Initial Impressions of Blissdom 10

Blissfully Domestic is an online magazine and community of women.  For the last three years, there has been a blogging conference put on by Allison Worthington and Barbara Jones, this year also organized by Paula Bruno.  The magazine is very diverse, and the women who attend the conference are likewise all over the spectrum.  Women from 21-75, bloggers and non-bloggers, those active in social media, those involved in public relations for companies who want to reach out to women who are using blogging and social media... all ethnic and cultural backgrounds and from varying locations around (mostly) North America.

Freak Out!

 photo courtesy of Casey at MooshInIndy

After the Harry Connick concert Friday night, (which may get it's own post on my blog) there was a moment in the club during the Black Eyed Peas song "I Gotta Feeling" when about 50 of us, and several of them were women I'd really connected with, were jumping, hands in the air. Women who were diverse in every way just throwin the heck down in this moment with no self consciousness and loving who they were and where they were.  I knew I was going to remember that moment with absolute crystal clarity. I am so excited that it was captured on camera for me!  Bless you, my Caseymoosh!

photo courtesy of Casey  at MooshInIndy

Many of that same group were shutting the post-Blissdom movie and pajama party down with me, and having a fantastic time with karaoke!

1) @secretagentmama and @mooshinindy singing "I'm Too Sexy" 

2) @redneckmommy and @mooshinindy sing "Redneck Woman", 

3)  @birdonthestreet, @lovethatmax, and @momtriedit sing "Material Girl"

4)  @redneckmommy, @busydadblog, @secretagentmama singing "Love Shack"

photo 1 courtesy of Heather Durdil at Domestic Extraordinaire

photo 2 courtesy of Julie at Angry Julie Monday

photos 3 and 4 courtesy of Miranda at Keeper of the Cheerios

At the end of the karaoke performances, the DJ happened to put on "I Gotta Feeling" again, and many of us had remembered the electricity in the crowd from the night before.  Several others have identified the song as the unofficial theme song.  I don't know that it would have been a favorite of mine without the memory of my sisterfriends at Blissdom sharing in it.

photo courtesy of Heather at Just Heather

We didn't learn all weekend how to be better home managers or learn new skills about being domestic. At the Blissfully Domestic conference, the focus was way more on the bliss than on the domestic.   We heard a whole lot more about finding bliss and joy and centeredness by being real and authentic and meaningfully connecting with others...

@sarasophia and @janawarnke

photo courtesy of Casey at MooshInIndy

@ericamueller and @jessicanow

photo courtesy of Erica Mueller at Erica Says

photo courtsey of Dawn at MyHomeSweetHomeOnline

We were encouraged to be authentic in connecting with businesses to partner with, other bloggers, other women where we live and online. We were encouraged to step out of comfort zones, we learned how to express ourselves better in writing, learned more about what companies want to hear from bloggers who advertise for them and work on campaigns..

photos courtesy of Mishelle Lane at Mishelle Lane Photography

We also learned more about owning your voice ... That what you write from your genuine passion for it is what others will be the most impacted by. 

 This conference was exactly what I needed, for so many reasons.  Time to get my own groove back as a woman and a separate entity from my family, time to remember how much I enjoy connecting deeply with others, networking for myself as well as helping others connect with one another, being reassured that my innate desire to be authentic and genuine and real is exactly what resonates with others, and so very many more things that my "words of affirmation" love language needing self needed to hear.  And I'm pretty sure the other 499 women at Blissdom needed it too.