I can’t tell you much about Quinn’s weekend because I didn’t get to see it. Instead, I
attended my first blogging conference, the maiden voyage of Springboard, in Boston. As I
write this, I’m sitting and smiling on my flight home.
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| View of the city from our dinner cruise around Boston Harbor |
In the days leading up to the conference, I became more
anxious. Being a newbie, I didn’t know what to expect or what to wear. Also, I had never been away from Quinn for
more than a few hours, other than my whirlwind trip to Boston last year.
Once again,
I need not have worried.
In the midst of roughly seventy female (and one lone male)
bloggers, I experienced a sense of belonging. I’ve come to know numerous
bloggers online and built a few relationships that I cherish. But being in the
physical presence of so much talent and ambition threw me off the bloggy island
that is my sofa cushion and into a community of support, trust and friendship.
Everyone there was just… nice.
I’m tempted to use a more creative word to describe them, but “nice” is the
right one. And I don’t mean that in a “meh,
they’re nice” sort of way. I mean than in a “every single woman I met is a genuinely nice person” sort of way. I’d
like to introduce you to a few of these talented ladies because I’m sure you’ll
find them as lovely as I do.
Christy of Quirky Fusion and Kim of Kim World,
who did a phenomenal job putting the whole conference together, made everyone
feel welcome and cared for. They attended to every detail and instantly treated
me as though we were long-time friends. I adore them both.
Cat Lincoln,
a Clever Girls
co-founder, is as delightful in person as I imagined her to be. Whether sitting
in her audience during a session or next to her in the hotel lobby sharing a
bottle of wine, I was captivated by her humor and intelligence. I learned a lot
from her, such as how to attract brands to my blog, yet the importance of remaining
authentic. I think I gained self-confidence
just through osmosis.
Amy Renea of A Nest for All Seasons is an incredible photographer and inspiring
DIY-er. Through her workshop, I learned easy tips for taking better photos and
how to use them to drive traffic to my blog (seriously invaluable information).
Through our several long conversations, I made a true friend. She is sweet,
kind and sincere, and I’m jazzed about our new friendship.
Kimberly of Red Shutters is charming and poetic as a writer and a person. I instantly
felt at ease in her presence, like I had a comrade in this big, confusing
blogging world. She is as beautiful as her writing. Oh, and her daughter is too
cute for words.
Kristin of Mama Luvs Books really knows how to run her blog like a business. In
addition to hosting great contests and give-aways, she’s an excellent writer. She is smart and driven, and her determination
to do things right and well served up the kick in the pants I needed to do the
same.
Cheryl of Busy Since Birth is funny and honest. We bonded over our similar blog paths
and shared passion for writing. Her stories open are heartfelt, and her spirit
is as gorgeous as her words.
Nikki of Days With Us and Lolly of The Fortuitous Housewife are simply the best
ladies to have dinner with. Nikki emanates
joy and her exuberance is contagious. Lolly makes you laugh your ass off. I’m
so glad Amy and I ended up at the same table as them. We became four instant
girlfriends.
These extraordinary women are just a taste of the greatness that
filled the room last weekend. I met so many talented bloggers, I could go on
forever listing them all.
Springboard is
the perfect blogging conference for any newbie looking to learn and connect. It
gave me the self-assurance I needed to take the next step with my blog and helped
me figure out which direction to take it in. Now, the only question is which
conference to attend next!
I stayed in Boston an extra day to visit two dear friends, Laura and Stef, both of whom are about to become first-time moms. We spent
our time together picking apples, talking baby stuff and grocery shopping with
lasers, but more on that later this week.
And just in case you’re wondering how Hubs and Q faired in
my absence, the answer is very well. Even though they were both sick, that didn’t stop
them from having fun. Hubs took Q to the park and got a taste of the “park moms
and nannies” I often tell him about. (Maybe now he’ll find my stories more
interesting.) He even broke out the sidewalk chalk and let Q have a ball.
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| Quinn's love for sidewalk chalk has extended beyond the cement to his pants and the side of the house. Luckily it's washable. |
As you can see, the child is devastated without his mommy. (Kidding.)
Hmmm, this mommy might just have to sneak away more often.
