one who has MET Neil Finn.  (and if you scroll down her blog post, you'll see the proof.)

So anyway… she kept me rapt with her extremely detailed e-mail recounting of that fateful night. I LOVED reading all the little bits. I get what a big deal it was to meet him. BELIEVE me. I get it.

So in the meantime, she tells me she's sending me some CDs (remember, music publicist) to check out, and the package arrived and i was like, "Cool. New Music." Then i opened the package, and the geeking commenced:

I present to you the front (which Dan had to gently point out to me was a series of anagrams based on the name 'Crowded House'):

Bag

And then I present the back, which i actually saw first when i opened the package:

Closerplease

[that's where you insert loud yelling noises that some say they could hear down the block.]

Kiaora to YOU, Mr. Finn.

Thanks, Krista. That was the best surprise I've had in many moons. Many, many Finn-laden moons.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hannah says

    LOL wooohooo how long did it take the puddle to dry?? hehe 🙂 Congrats on your new found treasure!

  5. neilsknees says

    Hi Cathy,I’m going to stop lurking and say something!As a massive Neil Finn fan I have been following your blog for some time. This picture brought a big smile to my face as have an idea how much this gift means to you!You deserve it after converting so many people to his beautiful music.

  6. melly says

    and thanks for sharing your joy with us. I’m grinning from ear to ear! (off to look up the meaning of Kiaora -lol-)

  8. melanie says

    What an awesome surprise, and how sweet of your bud Krista. I’d be over the moon with a gift like that too!

  9. patti says

    I’d take one of those signed by Cathy Z herveryownself-and I would make just as big a deal out of it too!!! Lucky you!!

  11. Michelle says

    Wow…that is so cool! What a treasure. Where is it hanging in your house? Is there a shrine around it?

  12. Merideth says

    so happy to see you so happy with your gift . . .

    i missed the dan-on-a-raft post. nice. but what i really love is cole’s picture of his family – i recognized you right away, in your orange sweatshirt! priceless.

  13. Kathryn Booth says

    OH MY GOD!!!!!!

    i can picture, the jumping, running, whooping, drooling and hyperventilating that went along with that piece of post.

    that girl is a GOOD friend.. (does she need any more ? LOL)

  14. Sheryl says

    Oh, what a good friend to send such a treasure to you! I love the anagrams on the front, too. Very cool design and font!

  15. Lyn Meeker says

    How cool is that? ..

    Well HER connection was A LOT Simpler than mine is … but I was trying to get an autograph for you too… (or a shout out at the concert…) And since you have an autograph now .. I can spill the beans ..

    My 30th reunion was this year (I didn’t go .. had other plans) .. and I belong to a yahoo group for that reunion .. one day one of my “classmates” posted something about Crowded House .. and her stepson being in a band with Neil Finn’s Son .. so of course thinking of Ms. Z .. I emailed my classmate off line and asked for this humongous favor .. to see if her son could talk to his son to talk to his dad and get SOMETHING .. then you posted that you had tickets and I emailed back and added the shout out (I also forwarded your blog about the concert to her – so she could see that you really were who I was saying you were – the sweat molecules one…) …

    But now you have the Autograph!

    Connections are a wonderful thing!

    You really do have your ducks in a row!

  16. susan says

    DUDE!!!! I am SOOOOO excited for you!!! just think…….for those few seconds NEIL FINN WAS THINKING ABOUT YOU!!!!!

  18. claire says

    I was re-organizing my office this weekend and noticed that the scrapbook section which useed to be my whole office now fits into 2 13×13 cubbies. Then I was wondering why that was and realized that, for now, blogging is my scrapping.

  23. suetreiber says

    That is the best middle of the week pick me up ever!
    I laughed at your last post, with your shot of Dan. He must know how much joy he brings to us unkowns by being goofy. Truly!

  24. Krista says

    YAY! I am so happy to have been the one to give you your best surprise ever (as you called it). The hardest part was keeping it a secret between Friday night and Wednesday when your mail arrived. It was my pleasure to share the Neil love, my friend! May you bask in the glow of your tote bag and the signature always!!!!

  28. Ngaire Bartlam says

    YAY YOU!!! it is this stuff that makes us different from the animals..:)))
    our ability to love.. and our ability to enjoy a big ol geek out.
    congrates Cathy. couldnt happen to a nicer geek,:)

    Ngaire
    x

  30. Charlene says

    Your “Neil Finn To-Do List” just keeps getting shorter! You can scratch off front-row seats and personalized autograph. About the only things that are left are:

    1. Roadie on the next world tour.
    2. Back-up singer or rhythm acoustic guitar on the next album.
    3. Official band photographer.

    I’d bet you’d be happy with just meeting him in person!

    About the only thing that could make your autographed bag any better would be if it was made by ElisaLou.

    Seriously so happy for you!

  31. Kass says

    I just squealed FOR you! Holy CRAP woman that is freakin AWESOME!!!!!

    Can you leave it to me in your will????? :):)

    ya know, Cathy….Kassie….kinda close….enough for me anyways!

  36. Michelle says

    I read in my Sept/Oct. issue of Simple Scrapbooks mag. about a gentleman whose wife took a class from you (?)that was an “encyclpedia of her ordinary life” (under letters pg. 12). I am interested in making a similiar scrapbook about myself and my husband and this idea piqued my interest. Could you let me know about the concept, how to do it, etc.? Thanks so much. Is it possible to combine 40 years worth of photo’s into one 12 x 12 scrapbook?
    Hoping you can help.

  39. Nicole says

    That is so freakin’ cool!!!! I TOTALLY get it. Cathy, I can imagine you are totally, blissfully happy!!! 🙂

    (I’d be a total fangirl if I recieved something in the mail like that from Matthew Sweet.)