I sat for a long time on the plane ride home from Texas just thinking about the Conference. I felt like there was a lot to process. Indiana and her crew really knocked it out of the park this year. It was the perfect combination of old and new friends, parties, workshops and fun. I love how laid back and casual it was. It really lead to a nice vibe the whole weekend. If you haven’t gone to a Texas Style Council Conference then you should! The next and final one is going to be this up coming March during SXSW. Start planning.

Blogging is a funny thing. It’s something that so many of us take part in. It’s a part of who we are, how we live our lives and how we see the world. It becomes our normal. You remember just how weird it is though when you meet someone who doesn’t blog and they ask you about it. I feel silly saying something like “yeah, I write a blog about myself. Yes. I put pictures of myself in my outfits on the internet.” It sounds ridiculous. I get all squirmy having that conversation. I am proud of my blog but I think it’s a hard thing to explain/understand if you are not a blogger yourself or at least someone who enjoys reading blogs. That is why I love these conference weekends so much. For those few days you are surrounded by inspiring women who get that part of you. They have that same passion to share a part of themselves as well. We all come from different backgrounds, different locations, different walks of life, yet we are all connected. I can say without a doubt that these women are some of the dearest, truest, and loveliest friends I have. Not just blogger friends, but real life friends. I love these girls. We may have blogging in common but our friendships run so much deeper.

Julie and I were nominated (and won!) for “Best Pals” at the Prom during the conference. It was such an honor to win that one in particular. The thing I love the most about blogging is the connections and friendships I have made. So to be nominated for “Best Pals” was awesome and very special to me. As you know, I had a workshop about critics and criticism on Sunday. Afterwards, all I could think about was how silly it is that we (I) let that bother us so much. Yes, it is very hurtful but as I looked around I realized this is what mattered. These friends. This community of women. Encouraging, inspiring and building each other up. I hope we can all remember that next time we read something mean someone has written about us. I am so grateful for these ladies, for their blogs, and for who they are inside and out.

Ladies in photos: Julie, Jentine, Kendi, Jessie, Amanda, Merl, Elizabeth, Paige & Katie (also want to mention Chelsey, Moorea and Amy even though I don’t have them in a picture)

(all photos thanks to the BonLook prom photobooth)