Good morning everyone!  It’s been a bit of a whirlwind week for me, but I must say well worth the hustle.  Remember I entered a contest for a chance to go to the Blog Life University Conference in Atlanta, well I must say it was worth every effort of creating my dessert.  Not only did I get to bond with other bloggers, but the conference was such a rewarding event.  It was my first time attending one and the theme was “How to Monetize Your Blog”.  Melissa, who blogs at Serendipity and Spice started the conference as a way for bloggers and social media influencers to connect, learn, and prosper with each other.  She and her staff did a fantastic job at bringing in many inspirational and motivational speakers who taught you how to grow your blog, connect with brands, and earn an income all while having fun blogging.  When I started my blog three years ago, it was just to have an outlet to share my DIY and decorating ideas.  I didn’t realize it would turn into a passion (and a fun passion at that), but who knew you could make money (and lots of it).  I learned so much and became motivated to kick things up a notch on my blog.  It was also a pleasure to finally meet a few of my blog-buddies who I’ve become so familiar with .  I connected with Marsha Jones through her blog MJonesStyle.com (above) and Shelly, through her blog Confetti Style.  If you’re not a follower of their blogs, I urge you to and if you are, then you’re quite aware how wonderful they are.

Some of the bullet points I learned at the conference were:

• How to establish affiliate links
• The benefit of E-books & Newsletters
• The importance of good photography
• What brands are looking for to establish a sponsored post
• How beneficial Pinterest can be to your blog
• How to grow your blog and attract new readers
• Adding travel to your blog
• Working with brands
• Time Management

There are many obstacles I need to overcome to begin this process and I’m going to start by taking “babysteps” .  In the words of Robert Culler:  Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.   This week I finally made up my mind to learn how to create my first YouTube video.  Since I became motivated from the conference, I decided to use my Fruity BreadPudding recipe as the premier video for my YouTube channel:

I hope you liked it – if so – how about clicking that “thumbs up” button for me 🙂 and don’t forget to follow to see more of my upcoming videos.

Below is the line-up of speakers and each of them were well versed and very knowledgeable about their topic.  They shared a plethora of information and answered all our questions whole-heartedly.

After the session, Chateau Elan provided a wine tasting

and the Dixie Crystal ladies were giving away prizes

I was one of the lucky winners of a silicone baking mat.. it’s definitely going to come in handy while baking

Afterwards – we all engaged in plenty conversation and idle chat and later gathered for dinner at Pappasito’s Cantina.  It was   “THEEEE FREAKING BEST” mexican food I’ve ever eaten

Dixie Crystals supplied treats and the opportunity to make our own sugar scrubs.

There were several supplies left over so the wonderful ladies at Dixie Crystal allowed a couple of us to take them home to donate to our local foodbanks.

Overall, the conference was a big success and I look forward to going again.  One important tip I got out of the entire conference was: Don’t get stuck in a black hole.. follow what you enjoy and write about what you love…therefore, it won’t feel so much like work.  Your blog is a business and you must treat it that way.  Blogging is the new business model and if you enjoy it, you can actually earn an income.  They provide you the tools and information needed to grow your business and it’s up to you to decide how to make it work for you.  You can learn more about Blog Life University here.    Again, I’d like to thank Blog Life University, Dixie Crystals, Chatteau Elan, the other sponsors and speakers for a rewarding event and the DoubleTree Hotel for their exquisite accommodations.   Next up.. You know I had to take on a bit of thrifting while in Hotlanta.. The thrift stores were the bomb-diggity – I can’t wait to show you all what goodies we got.  So until next time.. Happy hunting while thrifting your house into a home!

Smooches!