I had SUCH an amazing experience with SNAP.
It’s taken me a couple weeks to recuperate and reflect on all of the things I’ve learned. I’d love to share some of the highlights with you!!(and I was running around so much that I only took a few pictures, so I am grabbing a bunch from my bloggy friends)
1. Bloggers are just as wonderful in real life as I had always imagined them to be. It was beyond amazing to spend three days with hundreds of creative women. It was a dream come true!
And I was able to meet Viv — one of my first blogging friends 4 years ago. I love her:
And I was lucky to have Amy from Mod Podge Rocks stay with me the night before the conference. She is hilarious! I’m sad we didn’t get any pictures together.. Next year I am going to be better about taking TONS of pics!!
Amy, Kristyn, Katie, Kristy, Lolli Jane
And I got to meet two of my contributors for the first time — Jen from Craft-O-Maniac and Desiree from The 36th Avenue. eeeeek — so exciting!!
2. Bring pretty business cards. I was blown away by the creative business cards. And check out this great way to keep track of the cards. Thanks to UPrinting for these awesome hole punches and rings!!
(cookies from Bee in Our Bonnet)
3. Bloggers can do wonderful things! It was so inspirational to see all of the things bloggers are doing to make the world a better place.
picture via Pleated Poppy
Meg, Ethan and Jeannette spoke on a panel calling “Blogging for Good” — be sure to check out their blogs and how they are changing the world!!
4. A beautiful location makes the experience even more special. Thank you to Thanksgiving Point!! Did you see those tulips???
Photo: Sweet Rose Studio
And check out Katie and I in our matching shirts — so fun!!!
5. Sponsors make the conference possible. Thank you to the wonderful sponsors!!
Thank you to Amy Cornwell for making these amazing necklaces. I LOVE this, the motto of the conference!! Photo via Diary of Dave’s Wife
6. Things will work out. Even though I stressed for almost a year about my panel and speaking in front of people, and everything went wrong that could have technical-wise. I adored the girls on my panel and LOVED hearing everything they had to say!!! So even if you are nervous about attending a conference, do it. You will be glad you did!
{two of the fabulous girls on our panel — Lara From Less Cake {More Frosting} and Jeanee from Trendboost} Mandi from Vintage Revivals was also on the panel and I don’t have a picture of all of us together 🙁
And Lara made this awesome printable based on a Target ad — I love the thought. Embrace who YOU are!!!
7. Handmade is the only way to go!! Thanks to Mique and The Queen Bee Market for introducing me to amazing handmade vendors. I will be spotlighting some of the amazing QB vendors soon!!
Me, Ashley, Becki and Amy at The Queen Bee Market
8. Bloggers are strong and supportive. I love being part of the SNAP team. Tauni spent thousands of hours getting this event coordinated and she did an amazing job.
Photo via Is This Really My Life?
Lara did SO much with the decor and branding even with all of the pain she was in. I felt so so honored to be a part of this team. And she was helping at Snap while it was her daughter’s birthday.
Ashlee at Topsy Turvy made Lara’s daughter the prettiest cake:
photos via Less Cake More Frosting
9. Bloggers love to have fun. The dance party at the end was fabulous. Even though my feet felt like they were going to fall off!! Plus the closing Keynote speaker Matt Townsend was amazing!!!
Dance Party pics via photo credit: Awesome roommate Shelley, Emilie, Kami, Brittany, Erin
photo via my cute roomie Kami @ No Biggie
Awesome party girls!! via My Sister’s Suitcase
And check out the shoes!!! photo via The Swell Life
We laughed so much!!
Kellie and I with our Nest of Posie Pins
photo via Kristen Duke Photography
10. I can’t wait for SNAP 2013. I am counting down the days!!!
I was happy to get home to my little family and get a little rest. Ella dug right into the yarn I brought home from Lion Brand and started crocheting her little heart out.
There we SO many FABULOUS people I met. And so many people I wanted to meet and ran out of time!!!!
I wish I had pictures to share of everyone. Be sure to check out the SNAP 2012 linky and see all of the awesome thoughts and pictures linked up there!!!
Have a Happy Friday!!
xoxo
PS — It’s my favorite day of the week!!
I hope you can join in on the Weekend Wrap Up Party.
It starts tonight at 6 PM MST 🙂 I love to feature YOU!!
This looks like so much fun! I want to go someday, maybe when I become a pro blogger like you!!
Aw! It was so great to finally meet you too! I just got back from our “2nd annual Girls’ weekend” with Shawn, Jenny Kate, Becca, Connie, Jen and IA (do you know IA?) and we were talking about those early blogging days with the FMM and EMME. 🙂 So fun!
SNAP! was phenomenal and I will be first in line to get my ticket for 2013. (And for the record, I sat in on the panel you where you were speaking… no one cared about the technical stuff and it was barely even noticeable because you were all so great!)
xoxo mwuah!
Hi Jen,
I’m so glad I got to see you again and visit your beautiful state!! You guys did an amazing job! I’ll definitely be back next year. I would have loved to have had more time to chat with you too, I’m sure we would have loads to talk about!
xoxo
Karen
Jen! Hahaha! Love the 80s pic of us that you included in your roundup… I think next year, some people won’t recognize us unless we wear neon and rat our bangs again 🙂 It was SO nice meeting you… truly one of the higlights of our weekend. Sorry we got kind of star struck with you for a minute, but you have been one of the biggest supporters of our blog from the beginning and we were so honored to meet you! Thank you for your kind words and for making us feel so comfortable around you. Next year, I hope we have a chance to talk more!
Oh my gosh — I ADORE your blog. Seriously, one of my favorites!!! It was SO fun meeting you!!!!
xoxoxoxoxo
Did you get some hot pink pants at JCPenney? Sadly, that was our only conversation! Too much going on…;)
No – but I want to!! You looked so cute in your bright outfit. I loved talking to you, if only for just a few minutes 🙂
xooxo
Oh Jen! It looks like you all had a fabulous time!!!!!! I MUST attend the next one!! 😀
xo
Heather
You need to come next year heather!!
xxoxo
Wonderful Wrap-up and excellent photos! You were amazing at SNAP! It was so great to see a friendly, familiar face as the greeter. Then to see you speaking and knitting. You can do it all! Thank you for always being so gracious and friendly, even to the little bloggers 😉
Victoria – you are wonderful. I loved seeing you!!!
xoxoxoxo
Jen, I am so very grateful to count you among my friends. I love you to death and I couldn’t be happier to have you as a part of this adventure…
xoxo
Tauni
Tauni!!
You did a wonderful, fabulous, amazing job. It couldn’t have turned out better. I am so proud of you and honored to have been part of such a wonderful group of women!
xoxox
SNAP was so much fun! I was so excited that I got to meet you! You are so sweet and fun! I loved that I was able to get to talk to you for a bit! You did such a great job (along with the other ladies that planned SNAP) Thanks so much for all do!! xoxo
Ashley —
I loved chatting with you. You are so cute and adorable. It was so fun!!!
xoxoxox
Jen
Such a sweet write up, Jen! I’m glad I finally got to meet you. Despite the technical difficulties I thought your panel was great! Thanks for helping make this such a fun event. I can’t wait for next year!
Aw Michele!!
It was so fun meeting you finally!! You are so sweet! I learned a lot in case I ever have to do something like that again. Gah. Oh well LOL! It was fun to be on the panel with those amazing ladies!!
xoxoxo
SO FUN!!! I love seeing these SNAP wrap-ups.
It was such a fun weekend. I hope you can come to SNAP 2013 – it’s just going to be better 🙂
xoxoxo
I love your dancing photos!!! Hahaha! You are my favorite and I am very thankful to have you as a friend! xo
PS – See you in ten years. Kidding!!! :p
I am so sad we didn’t get any pictures together. What is wrong with us??? I am going to drop in on your next LOL. We had better see each other before 10 years 🙂
xoxox
SNAP was awesome! I feel like I barely saw you (might have something to do with a certain 5 month old) but you ladies did an amazing job. I can’t wait for next year! And your panel was awesome, tech problems or not! 🙂
I was sad not to have chatted with you more. I did see you across the room a bunch. Your baby is just so so sweet!!! I adore you 🙂
xoxoxo
AHHHHH’ LOVE IT! I am homesick for SNAP again’! I so wish I took out my nice camera to get a better pic of us, OH’ WELL! what counts is I got to squeeze you. EEEEE! I still get excited thinking about it. I love you to pieces and then some. Great post. xo, jen
I know!! Next year I am getting some good pictures. I LOVED meeting you finally!!!! It was so fun. You are beautiful inside and out. Love you!
xoxoxox
I loved your post on SNAP Jen! It was so great getting to chat with you and be twins in our matching shirts. Can’t wait until SNAP 2013!
It was so fun seeing you too!! You are just as wonderful as I knew you would be!!
xoxoxox
Jen
Meeting you was one of my major highlights! You truly are the sweetest person on the planet!
It was so fun meeting you too!! It really was such a dream come true to be with so many creative women.
xoxoxo
Jen
I love you so much!
It was so much fun to meet you Jen! Are you going to EVO? I hope I get to see you again!
Have a wonderfu weekend!
Meeting you was one of my highlights!! So fun!! And you are adorable!!
Yes, I will be at EVO – I am so excited you are going to be there. Yay!!!
xoxoxoxox
I’ve been reading about everyone’s SNAP! recaps and I have one suggestion for next year: HIRE A PHOTOGRAPHER! lol. Everyone has said they didn’t get a pic of this or that. A photog or two would be perfect for capturing your day. You all put a ton of work into that conference. It would be great if photos were the last thing you had to worry about. 😉 That way they document all your panels, decor, etc etc. Y’all could even do a red carpet deal where you get your pic snapped as you enter. lol.
I can only imagine how many DSLRs were dangling from people’s necks. 🙂
That is a great idea!! Seriously I am so sad I don’t have better pictures and more pictures of such a wonderful experience. You are so smart!!!
xoxo
Hey Jen–loved getting to say hi to you.
And I agree with all your points of the conference! I was totally nervous going, but the best thing I did was just put myself out there and introduce myself to people–they were all so nice!
Aw – I loved meeting you too!! I get so nervous with social things. But I am always so glad I go. I am so glad you went!!!
xoxoxo
Are you going to SITS Blogcamp?
Duckie!!!
I have never been to SITS. But I heard it’s super fun. I wish I was going. I have to meet you someday. I think you were the second comment ever on my blog. And I think you are so so talented and amazing!!
xoxoxoxo
Looks like it was a lot of fun. I’m hoping to go next year (fingers crossed) .
Oh I hope you can come. You will LOVE it. It was seriously amazing. And I just heard that we got an even better deal on the hotel rooms for next year. It was a beautiful location 🙂
xoxoxoox