Friday, July 22, 2011

Bold Move

In the past two weeks I have been to two blogger meet-ups. One was hosted by Melissa Esplin from IS-LY. Unfortunately (super emphasis here) I never took out my camera, so there are not pictures to document the event. Basically we chatted and ate delicious food from Dilly's Deli. Did I mention it was at Melissa's in-laws' fantastic modern home? I was in architectural and interior design heaven. Talking with Melissa's mother-in-law sure did help me figure a few things out about how I want to transform my home (in time).

The other meet-up was hosted my Camberley and Keighley from Fancy House Road. It was a Christmas in July themed event with a few garland crafts. There were a lot of bloggers there and it was a little overwhelming. My lack of skills in the small talk department was very apparent as I could not think of a single thing to say to anyone the first 45 minutes or so, but once I did start chatting I got to know some pretty awesome ladies. It was a fun event and I'm glad I went.

some of the garland supplies

most of the ladies that came - photo from Kayla

Other than the hosts, I chatted with a few awesome bloggers. I met Kayla from Freckles in April, Jessica from Toujours C'est La Vie, Mandy from Dash It All, and Ashley from The Adventures of Bunny and Elephant. I also indirectly met Rosemary from Hello There! House who's latest project is extremely interesting to me. I hope they have a giveaway for tickets to their conference in October and that I win, because it sounds super fun.

Now to address the title of this post - Attending these meet-ups was a very bold move for me. The past few years have torn me down, but as I'm fighting to get stronger and more self-assured, I am putting myself out there more. And it isn't easy. Because I had access to the blogs of all the ladies attending, I was a little more at ease about going to the first meet-up. The second meet-up was a little more difficult because I was more or less going in blind because lots more bloggers than I expected showed up. But I pushed through it, survived, and made a few friends. For that, I feel like a champion. Hopefully I can attend more meet-ups and improve even more.

A big thanks to Melissa, Camberley, and Keighley for letting me participate is some great social experiences. You girls are awesome.

4 comments:

mandyface said...

Twas an awesome night!! So glad I got to meet you!! I really hope they do another one next month and I'm personally commanding everyone to eat more!

Jessica Ellertson said...

I totally appreciate your honesty here. That is something I have been working on too.. trying to expand my horizons, meet new people, and do things that make me slightly uncomfortable. I think you are doing fab! Keep it up!

Jenna said...

I appreciate your honesty, too. I get a little anxiety about big meet-ups too, but having overcome some serious depression in my past has made me a lot more confident and sure of myself when meeting new people. I find if I just go and do it, I usually have a great time.

Thanks for the follow! :)

Teachinfourth said...

Kudos to you for being brave and stepping out!