Last year, I had the most amazing opportunity to go to Blissdom 2010.
It was a complete unexpected blessing.
My mom had just passed away 4 months earlier, and I was still grieving her absence in my life.
Posts about Blissdom began popping up all around blogland last January, and I wondered what all the fuss was about.
I had no clue what Blissdom was or why I would even need to go. All I knew is that some of my very favorite bloggers in the world were going, and I was dying to meet them in real life. :)
There was a writing contest to win a ticket to Blissdom, and I entered it. I wrote about my mom. You can read about it here.
I almost won. It was really, really close. But I didn’t get the ticket.
I was crushed.
Until my sweet daddy said he was going to buy me a ticket to Blissdom because he knew Mom would want him to.
I couldn’t believe it! I was thrilled.
Until he went to purchase the ticket, and they sold out only an hour earlier.
I was crushed again.
I wanted to go so badly.
Without me knowing, my hubby and dad actually contacted one of the Blissdom Leaders to see if they could still purchase me a ticket. They emailed them back and told them I could get a ticket!
Unbelievable! I was going to Blissdom!
So I started making plans. My sister was going to go with me, but not attend the conference. She and I were needing some sister time together. Life had been really heavy since Mom passed away.
So this little girl and her little blog went to Blissdom ’10!
Remember how I said I wanted to meet my favorite bloggers?
Well, look at this…
Yep…That’s Rhoda and Layla!
Rhoda was my angel last year. She took me under her precious wing and introduce me to all the “home” bloggers. She saved me seats at tables and invited me to hang out with her. Rhoda’s blog was one of my mom’s favorites and I know why!
I got to eat lunch with Layla. It was surreal. :) Yes, I texted my hubby and said I am sitting with Layla. He texted back, “The Lettered Cottage?’” I said, “yes.” He said, “Wow!”
He understands me.
And I got to eat lunch with this amazing lady! Sandy from The Reluctant Entertainer.
She felt like a sister from the moment I met her, and she has continued to be a blessing to me this entire year. I cannot WAIT to see her again this year!
And then there’s Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick. I didn’t get to hang out with her much, but I totally stalked her until I was able to get a picture.
My feet were not touching the ground in this picture!
I have gotten to know Sarah even more over the past year, and she is a precious soul. Can’t wait to see her again. :)
Who else did I meet?
None other than Kimba, at A Soft Place to Land.
Totally thrilled to meet her! She is beautiful and funny.
I even got to see Kimba again at Relevant ‘10 in October of last year. I have total “hair envy” when I am around her. :)
Do you know this next sexy lady?
Yep. It’s Kate from Centsational Girl!
Her blog has blown up this past year!
I didn’t get to hang with her a lot, but I have had the blessing of getting to know her even more this past year. She is so talented and has a great heart.
When I saw the picture of her kids’ Christmas tree on her blog, I couldn’t believe that it had the same candy garland on it that I had when I was a child. It reminded me so much of Mom.
And do you know that sweet Kate bought me some candy garland and sent it to me all the way from California? Just because. It blessed my heart so much. Thank you, Kate!
And look at this next picture! That’s Melissa, from The Inspired Room, on my right and Nester, from The Nesting Place, on my left! I could hardly stand it!!
It is the most amazing feeling to make your online friends your real life friends.
I got to hang out more with Melissa at the Relevant ‘10 conference, and she absolutely cracks me up! She is one cool chick!
I didn’t get to talk to Nester much last year, but I am hoping this year I can get to know her better. Since we are both the mom of all boys, I think we would have a lot in common, don’t you? :)
Here is a group shot of some more amazing bloggers! I remember standing in this group and thinking, “What am I doing here?” “Am I fooling anybody?”
Honestly…who cared? I was having the time of my life!!!!!
And my sweet sister hung out at the Opryland Hotel the whole time while I was “star gazing”.
She had to listen to all my blog stories every night when I got back to the room.
But man! Did we have fun!!! It was just what my heart needed!
Cyndi and I are going again to Blissdom in one week!!!
I am beyond excited.
I have so many blog friends going. Most I have never met in real life. It is going to be great hang with them. :)
My sister is going to be attending the conferences this year. I told her I was going to tell everyone she is my “blog assistant”. :)
And we are going to be rooming with Richella from Imparting Grace.
Isn’t she the cutest thing ever?
She has been my precious online friend for two years. And she has faithfully prayed for me and my family during the loss of my mom. And now I get to hug her neck in person!! How great is our God!
Can’t wait to see you Richella!
So why am I going to Blissdom again this year?
Well, I hope to learn more about blogging.
I hope to make my blog an even better blog in 2011 (for my awesome readers!)
But most of all, I hope to make even more of my online friends my real life friends.
I will still stalk my favorite bloggers. I will be nervous. I will be excited.
I will laugh and cry!
I will be blessed!
I’m so very thankful to be going again this year!
If you are going, please come introduce yourself to me! I want to meet as many new bloggers as possible!
I will share a few fun posts from Nashville next week!
Have a blessed day!
YOU can’t wait to see ME? Oh, it’s the other way around, girl!!
I won’t say that I can’t wait to meet you, because I already know you. No doubt about it, we are already sisters heart-to-heart. But I am SO excited to get to be friends face-to-face!!
Love ya!
Richella
You are so cute! I love how excited you get at meeting the other bloggers. I don’t think I’ve ever left a comment on your blog before but I love reading!!
Have fun in Nashville next week! I didn’t realize that it was located in Nashville. I live rather close so I need to drive up and be a stalker. :)
You are rooming with Richella? I did not know that? HOW FUN! You all are precious. What a wonderful room. I am staying across the street and a few of my kids are coming (not to the conference), so feeling a bit alone without any peeps to hang with. I may definitely come and find you all. :)
See ya soon
Oh Traci, that looks like So much fun! I want to go SO badly, but I don’t like to drive that far. I have a seizure disorder (haven’t had one in YEARS, but still, the thought of driving to Nashville isn’t a fond thought) I want to go to Blissdom so much I could cry, but will live vicariously through your pictures. (I just want to go to meet everyone…..I wanna stalk people too! lol)
I do LOVE my pantry, so thanks for encouraging me to get off my tushy and just do it! :) Those jars are wonderful!! too and SO much cheaper than anything else I looked at! I’d like to go get some more for my sugar etc. Isn’t it SO funny how much our pantry pictures looked alike. I was laughing when I read your post thinking…”OMgoodness our pantries are twins!” lol
I truly hope you have fun at Blissdom…maybe I’ll get to go someday. I just know I would be a mess I would be so excited! :)
Hugs
Missy
My cottage charm :)
Hi! I so agree that getting to hug the necks of women who have encouraged and blessed me but whom I have never met would be such an amazing experience! And surreal! My sister and I live in different states and we have been talking about how we would love to attend together someday and what a treat it would be. I hope you have a fabulous time and come back refreshed! :-)
Vanessa
That is wonderful! I read the most fantastic posts from last year’s event and I look forward to the sharing from this one. It will be great to see what, if any, changes you make to the blog and what you learned from the other fabulous women.
I wanted to add that thanks to the series you started with your sister, my craft closet is neatly organized and labeled and I am loving my pantry! Thank you!!
Wow! I really wish I could go to Blissdom this year but it just really isn’t happening! :( I think it is so cool that you got to meet all those amazing “celebrity” bloggers – literally I got chill bumps when I saw the picture of Layla and Rhoda. I mean, really? It’s the equivalent of meeting Denzel Washington or Katherine Heigl! I am so envious and so excited for you! :) Can’t wait to hear about all the fun you will have this year!
Traci, I am so glad to find your awesome blog! I came across it looking for photos of open shelving above microwaves, and here I am still reading a half hour later. I so wish I was going to Blissdom and look forward to hearing about your experience this year! Have a wonderful time.
Traci,
I am so happy to read this. It makes me excited and nervous all at the same time. I will be that newbie this year just as you were last year. Me and my little ol’ blog are heading to Nashville. I can’t wait to meet all those wonderful home bloggers too! I am glad I already met you at Relevant. It helps knowing there will be some familiar faces. If I look scared and lost please grab me! I don’t want to eat with strangers you know!
Love ya
See you soon xoxo
Denise
Yay!! Have fun, Traci!! I so wish I could go to some of these events. Maybe Relevant 11 will work out. Are you going this year? I hope so!
Lots of love to you my friend,
Laura
Well, every year I say I’m going but I’ve yet to make it! I was visiting with Rhoda this past Monday and she reminded me she was going. If I ever do go, I’ll probably take my sister too (who doesn’t quite get this blogging thing!) cause I’ll be soooo nervous to meet everyone. And Layla lives about 20 min. from me but we’ve never met! Schedules have a hard time of meshing sometimes.
I can’t wait to hear all about your trip this year. Have fun!
Judy
What a beautiful story! I love how God works to give us the desires of our heart!
Ahh that looks like SO much fun! I can’t wait!! And I can’t wait to meet YOU! p.s.- I can’t believe how tall Sarah is!! lol.
Sooo jealous!!! Next year is my year! I am sooo going to blissdom! Some girlfriends of mine & I have already made plans!! Can’t wait! :)
how fun! Looks like you had such a great time! I wish I were going now. :)
That must be so awesome to meet all of those amazing bloggers in person! Maybe someday I’ll get to go :) I’d probably be stalking you :) LOL!
Thank you for sharing about your first Blissdom experience! I’ll be a newbie this year and I’m trying not to be intimidated. It helps to hear everyone’s advice and stories, as well as connecting via blogs and Twitter. I hope our paths will cross!
Can’t wait to see you again, and all those amazing girls!!! xoxo And your sis too!
wishing I could see you there!!!!!!!
have a blast, sweet thing.
Like you, I have stalked many of my favorite bloggers from afar and someday I hope to take the adventurous trip to Blissdom-So with much luck and much prayer, I may be lucky enough to meet you there next year!!-Claire
Traci, cannot wait to see you again. I’m so glad that home bloggers have a dedicated time to hang out and we don’t have to try to carve it out of nothing! whoo hooo!
and how sweet that your sister is coming.
and also, Richella is one of my favorite people in the world. she has even been to my house. and brought me a present. I ABSOLUTELY adore that woman.
Traci,
i can’t wait to meet you! you are so adorable!
I think I told you this already, but for Blissdom ’09 my best friend and I stayed in the same hotel and stalked our favorite bloggers. We did what we wanted to during the day while the conference was going on, then caught up with the blogging gals in the evening. It was a lot of fun and that was the first time I met Kimba and Jan from Beauty and Bedlam, as well as Emily and The Nester. I spent an entire evening talking to Susie Harris and her sister, Missy, and that was so much fun. I know you will have as much fun this year as you did last year. I’m so jealous! : ) I’d love to go, especially since it’s so close to me (Nashville is only a 3 hour drive) and y’all and Richella will be there. Are you and Cyndi planning on Relevant this year? If you are, would you PLEASE tell Richella to come? : )
Oh my darlin! You are taking me back! So nice to reflect on the conference last year, and such a delight to get to know you! Can’t wait to give you hugs my friend!
xo
Kate
I so hope I get to meet you! I can’t wait until next week. It will be so much fun. It’s funny to read your post about how you were so star struck because that’s how I’ll feel when I meet you!
~Allison @ House of Hepworths
Ohhh, can’t wait to hear about your adventure and see all the pictures…so exciting…
This year is my first Blissdom. I hope to meet more home bloggers. I hope I get to see you and say hi!
I hope you have a great time!! After the event is over I try to scour everyone’s blogs to see what everyone learned and what’s new this year. Still can’t go this year, but I’m hoping maybe next year?!
If you want to share some of your lessons, I’ll eat it up. Last year, TipJunkie posted her bullet points from her talks and I read every word! So glad you’re going! Be blessed!
I’m hoping to meet you at Blissdom. AND after reading this post, I’m wishing that I was a home blogger. I have total envy of the sisterhood :)
Oh…how fun! I would love to meet some of those women in person-
sandy toe
Blissdom sounds like soo much fun,, i’d really like to go one year.
Traci, I hope you’ll save a photo for me! I have admired you and your sweet blog for some time now, and I can’t wait to meet in person! See you next week!
Hey, Traci, what a great recap from last year. It was so much fun to see everyone & I know this year is going to be even better. xoxo
Oh, girl, I cannot wait to see you next week. Love you so much!
I feel like I’m in the same boat as you were last year with regards to seeing this Blissdom thing pop up all of a sudden all over blogland, and not knowing what the heck it is! I’m relatively new to the world of these blogs, but I absolutely LOVE following all of the people that you mentioned above. Hope you have fun at the conference – maybe someday I’ll get to the legit status of all you guys!
i’m going. i went last year too and had a great time!
Traci – thanks for taking the time to write such a fabulous recap. This is my first year and I am even more excited to go! Blessings!
I am new to your blog, but I loved reading your posts from Blissdom 2011 and 2010. That is so neat that you got to go! Your story of your mom is truly touching and I am sure she was so happy you got to be at Blissdom! I would love to go next year!