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Hair & Fashion Writing Life

Anxious About #BlissDom? You’re Not Alone!

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In a few days, I’ll be attending BlissDom, a blogging conference in Grapevine, Texas.

I’m excited to network and meet some cyber-buddies, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to being nervous, too.

For weeks, I’ve read posts about what people are doing to prepare for this thing. Some bloggers wrote about how they plan to get to the conference early so they can have their nails done & have their hair cut and colored before the keynote on Thursday night.

{gulp.}

Some women posted pictures of what they plan to wear to the conference. Others mentioned they received sponsorships from clothing companies that not only paid for their tickets to the conference, but also gave them cute outfits to wear the entire weekend.

{gasp.}

I’ve read how about how important it is to pack properly for this conference. Apparently, I need earplugs and Band-Aids and duck tape and snacks and comfortable {yet stylish} shoes. And an iPad. And gifts for my roommates.

Holy moley, Spicolli.

I know y’all mean well, but y’all are making me want to hide at the pool, and I haven’t gotten on the plane yet!

For those of you who haven’t met me yet (and that would be everyone since this is my first blogging conference), I figured I’d come clean right now.

I will not be the girl with the make-up or the nails or the pretty outfits.

Coming from Rochester, New York, I live in a puffy, black sleeping bag coat between November and April. We all do. It’s a thing.

So I probably shouldn't wear this, huh?
So I probably shouldn’t wear this, huh?

Also, I operate under a probably misguided belief that I look adorable in jeans worn under a sundress.

With cowboy boots.

So I will probably be wearing something like this:

IMG_0886
This works, right?

Everyday.

I might also be wearing a hat.

On account of my crazy hair.

Here are some things I would appreciate if you would do when you see me at BlissDom:

  1. Check my teeth. I have this one area where food always gets caught. Friends generally tell me if there is something nasty up in there. Seriously, I will love you if you lean over and discreetly tell me my lunch is stuck in my grill.
  2. Dance with me.  I plan to tear it up on the dance floor. I don’t need any alcohol or drugs or anything to get out there. If you want my drink tickets me to love you forever, dance with me. Don’t say you need ten drinks first. Just come join. I promise I won’t make you stand on the bar. Probably.
  3. Ask me if I know where I’m going. I was not born with an innate sense of direction. When traveling alone, I am 100% dependent on Google Maps, which probably won’t help much inside the Gaylord Hotel. If you see a woman weeping in a corner, chances are I have to pee and I can’t find a bathroom. If you can just point me in the right direction, I’d be much obliged.

Help me on any of these fronts, and I’ll pretty much do anything for you.

I’ve got my business cards and my iPad.

This Yankee is packing her big girl panties and her cowboy boots.

I promise to bleach my mustache for you.

But I’m not getting a spray tan or micro-demabrasion or liposuction or Rejuviderm or Botox.

{Unless someone is offering to sponsor that. In which case I totally am.}

Get ready, BlissDom.

I’ll be the 45-year-old shaking her badonkadonk on the dance floor.

What are the most important things you have ever brought to conferences — writing or otherwise?

tweet me @rasjacobson

125 thoughts on “Anxious About #BlissDom? You’re Not Alone!

  1. A pen and paper, although the conference organizers provided those for us, so I probably over packed. People are really posting photos of what they plan to wear to a blogging conference? They must have needed a post in a pinch. I think you should go with the puffy black sleeping bag, and listen to the speakers with the hood up the entire time, diligently taking notes.

    1. MarKap: This conference is predominantly for women, so –yes — alas, fashion is kind of a thing. Which is why I’m kind of in a tizzy. As you know, I’m not exactly a fashionista. This is not a writing conference (although there is a writing track) so much as a blogging conference. It’s supposed to be in the high 50s when I get down there. I think my puffy coat might actually work. Maybe. 🙂

  2. A sense of humor, which you already have, check. Arm yourself with the knowledge that everyone else is actually feeling just as awkward underneath, as you are. The only way to combat this feeling, just jump in and talk to strangers, (who won’t be when you are done 🙂 Enjoy.

    1. Hi Mavmel! If all I needed was a sense of humor, I’d be in good shape. I’m a notoriously terrible packer. I’d hate to have to ask my roomies if I can borrow a pair of undies! Gah! I might also be the girl in the fancy dress and the Chuck Taylor’s. I often forget to pack the right shoes. 🙂

  3. Renee, Im so excited for you! Never been to a blogging one but plenty of conferences. Bring lotion. Every conference Ive been to has the ac cranked (to keep attendees awake) and it dries out the skin. Love the dress above! Have fun! Let me know if there are any east coast ones and I’ll be your official grill watcher.

    1. Marcia, note taken on the lotion. I have heard the A/C will be cranking and that I should bring a cardigan (so add that to my little ensemble up there, too!) Thanks for offering to check my toofers. You are a true cyber-friend.

  4. I agree with Mark, that I can’t believe they are blogging about what they are wearing to a conference! Man, this takes me back to school and the clicks/groups that were all over the place – if you don’t dress like us – – then you’re OUT! I was always the one who never conformed to things like that, and was always myself. I say, go and enjoy the conference in whatever you want to wear, puffy coat & all, and do whatever is comfortable for you. If you want to make “treats” for your pals, then do it, if not, just explain that this is your FIRST blog conference and did not know what to expect. But by all means, grab all the goodies you can to bring home but make sure you have enough room in your luggage for them! We always forget about things like this, leave room for “stuff”. Have a great time!

    1. Nikita: BlissDom is primarily a women’s conference, so — of course — fashion comes into play. But all the posts and the stuff on Facebook doesn’t do much for the nerves. My take is that people are trying to be helpful, but — for me — that kind of stuff tends to make me nervous. I’ve done my best to leave a little space in my suitcase, and I’ve got a big-a$$ tote-bag to haul home whatever swag I feel I must drag home with me. Thanks for you words of encouragement. I feel great about my roomies. They are wonderful women.

  5. OMG…that’s where I was all last week! I had no idea there was a blogging conference! YES! The boots are perfect…wear them every day with everything. It’s rodeo time, too in Houston…fyi. Have a wonderful time! Please let me know when the next convention is…in Grapevine!

    1. Hi Georgette! Oh yay! Thank you for the reassurance that my boots are okay with everything! I knew you were in Houston, but the temperatures are about to take a nosedive down into the 50s! Kinda made me rethink things a bit. The next time I plan to come that way will be next year for DFWCon. Hopefully, I’l have a completely manuscript by then!

    1. Oh darling! My roomie @ErinMargolin will be at BlogHer. You will have to dance with her. On the other hand, if I really love this…maybe. It’s in July in Chicago, yes? I would love to meet you. I think you are a great writer, C! 🙂

  6. You are going to have an amazing time! I haven’t been to a blogging conference (ahem, you saw my post yesterday, so you can guess why that hasn’t happened yet) but I am sure you will make more new friends than you know what to do with. After all, you ARE you. 🙂

    1. Amber! I read that post yesterday and I thought – OMIGOSH! – That’s why I don’t go to these things. I’m going to be channeling you. Because, look, you got Wil Wheaton to say: “Hey, you’re on my Kindle!” 😉 So far everyone has been wonderful. People have ever offered to wait to share rides to the airport. So nice. I’d love to do a conference with you. We could freak out together and then be fine.

  7. Oh girl, I SO get this. I am not getting my nails done, my hair done, or even anything waxed before Blissdom….but that’s okay! 🙂 You are going to have a great time – this is the best conference ever, especially for newbies 🙂 be sure to come to the newbie meetup and find your tribe of others who are entering the water for the first time.
    I will come dance with you. I’ll be the wickedly pregnant one on the dance floor 😉

    1. Kim! Are you the wickedly pregnant one? Okay, I love you already. We’ll be the two most faboosh uncoiffed, man-handed women on the dancefloor. Awesome-sauce! I’ll look for you at the Newbie meetup on Thursday. I have that in my planner.

  8. Dude, you really are my sister from another mister. I had a nightmare about Blissdom last night–no room to sleep in, missed sessions, etc.

    I will be dancing my booty off as well. You can’t stop me. I may even pull out the cabbage patch or running man.

    And the boots and dress? You’ll look so native.

    1. Omigosh! You had a nightmare! Nooooooo! Just know that no matter what, you can always stay in my room. Don’t worry that there are already four of us. I KNOW that in an emergency situation, we’d make room. 🙂 See, nix to that worry right now. I hope to meet you before the dance floor. But it sounds like we have the same moves. So.

  9. When I went to BlogHer last year, my first conference, I was super duper nervous. Nobody had met me or even knew what I looked like. I am not a fashionista by any regard, and had no idea what to pack for the big city. My advice . . . just be you. You are wonderful and comfortable in your own skin. Own it. Wear your puffy coat. Wear your hat. Wear your cowboy boots/jeans/sundress combo? I mean, if you must. 😉

    Oh, but ALWAYS bring gifts for the roommates!! 🙂

    1. Misty. I must. It’s already in there. Except for the puffy coat. Because that just seems ridiculous. But thank you! I know when you and Jules went, you had a great time. I have awesome roomies. I just get worried about things like losing my phone and getting to the airport for my flight home. I’ll be fine when I get there. I’m sure. Kinda wish you were going to be there though.

  10. Kewlllll! I hadn’t even heard of this conference, but I’m sure you will have a blast. If I had your bod, I’d just walk around telling people, “I don’t NEED liposuction, beetches!” Wait. Maybe don’t do that. At least not ’til you’ve had a couple of ginger ales.

    Can’t wait to hear how it goes!

    1. Jules! I just read your post! I sooooooo excited for you! You must be crazy busy at work to close off ‘dem comments. Meanwhile, I wish that you or Misty were going to this thing. It would be nice to be able to look across a crowded room and exchange a knowing look. Also, you could have all my drink tickets. You know what I’ll be sippin’. I’m sure that I’ll be okay. And um, you haven’t seen my bod in a while. Just sayin’. Gravity may have caught up with me. Possibly.

    1. Hahahahaha! That’s awesome, Ellen. Off to search Google to see if anyone carries something like that. And if they don’t? Off to email The North Face. Seems like a bjillion dollar idea. Maybe I should bring my sleeping bag coat to Texas. Hmmmm. 😉

  11. I so appreciated your post! I’m one of those girls who posted my outfits early because a friend of mine hooked me up with a sponsor (what the wha?! I didn’t know that was a thing either!). I’m also the girl who did a post on roomie gifts.

    I’m also the girl who doesn’t take herself too seriously and loves to be around people with a good sense of humor. I don’t care if you’re wearing a paper bag with chucks – you’re my kinda gal. I hope there will be lots of ladies like you at Blissdom. 🙂 Let’s tear it up on the dance floor!

    1. Jessica! This wasn’t aimed at you. There have been lots of posts on the Facebook pages and plenty of tweets. I actually APPRECIATED the posts about roommate gifts. It would have been embarrassing to have come empty-handed. Can you say “faux-pas”?

      Thank you for your reassuring words! I’ll be looking for you! Or looking for someone to look in my mouth. LOL! 🙂

  12. This is awesome and hilarious! I do try to look a little nicer than usual, but at some level, I yam what I yam. Is that just an attitude we adopt when we reach 45? (Exactly my age too!)

    The most important thing I plan to take this time to DFWCon is comfy shoes. Yes, I want them to look nice, but I do a lot of walking at conferences and I don’t want to be tripping over my pretty heels while trying to make it to the next workshop in time (because yeah, I got lost too). Enjoy Blissdom!

    1. This, I think, is the difference between a “blogging” conference and a “writing” conference. When people go to a writing conference, there is some degree of understanding that we all write in our jammies. LOL. But this is different. Lots of people write paid, sponsored posts. It’s a little different. (I wasn’t sure if I had made a mistake at first, but I am looking at it as a fun learning experience.)

      And yes! Yes to the flats. I love heels, but there is going to be a lot of walking. So yes, I’ve got those packed. And my boots are like “buttah.”

    1. I wish one my longtime cyber buddies was going to be at this shebang. But I’m excited to hook up with a bunch of new people and learn a bunch of new stuff. And be invigorated. Also, to get out of my coat for a while. 😉

  13. You are so darn cute! And I say this not because we’re Twitter BFFS now and you spent time in my home state, but because you’re hilarious. Can’t wait to see you shake your “badonkadonk”. PS: There will be no weeping in corners!!

  14. You are so darn cute! And I say this not because we’re Twitter BFFS now and you spent time in my home state, but because you’re hilarious. Can’t wait to see you shake your “badonkadonk”. PS: There will NO weeping in corners.

    1. Aimee! I KNEW the second I saw that Broussard that you were my kind of girl! I can’t wait to meet you. Even if I am a hundred years older than you are. I love that you are a crafty critter. I can’t wait to get my hands inside your apron. 🙂 See you on Thursday! Who dat?

  15. There will BE no weeping. Yikes, not the time for grammar errors when commenting on an English teacher’s page.

    1. Lisha! You have to meet Aimee down there. She is in Baton Rouge. And I wish you were going to be at this thang, too — except I would probably want to hog you to myself. Can’t wait to see you in June. We can dance. ANd you can totally have all my drink tickets. 🙂

  16. Cheers Renee, this IS a great post. I think we may be “sisters” but not sure yet because I seem to be a lot shorter than you. Your post is fabulous and it made me both laugh and shake my head in agreement. I bought 4 pair of shoes to bring with me to BlissDom but I already decided to probably leave them all home and just take my Merrill sandals instead. We seem to have a lot in common. I look forward to meeting you, and to swapping stories. Great blog, BTW. You have a new follower. See you in Texas!

    1. Nikki! I’m so relieved to know I’m not the only one with jitters. And yes, bring your tried and true shoes. I’ll be scouring the floor, looking for the Merrill’s.

      NOTE: I will probably NOT be wearing the puffy coat, even though I hear the weather is going to be cooler than usual. 😉

    1. Oh my darling roomie! I’m sure I’ll figure out how to get to the hotel. And I’m sure I won’t lose my phone. And I’m sure I will get a little bit of sleep. And I’m sure I won’t oversleep on Sunday morning and miss my flight back to Rochester. So, yeah, I’m psyched to see you , too! I know everything will be fine once I get there. Right?

  17. As a massive introvert, the most important thing I bring to any conference is the ability to read when I’m approaching people overload, so I can find a quiet corner or duck back to my hotel room to recharge!

    1. Thank you for mentioning this. I have been nervous about the expectation to attend ALL THE EVERYTHING BECAUSE OMIGOSH WHAT IF I DON’T?! I can get overwhelmed in these kinds of situations, and it is important for me to remember to take a few moments to escape — to recharge — to drink water, and remind myself that it’s okay to miss a few things. Thanks, Jim. Great advice!

  18. You are stunning, no matter what you wear. Seriously, those photos? Adorableness. The conference sounds awesome. I so wish I could be there and hang with you and other bloggers. Can’t wait for the scoop!

    My most important conference bring-alongs: laptop (tried to skip – bad idea), comfy shoes, business cards (remarkably easy to forget) and healthy snacks. HAVE FUN!

    1. August! I was going to skip the laptop, but I’m starting to think it would be nice to have in the room – especially since we have free WiFi. Maybe I’ll lug it around. How do you carry around you business cards? I don’t want to have to dig around for them. How do you keep them handy? Tricks?

  19. I love your posts, Renee! You are so, so funny. You’ll be fine. See how much support you’ve received already! And I think the sundress over jeans is a cute look for you, but maybe a different sundress. The polka dots made me a bit dizzy. But then I am prone to vertigo. 😉

    1. Kassandra: That dress is coming. As are several others. At this point, I can’t worry about it. And part of it will be covered up by a cardigan, as the hotel will be cold. I wouldn’t want to make anyone dizzy. 😉 Thanks for your support, as always!

  20. Oh my goodness, this is PERFECT. Seriously, why am I stressing so much? Oh yeah, because what if I don’t wear the right thing and what if my introverted self just wants to hide in my room at some point and what if I don’t meet everyone I wanted to meet and what if I get something stuck in my teeth and no one tells me all day?

    I hope I meet you there 🙂

    1. Right? I think we’ll all be just FINE once we get there. And I think it’s good to remember that we can bow out and miss a session and opt for a nappy if necessary. It’s okay! I hope to meet you, too. Look for the girl in the crazy outfit. That’s me. Or someone else. 😉

  21. Great stuff Renée!

    I would love to attend stuff like this, but simply can’t with work. Well, if (read when) I go on Furlough, I might start attending some of these.

    I’ll check your teeth, but I’m not very shy so I might not be too subtle about it. I’ll dance with you as long as you don’t mind some salsa or samba. Sounds like fun, but since I’m a virgin blogger, a noob in every sense of the word, I think I would lose my voice with asking so many questions.

    1. Sweetie: I’m a total noob in this venue. We could cheek each others teeth and preen each other like baboons. Anything to get through the jitters of this first time experience. PS: As a guy, I imagine you’d be quite the hit at this thing, seeing as it is predominantly for women bloggers. They might eat you alive. 😉 IYKWIM.

  22. You. Are Awesome. I will totally take your drink tickets off your hands and tear it up on the dance floor with you. I am concerned about no google maps now though. I may need to carry water and food with me the whole time in case I get lost in the Gaylord.

    1. I know. When am I supposed to eat? And where? *weep* I’ll be ther girl who has passed out from dehydration. Just you wait. If you stick by me and hold my hand, you can TOTALLY have my drink tix. I’m a ginger ale kind of girl. 🙂

    1. I’ll be back with a full report. I’m not sure this is necessarily the “right” convention for me, but it is going to be a lot of fun. And as long as I know I’m the biggest geek in the room, it’s all good. You just reminded me. Must. Pack. Hat. 🙂

  23. My husband keeps laughing at me as I panic about all the posts about outfits and spray tans and hair and nails. He’s all, “is this a blogging conference or sorority rush?!” I imagine it’s a bit of both. I am looking forward to meeting inspiring women who will not remember what I wore the minute I walk away from them. And great dancers. I too love to dance.

    1. Hi Heather! Well, seeing as I didn’t go to a college with sororities, you can understand why this is all a little bit intimidating for me. Or perhaps “intimidating” isn’t the right word. Hmmm. No matter what I’m excited to meet some new women. I’m always amazed by how many inspiration women there are out there. Truly. And I REALLY hope we can meet up for that taxi! Fingers crossed!

  24. “Some women posted pictures of what they plan to wear to the conference. Others mentioned they received sponsorships from clothing companies that not only paid for their tickets to the conference, but also gave them cute outfits to wear the entire weekend.”

    Obviously I am doing something wrong with this blogging thing.

    1. Dawn, I think this is the difference between a “writing” conference and a “blogging” conference. A lot of these women blog for cash. Or they are sponsored by some big peeps. Writers are a different breed. We write in our jammies, and we are trying to create a quality piece of writing — which is not to say these folks aren’t. I don’t actually know. I’ll soon find out more, but definitely some women are sponsored by people who have products they’d like them to endorse. I don’t have that going on. I’m hoping that one day, I’m my own product. You know?

  25. I love you, and I love this. I will not be there, but if I was, I would be with you on ALL these fronts (including the bleaching my ‘stache part. Gotta get that done before Pesach….). You will be awesome, and you will meet awesome ladies, and I cannot wait to hear/read all about it.

    1. Can you imagine I’m coming home on Monday night? Yah! Shout outs to my SIL for hosting Pesach this year. Because I could not do it. On an up note, our house is good to go as of five minute ago. Assuming the men don’t bring in anything trafe while I’m away! Grrrrrr.

  26. I’m so jealous! Maybe I can go to my first conference next year – and you can show me the ropes 🙂 I have been to two different Gaylord hotel and conference centers on business and they were both so beautiful – you will love it! One was really big…I thought, until I went to the one in Nashville. That thing is HUGE. But you will find your way around, or at least a friend or two to show you the way. Have so much fun!

    Oh, and network and learn stuff 🙂

    1. I’ve been to Gaylord one in DC. It was humungous. I wonder if that one is bigger or smaller than Nashville. People kept saying that Nashville was bigger than this venue. Hopefully, this will be a little more intimate. Sounds like there are only 400 of us at BlissDom – unlike BlogHer where there are THOUSANDS of people. I think I might have an actual panic attack prepping for that. We’ll see how I do with the traveling. That’s usually where I experience my first meltdown. I promise I will report back.

      1. Well, your hair looked pretty! 🙂 400 people in a conference doesn’t sound like too much to handle – a nice crowd without being overwhelming. I sure hope you have a fabulous time!

        1. I figure, when I was a teacher and I used to give presentations, sometimes there were 100 people in the room. So this should be fun, being on the other side of the desk. I just hope I don’t “act out” like I did when I was in school. I was a little hellion, if you can believe it. True story.

  27. Darlin, I will dance with you anywhere! You couldn’t be cuter and I can’t wait to hear all about it! I want the inside scoop too and I know you’ll deliver! 😉 Have a wonderful time and come to Chicago for BlogHer this summer!

    1. Mare: Assuming I don’t have a panic attack at BlissDom, I might consider BlogHer in July. We’ll see. Is that where you are? If so, that is lucky for you. But seriously, this is a small venue: 400 women. BlogHer? 4K. Serious {gulp}!

  28. I’m so proud of you!! I, myself, would have a panic attack from all the strangers… Then end up drunk, talking to a plant.

    It wouldn’t be the first time…

    Hugs! And good luck!

    Valerie

    1. Valerie: I’m right with you. I tend to get pretty anxious when it comes to traveling, and I’m traveling alone for this. And I have to change planes. That said, once I actually get to the hotel, I’m sure I’ll be okay. Probably. I’ll just need a really big ginger ale. 🙂

  29. You should have told me you were going to be away from home without your husband! I would have shown up and then you would have had a bald 62-year old Jew with no money in your future … But I wouldn’t want to distract you from the writing!

    1. Perry: It would have been excellent to have you with me. I’l;l bet you would be a kick-butt shlepper. Would you carry around all my swag? And recharge my phone? And help me get to the airport on time on Sunday? If so, you are totally coming with me to BlogHer. 🙂 Happy Pesach, in advance!

  30. Ah Renee, you’ll be right up the road from me. Have been to the Gaylord many times, as well as the Glass Cactus (dancing & dance floor) even more. You’ll have a blast. The entire setup is within walking distance of hotel and Grapevine (1-2 miles away) is a hopping quaint suburb EXTREMELY popular for shopping women! HAH! Guess I need to checkout this “BlissDom”, huh?

    1. Really, Professor. Are you really right up the road? Hmmm. Well, we’ll be at The Glass Cactus on Friday night. If you feel like bopping by to say hello, tweet me. (How fun would THAT be?) Or would that be weird? Sometimes I get those two things confused.

      1. You’re kind Renee; thank you! Yep, 10-12 mins away. No confusion and not weird, but I usually have a routine on Friday nights: 5 hours of dancing in Deep Ellum (downtown Dallas). From there Grapevine & Gaylord are 40 minutes away. No promises, but will tweet you if so! 😉

          1. HAH! Honestly, because I have a 19-yr old beautiful daughter, I wouldn’t argue with your mother one bit; technically we’re not strangers but intuition should perhaps win-out here. But then again…remember all the background checks & criminal checks we teachers go through? In Texas those checks are worse than what they put felons through. Lol :p

    1. And THAT is why I brought this little safety pin. I’m planning to cover myself in feathers and use the bed sheet as a skirt. I’ll need the pin to secure in the sheet around my waist. I don’t think anyone will have a problem with that, do you? 😉

  31. I’ve never been to a blogging conference, but I have been to Malice Domestic – which is HUGE, and has some of my favorite mystery writers! You should have seen me work up the nerve to talk with Sue Grafton (who was a sweetie, btw). My two handiest things to pack – shoes you can stand in all day, and a tote bag that will hold everything you need for the day so you don’t have to make multiple trips up to your room.

    Good luck and have fun!

    1. Cowboy boots & Converse sneakers are both packed and equally comfortable. I know we’ll be walking a lot. And I have a HUGE (maybe too huge?) tote bag to carry things around during the day. I’m told there is a lot of swag at this thing. I’m bring an empty suitcase. Can you imagine?

  32. First and foremost, I expect a full, detailed report on my computer, via this blog, when you get back! Until then, I’ll live in great anticipation of hearing about the friends you’ve made and influenced with your dance moves and honest admissions of needing pee.

    In terms of what to bring, after years of traveling multiple times per month (B.C.–before children), I found that there were few things as comforting as my favorite lounging outfit. (Read: my robe.) Those days, be it meetings or attending a conference, can be long, and when you escape to the comfort of your own room, it’s always nice to feel like you can crawl into a bit of home.

    Have a blast and remember–a FULL report–with photos!

    1. I promise that I will give you that detailed report. I have no expectations, so we’ll see how it goes. As far as items to bring: I’m all packed and there is NO room for a robe. But I’ve got my warm fuzzy socks. I think I’ll be okay. 🙂

  33. I am excited for you, jealous of you, and bummed that we are not doing a first conference together. I get everything you’re talking about here for all the prep that others are doing EXCEPT gifts for roommates. Huh??

    1. Oh yes! Apparently very important — bringing a little sumthin-sumthin for the chicks with whom you are rooming. Can you imagine? If we were rooming together I know EXACTLY what I’d bring you. Either a pair of warm socks so your feet never have to touch the icky hotel floor the entire time and you are cozy when you are in bed OR a tin of Passover treats, which we would devour together before Passover, of course (because you are a good sharer). 🙂

  34. Renee: I could relate to everything you posted. But, seriously, the reason you are doing what you are doing is people love you for YOU. Promise me you won’t change when you get all famous with your book. I can see you on Oprah already rocking your big puffy coat! 🙂

    1. Kristal: Thank you so much for that kindness. I haven’t been especially sure WHY I’m doing this. But it will be nice to be around a lot of other bloggers. Writing can be a lonely business, and no one seems to “get” blogging quite like other bloggers. I think it will be nice to network and meet some new people. I promise to come back with a full report.

    1. It will be interesting. I started a thread on the Facebook group, asking who was over 45 and I was surprised by how many people answered. There are a fair number of us. It is definitely different than a “writers'” conference, but it is going to be a good time, no doubt. I hope.

    1. Predominantly women.

      In skimpy little clothes.

      And high heels.

      Most of whom are under 35.

      I’ll be the chick in the jeans and the cowboy boots who is in bed by 10:30 PM. Seriously. I’ll bet the ladies would LOVE to have you around, Wayne. I know I would. Thanks for the tunes! 🙂

      1. Too young for me. Besides, you know the last time I saw a woman who wasn’t wearing mukluks?

        Last October!

        Wayne

  35. Have a great time, Renee! I’m curious about the blogging conference phenomenon, so be sure to report back with your impressions.
    Oh, and the jeans/sundress/boots look? Go with it.

    1. Peg: I was just thinking of you. One of things this conference has is a Marketplace for Bloggers. You could TOTALLY sell all your cute Etsy store stuff. Which reminds me, I need to write that Mother’s Day post. And also give my mother the present before Mother’s Day. I need to make that happen when I get home.

      I promise to provide a full report. And pictures.

  36. I’m so bummed I’m not going to this because we could hide out at the pool together. Maybe start our own dance party with music from your iPad.

  37. I think I love you more for this than I did before!!! I’m doing Bloggy Boot Camp in Charlotte and am justaweebitannoyed at the “whatchu wearing” posts already going on. Uh… I’m wearing something really comfortable and a pair of flipflops so I can kick them off and get comfy while I listen to speakers all day. I’m like you.. I think I look really cute in my casual uniform. But you know what? I have the confidence, too so I don’t really care if I don’t ;). Guessing BlogHer is going to be the same routine as well. Oh well.. smiles, everyone, smiles!

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