This past weekend I attended my very first blogging conference with creative bloggers in mind. This conference was founded by the ever creative *Shey*[B] and Tauni from It's a Tradition. Your favorite creative bloggers all in one spot, a place to dream accordingly and glean from a couple hundred of your favorite people?!! Yes please!
Creative Estates was born! This was a chance to meet up, and hear from some of my very own favorite bloggers and creative people. Hear their stories, and gain some knowledge from them. But, not only that I had the chance to meet some really great people this weekend. The room was filled with so many wonderful, talented, inspiring and ambitious ladies.
I didn't realize that I was in the company of so many Arizona bloggers, I was so excited to meet everyone of them. We're already dreaming of meeting outside this conference. I also had the great pleasure of meeting some of my own "blog celebrities" like Shelley from House of Smith's, Amy from The Idea Room, Jenn from Tatertots & Jello and Kim from The TomKat Studio.
There were tons of workshops to take advantage of but my very favorites were on Saturday where I got to hear from a lovely panel of talented creative mamas on balancing creative work and motherhood. That panel was oozing knowledge, I just soaked it all in.
Let's just pause for a second and take in the amazing venue;
Isn't that amazing? Creative Estates was held here at the Inspirador in Chandler, Arizona. Such a beautiful space, if I got married all over again to the same man I'd do it here!
It's so crazy/awesome to me this community of blogging, and that's truly what it is a Community. One that I am so thankful for and grateful to be apart of. When I started my blog it was for me, and it always will be but I am amazed daily at how this little blog reaches people and that is inspiring, and exciting to me.
There's a lot of competition in this world, and even in blog land there is. It can get consuming seeing other sites grow, and comparing yours to anthers, etc. etc. But at this conference there was just such overwhelming support of one another. Believing in yourself, your abilities and whatever you're doing do it to the best of your ability. I loved that!
I walked away feeling inspired, and remember once again why I blog in the first place. And appreciative of the love and support at home and online that I have in my life. It makes blogging such a true and wonderful thing. It wasn't just lessons to be learned about blogs and blogging these were life lessons being taught this weekend, by some of the most amazing women.
During the afternoon, we had the chance to choose from a couple of craft workshops to attend. I decided to do the painting one, I'm not much of a painter but I thought I'd try my hand at something else creative. Here's what I came up with;
We ended the weekend with a closing event that included cupcakes {hello, I'm so there} and drawing winners for some fantastic giveaways. Yours truly walked away with a jewelry box. Look at this amazing display:
And since I go ga-ga over a cute cupcake display I just had to take a picture of these amazing displays, don't think I'm not already trying to figure out in my head how I can make one of these too.
Left: Me and Destiny. I've talked about her before on the blog. She was my "blog friend" first and then my friend in real life. We met through our blogs, thank you Internet. Turns out she's just as sweet in person as she is on her blog. I love that over the last few months we've become friends, our husbands like each other, and our kids play well together. It's a true testament to the relationships and community there is in blogging. I'm so thankful that our blogs brought us together.
Right: Me and the ever fabulous Kim from The TomKat Studio. I've been following her blog for over a year now, she truly has an inspiring story. She left her job in real estate when the market crashed and started her own printable party company. She's a real success story, and the nicest person ever! I got to meet her {insert dream come true} and talk with her. She even remembered Ava's Cupcake themed birthday party, where I used some of her printables to style it.
Me and the lovely Moriah owner and author of the blog/shop Josiah's Nest! We met while attending church together in Minneapolis. I'm so glad I got the chance to see her this past weekend. It's so fun to see friends from all over. Check out her shop, cause she's got such cute stuff there.
To sum up my experience this weekend; incredible!
There's such love, and encouragement flying all over the room this weekend! It truly was one BIG party I was blessed, and honored to attend!
I'm already trying to figure out how I can attend next year in Salt Lake. If you want more info on Creative Estates and how you can come next year, click here.
