Yesterday I had the great experience of attending “Home for the Holidays”, a kick-off holiday event hosted by Boston Bloggers and Wayfair. I have been to many Boston Blogger events over the past several years, but this one was certainly one of my favorites. The morning started off with a gathering at the Wayfair offices in Copley Place, so I drove into the city early morning-style and with the sun shining so bright and beautiful, I knew it was going to be a good day. Also, these days, my fastest route to the city is that last stretch of the Mass Pike– I’m sure you all know it– the view of the city after that last toll? Looking a past the BU Bridge down the Charles and beyond? That view is SWEEEET.

There were lots of bloggers at this event– enough to fill an entire conference room, so we were together for most of the keynote speakers, but then were put into groups for break-out sessions. Here’s how the day went down for me:

Intro Keynote: A conversation with Christiane Lemieux and Heather Armstrong //

I loved this keynote, and getting to hear two incredibly successful woman speak about how they got started, how they stayed true to themselves, and how they essentially “made it” in this crazy blogging/design world. Both Christiane and Heather were incredibly graceful, but also both had some pizazz and boldness that made me enjoy them even more. A good start to the day and inspiring, for sure!

SEO Q&A Session //

Admittedly, I have never in my life though about SEO before yesterday, and admittedly I likely will not really think about it ever again, BUT! The session was actually really informative and now I at least know what that acronym means. Really for me, my blog is a platform for me to chronicle my life– I’m not writing a lot of reviews, or how-to’s {although I’ve definitely done a few when the inspiration strikes} so I’m not too focused on getting a ton of traffic here in that regard. And although gaining new readers is something appreciate and love, I’m not sure optimizing my search engine results is where it’s at for me in terms of priorities. But, to each their own, yes? And never say never— now that I know a little more, maybe I will take the time with some of my more relevant posts!

DIY Pennant Banner Making //

An instagram of the process and hopefully an instagram from home coming at you soon!

Lunch + Discussion with Alison Vinciguerra //

The key points of Ali’s really great discussion are all outlined here and as far as my opinion on quality over quantity? Y. E. S. I also love the question she reminded everyone it’s important to ask yourself: Why am I blogging in the first place?  {I am blogging to record, to foster my creativity, to write, to share my photography, to connect, to reflect, BECAUSE I LOVE IT.}

Tabletop Styling with Abby Larson of Style Me Pretty //

This was my favorite session, mainly because Abby is completely awesome and inspiring. She talked a lot about the beginnings of her brand, and also tips and hints for styling and photographing a holiday tabletop. Hint: always bring in some type of foliage and do something handmade! I loved this because I can connect with Abby’s personality, appreciation for beauty and style, and also, because I’m feeling inspired to design a killer table-scape for this year’s holiday season.

DIY Gift Tags //

Another session full of fun and crafts. Plus, Kate is hilarious and my favorite. I chose to make glitter gift tags using paint chips. Hoping to blog about it soon!

Closing Keynote, Menu Planning with Jeremy Sewall //

Jeremy is the chef/owner at Island Creek Oyster Bar and Row 34, so he came shucking oysters AND lobsters while the rest of us sat there passion eyed {at least I did} with visions of summer dancing in my head. So much for a holiday party! ;) He spoke about how to best plan your menu for Thanksgiving dinner {do a few things REALLY WELL, don’t try to do everything!} and how it’s okay, smart even, to prep a lot of the food ahead of time. He also talked about his experience being a chef, how he loves cooking in all seasons, but fall especially, and how he doesn’t like to follow food trends– it’s all in fresh, local, wholesome ingredients.

And the day ended with wine tasting at the cocktail party with holiday music to boot! GOT ME RIGHT BACK IN THE SPIRIT. We were also all given a gift to take home with us– a nice surprise ending to the day!

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All in all, it was a fantastic time– Boston Bloggers is such a great community and I’m glad to be a part of it. And the biggest take-away of the experience, one that I heard multiple times throughout the day and one that always resonates with me: stay authentic, always.

Be yourself, do what you love— ALWAYS DO YOU. ♥