Rust-Oleum Blogger Event

As I mentioned the other day, I had the fun opportunity to attend a Rust-Oleum Blogger Event. With a history and love of using Rust-Oleum products, I was super excited to accept! {and survived a touch of social anxiety too.}

inspire

I loved the opportunity to meet part of the creative team behind the innovative Rust-Oleum products, some sweet friends from Lowe’s, to see my blog friends face-to-face again and to meet a couple of blog friends in person for the first time, not to mention the chance to get hands-on with some awesome magic DIY materials and to be spoiled rotten in the process.

welcome-bloggers

The event took place at the Duke Mansion in Charlotte, NC. Originally the residence of James Buchanan Duke also known as a US electric power industrialist and now a historic bed and breakfast. Think old money and lots of luxury.

duke mansion

::insert sexy whistle sound effect::

duke-mansion

I was tempted to hide away in my suite. Forever. High ceilings, two sets of super tall French doors to a private screened porch, a huge bathroom filled with vintage charm. It’s by far the loveliest room I’ve ever stayed in. Mine was called the Harris Room…

duke mansion suite

But coming from snow and cold in the north, I had to just dump my overnight bag as I was lured outdoors, strolling the grounds and hanging out with pals (Sarah, Traci & Rhoda) in the 60-ish (heat wave!) degree sunny afternoon.

sarah-traci-roeshel-rhoda

Next up: Greetings at the welcome reception in the beautiful lobby,

welcome-reception

{Beth, Sarah and me with Traci}

then wining and dining at Bonterra {housed in a renovated 110-year-old church – so cool!},

bonterra

dining on beef tenderloin and creme brulee, sipping wine, mingling with the others, laughing and hearing the book vs. blog experience from John & Sherry of Young House Love was a BLAST! {Also got another copy of their new book. Signed! Maybe a giveaway in the near future!}

John-&-Sherry-Young-House-Love

Once we returned to the mansion after dinner, a group of us gathered in a cozy lounge and talked “shop”…er, “blog” for a while before retiring to our rooms where a bedtime snack of chilled milk and cookies awaited.

cookies

The next morning we congregated to the dining room for a delicious breakfast buffet. It’s so fun being around others who share a love of your same interests: DIY home improvement, decorating and blogging…time flies.

It was great to see Cassity from Remodelaholic again (remember the beautiful beach cottage room we designed together?)

casstity-roeshel

and Rhoda from Southern Hospitality…just as pretty and sweet as always (how about our matching leopard accents?)…

rhoda-roeshel

Traci from Beneath my Heart and I always had our cameras on hand. I got this picture of her…

traci

…while she got the same one of me.

roeshel

After breakfast, Rust-Oleum shared a presentation of latest products, a demo using a new line fast-drying one-coat wood stains (SO many gorgeous colors).

Rustoleum-wood-care-stains

I chose the colors weathered gray topped with ebony for a reclaimed barnwood-look. I applied one coat with a foam brush and wiped with a dry cloth, waited about 20 minutes and followed those same steps with the second color.

rustoleum-weathered-gray-ebony

{Rust-Oleum Wood Care Stains are available at Lowe’s}

And polyurethanes (matte, satin and gloss finishes). Mark from Rust-Oleum shared a technique called water-popping (wiping down wood with a damp cloth to open up the pores for better stain absorption) and wood staining/sealing tips.

rust-oleum-polyurethane

Then we had fun giving it a try ourselves by staining a block of oak {in the sun-drenched solarium} for attaching coat hooks. I’m saving mine for my girly dream bathroom makeover. Someday.

Roeshel-staining-wood

Here are all of the DIY bloggers in attendance:

Rustoleum Blogger Event 2013

Front Row: {Cassity} Remodelaholic, {Whitney} Shanty2Chic, {Jocie} OPC’s the Better Half. Back Row: {Kate} Centsational Girl, {Rhoda} Southern Hospitality, {Roeshel-me!} DIY Show Off, {Sarah} Thrifty Decor Chick, {Beth} Home Stories A to Z, {Ashley} Shanty2Chic, {Traci} Beneath My Heart, {Ethan} One Project Closer, {Kristi} Addicted2Decorating

We were even given embroidered Rust-Oleum aprons to protect our clothing. Isn’t that thoughtful? So sweet. My crazy-spelled name is misspelled {no ‘c’}, but it won’t stop me from wearing it while DIY-ing.

roeshel-apron

There was voting on the new colors of spray paint up for 2013: Emerald, Pink Punch, Mint and Sapphire. For me, it’s a toss up between pink punch and mint. How about you?

rustoleum-spray-paint

I’m familiar with Rust-Oleum’s Cabinet Transformations and Countertop Transformations kits from experience but did you know there is also a Tile Transformations kit? Hurray! An awesome way for transforming ugly tile!

More fun pics from my i-phone camera: {getting to meet bloggers Jocie, Kristi, Ashley and Whitney for the first time was so much fun!}

blogger event

It’s the first time I’ve heard of another product that I see in my DIY future called Restore. It’s equivalent to 10 coats of paint for protecting wood decks and concrete outdoors. Our concrete patio has settled with a few hairline cracks {Restore seals those small cracks!} and I’m looking forward to giving the area we use for entertaining and relaxing a fresh new look (again, so many color choices – a DIY’ers dream!).

So fun hanging out with blog friends: DIY bloggers

Kate, Rhoda, Cassity, Me, Sarah, Traci & Beth

A HUGE thanks to the Rust-Oleum team for awesome opportunity to learn more about their awesome products and the super fun get-together!

rustoleum-blogger-event

ps. I was not paid or even asked to write this blog post. Just sharin’ my event experience/about the cool DIY products I love to use. 

Announcing the Lamps Plus Best Home Blog Sweepstakes!

Okay. Just learned something awesome to share! Did you know that Lamps Plus is now a fabulous source of MORE than just lamps and lighting? YES! HOME DECOR! As part of the celebration for the new Home Collection, Lamps Plus is having a $5,000 sweepstakes for the best HOME, DIY, or family blog. The sweepstakes started Monday, October 15th and runs through November 15th. When YOU nominate your favorite, YOU are entered for a chance to WIN BIG too! Woo hoo! Check out all the prizes here.

Lamps Plus sweepstakes

You nominate/vote and are entered to win! and the blog with the most votes wins too! A chance for both of us to win? Wouldn’t it be fun to team up and decorate together? After renovating an apartment, it’s time to move on to the family room makeover I started a while ago and I sure could use a little help! My wallet is empty! With over 40,000 products with great prices, even budget friendly items, I’ll definitely keep Lamps Plus on my go-to list. Take a look complete Home Collection catalog here. What are you waiting for? Nominate your favorite home decorating, DIY, or family blog {why yes, I’d LOVE your nomination!!! Please. Thank you!}  in the 2012 Best Home Blog Sweepstakes for a chance to win $5,000 in total prizes! 

DIY Show Off best home blog 2012

Lamps Plus wants to award the Best Home Blogs that are making everyday homes a little bit better. A company that shares our same goals. Awesome!

Shut the Front Door {to keep it all in} giveaway!

Happy Wednesday, friends! What better way to start the last half of the week than with an awesome HUGE giveaway! 16 blog friends have been working together to bring you, our readers, followers and friends a chance to win some fabulous prizes as a “thank you” for all of your support and encouragement. (It’s still not too late to enter the others if you haven’t already: “Everything AND the Kitchen Sink” giveaway or “The PIN-acle of DIY Goodness” giveaway – we don’t want you missing out on any chance to WIN!)  Today’s giveaway brings more FABULOUS prizes.

DIY giveaway

Brooke from All Things Thrifty, Traci from Beneath my Heart, Emily fromDecor Chick, Roeshel from DIY Show Off, Beth from Home Stories A to Z, Beckie from Infarrantly Creative, Melissa from The Inspired Room, Lindsay from Makely, Stacy from Not Just a Housewife, Brittany fromPretty Handy Girl, Cassity from Remodelaholic, Sandra from Sawdust and Paper Scraps, Rhoda from Southern Hospitality, Gina from Shabby Creek Cottage, Jen from Tatertots and Jello, and Mandi from Vintage Revivals.

(It’s still not too late to enter the others if you haven’t already: “Everything AND the Kitchen Sink” giveaway or “The PIN-acle of DIY Goodness” giveaway – we don’t want you missing out on any chance to WIN!)

Today’s giveaway brings more FABULOUS prizes.

Grand Prize A: Value $1,600.00

A $100.00 gift card to Utah Truffles.
MSRP: $100.00

$150 gift card to D.Lawless
Hardware
for kitchen cabinet knobs and pulls. MSRP: $150.00

$500 Gift Card to Kirkland’s. MSRP $500.00

$500 Gift Card to Payless Décor MSRP $500.00

$350 Gift Certificate to Red Letter Words. MSRP $350.00

Grand Prize B: Value $1469.98

$200 Gift Certificate to Leen The Graphics Queen MSRP $200.00

Two Black and Decker Platinum
20V Max* Lithium Ion Flex Vacuums {one for you and one for a friend}. MSRP:
$149.99 each

$500 gift certifcate to Worth Home Products. MSRP $500

$220 gift certificate to LoveFeast Shop MSRP $220

$250.00 Paint Prize Package from Glidden. MSRP: $250.00

Grand Prize C: Value $1472.54

One Cordless Dremel tool from
Dremel. MSRP: $139.99

One Countertop Transformation Kit from Rustoleum MSRP $250

A Mirror Mate kit MSRP: $250.00

One Moen Lindley Kitchen Faucet MSRP:
$482.55

A $100 shopping spree to Royal
Design Studio
for stencils and supplies. MSRP: $100

Do we know how to go out with a bang or what?!

All you need to do to enter this giveaway is like the incredible sponsors’ Facebook pages:

 

And for an additional entry add us to your Google+ circles by visiting one of these blog friends and clicking the “G+” icons:


…and then validate your entry by answering the question below {click “do it”}. In order to see the question, you need to click “do it.”. I’ve had a few readers also say that you need to also click “log in to Facebook.” 
PLUS you can get two optional entries by completing the two other tasks. Don’t forget to validate your entry in the Rafflecopter Widget.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, Rafflecopter has had a few issues keeping up with the high demand of this giveaway  So, if you don’t see the widget above, come back later. Thank you for being patient!{Alternate entry available by sending your entry e-mail to allthingsthriftyassistant@gmail.com}*This giveaway is in no way affiliated, administered or endorsed by Facebook or Pinterest. Winner will be notified by email on 10/23/12 and will need to respond within 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen. Winner must be 18 years of age or older and a US citizen in order to win. Winners are responsible for paying any necessary taxes on winnings. Alternate entry email: allthingsthriftyassistant@gmail.com with entry information. All prizes will be mailed by the sponsor and all participating blog owners are not held responsible if the prize is not fulfilled. A list of winners may be requested after the giveaway has ended. Questions and additional information can be requested by emailing: allthingsthriftyassistant@gmail.com

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The PINacle of DIY Goodness Giveaway

Hi friends! Did you have fun with yesterday’s Everything and the Kitchen Sink GiveawayWe sure did! In fact, we had so much fun that we decided that we just couldn’t stop there.

So today, this group of 16 DIY and home decor bloggers are back with a second amazing giveaway. This time, you’ll have a chance to win some jaw dropping DIY prize packages. You know you are just itching to get started on some new projects or {ahem} actually finish the ones that are already in progress. Are we right?

DIY giveaway

You already know the group of gals that are bringing you the chance to win the DIY goodies. But just in case you need a reminder, here they are:

Brooke from All Things Thrifty, Traci from Beneath my Heart, Emily from Decor Chick, Roeshel from DIY Show Off, Beth from Home Stories A to Z, Beckie from Infarrantly Creative, Melissa from The Inspired Room, Lindsay from Makely, Stacy from Not Just a Housewife, Brittany from Pretty Handy Girl, Cassity from Remodelaholic, Sandra from Sawdust and Paper Scraps, Rhoda from Southern Hospitality, Gina from Shabby Creek Cottage, Jen from Tatertots and Jello, and Mandi from Vintage Revivals.

 Ready to see the prize packages? Let’s get started!

Grand Prize A:
  • $500 gift card to national off-price Home Fashions retailer HomeGoods! Click here to find your inspiration! MSRP: $500.00
  • Two Black and Decker Platinum 20V Max* Lithium Ion Flex Vacuums {one for you and one for a friend}. MSRP: $149.99 each
  • Mirror Mate kit MSRP: $250.00A $500 Visa Gift Card
  • Frog Tape Gift Basket filled with FrogTape goodies for your next DIY project from FrogTape. MSRP $550.00
Grand Prize B:
  • One 8×10 HGTV HOME Flooring by Shaw area rug, Grandeur collection (this includes: Exotic Journey, Luna de Luna, Nirvana, Nomadic Elegance, Good Karma, A Stitch in Time and Zybra). MSRP: $1299.00
  • A $150 gift card to D.Lawless Hardware for kitchen cabinet knobs and pulls. MSRP: $150.00
  • One Cordless Dremel tool from Dremel. MSRP: $139.99
  • A $100.00 gift card to Utah Truffles. MSRP: $100.00
Grand Prize C:
  • 1 custom stamp, 3 Peel & Stick packs, 2-color ink, 1 color ink and 3 boxes of note cards from PSA Essentials.  MSRP is $250.00
  • $1000.00 gift certificate to AZ Faux Beams. Good toward Old Timber or Sandblasted beams (can include shipping).
  • A $100 shopping spree to Royal Design Studio for stencils and supplies. MSRP: $100.00
  • One Silhouette CAMEO™ electronic cutting tool. MSRP: $269.99
How to enter, you ask? 
Mandatory entry: Follow all 16 bloggers on Pinterest…{Yes, this means clicking over to Pinterest 16 times, after all the prizes are worth it!!}

Follow All Things Thrifty on PinterestFollow All Things Thrifty on Pinterest

Follow Me on PinterestFollow All Things Thrifty on Pinterest

Follow All Things Thrifty on PinterestFollow All Things Thrifty on Pinterest

Follow All Things Thrifty on PinterestFollow All Things Thrifty on Pinterest

Follow All Things Thrifty on PinterestFollow All Things Thrifty on Pinterest

Follow All Things Thrifty on PinterestFollow All Things Thrifty on Pinterest

Follow All Things Thrifty on PinterestFollow All Things Thrifty on Pinterest

Follow All Things Thrifty on PinterestFollow All Things Thrifty on Pinterest

…and then validate your entry by answering the question below {click “do it”}. In order to see the question, you need to click “do it.”. I’ve had a few readers also say that you need to also click “log in to Facebook.” 

PLUS you can get two optional entries by completing the two other tasks. Don’t forget to validate your entry in the Rafflecopter Widget.

Also, Rafflecopter has had a few issues keeping up with the high demand of this giveaway  So, if you don’t see the widget below, come back later. Thank you for being patient! {Not a Pinterest User? Alternate entry available by sending your entry e-mail to allthingsthriftyassistant@gmail.com}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This giveaway is in no way affiliated, administered or endorsed by Facebook or Pinterest. Winner will be notified by email on 10/23/12 and will need to respond within 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen. Winner must be 18 years of age or older and a US citizen in order to win. Winners are responsible for paying any necessary taxes on winnings. Alternate entry email: allthingsthriftyassistant@gmail.com with entry information. All prizes will be mailed by the sponsor and all participating blog owners are not held responsible if the prize is not fulfilled. A list of winners may be requested after the giveaway has ended. Questions and additional information can be requested by emailing: allthingsthriftyassistant@gmail.com
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I Love Thrifting Day – fun, finds & friends

#ilovethrifting

Groups from all over participated in I Love Thrifting day this past weekend. As you know, I had the pleasure to organize and host the North Pittsburgh event.

DIY Show Off #ilovethrifting

Our group was small, consisting largely of family sprinkled with a few friends

#ilovethrifting

and the opportunity to meet 3 local blog friends!

Kim {Reposhture} and me. Love her creativity. I’ve featured her before. We just didn’t know that we were practically neighbors. Now I can ‘borrow’ her ski pole lamp or have her professionally DIY a piece of furniture for me! 😉

reposhture

Reposhture and DIY Show Off

I don’t know why I didn’t get my picture with Susan from Oh My! Creative {so many fun crafty features}, but you can see her in her green/white striped shirt in some of the photos. Love her and can’t wait to get to know her a little better. I have local blog friends!

And dear sweet, Jessica who I actually met last year. Jessica’s a local pet sitter at Sittin Paws, providing an awesome alternative to kenneling. Now I can consider getting a dog {I miss Niski} because vacations won’t be a problem with a friend like Jessica in the neighborhood! She’s also blog author at Craft Frau Times…but she’s lacking the ‘time’ to blog right now. 

Roeshel and Jessica

Our scheduled was as follows:

9 a.m. we arrived at the North Hills Goodwill.

North Hills Good Will

Lots of thrifty treasures!

#ilovethrifting

Next up was Wexford GoodWill. It’s a more intimate store (not a donation center) but packed full of treasures and the service was a little more personal.

Wexford Goodwill

At this point, our entire group of lucky #13 was gathered…

Pittsburgh 2012 #ilovethrifting

North Pittsburgh #ilovethrifting 2012

Yep – there’s my aunt, my cousin, my GRAM! My sister, niece, daughters and friends! 

We also had a scavenger hunt at each store. Just a piece of paper with one word. The more hideous, the better.

#ilovethrifting scavenger hunt

A little prize was awarded for those finding their “thing”. Ali won $5…

#Ilovethrifting winner

Some really fun finds…

thrifty treasures

Next up, we headed to Cranberry Twp. to another GoodWill and more shopping! If I had room in the vehicle, this would have found it’s way to Ali’s tiny apartment where I would give “painting a loveseat” a little DIY trial. It was like new!

love seat

Time for lunch! Place: North Park Lounge ClubHouse where seating was limited for a small group, but booths were all in the same location. Food was good. Company was amazing.

#ilovethrifting pittsburgh lunch

Last stop: Gibsonia GoodWill.

#ilovethrifting shopping

It was a long HOT {104 degrees} day…we shopped til we dropped…

#ilovethrifting

Some of us headed to my house for a little thrifty show and tell

#ilovethrifting

#ilovethrifting

What did I come home with? Surprisingly, very little, but LOVE

my thrifty treasures:

thrifty treasures #Ilovethrifting 2012

  1. A pouf! Price: $15.
  2. An old clip board for filleting fish – $2.99.
  3. Target shower curtain $11
  4. $2.99 ticking bed skirt for me to cut up for a project.
  5. Garden gnome. A little pricey at $9.99 but I couldn’t resist his cuteness.
  6. Picnic basket $4.99.
  7. Pitcher – I don’t remember. Maybe $1.99.

A special thanks to Rashon at Mr. GoodWill Hunting, the brains behind #ILoveThrifting day. Remember, we finally had the chance to meet a few weeks ago at the Haven Conference.

Rashon and Roeshel

And a special thanks to GoodWill of Southwestern PA for the discounts! If you’re local – the Butler GoodWill store is having a fun event this Saturday! I might even gather my friends and where our shirts and partake of some refreshments and sales!

Joining the party at Rhoda’s: SouthernHospThriftyTreasures copy_thumb Check out all of the fun thrifty treasures’ links. You’ll want to see her latest progress in her new home too!

My first blog conference experience ~ Haven 2012

You’ve probably read several recaps about the awesome Haven Conference and mine is very similar, if not the same and I can’t NOT share. I seriously am so glad that I got over my anxiety and just went.

Haven Conference 2012

Haven was a highlight of the year type of experience for me. Blog conferences have never been in my budget {so many home improvements/so little $} but when I heard about the Haven Conference and how there would be sessions that would interest me (blogging and DIY) and most importantly that I’d have the opportunity to meet so many DIY blog friends in person, I made it a top priority. I can’t believe I was almost way too shy and nervous to go.

My favorite part was transforming e-friends in to real life friends. The best part for me is that I met so many amazing people. Bloggers, non bloggers, men, women. I was nervous. I was star struck. But every person there was super friendly. I recognized faces and blog names. Many times, it was like seeing a long time real life friend. I have “visited” many of their homes, read about their lives and even featured some of their DIY projects after all. It was a DIY reunion and everyone seemed to enjoy picking up their friendships were we left off in blogging earlier in the week. There’s nothing better than meeting a group of friends who share the same interests. There’s always something to talk about!

I’d like to thank the Haven team for organizing such a successful amazing event: Southern Hospitality, Kristin, Centsational Girl, Home Stories A2Z, Miss Mustard Seed, Beneath My Heart, Thrifty Decor Chick, Just a Girl. Their hard work was evident and they put together the best first blog conference dedicated to our favorite topics: DIY home improvement, decorating and blogging.

John & Sherry from Young House Love were the keynote speakers and had us hooked and laughing. They’re hilarious, such an adorable couple and were the perfect start to a dream come true event. Like most long time bloggers, I’ve “e-known” them from the start and I got to introduce myself but as you can imagine, there wasn’t a moment someone didn’t want to meet and talk with them and there was certainly no time to pose for a picture or talk for long.

I didn’t have the chance to attend all of the sessions but the ones I did were so interesting, informative and fun! The speakers were so smart and so helpful.

  • I Love Thrifting
  • I Like Big Blogs – tips on growing your blog
  • Beginning Paint & Stain
  • DIY Your Blog Design
  • Power Tools with Ryobi
  • Basic Carpentry
  • Advanced Painting
  • Blogging PR
  • Decor 101
  • Design Studio
  • Basic Photography/Photo Styling
  • All About Advertising
  • Slipcovers and Upholstery Basics
  • Hobby to Business

I didn’t take many pictures of the event in action and I didn’t have a chance to take a photo with everyone I met and believe it or not I didn’t get to meet everyone I wanted to meet either.  I missed meeting some blog friends (so sad about that!) and even some of the sponsors. There was just so much packed into such a short time. Here are some of the friends I met, proof that these blog friends are real people: (if you’re pictured here, yes you have permission to borrow the picture!)

I was so excited to meet my friend, Rashon {Mr. GoodWill Hunting}! (Can’t wait for I Heart Thrifting Day coming up 7/7). As always, he was charming, hilarious and shared some awesome thrifting tips. I couldn’t wait to meet him and attended his session first thing, hanging on every word. 🙂

Mr.GoodWill Hunting and DIY Show Off

Me with Gina from The Shabby Creek Cottage.We did get to spend a lot of time talking and I have a feeling it’s the start of a lifelong friendship…

DIY Show Off and Shabby Creek Cottage

At the Picket Fence! Heather, me & Vanessa. I got to dine with Vanessa and talk about our lives, our families and our DIY. She’s lovely and her sister, Heather had me laughing so hard I was crying. These two sisters are such an inspiration!

Heather, Roeshel, Vanessa

Julia from Hooked on Houses and me. I’ve been hooked on Julia and her blog for years.

Julia and Roeshel

Ange {The Blooming Hydrangea}, KariAnne {Thistlewood Farms} and me. Both of these beautiful ladies were a hoot and so sweet!

Ange, KariAnne, Roeshel

Me with Becky from Organizing Made Fun. Becky’s always been an inspiration with so much helpful advice and meeting her was a treat!

Roeshel and Becky

Me and Beth from Unskinny Boppy. Beth and I have been friends from The Nest before blogging and it was super sweet to meet her finally!

Roeshel and Beth

Me, Brittany {Pretty Handy Girl} and Jessica {Decor Aventures}:

Roeshel, Brittany, Jessica

Me with Carmel at Our Fifth House

Roeshel and Carmel

Ange and me again…

Ange and Roeshel

Me with Cassie from Primitive and Proper. Cassie has an amazing talent with painting furniture (my go to blog for advice and beautiful furniture inspiration and fellow DIY’er at the DIY Club)…

Roeshel and Cassie

Gail {My Repurposed Life} and me – so happy to finally meet! Our email/blog friendship is now real life! Woo hoo!

Gail and Roeshel

Deneen from Dreaming in Color and me…she is so friendly! Daneen and Roeshel

Sweet Deb from Bungalow with me:

Debbie and Roeshel

Dusty (All Things G&D), Amanda (Serenity Now) and me:

Dusty, Amanda, Roeshel

Me with Ana White. I’ve admired Ana’s building skills from her Knock Off Decor days. Ana – if you’re ever in the Pittsburgh area, you have a place to stay (of course I may put you to work, but that’s a DIY girl’s idea of fun, right? Spa day to follow!).

Roeshel and Ana White

Gail, me and Katie (half of the husband/wife team from Sew Woodsy). Katie and her husband were some awesome lucky winners at the conference!

Gail, Roeshel, Katie

Lesli (My Old Country House) and me. Not only is Lesli a super talented artist, she’s now my real-life friend. 🙂

Lesli and Roeshel

Tonya (Love of Family & Home), me and Beth from Unskinny Boppy:

Tanya, Roeshel, Beth

Me with Miss Charming from Charming Zebra. Great smile, great new friend.

Miss Charming and Roeshel

I met Laura from Top This Top That – beautiful inside and out and I’m so happy we had the chance to meet!

And Laura from Finding Home Online is super model tall, gorgeous and so sweet:

Roeshel and Laura

Ellen, me and Vicki – maybe someday bloggers who were attending a fun girls’ trip. They called themselves “blog stalkers”. We had a great time chatting over lunch.

Ellen, Roeshel, Vicki

Me and Miriam from HomeTalk.

Roeshel and Miriam

Me with Todd {we met last year here} from Shaw Floors HGTV Home:

Todd and Roeshel

Why I didn’t get pictures with Karah, flat Kelly or Debbie, Sherry & John, Layla & Kevin, Sarah, Maury, Jocelyn, Linda, JamieLyn, Lisa, Andrea, Kim, Sheila, Pamela,  Vivienne, KerryKelly and so many more friends…because it was that crazy of social/learning and we were too excited saying “hi” or didn’t find each other. 🙁  Next time!

There’s a picture of me with Traci over at Beneath My Heart. Isn’t she a doll? She is a sweetheart in real life too! 

Thanks to Brittany for sharing this picture. 

DIY Divas

Front:  Sandra {Sawdust and Paperscraps}, Roeshel (Me!) {DIY Showoff}, Brittany {Pretty Handy Girl}

Middle:  Chris {Just a Girl}, Myra {My Blessed Life}, Marian {Miss Mustard Seed}, Stacy {Not Just a Housewife}, Wendy {The Shabby Nest}, Traci {Beneath My Heart}.

Back:  Gina {Shabby Creek Cottage}, Beckie {Infarrantly Creative}, Beth {Home Stories A2Z}, Rhoda {Southern Hospitality}, Sarah {Thrifty Décor Chick}, Kate {Centsational Girl}

I swear I wore about 7 outfits in 3 days out of the 50 (slight exaggeration but I had no idea what to wear to a blog conference!) that I managed to squeeze into my carry on but you can tell from the pictures above that I only had my camera out for a small amount of time. Roeshel yellow/black polka dot dress

I was way to shy to play the part of paparazzi and not expert enough to have my camera settings correct in changing lighting. And it’s HARD for me to keep bugging others to use my camera to take my picture…ya know?

And the awesome sponsors had fun interactive booths and amazing giveaways including a swag bag packed full of DIY related goodies! Special thanks to: FrogTape, Purdy, Shaw Floors/HGTV Home, Home Depot, Apartment Guide, HomeTalk, Ryobi, Kreg, Minwax, Rustoleum, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, PureBond, Oreck, Royal Design Studios, 3M Tekk, Bondo, Homes.com, Moen, Mirror Mate, Fish Window Cleaning and Mail Chimp. 

Haven 2012 swag bag

Here I am with the Purdy team after winning the amazing (OMGosh!) $1000 worth of Purdy products {thanks to Rhoda for drawing my number!}:

Roeshel and Purdy

(I also won a Home Depot gift basket! I told you it was an awesome couple of days!)

Meeting others who share my DIY and blogging interests made for a great time! I left there feeling energized, empowered, motivated and inspired and can’t wait to dive into my next DIY project and to see my friends again. 🙂

See more Haven 2012 Conference recaps at Southern Hospitality.
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