I promise that this will be the last #bloggybootcamp post… for this week. Did I mention that I’m going to Bloggy Boot Camp Philadelphia as well? A whole new round of speakers and things to be learned about social media. Not to mention a whole different crowd of friends to meet up with!

Speaking of friends… I think that’s the #1 reason to go to an event like this. You really bond and connect with people on a whole new level – and you can hear them in their writing then as well.

…with TerriAnn
~The title of this picture is “a couple of dutch girls”~
I am Dutch by ancestry alone (never lived there)… TerriAnn is married to a Dutchman, and has lived in the Netherlands. It was decided that she is more Dutch than me.

…with Holly and Chole

…with Shauna {I really wish this one was clearer!!}

…with Jessica

… with Gabrielle & Rachel

…with Sugar

…with Tiffany

The SITSgirls have 2 more events (Austin, TX & St. George, Utah) this year – and another 6 (I think) events planned for next year. Really, you won’t be sorry that you invested in this. It’s so very worth it.

If you want to see more amazing pictures of Bloggy Boot Camp San Francisco – head over to AngryJulieMonday’s Flickr page to see some very cool shots of the event.

And here are a couple of San Francisco pictures to prove that I didn’t just stay in the beautiful Westin St. Francis Hotel the entire trip.

Golden Gate Bridge

Looking over Lombard Street from Coit Tower

There are many things I learned while at Bloggy Boot Camp last weekend. I shared 10 of them already… but really there are so many more things. So here are a few more highlights to add to my journey…

Do not drink on an empty stomach.
{Ok, I knew this before… but that was a STRONG drink or two I had one night.)

On a similar note…

Eating chocolate cake at The Cheesecake Factory at midnight will not make you feel good about yourself.

And now moving into the tourism arena…

Riding over the Golden Gate Bridge was just as cool as I imagined it to be.

Driving to Muir Woods on curvy-winding roads was not so pleasant.

Related…

I saw Lombard Street from Coit Tower. And my stomach thanked me for it.

In travel news…

Delta Airlines is not at all like Northwest used to be.

I’ll say it. I miss Northwest. I loved flying Northwest. Rarely did I have any problems – very few delays, rescheduling or cancellations. So on Friday morning when I was driving to the airport on the way to San Francisco, I was surprised to learn that my flight had been delayed for an hour (um, weather is perfect here…) and then found that I was re-booked through Detroit and would be arriving slightly later than expected. Not a huge issue… outside of the fact that I was re-booked into a middle seat and the gate agent wouldn’t give me the time of day.

The only positive thing I learned out of that experience was that Delta is really on top of their social marketing. Just tweet @delta_assist and they will help you if possible. Very big positive there.

In other related airport experiences…

How *not* to make small talk in an airport.

Scene…
Me sitting in San Francisco airport, 40 minutes before plane to leave. Finishing dinner. Holding jacket (to use as pillow on plane.)

Guy {wearing hoodie and jeans}: Are you cold?
Me: No, not really.
Guy: Oh, it’s freezing in here. {It really wasn’t} I just got this hoodie from Target for $9.
Me: Wow, cool. I’m ok right now, but I’ll probably be chilly on the plane.
Guy: So you’re not using your jacket right now?
Me: No.
Guy: Maybe I could use your jacket for a while then.
Me: I think I’ll hold onto it for now.
{I really hope he was joking… but either way – that’s kind of weird to say to a complete stranger.}

So there’s some things that I’ve learned. Maybe I was just meant to learn some more life lessons through all of this.

Now I’m wondering if there’s anything more I should be learning while I travel???

I feel like I’ve made it. In less than 3 years I’ve reached my 2000^th comment on my blog. Seriously, that’s quite a feat. Especially when I really didn’t care about comments at the beginning. Now I’m addicted to those little bits of joy that you leave for me daily. And really, my SITS day really helped out that cause!

Now I just have to finish working with GoDaddy on getting these nifty little messages to come to my inbox when you leave them!

Anyway – so yesterday as I was reading my comments over, I noticed a number at the top of my screen “2001”… I had more than 2000 comments on my blog!

And who is the lucky person to leave me the 2000^th comment??

It was Liz from A Belle, a Bean and a Chicago Dog… one of my BlogFrog/Twitter friends (love her blog as well!)

So I told her this morning that I wished I had a prize for her… and then it was suggested that Pretzel M&Ms would be the perfect prize (not to mention that it’s perfect for my budget!)

I stopped at a store to buy said prize… but they don’t carry them (forbid the thought!) But soon Liz, they will be on their way to you!

Just think what I might do for the 3000^th comment…

This past weekend I was able to go to one of the Bloggy Boot Camp events… in San Francisco. Not only was it the first time I was able to go to California and see the Pacific Ocean (yes, I have officially crossed that off the 101 in 1001 list now) but it was the first time I had met many, many friends in real life. Twitter created these connections for me. Reading their blogs developed them. But these relationships grew leaps and bounds when we exchanged hugs and bonded over things outside of the blog world. It really was amazing.

But back to my list. {I could talk about friendships made for an entire post.}

The 10 things I learned at Bloggy Boot Camp…

10. There is no reason to be nervous.
Everyone is walking into the same room, at the same time, for the same reason, with the same nerves. Some people just mask it better than others. And ultimately, we all just want to get to know one another.

9. If you are going to do a vlog (a video blog), make sure to prepare.
Jessica gave some amazing infomation (at 9am no less) on keeping your vlogs short, preparing your background (make sure to remove the kids pictures if you don’t want others to see them), and to check your lighting.

8. Ask someone you trust if this is good… Did I get my point across?
Jessica also said this little tidbit of information toward the end of her presentation. This is an invaluable piece of advice I think most of us forget… and then rely on comment feedback rather than trusting the people that truly know us.

7. Decide what and how much you are going to share on your blog. And get permission.
I think I could actually have an entire blog post dedicated to what Julie said… and well, here’s her outline of her presentation… but it was amazing to learn that it doesn’t matter what you put out there (and try to delete it later), at some level it stays out there forever.

Julie also passed along some insights from getting permission when featuring others (especially kids) on your blog to tracking those that visit your blog (particularly people that you wouldn’t want visiting you) and setting up privacy for facebook and your domain registrations.

And speaking of domain registrations…

6. Buy up your domains – as well as your kids names.
Pretty much as soon as I got home, this is what I did. Not only did I buy “dutchbeingme.net” but I also bought my nephew’s name and a couple others that I wanted to protect (and/or possibly use in the near future.)

5. Tiffany is pretty.
First, for those not familiar with SITS or Bloggy Boot Camp, Tiffany is one of the founders of these sites and has a huge desire to connect bloggers (and women in general) to others for support – and really she the person who deserves all of the credit for making these events the success that they are.

Not only that but all of her Bloggy Boot Camp friends will tell you – both on their blogs and on twitter – that Tiffany is pretty. And she likes hearing her voice in the microphone… which was awesome because she gave some amazing info and insight before/after each speaker.

4. Have a business plan for your blog.
Linsay had some great insight from the business and legal aspects of blogging. If you want to take your blog to the next level, surround yourself with the people (accountant, lawyer, etc.) that can help you achieve these plans.

3. Write, write, write… and when you have writers block, write.
Kristy spoke on writing… and to keep doing it – even if it’s only 5 minutes a day about nothing. Not everything needs to be post-worthy, just keep the creative juices flowing.

However…

2. If it’s not fun to blog, stop.
I’m pretty sure it was Tiffany said this toward the beginning of the day… and I couldn’t agree more, especially since (well, as of right now at least) this is a hobby for me.

1. Be Authentic.
No matter if you are doing a vlog or deciding what to write, you need to maintain your voice. You must remain true to who you are.

So there it is. I’m not sure how I well I really did compacting this into 10 items into this rather long post. {I didn’t even get to highlight things from Ciaran, Jennifer or Ted!}

Thanks to the sponsors of the event… Mastermind, FRS Healthy Energy, Open Sky and Collective Bias.

This weekend was so much fun, filled with amazing people – amazing blogs – amazing stories. I already miss many of them and wish I could go to their houses just to chat – because as Tiffany has shared many times {on twitter at least} – “blog friends are real.”

When my life becomes a crazy mess of all things pushed together… I fall apart. Literally. Remember what all I said I was going to do a month ago? Well, let’s just say it’s all come together in one bit pile o’ poo. {At least I said it nicely.}

And with that… I fell apart last week.

I tried to hold it together. I tried to make it all work. I tried to be everything to myself – and all of my online friends at the same time.

Because I truly want to meet each and every one of them.

I have been so overwhelmed with things in my life that I forced myself to make a very difficult decision. A decision about something that I’ve been looking forward to. A decision that I know will disappoint some people and will likely start people talking about me behind my back. {I hate to say it, but I’m afraid it’s true.}

But now that this decision has been made, I have this incredible peace about the whole situation. It’s crazy how this feels… because I didn’t realize how anxious I had been before. How worked up I had been about the whole thing.

I think when you work too hard at something – or you believe it’s the right thing to do – you become blind to the fact that it might not be a healthy thing for you. It might be because you don’t want to change. Or maybe because you are looking forward to something with so much anticipation it almost consumes you. But sometimes it’s because you feel like it’s the safe option.

Sometimes you have to go against the flow – and really analyze what you want in life. Or rather, what you need out of life. And that’s what I finally did. I looked at what I wanted… or rather needed in my life, and had to make a decision to change something.

While the decision has been made that I will no longer be attending the Relevant Conference – I am still hoping that the friends that I know going to this amazing conference will keep in touch with me. That they will still love me, even though I won’t be able to meet them

I will likely sell my ticket to the conference –if you are interested in it, please e-mail me (dutchbeingme@gmail.com) and/or if I can sell enough cards (100 sets) I will hold up my commitment that I will sponsor someone to go, learn, grow and be blessed at this conference.

This was one of the hardest blog posts I’ve ever written because I’m afraid of disappointing people. But know that it isn’t due to anyone attending the conference, but rather over-extending myself on commitments that I’ve made… and needing to stop and rest for a bit too.

Blessings.

Happy Friday! And an extra special happy Friday because I don’t have to work today!

WHAT?!?!

Yes, that’s right.

I’m on vacation.

And SO excited about it because I get to go to…

In San Francisco…

So right about the time that you are reading this during the day, I am likely travelling on a plane somewhere over the US… and if night has fallen, well I might have fallen into a bed somewhere {hopefully in my hotel} from sheer exhaustion. That wouldn’t surprise me really.

Anyway… it’s time for another 5 Question Friday with Mama M. – Been a couple weeks since I’ve joined in, so I hope she has me back.

1. Do you have any nicknames and if so how did it come about?
My dad has given me the nickname “Suzie Q”. He really likes that song (not sure who it’s by) but he calls me that from time to time… it used to bug me much more than it does now.

A couple of my friends call me “Sunshine”… not sure if it’s because I’m so “shiny” with them – or perhaps that I have a lack of enthusiasm in the morning when they see me. Me + morning = do not get along.

2. What is your birth order amongst your siblings?
I am the oldest with two younger brothers.

And yes, I have so many of the “oldest” child traits that is found in birth order books, it’s scary.

3. In a movie of your life, who would play your significant other?
Well, seeing that I don’t have a significant other at this time… when that dude comes along, whomever resembles him most from this post earlier this week will play him.

4. What is currently your favorite song?
I don’t know if I want to admit this.

I have two.

“Take it Off” by Ke$ha & “Love the way you lie” by Eminem (feat Rihanna)

(Hiding from the stones being thrown)

At least it’s not Justin Bieber.

I don’t understand what the world sees in that annoying kid singer that recently published his life story.

He’s 16. He hasn’t lived yet.

That is all. I’ll step off my soapbox now.

5. Are you saving your money for anything right now? Big or small purchase?
I am saving for a trip for Europe that will (hopefully) happen a couple of summers from now. I need to pay off some debt first, but then the savings will start – and the trip *will* happen. Don’t know for sure who my travel companion will be yet… but I *will* be going.

So what do you think… answer any of these different than me?

It’s a hot guy #PINT with @Supahmommy! YAY!

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Thanks to Angry Julie, Big Binder, from Tracie, Heather, Marjo, and {my inspiration for this post} Meredith.

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Interested in buying handmade cards?

I know… I’ve been a little un-inspired with my writing lately. Don’t remind me! I’m on my way back into my regular posts… trust me. Tomorrow is going to be one of my favorite posts ever. I just know it. (While it may not be thought provoking in any way – it’s going to be fun!)

But in the meantime — today I’m writing over at Hope for Women — go check it out!

Faith Forward {are you a sponge?}

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Interested in buying handmade cards???

Ok. It’s not that I don’t like reading your blogs… but after chatting with Liz from A Belle A Bean and a Chicago Dog, I’m joining her this month for the 1st ever Blog Boycott Day.

What does this mean? Well… in short, I won’t be doing any blog hopping today. Don’t get me wrong, I love visiting blogs, leaving comments, and showing my friends blog love… but I love twitter more. Instant conversations… crazy antics… and things like this are born from it too. So much fun!

Anyway here are the details from Liz…

Starting today, and continuing with the 2nd Friday of every month, those who take part in #BlogBoycottDay will spend the day in the Twitosphere instead of hopping around in the blogosphere.

Think of it as a day dedicated to social media.

So, if you are looking for me today, log in to Twitter and tweet me (@dutchbeingme)!

And if you want to join the fun, add your twitter handle to the linky on here, and grab the #BlogBoycottDay badge to add to your post (the badge code is in Liz’s sidebar)!

Then come back for #BlogBoycottDay 2 on Friday, September 10th.

Happy Tweeting!

A couple of weeks ago I told you about this great opportunity that I have to be able to be able to showcase products I love… from people I trust. Well, today my OpenSky store finally has opened and I am SO excited to share with you some of the creativity I’ve been up to!

When I first ventured into opening my store, I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to offer… but I wanted it to be something that I would enjoy – and something that {I think} you would enjoy too. Not to mention that I’m one of those creative types {especially lately} and I’ve been working on some home “improvement” projects (only by looks, no actual handyman improvement happening here.)

As far as that “improvement” – I was introduced to Back 40 Life on Open Sky and fell in LOVE with their custom vinyl wall decals.  I had one created for myself with my initial and the year of my birth. Something special just for me. But you could you this for your kids… or to honor your marriage. What an awesome way to decorate – and make things personal.

Like I said – they are designed to be wall decals – but I decided for mine that I was going to be creative and put it in a frame… just so that I can take it with me when I continue on from this house. Putting it together was not hard to do at all – the instructions were really clear and it went really smoothly! (However, I will say that if I had done this on an actual wall… it would have been SO much easier!)

Here’s my finished product…

…and you can order yours customized just for you!

Another great product from Back 40 Life is the “Home is Where Your Story Begins” decal. This one has two colors – and is SO pretty.

In the coming weeks, I’m hoping to find more products to share with you. Not only more products for your home – but also products that will make your (and my) life easier — from our weight loss journeys to just making things simpler (or prettier) at home!

Hope you enjoy my new store!!