Stepping a little out of my ordinary routine, I was pretty thrilled to have attended the Design Bloggers Conference this past week in Atlanta…
As a long time blogger I’m aware of quite a few of the conferences that bloggers flock to, but honestly I did not know much about this one until I heard about it from a friend. Once I took a look at the conference package and the speakers I knew right away that this one looked pretty perfect…
And it was!
Held this year at the Grand Hyatt in Atlanta, a city that for me was easy to get to with just a short flight.
Presented by the lovely folks at Esteem Media that I was so pleased to get to know them and to spend some talking about design, blogging and our lives in general…
The classes were so informative and included everything from blogging with a smart phone {which I’m doing in this post:~}, to improving your own craft of writing, to how to grow and engage with Instagram, Pinterest and more. There was a private half hour blog clinic and I’ve already put the wheels in place to several of their suggestions for my blog…
But the speakers!
I was incredibly moved by listening to design superstar Cynthia Rowley who spoke about her design roots and aesthetic and her humble beginnings. She’s a petite powerhouse and I only wish that I had been closer to the stage to show you her fabulous, talk of the town shoes.
Keynote speaker and design royalty in every sense India Hicks shared photos of her home and lifestyle, her family and spoke about her upbringing and new ventures…
A quick shuttle ride landed us in upscale Phipps Plaza to meet Million Dollar Decorator’s Mary McDonald and view a presentation showcasing some of her projects.
Nathan Turner who was funny, authentic and ever so stylish speaking with us about his styling shenanigans and his love of cooking as well as design. He has a cookbook coming out soon and I’m looking forward to seeing what that is all about!
Besides these design celebrities there were some stars in their own right of the blogging world who spoke as well including Justina Blakeney of The Jungalow, and my super talented friend Courtney from French Country Cottage. Great to hear what these ladies had to say…
We were treated to several showroom tours and although I tried to stuff this massive chandelier at the Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery into my carry-on…it just wouldn’t fit. Darn…you know how much I LOVE a sparkly chandelier!
Sponsored by Traditional Home Magazine, we took a quick trip over to the massive local The Container Store and toured some of their latest and greatest closet systems. Gone are the days of sticky wire shelving and organization is key with all that they offer…
Over at the Pirch showroom several incredible chefs had stations set up for our grazing pleasure while we mingled and toured the latest in products available. With our family business in construction, I snapped away to share virtually with my husband who has been working on some projects that I thought these sinks might work for…
We were able to get up close and personal with some great brands, some new to me…like
Barn Light Electric with this pendant that is so my color!
And some familiar brands like
World Market, where my dining chairs that I’m so often asked about are from (and I noticed that they are on sale now).
So if you are considering attending next year I definitely recommend it with so much knowledge and inspiration shared! It was fun meeting so many new friends that I’m sure I’ll see again and sharing stories with people who get what blogging and design life is all about….
Before I go, yes…that is me up there and I’m SO excited to have been selected to be a part of the High Point Market Design Bloggers Spring 2016 Tour. It takes place in April and I’ll be sharing and reporting to you from there!
Be sure to check in with me this week for a great giveaway from Delta Faucet and some other posts in the works. Enjoy your week ahead…
Congrats Janet on being selected! How much fun will that be!
Janet, Wow…Cynthia Rowley, India Hicks, and more–oh my! The energy and inspiration at that conference must have been electric. I can't wait to interview you for my blog. You are a celebrity in my book.