Last year I talked Blissdom right into the ground. I probably drove away half of my dear readers by the time I was done yammering about it. This year I’m going to try a new approach — a one post recap, and it won’t even make you scroll forever. I’m not quite sure HOW I’m going to do it, but this is my pledge to you. One post, 500 words or less. Starting now.
Highlights:
For one thing, I ate like a queen and didn’t have to wash a single dish for five days. That right there was worth the price of admission.
Then there was my roommate, Rachel (on the right).
She’s a doll. And she can function intelligently and manage to look beautiful on less sleep than anyone I’ve ever met. I’ll try to overlook the fact that she kicked my trash in the Tastemaker competition, but together we swept the whole thing and we each have a trophy filled with spuds to prove it.
Photo credit: TheVioletFig
My Wisdom Workshop on Vlogging and Editing. We got a lot of positive feedback, and I absolutely love the girls on my panel.
Photo credit: A Southern Fairytale
The hands-on Wisdom Workshop on Photography finally got me to switch my camera off the auto setting. Now if I could just learn Photoshop.
Playing dress-up.
Cover Girl Smokey Eye Event — brilliant marketing, relevant, and oh so fun!
The Tastemaker Party.
Photo credit: A Southern Fairytale
I had more fun than I thought I would, once I got over my fear and trepidation of cooking in front of 150 people. The ladies from Fleishman Hillard did a fantastic job putting the event (and the entire challenge) together. It was smart and innovative and fun, and I hope to get to work with them again. And also, they totally took care of those of us #strandedatblissdom in snowmageddon.
The session on Evolving as a Professional Blogger — The Evolution From Earned Media to Paid Media. (If I go over my self-imposed limit of 500 words, it’s because that title is a paragraph of its own.) Seriously, if you have any aspirations to make this blogging thing into more than a hobby, run, don’t walk, to get yourself a recording of this session. (I assume they will be made available on the Blissdom Conference website before too long.)
Breakfast at the Pancake Pantry. Nuff said.
The Opryland Hotel was A-MAZ-ING. When you have some time to kill, look through the photos on the Blissdom 10 Flickr group.
Hanging out with old friends.
Making new friends.
Is it wrong to say that getting stuck in Nashville for an extra night was one of the highlights of the trip? Seriously, if I could afford the time and the extra room, I would plan an extra night in to every blogging event. Having that time to decompress has been absolutely glorious.
Lowlights:
Um. I got nuttin’. Srsly. I had a blast. Alli and Barbara are rock stars. That’s all there is to it.
Instead of going on and on about what I want to tell you, why don’t you tell me what you’d like to know. Ask away, and I’ll answer in the comments.
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{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
I had a blast, too. So much fun. Not enough time together again, but so glad we could all be there!!!
Steph
I want to know why the conference didn’t last ten more days so I would actually have a chance to sit down and eat lunch with everyone that was on my list to neck-squeeze.
Angela <
Just wishin’ we actually had our #pancakeparty TOGETHER.
And absolutely GREEN about the extra day at the Opryland.
Oh, and ALWAYS GIDDY to see you, my friend. You are the only one I knew last year and consider you one of my best bloggy friends!
a
You know, I saw you, but I never got a chance to say hey. Congrats on doing well at Tastemakers! And, um, HEY!!!
Soooo jealous of the eating without having to do the dishes.
Great recap post! Next year…I am there.
I hope so!
No questions, just wanted to say I love your recap. I’m drinking it all in. And waiting for next year!
You better be!
Looks like SO MUCH FUN!!
After admitting that I didn’t talk to you one time when I saw you, I never did have another chance to say hi to you. So, though I just was in the same hotel as you for however many days, I’ll say hi now.
I’m home now, but I’m beat. I can’t believe how much there was to do, and how many people were around to talk to. What a great event!
Thanks for the recap Jo-Lynne…….I really hope I can get a hold of some transcripts!! Looks like everyone had fun!
Same page…LOVED it all! You are one of the folks I felt like I’ve known forever, and it was so great to get to actually meet you and hang out:) I’ll be there next year…yay!
Too many conference for me to choose from! I’d love to get your thoughts on which is “best.” Can’t go to them all!
Sounds like you had a great time. Were your ears burning? I was talking about you while you were gone. Check out my blog: http://ow.ly/14ZEc
You might see a familiar picture.
xoxo
Lain
I haven’t been to a lot of different conferences, but I love Blissdom. This was my 2nd time going and to plan to go again next year. It’s such a great time, and everyone for the most part is kind and supportive. Alli and Barbara and Paula do a GREAT job.
I want to know what you learned in the photography class that got you to turn off your auto settings!
When I got my camera, I tried really hard not to use the auto setting like I always did before. Learned all the numbers and how to adjust. I knew photoshop and I did well enough recovering my pictures, but now I’m slipping back.
I got tired of all my yellow pictures. I hate the flash now, but I just do the auto no flash setting now. I feel like I’m missing so much!
I’ll be posting about that today!
LOVE you roomie! You are a rockstar and beautiful and funny and on and on xoxo
Wish that I could have been stranded with you
GREAT recap!
I wish you were stranded with me too. My room was too quiet without you. Glad you got home to your lovies though.
LOVE THE DRESS!!! AND THE SHOES!!!
Why thank you! Have fun at Disney!
Gorgeous post. Always love seeing you, and it was fab to see you take the fan fave crown!
Aw thanks, ma’am. It was so awesome getting to see you again.
I’m sitting here at work having MAJOR BLISSDOM WITHDRAWAL.
SO much fun and so nice to see you again. I’m so glad we got to “visit” as we say in the South. Also just how smokin’ hawt were you in that dress? Was that Thursday night? Next year I promise not to be lame and I’ll be there the first night. I can’t imagine having as much fun as I did this year. It was awesome.
Gush gush.
The first night was REALLY fun.
No questions, but I do want to report that some of us who have never gone to Blissdom absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the Blissdom recap posts. Since I have to live vicariously through y’all, you just just feel free to talk about it ALL YOU WANT. Glad you had a great time!
Oh good! I would hate to make anyone feel left out.
Our pancake breakfast was one of my favorite parts, too!
I was SO glad to have that time to hang out with you!!
pancake pantry? sooo jealous over here. if we ever hang out (and you ever make it over to my digs) you’ll note that one of *very few* magnets on my fridge is from none other than pancake pantry. it is one of several items in this house that pay tribute to my years spent in nashvegas
need to get my booty back down there for a visit soon… yeah, like i said….jealous!
We DO need to hang out.
What a great recap. I love that you wrote it for us outsiders to feel more like insiders. Thanks!
Molly, thank you for saying that. My worst fear when writing these posts is that I will make people who weren’t there feel left out.
I loved meeting you in person!!! You are just every bit and pretty and sweet as I thought you would be! Great recap…some of my exact thoughts. Now I just need to get motivated and do mine.
I loved meeting you too! I knew I’d love you. And I did!
I thought for SURE you’d say having to put up with me all weekend was a lowlight.
I’m totally going to blog about that face you make each time I swear. 
Cecily, darlin’. I luv ya! For realz. I’d have put hanging out with you among the highlights except I purposefully didn’t start mentioning people I loved b/c I knew I’d leave someone out. I love having friends that don’t think just like me!
I’m so glad I got to know you better on this trip.
Fun recap! And I LOVE Rachel – she IS a doll! I went to Kraft Foods w/her.
Happy night!
Jealous!
I met her for the first time this weekend. I’m so glad Tastemakers had us choose roommates from among our group so I got to know someone fabulous that I may not have known otherwise.
Wow, looks like you had a fabulous experience. I think I’m going to definitely try to make it next year – it sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Oh I hope you can!
It was so great seeing you again. I agree, the conference was simply wonderful.
Likewise. Wish I’d had time to stalk you for photography tips. I’m loving your photos!!!
Super post – green with envy.
How about a deal – I teach you photoshop and you bring me to all your conferences!!!
If you had to pick JUST ONE conference – which would it be?
That sounds like a deal to me! If I had to pick one, I’d pick Blissdom for sure. I have heard great things about Mom 2.0 from more of a professional perspective, and I’d love to go to that if I could afford it. But if you’re looking for a weekend with your best girlfriends to socialize and yuck it up? Blissdom is the one to be at! (Nice grammar, huh?)
It was so fun meeting you Saturday night! You are just as sweet and engaging in real life! Looking forward to seeing you again at a future conference.
Amy
Loved getting to spend time with you! Can’t wait to see you again!
I actually love reading the conference recaps…and it’s fun to see all of the photos too. So if you have more to say, feel free to say it.
Questions for you:
1. Who did you spend the most time with at the conference?
2. Who do you wish you could have spent more time with?
2. How does Blissdom compare to other conferences/events you have attended?
3. If you could improve the conference next year, what would you do?