Country Living Fair 2014

This past weekend, my husband and I drove to Atlanta to attend the 2014 Country Living Fair in Stone Mountain.  What a beautiful place to enjoy a gorgeous, warm fall day.

If you've ever attended a Country Living Fair, you know that there are s-o-o-o many great vendors and items for sale.  I'm saying that because it's true and because, well, I was so caught up in looking and shopping that I kept forgetting to take pictures!  However, I did get a few.

Awesome bread board and a cool vintage wine basket

Oh my!  Look at these dough boards!!  I'd love to have one some day but I have no idea where I'd put it.  They're big!

It's true that opposites attract because my hubby and I usually have opposite likes but we both agreed this old post box piece was really cool!

There was even some great entertainment.  This ensemble played a few blue grass songs and the adorable lady in the blue and white striped shirt even buck danced.  They were both crowd pleasers.

photo from A Delightsome Life

One of the other reasons I wanted to attend the Country Living Fair to meet this amazing group of bloggers as well as the folks from Hometalk.com and Country Living. 

This is Kathy of A Delightsome Life.  She was one of the first bloggers that I actually met in person at last year's Country Living Fair.  She is so kind and has a beautiful home and family.  After I met her last year, we discovered that we were both homeschool moms turned bloggers as our children have graduated...well, I have one left that will graduate in 2016.  ;)

This is Country Living's super sweet Editor-in-Chief, Rachel Hardage Barrett.  She was so gracious to speak to our group of bloggers and to share what it takes to find to the right content for the magazine.

And, last but not least, a pic with hubby taken in front of the mound o' pumpkins...it's becoming a tradition ;)

I hope you enjoyed reading about the Country Living Fair.  If you've never been, I recommend marking your calendars for next October!  

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!

Angie

Haven 2014 Highlights

I attended Haven 2014, my first blogging conference, last week.  I have to confess as the conference was approaching I was feeling pretty anxious about attending.  Like I am an amateur.  They are all pros.  Like I was a poser and would be found out.  

What should I wear?  

What does one (who's trying to not look like a total dork) bring to a blogging conference??  

Forget it!!  I'm not going. 

Wait, what?!? 

Really.  I felt like backing out.  Why do we let doubts and fears paralyze us from doing what we really want to do?  

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I pushed aside those feelings and just went for it.  I'm s-o-o-o glad I did.  The other ladies (and few gents) there were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and helpful.

Here are some of the great things I would have missed had I given in to those fears:

Chip Wade, designer/builder/rock star of HGTV's Elbow Room, spoke to us the first morning.  He said to always begin a design with "what if?"  What if this could...?  What if we could...?  It obviously works.  His designs are taking-it-to-the-next-level amazing.  He also answered any questions we had...like "how can I get you to do a room at my house?!" Lol!  Seriously, I have a laundry room/deck situation that could really use his help.

Ready for this next one?

Oh yeah, that's the one and only Mike Holmes.  Mike talked to us about creating a safer and healthier home.  Thanks 3M Filtrete for sponsoring!

There were so many great sessions to attend that I didn't make it to all of them.  Just a sampling of the workshops I attended were hosted by these rockstars of the blogging world:  Andy Marzka of Adthrive.com (thank you, thank you, thank you for explaining ad optimization to me!!), Laura Putnam of Finding Home, Dusty Rogers of All Things G&D, Jen Schmidt of Balancing Beauty & Bedlam, and Erin Spain of DIY on the Cheap (thank you ladies for explaining the basics of blogging and for encouraging us along!)  I could go on and on because there were so many incredible speakers and workshops offered.  

I can't talk about Haven without talking about the gracious sponsors that help make it happen.  The sponsors were spreading the love when it came to swag.  If you've ever read a post about Haven that says to pack an extra bag to haul your swag back on the plane...believe them.

It's a good thing we drove ;)  These products were provided by:  +MinwaxUSA, +FrogTape, +OnlineFabricStore.net, Thompson Water Seal, +PureBond, +Ballard Designs, +ProcterGamble, +The Home Depot, +Southern Living, +Gorilla Glue, Duct Tape, Rustoleum, Sizzix, and more!  Thank you sponsors!!!

This post could go on at length about how great Haven 2014 was.  I'm sure I'll be talking about it for some time but to sum it up, if you're considering going next year...DO IT!  I promise you will not regret a minute of it.

So, I'm going to shut up now and just close with these:

+GMC Denali was a big sponsor too!  #thisisgmc

Three great project kits delivered to my room from +The Home Depot  Check back to see the finished projects!

Beautiful room displays by +Ballard Designs 

Ok, that's enough.  I'll be posting more great things from Haven 2014 soon.  Thanks for stopping by and God bless!

Angie

I'm linking here:
THE STYLE SISTERS
JENNIFER RIZZO
FROM MY FRONT PORCH TO YOURS

COMMON GROUND

HAVE A DAILY CUP OF MRS. OLSON
COASTAL CHARM'S NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY

FRIDAYS UNFOLDED

FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY

ONE MORE TIME EVENTS

TWIRL AND TAKE A BOW

SAVVY SOUTHERN STYLE

STONEGABLE
UNDER THE TABLE AND DREAMING

A DELIGHTSOME LIFE
ART IS BEAUTY

CLEVER CHICKS BLOG HOP DIY SHOWOFF IT'S OVERFLOWING

THREE MANGO SEEDS

ELIZABETH JOAN DESIGNS

WEEKEND CRAFTS

PRETTY PINTASTIC PARTY

Home from Haven Conference 2014

Whew!  What a whirlwind of 350+ bloggers all meeting in the same place with some AWESOME sponsors at every turn.

I just returned (a day early, sadly) from my first ever blogger conference, Haven 2014.  I mean, literally, I just returned and couldn't wait to start sharing.  It's getting late here but I want to give you a little teaser of the great things I brought home.

Check out the SWAG!

I know, right!  Do these sponsors know how to spoil a girl or what?

Everyone at Haven was incredibly friendly, helpful, and downright amazing.  I can't wait to begin sharing about it but right now, this girl needs some much needed sleep.

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!
Angie


I'm linking here:
THE STYLE SISTERS
JENNIFER RIZZO
FROM MY FRONT PORCH TO YOURS

COMMON GROUND

HAVE A DAILY CUP OF MRS. OLSON
COASTAL CHARM'S NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY

FRIDAYS UNFOLDED

FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY

ONE MORE TIME EVENTS

TWIRL AND TAKE A BOW
SAVVY SOUTHERN STYLE

STONEGABLE
UNDER THE TABLE AND DREAMING

A DELIGHTSOME LIFE
ART IS BEAUTY

CLEVER CHICKS BLOG HOP DIY SHOWOFF IT'S OVERFLOWING

THREE MANGO SEEDS

ELIZABETH JOAN DESIGNS

WEEKEND CRAFTS

PRETTY PINTASTIC PARTY

A Giveaway to the Atlanta Home Show

Who loves something for free??  Me!  Who loves anything and everything to do with homes??  Me!  Well, this weekend is the Atlanta Home Show at the Cobb Galleria Centre.

The 36th Annual Spring Atlanta Home Show

March 21-23

Cobb Galleria Centre 

Special appearance Saturday by Ahmed Hassan of HGTV's Yard Crashers!  Yeah, how cool is that?!  I always hoped to run in to him in our home improvement store.  I've got a BIG yard that needs BIG help!  

The Atlanta Home Show is being sponsored in part by Hometalk!  Be sure to check them out for tons of great home decorating, gardening, building ideas, and more!

Now, here's your chance to enter!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Country Living Fair in Atlanta

This past weekend, my husband, youngest daughter, and I attended the Country Living Fair in Atlanta.  It was held at Stone Mountain Park which is just amazing to see.

                 

Hometalk, where I post (and find great posts!), hosted a blogger meet and greet along with the Country Living Editors.  It was great getting to meet face-to-face with some of the bloggers I follow...Kathy of A Delightsome Life (a fellow homeschooling mom!), Kim of Savvy Southern Style (love her sitting room with the dogs and hunting decor!), Rhoda of Southern Hospitality (who's provided me with a lot of inspiration over the past couple of years!) and Linda of Coastal Charm, and others that I met for the first time at the fair.  Super sweet and really helpful at answering questions for an amateur like me.

These are the wonderful bloggers attending for the Country Living/Hometalk Meet and Greet.  Country Living's Editor-in-Chief, Sarah Miller, is in the center.  She and others from Country Living Magazine as well as the Hometalk crew were so gracious to meet with us.    Borrowed this pic from DIYontheCheap.com (She's the cute one to the right of the sign holding the t-shirt and bag!)

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Cari Cucksey, of HGTV's Cash and Cari, had a booth at the Fair and took a minute to speak with us about her business of repurposing furniture and other items to resell.  Isn't she cute?!  Love the vintage boots.

Stone Mountain on its own is a great place to visit but throw in the Country Living Fair with loads of great vintage, antique, and handmade items PLUS an amazing fall day...that's just icing on the cake!

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Here's a look at just a few of the booths this year.  I'm sorry I didn't get more.  I was like a kid in a candy shop with all the goodies and I kept forgetting to take pictures!

                  
These amazing signs are handmade by Tara of Between You and Me.  I follow her blog but didn't get a chance to speak to her.  Her booth was super busy!

                                     
Loved this snowman!  I have a snowman fetish :)

                                 
One of the adorable campers from Sisters on the Fly.  It's on my bucket list to join them one day!

So, what did I come home with??  Don't laugh.  It's not a lot but it's really cute!

                                 
It's a vintage store sign from Dilley Brand's booth.  They had some GREAT items.  You can check them out here.  I haven't found a place for it yet but I'm thinking it will be somewhere displayed with my vintage aprons!  I'll let you know :)

I hope you enjoyed visiting the Country Living Fair with me.  As always, I appreciate your stopping by and God bless!!

Angie