Wow, almost a month later and I’m finally getting around to my SNAP! 2013 Recap. I recently had the privilege of attending SNAP! Creativity at Your Fingertips a conference for creative bloggers. And just like last year it was an amazing experience packed full of learning, connections and personal development. Not only was I lucky enough to attend the conference again this year, but I was selected as one of the speakers. I was honored that I was choose and given the opportunity to talk about my passion for parties and budget friendly ideas for making the ordinary EXTRAORDINARY! I teamed up with my friend Michelle from Maddycakes Muse to present the super fun Parties That Wow workshop.
The theme for the conference was “Create Joy” and I can without a doubt say this was a truly joyful experience that has left me inspired to create more joy in my life whether it be through cherishing my time with family & friends, creating parties or blogging. Throughout the entire conference there were amazing reminders that we as individuals are in charge of finding, creating and cherishing these joyful moments in our everyday.
Besides the highlight of speaking at the conference it was an incredible 3 days packed full of fun, laughter, learning, friendships and “ahh ah moments.” Here are some of my favorite highlights from SNAP! 2013 (with lots of random pictures.)
Joy is in the Connection – Nothing beats hanging out with talented women who get your passion, sharing stories about family, discussing business, acting silly in your PJs, late night crafting and connecting with old and new friends. Julie Hanks said it best in her closing speech “Joy is in the Connection, Not the Perfection.” Choose people who value your worth and stop trying to be “perfect!”
Pinterest, Google+ and Brands Oh My! – Build a better brand by utilizing these tools. The Pinterest workshop by I Heart Naptime and Whipperberry was one of my favorites. They told us vertical is better for pictures, have a call to action, create negative space in your photo and share content that pulls people in. Caroline from 30 Minute Crafts related Google+ to a buffet – you don’t need to consume everything on it to get value from it. But you definitely want to get started, you want to be at the “party” when everyone else finally decides to join in the fun! And finally, blogger and brand relationships are powerful. But beware, no one watches commercials on TV anymore so why would they want to read it on your blog? Be authentic. Be genuine. Be Awesome.
Replace your “To-Do List” with a “Ta-Da List” – Again, the fabulous Julie Hanks talked about how we need to spend more time celebrating our success. We’ve all made “To-Do Lists” at the beginning of the day and then beat ourselves up when we aren’t able to cross everything off at the end of the day. Instead, try making a”Ta-Da List” at the end of the day – a list that celebrates the things you did, which may not be the same goals you started out the day with: taking time to comfort a friend, being patient with your toddler even though they spilled milk all over the floor – you know, THE IMPORTANT STUFF!
Attending SNAP! gave me the opportunity to re-focus on business goals, share what I’m passionate about and build connections. But most importantly what I took away is something that can apply to all of us…no matter what you do or who you do it with CREATE JOY!
[…] I mentioned in my SNAP 2013 Recap I had the privilege of speaking at the SNAP Creativity at Your Fingertips blog conference. I […]