BlogPodium 2013: Why Canada's Design Blogger Conference Blew Me Away!

This weekend was the big BlogPodium conference that I have been looking forward to all spring and summer - heck all year!  I was lucky enough to work with the amazing Jen Flores of Rambling Renovators on the marketing of the event, and not only did I have a blast and learn a bunch, I also found so much inspiration in watching Jen take on this huge project and knock it out of the park.  That girl is a quiet dynamo.

Jen and her team, photo by SmugMug

All the things I love about conferences happened at BlogPodium

• I spent the day hanging out with people who immediately understood why I spend way too many hours writing, editing, styling, photographing, photoshopping, tweeting, instagramming, and web-surfing.  No explanations required, no rolling of eyes in my direction.  These were my people, and there were almost 300 of them.

• Everyone was as happy and excited to be there as I was.  The mood was celebratory, the smiles contagious.  It was an amazing day before it even started.

• The speakers and panelists were inspiring.  I filled my iPad with quotes and ideas, and had many 'AHA!' moments, nodding my head with all the other bloggers in synchronicity.  These guys knew their stuff, and our stuff to boot.  I have a resulting to-do list that is for sure going to light my blog on fire.

• It was like a big ol' family reunion.  The nature of blogging means that many, many of my friendships and relationships are built online, through comments, tweets and instagrams. I talk more often with these ladies (and Tim) than I do my friends down the street, and as a result, I feel like I know them just as well, if not better!  So it is a joy to put faces to Twitter handles and be able to back up blog comments with great big hugs. (I'm a hugger.)

As an added bonus, I got to feel a real sense of accomplishment as I looked around at the sea of grinning faces.  I am under no illusion that my efforts brought them all there (the name 'Sarah Richardson' might have had a little something to do with it) but it felt kind of awesome to know that I was able to use my non-blogging skills to bring in a table or two of tickets.

My biggest BlogPodium take-away

The best part of the experience, however, was seeing a beaming Jen Flores floating around the rooms.  Unlike most conferences I have attended, I had watched the organizer work her tail end off with passion, poise, and purpose for months on end building up this experience.  She arranged the speakers, booked the venue, scheduled the sessions, oversaw the menu, brought in the big name sponsors, coordinated the blog contributions, and oversaw the marketing, social media, website development, event coordination, and all logistics.  Jen threw herself into this day with everything she had; refused to get knocked down by any of the setbacks or disappointments that arose; diligently worked through meetings, emails, conference calls, presentations, and every other task required with inspiring determination.

Through her vision and effort, Jen created an epic day that will fuel and inspire not only the 300 people in attendance, but their readers, clients, and colleagues.

To have been able to watch all this happen was the biggest gift of all, and was to me more inspiring even than Sarah Richardson's amazing keynote speech (which was awesome!).  Through this process, I learned from watching Jen that having a vision is just the first step.

If you truly believe in something, and are willing to invest yourself completely into making it a reality, not only will it happen, it will be a massive success.

Jennifer Flores Photography by Annawithlove

Not surprisingly, this philosophy seemed to be thread running through the day for me.  I heard it in Sarah Richardson's beautifully honest, sincere, and motivating keynote address.

I heard it in Margot Austin and Rhonda Riche's articulate contributions to the lunchtime keynote panel.

New, Old, and Online Media panel, photography by Annawithlove

"I learned everything on the job, by being willing 
to pick up new challenges and work hard." Margot Austin

"When shelter magazines were shutting down 

we saw an opportunity to make our own fun, in the way we had always wanted but couldn't do before. " Rhonda Riche, Covet Garden

I heard it in Keka DasGupta's charming and energizing session on working with agencies, and I heard it in Karen Bertlesen's frank and hysterical session on monetizing your blog.

Keka DasGupta, photo by Annawithlove

"State of mind matters.  Be confident, be sure. 

Recognize what you are bringing to the table!" Keka DasGupta

Karen Bertelsen, photography by Annawithlove

"Creativity is the key to success - 

when you can do whatever you want and have fun doing it, 

you will be your most authentic." Karen Bertelsen

All in all, it was a thrilling Saturday, and I am exhausted!  I met so many amazing people, doing so many amazing things - I wish everyone could have that kind of soul-enriching experience.  I can't wait to see what other great things Jen can dream up for next year!

I Heart The Latest Covet Garden

 

The latest issue of Covet Garden features Jenn Hannotte, a Toronto designer I have long admired for her pared-down funky interiors.  She recently moved to a new Victorian house and I have been waiting for a glimpse of her newly decorated digs!  Thankfully, Covet Garden provided for me. :)

That rug in her kitchen is gorgeous.  She mixes modern and traditional so well, and every knick knack is chosen and showcased deliberately.  I wish I could do it as easily!  Mind you - this is all styled-up for the magazine, I wonder how it normally looks. :)  As always, Jodi Pudge goes a fantastic job with her light, bright, clean photography.  Someday I would like to see my place through the eyes of such a photographer, wouldn't you?

Bright Bobbie Burgers Colour

It has been a while since I have done a proper blog post.  You know how you miss a day or two at the gym or skip a few runs, and it isn't so hard to get back on track?  But when you miss a week, suddenly you feel guilty for not going, but don't go.  Then it's another week and you aren't sure how to ease back into it without hurting your knees, so you don't go. Then people start to say things like "remember when you used to run?"  Yeah that's how blog posting has gone for me lately (and the running thing may or may not be personal experience...).  But here I am, ready to get back at it.  Perhaps it was this gorgeous room in the weekend's Globe and Mail of Bobbie Burgers's living room that did it.  I love it SO much, especially that incredible painting.

Mr. Dress-up

I grew up watching Mr. Dress-up, and have always loved the relaxed, kindly manner of Ernie Coombs, who would have been 85 today.  Did you know he was originally from Maine?  If you have ever been to Maine, or met a Mainer, it would make complete sense to you.  Thank you Google for making me think of him today.

Urban Toronto get-away

One of my husband's favourite things to do is get out canoeing on the Humber.  I quite enjoy it too, but let's face it, it's never my initiative that gets us out there.  Often we head up the river as far as we can before it gets too shallow to paddle (usually around Bloor).  However, this weekend we headed out into the lake, thinking we would head for a small beach we once found and have a picnic.  We went exploring a bit first though, and ended up discovering the Humber Bay Park East beach.  It is a rocky beach, wasn't that busy, and had beautiful, clear swimming.  We spent the day in the water, having a picnic and collecting beach glass.  It was amazing to be able to jump in the water so close to home!

 Sometimes being married to Captain Outdoors pays off big time.

Jennifer Squires Photography

I had to search my own blog to make sure I hadn't already posted about Jennifer Squires because I first bookmarked her page last summer and I guess had never gotten around to writing about her.  Her images are tranquil, quiet, and serene.  They no doubt appeal to me because these moments are few and far between in my own life!

Jennifer and her husband run a photography business out of London, Ontario, and most of her images are taken using natural light around Southern Ontario.  In fact, this absolutely insane dedicated professional often gets up at the ungodly hour of 3 am to get to her site and set up in time to capture the first light of the day.  Her blog is a wealth of information on early morning photography using long exposures and the detailed techniques of her craft.  She also has lovely monthly desktop calendars for download, so I suggest to stop by for a peek.

They are so quiet and soothing - they would set a lovely mood in a minimally-designed home if blown up several feet high and put behind the couch or dining room table, don't you think?

All photos courtesy of jennifersquires.ca

Mountain Holiday

My apologies for abandoning the blog over the last two weeks.  I arrived in Alberta full of blogging intentions - I foolishly thought I might even get more blogging done here!  However, the days have been full of epic hikes with unbelievable vistas, happy reunion visits with life-long friends, and fabulous eating (and drinking).  By the time I pull the computer to my lap at the end of the day, I don't have the energy to even get the cover open.  

Here are a few iPhone pics to give you an idea of my world has looked like for the last week and a half.  I have to say I am not missing the Toronto heat one. little. bit.  Anyone in Canmore want to hire a partially-trained in-experienced graphic designer?  A girl could get used to this place...

Blog Podium Inspiration = House Tour Completion

I had SO much fun at Blog Podium this weekend and learned a ton about how to monetize a blog.  Nicole Balch of Making It Lovely (one of the first blogs I ever subscribed to) gave an honest, relaxed, and informative keynote.  The ever-amazing Lindsay (of Aubrey and Lindsay's Little House Blog) and Jen (of Rambling Renovators) blew my mind with the fun, professional, absolutely-perfect event. Seriously - I want to be them when I grow up - FOR REAL! (as my 4-year-old keeps saying).   I went home with a huge to-do list for Wicked & Weird and will probably be tweaking things for months to come, or until my energy runs out.  Today I FINALLY got a chance to pull together some photos and text for my House Tour page that I made the link for months ago.  Hooray!

There are many great recaps of the conference out there, and if you are at all interested in the busine$$ side of blogging, I urge you to take a look:

1. Interior Groupie 
2. September and Sun
3. Bijou and Boheme
4. My Daily Randomness
5. Adding the Finishing Touch
6. Gallery No. 8
7. The 236

Here are some of the lessons that I will be taking to heart:

• Stats aren't everything  I have never considered to be "worthy" of advertising because I am such a small blog.  However, big numbers aren't the only thing the larger brands are looking for.  They also want to find blogs large and small that are a good fit content-wise, writers who are well connected to the 'scene' and are well-informed with a professional-looking blog, and bloggers who are engaged and engaging, with comments, tweets, and conversations.
• Oh Canada!  Brands large and small, international and domestic are looking to target geographically.  Let readers know right off the bat where you are writing from and that you are Canadian.
• Tweet Tweet Twitter Twitter  Be active and consistent on Twitter.  Many brand marketers are short on time and need to be on Twitter anyway for their job.  It makes things much easier if they can find you where they are and can see that you are engaged with the community.  Have a great Twitter List that shows you are connected with people these brands want to reach.
• Do your homework Reach out to brands you want to work with, don't wait for them to find you in a sea of blogs.  Research their products, their projects, and their style so you can prove that you really know them when you make the pitch and aren't just cut and pasting their name into a generic ask.
• Dress for the job you want  I have always tried to dress for the job I wanted and not the job I had.  I may have been Marketing Coordinator, but if people were looking around at all the coordinators in the city for a Marketing Manager, I wanted them to know in a glance that I was professional and prepared and ready to step right up.  So when Nicole said "Looking bigger than you are is the best way to get bigger than you are" I knew exactly what she meant: have a blog that looks established, that has a consistent feel to it, and write honestly and authoritatively.  
• Don't quit your day job  Errr, too late for me! :)  But I have confirmed my suspicion that while I can definitely make a little bit of fun money from the blog ("Canadian Tire money" as Christine said) I won't ever be earning a full-time income from it.  At least, not in Canada, and not now.  Things may change!

So you may notice a few changes here and there, and maybe a few ads popping up on the side.  (If you are interested in some seriously cheap test ads, let me know!)  I would love to hear if there is something about my blog that makes you come back, something you think I should make sure to keep up.  Likewise, if there are posts you just skip through when you see them, let me know that too!  I am crazy curious about what you all think about the stuff that I put out there.  Maybe I should start paying for comments?  Oh wait... that's actually the opposite of the idea... right.  I guess I won't be keynote speaker anywhere any time soon. :)

One of a Kind Spring 2012

I was lucky enough to be invited to the One of a Kind Spring show on this weekend at the Direct Energy Centre.  It was a media breakfast and we were treated to a one-of-a-kind breakfast from raw food restaurant Cruda Cafe.  From juices to muffins, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, and scrambled-tofu enchiladas, it was all raw (nothing heated or cooked in any way) and very fresh.  The lemon-poppy seed muffins pictured above were divine.

After breakfast I roamed the aisles with my blogger buddies.  Of course, we all have similar taste and ended up stopping for photos at the same booths.  The images below were the sorely tested my mission to "admire not acquire" - especially the handwoven blanket from New Brunswick (1).

1. Megely Weaving (J-21) from Drummond NB - Those two blanket hanging had me hovering...

2. heyday design (E-29) from Vancouver - I have loved these since I saw them at Granville Island a few years ago

3. MoonRox (Q-32) from Toronto - they had the best brass-and-bright-colours jewellery.

4. Mara Minuzzo (I-36) from Caledon - I loved these paintings of Lego figures for the boys' rooms

5. Atelier b (K-36) from Montreal - I admire them every time I see them at OOAK, this skirt looks so perfect for spring.

A few other pieces caught my eye, including:

1. & 2. Good Wishes Quilts (H-34) from Kelowna - I have a weakness for hedgehogs and love that pillow for a kid's bed.

3. & 4. eikcam ceramics from Vancouver (N-08) - such pretty, simple things and I love the porcelain keys.

Hamilton's Jenna Rose (I-16) is always a favourite, especially those cloud and bird pillows above and that sea-faring bag...hoo boy I love that one!

This photo isn't great, but I did love the photos and the booth of Images of This and That (F-39), especially that YYZ one and the Boys are Awesome print.

In terms of booths, Sharalee and I were discussing how important the merchandizing is - it can make the difference between stopping to look and drifting on.  There were a few booths that stood out with their merchandizing, including the ones below:

Avril's booth (L-05) is like a burst of sunshine in the un-naturally lit cave that is a convention centre.

Patouche's booth was beautifully decorated with adorable fabric trees and cute little manequins. 

I think my favourite booth was this spare, beautifully-lit, and exquisitely-merchandized booth by Renaud from Ateliers Des Cent-Ans (H-06).  Sharalee and I stopped to admire this oasis of a space, and when Renaud handed us his card we became drooling paper geeks (or at least I did - Sharalee is much more sophisticated. :) )  His cards are about 1/16'' thick (I measured) and are beautifully letter-pressed.  They are heaven in a business card, and show the exacting and careful thought that goes into his art.

The show is lovely and exhausting as always, and is on until April 1 at the Direct Energy Centre.  I would love to hear your favourite booths!  Here are some round-ups from Lindsay and Vanessa - I did warn you we have similar taste! :)

Liebster Blog Award

I love blog awards - they are usually passed around from blogger to blogger and I think it is such a great way to support and encourage each other.  And I was supremely flattered to be given a Liebster Blog Award from the lovely and hilarious Dharma of The Wannabe Mermaid.  I met Dharma at the very first Canadian Design Bloggers meet-up and loved her immediately - she was so open and kind-hearted - and I look forward to seeing her at every meet-up.

The Liebster award is given to blogs that deserve more followers and aim to break the 100 mark. ( I try not to look at that little number in the corner, but I can't help but notice that I am getting close!)

It is my turn to pass along the award, so pop on over to these great blogs and hit that follow button. (And if you haven't hit it yet on my blog, now would be a great time...)

- Dharma of The Wannabe Mermaid is a riot and her blog is always a fun read.

- Maggie of Okay, Now What? has fabulous taste and is tackling some huge project in her house, (now while preggo) making me look like a lazy bum.

- Amy of aDESIGNdock really doesn't need my help, she is a contributor for StyleAtHome.com and has been featured on Design*Sponge, but I love her blog and her kick-ass Prairie style.

- Jen of Kitchen Counter Chronicles is one of those moms that always has genius craft ideas, great recipes, and is always taking her kids someplace cool in Toronto, but I like her anyway.  I met her digging in the garden for Bloggers Give Back (we decimated a Forsythia together) and she is a true sweetheart.

So go show these ladies some love!

IDS12 - Cherish Auction & Exhibit

I am really excited to attend the Interior Design Show (IDS) this year.  I went last year and although my feet hurt for days afterwards, I was just amazed and inspired by all the creativity on display.  It was like all my favourite blogs come to life in one big, huge room (and indeed I did chat with lots of Canadian design bloggers while there!).  There are many reasons I am extra excited this year - one big one being BlogPodium, which happens on the Friday, and another being the Opening Night Gala party, which I have never been to.  This year, the DJ is designer-extraordinaire Karim Rashid... I KNOW, RIGHT?!

During the Gala, there will be available for auction designer re-imagined Julian chairs by Magis (pictured above).  I love the idea of starting with such an iconic and cool children's chair and having well-known designers try to make it their own.  All the proceeds from this auction go to benefit the ONEXONE Foundation.

The chairs above are the creations of (L to R) Joe Mimran for Joe Fresh, Alfred Sung, and AKB (Atelier Kastelic Buffey).  Other designers taking part include Arthur Mendonca, Bruce Mau Design, David + Glenn Dixon, Debbie Travis, Donna Karan, Arren Williams for HBC, Giannone Petricone, Philip Sparks and Piero Lissoni, among others.

It should be quite a night.  I have bought what promise to be ridiculously painful (but obviously otherwise fabulous) shoes to wear with an LBD.  If you are going, please let me know what you are wearing!  Tickets are still available here, I think, in case you haven't got yours yet.  See you there!