Ten Takeaways from the Haven Conference

Don’t you hate when a blogger goes to a conference and comes back and then goes on and on about what an amazing time they had and WOW can you believe how fabulous it was and then displays like eleven billion pictures of all the wonderful people they met? I’m so sorry. I’m going to try to control myself. I only have ten billion pictures to share. And I’ll keep the raving to a minimum. Probably. 😉

Oh look! They knew I was coming!

Like last year, the Haven Conference was once again a truly fantastic experience. The brilliance, drive, kindness and creativity of the attendees was astounding. To make it valuable to my blog readers, though, I thought I’d share 10 takeaways for those unable to attend. Think of it as packing you in my virtual suitcases and bringing you all along in spirit! So sorry about the tight squeeze in the luggage, I had a lot of swag to squish together you know.

1. An incident at Haven forced me to think about success. What does it mean to me? What is my blogging goal? Obviously success is measured differently by various people. When I leave this earth, I want to know that I mattered. I want to teach, I want to hug, and I want to support. I suppose it’s because I’ve walked so closely on the precipice of loss that I know life is more than pageviews and money. If I can encourage others to do good in the world, to take time to let others know they matter, then I feel complete. I feel extremely blessed to have had in-depth conversations with bloggers whose pageviews count in the multi-millions, as well as those whose pageviews consist mostly of family members. We all matter. I’m in awe to have had so many people greet me by name, pull me aside, pull up a chair, or take my photo– it astounds me, actually! And those conversations, whether it was for 2 hours or for 2 seconds, all mattered to me. I feel like I’m walking away from Haven 250 friends the richer.

I’m realistic and know hugs won’t pay the mortgage. But at an event like Haven, we’re a community so it’s the hearts that matter. Here’s a few of the big hearts I met.

My roomie, Kelly!

Cindi from My Cottage Love

Forgive the creepy eyes, but this is the only pic I have of Erin from Two Story Cottage, Jena from Involving Color, Ashley from The Handmade Home and Jessica from Decor Adventures— all of them are the sweetest! SWEET. EST.

Jessica from Stay-at-Homeista. And yes, that’s two bottles of champagne. She’s my new favorite.

Bonus Tip: Next year I need to remember to bring gifts Check out the gifts from Kelly and Jessica!

2. Mixing it up. I took a mix of blogging sessions and design/style sessions. Design is my passion but I never get to play with it; this was a great chance to have some fun with styling, design advice, and letting go of fear. I’m so inspired by The Handmade Home, Vintage Revivals, Emily A. Clark, and The Hunted Interior. I’m going to focus more on my home this year, and design in general. Right after I scrub the marker off my couch and pick up the bazillion stickers on the rug.

3. This year, visiting the vendor booths was SO different. Don’t tattle on me, but I skipped a session just to hang out in the vendor room. I made so many connections and got to really learn about all the new products out there. I worked my way through all the vendors, and I’m so happy to be able to bring you the best of the best in the upcoming months. This girl might even get a little crazy with a nail gun. And the best part? I HAD FUN! Oh, and the bag helped people remember me too. 😉

4. Gluten-Free for Me. This was my first real test of going gluten-free while in another setting. I have to say I’m incredibly impressed with what’s out there for us gluten-free peeps! The hotel (the Hyatt in Buckhead) had delicious food, and when they saw me eyeing the gluten-loaded dessert table with envy they delivered one of these right to my table:

Bonus, non-gluten free tip: if you can, room with Karah from The Space Between. I got to hang in her room until late Thursday night and they had yummy deliveries on the hour. For free. Just because she’s KARAH. Plus she’s a wonderful person, the S’mores are only part of her allure. 😉

The most challenging part was breakfast and snacks (since I’m also dairy free right now), so that’s something for me to do better with next year. I did cheat a bit, and paid the price– my fingers were so swollen by Sunday I couldn’t put my rings back on. Any suggestions for good gluten-free snack foods for on-the-go?

5. Karianne from Thistlewood Farm (shhhh… she’s my other blog crush besides Centsational Girl) gave probably the best metaphor for growing your blog that I’ve heard thus far. And it was over breakfast (though I’m sure her session for beginning bloggers was equally amazing). She said the secret to growing your blog is like the secret to losing weight– which turns out is just a healthy diet and exercise. The truth is, there IS no secret formula. It doesn’t really matter the best time to pin or promote. It’s all about producing amazing content. That’s not the sexy answer. Or the easy answer. But, it’s the only answer if you want constant, large, steady growth for your blog. Rock those metaphors, Karianne! {that girl just makes me melt}.

— insert cute pic of me and Karianne here; we were too busy talking to take one, imagine that! —

6. I have WAY too many statement necklaces. I suppose my pre-Haven shopping trip with my daughter should have been my first clue as to my addiction to statement jewelry.

7. This was my first time getting sponsored for a conference, but hopefully not my last. I was extremely proud to represent Social Fabric and recruit bloggers in the DIY niche. In my opinion, it’s the perfect marriage because they both understand and appreciate the best practices when it comes to blogging, from great photos to promotions to SEO to G+. If I didn’t get to chat with you about Social Fabric and you’re interested, definitely get in touch and I’ll help any way I can. And if you have any questions about working with a sponsor during a conference, I’m happy to answer those as well!

8. I need to A-DRESS an addiction. I’ll find any excuse to wear a dress, so I changed every night into my snazzy nightclothes. I purchased this baby at Banana Republic earlier this summer and have worn it to two weddings and now a conference. I just wish I’d worn it on Saturday night instead of Sunday when I was flat-out exhausted! I’m pretty sure Jessica is propping me up here.

My ever-present striped maxi dress made an appearance, of course:

Sandra from Sawdust Girl. LOVE HER. She’d just poured ice down her shirt.

Plus this one. Which I wore with an outrageous statement necklace.

9. Coming back from the conference was like living through a hangover. I’m still exhausted and may or may not have taken three naps already this week. {yes I know it’s only Wednesday}. Of all the blessings in my life, I count my husband among the highest. He doesn’t help me with the blog. He doesn’t know how to build a shed or custom built cabinetry. He travels a lot, which means I can’t attend many blog events or even publish a post more than 2 or 3 times a week. But he took great care of the kids, made sure the house was spotless when I returned, had a load of laundry going, and greeted me with a fully cooked dinner which included watermelon gazpacho made with ingredients from the organic farm down the street. Support is support, and I think I’m the luckiest!

10. I will never, ever, ever get the song Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke out of my head. You MUST check out the DIY Shuffle, coordinated by Traci from Beneath my Heart. From ‘looking for a deal’ to sanding it to ‘FACEBOOK! FACEBOOK!’ the Haven team had us in stitches. I showed it to my kids and tonight I heard my son chanting: ‘tweet it tweet it tweet it tweet it’ with a little southern accent.

{many thanks to Jessica from Decor Adventures for the footage!}

I wish I could share pictures of all the amazing people I met, but truthfully I was too busy talking and didn’t get many photos. If you have some, please share on my Facebook page! But only if it’s flattering. Because no one needs to see what I looked like after the Ryobi party and their three drink tickets and a few too many rounds of The DIY Shuffle. 😉

Thanks to all who made the Haven Conference amazing, from the team that coordinated it to the sponsors to all those hearts I’ve met. Whether your blog is big or small, or not at all– I LOVED spending time with you. Thanks for making me feel so welcome and inspired.