BlissDom ’12 Icebreaker

As you may know, next week I’ll be headed to my very first blogging conference in Nashville, TN. Since I’m a newbie at all this, Kristi over at Creative Kristi was nice enough to create an icebreaker for all of us to start to getting to know each other. So, for those who already know me, feel free to add flattering comments that will only enhance my personality =) And for those of you who don’t know me personally, here’s a little sneak peek!

Actually, for as excited I am about the conference, I’m probably equally nervous. You see, I’m not a “crowd person.” I am so pumped about learning more about the blogging community, and networking with the wonderful ladies who I’ve gotten to know through their blogs. I feel like I should be surrounded by friends…yet in actuality, I don’t know any of these women. My greatest fear is to walk into a room of beautiful, creative women who all of who know each other and know what to expect from the conference…..and I’ll sit there all by myself. Which would be something I’d do. Don’t get me wrong, I am not really a shy person. I’d totally talk to the ladies who sit at my table, and make awkward comments and small talk to the lady next to me in the line for the bathroom. But I’m totally going to have to step out of my comfort zone and really push myself to be the one to initiate such conversation, or (Heaven forbid), walk up to someone out of the blue.

Sooooo….the biggest favor you can do for me? Walk up to me instead! Introduce yourself and I’d be happy to talk to you! Here are some things about me…

-I am a former special ed teacher, a former wedding planner and a current stay-at-home mom trying to find her niche in blogging

-I love to take pictures (mostly of my kids), but don’t really know how to work my camera. So I’m really looking forward to the Photography Track: It’s in the Details: Mastering the Angles and Composition….hopefully I’ll figure out a little bit more how to use it!

-I’ve got two little girls, Jayna just turned 3 and Amelia is just about 6 months. They are the lights of my life.

-I’m a little OCD (or “quirky” as some’d say). Not about clutter or dustbunnies….neither of which I particularly like but seem to love hanging out in my house….but about little things like doors being cracked (“eeep!), underwear being folded in my drawer (“ack!”), oor sharing toothpaste (“eeeew!”). Just little things.

-I, (like so many others) am a teensy bit obsessed with Pinterest. I love it….and love finding all of the creations and crafts that others have been nice enough to think of for me. Now, I just need an extra hour or five a day to do all those wonderful things!!

-I also recently learned how to sew, so a lot of my blogs are tutorials of me bumbling my way through various patterns.

-I like to read smutty magazines, play with my new iPad, drink Cherry Coke and anything coffee related that has a little frou frou in the name (aka mocha, cappuccino, latte, etc.), eat cake pops, get pedicures, stress out over crossword puzzles, sleeeeeeeep, live vicariously through the Real Housewives (just kiddding…sorta), and try out new recipes. I also volunteer with a lot with a local charity that helps families of kids with cancer, and help out at my church.

Well, I hate to think that I’m such a simpleton, but I think that about wraps me up! I can’t express enough how excited I am for next week. The conference is at the Opryland Hotel….which, judging by their website-looks flipping AMAZING! I’ll be sure to take a lot of pictures for you! Also, they are having a Handmade Marketplace on Thursday morning, which hopefully will satisfy a lot of my Christmas shopping….and then there’s the night-time lineup. In addition to screenings of Oprah’s new show and a celebration of The Lorax, I do believe there will be a little group called Rascal Flatts there! And for those of you who are or who have teens…Joe Jonas will also be there! (I’m excited for him too, as I have heard about him, but don’t know anything about him or his music). Also a bunch of other speakers and entertainment on the BlissDom website, but to be honest, I’m not sure who any of them are. But I’m sure it will be awesome, no matter what!

In other news….I have joined the world of Twitter. I still don’t really get it, but my fabulous Martha is walking me through it! So come “follow” me @PalmsandPigs and leave me some love! Have a great weekend!

Tennessee, Part 4: White Lightning and Black Light Golf

Day Six: Thursday 

This morning we hit up a couple more little craft shops, but mostly had a lazy morning!  We were disappointed in our dinner out at the Black Bear Creek Restaurant last night…..got a ton of food, but spent over $70 for dinner and the quality of food and service was a C at best.  So, today we tried our hand at a little local diner we’ve passed all week (and it’s always packed!).  The food was excellent….but I can’t remember the name of the place.  If you’re interested and headed that way, I can probably tell you whereabouts it is on rt. 321…

This afternoon threatened a thunderstorm, so we decided to go into Gatlinburg and check out the Smoky Mountain White Lightning Factory and Museum.  For a free tour and free tastings, it was surprisingly entertaining to all of us!  They had old cars, a gift shop, and jars and jars of three different kinds of White Lightning.

And thankfully, they also had an abundance of rocking chairs….because right as we were ready to leave, the skies opened up!

We tried to wait it out, but after a half an hour, we were all getting antsy….so we bought a $12 poncho from the shop (haha, just kidding, it was $2.99-they probably could have charged $12 though and people still would have bought them!).  And that’s right, I covered my child in a plastic bag and headed out into the rain….

To take her putt-putting in a black light, circus themed, indoor mini-golf course!  She wasn’t so sure about what to think at the beginning, but by the end, she loved rolling the balls into the holes and petting all of the circus animals!

Day Seven: Friday

We have decided that a week is a perfect length of a vacation  here….we had just enough things to do, and just enough down time!  Today we took Jayna to Rainforest Adventure, an indoor zoo.  And my Buggy, she does love her animals!

These two next guys were in a big open pen along with several other birds, wallabies and guinea pigs!  The birds were mocking all the kids that were looking at them…..very noisy but very funny!

And they had an outdoor area with pens of goats, sheep, emu and tortoises….but to Jayna and Dave’s delight, one escaped!!

It was a cute little zoo…comparable to our own Bee City (only the facility was a lot nicer).

We finished out our last day of vacation with lunch back at the Old Mill Pottery Restaurant (which was just as good, if not better than the original restaurant we went to earlier in the week!), and then a very anticlimatic dinner at Bubba Gump’s and dessert at Ben & Jerry’s.  It was a fantastic vacation and we can’t wait to go back….our only (small) complaint is that we felt like there weren’t very many non-commercialized/chain restaurants…and (with the exception of the Old Mill ones), the ones that we did find weren’t all that great, and were pretty pricey.  I think next time we go, we will eat in a lot more!  But other than that, it was a fabulous, and much-needed break!

And thus concludes my 4-part series on our vacation….it’s back to packing and cleaning now!  Buggy and I are venturing up to MD at the end of the week for one last visit with Bets, Jay, Mom Mom and GP before big changes to our household happen (moving and baby Amelia arrive!).

UPDATE: Like what you just read? Want more?  Check out the rest of the Tennessee story! Click on one of the links below:

Do You Hear Banjo Music?

Adventures of Running Bear

Tennessee Part 1: Mountain Mama

Tennessee Part 2: For Betsy and Jay

Tennessee Part 3: Smoky Mountain Seven Layer Dip and Black Bears