Why craft bloggers are the best bloggers EVER

Feel free to share my projects!

So this two weekends ago I got to attend Creative Estates. I was one of the first winners from SheyB’s blog back in November. It was such a great win and I have been looking forward to it ever since. THEN my BIG project hit and so did the morning sickness. My biggest fear the last few months was that I wouldn’t feel up to going. So when my Mono resurfaced just before I was sure I was out for good. But I packed anyway just in case. The weeks leading up to Creative Estates was nothing but sleep, sleep and more sleep. I really tried to take it easy (as much as you can with 4 children already!). Anyway it paid off and I had 2 good days leading up to flying out.  I even felt up to “trimming” my hair the day before.  It was getting shaggy, anyway my pregnancy impatience totally kicked in and I ended up hacking a “BIT” more off than I meant to.  Still a cute cut, but oh so much shorter than I planned.  ANYWAY, I decided to go for it.

After finally arriving late Friday morning with Megan, Lara (whom I stole this picture from, Thx!) and I (with my new SHORT do- I think it makes my face look fatter, or maybe that’s the pregnancy- I just hope it’s not how I ALWAYS look and no one told me!)

The conference was actually just a few blocks away from my old home in Chandler AZ, so I was staying with one of my very best friends and I knew even if I didn’t feel up to going to the conference I could enjoy just getting to see her again (we only get to see each other every 2-3 years). My flight was the worst, the WORST flight I have ever been on. Salt Lake decided to have a snow storm that night, so we were held up on the runway for over an hour, that part wasn’t bad though because I fell asleep! I woke up to the worst turbulence ever. It totally reminded me of the LOST plane crash, anyone with a loose seat-belt was floating up above their seats. My husband once got to ride NASA’s vomit comet, and I’ve seen the video’s, kind of like that. The Vomit Comet… I was able to keep it down, which was Miracle 1 of the weekend.

Stephanie, Stacey, Heidi (the blog I stole this picture from- THX!), Amy and me (not quite so fatty looking here, maybe because I’m not next to tall, thin, gorgeous Megan?)

Then I arrived! I took a few mins enjoying the still before walking down to baggage claim and meeting my girlfriend. I got in too late to catch the first night of cupcakes and cocktails event.  It looks like it was amazing from all the pictures I’ve seen. I enjoyed catching up with my sweet friend, a little too much, and stayed up way to late (of course). Friday morning came all too soon! My husband usually brings me toast and my medicine (anti nausea) in bed to help kick-start my day. I wasn’t sure about how getting up before having some food and medicine would work, but I did great!  Surviving the mornings was Miracle 2.  After eating a bit I took another rest, took a shower and then took yet ANOTHER rest! Finally I was dressed and ready to get to the conference! I missed the welcome talks from Tauni and Shey, but made it before the first classes!

Me with Bev(yes THE Bev, whom I tend to feature every week AND whom I got this picture from!!!) and Becca (I feel so tall- and bending over like that does nothing for my pregnancy belly, kind of makes it look like a beer gut?) wearing the Anthro necklace knock off’s Bev taught us how to make!

Having attended Conferences before (2, not a huge number, but a bit of experience) I wasn’t sure what to expect, this one was much smaller with less class options and much longer breaks. It turned out to be GREAT!  The long breaks were just wonderful! All the interacting, socializing, meeting and catching up was absolutely fantastic. No rushing conversations to try to get to another class, or meet one more person.  So what else was difference about this conference, what made it so great? At the other conferences when they ask me what I blog about they give me this blank look when I say I’m a craft blogger. Food blogger they get, craft blogger confuses them. Most of them are personal or lifestyle bloggers. So while a lot of blogging is the same and tons of the information I learned at other conferences was helpful this one was coming from a place that completely understood, and it was nice! Add to that that before I only knew a handful of bloggers at the conferences, here I ‘knew” a good 1/3 of the bloggers and meeting in real life was so exciting. And finally I’ve noticed a huge difference in the helpful nature between craft bloggers and bloggers in other niches. Even when they get “big” craft blogger are always lifting each other up. Helping in any way, happy to give advice! Not just advice, their time, their own hard earned wisdom, and more~

Kendra (thanks for the picture!) and I at the closing social (I look WAY better standing upright). She is SUCH a doll, throws AMAZING parties and I am SO glad we got to hang out so much!

Example: Kim from Today’s Creative Blog. Not only does does she feature bloggers constantly, giving them their BEST day of their lives, but she’s completely giving. When she features you she takes the time to really look at your blog not just the last few posts and talks about YOU. I got to meet her in person a year ago at a GNO. She struck me with just how friendly and down to earth she was. I hadn’t had that experience with larger bloggers in other niches before. She featured all the bloggers she meet last summer over time. When it was my turn we emailed back a forth a few times. I couldn’t believe it, not only did she remember me, but she took the time to really think about some questions I asked her and thoughtfully answered me. She gave me advice on my blog, layout, shop, etc… THEN she did something absolutely amazing. We were talking about how badly I need better pictures, and when I mentioned that my camera had just broken and I was using a borrowed camera she told me she had just upgraded to a new SLR and she had her not-so-old Sony that she would send me. WAY above and beyond helpfulness and advice. Honestly I didn’t actually believe her, I mean who does that. Offer something huge like that and follow through with no regret- to an acquaintance?? But she totally did! I just got a Sony memory card today and can’t WAIT to start taking better pictures! And it’s not just me (I am cool and all, but totally unworthy of such generosity) she does it all the time. At Creative Estates she was the big winner of a Silhouette the last night. She IMMEDIATELY called up another blogger and handed it over! Just like that! That’s a $300 dollar machine, one that if she wanted to give it away she could easily do a huge giveaway on her blog increasing her traffic, views and all that jazz. But nope, she didn’t even give it a second thought. We were all touched that evening, it was just such an amazing moment. When I grow up I want to be JUST like Kim. That unselfish, kind, thoughtful and giving to my fellow bloggers, mom’s, heck human kind! Kim is the perfect example of why craft bloggers are the best bloggers ever!

Jenni (whom I also stole this pic from) and Kim.  Jenni is the gal she gave the Silhouette to, who in turn gave it away as well!

And the best part is?  Kim’s not the only totally amazing, sharing, giving one! There were so many there. People I already knew and got to know better, people I had been dying to meet, guest posters I’ve had, people I’ve featured, etc… And great sharing of advice and lessons learned. There was a great class by Char, Shelley and Stephanie. Not only hilarious (there was snorting and tears we were all laughing so hard) but also very insightful. My favorite quote by Char was “There is no competition to be me, and that’s what I’m doing.” I think it was Shelley that said “There is enough internet for everyone!!”. She also talked about negative comment’s and sang a GREAT song she made up about it (to the tune of “Forget you”).

Char, Shelley and Stephanie (pictures stolen from Amy at The Idea Room)

The classes all turned out amazing. I was able to make some decisions I’d been working through in my mind (more of that coming over the next few weeks, BIG changes). I was also reminded about how I HAVE been doing things vs how I prefer to do things. I have been flying by the seat of my pants, which is fun and all, but I work so much better when I live up to my more type A side and am organized in every aspect of my life/week/day. Another great topic through the conference was that as much as we all love what we do we love our families more and we need to make sure they take priority. The baby inside of me is sucking what it needs out of me leading to the lack of crafting, blogging, and a lack of good housewifer-ey (if that’s not a word it should be). I need to prioritize and organize better. Everyone was inspiring.  My husband is just sure that Tauni is the smartest person in the world (after I came home and read him my 3 pages of notes on her class on PR) and I can’t wait to not only implement the advice she gave during her class, but the advice she’s been telling me for months.  I totally am going to take her out to lunch and pick her brain some more.  She is brilliant and amazing.

Picture taken by Jen at Scissors & Spatulas- thanks for letting me steal it
My GNO table {left to right, top to bottom} Beverly, Becca, Me, Jen, Rebecca, Holly, Tara and Holly

Finally The GNO on Friday night was absolutely fantastic!  So to quickly sum up this very late post (prioritizing) It was an amazing weekend. And to add to the 2 miracles already… Miracle 3: I wasn’t sick all weekend, a slight not feeling so hot in the evenings, but NOTHING like it’s been fore weeks. Miracle 4: I didn’t fall asleep on anyone, didn’t sneak off to take a nap, and survivied off less sleep than I have since pre-baby sucking the energy from me. Miracle 5: I meet ALMOST everyone I hopped to meet (Still upset over missing out on Diary of Dave’s wife- and her amazing shoes, at the GNO). I can’t wait until next year. There are some changes coming up and there will actually be two conferences, a new one with all the same themes and many familiar faces here in SLC, and a repeat of this one staying in AZ. So come to one, come to both (even better) but come!  You will be SO glad you did, best money spent all year!

Feel free to share my projects!