Category Archive for BlogHer 07 in Chicago

I should (and will) get around to posting about Day 2 or doing some sort of BlogHer 07 wrapup. But for now, I’m still stunned from the trek home (BAH! A pox upon coach class!) and am having a hard time digesting it all quite so far. So I’m going to do something I just saw someone else who was at the conference do a roundup of the business cards/blogcards/etc that they got and share some of the links with her readers. What a great idea! You get an idea of who I ran into and who felt I was worthy of a card (I loves getting these cards, more blogs to read!) and they get a little linky-love for their trouble. A win-win situation if you ask me. :) So check out some of these totally awesome women that I met over the last three or so days.

• Lizarita from Oops! Did I Say That Out Loud? Had the CUTEST little card.
• Isabel from hola, isabel. She is SUCH a sweet woman.
• Stacy/Mrs. Squirrel from Hollow Squirrel who was at a lot of the same sessions of me so you know she’s got good taste.
• Liz from House of H (otherwise known as Hilarities Ensue). And she? Is awesome. I’ll even forgive her for being on a WordPress.com blog.
• The ever-fabulous Tracey Clark from Mother May I and Picture This over at ClubMom. She is my photographer idol.
• Jen Scharpen (did I spell that right?) aka jenijen from Not Calm Dot Com. She is way, way with it.
• Monica, aka Lady M was very pretty and let me take a picture of her braids.
• I still can’t quite believe Susan Sawyers talked to me, because she’s actually smart and talented an KNOWS THINGS.
• Jenny Lauck who moderated one of the best panels I went to and is such a funny and fun person! She writes for Three Kid Circus (duh, as if you didn’t know).
• Liz Rizzo from Everyday Goddess. She was everywhere an a very cool chick.
• Carmen Stacier of Mom to the Screaming Masses, Kathryn Thompson from Daring Young Mom, and Julie Marsh from Cool Mom Picks (squee!) were among some of the lovely women at a dinner hosted at the W Hotel by Tanya Singer of Real Simple (you know, the magazine! I KNOW!).
• Elizabeth Edwards (no, not THAT one) from Table 4 Five. Another gal that was everywhere!
• Valerie Brown from Disorderly Conduct who attended my little session on Saturday and actually told me that I helped!
• And last, but not least, Susan Somers (Dirt Makes Fat) who roomed with Shawna (who had no card, BOO! but blogs for Talpidae) and I adored them both. We ate deep dish pizza from Gino’s East together.

Now go forth and visit. I know I will (when I’ve slept for about 10 hours).

Filed under BlogHer 07 in Chicago |

So before I go forward with my embarrassing little tale, you have to promise that you won’t reply with, “OMG, you are such a stoopid whore!” Simply because, yes, I understand that I am a stupid whore. I don’t need to be reminded of it. And you also have to realize that I am a shy, backward and submissive sort of person. You know, in case you didn’t know that already. Which, if you’ve been paying any attention here, you should already know and this whole little “sidebar” of my post is entirely unnecessary. Whatever.

So last night, I was invited to this “little” dinner at the W Hotel hosted by the lovely people at Real Simple magazine. Honestly, I was so flabbergasted to be invited that I just HAD to go. I wasn’t expecting such delicious, fancy food and such wonderful, awesome people. Really, had a great time. But Zoot has been proven as an “early to bed” sort of gal and I didn’t want to keep her up too late so I left shortly after 10pm before the festivities had officially ended. As I was sorta dressy and wearing some heeled sandals, I thought maybe I should take a cab back to my hotel. I knew that my hotel was very near, but not entirely sure and it was dark… So yeah, the cab.

It ended up being a piddling $3.05 fare. I figured, with tip I’d just give him $5. HOWEVER, I had 3 $20 bills in my wallet. So I handed him a $20. Okay, see, I know I should have asked for change then and there, but I didn’t. And he… just took it. And I got out and went inside. And have proceeded to beat myself up repeatedly because I spent $20 on a $3 cab ride.

DON’T TELL MY HUSBAND.

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Nevermind the fact that it’s now technically Day 2. There is almost literally NO TIME to do anything on your own here and our hotel has some rather sketchy internet access. So the only chance I really get to post is in the morning before the shuttle takes us to the conference or at the conference itself. This morning I was busy uploading the rest of yesterday’s pics to flickr and so no posting. Plus, I slept in a little bit. If you consider 6:15 sleeping in. Which, considering what time I’ve gotten up the last two days, I do.

What do I think of Day 1 of the conference? Amazing. It’s so different than it was last year. Everyone seems a lot friendlier, a lot more open, and a lot more into the conference. There aren’t these pockets of people who set themselves off from the rest like last year either. I think a lot more people are feeling a lot more comfortable too, which helps. I’ve met some great, amazing people and have a lot easier time introducing myself to bloggers than I did last year.

And Chicago is amazing. I think it helps having the hotel and conference site separate. This conference doesn’t feel so isolated and there’s a lot more socializing and going out on the town at night. Not that I’ve really done that, unless you count the Real Simple dinner I went to last night at the W Hotel which was super fancy. Our hotel isn’t half bad either though. Very comfy pillows.

So yesterday I attended the “naked” blogging panel (which was SO GOOD, I’m glad I chose that one), the “Our Bodies, Our Blogs” panel (also, very, very good and interesting) and the “State of the Momosphere” panel which was such a vast improvement on last years mommmyblogging panel that you can hardly compare the two. Honestly, all day long it felt like go go go go. I’m going to need at least a week to catch up from this conference, I tell ya.

Anyhow, time to get diving into Day 2. Wish me luck, my session is later on this morning!

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I made it here, and as far as I can tell, I’m in one piece! I would have loved to get on and check email and post yesterday but the hotel wireless has been less than reliable in that area. I am in down in the lobby right now, waiting for the shuttles to start running to the Navy Pier and the wireless is working fine for the moment. I’m sipping some coffee (dear god, I need coffee), nibbling a muffin (STARVED) and watching the rain pitter-patter outside. Yeah, of COURSE it’s raining, right? Hence the waiting for the shuttle because we’re not going to try to walk to someplace we’re not sure where it is in the rain.

I met up with Kim at O’Hare airport yesterday afternoon and we got a cab to our hotel. We haven’t been brave enough to venture outside quite yet, but we’re hoping to soon. We’ve already met and talked with some really great people and I’m scared to death that I don’t remember who they all are.

We missed part of the speaker training yesterday but managed to make the reception. Of course, because there was free alcohol there! Because there’s no better cure for jet-lag than a couple appletini’s, right? I woke up around 3:30 my time this morning, it was a pretty restless night. Lots of excitement. I know this will catch up with me sooner or later, I just hope it’s later rather than sooner.

I miss my family pretty bad and I’m trying not to think about them. Whenever I think about them, I feel a little choked up and sad and I don’t want to be feeling that way. I should be having fun, right?

And I am. Kim is awesome and we’re having a good time so far. I think having the speaker training the night before is great because I feel a lot better able to dive into the conference this year. Last year I was petrified from the first moment and it felt like being dumped off into a vat of freezing water with no warning. At least last night I was able to get my toes wet first.

I’ll let you know how it all goes from here on out. Again, very exciting. And anyone who isn’t here (I’m talking to YOU, Brit!), you are SORELY missed.

Filed under BlogHer 07 in Chicago, Fantabulous-ness |