Sparks and Butterflies

Quick update on my business elsewhere:

Blissfully Domestic: A Word on the Bias You’ll Face

Aiming Low: Not a bad mom… Just aiming low

Butterviews: Rock of Ages (giveaway ends Sunday) & CookieKids Contest

Needed to tell you before I completely forgot. Thanks, and please feel free to move about the cabin.

I completely thought that I published this – and just saw that it was a draft. I just published (or they just published me?) a post on Aiming Low. Heh.

Just the Monday Catch Up on my other gigs:

I did a book review on a book called Emergency by Neil Strauss.

The Capri-Sun $250 gift card giveaway is still going strong until 7/8.

So, it’s Monday, which means it’s time to update you on ME around the web.

You already know about this one. But I’m mentioning it anyway because HELLO! I was on CNN.

Article up at Special Needs Bliss, Advocate – Enough Said. A bit of a rant, cleaned up for non-personal blogness.

Another article up at Special Needs Bliss, How to Find Special Needs Programs.

The $250 Giftcard Giveaway for Capri-Sun Sunrise is still going strong over at Butterviews! The deadline isn’t until July, so be sure to enter if you haven’t already.

And I didn’t say “Dude” once!

I’ve decided on Monday’s to do a basic rundown of what I’ve done online in the previous week, if anything, so I’m not pointing it all out every entry, but I’m still letting you know what’s going on for me.

I landed a ghostwriting gig for parts of an ebook that’s WoW related, so that’s kind of cool. I’m done with the project, but that may lead to a WoW blogging position.

I highlighted Yom Kippur Reflections on Blog Nosh. Anna T. is a sweet soul, and I was excited to be able to highlight a mainly unknown blogger.

I highlighted Haagen-Dazs Five on Butterviews. Not a product review per se, but the one tried is damn good.

I highlighted the Hunger Pledge on Butterviews. They were my sponsor for SxSW. A very good cause, with many ways to contribute – and not all financial.

I reviewed Yanni Voices for the One2One Network on Butterviews.

I reviewed the Ballas Hough Band for the One2One Network on Butterviews.

I cannot believe I didn’t finish my blissdom updates.  I’ve been really sick, and I want to catch up.  So now, we’ll just have to have Friday & Saturday smushed together and just mention the highlights.

I finally met Deanna.  We’ve been corresponding online for years.  YEARS.  But I didn’t know who she was.  I just stared at her, ’cause she looks just like someone from my old work.  The synapses in my brain were misfiring.  Anyway – she introduced herself.  She thinks I’m sweet.  heh.  And she MIGHT be helping me with the site a little bit.  A little bit of refining, let’s say.

I met and saw a whole bunch of people.  People that I needed to meet, that I wanted to meet, and folks who were new to me, as I didn’t follow their blogs.  All of it was wonderful.  I even got to squish a baby girl, which was bliss.  I’m not going to list everyone – ’cause it’s DAYS later and I’ll forget someone and hurt their feelings.  Which I know how that is, so I don’t want to do it.

The swag was fabulous.  Especially the bag – it was a GREAT bag.  No blazing logo, and really sturdy (Land’s End.)

I finally ditched my laptop in my room.  It was great in my room as a setup, but I think it might be time for an iphone or blackberry.

The sessions were really helpful.  I followed the Maven track.  I really got a lot out of them.  I wrote down good ideas to follow up on in the future.

Of course, I had to pause in my blogging conference goodness to take care of a baseball issue for Joseph.  Remotely.  Because it never stops.

I ended up skipping Friday’s cocktail party.  I was people overloaded for one.  I was really tired from not sleeping well on Thursday.  I did NOT want to dress properly.  I didn’t want to make nice or be somewhere loud.  So I took a nap in my room.  I slept better in that hour than the whole of Thursday night.

I got into my moo-cow jammies and hit up the pajama party.  Watched Mamma Mia.  Has to be the cheesiest movie ever – however I loved it, so what does that say about me?

All of Friday and I still had yet to take a picture.

Saturday was a huge day for me.  Huge.

The sessions were great.  The presentation of Yanni Voices was great…  As well as those beautiful men who were there for questions after.

In the session on PR, there was an announcement that Wal-Mart was going to sponsor two people to go to SXSW.  I entered the contest on a break between sessions.  The becomes important later.

If there was a complaint to be had – I’d say that it was the customer service of the hotel in terms of food.  I truly believe that the hotel had no idea WHAT to do with all of us.   So – I had lunch on Saturday – grabbing and going to the next session, ’cause I had to wait for the whole lunch break in line for the food, since they ran out.

After skipping the last session on getting published – that’s when I was writing my angsty post in my room – I did attend the Chris Mann concert.  His music was great, yes.  But he made it a lot of fun.  He actually took the time to research who we are, and what this conference was about.  He was making twitter jokes, and pausing between songs to read the tweets about his performance.  He actually connected with us – made an effort – and that was really impressive to me.

Jen Lancaster was the keynote speaker.  Which of course was great.  And I was able to meet her as she’s friends with Deanna, so that was a lot of fun.  Deanna and I will probably go to her next book signing in the L.A. area and meet up.

Also during the day, I met up with White Trash Mom.  Dude.  She reads me – how cool is that?  We talked about some business she might like to do with me (?!) and parted ways.  I can’t even tell you how excited I was about that.

I went to the cocktail party that night, but did NOT dress up.  Probably an etiquette faux pas, but had I gone back to the room, I would not have come back down, and I knew it.  I had two Blisstinis – which were actually quite good for this total lightweight.  Watched some karaoke and the electric slide.  No – I didn’t dance – we didn’t want anyone injured.  I was at the bar trying to get a drink when Christine was pointing to me and pantomiming “I need to talk to you!”  I don’t know her, and was first introduced to her blog  in a panel I watched, so  I did the whole look around thing and pointed to myself, “Me?”  “Yes you!”  Okie dokie.  I slowly made my way around to the other side of the bar, at which point she informed me that I had won one of the trips to SXSW!  ME!  I was floored.  And then immediately went outside and called Poe.  Can you imagine a better place to pass my business card around?

I called it a night soon after that.  I had my morning flight home the next day.

All in all?  I will SO go next year if I can budget for it.  It was worth it in information, it was worth it in reinforcing some existing friendships, and it was worth it in terms of networking.  Awesome.

Unfortunately, these are the ONLY two pictures I managed to take the entire weekend.  BAD BAD BLOGGER.

Vintage Squirrel (who was gracious enough to have lunch with me on Friday) and I.

VDog and Tanis.  Trust me to make sure that one of the only two pictures I take has boob grabbing involved.

I’m skipping the last Blissdom session as I’m in thought.  And when I’m in thought, I get distracted.  I wouldn’t get anything from the session anyway.

The good news…  I found out that a famous-to-me blogger reads me.  And that she might be willing to hire me.  Perhaps.  Maybe.  If we work something out – AND she wants me to guest post.  Because she likes my voice.  I’m not linking her because it’s not a done deal, and I don’t want to put words in her mouth – or pressure on her.  But this is HUGE for me.  1) Someone who in my opinion is a success reads me.  Sorry, but that gives me validation.  2)  Potential new client woot!  So…  networking works.

But the bad news…  I’m in a blogging identity crises.  There was a branding session.  After the session I asked a couple of gals who I trust and respect, and who know both my blog and other writing, what do THEY think when they go to my blog (in terms of branding and if it is correctly reflective of me and my voice.)  I’m not going to link the ladies -  I don’t want to put words in their mouth – and I’m not calling them out.  I asked them both ’cause I respect them and I admire what they’ve accomplished.  And they tell it like it is.

One said that I am not like my blog.  That in person I’m bubbly and happy, and trustworthy.  But they feel like my blog feels very critical (not that I’M critical of anyone, but the general feel I think).  Another long time bloggy friend that knows me chimed in that it reminded her of a teenager’s poetry diary grown up.  The other I asked said they would lose the cartoon girl.

They both put me in a quandry in different ways.

In terms of the angsty angle (content wise) – I’ve decided to own that.  I’ve only ever written my thoughts and my life.  I truly don’t necessarily like that I come across as that way.  But perhaps the dichotomy of that perception, and my in person perception are parts to a whole.  I can accept that, and I can own that.  But what I DO NOT want is for anyone to think I’m hyper critical of them.  Ever.  Life is hard enough.  We may disagree on some issues – but I’m not going to call anyone out or criticize them on my blog unless they do something to me or mine.  So don’t do anything to me or mine.

I think part of her perception, however, might come from the graphic on my site, which leads me to the other problem.  The suggestion that I remove the cartoon girl!  Oy!  I paid money for the girl.  I have no graphic talent, unfortunately.  So I have to pay other people.  But I have definitely toyed with the idea of a bit more sophistication.  However.  That girl is EVERYWHERE…  It’s my avatar on all the social networks!  I do not have a good picture of myself to replace it with, and don’t know how to take a good photo.  Just not a talent of mine (which irks as a blogger, let me tell you.)  And everyone knows the cartoon girl.  “OMG I KNOW YOU AND YOU’RE NOT A CARTOON!”  Which is brand recognition.

Which brings me to my quandry…  Would different graphics help match my true voice?

I’ve noticed a couple people are commenting more.  Please – help me out readers…  weigh in.  Does the feeling of my “online living room” actually match the content I’m putting out there?  Or would you go with a more sophisticated graphics ensemble?  Does it match my voice, or would something smoother, softer, brighter, brasher, more low key (I could go on) match the writing?  Even better if you’ve met me.  PLEASE weigh in.

Sparks and Butterflies isn’t going anywhere.  Sparks and Butterflies is me for very personal reasons.  But perhaps I’ve grown out of the angst?  Weigh in – comment away.

I am insane.

I’m going to be doing NaBloPoMo.

I’ve got a few things going on.

November 1st is the launch of my business.

November 4th is the election.

November 13th, WOTLK comes out.

November 14th is my last day at my day job.

November 21st is the kids’ last day at daycare.

November 27th is Thanksgiving.

Then there will of course be the aftermath of the election, the resulting chaos of figuring out how to be home, the aftermath of figuring out my business.  I figure there will be plenty of blog fodder to keep me going.

But this may just be a case of my truly being insane.

I never call, I never write…  Blah blah blah.  I KNOW.

Mainly I’m not writing because I’m trying to stay away from politics until the election is over, and in my personal life, everything is on hold until I actually leave my job, which is looking like not until my “official” leave date of November 21st.  Everything else is chugging right along.

Of note recently:  My mom is giving me the truck.  You know, the one I’ve been driving for the last 5 years?  Yeah, she’s finally just signing it over so I’m legally responsible for everything.  And for my dad…  Oy.  I just installed and connected and taught him how to use high speed dsl.  So.  Hopefully he doesn’t find my blog.  But now he can search for old cars on ebay, and his class of 1953, without having to wait forever on dial up.  Oh, and my mother can’t yell at him for not being able to use the phone, so there’s that.  Trying to explain to him the concept of data transfer over a phone line was…  comical.

And finally, one of my picks for Blog Nosh is up.  Go check it out.