Casual Blogger Conference wrap-up

I have been sick since my last post and I'm just now getting better. I just know that you all have been waiting with bated breath to hear how the rest of the Casual Blogger Conference went. (This is long, prepare yourself).

Well, the mommy guilt (well, more accurately, concern) was still with me for the second day of the conference. Charlie was sick and in need of some extra TLC. I left him with John for a lot of the day but by about 3:30 I knew it was time to get back to my baby. I ended up missing the keynote speaker, Courtney Kendrick of C Jane (who is actually one of my favorite bloggers), but I knew I had made the right choice to stay home with Charlie. I have met her once before, and we became bffs so I didn't feel too badly (well, I did, but not as bad as if this had been my one and only chance.)

The first day was made up of large auditorium-type lectures with general topics. It was too hard to connect with the speakers and topics in that setting. I spent a lot of time in the back of the lecture hall whispering to my friends (naughty, I know) and sluffing (such a Utah word! It means ditching for those who might be wondering) to get food at Chipotle (once with Casey and Loralee and again with Casey, Kim, and Lindsey) and Nothing Bundt Cakes. I felt like a teenager skipping class. I really enjoyed meeting people and hanging out/shopping at the vendors' booths, especially chatting with Heidi from Oh Sweet Sadie and Alma from Ollibird (no pictures of these great ladies, shame on me).

Casey browsing the vendors

Casey's new camera strap from Oh Sweet Sadie. I bought one just like it so we can be SLC/Indy twinners.
Except my camera is not as awesome.

Casey and Loralee being interviewed by Amelia from the Deseret News

Same group only with Kim (aka Prairie Mama)

Amelia was wearing these highly impractical but super hot shoes.

Loralee, me, Casey at lunch (photo by Casey)

Mrs. R aka Lindsey getting an impromptu blogging tutoring session from Casey

me and Kim

me and Mrs. R

The back row crew (Lindsey/Mrs. R, Casey, me, Kim)
photo by Shelle

The second day of the conference was much more fulfilling for me. I felt like I was learning more detailed information in the break-out sessions and making more meaningful connections. I started the morning at the Blogging Zen workshop. I was interested in learning more about balancing my time online with my "real" life. I was especially excited to meet Marta Dansi of Marta Writes who was part of the panel.

Marta and me

Next was Casey's panel on blogging about depression. It was excellent. I was so privileged to be there. The panel was awesome and the room was filled with women who struggle with depression. There were incredible insights, pain, tears, and stories of hope shared in that room.

(L-R Heather, Jaime, Casey, Jenny, Natasha)


Kim's cute baby, Millz

Evonne's cute baby, Vin

I really enjoyed Vanessa Brown's workshop on How to Be a Blogging Millionaire- she is a wealth of knowledge on running your blog as a business. I really enjoyed learning her story, too. She was newly married and pregnant, working three jobs to try to make ends meet. She began blogging as a way to supplement her income and now it is her full-time living. I really admire her for going after starting her own small business- it's hard to do (as John and I realized several years ago when he started Comma Development.) And I really admire her for sharing her knowledge with others- it was inspiring to see so many entrepreneurial women in the room (like cute Amy). Mrs. R/Lindsey and I sat next to each other and had a grand old time.

Mrs. R took this photo of me with my (?) iPad that I wrestled away from Johnny brought to play with- alas, the network was overwhelmed by all the fabulous bloggers so I was back to my phone for Twitter.

I still sluffed a little on Saturday with Casey (and Kim and baby Millz) at Cafe Rio. It was so fun to spend that short amount of time with her while she was in town.





But don't think that I didn't appreciate all the hard work that went into this conference! It ran very smoothly, was full of great bloggers, and had a wonderfully casual and non-intimidating atmosphere. And this was only its first year! I'm sure that it only will improve over time.

The Bright Spots

Today I packed Charlie up with all of his gear- diaper bag, high chair, pack and play, and car seat- to spend the day at Kerry's house while I attended my first blog conference. He was a little sick and this was the longest I'd ever left him. I didn't worry about him too much- he was in Kerry's capable hands after all- but I did miss him and whoa, was the mommy guilt in overdrive.

However, I met people who are actually changing others' lives by their influence. The jury is still out on the conference as a whole, but the bright spots and the source of most of my enlightenment of my day were these ladies: Casey, Loralee, Lindsey, and Kim, who stand for so much every day (read this post by Casey, she says it much better).

They are real, they are talented, they are brave, and they are funny- Lindsey had tears streaming down my face at a funny story involving a shopping cart and nude toddlers.

Thanks for a great day, ladies. I'll see you again tomorrow, hopefully without the mommy guilt, ready to learn more from you.

Happy Birthday...

to this little guy...

who grew up to become my big brother!

Steve, I love that you are always up for having fun, especially playing games, going to sporting events and to movies!



You are a great dad and I love watching you play with Sam and Lily and now "Mister Char Char".





and to this lady...



...my dear friend, Madelyn, who is turning 27 today on the 27th, which means it is her "golden" birthday. How fitting for the girl who all the boys in junior high thought was so cool that one reminisced later, "Madelyn was golden." It was true then and it's true now!!

Attention Bloggers!

I'm teaching a class on blogging (my second one, actually) to some women in my ward. I'm looking for some stories about blogging to share with them, specifically about how it has improved your life and relationships or served as a tool to share your lifestyle and/or faith with those who may not be familiar with it.

I am referencing this talk by Elder Ballard (see video below) but I'd like to be able to share some experiences other than my own.

Also, has anyone printed off their blog into a scrapbook/family history book (through Blurb or some other retailer) that I might be able to borrow as an example? (I promise to take great care of it and that there won't be any creepers there to view it.)

Leave a comment below if you have any goodies for me and I will contact you!! (Oh, did I mention that it's this Wednesday?? Procrastinate much?)

Catherine- It's Your Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to my little sister! I wish that we could be celebrating together on your day! You are amazing, I learn more from you all the time and I cannot wait for your little girl to be born. I wonder will she be just like you- organized, artistic, driven, sensitive, smart, and funny? I do know that she will be so lucky to have you as a mom. You are going to be great!


I am so lucky to have a sister like you who is truly my best friend and biggest fan. I am so proud of you and all you've accomplished in your 26 years! I love you Cat, Lenny, Fafin, Faf, Cath, Kitty!






As I was thinking about what gift travels well through the interwebs, I remembered these awesome gems. As little girls, we watched these music videos (and many, many more) on VHS tape over and over and over! (I wish I could embed them here! Argh! Click through- they are worth it for the denim shorts and suspenders alone!)

Every Heartbeat

Good For Me

Baby Baby

Happy Birthday, James!

We had so much fun at James' first birthday party. Chelsea thought of every detail and handmade darling decorations, a custom "1" birthday shirt for James, and delicious chocolate cupcakes from scratch. Yum, I want another one of those cupcakes right now and it's 7:35 a.m.- they were really good.

It was so fun to be with our families at the park on such a lovely day. Charlie and James showed off their newly acquired walking skills and had plenty of aunts, uncles, grandpas and grandmas to dote on them.

Concerts

After a dearth of concert going (that happened coincided with Charlie's first year of life, hmm, funny how having a baby changes your life!) John and I went to five concerts in a month! Our babysitter laughed when I kept calling her to tend because I kept insisting that we never went to concerts.

31 March 2010. Michael Buble.
I bought these tickets for our (my?) anniversary present in January. The weather was horrible, but it was so fun to be trekking through a blizzard with John to get to the venue. Michael Buble was so much fun- his banter with the audience was funny, the sound was pretty good, the band was great, and he sang almost all of my favorite songs. The highlight was the finale- he sang the last verse of the last song completely a'cappella and unamplified. It was incredible! We were in the upper deck of the E Center and we could hear every word he sang!

source

5 April 2010. Muse.

This was the other gift for our anniversary. Although I enjoyed it as well, it was mostly for John and he loved it!

source

9 April 2010. Paul Jacobsen and Sarah Sample.
We attended a house concert for these two independent musicians. They both went to East High School and it was so fun to be in a room full of friendly faces. It was a small, intimate setting and which made it really fun! We're hopefully going to be hosting one of these later this summer.



30 April 2010. The Temptations.
John's parents bought the whole family these tickets for Christmas. I am an old soul, for sure, and I was rocking out and singing along. My siblings-in-law were very surprised that I knew all the words to songs they had never heard before.

source

4 May 2010. Pat Metheny.
Thanks to John's parents, again, we went to Pat Metheny. He's the most incredible musician and inventor (see the crazy guitar below), but there was a really uncomfortable moment when he chewed out (for five long minutes) a guy who was taping the concert furtively. For me, it kind of ruined the whole thing.

source

I've got moves you've never seen...

10 points to whomever can name that movie line!

Here's Charlie showing off some of his sweet dance moves.

Boys like Firefighters

For the past several days, we've had quite the visitors on our street!


Our next-door neighbor passed away and his family sold his home to a young family who are planning to demo it and build a new home there. Because the house is slated for demolition, they allowed the fire department free reign to practice drills and other skills in the vacant house. They've been chopping holes in the roof and knocking down doors but not actually setting any fires. :)


John kept wanting to "check" on their progress to see what they were up to. And he kept saying "Charlie wants to see what they're doing." Pretty soon I realized however, that the bigger boy in this picture was really the excited one.


We've seen quite a few different kinds of fire trucks the past few days and I kind of wish that this had happened when Charlie was old enough to appreciate how cool they are!

John and Charlie even made a new friend!



And he made Charlie an honorary firefighter!