Some Fun Announcements

Today I wanted to share some fun announcements of things that have been happening a bit ‘behind the scenes’. All of them that have come about in the past month or so have caused me to pause and pray with gratitude. It’s been awe-some to think about how much I have grown as a blogger. Blogging is a lot more work than most people realize but I’ve kept at it because I love it. I love sharing what I learn and I love helping people. I love the friends and community I’ve become a part of and I am so grateful for the support you all give me. While the actual content creation is mostly solitary, I wouldn’t be able to improve without feedback and exposure from readers, friends, and blogging mentors. Thank you, thank you! You all have made an impact on my success and so that is why I want to share these ‘pinch-me’ moments with you.

The first one I’m a tad overdue in announcing… my first several-page feature in a national magazine is out! I have a 10 page feature in the spring issue of American Farmhouse Style! The images are from my Spring Home Tour last year, but I included a couple of my front porch that wasn’t in my tour last year. The article is titled, “Shades of Spring”. 🙂 This is a quarterly magazine and hit news stands on March 14th.

Here is what the cover looks like…

It was so fun to find it at my local grocery store, Schucks, and pick up a couple copies. In the past, I’ve sold a single photo here and there to different magazines, but this is the first time my photography is featured in a bigger spread like this.

The second bit of news is I have been asked to be a mentor at Haven Conference in Atlanta on July 20-22!!

So, if you have been to Haven Conference in the past you likely already got the email a couple weeks ago announcing the mentors. For those who may be wondering, a Haven Mentor is a seasoned blogger who is assigned to a group of bloggers attending Haven to offer them support, ideas, connections, and friendship! These small groups go beyond the fun-filled weekend of Haven. The idea is that the bloggers assigned to each mentor will continue communication and support throughout the months and even years that follow.  That is one of the main reason the Mentor group is almost entirely different from last year!

My first year attending Haven, I was pretty lucky to have made a fast friendship with Lucy from Craftberry Bush because we shared a cab together. She became an informal mentor to me, a best friend and confidant. She also introduced me to so many other people and opportunities. However, I can totally see how coming to a conference where you only know people through the internet, and not in real-life, it can be completely overwhelming! You have to try to put yourself out there and form some lasting connections, all while taking classes and absorbing as much as you can to take your business to the next level. The Mentor program facilitates that. We have all been to Haven lots of times, know lots of people, and will help put everyone in our little group at ease.

This year, I won’t be teaching a painting class with Danielle. Instead, I will be co-teaching a much different class with someone else who is a mentor, but I can’t spill the details on it yet! We are still finalizing a few things and the Haven organizers have to announce classes before I can dish. 😉 I will say this… it is designed for a more seasoned blogger and I’m SOOO excited because it is something that hasn’t ever been offered before!

To register for Haven, go HERE.

Here are my past blog posts about Haven:

1st Year  |    2nd Year  |  3rd Year

Lastly, I was asked by my sweet friend and owner of Vintage Market Days of St Louis, Chanda, to be the official photographer for this Spring’s event THIS WEEKEND!  I will be there early on Thursday before the doors open, and again peppered throughout the weekend taking pictures and capturing all the vintage beauty that the vendors work so hard to create. If you have been to Vintage Market Days in the past, then you know this event is a must-see.

Bring a truck if you are looking for furniture because some of my very favorite furniture refinishers will be there, including a long-time friend, Helen from Helen Nichole Designs. She has a shop in Main Street, St Charles, but this will be her first time as a vendor and sponsor at VMD. When I stopped taking furniture refinishing orders early last year, I started referring people to her– THAT is how much I love her work!

(collage of furniture above is Helen’s work)

The location is almost the same as last year. Instead of all the tents set up on a road, a couple blocks away from the Chesterfield Mall, everything will be set up IN THE PARKING LOT of the Chesterfield Mall! This will be super convenient for parking, accessibility, and if you need to just pop inside the mall to sit down.

Also, because it is Easter weekend, the market will start on THURSDAY (instead of Friday as in past years) and go until SATURDAY! Each day the gates will open at 10am and close at 5pm (except on Saturday it will close at 4pm). It is supposed to be warm this weekend with some light showers possible, so bring shorts and rain boots! 😉 Tickets can be bought at the gate and on Thursday $10 will get you in for the whole weekend!

Here are my past blog posts as a vendor at VMD:

 Fall 2013  |  Spring 2014  |  Fall 2014  |  Spring 2015

How to Sell Out: My Tips for Running a Booth

And here are my past blog posts as an attendee at VMD:

Spring 2014  |  Fall 2014  |  Spring 2015  |  Fall 2015 & What I Bought  |  Spring 2016  |  Fall 2016

If you are planning on attending VMD this weekend, let me know! I’d love to meet some friendly faces!