Snap!: Or The One Where I Never Got Out My Camera

I attended the three day conference for "creative bloggers" this past weekend at Thanksgiving Point in Utah.   I know I'm not the first to tell you of this fabulous event but I did want to share with you a few of my "take-aways."

First of all, I did not get out my camera at all.  Not even one time.  I *kinda* regret it now but only a little bit.  I really wanted to just enjoy it all, soak it all in, and not get caught up in capturing every last detail with my camera lens.  That being said, I did whip out my phone a couple of times...

At the last second I realized I should probably have some kind of business card to hand out to other bloggers I would meet during the conference.  Thank goodness for a few Photoshop skills!  I had to quickly design this and send it off to Vista Prints.  When they arrived I used a corner rounder and cuted them up a bit.  I was super happy with how they turned out... all things considered!

Here is my name tag I received upon arrival.... I feel a little naked without it now.

I know what you're thinking... "Geez, they will let ANYONE be a sponsor!"  All I can say is, "I know, right?"  Landee on Etsy donated a very small something to the SWAG bags and also a couple of boards for the giveaways.  I secretly loved having that on my tag.  Don't tell anyone.  

 

Speaking of Landee On Etsy... have you ever wondered who my partner is?  It's my extremely awesome SIL there on the left!  I was so glad when she said she'd go with me to Snap this year!  She makes even the most fun things (like blog conferences) even MORE fun... don't believe me?  Ask those two beauties in the middle there.... Shauna and Courtney of Orange Blossom!  They make and sell the cutest frames of all time.  All time.  And this pic isn't just for show.  We were practically posed like this all weekend.  Instant BFFs!

Carrying on here in the "Instant BFF" category.... the girls at eighteen25!!!  I absolutely went to Snap hoping to get a chance to meet the genius behind their blog.  I imagined it would be a quick "Hi, I just wanted to introduce myself, I love your blog, you're amazing, blah blah blah...."  and that would be it.  Little did I know that I would come away with three amazing women who I can truly call my friends.  Jen, Jamie and Jodie really are as amazing and wonderful as their blog suggests they are.  And when perception lines up with reality, I am a happy girl.

Because of my lameness with the camera, I didn't get any photos with other people I met but, boy did I meet a lot of people!  Other delights include but are not limited to: Kristy from Diary of Dave's Wife, Kelli of Lolly Jane fame, Ashley of Mommy by Day, Crafter by Night,  Kristen Duke, Heather of Whipperberry, Jen the mighty Craftomaniac, Desiree from The 36th Avenue...and...and...and on and on and on.  Amazing women, every single one.  My biggest regret is never getting a chance to meet Lara of Less Cake, More Frosting.  Some day... some. day.  

As for the conference itself, I was SO impressed with how it was organized, the speakers, the decor, the overall feeling and the inspiration it provided.  It was beyond all of my expectations.

My biggest takeaway, however, was that all of these bloggers we read day in and day out are just normal women we might meet anywhere.  They are the mothers of kids in your child's kindergarten class.  They are the ones we see grocery shopping and pushing the cart with the one bad wheel.  THEY ARE JUST NORMAL PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME!  Can you believe it?

This was a relief, to say the least.  And it made me love their blogs and what they are trying to do even more.

Thank you Tauni and the "Snapettes" for all of your hard work in putting this together.  I will be back!




PS I'm totally into Instagram now.  What took me so long?  It's kind of a fun way of getting to know craft bloggers on a more personal level, I think.  If you'd like to follow, my username is landeelu.