I’m home.
My head is swirling, my heart is full.
The time I spent in Nashville meeting so many women I admired through my computer screen for so long was just fabulous. Yes, the hotel was amazing. Yes, the sessions were informative. But the best times were the times I sat at a small table with friends having coffee, or lunch, or dinner. The times spent sitting on a bed in a hotel room and just talking with, laughing with, inspiring and encouraging one another.
I heard over and over again from other people how amazing it was to meet some of these people and to feel like there is nothing different between our online selves and our real life selves. Other than that I did hear quite often how glad people were to know I am human when I took my daily afternoon breaks to have a panic attack each day. Or the times that I cried, one time for no reason, and another for a very big reason. I hope it all just showed we are real people sitting here at our computers. We are women who inspire by being ourselves – even when it’s not pretty.
I spent the morning going through my photos. As it turns out, I talked a lot more than I took pictures. There are people I met that I have been waiting to meet for 2 years and then never took a single photo to document it. Sigh.
I did get some pics, though, so here we go. My weekend of bliss documented in some random snapshots, not nearly enough to capture the real moments. I didn’t have my camera out for when I was laughing so hard at dinner one night, that my gut hurt. I didn’t have my camera when I had coffee with someone who didn’t care that I had stumbled out of bed 6 minutes earlier and we shared our hearts. I didn’t have my camera when big conversations about life and faith occurred. But it all happened and it all was fabulous and I loved every moment.
Emily (chatting at the sky), Edie (life in grace), Melissa (a familiar path)
Edie, Lindsay (living with lindsay) and Kimm (reinvented)
Amy (mom advice) and me
Melissa (the inspired room) and Kimba (a soft place to land)
Emily and The Nester, who are just about the cutest and sweetest sisters ever.
Then there was the Harry Connick, Jr. concert.
Lindsay
and AnNicole (our suburban cottage)
The women we can all blame that I even went to Blissdom, Melissa and The Nester who peer pressured me into going.
you can take up your complaints with them.
As I was driving home from the airport last night, my 2 year old son called me crying and saying “I need you, mama”. I couldn’t wait to get home. To the little ones who tackled me before I even got out of the car. To the husband who was so excited and supportive of my time away and kept things together here at home (other than the washing machine I need to replace today). To my home where I kicked my heels off, grabbed some frozen pizza, curled up on the couch and watched some football, and felt as comfortable as ever.
It’s so amazing to be home, isn’t it? Loved meeting you, and it’s just so fun to read you know and think…yes, she is a friend IRL
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oh my goodness. i have goosebumps for you. that must have been SO fun. and, I heart Harry. lucky you!!
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Awwww, Emily, love you! Such an awesome weekend, wasn’t it? I started my post off saying there were no words to describe the awesomeness, then rattled on about it anyway.
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So great to meet you, Emily, in real-life, in real-person!
You are darling and I hope you had an easy “re-entry” back into real life! Lotsa “reals” there. Love ya, GF!
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I could not be more proud to be responsible for dragging you to Blissdom! It was so fun to watch you go from being nervous about the unknown of Blissdom to being the fun and lively girl I know you are at heart. Well, what happens at Blissdom stays at Blissdom so I won’t say anymore about you and Harry. LOL.
Each of those women were either real life friends (met last year) or NEW real life friends. And I am glad that we are all now connected online and off! xo
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So glad to have found your blog! Love the pictures. Have a great start to your week…
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“we are women who inspire by being ourselves”
so well put!
Wonderful photos! Hope I can make it next year when we’re not on a graduate student budget. So great that you had an enjoyable time!
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Ohhh, I like that shot of Harry. He looks goooood. {swoon} I need to go through all my photos. I don’t think I have one of us together. Rats! I think Angie might though.
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You got some great photos! My camera was on the wrong setting for half of mine and turned out fuzzy. I’m so mad! Honestly, I felt like anything that could go wrong over the weekend, did. I told my mom I think I was cursed or something.
Anyway, meeting you was one of the highlights of the weekend for me. I’m so glad you came!
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Emily Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
oh that makes me sad. it was definitely a highlight to meet you, one of my blogging heroes. and i am definitely kicking myself that I don’t have any pics of us together
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Oh, I love you, Em. I just can’t even put it into words. {heart}
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Sounds like an amazing and refreshing time. Glad you enjoyed yourself.
-FringeGirl
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Meeting you was so great! I am glad we go to dance and have dinner surrounded by fish!
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i loved meeting you. i was also eager to get home and snuggle my kids. i started crying saturday night and some strangers hugged and comforted me. it was such a great time.
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Great pics!!! And I love the story about your son’s call. : )
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Blissdom sounds like so much fun!
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Geesh you have me all teary eyed here and I didn’t even go to Blissdom ;o) I’m so happy for you. The comment about the washer almost made me spit my coffee when I laughed at it – too funny.
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between you & Julia (Hooked on Houses) I became intensely envious that I somehow hadn’t gotten myself booked into Blissdom. Next year Gadget. If only to meet all you lovely people.
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Awwww. So sweet! Being away was so fun…but coming home to our babies was even better.
One question…why do I look like a giant and Melissa looks like an itty-bitty?
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Thanks for the peek into Blissdom for those of us that weren’t there! Sounds like a precious time!
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Hi Emily. I’m here from Emily’s. How is it I haven’t been here? I love a good house-writing-frugal-simplicity blog!
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Just stumbled onto your blog. I’ll be bookmarking it. So much of what you write lines up with the changes we are making as a family.
Love the pics from Blissdom.
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Love to put the faces with the places…maybe I’ll go next year?
Looks like fun!
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Emily Reply:
February 9th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Yes, you should definitely come next year! It would be so exciting to meet you!
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that must have been a lovely environment for you all to come together in .. wish we had something similar
best le
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Looks like it was a blast! I am glad to have come across your site as a result of someone else at blissdom mentioning it! I would’ve loved to have joined the party if I wasn’t 7,500+ miles away! Wow!
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Ack.. i’m breaking the mold and leaving comments. Your comment made me laugh out loud. You are so recognizable and one of the ones (for me) that was easy to tell who you were right away. Your avatar is genuinely recognizable, where some people looked nothing like their little 2D pic.
It was a pleasure to meet you! Would have loved more time to chat.
Same time, same place, next year?
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What a great weekend you had! Very close to HCJ too. Front row? Looks like you had a fabulous time.
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Awww, what a great picture of us! I was so glad to squeeze you in person and could not wait to finally meet you! You are just as I had expected you to be- GENUINE and KIND! xo
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Emily,
First visit to your site. Your pictures are great. So glad you went to Blissdom! It’s my hope to go next year. Looks like a blast!
I’ll visit again – wonderful blog.
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I also suffer from panic attacks and i can manage it by deep and slow breathing. i also practice meditation.. .
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[...] haven’t unpacked from blissdom. While I was gone, my washing machine broke. I should have known better than to leave hubby alone [...]
[...] can capture beauty in the most fabulous ways through her lens. I had the pleasure of meeting her at Blissdom, where she was gracious enough to meet me for coffee so we could just chat and it was wonderful. I [...]