Clearing up the rumors....

I didn't want my little secret to get out. I thought we were being careful and that no one would get hurt. It was so innocent. But I have a confession to make....

Tiger was with ME at Sitscation.

But it didn't work out between us because of his GIANT head and he's a little too handy...if you know what I mean.

In all seriousness....this is the last guy I expected to cheat on his hot wife.  What the heck?  From what I know about him...he came from a great family and was a stand up guy.  Does this mean that all men are susceptible to cheating if the opportunity presents itself? Does this mean that all celebrities can't resist when someone *likes* them?  Does this mean that I have a chance with Chris Gorham?

What I Learned at Sitscation 09

I am linking this post up at Tip Junkie's blog today because Laurie is talking about why we blog and I'm so passionate about my little hobby that I couldn't pass up the chance to share in the love!

When bloggers go to conferences, they tend to come away with either two feelings.  They either decide that blogging is no longer what they want to do with their free time....or they are excited and motivated.

I'll bet you can guess which side of the fence I fall on.  I'm a passionate person by nature.  I get excited about things and love to talk to people and tell stories.  I think this makes me a good blogger.  And let me tell you right now that I don't embellish my stories.  All of the gory details belong to me!  I lived them all.

The question comes up sometimes...why do you blog.  Blogging started as a way to update our families on our lives and a place for me to record recipes because I became really interested in cooking.  I didn't know a lot about it back then but over time it became so much more to me because I found the adult interaction that I craved as a Stay At Home Mom with two small babies.  Living in Utah was hard and my friends lived in my computer which worked out lovely because they were there at all times of the day.  Blogging was my support system...and it still is.

Over the last few years, I've met some wonderful ladies and they have become friends.   I don't blog because I want to be Dooce, appear on TV (except Oprah...I want to be on Oprah) , get a book deal, speak at a conference or be wildly popular.  I blog because I like to entertain people, make friends and have a connection with other mothers.  And I love comments. 

I enjoyed the talk from Sugar Jones.  She talked about Blogging for good and lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down all the time.  I try to make my posts positive.  Even when I'm telling a story from my old life that was full of dispair and heartache... I try to find the positive side.  I have enough negativity in my life from some family members but I am a glass half full kind of person and I like to be happy.

One of my favorite speakers at SITScation was Laurie Turk from Tip Junkie.  I've been following her blog ever since I learned she was speaking but I didn't really know everything that she does.  Quite simply...she's amazing.  Her website has sooo much information and great ideas on it....you really just have to go check it out for yourself.

During her speech, she had many tips for blogging.  I excitedly took notes and tried to soak up every word she said.  She told me to blog about what I've learned.  This is how she started, wanting to share what she had learned with other moms. I love sharing crafts I've made and experiences I've had.  Then she told me to Create Passion....my favorite word.  I  am passionate about many things and hope that my enthusiasm is contagious.  Next, she told me to Create Purpose....you get what you give. I need to work on my special purpose.

She talked about forming a blogging alliance and my first thought was; who would I want on my deserted island with me and many of my favorite bloggers came to mind! I feel like I have an alliance with many of you....we care about each other's lives and are here for each other.

Jen from Buried with Children, ME and Mama Kat

Now...the nitty gritty!  Creating! I often like to think of my blog as my house and you all are coming to visit me here.  I want you to enjoy yourself, have a glass of wine or cup of coffee and have a conversation with me.  And I want to keep you coming back for visits...so she suggests Mr. Linky Posts, weekly themes, contests, interviews and guest posts.

I'm really happy with my blog and some of the things I have going on here.  I love sharing my old journal posts and vlogging is my new passion!  I have so much to think about and things that I want to do and I'm just so excited!

this means Alli likes me

Lastly, Alli Worthington from Mrs. Fussypants,  Blissfully Domestic online magazine and Blissdom Conference. She asked me what my brand is.  My first thought was Folgers because I drink a lot of coffee but that's not what she was getting at.  Then I thought...well, I'm a Mommy and Wife and she told me I couldn't use those.  Well Heck. She really made me THINK about this.  And this is what I came up with.

I'm a humorous, crafty wino who entertainers people.

I'm not sure if that's a brand...but I like it and it fits me well.  I had dinner with the group of ladies that I pictured yesterday and we had the best discussion about blogging.  We talked about how careful we have to be with our words.  Alli told us that companies are scared of us because we wield so much power.  A disgruntled blog post against a company that we think wronged us can be devastating to them and we have to remember that everything we put online is there forever.  What kind of a legacy are we leaving for our children and grandchildren to google?

I decided that I like that what you read here is exactly how I am in person.  I don't put on a show and my blog doesn't come with rose colored glasses.  I'm real and that's the only way I want to be.

I also learned that I like having my finger and toe nailed painted.  I feel pretty and very much like Betty Draper!

All in all, Sitscation was a very positive experience for me.  I learned much, laughed often and drank $22 worth of coffee.

 ****

I'm having my skin cancer surgery today...at 11:30am.  Alex and I will have matching stitches soon.

The only way to have a friend is to be one.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Romy and Michelle go to SITScation 09

 I have good news...and I have bad news.  Which one do you want first?  The bad news.  Okay..I am not going to be vlogging from the 12th floor of the Venetian anymore because...I'm home.  And I'm freakin tired and I really have soooo much to say and some pictures but little to no video because I got so caught up in the moment that I forgot to use my camera.

I'm still trying to organize my thoughts because I want to share with you what I learned and I want to make sense and Alex just woke up.  So the Good News is that I'm going to start by finishing my stories from Friday.

The Goat:
I met and had the privilege of sitting next to NANNY GOATS IN PANTIES.  She is fabulous! She brought  Lacy (her cross-dressing nanny goat trapped in a Billy Goat's body) and I may have accidentally put my special purpose gift from eden's fantasys in Lacy's panties.  And that was before I even had my first drink.  *hopefully...picture to come*

The Old People:
After the keynote speech, Bobbi and I went to grab some dinner.  We went to the Grand Lux Cafe and ended up sitting right next to some really loud older folks from New York....a guy and three ladies.  They started talking to us and like I always do...I wanted to shock them.  So I told them we were polygamists from Utah and Bobbi was my sister-wife.  Then Bobbi told them that we thought they were polygamists since there were three of them with one guy.  They didn't talk to us anymore after that.....

Time After Time:
When me and The Bobinator get together...we are very much like Romy and Michelle.  (I'm the Mary) and so when this certain song came on during the SITScation party,  we did a special dance.  But people didn't seem to know what we were doing and we looked kind of silly but if you know me...I didn't care.  It was fun!!



The Caramel Apple:
Right by the elevators to go to our suite...there was a candy store and they had all of these caramel apples.  As I was walking back to our room from the party, in my bare feet (i'm classy like that), I hatched a plan to sit in the bathtub in our beautiful marble bathroom...watching TV and eating a caramel apple.  I bought one and about crapped my pants because it cost $9 and I later discovered it had the thinnest layer of caramel on it.  Total Rip Off!

I have so much more to tell you but I'm going to end by giving a shout out to all of the gals that made this weekend so amazing for me.

Bobbi in LaLa Land...Thank for coming with me!
Alicia from It Ain't Easy Being Cheesy...you are so fun and sweet! Love you!
Kristi from Orange Juice...loved meeting you and our dinner conversation!
Lara from Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom...you are a bundle of engergy! Love meeting you and your hubby!
Kerri from Damn You, Little Rock...I could sit and talk to you all day!
Amy from The Bee Dot you are adorable and I love your accent!
Jen from Buried with Children...our mutual love of coffee bonded us!
Summer from Le Musings of Moi...I love your style and you are beyond beautiful!
Kathy/Cynthia from Mama's Losin It..I felt like a groupie...you are an inspiration to me!
Alli Worthington...the queen of blogging.  I loved meeting you and I almost cried when you remembered my name.
Sera from Laughing Through The Chaos...so happy we got to chat and have dinner.
Tiffany and Heather...The SITS Girls! Thanks so much for everything!  It was amazing!

Sera, Kristi, Bobbi, Alicia, THE ROCK, Margarita, Me

Where is THE ROCK's hand?

**EDITED**
This post has been edited because I totally forgot ONE very important person that was so much fun to meet and I loved getting to know her before the conference on twitter. Lara! I love you!

VLOG: SITScation...Day One

After I published the vlog...I realized I forgot to tell you all kinds of stuff. I still haven't recovered from the stress of yesterday and my brain is not cooperating with me. I will tell you in the next installment. Check for that later tonight.

Things to look forward to:

• The old people we freaked out
• Me and Bobbi's special dance
• The Caramel Apple
• How I violated a goat

Bright Lights City

The last two days have been...frustrating.  I'm fashionably exhausted!  Figuring out what to wear, then changing my mind and then changing my mind back.  Adding outfits, matching accessories and shoes and deciding to throw caution to the wind and wear white shoes after Labor Day. At the last minute I realized I hadn't assigned an outfit for Saturday Night and that threw me into a panic. Then I was invited to a blogger brunch by Healthy Choice because they liked my food blog.  Everything needs an outfit.  Now I know why Rachel Zoe is BA-nanas!  Styling an important person such as myself is a lot of work!

Last night we had a twitter party to get to know everyone and I won a vibrator!  I'm also getting one in my swag bag....so I will have TWO.  Imagine that...going my whole life without ever owning one and now I'll have two.  So I think I will give one away.  Send me an email if you're interested and I'll put your names in a hat.

Tonight I bought the finishing touch...a hot pink nail polish called Rich and Famous!

I had to break the news to Big Pappa tonight that he would be taking care of FOUR children....our's and Bobbi's.  He's thrilled.

I will be vlogging during our adventure.  Probably will be pretty raw and unedited...be advised.  I will also be doing whrrl stories (sign up HERE and add me as a friend, there's also an iPhone app for that)  and of course Tweeting my heart out.  I'm pretty excited to be going to Vegas and meeting all of these wonderful bloggers.  It going to be a hoot!

I'm gonna keep on the run
I'm gonna have me some fun
If it costs me my very last dime
If I wind up broke up well
I'll always remember that I had a swingin time

Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas 

Open For Business

I'm happy and scared to death to announce that my etsy shop is NOW OPEN!  It feels like I just had a new baby and I'm showing her to you for the first time.  I think she's really pretty....and I hope you do too.

Ladies and Craig! Introducing....my new baby!

Channeling Martha!

Every item in the store is specially made for you! You pick the colors or theme. I can even make them BIGGER!

***

So...Bobbi and I leave for Vegas in TWO DAYS. I'm totally not ready but I did manage to lose 3 pounds and my shirt fits...barely. I may have to do some shopping when I get to the Venetian.

I would like to officially thank Big Pappa for sponsoring my trip to SITScation. He has been so supportive, both financially and emotionally and I love that he realizes how much I need a break from time to time. I love you Calvin!

I just need to figure out if I should bring my laptop....

Hey John Elway

**no vlog today...I've got a cold.**

Bobbi and I were watching TV the other night when this commercial came on....




We both GASPED at the same time because of JOHN ELWAY!!!

We grew up in a little town called Greeley and we lived right behind the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) which is were the world famous Denver Bronco's used to have training camp every summer in the 80's and 90's. Bobbi and I would often spend the afternoons sunning ourselves and watching scrimmages and then she would wait patiently for them to walk back to the dorms so she could get their autograph.

The Bronco's coming to town was always a big deal in Greeley. There were articles in the newspaper about the players and rumors about them carrying on in the local bars. There was always a bit of excitement that you might run into a Bronco.

One Tuesday night in August in 1995, I was sitting in the bar at the Smiling Moose when HE walked in. There was an entourage of football players with him and he walked right past my table. The world stood still for a few minutes and my friends say that my mouth dropped open and I sat in stunned silence...unable to speak. John Elway had just walked past my table. He stood a few feet away, sipping his beer and talking to fans for over an hour. And I just gawked at him.

Fast forward 11 years, Keith and I were shopping for a new SUV. We decided to check out John Elway Nissan and test drove a couple different vehicles. I told our salesman what a huge fan I was and he took me upstairs and showed me John's office! I was giddy! If John would have walked in...I think I would have fainted.

Which brings me to why I'm telling you all this. The commercial that we saw the other night is just like the one up at the top of the page but a little different. The one we saw was advertising the Golf Tournament in Las Vegas in October. Bobbi and I looked at each other when we saw the date and we squealed....John Elway (and Justin Timberlake) will be in Vegas the same time we will be there for SITScation. We are formulating a plan to stalk John in Vegas!

**Keith would like to make it known that he does not support the stalking of John Elway and now regrets letting me go to Vegas at all. He is threatening to pull my sponsorship. But really...how much trouble can a chubby housewife from Utah get into anyway?**


"YOU'RE JUST TOO GOOD NOT TO STALK" -Frankie Valli Parody - More amazing video clips are a click away