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Tuesday, June 1, 2010

i. am. so. darn. pooped.

I guess that's what happens when you pArTaY for four days straight.


Casual Bloggers Conference aside, I've been up to my eyeballs in dinner engagements and graduation celebrations and BBQ's and famdamily overnighters! If there was a cookie salad or a pan of baked beans within a mile radius, I was there.


And you know what else? When there is one dear friend from Hawaii in town, there are a dozen dear friends from Hawaii in town. And a dozen more coming.


But one story at a time. Today I need to finish bragging about the Casual Blogger Conference.


I will start by publicly declaring that blogging my brains out has been the best thing I've ever done with my brains!


You all know that blogging is a waste of time, and it interferes with/replaces human interaction, right?


WRONG! Come here and let me poke you in the eye for nodding your head.


Blogging actually makes you feel plugged in. It connects you to people in up-close and personal ways. And it actually heightens the real-life experience when you finally meet and greet.


It was just plain amazing to spend the weekend with people I know and lub, even though I've never met them, and people who know and lub me even though they've never met me--people who squeal when they see me, and hug me and bring me chocolates.


Or people who don't squeal, but quietly say, out of nowhere, "I just want to tell you that I read your blog all the time and I am so excited to meet you."


That's what happened when I met Shanna.


Do you guys know Shanna?


She's the one on the left, standing next to the centerfold, Annie Valentine--who is rockin' her super model sunglasses.



Our meeting has a mysterious twist: Shanna's blog identity is Just So. Unfortunately she failed to mention this to me when she introduced herself. (I swear I'm going to smack her next time I see her.)


Of course I know Just So. I know that her first profile pic she was sporting a pair of wicked white rimmed sunglasses. And I know that her current profile pic looks exactly like my college roommate from Ricks.


But in real life she doesn't look like my roommate, and she doesn't wear white rims, and her name tag said something like thesegolilypad. Bottom line: I didn't recognize her. I had to put on my super sleuth hat and switch my brain into deductive reasoning mode


And guess who I decided she was?


Tamn, from Seriously, So Blessed.


BAAAAAAAAAA!


No, I really did, because let's just say she knew too much. Plus she was dropping all kinds of subliminal messages.

For instance, when she and DeNae's sinfully silly sister, Amber


kept nudging me and giggling about a post they were reading written by Jessica from bernit.com.

It was about the first time Jessica wore a feminine hygiene product that begins with TAMN . . .


Uh hem . . . you get me?


Why would they be reading about a feminine hygiene product that starts with TAMN, if they weren't trying to give me an Encyclopedia Brown clue about Shanna's undercover identity? Hmm, hmm, hmm?


But as it turned out she is Just So, the same blogger who once saw me shopping at Macey's for Diet Coke (for my hub), but was too shy to say HI!


(Like I said before, SMACK!)


Shanna, I still lub you, even though you're not Tamn.


And Amber, I still lub you, even though you were pulling gray hairs out of my head.


BTW, in case you were wondering, YES that was Kristina P. in the pink snuggie.


And yes, she opened the conference with the Star Spangled Banner. (hee hee hee)


It would have been a highlight if it were true.


There were plenty of other true highlights though.

Like seeing Jillybean, who has a way of making me want to watch Ice Castles again and again. She bedazzled this snuggie for Kristina P. in only two hours. I should have her bedazzle my next magic quilt, huh?


Other cool highlights:

I FINALLY met Annie Valentine.


She's may be preggo, but she's still a super model. (And can I just say that her voice is super duper sultry!)


I also got to meet Mommy J from Mommy Snark and Ink Mom from I'm (not) Crazy Mom

They're famous blogging sisters from North Carolina, and I overheard them saying "I wish Melanie J. were here. We LUB Melanie J."


I said "HEY, I lub Melanie J. too!" So we made a postcard for Melanie J:


You're welcome, MJ!


For all of you out there who didn't go to the CBC, you MUST go next year. I double dog dare you. It was outstanding. I learned so much. For instance:

I learned that everyone's shoes are way more glam-bam than mine. (I wore my fit flops the second day.)


I also learned that me and Amber from Making the Moments Count are kinda trippy when under the influence of Photoscape.

I learned that Annette Lyon can dew the Dew with the best of them. (Seriously, she's got sass-a-frass!)


And I learned that Braden Bell has his very own Charlie's Angels.

These are the three girlz who worked on the song He Healeth Me for Braden's debut book, The Road Show.

Sherri Shepherd, (on the right) who is absolutely adorable--fer real--wrote the song, while DeNae Handy, did the violin arrangement, and Veronica Johnson, (on the left) did the vocals, and believe you me, it sounds loverly.

(Me? Oh, I'm just with the band.)

Don't believe me about how loverly it sounds? Go take a listen for yourself. (You'll have to download.) Or go to Braden's blog for a sample.



I learned a bunch of other stuff too, at the conference thingie. Real kine stuff. But I'll have to share that tomorrow because like I said before . . .

I. am. so. darn. pooped.



29 comments:

Cluttered Brain said...

Wow! Thanks for the download link! i read the book, it is SOO good.
i changed the pic for Motherboard.

The first one was a little crosseyed. Shh. Don't tell her.

Shelle takes WAY better pictures anyway.

Love your blog!!!

i am putting YOU on my blogroll now. I have to keep in touch with you!!

NEXT time, I'll get a picture with the one with gORGEOUS hair!

PS Are you on tWitter?

Shelle-BlokThoughts said...

Okay so YOU should have been the photographer because your pics turned out bee-u-tiful! All of your picstures are of people I KNOW!!! YAY! Beautiful inside and out huh?

Loved the walk through memory lane!

gigi said...

I keep reading everyones's post about cbc and I'm starting to feel like I was there too. NEXT YEAR!

Jenny P. said...

I love every single person that was in your pictures today... it's like you walked behind me and just snapped pictures of everyone I love...

Welcome to the Garden of Egan said...

Wow girl you really got around! I even seen yer name in the bathroom walls! "Go Find Crash"

Ya, it's true.

It was great to see you and pinch your cheeks.

Your pictures were great. It was nice to see names with pictures.
I hope you get some rest.
You can tell us all that you are so tired, but we all know that you are playing with Lulu!

TisforTonya said...

you reminded me that now I need to stalk Miss gorgeous Annie... or maybe it was your WV reminding me... it says pregon... close enough

Kristina P. said...

That picture of Amber made me laugh. It captured her perfectly!!

LKP said...

yep. that's it. i'm gonna have to go next year. not that it matters what's on my blog, but because all these people seem like SO MUCH FUN! =)
get some rest.

on the side:
your word verification is "comonar" and now i can't get the song "come on eileen" out of my head! ahhhh!!!!

My25Cents said...

Bahhhhh! Trying not to break the commandments and covet your time at the CBC. Thought about flying across the continent for the event, but the airline gods were being mean to me.

Annie (Valentine Tintle) & I are homiez from EAST SIDE!! (East coast) We used to sing together & do crazy get-in-to-trouble kine. She may have even MAYBE, kinda, supposedly, hush-hush, wink-wink, given me her ancient Chinese secret family yummy-nummy rolls recipe. We're THAT tight.

Are you going to design and sell a CTDD snuggie? Sign me up!

Kazzy said...

I am waiting for the one day when you take a bad photo. I don't think it will ever happen. You are gorgioso!

It was so cool to see people and hear their names and think, "Hey, I know that person."

I loved every minute of CBC and am already looking forward to the next one!

Kazzy said...

And those pics of Amber and of KP are terrific!

Braden Bell said...

Your posts are like my favorite chinese buffet--I just don't know where to start, so much good stuff. Generally my solution at the buffet is just to eat everything but I don't want to waste your comment space. I LOVED the snuggie. That was cool. And I love the picture of my Charlie's angels. That's a good way to think of them. Thanks for the links, btw. Hey, since they are Charlie's Angels maybe you can help with the hair consulting?

Unknown said...

OMGosh, I immediately texted Amber and said, "You HAVE to go to Crash's blog and look at that picture of yourself!" KP's right; it captures Amber's inner essence PERFECTLY!

And I love all those people, too! You are an awesome photographer, Crash! Of course, you have a totally kick-butt camera that completely hates me and won't let me push its buttons or anything. But whatever; like I haven't been hated by technology before!

CBC really was terrific. I haven't blogged about it yet; I met the First Lady yesterday and she kinda bumped CBC to later this week. But CBC really was just so great. And I'm so glad you were there! Love you!

Unknown said...

p.s. Ask Shanna what her REAL connection to TAMN is. There's a reason she knows so much about her, but it's her story to tell.

Nutty Hamster Chick said...

Annie is definitely on my list of people I need to meet someday. Love all the pictures, but I can't help feeling like I missed the event of the century. Maybe next year.

AS Amber said...

Baaaaaa ha ha ha ha ha!!!!! Yes! I am absolutely STUNNING! Oh my heck, too funny!

I love all those people, too! We must travel in the same circle. Such cute pix of all my peeps.

Love you tons!! That was seriously some of the funnest fun I've ever had!

(You and Shanna were being waaaaaaaay naughtier than I was, btw.) (And that's hilarious you didn't know who she REALLY was til your last post! She lives by us too!)

Just SO said...

Ha!! It seriously was a huge highlight of the CBC to meet with you and hear your tampon story and go out to dinner with you!

I had to keep pinching myself just to see if it was really happening. You should see the bruises I have.

And that's too TAMN funny that you thought I was her. Still makes me giggle.

I didn't get to meet everyone you met cause, girl, you get around!! But I did love every single lady that I had the chance to meet. They were all so friendly!

Next time I see you at Macey's I won't be so shy. You, me and Amber need to get together and have a bbq!

Sher said...

How did I miss the bedazzled Snuggie? What?

It was great to meet you! Thanks for the pic, I'm stealing it. Okay?

Alyson | New England Living said...

:( Why must all you cool Mormon bloggers live in Utah? And hold your really cool conferences in Utah? So uncool! I miss all the fun!

bernthis said...

I lub you too! my dear. I can't wait till I tell the next guy I'm with that I lub him. Think he'll know what I mean?

Melanie Jacobson said...

Oh my gosh. That's the best post card I ever got in the whole wide world EVER!

val of the south said...

So much fun was had without me...it's just not right! Perhaps the planets will align correctly and I'll be able to go next time!!

Great pictures...next time please take sucky ones so I won't feel like I missed so much!!

Sorry the IKEA thing keeps getting bumped! There's a chance I'll be all the way down in your neck of the woods on Saturday...are you free in the afternoon at all?

See Mom Smile said...

I saw you hanging around and everyone saying "Have you read Crash Test Dummies" and I felt dumb because I never had! So, Hi, my name is Linda and your blog is awesome. CBC was awesome. So tired. But so worth it.

Mariko said...

I SO would not be allowed at that conference because I don't have cute enough shoes. Even your fit flops would be cuter than mine. But I do want some of those chocolates.
I am also noticing a glamorous hair theme. Like something that would require more than 5 seconds.

The Songer said...

So am I the only one who has never heard of a cookie salad? It sounds like a Oxymoron..... Or am I just a moron? Please post the recipe!

Luv kp's snuggie!

The Songer said...

Oh em gee! I just googled cookie salad...... That's just nasty...I mean crazy... It's dessert taken to a whole nother level... Is this a new utard craze like jello mold with grated carrots in it?

WV: unkeeknu...... Forgot the technical term for the words that are the same as their reverse

Dolly said...

The only thing that would qualify me to go to that conference are my cute shoes Mariko.

I only ever posted two blog stories and their both boring. I had so many cool ones in my head when I had a cool life. Now I am back to my old life of remodeling and managing my properties and feeling like I should try to stay focused on counting my many blessings instead of faux swearing during the day when I am making crap properties into special spaces in Hawaii.

I am coveting your life right now Crash! Next year maybe more than my cute shoes will get me to that conference.

Annette Lyon said...

And to think I was present when the cool post card pic was taken.

I lub, lub, Crash!

amber_mtmc said...

Oh my heck. You are great!! I am SO sad that I didn't get to spend more time with you. Dinner sometime? I would really lub that.

I kind of stole the photo of us together. : )