It’s here again!!

 That one time of year when you can walk into a room and know that everyone in there knows what linky parties, html codes and blawgs are {at least that’s what my grandmother calls it}. You always have to explain a blog to real life friends, and try to tell them that you really aren’t weird, secretly famous or writing your memoirs, you just BLOG {as much as you can, at least}.

As you might know, I started a business this year- Mint Julep Monograms- and had a baby this year- Eliza Jane- and wisely *ahem* decided to do them at the same time. {About as wise as the man who designed our home.} BUT… I am so thankful to have a booming business, that I can’t complain. Except that my blog is not updated regularly, finished or how I want it to look.

But, I’m not going to let that stop me! I will be at Blissdom because my friends will be there. I can NOT wait to hug my BBFs {Bloggy Best Friends} and catch up with them.

Are you headed to Blissdom?
If so, here is my list from last year about how to prepare.

This year, here is a quick Top Ten Rundown of What I’m Throwing Together at the LAST Minute for Blissdom:

10. Going to try to jump into Twitter again

If only to find out the meet ups/ tweet ups/ bargains/ secret plans, etc. You know, the good gossip. Follow #blissdom for the scoop

9. Have GOT to find some comfy & cute clothes

Must remember those peeps don’t see the 3 outfits I have, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be wearing those.

8. Lose 30 pounds

Might not happen in a week, so I’ll settle for 2.

7. Catch up on all my friends’ blogs

So that I can say “Heeeeyyyy!! Read about your Gluten-free/ house redecorating/ Disney trip and it sounds wonderful!!” (picture lifted from Mary)

6. Reminisce about Harry and Get Excited about Chris Mann

Ahhhhhhhhhh

And saw Chris Mann at Blissdom ’09 and he is FANTASTIC!

5. Get my proverbial ducklings in a quasi row

This is Ollie reading to his sister a-la reading circle at school. If only that sweetness lasted more than 2 minutes, I’d have a great babysitter!

Oh my word. It is SO much trouble to get everything ready to go out of town. Can I get an “AMEN!” from the mamas!? But SO worth it for a trip to the bathroom without an escort.

Here is my usual escort. Looking… um… well, what he usually looks like.

4. Get cards printed

I have MJM cards. I have Other Mama cards. I need a handy dandy 2 sided card with both and some sort of lipstick/ chocolate/ air freshener attached. Asking too much? I think not!

3. Get gifts ready

Oh, that Mary {my bestie and roomie}. She is the one with all the gifts each year and I forgot that EVERYONE comes bearing gifts, so I’ve got to get on the ball!! I’m pretty sure they will be monogrammed.

2. Thank the awesome sponsors

We got a pre-bliss package in the mail today. You should be jealous. It has a big box of wonderful goodies including a book that you can read the story into so that your voice can still read to your babies while you’re at Blissdom! I love it!!

This babe might be a smidge confused, but we’ll go with it.

1. Get to NASHVILLE pronto!

Can’t wait!! Who’s in? See you there!!

*This post linked to 2 Bliss-tastic and real life friends: Her Royal Nester-ness and Oh Amanda!

* Warning: This is a long post with lots of pictures. But there are some of Harry, so just suffer through, okay?*

1. The People
One of the wonderful things about Blissdom is that you get to hang out with amazing and cool people who you stalk think you “know”, but really you don’t “know“. You know?

The bloggers, they are everywhere.

Me, Stephanie and Holley from (In)Courage and Amanda from OhAmanda at the Thursday night Cocktail Party
{Photo by Mary from Giving Up On Perfect}

Jo-Lynne from Musings of a Housewife {I’m assuming you know I’m the gal on the left by now}
{Photo by Mary}

Lisa Leonard from Lisa Leonard Designs, of course.
{Photo by Mary}

My sweet friend who loves me even though I stalk her. Mary took all these pictures and for this one kept saying, “We’ve got to take it again, you have CRAZY eyes”. I do not know what was going on other than my excitement to hang out with my girl, Lisa.

Mary from Giving Up on Perfect {afore mentioned photographer and one of my roomies}, Robin from Pensive and me
{Photo by Moosh in Indy who is also amazing}
Robin led a wonderful and spirit-filled Prayer Breakfast on Saturday morning. I was so glad to be there!

Mary and I were patiently waiting to see Harry! {Photo by my pal Dawn from MHSH}

With Arianne from To Think is to Create.
{Photo by Mary}

There are about 30 of these pictures in the Blissdom Flickr set from many different photographers because we sat here and talked for over an hour.
You have no idea how much I enjoyed our conversation. Love this girl!!

Saturday morning breakfast with the beautiful {inside and out} Sarah Markley, Ashleigh from Heart and Home, Mary, me, Chrissie {Lisa’s twin sister and amazing person in her own right} from Handmade Play and Tammy from Greek Grits.
{Have no idea who took this picture, but it was on Mary’s camera}
Speaking of grits, all the food was phenominal- not like regular conference food.

But we did sneak out one night to a local fine dining establishment called the Baja Burrito.
You can tell from the signs on the wall that we only eat the best.

This is Holley and me, Ashleigh, Annie from Annie Blogs, Stephanie and Lindsey from The Pleated Poppy.
{Photo by Mary. Can you tell I swiped all her pics?}

We are all wearing Lindsey’s amazing poppies {except for her} and they were one of the most fun things about Blissdom because she gave them out with her business card! Even better is that Lindsey is awesome, funny and adorable.

Annie and I kept missing each other in real life and I was so glad to finally hang out. We spilled drinks, knocked over chairs and snorted when we laughed. She’s my kind of gal. And she came up with my new tagline when I switch my blog over to WordPress. That’s right- the big move’s a-comin’. But not to worry- still the same site, but one day you’ll pop over and it will be prettier.

Just think of it as having it’s eyebrows plucked.

People who I did NOT get pictures with, but got to hang out with and loved {This portion is for 1) name dropping 2) helping myself remember and 3) so you can let me know who you already know and how you love them, too}:

Jessie from Vanderbilt Wife- hello roomie?? Where are our pictures??
Darcy from My 3 Boybarians
Deanna from Design Chicky and Domestic Chicky
Kim and Kris from The DIY Dish
Nester from The Nesting Place
Kimba from A Soft Place to Land
Emily from Chatting at the Sky
Maggie from Gussy Sews
Dedra Herod from Just a Chick
Jessica Turner from The Mom Creative {Who’s hubby just wrote an awesome new book!}
Kimberly from Raising Olives
Melissa from A Familiar Path
Jen from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Jenny from 86753oh9
Mandi from It’s Come To This
Edie from Life in Grace
Tsh from Simple Mom
Steph from Adventures in Babywearing
Melanie from Blogging Basics 101
Kristi from Pink and Polka Dot
Sandy from Reluctant Entertainer
Melissa from The Inspired Room

I am positive that I’m leaving someone out. Please let me know if we are friends and I am forgetting you. Please forgive my dorkiness.

Edited to add the people I LOVE and canNOT believe I left out:
Jill from Diaper Diaries {hysterical AND she can rock at Karaoke}
Melissa from Multi-Tasking Mama {such a fun breakfast together}
Aubrey from Little Bits of Life {THRILLED that she is really close by}
Malia from Just Malia {super sweet and I love her About Me section- you must go read}
Myra from My Blessed Life {Ah. Dor. A. Bull.}

2. The Perks
Y’all, the Blissdom staff did an unbelievable job of providing us all kinds of swag. I wanted to take a picture of all the goodies I came home with, but thought it would be kinda rude to rub all your proverbial faces in it. But just know it was awesome.
Lisa made every attendee a beautiful necklace that says “Bliss”.
I won an autographed cookbook from George Duran {funny and a great cook- who I’m just noticing is extremely tall!}.
{Photo by Dawn of MHSH}

And there may or may not have been more things I won like a big jacket from iRobot and a beautiful platter, cross and tea towel from Dayspring. Like I said, I’d hate to rub it in.

Isn’t that right, Harry?
{Photo by Dawn}

We wouldn’t want to make people upset or sad.
{Photo by Dawn}

Or the least bit jealous.
{Photo by Darcy of My 3 Boybarians}

The scoop on Harry: super kind and cordial, charming {of course} and even joked that he thought we would be wearing red plaid shirts and suspenders… since it was a “loggers” convention.
Oh, it was bad, but I forgave him.

We got to meet him backstage after the concert and since he was flying out right after that to play at the Super Bowl {THE SUPER BOWL}, we took pictures in groups to be sure to get everyone in. {Please don’t get me started on the fact that I’m so far away. I couldn’t tell how we were entering and was last in with my group. Hindsight. Danggit.}

Much like Marcia Brady when she met Davy Jones, I have yet to wash my hand.

3. The Puh, Puh… um… The Lessons
The best part about all the Bliss is taking a step back to look at why we blog.

I love to tell stories- in person and on the world wide interweb. I like to encourage other people and make them laugh. I enjoy relating to women, laughing together and helping each other when needed {which is often for me!}. I think God likes a community that will do that for each other- in real life and online.

For my kids, this is the only cut, stickered and pasted scrapbook they are going to get unless I start putting silly robots, full sized men or balloons in notebooks. And that’s about as likely as my blinds being dusted.

The best lesson and a consistent message from all the writing workshops was to be yourself {authenitic, organic, original- it was said a dozen ways}. Seems pretty simple to me, but I think sometimes as blog readers, we {me, too!} look at other people’s sites and think, “I wish I could ____ like she does”. Whether that blank be cook, dress, write, take good pictures, have cute kids, craft like Martha or find Seven Jeans at Goodwill.

It’s a lot of the same thoughts that go through our heads as women in the first place.

But especially on a blog, people want you to be who you really are.

Which person are you at a party?
If you like to give fashion compliments or advice, do that on your blog.
If you like to talk about deep, spiritual matters, do it on your blog.
If you like to tell stories about your kids’ poop-looking artwork- well- lets’ just say that’s taken, but you can join in, too!

The biggest compliment I got all weekend was from a reader who said, “You are really just like I thought you would be!” Wow. Did you catch that I have a reader? What in the world?

I think of this blog as a tiny extension of me. But not like hair extensions because that would be weird.

Puh-lease tell me you’re going to be at Blissdom in 2011!
{I will definitely be there- possibly with a tiny baby.}
Or who do you “know” {stalk} that I happened to meet?
And, if you want to get all kinds of deep, why do you blog?