We have been blogging for about a year and a half, but this week right here is when a slew of our family and “In-Real-Life” friends have suddenly been, “Soooo explain to me EXACTLY what you do on your website thingy because I thought you were just diddling on Facebook and ignoring your kids.”
This explanation can take a loooooooong time when you have to start at how to turn on the computer, but it’s worth it to get to the part where Al Gore created the internet for all to enjoy.
Maybe their interests were peaked by this photo. Famous people do make folks get all flustery and, well, interested.
Forever grateful to the random blogger Erin threw her DSLR to as we stormed the stage. Grateful she was a great photographer and that she didn’t immediately think, “Score! New camera for me.” We hope you see this post, our photography angel, so we can really thank you. From left to right is US!, Lisa from Grandma’s Briefs, Sandra from Apart From My Art, Lois from Midlife at the Oasis, Janie Emaus, Julie from Julie DeNeen 2.0, and a little smidgen of Katia from I Am The Milk.
Apparently fighting our way to the front for school plays and gymnastic recitals served us well because look at us!
Nah, we’re just kidding. We were one of the last on stage because we had to scale the side like spider monkeys in heels. It was so crowded, we had no choice but to be in the front. Once again, Ellen’s propensity for procrastination was rewarded.
Queen Latifah did say she would call us up to be on her new talk show when she did her segment on “soccer moms who are unusually spry and not afraid to show their Spanx to strangers to get what they want.” Well, she didn’t say it in words, but she has really expressive eyes.
But this is really the middle of the story. What got us here to be honored as a BlogHer 2013 Humor Voices of the Year was our writing.
We had learned our lesson and ditched the heels.
We still can’t believe our writing was blown up to Shaquille O’Neal proportions. And that sucker would have totally gone home with us if we could have sneaked it out, but Erin totally made a spectacle of herself going past security because she couldn’t find her badge. She pretends to be all sweet, but then she is all like, “Fight the power, I don’t need no stinkin’ badge,” and we’re left looking longingly at the all meat buffet over a really big guy’s shoulder.
A Sausage Fest without the star power of Channing Tatum. This was ALL of the food. Oh wait, we exaggerate, there was white bread, too.
We did get in and the security guy became our best buddy, but all hopes of smuggling an 8 foot tall display board were dashed.
But the poster board is the middle of the story too. The beginning of the story is our writing. When we started, we weren’t even able to fully imagine where the blog would lead us, but it’s the writing that has gotten us there – from the opportunities we have gotten to the friendships we have made.
BlogHer 2013 reiterated for us:
- Never lose sight of your writing craft because that is what drives your blog machine forward.
- Your blog is your business, so treat it with the respect it deserves.
- It is okay to do business with kindness and compassion and to help others along the way.
To understand what a special lift-each-other-up kind of business blogging really is, behold our Anti-Square-to-Spare moment with Norine from the Science of Parenthood. Remember on Seinfeld when Elaine was trapped in the public restroom with no toilet paper and the biotch in the next stall told her she did not even have a square to spare? Well we had a blank white template to spare and we shared it with Norine because she needed it to really get her Pinterest game going.
She was profoundly thankful and we really couldn’t understand the depth of her gratitude until we talked with her about her blogging experiences versus her time in the magazine world. We can see why she finds it refreshing.
And here is the kicker, we were sharing the template that Kim from Let Me Start By Saying shared with us. We were just paying the kindness forward.
And speaking of showing the love, we have been helped and embraced by so many, but we have never created a blogroll. It just felt too overwhelming, but when we looked at our pictures from BlogHer, we realized they just about formed our “Blogs We Read/Share/Love/Honor” for us. So if a picture is worth a thousand words, our thousand pictures should be worth a library.
You’re kind of in luck because this picture right here is a large chunk of our adoration. We do like to be efficient.
You Know It Happens At Your House Too, The Underachiever’s Guide to Being a Domestic Goddess, My Life and Kids, Mom’s New Stage, Let Me Start By Saying, Hollow Tree Ventures, Mommy Shorts, Frugalista Blog, Nicole Leigh Shaw, House TalkN
Okay, the efficiency might end here. There is going to be overlap . . . and you’re gonna love it.
Left: Michelle from Old Dog New Tits and Mel from According to Mags. Right: That is Michelle and Mel again promoting their bimonthly link-up “Ketchup With Us” with Kelley from Kelley’s Break Room squeeeeeeezed in the middle.
Lemon Drop Pie was our VOTY buddy.
We kinda fell in love with Leigh Bones a little bit more.
Mom’s New Stage with Full Of It. These ladies are so fabulous. Bonus Awesome: Another peek of Kim from Let Me Start By Saying in the background.
I’m Still Learning with Let Me Start By Saying
These are some funny ladies! SO happy to meet 649.133: Girls, the Care and Raising Of and Nicole Leigh Shaw (Ninja Mom)
Love the blogging duo Grown and Flown!
Our other blogging duo love: Science of Parenthood
Squee! The Bearded Iris
The “I Just Want To Pee Alone” Book Signing was a fabulous event! We passed the evening with even more ladies on our “Blogroll in Our Minds”: Confessions of a Corn Fed Girl,Insane In The Mom-Brain, Rach Riot, Baby Sideburns, and People I Want To Punch In The Throat
This is a fabulous photo of Kelley’s Break Room and Let Me Start By Saying, but we really just had to honor the photo bombing skills of Frugalista Blog.
Moms Who Drink and Swear breezed in and out of our lives too quickly.
My Life and Kids is wicked smart and funny.
Here is House TalkN with our newest blog crush via Mommy Shorts: Harlow, the most interesting baby in the world.
FOR THE RECORD: Editing all of these photos was much more time consuming than making a traditional blog roll! What were we thinking? AND we met other great ladies of whom we have no great pictures.
So to round out the BlogHer Blog Roll list: Carisa Miller, Shitastrophy, Becoming SuperMommy, Martinis and Minivans, Mod Mom Beyond IndieDom, Not a Super Mom, Generation Fabulous, Another Bottle of Whine, Mommy, For Real, Wendy Nielsen, and Robin’s Chick.
Peace, Love, and Chicago!
-Ellen and Erin
Oh man, this post makes me uber-jealous I wasn’t there. Glad it was so great!
Anna recently posted..Mom’s Ultimate Summer Bucket List
So wish you had been there! Ellen
So jealous but so glad you had such a blast. And you VOTY was well deserved – you ladies rock!
Dana recently posted..This is why I love you – a birthday message to my son
What a sweet thing to say! Thank you so much! Ellen
The Sisterhood recently posted..BlogHer 2013: A Queen, A Square To Spare, and A Blog Roll
You ladies are the best – I wish I could have been there to meet you in person!
So happy for you! xoxo
Kerstin @ Auer Life recently posted..The Rebel Life
Would soooooo love to meet you! Ellen
You two were one of the highlights of my trip. Love you both! Xo
You are so sweet. You radiate kindness and goodness! Was so happy, happy, happy to meet you! Ellen
I made the blog! Whoo-hoo! So great to meet both of you! 🙂
Ginny Marie recently posted..Conquering Our Fears
It was great to meet you in real life! Ellen
SO COOL to see all the great pictures of so many amazing writers and ladies!!! I hope someday I can go to Blogher and meet you fabulous girls too! 🙂 (And be on your blog roll!!! lol)
Chris Carter recently posted..Devotional Diary: Faith
We clarified this was a BlogHer Blog Roll because there are so many other writers we love who were not there. 🙂 Ellen
What a great post and recap, thanks!!! I love the photos and felt a pang of regret because I would have loved to meet you and all of your blogging buddies in person since I have had the pleasure of working with so many of the same women.
I will say again that I loved the post that brought you your VOTY, love the both of you, hope to one day meet you both in person and think you guys are just great!! xo Congratulations again!!!
Kathy Radigan recently posted..Waiting for My Postcard from GOD
You are the sweetest. One day we will meet! Ellen
I am so very proud of you girls!! Wish I could have been there to see the event for myself. My heart is so full thinking about what your Mom would be feeling right now! She knows.
I LOVE YOU very much, Aunt Karo
Thank you! xoxoxo Ellen
You are the best. Thank you so much for including us in your round up and for linking back to She Writes. Talk about pay it forward. You’re like hitting the Lottery! We’re so thrilled to have met you online and IRL!
Norine of Science of Parenthood recently posted..Willkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome!
Blogging duos rule! Talking with you and Jess was one of the highlights of BlogHer for me. Ellen
Awesome pics and awesome post!
And love that you’re able to interpret Queen Latifah’s meaningful glances so well!
Darcy Perdu recently posted..They Do WHAT on Page Six?
How? How did I miss you, I ask? BOTH OF YOU! What is the friggin’ likelihood? Me no know but me angry. Want cookie, make better.
Also, that is totally my forehead and big hair to the far back left.
Writing. Writing is where it all leads back to, you know? I may be occasionally giggle-worthy but it is the art of writing that keeps me around. And if we are to read The Queen’s eyes only, she totally wants to talk to us all. I’m not sure what she’d bring me on her show for, but I’m pretty sure I can get on because I’m black. That makes me special.
Arnebya recently posted..Ten
It was SO great meeting you guys in person! You are so friendly and funny- just like I expected! I am so glad I made the plunge and went to BlogHer. These pictures remind me of how much it was worth it. Also, congratulations again on your VOTY. That is so cool and even better that you got to be in the front of the picture! Go PROCRASTINATION!
Kelley recently posted..The Conversation Game: Why My Husband Always Wins
First of all, I loved seeing these pics. Secondly, I’ve had to spike my coffee while looking at them because I’m trying to block out the fact that I WANNA BE IN THEM WITH ALL OF YOU!! Wahhh…
Next year I’ll go and no one else will and I’ll have a whole bunch of pics of me wandering around by myself whispering, “Ellen? Erin? Kim? Kelley?….where did everyone go??” and drowning my sorrows and getting arrested for public indecency or something. Huh. That WOULD make a good post though.
Glad you girls had such a great time! And congrats on the VOTY!! I’d totally have cut that sucker up into 100 pieces and glued it back together again at home. 😉
Michelle – You’re my favorite today. recently posted..Don’t Sweat the Social Media: A Message for Parents Today.
Perfect! Miss you guys already.
Nicole Leigh Shaw recently posted..Something Clever 2.0 and George and Martha
Loving all the photos! And I can’t believe I’m actually IN one. You managed to capture the only picture that Keesha and I took together that weekend, so thank you. And I’m so happy for your VOTY selection! Truly deserved. It was so wonderful meeting you both.
Gina Jacobs Thomas (@totallyfullofit) recently posted..Becoming a Toilet Southpaw
I have been a fan for some time now and you ladies are so inspirational to me. Loved the pictures and seeing all the fun you had. Unfortunately, I had to work that weekend and couldn’t make the conference. And I actually LIVE in Chicago. Ugh!! But thanks for making me feel a little like I was there. Sounds like a fabulous time!!
Mom Rants and Comfy Pants recently posted..Musings From the Shower – The Pursuit of Normal
How much do I love this?!!! So much funny and love, all in one post. That story about the square to spare is particularly special to me because Kim shared that blank PicMonkey template with me too, and I’ve just recently fallen in love with Norine & Jessica. PLUS that picture of Ellen and me with Maxine (distant hygiene relative to the toilet paper square)…so it’s just all Circle of Life up in here! Big love for you gals and all that do.
Leslie recently posted..That time I sprayed breast milk all over my dentist
You two are just fabulous and I’m so sorry I didn’t get to meet you IRL (as the kids say). I would’ve leapt (leaped?) over all kinds of furniture to say hello (and now you know what to fear should we all be at Blogher next year). Kudos on the VOTY; you deserve it!
deborah quinn recently posted..because we all know that girls can’t do math, right?
Wow, you got some great pics! I don’t think I even got one. Thanks for the shout out. It was awesome meeting you beautiful ladies!
Steph at I’m Still Learning recently posted..Maybe they do like each other after all
We got enough pictures for everyone. It’s kinda our thing. 🙂 Ellen
Thanks, ladies. It was so great finally meet both of you. And thanks for being our portal (nerd lingo) to so many other amazing women at the conference. Can’t wait to do it again! 🙂
OldDogNewTits recently posted..It’s 2013, but if I were making a mix tape today …
Heh, heh, you said portal. Meeting you was one of our BlogHer goals. Had so much fun with you! Ellen
The Sisterhood recently posted..7 Yummy Reasons We Are Sad to See Summer Go
Meeting you two was one of the highlights of BlogHer for me- no exaggeration. You are two of the classiest, friendliest, open-hearted people I have ever met. I would gladly hand over my baby to you on any occasion. Seriously? You want her for a weekend? I can arrange this.
I hope to hang with you guys again soon.
Also, I love how Ellen is the only one looking directly at the (her) camera in the Queen Latifah photo.
Mommy Shorts recently posted..The State of the Blog
You two looked great and I’m glad you had a good time. Latifah is tall and looks like she could still play power forward for her high school team in NY.
I wish I could’ve been there to meet you and figure out if I was an Erin or an Ellen. I still say Erin.
Lance recently posted..Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots – 100 Word Song
Thank you! We have considered doing a post “Are you an Ellen or an Erin?” but we’re afraid it would reveal too many of our secrets/superpowers. 😉 Ellen