Top 15 Thoughts on Attending A Blog Conference (or at least what I walked away from Creative Estates with)

I am so thankful that I went to the Creative Estates Conference in Chandler, AZ.  It was an amazing event with absolutely amazingly talented and beautiful women!  So great to find that many women who “get” the blog and craft side of me (and balancing it with motherhood and jobs!)! 

I learned a ton!  The greatest things was to just be yourself!  And while you are at it, don’t be afraid to let your personality show through, in fact people want to see your personality and not just your “stuff”.  I will also be buying my domain name and I suggest you all do as well.  Another big one for me is to just ask other bloggers if you have questions.  I have done this in the past but wasn’t sure how it was received.  Everyone I met was more than happy to answer and and all questions.  Everyone was so willing to help each other out.  What an awesome community to be a part of!  And I was completely shocked by how many people were from AZ.  I thought I was all alone here!

 

I’ve been nervous to type my true reaction to it.  But here it is; the good, the bad, and the ugly.

1.  Apparently I’m more insecure than I thought.  I had never met anyone at this conference in real life before.  Walking in all alone was as scary as it was exciting.  Which was weird because I was so excited to meet so many of my online friends in real life.

2.  Everyone was super nice!  I was happy to see how open everyone was to just start a conversation with someone they have never met before.  Beverly from Flamingo Toes was one of those that just broke into conversation with you.  It was those kind of talks like you were already comfortable and had known each other for years (I guess because these women “get” you as a crafter and blogger).  Beverly and I discussed Yellowstone vacations, of all randomness for a craft blog conference.  Beverly led a super cute craft time for her amazing necklaces!  Those ladies looked divine in them!  Another woman like this was Leanne from Organize and Decorate Everything.  Just talked to her like she was already my friend.  And I can’t forget Ashlee of I’m Topsy Turvy.  She was so interesting to talk to (I mean she has a pet pig…how can you not find that interesting?!), and again so nice (do you see the theme of sweet and nice here?).

3.  I met some people that I can’t wait to “work with,”  others I can’t wait to be friends with, and others I want to do both with!  Rebecca of Freckles Crafts, I have “known” online for awhile and was so glad to meet her IRL.  Big thanks to those four ladies who “held my hand” so that I wasn’t all alone!  Lauren and Michelle from Coffee at Three, Jessa from Sparkle, and Aimee from Paging Supermom thank you so much you were all so much fun to hang out with!!  Can’t wait to keep in touch with you ladies!

 

This photo was from Lil Luna (who just had a baby weeks ago and still managed to help throw this amazing shindig!!)

4.  Friday night at the AZ GNO was my favorite part of the weekend!  Those girls really know how to throw a crafty party!  There was a SERIOUS swag bag, filled with amazingly cute stuff!  I already loved Kendra with My Insanity, but now I am more in love with her!  She was wonderful and so nice!!  I did not get enough of a chance to meet the other two ladies (Kristyn of Lil Luna and Stephanie of Somewhat Simple) that put that event together.  Can’t wait to go to the next one in June!!  I set next to the amazing Jen, of Tatertots and Jello!  I’ve loved her blog forever! Yup she’s as amazing IRL as online!

5.  I tried to meet as many different people as I could.  I think that was a bit of a mistake because I did not have enough time with anyone.  There were so many lovely ladies (and trust me, these ladies were LOVE-LY) that I would loved to have spent more time with and can’t wait to do so another time.

I got this picture from Becky Higgins site (Becki, Megan, and Becky)!  Which brings up a side point, at this conference your name either had to be Allison, Katie, or Becky (thankfully I fit into one category!)

6.  There are some amazingly talented people out there and I am so glad I got to actually meet them! How about Becky Higgins, or Becky of Whippy Cake, ….Those two were in an amazing panel about balancing it all.  Don’t we all need more help with that?

7.  There are some REALLY tall crafty women, who totally know how to rock their tall cute shoes!  I’m all of 5 ft 1 and wore my flats because my cute wedge shoe busted on the way there, and my super cute black hills I didn’t dare wear in the rain on Saturday night.  So, those women were TOWERING over me!

8.  The cupcakes in Arizona are to die for Yummy!

9.  Apparently SheyB also knows a fantastic guy who makes to-die-for BBQ!  And the recipe for the Mac-A-Roni has people offering up their first born for it (and you know who you are Blue Cricket Design!)!  Shey B and Tauni threw this conference.  I learned so much from Tauni’s PR talk!  Great info!

10.  Twittering during a conference is half the fun!  (just search the hastag #creativeestates and you will see that it is still going on!!)

11.  I can never think of the song, “Forget Me” the same again.  Shelley, from House of Smith’s, rendition was THE best!  She absolutely rocks.  With her, what you see is what you get.  Who doesn’t love what you see on her blog?  Many of us busted a gut because of her.

12.  Some people went out of their way to find me so we could meet.  That is so awesome!  Alison from Oopsey Daisey was one of those.  She is really so sweet!  I missed her fantastic necklace and purse though!

13.  The sponsors totally rocked!  I walked away with some AMAZING swag like a gorgeous necklace from The Vintage Pearl, a super cute headband from Katie, @Vintage Rose Wraps (by the way I got to sit next to her in one class and she is sooo nice!!), Amazing business card holder from Taradaramadeit, way cute hair clip from Funky Polka Dot Giraffe, Lovely earrings (that I’m wearing right now) from Lil Luna, stuff from plaid, silhouette, LetterPress, The Ribbon Retreat, and more as well as amazing discounts from countless others!  Love you all!! 

14.  I need to get over being camera shy.  Lesson learned:  Which is why I added that picture of myself to my vinyl record post.  I’m trying to break free of that fear.  Can you believe that as a blogger I am camera shy?  Look back through my blog.  Very few pictures of me!   But I want people to know there is a person behind this blog.  This is me, take me as I am.

15.  The person I walked away the most impressed with was Kim from Today’s Creative Blog.  She is so brilliant!  She is also just as caring and sweet as you think she is (actually even more caring)!  I am in absolute awe of her!  Oh, and Kim could I be in your Skype group?

 

Thanks to everyone who made this event so amazing!  I would LOVE to go to every conference I can~  there is nothing like meeting all these amazing women in real life!!

 

Rebecca