Party Ideas: Boy or Girl Pool Party

I made it back from BlogHer’11 in time for Aiden’s baptism, but I did miss Ryu and Kira’s ½ birthday party L “Really, ½ birthday party?” you ask? Their birthdays are in the winter, so us Midwesterners can’t have BBQs and pool parties all year round. It’s actually pretty funny how Kira thought her mom was decorating for Mia’s birthday. The 3 ½ year old didn’t quite get the ½ birthday concept. And yes, the kids are back in school and the temperatures are dropping...and I am just now posting a pool party.

I was pretty bummed about missing the party since I gave my SIL a ton of ideas, in addition to these, the week before and was looking forward to seeing what she crafted up. Similar to the birthday party decorated for $1, the cost to decorate this party was next to nothing! To doll up this party on a small budget, my SIL mostly used supplies she already had on hand.

{Pool noodles (veggie straws) and beach balls (cheese balls) inspired by JCs Loft. Beach towel used as a table runner.}

{Bunting made from paper and wine corks dipped in paint - a quick way to stamp dots!

Also a great way to get the kids involved.}

There were other fun details (food table backdrop, picture displays, pool jello cups, etc), but as most mom’s know, it’s nearly impossible not easy to set up decorations, get yourself ready, get the kids ready, tell your husband how to get ready, put out all the food, talk to guests, watch your kids, AND take lots of pictures of all your party details and guests. I know that I’m never in pictures, and it’s such a bad habit! I thought Kristen’s suggestion of taking the hostess’s camera and taking pictures for her is such a great idea! That way 1) pictures are taken 2) mom's actually in them and 3) you avoid the “Ok, I’ll send you these pictures later!”  problem because the pictures are already on the hostess’s camera!

I also missed this pretty little face enjoying her time in the pool with the big kids!

Monogram Print to Decorate Baby's Room

After taking the red eye back from San Diego Saturday night, I arrived in Chicago at 530am. I missed my nephew and niece’s ½ birthday party (show you tomorrow!), but I made it back in time for Aiden’s baptism!  For his monkey themed bedroom, we got the little guy a personalized monogram print from etsy shop babybyrds.  Mia has one too.

Lamp - IKEA; Shelves - Target; Bedding - Target (clearance); DIY floor pillowcases, taggie pillow and valence.

Actually, I loved it so much that I bought one for Ryu and Kira. And for my friend's boy and girl.

Frames are from Michael's with 40% coupons.

And my aunt bought one for all three of my cousins’ boys (themes: cars, trains, University of Michigan). And my other niece has one too haha. It’s a personalized piece of art to decorate a child's bedroom/nursery, no matter what your decor is like.  Christen was so accomodating in customizing colors, patterns, and animals/images. I (obviously) highly recommend!  

linked up here:

Queen Bee Market

I met Lori at breakfast one day who said she had the same earrings as me from etsy shop Pretties by Meg. Lori also ended up in one of my sessions later. Since the afternoon sessions didn't particularly interest me, I asked her if she wanted to hit up the Queen Bee Market (assuming she liked crafty goodness from her earlier comment on our earrings). Talking with Lori and taking in all the eye candy was way better than sitting through a session that I wasn’t interested in (see tip #5).

The Queen Bee Market is one of the blogosphere’s most talked-about handmade boutique fairs. I loved all the beautifully set up “booths” and the creative ways to display their handmade goodies. 

Little Penelope Lane has a touching story of how the shop began. Read about it here.

There were ruffles, rosettes, earrings, headbands, buntings and stationary galore!

Aren't the pillows such a cute and comfortable learning tool to have in a child's room?

I ended up getting earrings from esty shop Crystal B and Flawed Perfection Jewelry and a little backpack for Mia from Marine Parents - the shop. Mia loves carrying her "pak-ah" around J

 And that wraps up my wonderful 2.5 days in San Diego at BlogHer, talking to an array of women bloggers, all because of PaperCulture! Thanks for supporting my creative endeavors honey © and all you readers!  

BlogHer Conference Newbie Tips

If I were a newbie to an enormous blogging conference, here’s what I’d want to know beforehand:

1. Everyone is just as nervous as you are.

As my social media expert of a best friend suggested, I searched #blogher on twitter (even though I don’t have a twitter account) to see what other people were saying about the conference. This led me to plenty of articles where past attendees posted what they learned. The commonality being – everyone feels just as nervous and insecure as you. It will not be like the high school cafeteria, people will talk to you and no one will care what you wear. In retrospect, it was fine and there was nothing to be anxious about.  Everyone is there to meet new people. And honestly, I met more newbies than recurring conference goers, which made me feel better that everyone was in the same boat.

2. Reach out to people beforehand.

Find out who’s going. Search twitter. Search your Google reader. See who has a BlogHer logo on the blogs you normally read. Then reach out to them. I emailed a dozen people whose blogs I normally read to say that I’d love to meet them. Some replied, some didn’t.  Some were going, some weren’t. I even reached out to DIY super stars Jen from Tatertots and Jello and Shelley from The House of Smiths. And then when I spotted them, I wasn’t just any stalker reader. They already knew my name and blog and that I wanted to meet them J

3. Walk up to people and introduce yourself.

Yes, obviously we’re all there to network. But it always takes me a few mental tries before mustering up enough courage to walk up to someone and start talking. Sure, it’s always awkward to not know anyone in a room full of people who are already talking to one another. But just do it. Ask what they blog about, where they’re from, what sessions they went to, etc. It's also helpful to know your own elevator pitch. 

4. Similarly, if you recognize someone, go say something!

Opportunity 1:  I caught a glimpse of who I thought was Penny de los Santos (I already told you how excited I was to hear her). But I kept walking, thinking “Was that her? That has to be her. Should I say something?” I proceeded to walk and said to myself, “ Dah! I should’ve told her how I was so inspired by watching her live streaming seminar and that I was so excited to hear her speak today.” But I didn't, wah wah.

Opportunity 2: I recognized Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen on the speakers list and love her food photography tips, which I also already told you about. Like I mentioned in tip #2, before I left, I reached out to her. And she replied saying I’ll have a blast and to attend the newbie breakfast. On the first day, I saw her in passing, but wasn’t sure if it was her and moved right along. Later on, I saw her again, and I swear that was her, but kept on walking. Ok this happened like three more times and I never said anything! Ugh, stop being such a scardy cat! I did attend her session though and asked a question and followed up with her afterwards (via email). And although she’s a busy woman with two kids, columns to write for and TV shows to appear on, she replied saying that I better introduce myself next time!

Opportunity 3: In the bathroom, (like a creeper) I thought I recognized Rebekah from A Blissful Nest, but didn’t say anything. Then while getting lunch, I saw her again and was pretty sure that was her. Thinking about opportunities 1 and 2 that I already let pass me by, I just said “Go do it!” and introduced myself. Good thing I did beacuse we ended up talking all through lunch and now she has a face to put to all the comments I leave on her blog. She even featured me!

Opportunity 4: I noticed that someone had been eyeing me for awhile. She finally came up to me and asked if I was the woman behind Don't Speak Whinese. Yes, I know Asians may look alike J But I didn’t care that I wasn’t who she thought I was. I’m glad she finally came up to me and I hope she found the blogger she was stalking looking for!

5. If you don’t like a session, leave.

One session was just not for me. Rather than waste time pretending that I was interested, I just left and went to a different session. This worked out perfectly because that’s where I found Jen and Shelley, who I reached out to beforehand to hopefully meet them! I also didn’t see any pertinent sessions the second afternoon and headed over to the Queen Bee Market instead. Check back tomorrow for lots of pictures!

6. Leave A LOT of extra space in your suitcase and hit up the Expo early.

You will get free stuff. Lots of it. I didn’t stop to talk to too many vendors at the expo, yet I still went home with a suitcase full of swag. No joke, my belongings aren’t even in here...just a ton of free shit, yippee!

I also found that company reps were most interested and enthusiastic to talk to me earlier in the day, as opposed to the end of the day, where they are exhausted from being on their feet all day giving the same spiel for the thousandth time. So if you actually want an engaging conversation about their products, don't go late in the day.

7. Wear comfortable shoes.

This is a conference. At a convention center. There is a lot of ground to cover between the breakfast/lunch area, keynote rooms, breakout sessions, sponsor lounges, Expo, your hotel, cocktail hours, and late night parties. Not to mention you’re toting around your purse, camera, and bags of free stuff (see #6 above) while you trek around all day.

8. You don’t need your laptop.

Unless you like to take notes on your computer or feel the need to be digitally connected at every breathing moment, you’re probably fine without your laptop. iPads and fancy phones are enough to keep you connected to Facebook, twitter, your blog, and the blogs of people you just met.  A computer will just be an extra thing to lug around on your already aching shoulder and feet.

9. Tweet.

“Do you tweet?” was a common question people asked. And I don’t L Which means missed opportunities to connect with people. But I’m ok with not having another social media outlet to suck time out of my day.

10. Don’t stress about not having an increase in traffic/followers.

Just like Lori said in her recap, don’t worry if after the conference, you don’t have an increase in traffic and followers. Let’s be honest, of the 60+ business cards I collected, I didn’t check half of them out. And of the ones I did check out, although great to meet, maybe their site isn’t aligned with my current (blogging) interests. So people are probably doing the same to me. Which is fine. Because you’re a loyal reader, right? J

For any newbies heading to NYC for BlogHer’12, I hope these tips help! Or Haven, or *SNAP!, or the Creative Connection. Ha, there’re a lot of conferences out there to meet face to face with the people you know so well from behind your favorite blogs!  Don't worry, tomorrow's the last you'll hear about BlogHer'11...you still with me?

BlogHer'11 - Who I Talked To

In my recap, I mentioned how bloggers spread the love. So let me tell you a little bit about some lovely ladies I met at BlogHer'11. Among the 3500+ attendees, there were all sorts of bloggers. And PR/company reps. And surprisingly, I met just as many newbies as repeat offenders. Here’s who I remember after dishing out 60 business cards:

Molly from Milwaukee Mamas (a hyper local blog for Milwaukee parents) - We were wondering what was behind a mysterious curtain at the first cocktail party…and ending up getting hugs from the Bloggess (who is much sweeter than her blog voice is!).

Me and Ananda

Ananda from The Digital Sisterhood – Ananda was also a panelist, and I was delighted when she interviewed me! 

Maria and company from Schoolbags for Kids who were featured on DailyCandy, HuffPo and more. For each school bag you buy, they donate a school bag and supplies to a child in need around the world.

Sarah from Nerdy Apple Bottom was super fun and I didn’t even realize until the next day that she was a panelist (for the “Unexpected Viral Explosion”). See what post generated 46,000 comments and landed this Kansas City mama on Good Morning America and The Today Show.

Rebekah from a Blissful Nest – I creepily noticed her in the bathroom. And at lunch.  I finally decided to introduce myself. We ended up talking all through lunch and she even featured Mia’s Shabby Chic 1^st Birthday Tea Party.

Lilian from the Chinese Grandma – her business cards featuring photos of her cooking got us talking about the Pioneer Woman and a blogging class that she took at Stanford. I’m bummed that I didn’t get to attend PW’s all day session Thursday. Lilian recapped BlogHer so well, read about it here.

Jessi from Quirky Cookery and I partied it up at Sparklecorn. Yes it was sparkly. And there were unicorns. And glow necklaces. And a lot of women on the dance floor shaking it like they didn’t have a care in the world. To get a better feel for the official BlogHer party, check this video out. You can even (barely) spot me (if you pause it) with Jessi and her ears at 1:45 haha. 

And most randomly, I ran into my cousin, whom I haven’t seen or talked to in 10 years! Odd thing is that we both live in Chicago, yet we never crossed paths until San Diego. It’s so bizarre how you run into people from being at the right place at the right time. We caught up over a pitcher of sangria and tapas at Café Sevilla. MmmmMM I © tapas.

BlogHer’11 Recap

Annnnnd I’m back! I’ve been lazy procrastinating sleeping on Mia’s floor at 9pm every night instead of blogging, editing pictures and crafting. Bad habit, I know. But I enjoyed sleeping at a decent hour for a month once. The other day Doug said that my blogging career is over. And to that I say, HMPH! So where was I? Oh yes, BlogHer…month old news by now, but here goes so I can move on with my blogging life!

Thanks to PaperCulture, my United Miles and Doug’s Hilton Points, I was all set to go to a women’s blogging conference. In four days. By myself. Among 3,500+ other attendees! I was both nervous and anxious…Who am I going to talk to? What am I going to do for dinner? Will I just be a loner standing in the corner of a room full of confident women who already knew each other? However, reading other people’s posts about past BlogHer conferences reassured me that everyone had these same pre-conference jitters. 

I arrived Thursday night and headed straight for the first BlogHer cocktail party at the Marriott. Then first thing Friday morning was the newbie breakfast. It was reassuring to know that there was such a large number of first time conference goers. Throughout the next two days, I attended seminars on:

Writing/editing - Along with pracitcal writing/editing tips, I was advised to "Never trust a person that doesn’t say sh*t."

Penny de los Santos on food photography – I watched one of her live streaming workshops, told you about her here, and was so excited to hear her in person. It was more than how to photograph food (which disinterested some attendees), growing as a photographer, finding mentors, and showing your work to anyone who can give constructive feedback.  It was about a way of life. Capturing human moments. Connecting. Transporting people to a place to feel something. Finding places in your life that inspires you. Telling a story. Reacting to your instincts. Surrounding yourself with people that challenge you. Penny is such a humble and inspiring speaker. I need to refresh myself of these objectives as I strive to make beautiful photographs.

Great blog design – This was such a fast moving, visual, straight to the point seminar. So many helpful tips and keep your attention personality from Cynthia. Get the full resource list here. 

Local heroes – I mentioned before how I loved seeing how Jaden Hair from Steamy Kitchen got her “money” shot of her food. So I was glad to her as a panelist.  I heard how she and others made it “big” from being a nobody. Jaden doesn’t have a culinary background, but by doing her research, becoming an expert in her field, and finding her unique point of view, she has two cookbooks, is a columnist for Discovery Health and TLC and has been featured on a ton of TV shows and websites.  All from contacting a small newspaper and TV show to write/appear for free. To practice. And bigger and bigger papers and TV shows called. It’s amazing to hear how determined women are to get to where they want to be.

Just like most attendees, I went to BlogHer to be inspired. That is after all, what I love most about the blogging community. Everyone is supportive of each other’s ideas/businesses and wants to spread the love to see others grow and succeed.

My most inspiring takeaway came from Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, also known as the #1 most powerful woman in business by Fortune Magazine from 2006-2010.  Aside from hearing her views on how companies and governments should work together, Pepsi’s balanced portfolio, society and obesity, and the five necessities to being a leader (1 competency - being a lifelong student, 2 courage and confidence - to speak out, 3 communication skills, 4 consistency, and 5 integrity), this is what I’ll remember most:

Being raised in India, she studied all the time due to a strict upbringing where she had to be the top of the class. Her mother wanted her to dream, yet be married off at a young age as custom would have it. But her mother decided that if she got good grades, she could delay marriage. So Indra went on to Yale’s Businesss school, then the Boston Consulting Group, Motorola and others before arriving at Pepsi. Indra shared a story on how she kept missing a parent coffee hour with her daughter’s classmates. After her daughter brought this up, Indra replied,

“Do you want me to quit and stay home?” (In a positive, I’ll do what you need me to do, kind of way.)

Her daughter replied, “No, Mom. You worked so hard to get where you are today. Follow your dreams.”

What resonated so deep with me is how Indra’s mother instilled the value of following your dreams, and the message ran deep through to her own daughters. There’s a high probability that Doug and I will disagree with where Mia wants to go to college and with what major she will choose. (Yes, we are aware that is faaaaar from now.)  But I hope we can agree to raise our children to do whatever it is that makes them happy, no matter how far reaching and irregardless of the financial compensation. Catch Indra's full keynote here. Thanks for making it through this post and my month long hiatus!



As Seen On {A Blissful Nest}

Rebekah from A Blissful Nest featured the Shabby Chic 1^st Birthday Tea Party today! Hop on over to check out Rebekah's fabulous parties and styled shoots (featured on Amy Atlas, Hostess with the Mostess, Kara's Party Ideas and more!), her etsy shop for party printables, and her passion for interior design.   

I first came across A Blissful Nest from Rebekah's tissue paper wreath tutorial when gathering ideas for Mia’s Winter Onederland party.  Then last week at BlogHer, I had the pleasure of talking to Rebekah face to face about party planning, interior design, blogger versus wordpress, taking on way too much in addition to your day job, and quitting that job to do what you really love. *ahh* someday....There was also a flash mob that took place while we were talking during lunch! Check back on Thursday to hear how Rebekah and I got to talking in the first place (aka I’m a creeper/stalker).

Sommer, you really created a party more beautiful than I could've imagined, congrats!

Thank you so much for the feature Rebekah!