First of all — THANK YOU. For your kind words, excitement and reassurance that I’m not going to mess everything up

You have no idea how hard it was keeping it from all of you! I had to get extra creative with Fashion Friday these past few weeks! Anyway, now you know and now I can bring you along for the ride — buckle up, the Mister and I tend to take the road less-traveled

As many of you know, this past weekend the Mister and I headed to NYC to hang with one of our favorite friends, Ian. I also happened to attend BlogHer. For those of you who are thinking about attending a blogging conference, or perhaps already have!, I’ve put together a list of things to keep in mind. Take it from this newbie, I made it through the weekend in one piece!

1.)TAKE A DEEP BREATH. You are NOT going to get to see oe hear everything you want to. I repeat, you are NOT going to get to see or hear everything you want to. It’s not gonna happen. Trust me, I’ve tried it and you cannot, in fact, physically be in multiple places at once (alive, anyway). Come to terms with the fact that there are going to be awesome things you are going to miss. Move past it and try and focus on the present moment so you don’t miss out on anything you actually “get” to see.

2.) Your favorite bloggers don’t bite. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to someone you admire. I know it can be intimidating, and I (always thinking about me, me, ME!) assumed that I would appear creepy or stalkerish. Quite the opposite. What’s creepy is following someone around waiting for an opportunity to creep up and introduce yourself. Trust me, eventually you become paranoid that the person has noticed you and you begin to act extra normal by hiding behind poles or pretending to talk on your phone. DON’T BE THIS PERSON – it’s not cute. Not that I would know anything about that, Oh no, not at all. (sorry Pioneer Woman).

3.) Always, ALWAYS stop for cupcakes. There is no exception to this rule.

4.) Don’t feel like you *have* to attend EVERYTHING. Like I mentioned, I was also using this trip to hang with my Mister and Ian and I often called it an early day and left to explore the city and hang out with them.

5.) Bring a notepad. You’ll hear lots of great ideas and there’s no way you’ll be able to remember all of them. Make sure you stay inspired and write EVERYTHING down that you’ll want to remember later.

6.) Keep business cards with you. Bloggers will ask for them, BRANDS will ask for them and you’ll feel super cool giving them out. Make the investment and have a few hundred printed branded with your blog’s info.

7.) Wear comfortable shoes. Now is not the time to impress the other bloggers with your hot new stilettos. Stick to flats or sneakers — your feet (and back) will thank you.

8.) Branch out! Sure, it’s always fun to hang out with the bloggers you’re friends with in “real life,” but make sure you meet some new faces, too!

9.) Pack lightly – you’ll need all the extra room in your suitcase for SWAG!

10.) HAVE FUN! Try not to get wrapped up in the drama or awkwardness you think you’re portraying. For the most part, everyone else is in the same boat and is just there to learn more about blogging and meet other cool bloggers (like you!)

Have you been to a blogging conference? Do you have any tips to pass along?