Wordless{ish} Wednesday: BlogHer 11.

BlogHer was amazing. Yes, it's insanely busy... you're always scheduled to do something... BUT, it's worth it. I learned quite a bit at the sessions I did attend... but, the best thing about this conference is being around all of these bloggers! It was so great to be able to talk about my blog without getting the, "yeah, I know you blog already" look. The bloggers were my favorite part of the whole conference. Loved it. Seriously... these bloggers are CA-razay! In a good way.... of course. ;)

Sooo.... There are so many lovely blogger ladies in the photos below. I'm just going to list their names and sweet blogs here: Mae from Parenting in Progress, Jill from Baby Rabies, Jenni from the Blog, Torie of 25 Designs, Beth Anne of Heir to Blair, Morgan from the 818, Alena from Charmingly Chandler, Hannah from Peggy Ann Design, Jenna from Blogged Bliss, Mandy from Harper's Happenings, Erika of Bird E Studios, Dumb Mom from Parenting by Dummies, Suzanne of Bebeblog, Mandey from Mama and the Dudes, Molly from a Day in Mollywood, Stephanie from Mrs. Stephanie T., and... of course: I was there!

 Ummm.... and, here are my millions of iPhone pics I took. :D Linking up with Amy of course. :D

AND... because this post should just be longer.... This is how we kicked off BlogHer '11:

 

I have more to share about what I'd do different next year... and what I've learned (because I know you want to know...). For now... just a few highlights and dislikes.

Highlights:

- The bloggers.

- The sessions.

- Hand-dipped Dove bar.

- The session with Gluten Free Girl.

- Seriously... all the bloggers I met. The BEST thing.

- The first day in San Diego. So fun.

- My roomies.

- Your mom. Just kidding... just checking to see if you were still paying attention. ;)

- Day drinking... I know... But, it was fun.

- The first day's breakfast.... hash browns... bacon... WTF? Yes. AMAZING.

Dislikes:

- Lack of sleep.

- Missing my baby.

- Not being able to clone myself to be two places at one time.

- missing my baby.

- Thinking it was a good idea to fly out at 6:30 am on Sunday morning... wha? Yeah... 3 hours of sleep. 

- Lack of sleep.

- The second day's breakfast.... oatmeal... bagels... fruit... meh.

 Sadly... I met these ladies (and two dudes) and did not manage to get photos with them (well, I think I'm in a couple cell phone pics with a couple ladies): Jamie from the Grumbles and Grunts, Kylee from Two Pretzels, Krystal from Tie a Little Ribbon, How to Be a Dad's, Katie from Pickles and Paisleys, Miranda from Not Super Just Mom, Amanda from a Martini Always Helps, Angry Julie, Stephanie of Goober Grape and Monkey Man, Kelly from Turnip Farmer, Nanette from Say it, don't spray it, and so many more!

{If you have a Wordless{ish} Wednesday, please feel free to link it up below. BY the way: Shawntae from A Little King and I now share our Wednesday Linky's. :D. And, feel free to link up to these blogs too... 5 Minutes For Mom, Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, Supermom, And Then She Snapped, and Live and Love Outloud.}

♡ Chelsey

Off to BlogHer!

Alright lovelies! I'm off! I can't believe TOMORROW I'm flying out for BlogHer. It seems like I've been talking and blabbing about this FOREVER! And, now it's time! I have a super early flight.... so, today's post is short and sweet.

I got my hairs all prettied and my shoes and I are headed out. See you all next week! BUT... don't forget to visit! I have a some AMAZING bloggers lined up to guest post while I'm away. So much fun! Be sure to check it out! And, I may or may not pop in here and there on the blog... we'll see. ;) You will definitely find me wandering around on twitter for sure. Check it out: @thepapermama

Byeeeeeeeee!

♡ Chelsey

My business cards are here!

My business cards came in the mail the other day... I really love them (and, of course moo.com did an awesome job). Great quality! But, I think they're just a wee too light in color. Next time... I will make them darker. :)

I'm only sorta seriously freaking out about how close BlogHer is! Are you going? Are you freaking? Ok. Glad I'm not alone. :)

BY thee way... are you ready for an awesome guest blogger line-up while I'm gone? Me too. I decided to not even try and blog while away... I will probably pop in here and there... but, mostly I'm outta here! :D You can definitely find me wandering around on Twitter for the entire trip. For sure.

♡ Chelsey

Thank you.

{Website//Blog//Facebook//Twitter}

Have you heard of the Clever Girls Collective? You haven't? Well, you should know them. These ladies connect bloggers... like you and me... to the big brands. Sponsored posts. Twitter parties. Ummm.... BlogHer parties (wow, can't wait for that)!

I've mentioned them a couple times here and there on my blog. I joined up with them.... hmmm, maybe a year ago? I was looking for some way to connect with companies to make a bit of money on the blog... without looking too sponsored... you know what I mean? Well, I found these ladies. They connect us to companies we wouldn't normally have an option to work with and in return... we write a sponsored post. The fantastic thing about the Clever Girls sponsored posts: They give you a theme and you write and talk about what you want to... following the provided theme. I like to have complete control over my blog. I don't want to throw a bunch of words and sentences up that I didn't write... like a big giant ad. I get to write what I want... share what photos I want. It's a beautiful relationship! 

If you're looking for a great connection to companies... check out the Clever Girls (for guys too by the way)... Seriously. Let them know I sent ya! They are a huge reason why I'm making it to BlogHer. They partially sponsored me and 8 other blogs to go! Thank you!

{Blog//Facebook//Twitter}

Amanda from Chasing Twins in Louboutins (which, is an amazing talent by the way... I can barely walk in heels these days!) is another one of my lovely BlogHer sponsors! 

She is the mama to the cutest freakin' twins! Super stylish! Super sweet! And, hey: she's a Clever Girl too! :) Please, visit her. Thank her for the amazing BlogHer support she gave me! :D

{Blog//Shop//Twitter}

Mr. Don. Yes, Don of Adeline's Daddy is another BlogHer sponsor. This amazing talented daddy is the creator of my new lovely blog layout! Say hi to my new layout ::waving::! I loved working with him. BUT, that's a whole other post I'm working on... you'll see all the reasons and MORE why I recommend him for your blog makeover! Thank you Don!!!!!!!!!!! ! !            !

I ALSO wanted to thank these ladies for their help getting me to BlogHer:

- Letters To Littles

- Life with Rylie

- Simplicity

- The Enlightened Bug

- Twenty Five Designs

♡ Chelsey

Gettin' Ready for BlogHer.

Yup! Another crazy for BlogHer post! But, you know what... I am so excited! Blogging is a huge part of my life and I'm so happy to meet many of the bloggers I have been reading about and talking to for so long! I'm a little overwhelmed and nervous. I get the random "But, I wont know anyone..." thoughts... which is so silly. I know quite a few bloggers going.

SOOoooo... taking a cue from Mandy from Harper's Happenings I decided to stop putting my BlogHer outfits planning off and shop my closet... I really don't need to buy a bunch of clothes for this conference. I have PLENTY of clothes in my closet to wear (that I'm just now starting to fit back into since I've been working out! Yay!). I wandered through and found a few outfits I'm positive I want to bring.... I plan to bring just three pairs of shoes (Yes.... I have a shoe problem) and about 2 outfits for each day (since I plan on being a sweaty mess). Yes... I know it's not about the outfits... but, I love clothes and I wont having a baby blowing her nose on my dresses (yes, she does that)!

I tried to plan the outfits so I can wear cardigans/accessories over and over again... to pack less... Here's what I'm thinkin so far...

 First outfit from my closet:

Blouse: Anthropologie

Shorts: Anthropologie

Belt: Thrifted ($1. Awesome)

Shoes: THRIFTED. Neat-o.

Cardigan: Target

Second outfit from my closet:

Blouse: Thrifted Banana Republic! Cheap.

Cardigan: Target

Necklace: Ummm... Had it for years. Can't remember.

Jeans: F21

Shoes: TOMS

 Third outfit from my closet:

 Sweater shirt: Anthropologie

Skirt: Anthropologie

Shoes: Blowfish. Thrifted!

  Fourth outfit from my closet:

 Dress: Thrifted (I recognized it from Anthropologie)

Necklace: F21

Shoes: Blowfish... thrifted.

Cardigan: Target

  Fifth outfit from my closet:

 Dress: Thrifted

Necklace: Can't remember. 

Belt: Thrifted

Shoes: Ross

Sixth outfit from my closet:

Dress: Thrifted

Necklace: Old.

Cardigan: Target

Belt: Urban Outfitters

Shoes: Ross

Seventh outfit from my closet:

 Shirt: Anthropologie

Sunglasses: Thrifted

Necklace: Old.

Pants: F21

Shoes: Ross

My BlogHer '11 roomies.... :D
- Jenni from Jenni From The Blog
- Stephanie from Goober Monkey
- Kelly from The Turnip Farmer

I'm also putting together a to do/packing list...

To do:
- Print out all my tickets for gatherings/etc.
- Plan out my outfits so I pack as little as possible (darn baggage fees!).
- Put together my mini-swag bags from The Paper Mama Shop.
- Freak out a little.
- Break in any shoes I want to wear.
- Make a list of shnizzle I need to pack. This will NOT include my swimsuit....
- I need some sparkle for Sparklecorn. :D
- Buy some earplugs... I'm pretty sure my roomates will snore. Ha ha! I'm kidding. But, really... just in case. ;)
- Ummmm... figure out who's watching my baby during the days.... ha! Yes, I did forget this part. ;)
- Remind myself I shouldn't pack any of my heels... because I will probably regret it and lose a few toenails or something lovely.

I also wanted to say "Hey there" to my BlogHer sponsors. These lovely peeps helped me get to BlogHer this year...

- The Clever Girls

- Adeline's Daddy
- Chasing Twins in Louboutins 
- Life with Rylie

Thank you! You guys are awesome!!!

♡ Chelsey

Making a living... doing what I love.

{I will be handing out a few of these prints to a few random peeps at Blogher 2011! Minus the copyright. ;D}

Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be able to make any sort of real money through blogging or by selling my creations in my Etsy shop. BUT! I'm on my way. Ok... I'm only able to help pay for a teeny teeny tiny bit of our expenses today... but, it does help! And, the best part: I love this job!

I've always had this need to be creative (run's in my family) and here I am... drawing, writing, photographing everything, watching/taking care of Ruari... that's my job! I LOVE it. I know I'm so lucky to be able to stay home with Ruari... and, then to be able to do something with those lonely naptime hours: it's awesome.

So... why am I rambling on about being so happy and blah blah artsy fartsy? Well... I guess I got pretty excited when I stumbled across this article I found in Studio's magazine: "How to Make Etsy Work for You" (see image below). It seems like you should be able to just throw your creations up on Etsy and everyone in the world will scramble to buy up every last thing you make. Well... if you're on Etsy (or any other handmade/vintage selling site)... you know it definitely does not work that way. Everything this article talks about is sort of a no-brainer... but, it's all things that my brain never really started thinking about until recently: You have to blog about your creations... tweet about them... give some away here and there... advertise... hand out business cards... offer discounts... and so much more. How will anyone know you even have a business if you don't talk about it?

In the first two years I had my paper crowns shop open I had only sold about 60 items (talk about a downer). What was I doing wrong: I wasn't telling anyone about my shop. Maybe every once in a while I would blog about a new crown... but, my old Paper Lady blog was very neglected and I never kept it up to date. Who wants to read a blog that never updates? :) 

I started the Paper Mama Blog in April 2010 and I found the wonderful world of mom-blogging, photography-blogging... everything blogging and things just started falling into place. I'm just doing what I love to do. Being myself is so important (but, can be a struggle with blogging sometimes: how far into my life/world do I want to go and share on my blog?). I used to worry about how I'm not a writer and am terrible with grammar... etc. Hee, I don't worry about that anymore! The way you read my typing is pretty much how I talk in real life (well... I think I may be a bit more scatter-brained in real life... I can go back and edit these words. :}).

So, what's my business? It's this. My blog. My drawings. My photoshopping. That's what I do. And... now, how do I grow? I don't know. I'm just guessing at everything I do. Trial and error. It takes a lot of time and effort and reading/research to get a business started. A LOT (just ask my hubby who thinks I work too hard as a stay-at-home-mom. :D). Whenever Ruari is sleeping I'm either working on orders... or, blogging. I spend a TON of time on it. I am getting faster... sorta. And, more efficient... slowly.

The Studio's magazine article above interviewed fellow Etsian: Timothy Adam. I'm guessing a few of you Etsy shop owners have heard of him. He has a great story (read it here). He has a very successful metal creations shop on Etsy and has a TON of advice and tips for us small business peeps. The funny thing is I actually used to read his blog in 2008 when I was the Paper Lady (RIP Paper Lady blog ;D). I was pleasantly surprised to see how well he's doing for himself 3 years later!

Mr. Timothy's blog has a wealth of info for you to wander through if you are looking for ways to get your shop out and about. Along with a book he just wrote: How to Make Money using Etsy. He can also be found on the Handmadeology blog. Another great resource to help you grow your biz.

So, I hope you enjoyed my random ramblings about my business dreams and do expect new and wonderful things from my shop and blog! Because, I'm constantly working hard to make it more and more lovely!

♡ Chelsey

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Reminders!

 

{Happy Wednesday everyone! I just wanted to throw out a couple of reminders for all of you! SOOOoooo many things goin on right now.... }

{First: FRIDAY is the LAST day to enter your photo for the Your Best Shot photo challenge! Wow! Time is flying... Click the image below to check out all the entries and enter your own!!!}

{Next.... don't forget about the Pacific Northwest Blogger's Meetup! Click on the button below for some more info.... we're still in the planning stages... more details soon. :D}

{Again... don't forget tomorrow is the last day to get two weeks free when you sign up to advertise on my blog before June 23rd. Yay! Click here to get more info...}

{AND... I may start to sound like a broken record... but, please check out my Sponsor Me for BlogHer page! Click here... or the button below... seriously so many opportunities to get your blog and/or business exposed! Seriously! I will pimp you out! ;D}

{ONE more thing... a vote? :D :D :D}

{If you have a Wordless{ish} Wednesday, please feel free to link it up below. BY the way: Shawntae from A Little King and I now share our Wednesday Linky's. :D. And, feel free to link up to these blogs too... 5 Minutes For Mom, Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, Supermom, And Then She Snapped, and Live and Love Outloud.}

♡ Chelsey

UPDATED: Help me get to BlogHer 2011

- Chasing Twins in Louboutins
- The Clever Girls

- Letters To Littles

- Life with Rylie

- Simplicity

- And, a few anonymous people too. Thank you! :)

....................................................................................................

I have a goal: Make it to BlogHer '11. I will make it! I know I will! But, the whole cost of it is bringing me down a bit. With the flying and the hotel stay it's expensive as all hay! I've managed to save enough to buy the conference tickets... but, now I'm starting to worry that I wont be able to save enough for the trip before that time.

Why help send me to BlogHer '11?
Well... with all my shmoozing and conferencing I will be sure to learn and get MORE blogging ideas! Which means:
- More pics and videos of my super adorably cute baby!
- More super fun photo challenges...
- Crafty tutorials!
- More photo competitions!
- How about some hair tutorials?
- Pretty much just more of my blogging awesomenessness. ;D


Sponsor me:
What can I provide you for sponsorships:
- Include a text link or banner under a “BlogHer Sponsors” section on my blog. (depending on selected sponsorship level)
- Blog, facebook and tweet about your company thanking you for sponsorship randomly through August. (depending on selected sponsorship level)
- Brand Promotion by wearing clothing (if it's my style of clothing. I still gotta look good and be comfy! ;D), pins or carrying tote bags with your company logo during the conference. (depending on selected sponsorship level)
- Your logo on my laptop for the whole conference. (depending on selected sponsorship level)
- There will be LIVE tweeting of your sponsorship during the conference! (depending on selected sponsorship level)
- I would LOVE to hear any additional ideas you may have for me.
- Just a note: giving away swag or handing out fliers is not permitted at the conference.
A full sponsorship is totally available. For this I would do all of the above, plus advertising space in the top section of my blog for 1 full year. And, love you forever. :D Other negotiations will also be considered.

Partial Sponsorship levels:
$50
- Small ad in my sidebar for 2 months
- Multiple facebook mentions and tweets up through the conference!
- Inclusion in my small ad BlogHer '11 sponsors post!

$100:
- Small ad in my sidebar for 4 months
- Multiple facebook mentions and tweets up through the conference!
- A small sticker spot on my laptop (which will be out A LOT at the conference. A LOT. I'm a blogger! :D)
- Inclusion in my small ad BlogHer '11 sponsors post!

$200
- Small ad in my sidebar for 6 months!!!
- Multiple facebook mentions and tweets up through the conference!
- A small sticker spot on my laptop (which will be out A LOT at the conference. A LOT. I'm a blogger! :D)
- Inclusion in my small ad BlogHer '11 sponsors post!
- PLUS: a blog post just for you!

$250
- Small ad in my sidebar for 8 months!!!
- Multiple facebook mentions and tweets up through the conference!
- A MEDIUM sticker spot on my laptop (which will be out A LOT at the conference. A LOT. I'm a blogger! :D)
- Inclusion in my small ad BlogHer '11 sponsors post!
- PLUS: a blog post just for you!

$500
- Medium ad in my sidebar for 12 months!!!
- Multiple facebook mentions and tweets up through the conference!
- A LARGE sticker spot on my laptop (which will be out A LOT at the conference. A LOT. I'm a blogger! :D)
- I will include your URL on the back of my business cards that I hand out at the conference.
- PLUS: a blog post just for you! Before AND After the conference! That's 2 blog posts! All about you.

Full sponsorship (approx. $1200)
- Large ad in my sidebar for 12 months!!!
- Multiple facebook mentions and tweets up through the conference!
- An XLARGE sticker spot on my laptop (which will be out A LOT at the conference. A LOT. I'm a blogger! :D)
- I will include your URL on the back of my business cards that I hand out at the conference.
- PLUS: a blog post just for you! Before AND After the conference! That's 2 blog posts! All about you.
- I will pretty much just pimp you out to the extreme.
- I'm open to more ideas.

Sponsoring me pretty much means you can reach all of my readers PLUS more.
My blog's stat as of June 7th, 2011:
- 32,000+ monthly pageviews
- 18,000+ monthly visits
- 8,000+ monthly unique visitors
- 1,540+ subscribe to my Google Feedburner
- 1310+ followers through Google Friend Connect
- 570+ twitter followers
- 420+ facebook "fans"

PLEASE email me if you're interested in sponsorship. Email: thepapermama@gmail.com I VERY much look forward to representing your brand at BlogHer '11.

Shop:
OR... you can purchase something from one of my Etsy shops! I'm giving everyone that uses the following code 15% off their purchases in BOTH of my shops through August 6th, 2011 (You cannot combine discount codes, k? :}) ! Here's the code: BLOGHER2011
My Paper Crown shop
Paper Mama Shop


Donate:
If you really just want to give me money (heh) I do have a donation button and a little deal for anyone that donates over $15:
I'd like to offer you all little something for your donations:
- I'd like to offer anyone donating over $15 a new blog header or I'd love to touch up and edit one of your photos (if you want one of these things).
- Please be sure to mention if you'd like to remain anonymous with your donation of if you'd like me to include your blog link at the top of this post! :D

To donate to my BlogHer '11
dream... click here: