SNAP Recap: Insta Style

You wanna know what’s funny about going to a blogging conference?

You haul around your big ol’ DSLR, make sure the card is empty and ready, that the battery is charged…and then you don’t take a SINGLE PHOTO with it.

It makes no sense.  I mean, of all the places in the world where no one will look at me like I’m insane for taking a picture of my lunch…and I don’t do it.

I think some college kid needs to do a Master’s Thesis on this phenomenon.

Because it’s not just me.  It’s almost a trend.

Anyway, all of that to say that the only pictures you get with my recap post are Insta style.  But I guess that’s appropriate for me, right?

SNAP was held at Thanksgiving Point, Utah…right smack in the middle of their annual tulip festival.

While I never quite made it over to the actual tulip gardens with a purported half a million tulips, the grounds had gorgeous flowers everywhere you looked.

Happy flowers against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains?  Ohmyword.

My name tag had a little ribbon on it announcing that I was a speaker.

I felt fancy.

Which then made me all self conscious.  I mean, these people know I’m a complete nerd, right?

Remember my roommate gift?

Well, apparently great minds think alike because this was Meg‘s roommate gift.  Ha!

The conference was great and ran really smoothly (which is pretty amazing considering it was the first year!).

Every session I sat in was informative and well done.

But even more than that, everyone was SO sweet and lovely and kind.

It was awesome to connect with so many amazing women in real life.  All of whom proved to be even MORE awesome than I expected them to be via their online presence.

It’s a strange thing to anyone who doesn’t blog…but to get to hug someone you’ve been “reading” for years is something so special.

It might sound weird, but it is good for your soul to connect with other women for a few days…particularly other women who get what you do, why you love it, why it’s important, and frankly, that it’s totally not weird.  When you say SEO or WordPress or Linky Party…they can say something back.  And not just look at you like you went crazy on them.

And for me, I got goosebumps and teary eyed more than once when someone came up and thanked me for some of the content and guest bloggers/series in this space.  When someone said “I had a stillborn and your series was so incredibly helpful to me during that time.”  I can’t explain to you how that felt.  Not as an atta-girl because Jeannett is so amazing.  No, I want God to get the glory not lame old me.  But to think that, you know, this is worth it.  This is worth my time.  This is worth my money.  This is worth my energy.  I am obeying.  And it is good to obey.

It’s so easy for me to feel like I’m typing in a vacuum.  I sit at my little desk in my jammies at 5 in the morning.  I hit publish.  And SO often I think “What the heck am I doing?!”

God is good.  Always.

Meg, Ethan and I spoke on a panel calling “Blogging for Good”.  I secretly wanted to delete one of those O’s and call it Blogging for God.  And frankly, I think our panel ended up telling that story.  The three of us prayed together before it was time to speak.  Begging Him to stand in the gap for us.  We all cried.  The speakers.  The audience.  We’ve gotten some pretty great feedback and that makes me happy.  Not because I want to pat myself on the back, but because I want women to see that they have a voice.  And it would be a complete and utter shame if they didn’t use it.  Somehow.  Someway.  Because we are called to do it.  God wants all of us.  Even our silly little blogs.

For reals.

Of course, no conference aimed at the handmade/crafter/DIY set is complete without a Queen Bee Market.

Be still my handmade loving heart.

Mique (who I didn’t get to spend nearly enough time with) did an INCREDIBLE job.

As always.  She’s a rockstar.

The attention to detail always blows me away.

Jess‘ logo hand cut into a rubber floor mat?  No problem.

The sheer volume of gear that Lindsey was able to haul across two states?

This girl wins an award for packing saavy.

And perhaps should teach a class about it.

Could this print be more perfect?

All of Lily Love’s prints were so clever and cute…I could have easily taken home a half dozen.

(Psst, she’s having a whopping 50% off any order right now!)

I’ve seen Tracy‘s creations at multiple QBMs I’ve been to over the years and I am always completely and utterly blown away.

Those Disney princesses?  HANDMADE.  No, you guys.  I mean, she literally creates each detail by hand…every little eyeball, every head of hair…

My girls WILL own her stuff someday…they’d try to eat them now…but someday.  Because I swoon every time.

And before I knew it, it was time to fly back home.

Where my goofy kids were waiting for me.

Taken very good care of by my mom.

I can’t wait to go again next year.

Have you been to a blogging conference?  If you haven’t, which would you most like to attend?

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jeannett

I'm a mom to four. A wife to one. I believe in story. I love telling you about mine and would love to hear yours. There's really no sense in wasting our suffering and not sharing in each other's joy. We're all in this together...even if it doesn't always feel like it.

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