I wasn’t going to write this post. A blog conference recap – who wants to read that? But I’m still on a high from this weekend, and all the stuff swirling in my brain must be released.
I went to Blog U to get schooled. And I learned a bunch. But it was the small, unplanned moments that were the true highlights. Isn’t that life? The unexpected is usually where all the flavor is.
1. Using my awesome lady luggage and getting compliments on it as I checked in. My apologies to the women whose toes I ran over with that luggage as I clumsily maneuvered my way to my room. Six pairs of shoes make a suitcase heavy.
2. Meeting my roommate Lisa with no awkward “getting to know you” phase. There was no awkward phase because I did not shut up long enough for that to occur.
3. Trying very hard to ignore the stain on my sheets that looked suspiciously like blood. Out of sight, out of mind didn’t work as well as I hoped.
4. Engaging in “vacation eating.” Calories don’t count and sugar is healthy. Lots of it.
5. Scoring free pens. I happen to get very excited about swag, particularly when the swag is office supplies.
6. Discovering Full Tilt Brewing’s chocolate stout, and confirming that it is sold in Maryland liquor stores. I took a picture so I wouldn’t forget which one I liked.
7. Connecting with bloggy friends. We connect every week as we read one another’s posts, so it was no surprise that we all hit it off when we met in person.
8. Seeing all the awesome outfits at the retro prom. I was impressed, because I was too chicken to dress up beyond the few florescent accessories my sister loaned me. I could have worn this dress, which I wore for my sweet sixteen party (check out that photo here), but I may have died from the heat. It’s corduroy – don’t be jealous.
I refuse to show my face in this dress.
9. Accidentally stealing a book from one of the faculty authors. I won it at a Twitter party and was supposed to get it at the conference. I did, thinking I was asking the right author for the right book. The next day I got a message from the author who actually had a book for me. I couldn’t return the first book without looking like an ass, so I now own a stolen copy. To the author from whom I stole the book, I apologize. I hope you are not reading this and/or you do not remember me.
10. Coming home to a relatively clean house, a birthday celebration for my dad, and a three hour nap on a bed with stain-free sheets.
So who is going with me next year?
So the beauty of being late to comment…we know it wasn’t Kim’s book or she would have called you out. And I love that you not only stole the book but that you have now called yourself out about it. Hilarious.
I can’t do another conference this year – I don’t think. I really want to do a meet up though. It was so great spending time with new friends who felt like old friends.
Look carefully – I was called out, but not by Kim. I can’t do another conference either, but I would love to do a meet up. I felt comfortable with you immediately, Stephanie!
How did I miss this post? What a great weekend. I want to go back but with a way more upscale place to call our crib! Love your handwriting. And I am a total loser too 🙂
No you’re not! And yes, if I go next year I may have to commute or stay in a hotel. The sheet stains pushed me over the edge.
I LOVE reading all of the recaps!! I wish I was with you and Lisa in that room!! I would have talked louder and faster and taken over you!! LOL
SO glad it was such a good time Dana! I’m going to try like hell to be there next year!!!!
Yay! I’m sure you could out-talk me any day, Chris 🙂
Sounds like so much fun!
It was a blast!
That sounds amazing! And a free pen? I am jealous!
I do love my free pens 🙂
I’m pretty sure I’m the one who had a book stolen. Haha! Leave me a review on Amazon at least! 😉
I can neither confirm nor deny accidentally stealing your book. But now I will have to submit my piece for your next book under a pseudonym!
Hilarious highlights! I’m also an office supply addicts. Were there free Post-its? I may need to save up to come.
No post it notes – that would have been awesome!
it made my day to see that group picture and all the familiar faces. yay! glad you had such a great time.
Thanks Catherine!
It was so great meeting you, Dana. Truly.
I feel the same way, Jean – so glad you made the trip!
I loved meeting you, Dana! I had so much fun hanging out with you. The office supply crush cracked me up as did the stolen book. OMG! Did I inadvertently encourage you to do that???
Well, I think you and Kristi encouraged me to get the book, but I thought that was the one I had won. Sometimes my own stupidity astounds me.
So fun to see you all back and get to read your reactions. I love your spin on what you shared. 🙂 Sounds like it was really a blast!
It was Brittnei!
Love the luggage!!!!!! And I don’t think I own a pen that I have not “received” at conferences!!! I love free pens – especially when they have different tips, smoothness, colour! So glad you enjoyed the conference!!! Special to meet all your blogging friends!!
It really was awesome. And I’m discovering that so many bloggers also love the free pens – I wonder if that is a writer thing? Now to hide the pens so my kids don’t take them…
BEST recap ever! It looks like you had a lot of fun, barring gross sheets. I think that would give me nightmares. Unless the Stout helped?
Ha – the Stout was consumed in such small quantities that it barely registered. But I slept surprisingly well considering!
Um, what is wrong with getting excited about pens? I love a good pen (especially if it’s free!) So glad you had a great time, I hope to be able to make it next year.
That would be awesome, Bev! I hope to as well, but even if I don’t, maybe I can meet up since I’m local.
Iove that there were no awkward moments among any of us- just like were all ms friends because, basically, we are. But, the stains, & the beds, & the sugar – oh my! 🙂
I know! My kids were all over the box of Berger cookies I brought home, but I’ve been off the sugar since Monday. It was definitely overload!
Aw…I’m so jealous!
One day when I’m all grow’ed up, I will go to one.
“Grow’ed up” meaning getting a real job to be able to pay for the ridiculous amount of money conferences cost!
I like office supplies too
There aren’t cheap, but Blog U was more reasonable than most. And I’m local, so I didn’t have to spend the extra money on transportation.
I think attending a blogging conference would be a lot of fun. Glad you enjoyed it!
BTW, love your luggage!
Thanks, Debbie!
I am so jealous of this! I’ve done a few in-person blogger meet-ups and always loved them, but a weekend-long party with a mob of bloggers would be ridiculous fun!
It really was fun – a total girls’ weekend!
You came! I remember your beauuuutiful luggage like it was yesterday (it was kind of yesterday, but…whatever).
I love seeing that picture of your tribe. Happy Kim.
Happy Dana too. It was a great weekend!
OH! And once again, your handwriting is BEAUTIFUL 🙂
Aww, thanks 🙂
Looks like you had an AMAZING time 😀 I want a L-R on your group pic, cos I think I only recognise about half of them by face.
WOW! You’re so lucky.
And how did you POSSIBLY manage to wear six pairs of shoes in one weekend? LOVE that you had them though. And the LadyLuggage.
Pair #1 to the conference, #2 at party Friday night, #3 Saturday daytime, #4 Saturday night, #5 Sunday, and #6 were flip flops I wore in the shower.
and L-R: Kristi, Michelle (Dish of Daily Life), Stephanie (So I’ve Been Thinking), Tamara (like Camera), Tricia (Raising Humans), Tara (Family Sport Life), Jean (all the everydays), Lisa (The Golden Spoons). Bottom row: Deb (Urban Moo Cow), NJ (A Cookie Before Dinner) and ME!
Oh! So THAT’S what Tricia looks like 🙂 I recognised YOU of course. And Kristi, Tamara, Lisa and Deb 🙂 COOL! Thank you.
Love all the shoes. Most necessary.
Now I have FOMO… big time.
Awesome list, Dana! Blogging and sleep away camp: perfect combo :).
It is the perfect combo, except for the sheets 😉
I think school supplies are the best – I usually walk through the school supply aisles every time I go to Target!!
So cool that you had a great time at the conference!! I would love to go to a conference with so many of y’all – mostly just to meet y’all!!!
Absolutely, Kim – meeting everyone was really the highlight of the weekend!
Oh Dana, I have missed you!!! Sounds like the conference was a hit, except for the sheet stain – gross. I also love that you get excited about pens and that you stole something. Awesome.
I’ve missed you too – I cannot wait to hear all about your race and the trip! And thank you for being the first person to comment on my theft – I was feeling very judged due to the lack of response 🙂
I’m so glad we got to meet at BlogU, even though it was brief! Since we’re pretty close geographically I’d love to get together sometime for lunch and/or coffee and chat all things blogging.
I was kicking myself for not chatting with you, Katie – I’m sorry about that. And yes – let’s get together! We’ll have to chat on FB and make a plan.
Oh my gosh, Dana, I LOVE your lady luggage! The hubs and I just went on an international vacay, and I was JUST telling him, as I was hopping prematurely on every single red suitcase that came through on the belt, that I wanted a bag that “really stands out–in a cute way.” Um, hello, BINGO on the lady luggage. Also–“Don’t be jealous” as your Sweet Sixteen dress caption made me laugh out loud, literally. Glad you had a great time!
I do love that luggage, and it is so easy to find in airports. The only negative is that Matt refuses to handle it at all, so it’s all on me. But it’s so cute that I don’t even mind! And you have red luggage? That is equally awesome.
I get ridiculously excited about pens! Free pens for all!!
It was amazing just all being together – I learned some stuff too, of course. And now I have the fever where I want do other blog conferences. A lot! Slow down, tiger.
Dreaming about clean sheets and Berger cookies..right now.
I can’t tell you how happy I was to crawl into my bed Sunday night. I have the fever a bit too, but I need to be realistic. Now a bloggy friend meet up – that’s realistic. I’m only a few hours from New Jersey…
Say the word – anytime.
I always say I’m better one on one but our group was different. I felt really happy in it.
I loved following the doings on facebook, and I’m glad you had such a great time! Maybe next year…
Fingers crossed!
Hey I only saw the green pens! I want more pens!
So so cool hanging out with you this weekend!
Ooh, the blue ones are awesome, Tricia – you missed out! It was great to hang out with you too, and it would have even if there had been no pens or cookies.
I have to admit I sat at my desk most of the weekend feeling ridiculously jealous of you ladies. All that fun you were having and I was playing Freecell and stalking Facebook! Haha.
Damn. I need a job. You know, so I can finally attend these awesome conferences.
Glad you had such a great time! By the way, I’d get excited about getting free pens, too. You’re not alone on that one. 🙂
Ha – I think many bloggers are office supply dorks! I wish you could have been there, Kim. One of these days, ok?
Oh so fun to meet up with the folks you get to know so well online. WOW. That’s cool. I”d be interested in learning more about freelancing. I think that’s the way to go for a lot of us here but I really don’t know much about it. And no. I won’t mention those sheets of yours as I, like you, would want to forget ALL about it.
Okay, want the truth?
Bloggers usually write about this shit is a VERY booooring way.
For example “I did this and I did that and nobody talked to me and the speaker was good ……..BLAHHH.
Not you.
This was oh-so-interesting, Dana.
LOOOoove WANT your luggage. So girlie and FUN! x
Thanks, Kim! And for not being bored. I know that some of my readers aren’t bloggers, so I didn’t want to turn them off. And who wants to write or read the blah, blah blahs anyway?
Perfect behind the scenes recap! Wow, that’s some dress! I plan on going next year but since it always falls in my anniversary weekend I’ll have to do some bargaining with the big guy.
This was the first year for Blog U, Jenny – so I don’t know if it will be the same weekend next year. Fingers crossed that it won’t fall on your anniversary and you can go!
I would love to find a blog conference that teaches some of the basics – the things I’ve taught myself and probably don’t do as efficiently as I could. I’m thinking layout, preparing and using photos, how to make social media buttons, how to design Facebook, Twitter, Google + pages, etc. I know this info is all available as online tutorials but it is so much more fun in a group with the opportunity to meet up with blog friends!
That would be great, Mo – this conference didn’t have that kind of design focus. I bet BlogHer has sessions like that, though. But the best part was meeting up with friends!
Glad you had such a great time! Love the striped maxi you are wearing in that photo. And blood-stained sheets? Ugh!
It may not have been blood – I didn’t look too closely. I’m trying to erase it from my brain. And the dress is from Nordstrom – it would look great on you, Kate.
I love recaps!! It was so fun to hang out with you this weekend!
Great post and for those of us who wished we were there, we love the recaps! One of these days I am going to get to one of these conferences with you other bloppy women! 🙂
I’m trying to decide whether to write about it and if so, what to say. I’m also super-behind now and have company coming to town for Tucker’s preschool graduation party and ceremony. Yup, we’re having a huge party. With a bounce house. And stuff. And I’m BEHIND. I love your post. And I loved loved spending more time with you and meeting everybody!
That was the best part – hanging out with everyone. I obviously kept it very light – I didn’t feel like getting deep about it. Honestly, I’m behind too, and this post I could do. Early congrats to Tucker!
I’ve been keeping up with all the pictures over the weekend and it sure looks like you all had a great time. I would have asked for clean unstained sheets. Office supplies rock! I’d love to go to one of these meets myself. Maybe one day who knows.
I’m not sure why I didn’t ask for new sheets – I could just tuck the stain underneath and try to ignore it. I hope you get to go to a conference one day, Susan!
I’ve been so curious to hear about it so I’m glad you wrote about it! Has it changed any of your blogging plans and goals?
It has made me more sure that I want to delve into freelancing. Maybe not a ton now, but definitely as my kids get older and I’m an empty nester. I’m not going to make money on my blog; I don’t want to do tons of sponsored posts. I also realized that I’m not willing to put 80 hours a week into social media and promoting, like some of the bloggers who are big names have done. But for me, the focus of the weekend was more about connecting with friends – I was so happy to meet everyone!
That’s basically the paragraph I could have written after I went to Bloggy Boot Camp in Minneapolis. Makes sense to me!
I definitely could not have ignored the sheets… maid service please! That being said the rest of your experience sounds amazing. I can’t wait to go to my first conference and perhaps I can add Blog U to my list of Must Attends 🙂
It’s definitely one to consider, Tiffany. From what I’ve heard it’s much different than the SITS conferences, and BlogHer. So many to choose from!
Loved getting your recap from your point of view here and if there is another one, I would love to try to make it. Definitely was not the weekend for me to go with I had on my plate, but still jealous that I couldn’t and meet up with you all.
Hopefully one day we’ll make it happen, Janine!
I wanted to read the recap! Enjoyed seeing everyone in the pics over the weekend. Ewww to the sheets!
That was the recap, Kenya. Unless you want to see my notes? It was like sleepaway camp for bloggers.
You’re not the only loser who gets excited at the mere sight of office supplies. If I had to pick any store on Earth to take with me to a desert island it would definitely be Office Depot. Or Staples. Or Target. Maybe all three.
Ha! The trifecta of office supply stores.
I am thinking I should write something. I’m being kind of lazy about it. And I have stuff still swirling around in my brain. Maybe tomorrow morning? My pictures might be somewhat similar to yours. I don’t have too many of them! Hard to believe!
Michelle, I wasn’t going to write, but I’m having writer’s block and this was all I could muster. I had to use other people’s pics because I only took photos of the beer 🙂