Haven Conference 2015… Arthur Came, He Saw, He Slept

For those of you who follow me on social media… you probably noticed that Arthur and I were party animals this past weekend. The kid needed a break from the daily grind in Connecticut and insisted on a road trip down to Atlanta. (Diva… I know.) Why Atlanta you might ask? Well… Arthur’s big into blogging and every summer, there’s a conference for DIY/ home Design bloggers called Haven.

This was Arthur’s first time attending, obvy, but I’ve been two other times. I love it. The first time I went, I was mildly paralyzed with fear the whole weekend but came away with the firm realization that I had been blogging for my first year without a CLUE. By year two… not so many nerves and a legit sense of what blogging goals I had. Also friends. SO many friends to see in person.

Well, turns out Arthur’s totally a social climber. He managed to work his way up to the one lady in the room who wouldn’t give him the time of day… At one point I could have sworn she was actually asleep.

While Arthur was sleeping, here’s what he missed:

For 362 days of the year, we are friends via text messages and Facebook groups and blog comments and social media. But put these women face to face for the remaining 3 days and it’s like joyous reunions around every corner!

Many people with children might be familiar with the book How Full Is Your Bucket… The gist is that we all have these invisible buckets and when we do good for others, we fill their bucket… but when we malign or slight others, we empty their buckets. In the process… we also fill and empty our own buckets.

Well let me tell you, Haven fills my bucket. It fills my intellectual bucket listening to smart women talk about branding and advertising and growing their business. It fills my emotional bucket visiting with exuberant friends and cheerleaders… both women I’ve known for years and those who I’ve just met! And it fills my personal bucket by giving me confidence and pride for all the things I’ve learned since this blogging lark started a few years ago!

Here are some of the things Arthur enjoyed the most this weekend. Eating, natch. I’d venture to guess he gained 19 pounds in Atlanta. Me too, kid. Me too. Best part of these meals? None of them were on bright plastic Ikea plates and none of them involved chicken nuggets or Cheerios. #foodie

Arthur rubbed shoulders with some of the nicest brand reps I can imagine. He finagled his way into some free gear that he promptly displayed in his room when we got home. Kid’s a clothes horse… what can I say.

I was so flattered and humbled to be accepted as a presenter… Dusty from All Things G & D and Ursula from Homemade By Carmona helped me chat about being a superstar. AKA being in front of a live audience whether on stage at a Home Show or in studio for live TV.

Arthur stayed back in the room to watch golf.

Every year Haven is a reminder of how far I’ve come and where I’m hoping to go! And let’s be honest… any chance we have to reflect back on accomplishments and things learned is a blessing. Likewise… the opportunity to set clear goals and to put balls in motion for future achievement… well that’s pretty great too! (Update: In an attempt to monetize his newly formed baby blog, Arthur will be posting weekly about topics such as which footie pajamas are most flattering, the top vintage breast milks, and the best lighting for chunky thighs.)

Both of us already miss being around our bevy of blogging beauties. There’s nothing like a room filled with motivated like-minded folks, no matter what the industry. We are so excited for the year ahead and all the projects and opportunities we can share with you. Also? We’re exhausted.