megan camille: blogging

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tale of two bloggers + Zupas

On the evening of October 2nd, in the year of two thousand thirteen, Megan T. and Megan R. attended a VIP restaurant opening of Cafe Zupas in Phoenix, Arizona.

This is their story.

Megan T.

I almost didn't RSVP to the event, because Carter's school was having a fundraiser at Culver's that same night. But Daniel and I desperately needed a date night, so Gramma and Grampa took our two oldest to the fundraiser, and we drove to Cafe Zupas with baby Harry!

It felt like forever since we'd been out together, and on the drive over, we talked excitedly about places we might stop to visit on our cross country road trip to Maine next summer.

When we got to Cafe Zupas, I was excited to see a red carpet. Hello, bucket list! I basically almost got run over trying to take a photo of the cafe in the middle of the road.

The friendly employees greeted us and welcomed us inside (after making sure we were on "the list," of course), and immediately upon entering who did we see but the ultra-chic, always-fashionable...

Megan R!

[haaaa! that last part is funny.]

I had to convince Adam to go with me because "blogger things?" Not his style. But he threw on some corduroys instead of his trusty cargo shorts so I knew he was taking this seriously and was dressed to impress.

When we walked in, we felt pretty cool to be on the VIP list but also totally out of place. Cause we're awkward. And then we both won $15 gift cards for tweeting about the event (#cafezupasnorterra) and very publicly did little celebratory dances. Which made us look even more out of place and we were pretty sure people were purposefully ignoring us at that point cause we were nerds.

So we were pretty happy when people who hadn't seen our embarrassing moments earlier walked in and wanted to hang out with us. Thank you Megan and Daniel for making us feel cool!

Megan T.
Yeah we definitely wouldn't have sat with them if we had seen their dances. Nope...not a chance...

Once we got in line, I was immediately distracted by everything (ooh bright lights!). I was trying to talk to Megan R. and meet her super suave hubby Adam (who was probably a little creeped out that I knew his name and everything about him- hey I read her blog even if she doesn't read mine!), at the same time looking around to see who else I knew. Meanwhile one of the girls working there was giving Daniel some meal suggestions, and I was wondering what they were talking about, and oh yeah we had a baby with us too. While we were waiting in line, Michelle (of Fun on a Dime) showed up with her husband and baby, so we got to say hi to them.

We got to the counter and OH THE FOOD! Everything looked amazing, but I knew exactly what I wanted. The Turkey Cranberry sandwich and the Chicken Enchilada Chili, with two scoops of sour cream, thank you very much. Everything was on the house, thank you Zupas!

At that point I wanted to rush because they were already doing the giveaways, and mama likes to WIN THINGS. I got in exactly one Instagram photo and started to compose a tweet when of course my phone died. I grabbed Daniel's phone, quickly tweeted, and shortly after I won a $15 gift card and a cookbook!

All the while I was trying to eat my super delicious food! It seriously was amazing. Okay, so I love me some Paradise Bakery, but this was like Paradise but double the deliciousness and half the price (well, would have been...for us VIPs it was free). Our meals came with a piece of bread, which was perfect to dip into my chili, and we each got a chocolate-covered strawberry but gave them to the Robinsons, since we are not eating sugar, and they clearly were (I think they went home with 11 or 12 desserts).

Megan R.
(I read your blog!!)

But the dessert thing is absolutely true. We left with an absurd amount of delicious desserts. Plus the 7 chocolate cupcakes our babysitter made us, we were a happy little family, sugar comas and all. :)

The food really was good. We stuffed our faces full of carbs and sugar like we were starving college undergrads again. Adam and I both got salads and sandwiches which were great. We can't wait to try the soups next time though since we had little samples and they tasted sooo good! I also loved the little Italian Soda bar they had. Next to the regular sodas, they had extra syrup add ins plus suggestions of appetizing concoctions to try besides just your regular ol' Diet Coke. I tried the berry one with a lime wedge and it was awesome! No regular restaurant beverage will be enough now.

All in all, it was a great night with good food and even better company! Even Adam had fun, like genuine fun which can sometimes be hard to get out of him in big social situations. ;) We are already talking about our next trip. And of course I will be taking Megan for a girls' night or lunch soon! I think we mothers deserve a break now and then.

Megan T.
Um, yes, she will be taking me out! Girlfriend wins all the giveaways when I take her to an event! ;)

Italian soda syrups?! I didn't even look at the soda bar!

We had a fantastic time, even though I was trying to do ten things at once: eat, chat, keep the baby happy, tweet, instagram, try to find the bathroom (we never did), and say hi to the other people I knew. Okay so 7 things.

Before leaving we got to chat with Kate (Songs Kate Sang) and her lovely family, and then it was time to head home.

I give Cafe Zupas 5 stars in every category! Food taste, selection, atmosphere, cleanliness, staff, service, and price! They know how to throw a great blogger party, and we absolutely loved it!

And we all left with gift cards in hand, soon to return!

on my mind

Adam preparing Elijah for the craziness of the Easter egg hunt. i thought that look of being overwhelmed captured my feelings perfectly.

about once a week i think about shutting down this blog.

not because of any bad critics or mean comments

{i feel lucky to not have anyone too vocal come out yet...}

but just from my own feelings of inadequacy & frustrations over the whole blogging scene.

many times i feel like i will never be good enough, never amount to much,
none of this will really be worth it.
i mean, blogging is such a weird, strange world of its own.
what's the point of it all in the end?

i had big dreams and ambitions and so often i feel like i'm not really living up to that.
[and they didn't involve money. i just want to put that out there.]
especially when it can feel like you try hard... but it doesn't seem to really do much.
i'm sure i'm not the only one with that feeling right??

i think quite often, what's my story anyways? what's my purpose? where do i fit in to it all?
do i fit in anywhere? or is this all just a lot of time wasted.
i mean, i used to know my purpose but sometimes it feels very jumbled and confused.

{and really you can say over and over that we blog for ourselves and as much as that is true, when you have a message that you hope to share you do want others to enjoy your blog as well. right? it's for you but public blogs are also started for readers too. or am i saying too much and i'm going to get lynched??}

but then i think about how amazing blogging can be.
how blessed i feel from the incredible friendships i've made and the opportunities i've had.
i think about some of the wonderful conversations i've had with people, the way i found a strong and supportive community in a time where i felt so lost and alone.
and all that brings back the feelings and motivation that got me started blogging in the first place.

it's a love/hate relationship, this blogging thing.
there is so much good that can from it, but it can be so incredibly discouraging.
it can feel so empowering or it can make you feel so insecure.
i mean, it can be all Mean Girls up in here!

but among all the high-school-ness of it there are a lot of good people that i'm grateful for,
and good people who are trying to bring the community & love back into blogging.

i think the good can definitely outweigh the bad.
but in times where i feel the most discouraged, the most down on myself and start giving in to my weakness to compare, it can sometimes be hard to find the good in it all.
i let my sensitivity and insecurities get the best of me maaaannnnnyyyyyy times.

the good is there though.
and when i feel the most inspired, i can't wait to write more on this silly little blog.
bare my soul & all.
so i guess it's still all good for something, yeah yeah??
something that keeps me going in the end.

[if you made it through this post, APPLAUSE. i'm pretty sure i hardly made sense or had any kind of coherency whatsoever. so gold stars to all of you if you understood any of my babbling. also, i didn't mean for this to sound like some kind of pity party. i hesitated posting because i was afraid it would all sound like that. so i apologize in advance.

and now i'm done with all my post-scripts :)]

AZ Blogger Meet-up

for the record, the cute baby i'm holding is Alexis'. i did not have a secret baby.

Camille and Katie are the awesome brains behind the Arizona Blogger Meetup group and recently hosted the first party at Sweet Cakes in downtown Mesa.

it was so so fun to go and meet lots of new girls in this awesome Arizona community.

and the sweet treats from Sweet Cakes definitely were the literal icing on the cake.

when we first moved to Arizona i had a really hard time thinking about all the friends i left behind.

i felt very alone most days and didn't really know who to turn to or what to do with myself.

i missed all my friends so much, including all the wonderful girls i met through blogging.

i didn't really know anyone in the blogging community in Arizona.

i had heard of all their blogs but didn't actually know them personally.

and since i'm entirely too nervous to put myself out there to the veterans Arizonans, i just kind of concluded that i would probably just be the odd-man-out here.

then i met all these super amazing, super friendly girls and everything changed.

[some before this meet-up who i am incredibly grateful for!]

all of a sudden i felt like i found a little place for myself,

like i actually had friends again.

i didn't feel so alone anymore.

since meeting these wonderful women, i have felt my whole perspective and attitude change.

i know even Adam has seen a change when i go meet up with friends and come back rejuvenated and happy.

that's by far my favorite part about blogging,

the wonderful community and friendships that are made.

i honestly don't know where i would be without them!

Chrissy from Let Me See Your Sparkle

Alexis from Alexis Laughs

of course i ended up snuggling that little baby all night and talking to lots of people that i didn't get a chance to take a lot of pictures.

but here is the list of everyone who came and you should definitely check out all their blogs!

thank you Camille and Katie for an awesome night!!
it was so fun and much needed.
now i can't wait for the next one
{maybe a west side meet-up?? :)}

REVIVE

All of the wonderful speakers and people that put the conference together!
via Elan Photography

the other weekend i have the opportunity to attend the REVIVE Blog Conference put on by the awesome girls of Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market.

it was a lot of fun and a much needed break for me :)

i went with Janel and Chrissy which i was so grateful that they agreed to go with me cause i always get nervous meeting new people, especially bloggers.

the conference was awesome!

it was just for a day but i left feeling very inspired and excited about my goals & ambitions for this little blog.

what i probably loved most about it was all the amazing people i got to meet.

some of the people that attended didn't have a blog (but were thinking about starting them), only had their blog for a little while, or had their blogs for a long time.

but they all came with the same goal in mind: how to make their online space the best it can be.

sometimes with blogging i feel like i'm back in high school, like i have to try really hard to get the "cool people" to like me and if they don't like me then i won't get very far.

and the only time they will really like me is if i prove i have cute clothes and high numbers.

does anyone else feel like that ever?

or is that just me?

[did i just make this post a little depressing....?]

anyways, my point is that REVIVE felt nothing like that!!

we were just all there trying to learn together, better our crafts, and altogether be better people.

they set up lots of fun games to network and talk to the people around us and i loved it!

i didn't feel like i was judged by my numbers or traffic statistics.

but instead we were actually getting to know each other and help one another with our common goals.

annnnnnnnnd we got to dress up in awesomely hilarious vintage outfits and no one judged me for referencing Bye Bye Birdie and almost breaking out in song.

{remember how i'm awkward?}

top left: Chrissy and Janel
top right: my sweet Bye Bye Birdie outfit
bottom left: notes
bottom right: me and Chrissy [stolen from her Instagram :)]

along with all that, we got to hear from some amazing speakers.

i learned a lot from them and loved how honest & real they were about their journeys.

the speakers:

Becki from Whippy Cake

Steph from City Moms Blog

Heather from HELLOmynameisHeather.com

Liz from The Blue Eyed Owl

Jeremy & Adrienne from Dream Book Design

Ashley from The Shine Project

Kimberly from A Night Owl

Karen from Elan Photographie

i'm so grateful for the Junk in the Trunk Market girls for putting together a great conference!

thanks for letting me come! :)

new blog design

maybe some of you have noticed {or maybe you haven't if you are reading my blog in your blog reader} that i got a new blog design!

i am soooooo in love with it!!

two-ish years ago when i started opening up my blog for a bigger audience, i spent hours and hours pouring over design programs and learning HTML code to get my blog looking just right.
and i was proud of it!

mainly because it took me forever to learn it all and for it to all come together so i felt very accomplished.

well two years later i still loved my old design cause i was still proud of my hard work, but i felt like it was getting old and needed something more fresh and simple. but every time i thought about redesigning it i would just get tired... it takes a lot of time which i didn't have.

enter the wonderful, magical fairy blog-designer Kaylee!!
[of All Things Bright & Beautiful blog fame]

she took all of my ideas that i incoherently babbled off to her and interpreted my rough sketches to make a beautiful blog design that is perfect for me.

she tied in my old design, my favorite color combinations, and my style into the new blog.

i seriously cannot stop looking at it, i'm so happy!

Kaylee was amazing to work with too!

she was so patient with me {especially since i'm the most indecisive person ever!} and so kind with everything. she also has an amazing creative eye and i honestly couldn't believe how amazing it all looked. it was better than my mind or sketches could possibly convey!

if you are looking to change up your blog or website design, i highly recommend Kaylee!

[plus, she has some of the best prices around too!]

you can email her at kaylee.gwyn{at}gmail.com.

THANK YOU SO SO MUCH, KAYLEE!!

::: Kaylee did not ask me to write this post. i truly love my new blog design and loved working with Kaylee so much that i wanted to pass the word along. i cannot say enough good things :)

DownEast SanTan Mixer

Megan modeling this lovely & comfortable furry chair :)

last night i had the opportunity to go the DownEast Home & Clothing Store grand opening in the SanTan Shopping Center in Gilbert.

a HUGE thank you to Megan of Shaping Up To Be a Mom who invited me to go.

it was so fun to be able to get out of the house and have a girls night with some local bloggers.

[which i didn't even realize there were so many close by me so that was really exciting too!]

the DownEast Home & Clothing Store has lots of amazing designer clothes and home decor items at a fraction of the cost in retail stores, some even up to 80-90% off.

so for a person who gets a huge rush out of discount shopping and finding the best deals, this place is basically my heaven.

some highlights of the night include:

+ awesome swag bags

+ teaching a professional photography how to use my camera that i don't even know how to use (as you can tell by the semi-blurry pictures)

+ winning a shirt

+ asking a worker to undress a mannequin twice (two different outfits) to try on the skirts

+ accidentally calling Megan's little girl a boy
+ meeting new bloggers in the area

+ trying to mingle with said bloggers but always saying dumb stuff...

so basically the moral of the story:
i'm a seriously awkward person!!

but i still had a ton of fun!

thank you to DownEast for hosting the mixer!

it was a much needed night out for this mama :)

ALSO!

the SanTan Shopping Center DownEast is having a huge contest to celebrate their grand opening!

you can enter to win a $200 shopping spree plus four $50 gift cards for four of your friend.

(the winner doesn't have to be present at time of drawing)

so if you are local, you should definitely get on down to the SanTan DownEast to enter!

DownEast website
DownEast blog
DownEast on Facebook
DownEast on Twitter

Inspiration

i'm grateful for this little blog.

i'm grateful for all of you who support me.

and i'm grateful for the opportunity i have to share my testimony with all of you.

Rules Shmules

{i originally posted this on After Nine to Five as my regular contributor post. however, it got such a good reception i wanted to get the discussion started over here as well. hope you enjoy it! and be sure to check out my new contributor post for today :)}

Source: data.whicdn.com via Fanny Sofia Aleksandra on Pinterest

I don't know if I've just been noticing it more or if it's just become more common to talk about, but it seems like so many bloggers that I follow have been talking about "THE RULES OF BLOGGING" lately.

How to title posts, how to leave proper comments, the dos and don'ts of following and networking, what kind of posts you should be writing about, how to set up your blog design, how to reply to comments, and the list goes on and on and on and on....

I see these posts and I get a little concerned {and frustrated} of the influence they may be having on new bloggers {like myself, I still consider myself a newbie :)}

::: Let me take the time to make one thing clear before I move on. I'm not talking about "Tips & Tricks" types of posts. I'm talking about "If you don't do this then you are a terrible/unprofessional blogger" type of posts. If you have blogging tips, please by all mean share! It's the hardcore "RULES" that I am referencing. :::

The reason why I get concerned is because these so called "rules" are not fair, they are mostly untrue, they are not the case for lots of bloggers, and instead of helping I think they can make bloggers feel bad that they are not following such rigid commandments.

I have read these posts numerous times and every time I hear a new "rule" I think to myself, "Well, this very very successful blogger ALWAYS titles her posts like that. Or she doesn't always have pictures with her posts. Or she doesn't keep a rigid 'post every single day' schedule and yet she has thousands of followers and is featured in magazines. So how are these rules if she seems to always break them?"

The argument for this can obviously be, "Well, she was the exception." But I honestly don't think that is the case.

I think the reason why lots of bloggers can break these so-called "rules" is because they have learned early on that the three main {real} rules to always follow about blogging are: 1. Be yourself 2. Be kind 3. Be humble

It doesn't matter if you introduce your sponsors as "Sponsor Highlight" or call a giveaway a giveaway or decide to only post 3 days a week instead of 7 or don't participate in every single giveaway that comes your way or participate in blog hops. It doesn't matter!

Because at the end of the day, all you need to worry about is if you have stayed true to yourself and the mission of your blog. And that you have remembered to be kind & considerate to those you come in contact with. And that you understand that no matter the numbers you are no better than anyone else.

If you do those three things, then you will be successful.

Not everyone will be featured in magazines. Or on the local news station. But by staying humble, kind, and honest, you will gain all the respect that you deserve. And will be successful by being known as a great friend & influencer to others.

I can talk about these things because I have been on the other side of it. I have spent days feeling so guilty because I broke some made up, cardinal rule to blogging and feeling like a failure. I have worked so long and so hard some nights trying to make sure I had a post every.single.day. {sometimes twice a day!}, no matter how terrible of quality the post was. I have chosen not to post about things I really want to write about because I would hear somewhere that that was wrong. I have neglected real life relationships for a virtual, intangible, slippery success that seemed impossible to achieve by certain definitions. {I have since changed my definition of success :: see above.}

I have done all these things and instead of being happy I have felt miserable. It was miserable!!

I have since realized that I AM DIFFERENT. My blog is different. What I want is different. And not every "rule" is going to apply to me because I am not like everyone else. Nor are you.

So throw out the rules! Make your own rules to follow for yourself. Make a mission statement to help you not lose sight of your dream.

::: Again, tips are different than "rules" in my book ::: And by all means ask for tips & advice!! I do it all the time!

But don't let the rules get you down. Because there are none. And it's about time we focus on the personal joy & happiness that comes from blogging when we do it our own way!

Source: thebridesguide.marthastewartweddings.com via All Things Pretty on Pinterest

there is power in the female conversation

while we make the transition from Utah to Arizona, i have some wonderful guest bloggers lined up to fill in on the blog. i hope you enjoy their awesome posts and show them all the love & respect they deserve!

this post by Rachel from Chasing Kite Tails brought tears to my eyes.
first, she was way way too kind and i was just blown away by that.
but second, she humbled me so much, reminded me why i started blogging in the first place.

as life has gotten busy, the move has taken up most of the empty spaces in my brain, and everything seems to be changing around me, i have noticed a shift in how i used to blog.
maybe you have noticed it too.
maybe it’s not a good shift.
and maybe it’s even turned people away.

while i’m taking this break to move, i’m also glad to take some time to remember what i really want for my blog, what big dreams i had in the beginning when i started a year ago.
Rachel’s post help reiterate to me that this beautiful blogging community has so much good, positive power in it if we learn how to reach out to others and connect with one another.
i am so so grateful for her sweet, yet powerful reminder of what this whole thing is about.
i hope you all feel as inspired as i did and helps you in your own blogging endeavors!
[and really your life in general :)]

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I am sitting at an empty table in a room full of 650 women. Everyone has stood up to leave, lunch is over and it is time to move onto our next workshop. But I cannot move. Instead of rising to my feet, I sit still at my empty table, looking at all of the half-full and half-empty glasses of sweet tea (this is my first time in North Carolina; I'm a New York girl, I'm used to drinking water with lunch, not sweet tea!).

There are about 8 glasses left on the table. But it's not just glasses that I see left over. It's impressions of fingerprints on the glasses that I see left over. And that catches my attention.

You see, all of us women came here with dreams and passions and desires. And with those dreams and passions came blogs and books and women with hopes of speaking. We are all women with a mission to get out our "message." And so, to effectively get our message out and into the world, we all came here to this She Speaks Conference to learn how to grow our platforms and fine tune our blogs. We came to learn how to gain readers and how to get our "messages" clear and concise with tips from editors, professional marketers, design teams...but in the midst of all of this learning about growing and maximizing...I came to the realization that I have been going about the growth of my blog with the wrong motives and the wrong means.

Lysa Terkeurst, one of the speakers here at this She Speaks Conference, was speaking on the topic of maximizing blogging and speaker platforms. Yet in the midst of all of her (VERY) practical and AMAZING advice and insight, she said this one thing that just convicted the little old Blogger heart right out of me.

"There is power in the female conversation," she said, teaching us about the importance of straying away from bombarding our readers (and fellow bloggers) with advertisements and self-promotion. Instead, she emphasized the importance of relationship between women. Actual conversation taking place between blogger + blogger and blogger + reader; the swapping and sharing of testimonies. Chatting about how a blog (or book, or song, or sermon, or Jesus!) changed your life and why and how it reached so deep into your heart. Rather than obsessing with just collecting blogs and people and organizations as potential people who will help market your blog (message...business...etc...) and help boost your platform, we should be cultivating friendships. Stories. Actual, real-life relationships.

Right then and there. I realized, I had been going about growing my blog, in such a gratifying, convenient...and sometimes very impersonal way.

One of the things that I love about Megan is this: s h e c a r e s.

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Megan entailing what my sponsorship with her would look like. It was factual, informative and told me everything I would need to know - and anything that I needed to do, as one being sponsored by her.

I was excited. Filled with glee, anticipation. I was eager to see how my blog would grow from her sponsorship. Eager to see how this ad would help boost my stats and numbers. But all of this eagerness waned in comparison to the one other thing (which actually was the VERY first thing) that Megan had included in her email.

She said: "First, if you are a new sponsor and we haven't had the chance to email before, I would love to get to know you better!...I would love to be able to get to know you on a more personal, not so business-y level!"

She is the only one who I've sought sponsorship with who has ever done or said this.

It is only just now that I am able to piece together Megan's email with the lessons that I have been learning at this conference.

It shouldn't be about the promotion, it should be about the people.

The relationships. The sisterhood.

Yes, there is power in platform. There is reach, there is growth. There is profit, maybe even financially.

But power, in female conversation. In relationship. In sharing and telling and unfolding and unraveling stories. Engaging with one another.

There is power in that, too. Not only does that have the power to bring more people to your message. But - in and of itself, it's the power of change. Long lasting life, change.

Visit someone's blog today. One that you've neglected to comment or care for. Read something, strike up a conversation and tell the author (blogger, writer) that you appreciate them and that you appreciate their story. Show them they are not just a number, but that they are a person. A relationship that you value...and care for.

In our individual blogs and businesses and endeavors...may it be about the people and not about the platform or promotion or popularity.

July Blog Hop

Are you ready to network??
Are you prepared to make some new bloggy friends?
Well, here’s your chance!

RULES:

Link up to the homepage of your blog.

…follow Host and Co-Hosts {pretty please}
feel free to follow by Facebook, Twitter, or whatever works best for you!

…hop // network // have fun!

If you’d like to post this linky on your blog, grab the code below.
The more, the merrier! Wouldn’t you agree? {yay!}

Grab the code {here}
Grab the July Blog Hop Button {here}

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Thanks again to my ever so gracious co-hosts:
Megan @ And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
Gentri @ Gentri Lee
Mindy @ My Life as Mindy
Audra @ The Kurtz Corner
Kim @ The Sasse Life
Tonya @ Understanding the Assignment

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NEW THIS MONTH!
This blog hop is sponsored by:

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Thanks so much for linking up with us! Wishing you all the best in your bloggy endeavors. Blog on!!

Save the Date! Next Hop: 8/19

Breathing Space Retreat: Day 2

the second day of the Breathing Space Retreat was just as awesome!
after not going to bed until 3:30 and then being woken up every 30 minutes until 6:00am because of the security alarm going off, we got off to a pretty rough start Saturday morning and i missed my yoga class.
i was pretty bummed about it but i was excited for what the rest of the day had in store!

we eventually got up and headed over to indulge in a delicious breakfast before heading to our classes.
then Gentri, Ashley, and i headed over to the make-up tips & tricks class.
i was excited for this class but since i don’t have lots of money for expensive make-up i didn’t really know what to expect.
well, Deidra did not disappoint and she gave us lots of great advice to help our skin and hair be healthy and beautiful and how to put the right make-up on to let our natural beauty shine through.
again, can i be her???

from there, we went to lunch and walked around SoDa Row and the Oh Sweet Sadie craft boutique.

[oh and i had just gotten my make-up done by Deidra to make me look more awake that’s why i look so made up in this picture, haha]

we then went to the interior design class taught by Brian Clark who is an award winning designer.
he is also helping with the DIY Blogger home.
again, i thought it was going to be all about the rules of decorating and what you should or should not do.
but instead, i loved how he focused on making your home a place that reflects your personality and can be a place of rest and peace.
he quoted Winston Churchill who said,
“We shape our dwellings and afterwards our dwellings shape us.”
i love that!!
i love that no matter where we are we can have a home that we are proud of and helps bring us happiness.

Brian also said we should decorate with three things in mind:
1. what we learn from our past {ancestors}.
2. who we are now
3. what we hope for the future

the last class i went to was the one i was looking forward to the most!
cooking with the Food Nanny, Liz Edmunds!
oh my gosh she is INCREDIBLE!!!
not only does she have awesome recipes and cooking tips, but she is so passionate about family dinner time and the benefits of home cooked family meals.
i loved her so much!
i just wanted her to keep talking and cooking and sharing recipes.
seriously. one of the best classes by far! i’m so glad i got to meet her!

and then to end the whole weekend with a BANG! we had a big Cinco de Mayo party!
we were able to mix and mingle with some of the sponsors {which i actually don’t think i talked to any sponsor though cause i’m awkward} and eat lots of delicious food.
and the cake!!
holy cow the cake was amazing!!
perfect ending to a perfect weekend!

[pictures courtesy of Jenny K Photography]

yep.
pretty amazing, incredible, awesome, fantastic weekend!!
i’m still reeling from how much fun it was!

i know all of this couldn’t have been possible without Adam though.
the weekend before, i went to Women’s Conference with my mom and was gone for pretty much morning until night for two days right after we got back from San Diego. so Adam stayed home and watched Elijah.
then, i was gone again for two days for this retreat leaving Adam at home again to take care of Elijah while i get to party again.
he has been such a wonderful support to me and hasn’t complained at all while i have gone off on my adventures. i really appreciate his sacrifice and love so much!
thanks babe!

and thank you to ALLLL who helped make the Breathing Space retreat possible!
you did an outstanding job and i really hope this becomes an annual thing!
i would buy another ticket to go in a heartbeat!

Breathing Space Retreat: Day 1

this last weekend i had the INCREDIBLE opportunity to go to the Breathing Space Blogger Retreat in Daybreak.
i have to admit that at first i was really nervous to go.
it was my first night away from Elijah ever and i started crying once i left.
but once i got there, checked in, and saw all my friends i was a little more relieved.
and it was absolutely amazing so as much as i missed my little family, it was definitely an unforgettable weekend!

the retreat was held in Daybreak and it is gorgeous!! it’s straight from a picture book with beautiful houses and a wonderful community. if it wasn’t for the fact that we are poor college students, i would move there in a heartbeat!

we even got to stay in one of Daybreak’s gorgeous model homes.
this one below to be exact:
it was amazing!!

and it’s even more gorgeous inside!!
i’m still reeling from it.
too bad all my pictures ended up being blurry… but just trust me. it was incredible.

after checking in the first day, we went straight to our first classes.
Gentri and i first went to the Style Please class taught by Becki from Whippy Cake.
the class was really great and i learned that i have an oval face, with Summer coloring, and i am a dramatic style :)
but besides that, Becki taught us to own our style and let our personalities shine through.
she is such a great example of confidence and loving our bodies no matter what our shapes, colors, or sizes.
plus, Becki is on of the funniest, cutest, sweetest girls i have ever met!
i want to be her!

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from there, we went to the cupcake class that was taught by the one & only Megan from Sweet Tooth Fairy.
she.is.AMAZING!
when i first signed up, i thought it was just going to be about learning tips and tricks on how to make beautiful cupcakes. and even though she did teach us some techniques, she taught us how no matter our circumstance, we can make ordinary things extraordinary if we just try.
she has had no baking/culinary training but now has a huge successful bakery and recently won Cupcake Wars on Food Network.
i loved learning from her and could really eat her cupcakes all day!

after the cupcake class, we hurried to our amazing model home and got ready really fast for the Stepford Wives themed dinner party that was going on later that night.
the party was PERFECT!!
we had Italian soda mocktails, garden party-style decorations, lots of beautiful 50’s inspired outfits, incredible food, a photo booth, and more!
we even heard from Dawn Meehan who competed in the last season of Survivor at the age of 39.
holy.cow. she is incredibly inspirational!
it was so cool to hear her story and learn about her experience.

[Dawn from Survivor]

[some of the event coordinators and DIY bloggers for the Daybreak DIY Blogger home challenge:
Aly from Style Please, Char from Crap I’ve Made, Jen from Tatertots & Jello, Shelley from House of Smiths, Lara from Less Cake More Frosting, Amy from The Idea Room, Cameron from Daybreak, and Kathy from Danish Mama]

[back: Nichelle, me, Jenny, Gentri; front: Elise, Ashley, Alycia, Savannah]

[Char, me, Amy, and Jen; i basically died after taking this picture cause i couldn’t believe these fabulous ladies would really take a picture with me!]

[Gentri, me, and Becki; died again]