This weekend’s She Speaks Conference was both a surreal and a “coming home” sort of experience. Surreal, in the sense of hanging out with well-known bloggers, writers, and speakers; comfortable in meeting other women – the bloggers – who are interested in and familiar with the same things that I am. In how many social settings could I engage in meaningful conversation about IP addresses? You tell me.
The day started with a four hour drive, arriving just in time for a lunch date at Chili’s with Robin, Valerie, and Lisa. We got our I-don’t-actually-know-anyone jitters out of our systems, a perfect ice-breaker before heading to the conference.
Robin and I have emailed back and forth a lot and even talked on the phone once, so I was psyched about getting to meet her. We recognized each other immediately and really clicked. Amazingly, we were signed up for exactly the same sessions throughout the weekend.
Friday afternoon’s bloggers’ reception was the perfect way to put faces with fellow bloggers (around 100 of us) in the sea of 560 conference attendees. I met 14 ladies whose blogs I’ve designed, as well as 4 who are presently in my queue. Sophie (BooMama), Shannon (Rocks in My Dryer), and Melanie (Big Mama) were the featured speakers for 3 blogging sessions throughout the weekend.
Shannon and I are originally from towns about 40 miles apart in Arkansas. We could have Called the Hogs, but that might have frightened people.
Renee Swope (The Journey of My Heart & HeBrews Faith Cafe) was one of my earliest P31 clients.
Sophie was every bit as sweet and Southern as expected. What a precious and witty woman, capable of using the word “organic” intelligently in a sentence without referring to food items. She brought the house down during the Blogging Q & A when she referred to “pimping your post”!
Being Lysa TerKeurst’s blog designer is certainly one of the claims to fame of my little SAHM web design business, Barefoot Blog Designs. After all the calls and emails, it was a sweet meeting. Not only is she an inspirational speaker, she has a gift for making others feel special and valued, and that’s no small thing.
This is a group shot, and in order from left to right are yours truly, Shannon @ Rocks in My Dryer, Jo-Lynne @ Musings of a Housewife, Big Mama, Annie Downs, BooMama, Robin @ Pensieve, Valerie @ Valerie at Home, Lisa B. from Simply His, and Sarah @ Genesis Moments.
There was a block of time on Saturday afternoon when the speakers and writers had meetings, but we bloggers were at loose ends. What it created was a perfect opportunity for the “seasoned” bloggers to pull together some tables, pick each other’s brains, and discuss topics that would have been beyond the scope of the sessions.
Oh, and to gab, too. Bloggers have more than the average share of words per day, which is why we blog some of them, thereby sparing our families.
My husband confiscated the laptop for the weekend, telling me that I needed to be a normal person. In this crowd, the absence of a laptop was not normal, so that one backfired on both of us.
Heady with new friendships and a touch of silliness, we hit the local outlet mall, where we tried on outrageously expensive shoes in Off 5th. From left to right: DeeDee @ Fiddledeedee, Missy @ It’s Almost Naptime, me, Tina @ Antique Mommy, and Robin @ Pensieve. I don’t know about the other ladies, but I couldn’t have lasted 5 minutes in those painful-but-pricey heels
I have to tell you, meeting Tina was a thrill for me because she is one of my favorite writers. Missy was cute as can be and totally tops me in the childbirth category; she has 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year olds!
DeeDee and I snagged a last minute photo op with Marybeth Whalen and realized that all of us are scheduled to speak at the Heart of the Matter Online Virtual Conference. [At this point I could probably say we’re scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention and no one would notice since I’ve probably lost 95% of the people who started reading this increasingly long post.]
Marybeth is my ticket to this P31 ride. She contacted me a week and a half before last year’s conference about designing her blog, and the rest has been blessing upon blessing showered upon me by these kind and generous women.
We had a relaxed visit in my room Saturday night with our feet propped up and our hair down, so to speak, which is entirely natural considering how much we have in common: homeschooling moms, well-known authors and speakers, lots of kids, authors for the Homeschool Blog Awards, Southerners. Meeting her was one of the great treats of the conference for me.
My calendar is marked for next year’s conference. I wouldn’t be surprised if the blogger portion continues to expand. Wouldn’t a blog conference for Christian women be an amazing thing?
For more summaries, visit the blogs of the other She Speaks attendees.
It was so great to meet you Dawn!!
Robin set up a linky for us at her site.
And PS, I do NOT top you at ALL!!!
Awesome post! Loved it!
It was GREAT to meet you, Dawn!
AnnieBlogss last blog post..Blockage.
Hey Dawn! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know about the design being used at the conference. That is so neat! I just love that design. 🙂
Sounds like you had a great time!
I wish I had more time to blog there are so many great people out there to meet and share with. ((hugs))
You are so lovely, I immediately felt like I had known you since high school, which for me was a reeeeeallly long time ago. I had a blast going to the mall and shoe shopping with you. I wish we were neighbors.
I so LOVED getting to know you better! My sides still hurt from giggling. And my bunions still ache from THOSE SHOES. 🙂
Fiddledeedees last blog post..Girlfriends
Dawn– how sweet that you wrote about me! I feel so special! I so enjoyed our time together and just wish it could have gone on and on– with all we have in common, I just know we could literally have talked all night! Well, next year… right?? 🙂
What a great summary! You are so cool & un & easy to talk to and I loved getting to know you. I look forward to following your blog and keeping in touch!
Sarahs last blog post..Bunny Camp at Grandma’s
Okay – missed the f in fun in the last comment. How do I change that? You were fun not un. Unless that is un-assuming, un-pretentious, etc. haha!
Sarahs last blog post..Bunny Camp at Grandma’s
Oh Dawn, as soon as I read Tina, Antique Mommy I was so jealous that you met her. Then I went on to read she’s one of your favorites too. How exciting for you!
Doriss last blog post..WFMW: NaughtyCodes
What a fantastic time! I wish I could have gone, for sure. Maybe someday I will stop having babies and I can do some of this fun stuff too 🙂
-Andrea
I loved reading your She Speaks post. I LOVED meeting you this weekend. My only regret is that I couldn’t do the bloggers sessions and lead the Women’s Ministry track. I so wanted to be in both places at the same time!!!
I also loved looking at all the photos you took, and reading all the fun bloggy girl stories. Oh, I wish I could’ve been there for dinner, shopping and blogging in the atrium. How fun!!!!!!
Thanks Dawn for capturing our hearts and personalities so that our blogs reflect who we are. It’s like have a really good outfit that you wish you could wear agian and again.
Have a great week! I am so excited to read that we get to see you next year, if not sooner!!!!
Hugs,
Renee
Thanks for sharing your weekend! It would be so much fun to meet the wonderful ladies I’ve gotten to know a bit through blogging.
Oh Dawn, I’ve been reading all of the updates on She Speaks and it was like a reunion all on my own to see you in the pictures. For a time there, I “lost” your blog in between the getting a new laptop and back surgery and oh yeah, life. I have you newly subscribed and am so happy to be getting reacquainted. Maybe we’ll even get to finally have our IRL meeting this year in Hot ‘lanta?
Elles last blog post..This post was supposed…
What a great looking bunch of people, Dawn. Everyone looks so happy, it’s obvious you’re all having the time of your lives. Thanks for sharing all these great pictures with us – it almost makes up for not being able to attend.