I’m going to start with Thursday. I woke up at 3:30 a.m. to freshen-up my red streaks, finish packing, hop on a ferry and get to the airport by 7… a.m. That meant I got 3 hours of sleep. A great way to start a full weekend. GREAT.
Blogher Conference 2009
I saw this sign in the ferry terminal:
At the airport I met up with Chris and Kim of 3 Giraffes. I like to call that flight our pre-funk. Chris’ bag had to be torn apart at security because she had a corkscrew in her bag. Here they are on the plane:
We made our way to our gate and met up with Sizzle. I got to learn her real name. But I’m not tellin’. I put her number in my phone and asked how to spell her real name. She said, “Just put Sizzle.” I bowed.
Here we are on Friday night:
And also Kim’s nostril – heh, heh… Picture via Ms. Sizzle on Flickr
Here are Kim and I playing with our phones and driving the lady that sat next to me crazy. Oh… I can’t even begin to tell you about the gal I sat next to. Let’s just say I finally had to “fake sleep”.
Here’s my “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, but 10 a.m. in Seattle” pre-funk beverage, courtesy of the 2 darlings of 3 Giraffes.
We made it to Chicago… and to our lovely SUV limo that we shared with 8 9 other BlogHers and all their luggage.
Yadda, yadda, yadda… party here, party there… Met my awesome roomies… I met Alli Worthington at The People’s Party – and she sprinkled my glitter on her! She’s like a bright beam of light, that Mrs. Fussypants. I just wanted to put her in my pocket. But that might not have gone over well with security. But really, there’s something special about her…
*photo credit – 3 Giraffes on Flickr*
Also, at The People’s Party, I got to meet PhatMommy and see Of the Princess and the Pea – again. I met Diana at BlogHer last year. Much to my pleasure and joy, I got to spend LOTS of time with these two great women. *swoon*
It wasn’t long before Chris, Kim and I decided to escape the madness of swag-seeker-chaos… and next thing I know we wuz kickin’ it at one uvtha hotel lounge/bar/restaurants. It was there I tried my first tequila shot. And another. *eep*
Oh. Forget the running commentary, here are some pics with captions… all pics I stalked from the Flickr… Otherwise you’d see my fuzzy camera phone pics. You deserve better…
It’s like prom, only not! Kim and Chris of 3 Giraffes. Picture via mizzjenny on Flickr
Jenny x 2. Oh yeah. You can feel the heat! We’re unstoppable. Not sure what we need to be stopped for, but… Picture via mizzjenny on Flickr
“Now, you girls…” Was this tequila #1 or #2? Who cares… Blackmail Picture via Not Calm (dot com) on Flickr
*eeep!!!*It’s a Jenn-fluenza! From left to right –> Moi, Jenn of Mommy Needs Coffee, Jenny of 3 Kid Circus, and Jen of Not Calm Dot Com. Picture via 3 Giraffes on Flickr
We kicked it at that lounge for hours… eating, hydrating *ahem*, giggling… For me, it was the perfect way to kick off the weekend. I met Chris, Kim and Jenny (3 Kid Circus) last year at BlogHer, and it was a treat to spend the first night of this one just… whateverin’… and to meet Jen of Not Calm… Oh, she’s a cutie-pie, she is! And My fellow coffee addict, Jenn… I met her last year too! Oh the love!!!! Hmmm… coffee *scratching head*
And I was debating whether to post this last one. But it’s late and my decision-making is impaired and it’s rare to get a “good” picture, and I had gotten a sunburn the day before this pic was taken (new word, don’t correct me), so I have some color, and apparently I was relaxed and thought I was a part-time model. Or whatnot. I’m just glad my Spanx didn’t show.
Picture credit to 3 giraffes over / Flickr…
I was going do a “BlogHer – The Friday” post. Rather, I just want to document how fabulous life becomes when online friends get to meet each other IRL. At BlogHer, not only did I get to meet people I have grown to admire, adore and, yes… even LOVE. I also MET people at BlogHer who I now admire, adore, and even… LOVE.
In no order of importance, but probably in order of how this pics loaded from my iPhone into iPhoto, or however they landed on my desktop as I stalked the BlogHer pics on the Flickr…
Chris, Kim (3 Giraffes) and Sizzle Says… gettin’ texty with it whilst we wait for our ride to the Sheraton in Downtown Chicago.
My Jenny (3 Kid Circus). Have read her from my first days… plus our names are at the same level of Awesome, and we both celebrate the same new age in the SAME MONTH, and also she has 3 kids. Like identical twins of life… practically exactly the same. We both even have green teeth. Scary *shivers*. We do have one thing not in common tho, I am a stalker and she is cool. (pic belongs to mizzjenny on Flickr)
Oh. Dawn (Because I Said So). Luv Hur. So. Mauch. Look at that smile of hers! Pure gold, this woman. My biggest regret of BlogHer ’09…. not riding The Wienermobile with her. I was sitting against a random wall, charging my laptop and she came by and said she was going to go ride the Wienermobile and I was all, I’m gonna go nap.
I napped for maybe 10 minutes. Meanwhile Dawn got to ride the Wienermobile and made all kinds of what I bet were FABULOUS inappropriate jokes memories.
Oh, OH! Also, I landed an open seat where Dawn was lunching on Saturday and got to hang with MaNiC MoMMy too! No pic to prove it, but only the joy in my heart for my new adorable friend Stephanie! Mwah to you two lovelies!
Kelby stinkin’ Carr. The genius behind Type-A Mom and contributor at countless other sites. I’m sorry I caught ya with your eyes closed, my sister. Musta been all the glitter in the air.
I finally got to lay my eyes on and hug Musing Woman of Blogtations and Three Words Blog. This woman has been such an encouragement to me. I am amazed how much value someone you have never met, and have somewhat staggered contact with… how significant they can grow to be. She has such a tenderness… a genuine compassion… and despite the trials of life — that light she possesses burns full and lovely. She had to leave the conference early, but even those few moments together were so full for me! {{{cyberhug}}}
Lotus (Sarcastic Mom). I saw her that first night, Thursday night, and drooled on her a bit (I hope my drool stain came out of your top…), but didn’t have the nerve to ask her to take a pic with me. A day later, I cornered her, and she had no choice. I’m kidding. Not about the “no choice” part, just the cowering. She didn’t cower, she’s brave like that. Sarcastic Mom was as lovely and delightful as my mind built her up to be 🙂
Sweet, sweet Christy Nelson. Creative genius and owner of a smile ya just can’t smile back at! Each time I bumped into her in the great halls of BlogHer, I couldn’t help but smile. There are people who just bring that… and Christy brings it. See??? No. You can’t see, but I have an ear-to-ear grin just typing this!
I met the lovely Erin Sclosser (Schlosser Design). She was hanging with Christy at the mommy Needs a Cocktail Party. You should visit her site… oh the loveliness! Talent with a capital T!
Yay! New friends! Liz (HP and Baby Blooze) and John Kim (Whrrl) at the Type-A Momfluence cocktail party…. Oh, the coffee martinis were TO DIE FOR. I downed 2. Or 3. I think just 2, but I wanted 5. I digress. I am learning to Whrrl… so I can tell more stories more often!
The Weird Girl. It was an instant connection at BlogHer last year. At these events it can be all too easy to forget the many people one has met. Not the Weird Girl. It’s a heart thing. I knew she was headed there this year and was tickled to give her a big squeeze… and shake it together on the dance floor at the MamaPop party…
(pic belongs to jack’sdad on flickr)
I met Rick of Tiny Prints… but this was all most BlogHers ever really saw of his face. It was like a mask, but it was a camera. In this picture, my friend Chris was taking a pic of Rick taking a pic of her… They are so creative. (pic belongs to 3 Giraffes on flickr)
Ummm…
I was going for a creative mirror/self-portrait shot and this fella hopped in the frame. A bachelor party crashed the CheeseburgHer party. Aaaaanywho…
Met this darlin’ at the CheeseburgHer party. She was so sweet to pose with me. This is The Cheeky Lotus. Her name is not Heather. It’s Lena. But her name could TOTALLY be “Heather” *wink*… Maybe I’ll change my fake name from “Heather” to “Lena”. *thinkingthinking*
And then I met Lisa Stone! (pic belongs to mizzjenny on flickr)
Jen (Not Calm Dot Com). What a pumpkin! I’m going to steal her from Jenny… you can see how happy she makes me… We also both know how to pull off the McDonalds bag hat-look. Ya think? (pic belongs to mizzjenny on flickr)
Rhi (Rhi in Pink) and I waiting outside of Ann Taylor. Turns out we both bought the same shirt. I’ve never bought Ann Taylor before. Well, maybe at the Price and Grab…
I met the beloved JD (I Do Things). She does things. So we don’t have to. I’m glad she was chosen for the Community Keynote, ya know… so mine wouldn’t be 😉 She is probably one of the funniest people, ever. And also has a very cool resin cake sprinkles ring. And she wore a pink sparkly top the day I met her. And… I just didn’t get enough time with JD. She actually got decent sleep at BlogHer, so I didn’t have to? No. She was the smart one.
Kathy (The Junk Drawer). No picture. Kathy and I waited nervously in the audience with our video cameras for JD to Do Her Thing at the Community Keynote. Kathy is one of those gals who has your back. And oh, how she made me giggle!
Of course there was BlogHer Prom. Well, I guess just Kim and I went to that…
Kim & I BlogHer Prom
(pic belongs to 3 Giraffes on flickr)
But that’s not all… I met… Linda of ShortPumpPreppy, and @twincident, Mamikaze, Mrs. Flinger, The Bloggess (who I kind-of chased down and tackled just to say “hi”, then felt suddenly shy… *huh?* guess I wasn’t wearing enough of my confidence prop – glitter), Barefoot Foodie, And So She Blogs, Classy Chaos, and Tall Tara.
Oh. There’s more, and I am exhausted.
There are SOOO many more folks, but I may save that for later. This is what I hate about recap posts… the forgetting… And swag? Who needs swag when one’s life is full of great people like these?!
