Blog Sugar - The Real Recap

Soon after I signed up to help Rachel plan another Blog Sugar, I knew that this blog conference was going to be different.  The 3 of us were sitting around talking during a planning session and it dawned on me that this was going to be more than anything, an awesome opportunity for woman to just come and hang out, be inspired, grow friendships.  It soon became clear that this conference wasn't going to be about primo networking opportunities and intense panels sessions where you learn how to monetize your blog.  This was going to be a place for woman (and men) to gather and connect on a much deeper level, and in my eyes, much more meaningful level.  After reading dozens of recaps, I think the mission was accomplished.

It's so easy to get lost in the rat race of blogging and fall victim to feelings of insecurities, I let it happen more than I care to admit.  On Sunday though woman of blogs all shapes and sizes, with 5 readers all the way up to 5000 readers came together in fellowship and reveled in the fact that God made us all different and unique and with our own VOICE and that voice is powerful.  No egos, no insecurities, just kinship.  Hugs, laughter, tears and squealy voices (my voice rose about 10 octaves on several occasions).  All together in one room, fueled by sugar and God's love.  That is special, that is awesome.  I felt sad on Monday morning that is was all over, but today it finally hit me just how amazing it all was, and how happy I was to be there.   

"taste and see that the Lord is good" Psalm 34:8

The 3 of us already are going through withdrawals and have planned to get together next week.  I'm sure my husband will be thrilled, "wait isn't Blog Sugar over Andrea?"  

I think Rachel and I reapplied our lipstick at least 10 times that day.  It was fun, I felt like a teenager.  I will also never wear red lipstick to an all day event again.  The Spanx might also have to be reconsidered. 

I can't believe I finally got to meet Heather.  I'm obsessed with her, and her glasses, and I think I asked too many questions during her session.  And Danielle is pretty awesome too, so happy she introduced us to Love 146.

I didn't take any pictures on Sunday.  Too busy running around taking it all in I guess.  I got to meet Mel and boy is she a sassy pants firecracker and she sent me this picture of us.  I could tell we would get along just fine if we lived closer.  Tall girls unite.

It's no exaggeration when I say that I started crying when I saw Ruthanne's photos of the night.  She is truly talented and such a sweet, funny spirit.  Thank you for being there all day and night snapping away.

I would be remiss if I also didn't give a big shout out to the lady that provided us all with that sugar for the day, April Boyer of Modern Gourmet.  I personally loved the lemon tarts the best but I've read several say the whoopie pies were amazing.  And Laura Weirtzma of Ascot Friday and her sister Erica were the creative genius behind the decor for the night.  Those girls gave Geronimo Balloons a run for their money wouldn't you say?  And thank you to all of our wonderful speakers that night.   

Thank you Rachel for your vision and your perseverance, thank you JJ for your expertise in all things conferencey and for bringing the wine ;)  Sometimes I felt like I was just along for the ride, but what a fun ride it was.

p.s. there were so many amazing friends I met in person that night but sadly I don't have any pictures with anyone (I think).  If we took a picture together, would you mind sending it to me pretty please?

I'm linking up with the Blog Sugar site where you can come and see all the other amazing recaps of the day.  And while I'm linking, I guess I might as well link up with Lindsey too for WIWW.  She was one of our awesome speakers that day and I loved getting to know this talented lady a bit more.  The dress is from Old Navy (the one I stole for $23) and you've seen the shoes and jewelry before.  Not seen are a 10 year old pair of Spanx that still perform miracles hooray!  And I got my hair colored for the first time in 7 years.  Lots of exciting stuff happened last week.  At one point I almost passed out from all the newness and excitement.

A Drink to Comfort - Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

I have the house to myself for a couple of hours and the weather is gloomy and my favorite pinecone candle is burning.  While I gave up coffee on a regular basis a couple of months ago, I still do enjoy myself a cup on occasion.  The great thing about kicking a regular coffee habit is that when you do drink it, when you do need it to work, it does.  So on a morning like today when I'm slow to function, yet when I feel the need for a little comfort, I decided to try out this Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe from Love Veggies & Yoga that Jules found.  Sounds much better than tackling the laundry and the dishes, doesn't it?  It uses pumpkin puree which I think is just pure genius.

I followed her recipe to a T, but instead of warming the milk in the microwave, I first steamed some milk in my lovely Christmas present.  I then had some frothy milk to pile on top of my cup.  I also didn't feel like hauling out the blender, so I just shook up the mixture in a mason jar.  Sort of similar to my chai tea concoction.

While these at home coffee house drink versions are never quite the same, this one is quite good.  I made my coffee extra strong and added plenty of agave to sweeten it up, but it still lacks that certain fake syrupy flavor that sadly, I've grown to love.  When all is said and done though, I can happily give up that fake flavor to save myself almost $4 using ingredients I already have on hand.  Yes, I do have pumpkin puree on hand because I am a pumpkin freak.   

While sadly my house is a mess and there is still plenty of things to do before I have to pick up Syd from preschool, I did plan out my meals for the week and got my grocery shopping done.  This week is all about comfort food and here's what I'm planning to make:

Monday: leftover sliders & sweet potato fries from Saturday's speaker dinner
Tuesday: pork tenderloin medallions with sweet potatoes and apples (a one pot dish that is super easy, maybe I'll share it?)
Wednesday: turkey lasagna
Thursday: leftover turkey lasagna
Friday: turkey chili
(I have a lot of ground turkey in my freezer that I'm trying to use up)

So I know I said just a few hours ago that I was shutting down for a bit, but I wanted to come back and sort of offer a re-do of my last post.  I hope I didn't come across as a downer.  I think I am just so tired and yet so keyed up my mind is racing more than it should.  I'm really hoping that spending time with the kids this afternoon will restore me a bit, I miss them after barely seeing them the last 2 days.  I'm sure that will do the trick.

So come on guys, you're all so quiet out there.  Those that came to Blog Sugar, what did you think?  What would you change for next year and what would you keep the same?  And what was your favorite dessert of the night?!?

It's Over

It's 6:30 and I've been up for hours.  I guess I'm still on an adrenaline high after the last 3 days, the last 9 months.  Wedding weekend came and went and as expected I'm feeling a bit of the let down.  A bit of sadness of watching it all go by and happen in what seemed like the blink of an eye.

Blog Sugar was amazing.  I am proud and honored to have been a part of it.  I was uplifted.  I had my doubts, I had my doubts about taking part in a faith conference, turning Blog Sugar into a faith based conference.  I rarely blog about faith, I feel shaky often times in my own faith, so it felt a bit strange sometimes, but I'm so glad Rachel stuck to her vision.  Girl's got vision and passion.

At any rate I was touched yesterday, I was moved by listening to so many of these amazing woman speak.  I laughed, I cried and I learned a lot.  I met so many of you and hugged ladies I've been wanting to hug for months.  I wish it could have been longer.  At one point a reader came up to me and said a friend of hers wanted to tell me hi and admitted that this friend had a love/hate relationship with me.  I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me a bit sad.  If I learned anything from yesterday, from all of this, is that as much as we make blogging about us, as narcissistic as it is to blog our lives here for everyone to see, we are impacting someone somewhere.  Not necessarily in some life altering way, but as Jeannett said, we have a captive audience here, whether it's 5 people or 500.  Make your words count.  Make them meaningful.  Glorify God, represent yourself and your family well, and be proud of what you write.

I may just be tired, oh so tired, and still filled with adrenaline, but there's a bit of an unsettled feeling for me right now.  I think I just need to decompress for a bit.  Be alone in my own head, turn off the computer and phone for a bit and let the words and experiences from the last couple of days seep in.

To those that bought a ticket and came out yesterday, a sincere thank you.  It was wonderful to meet so many of you.  I truly hope you had a great time and took something away.  The thing Rachel, JJ and I most wanted out of this conference was fellowship and inspiration, and I think, I hope that was achieved.  God Bless, and see you in a couple of days.

p.s. Ruthanne was our amazing photographer for the event.  Thank goodness because I didn't take a single picture.  It was a pleasure to meet her and get to hang with her for a couple of days, and what do you know, she's a dang good photographer!  She already started to blog some pictures from teh weekend and you can see them here on her blog.  She'll be uploading more pics this week, and I heard she may even set up a Flikr sit for everyone to share and upload their photos!

Wedding Weekend

I can't believe that it's HERE!  9 months in the making and it's like it's wedding weekend around here.  So much excitement, a buzz in the air and I can't help but wonder if after the high of Sunday, will I feel a little blue come Monday morning.  Sort of like the day after my wedding (they say post-wedding blues is a totally legit thing for brides).  Rachel has put her heart and soul into this conference and JJ and I have been along for the ride, helping out in any way we can.  It's been fun, frustrating at times, exciting and humbling.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for us and see Him work his presence in a room full of men and women eager to share His gifts.

I'll be praying for safe flights & safe drives for all our attendees and courage if you need it.  It's going to be great.  I know some of you are nervous but God put you here for a reason and each one of you are special.  No matter how big or small your blog is, you matter and I look forward to meeting you soon.  Please come say hi.  I would love to see your smiling face in person :)

T-minus forty eight hours and counting folks!

Happy Friday, and catch you on the flip side, that is on Monday, for some recap action :)

It All Falls Into Place

 Happy Monday friends!  How was everyone's weekend?  After I got over the hump of Friday's busy day, we ended up having a great weekend.  The Meet the Masters session that I taught in Taylor's classroom went great and I had a really good time despite my nerves.  It's so funny how we forget how accepting and loving 6 year olds are as compared to adults.  Once I got into the class and started my lesson, their genuine excitement put me at ease and I had such a good time.

Another thing that fixed itself on Friday were my business cards!  I got in touch with Rachel's printer Ben and his Etsy shop DesignerAged and he had them printed that day with no extra crazy rush charges!  His printer is in LA and so I also didn't have to pay for overnight shipping.  I just love it when things work themselves out.  So instead of a sticky note, you will be receiving a real, legitimate business card from me at Blog Sugar :)  I can't wait to meet you! 

In other happy news, I'm happy to welcome Lisa Leonard Designs on as a Four Flights of Fancy sponsor!  I've always been a fan of Lisa's work and am so happy to have such a talented and stylish lady on as a sponsor.  Visit Lisa's fantastic blog here, and her beautiful shop here.  Also stay tuned for a fun giveaway from Lisa in the next couple of weeks :)

I personally love the tiny twig necklace that's new to her shop :)

Four Flights of Fancy is getting a new look come October 1st.  If you're interested in working with me or sponsoring Four Flights, please shoot me a note. 

I have so many fun posts lined up in my head but so little time to write them with Blog Sugar coming up on SUNDAY!  So I won't be around much this week, although I do have a fun outfit post planned for WIWW.  But come next week I promise to have a new recipe and a new DIY craft for you guys, and maybe a few fun recaps from Blog Sugar! 

Thanks as always for reading and for the constant support and love.  Oh, and one last thing, I am this close to finding the name for my new style blog.  I can't wait to announce it and get started.  I really can't wait!

Happy week to you all!

I'll Be There

I better be there, along with Rachel and Jen, or else we're all in a lot of trouble!  Working with Rachel and Jen to help plan Blog Sugar has almost been like planning a wedding or some other very big, fancy event in ones life.  It seems so far away and like the day will never come, but then all of a sudden the big day is here and you're so excited that you just hope you remember to breathe and take it all in.  That's sort of how I feel about this years Blog Sugar.

I absolutely love blogging.  More than I ever thought I would.  Sometimes I love it so much it's a bit of a problem because I obsess over it.  There are some downsides to blogging, but really at the end of the day, I wouldn't trade in my little space on the web for anything (that's a bold statement, and of course I would trade it in for a million dollars or many other very important things, but you know what I mean).

Anyhow, the thing I love most about blogging is that it doesn't happen in a vacuum.  Blogging exists because we all exist out there, inspiring, encouraging each other, sharing our God given talents on a daily basis.  And I can't wait to meet so many of you out there in real life!  You read someone's blog and you think you know them, but the knowing really comes when you can hug a person, hear their voice, see their smile for real.  That's what I'm looking forward to the most about Blog Sugar 2011.  Sure, there are going to be amazing speakers and uplifting panels to attend, but really, it's connecting with other bloggers in a very real and tangible way that I look forward to the most.

So come on September, hurry up and get here!  But not too fast, because we still have a lot of work to do!

Go visit Rachel to see who else will be there this year :)

Love 146

Registration for Blog Sugar closed on Tuesday. I'm thrilled to be a part of this event and look forward to meeting many of you for the first time. Each year Rachel has chosen a charity to support at Blog Sugar, and I came home today to find out that this year, we will be supporting Love 146. I'd been out all day doing living my cozy and safe life, taking the kids to swim lessons, and I came home to watch this video, which details a bit about the organization. I was rocked to the core within seconds.

The world is a sick, horrible place sometimes. I cannot fathom a world where these atrocities happens, but it does, no matter how much I wish and hope and pray it didn't. A portion of the proceeds from Blog Sugar ticket sales will go towards this organization, and there will be opportunities to donate at the event. I am both proud and humbled.

If you have a moment, please watch the video below of the founder and President of Love 146, Rob Morris, and to learn more about the organization and how they are working diligently to end child sex slavery and exploitation through prevention and aftercare, go HERE.


Love146 History from LOVE146 on Vimeo.

Blog Sugar Announcement - A Way to Help

 Please visit the Blog Sugar website for an announcement we just made

Exciting News Here If You Read this Blog Post!

It's finally here!  Registration for Blog Sugar 2011 opens up today people.  TODAY!  Wondering what the heck Blog Sugar is?  Head on over to our lovely new home that Heather created for us HERE.  Meet you back here in 3 minutes.

Isn't it sweet?  I'm so excited to be on board and help to plan another successful and amazing event with Rachel.  We also have Jen on board to make sure Rachel and I don't get too sassy and hopefully she won't take any incriminating photos of us during late night brainstorming sessions (check out her head shot - she looks dynamite right?).

But this time did you notice we're all legit?  Too legit to quit for sure.  We have our own venue, because let's be honest, while hosting such a sweet event at someone's home was a great way to start off, we're growing and are ready to offer some amazing, BIG things that just wouldn't fit into someone's home!

Starting off with a Key Note Speaker and a group of Panel Discussions, all led by some of the biggest (and sweetest) names in blogging.  Meg, Heather, Gussy, Nish, Laura, Julie and Jeannett are all on board to bring some sweetness into your life and blog.  We are thrilled that the stars all aligned (and that Rachel has super power persuasion skills) and we are able to offer such an amazing group of talented and inspiring women.

So head back on over to the blog and check out all sorts of fun links.  Please visit our Facebook page and give us a thumbs up "Like" if you'd be so kind.  You can email Rachel or myself with questions. 

And of course, you can REGISTER today!  That's another thing we have going for us this time around, our own registration page (hello!).  We are truly, truly excited for Blog Sugar 2011.  I hope to speak to and meet many of you in just a few short months. 

So who's on board?!?

Blog Sugar - It's Here...

...and it's going to be amazing.  You won't want to miss it.  Conctact me or Rachel for details or if you're interested in attending.  And to those that don't have a place to stay, I have a guest room :)

Blog Sugar Part Deux & Why I Blog

I can't believe I'm having to hijack pictures from another blogger's site to post for Blog Sugar, but hey, I've been known to do worse things.  I did get permission :)  I guess I was too busy meeting and greeting to get any decent pictures.  Too bad so sad. 

Friday night was the second installment of Blog Sugar, and what a success it was.  I volunteered to help Rachel with some of the planning this time since fingers were crossed it was going to be much bigger this time around, and we were right!  Blog Sugar grew from 25 attendees back in February to 60 just 3 months later.  I want to congratulate Rachel for a wonderful night and for being the brain child behind such a fun and worthwhile event.  I had a great time being behind the scenes and Rachel's back-up door greeter.  I think I may have actually met 99% of the attendees.

One of the activities we did on Friday night was take a few minutes to reflect on the purpose of our blogs.  I had spent a lot of time thinking about this in the weeks leading up to the event (remember, I had some privileged information beforehand).  I thought I had it all figured out and even volunteered to speak up and share the purpose of my blog.  The next day though after I was thinking about all the fun happenings from that night, I realized that I had it all wrong.
Why you blog is totally different than the purpose of your blog.

I BLOG BECAUSE:
I like to document our lives (not an original answer, I know)
I want to keep my mind and creative juices going while being a stay at home mom (okay that's a little better)
I want to promote my Etsy shop
I want to share things that inspire me, and maybe inspire others (that may be a bit presumptuous)
I like the community that blogging can create (this is the part I touched on a bit at Blog Sugar)

Who doesn't like to hear how awesome their craft project is, or how flipping cute their kids are, or how touched they feel by a post, or how they can relate to the struggles you're going through?  Like I said at BS, being a mother is often times a thankless job, so it's nice to get some affirmation that what you're doing is worthwhile, valued, admirable.   

So the above are all somewhat valid, if not completely unique reasons to blog.  But really, what am I trying to achieve through blogging?  What is the purpose of the 10 or so hours I commit to this thing each and every week?

And the only answer I can come up with is "I don't know."  I mean I sort of know, but not really.  I don't raise money for a charity, well not yet anyway.  I don't quite think my Playgrounds & Lollipops feature every week is going to change the world, and my day to day posts are not necessarily groundbreaking.

I'm not reinventing the wheel here in terms of mommy bloggers.  I know that, and I'm okay with that.
But for some reason, what I'm doing here in this little space of mine, just feels right.

-Blogging has inspired me to take up a hobby finally.  I now know how to sew because a blog inspired me to.  And it is now turning into a little side business for me, and that's something pretty purposeful right? 
-Blogging has pushed me to take a million pictures of my kidlets.  Before seriously blogging I was terrified to touch our Canon DSLR.  It was something only Art used, but now it is 10 times more likely to be found in my hands than his, and that makes me happy.
-Blogging has connected me to a small and amazing group of women right here in my own community that I would have probably never met if it weren't for blogging.  I look forward to getting to know them better.

So while I can't quite pinpoint the exact purpose of my blog right now, I'm sure that eventually it will reveal itself to me.  I will keep typing away, and wait.  I do know that when I am honest, or vulnerable, or maybe even a tad bit funny and insecure, people respond.  And I love that total strangers can relate and lift you up even when you didn't know you needed it.

So why do you blog?  Does your blog have a purpose, or a driving force behind it?  

Thanks again Rachel for an awesome night, and for giving us some food for thought.

Blog Sugar Editorial

Blog*Sugar is a unique opportunity for women who blog, or are interested in blogging, to come together for a night of food, fun, laughter and camaraderie in the Southern California area. If you have a blog, want to start a blog, or have a business that you want to promote via the blogoshphere, then this is the place to be on May 28th. Meet and network with other bloggers in a casual atmosphere, show off your blog or cyber stalk other blogs via the computer station, and eat copious amounts of sugar. Fabulous gift bundles will be raffled off and there may even be some SWAG. We make one promise and one promise only, you will leave Blog*Sugar with a smile on your face.

While the prime agenda for the night is to have fun, there will be a chance to sit down and reflect on the purpose of your blog, and how you can take it to the next level. There will also be the opportunity to sign up for future mini-Blog*Sugars, which will offer a more structured agenda and focus on specific topics designed to help improve upon your blog.

If you are ready to be inspired, then please contact me or Mrs. 17 for further details and to RSVP.
We hope to see you there.

Playlist

Our weekend:

• Attended Blog Sugar...more details to come with pictures. Let's just say, lots of awesomeness, and I left home with SWAG! So fun. Met so many great women including her, her, her, her, her, and her to name just a few. Fun, Fun, FUN.

• Worked here for a few hours.
  
• Went ice skating
• Had them over for dinner
• Went to the Long Beach flea market and got some vintage goodness
• Went to church
• Went to an herbal remedies class
• Had the parents over for dinner
• Had a regrouping meeting with Art. Bottom line: we need to get back on track with a schedule for the kids. Chaos has been abundant round these parts and we need to get back on track. This includes meal plans again for me. More on that later...
• Made an awesome worship CD playlist for me and the kids. Mix of kids and grown up worship songs for us to listen to in the car. Some highlights: How Great Is Our God by Chris Tomlin, Mighty to Save and Hosanna by Hillsong and Every Move I Make by Cedarmont Kids. Listening to it right now and it's awesome!

Phew, I'm tired!

Coming this week, pictures from Blog Sugar, pictures of my vintage finds and a new weekly subject post. I was inspired at Blog Sugar and am going to finally do a post about something that I have wanted to do for a long time!

Until next time my friends...