Happy Monday everyone! Hope you had a good weekend!
As promised, I have my Haven recap for you!
As most of you know, I went to Atlanta a little over a week ago to attend my second Haven bloggers conference. While there, you take all sorts of classes to help improve your blog — classes such as SEO (Search Engine Optimization), how to make money blogging, photography classes, Interior Design, how to build your brand, etc. You also can take DIY classes, such as learning how to tile, building furniture, and classes on how to work with the latest tools.
Not only are you there to take classes, but you also make connections with companies, and you get to meet and build relationships with other bloggers.
Last year was my first year at the conference, and I felt like a deer in the headlights. So many bloggers that I didn’t know and that didn’t know me.
This year it was so nice to know people and have some of the big time bloggers know who I was and comment on some of my projects from the last year.
My roommate this year was Laura from Inspiration For Moms, and I couldn’t have been happier.
As a blogger, you have so many online friendships, and it is so great every year to meet those ladies in real life.
Here is Sonya, from At Home With the Barkers, and I lounging on the Ballard Designs sofa.
It was so fun hanging out with my girls at the Ballard Designs cocktail party on the first night.
Paula from Virginia Sweet Pea, Megan from Rappsody in Rooms, Danielle 2 Little Superheroes, Laura Inspiration For Moms, Jen Girl In the Garage, Angie Postcards From the Ridge, Christy Confessions of a Serial DIYer, Christy Our Southern Home, and Nancy Artsy Chicks Rule
After staying up late talking to my roomie, the next morning arrived early.
Chip Wade, from HGTV’s Elbow Room, was our Key Note speaker. He was showing clips from his upcoming episodes, and this man has creativity oozing out his ears!
I then took the class We Heart Brands, and one of the teachers was one of my favorite people in the world: Mandi from Vintage Revivals.
Then we did a little cooking in the Moen Kitchen!
Laura and I getting ready for the Rustoleum cocktail party!
It was so fun getting to meet my blogging buddies Bee at Windgate Lane and Jessica from Gourley Girl and Guy.
I absolutely loved Susan from Living Rich on Less at the Ryobi cocktail party! Although we only live about 3 hours apart, I wish we lived closer so we could hang out together! We were missing our friend Cindy from Daisies and Crazies this year!
Ryobi totally spoiled us with multiple, huge chocolate fountains with every type of yummy dipping goody known to man!
They also gave out some great prizes at the end of the night!
We went for a quick shower at the WaterPik booth! We got some great new Spray Shaper shower heads to bring home!
While Laura and I walked around checking out the vendors booths, we ran into Lauren from The Endearing Home, Julie from Lilacs and Longhorns, and Danielle from 2 Little Superheroes.
Some of the vendors that we met were from Home Depot, Minwax, FrogTape, Rustoleum and Moen.
The lunch room at the Tide Luncheon was decorated so beautifully by Mandi of Vintage Revivals and Brooke from All Things Thrifty!
These girls went through a ton of work, but their creativity looked lovely!
On our last night, I went out to dinner with these lovely ladies, and we had so much fun!
Wendy H20 Bungalow, Vidya What’s Ur Home Story, Laura Inspiration For Moms,
Christy Confessions of a Serial DIYer, and Nancy from Artsy Chicks Rule
The Haven team did a spectacular job putting all this together. I can’t imaging how much work went into making everything run so smoothly.
They even put a cute little video together, and if you look really close, you might see me pop up in it a couple of times!
One of the best parts of Haven is the swag that you get to take home. You literally have to bring an extra suitcase to bring it all home in, and even then I had to sit on it just to get it zipped.
Once I got it home Charlie decided to be the guarder of the swag.
Once again, Haven was an amazing experience, from learning so much at the classes, to making new connections with companies that I am excited to tell you about later. But most of all the relationships with these brilliant, wildly creative, supportive other women. There was such a wide array of bloggers there. Some who purely blog as a fun hobby to those who turned their blogs into a very lucrative career making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Leaving Haven, I felt more empowered, more inspired, and ready to make some changes to my blog that I will share with all of you!
Shanna, Thank you for sharing details of the conference. I was hoping you would and it looks and sounds like so much fun while informative and educational. I would love to attend. Maybe I’ll see you there one day!
Amazing!!! Loved the energ in the video!!
Looks like my kinda group!!!!
Joy
I so much enjoyed seeing your at Haven. Three days went by in such a hurry! I’m already looking forward to going back next year!
Great recap Shanna!! I am so happy we met and I was able to hang out with you several times! It just goes by way too fast! Already can’t wait until next year! 🙂
xo
Nancy
Great recap, roomie! It was so much fun hanging out with you. Thanks for helping my through my first conference! I’m already excited to go back next year! 🙂
Me too! You were the perfect roomie!
It was great yo meet you too Shanna. We had a lovely time. Should do this again next year.
Absolutely my dear!
I loved meeting you in person and had so much fun hanging out with you! Love your guardian of the swag 🙂
How fun!! So glad you had an amazing time!!