WW: Swag from Bloggy Bootcamp!

Bloggy Bootcamp had great sponsors:

I join the @SITSGirls in thanking them for helping to support the conference. None of us would be able to afford a ticket if it weren't for sponsors' support.

Sony, thank you!
Best Buy, thank you!
Arm & Hammer, thank you!
Goody, thank you!
Laughing at Wall Street, thank you!
Bissell, thank you!
Tide, thank you!
Two Prince, thank you!
Mirassou, thank you!

And all others... thank you too!

"I am from.." (a post from #BBCATL & writer's workshop)

I am from homemade cookies, Keds sneakers, and lightning bugs.

I am from the cul-de-sac headquarters of the neighborhood BBQ, where friendly handshakes and childlike giggles paused only for a mom's still-warm and oozing blueberry pie.

I am from the grass, the fresh, crisp softness between asphalt-blackened toes.

I am from beach vacations and open arms, from farmers and coal miners and first-generation college graduates.

I am from the watermelon fights and "I'm sorry" hugs.

From "you can do anything" to "be careful what you say".

I am from Rocky Top and European immigrants, meat and potatoes.

From the playful cousins to the available parents, and the sister so close in age we could share friends as well as clothes.

I am from handmade quilts, memories captured on Kodak slides, and a place that will, within my soul, always be frozen in time.

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This post was crafted during Bloggy Bootcamp Atlanta. Thanks to MamaKat and Francesca who led the session and found the fantastic original post "Where I'm From" by writer/teacher George Ella Lyon.

A “just for fun” blogger attends a blog conference

I bravely purchased my ticket to Bloggy Bootcamp Atlanta many months ago. As the date crept closer and closer, my anxiety grew larger and larger. I worried about how to look, how to act, and whether or not I would be welcome in such a large, talented, and diverse group of blogging women.

Once the date was literally a night away, yet another worry set in.

What if none of this applies to me?

I have no illusions of grandeur when it comes to this blog. I know my life. I know the slightly compulsive, stress-prone gray matter between my ears. I know that any entrepreneurial adventure requires hard work, many hours, and a dedication I simply cannot handle at this period of my life.

So, what exactly does a “just for fun” blogger get out of Bloggy Bootcamp?

I got validation. Other human beings know who I am read what I write.

I got understanding. My blog is “just a hobby”. But it is a hobby worthy of my time and a piece of my heart.

I got encouragement. Real-life people care about my success, even if my definition of success has nothing to do with the weight of my wallet.

I got an identity. I narrowed in on it, anyway. Throughout many sessions, I found myself repeating to myself phrases like “I am a real person”, “so mothers can find someone who understands”, and “ what you read is what you get”. My blog is about me, from personal expression through creative writing to funny tales of raising a princess-obsessed little lady. I am not famous, nor overly talented, nor beautiful as a Hollywood starlet. But I share what is real, and I provide an extra voice of support to moms everywhere. I understand that we are all different. I know that no two kids are exactly alike. With other moms, I share the most important bond; we are raising the next generation. To the best of our ability.

And…
I got a hug from MamaKat!
One of many incredible people who made this "just for fun" blogger feel right at home.

 

Photos of @mamakatslosinit, @InTheKitchenKP, one half of @ThirdBoob,
@StaceyNerdin, and my lovely city of Atlanta.

BBC in the AM!

My hopes for Bloggy Bootcamp Atlanta 2011:

• I hope I recognize a few faces. It is not easy to match tiny twitter avatars to real-life lovely ladies!
• I hope the food is good. And I hope we get snacks. I like snacks.
• I hope I kick my social anxiety to the curb and dive into some great conversations.
• I hope Bloggy Bootcamp re-energizes me, my creativity, and my writing.

I am awake way too late, but a little high-strung. Wish me luck! Off I go, bright and early....  

Twelve thousand two-hundred days+

I have been around for over 12,210 days. I am 33 years old.

I have viewed lovely places and experienced a few adventures, but I have never…

1. Eaten food at Taco Bell

2. Traveled great distances by train

3. Jumped from an airplane

4. Been a dog owner

5. Hugged a boa constrictor

6. Worn a leather jumpsuit

(but this one can be yours for only $755 at Nieman Marcus)

7. Been struck by lightning

8. Eaten snails

9. Gone hang-gliding

10. Broken a bone

11. Visited Paris

12. Shaved my head

13. Watched a Disney movie in Minnesota

14. Burped my ABCs

15. Grown taller than 5’ 4”

16. Performed in a real circus

(only the preschool one when I was four)

17. Tickled an iguana

18. Soaked up sunshine in Tahiti

19. Visited Pinetrest.com

(but I guess I’d better check it out…)

20. Totaled a car

21. Climbed to the top of a palm tree

And #22…

I have never, ever lost an ounce of love for these two people:

I would give up all my wishes and past experiences for them.

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Writing prompt from Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop! Join in next week!

Disney does it again (Magic!)

They did it again. Magic.
We saw Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream on Sunday. Amazing! Amelia was already acting out scenes and songs from princess movies an a near constant basis... now she's acting out and skating scenes. It's Princesspalooza around here! Morning, noon, and night.

Before the show: City girl attitude

Costume change!

Glow sticks!
(Here's a tip: Buy them at WalMart before you go! Saves a ton of $)

Dare to Dream (two thumbs up!)

 

Photos taken via my iPhone, of course!
Linked up to #iPPP again this week.

If you really knew me...

Social media has a way of making us feel popular. We feel a twinge of pride from having hundreds of Facebook friends, thousands of Twitter followers, and blog readers from all over the world.

But there is a line between tangible and virtual.

Not too long ago, a well-respected and heavily-followed social media expert committed suicide. For many of us, we immediately thought, "How could that be? He had so many followers!".

But a social media follower is not the same as a real-life friend. It is easy to feel alone, even in the thick of a crowd.

If you really knew me, you would know that...

I write the truth.
I write from my heart.
I am what I write...

But I am probably too embarrassed to talk about it in person.

My first blog conference is coming up on Saturday.

I am a nervous wreck.

What do I wear?
Are comfy shoes okay?
Should I try to be trendy?
Or should I just be me?
What if "me" isn't good enough?

What if I hate it?
Can I leave early and go home to my family?

If you really know me, you will understand that this step is a big one. Blog readers know my heart. They have read my dreams. They are aware of my fears.

And I am about to come out from behind the computer screen... as ME.

I still have no idea what I'm going to wear.

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Inspired by one of Mama Kat's prompts from her prompt-generator HERE.
"If you really knew me, you would know that..."