i forgot to mention (sort of) that i won the Eye Candy Award over at SocialLuxe…
because you voted for me.
THANK YOU.
my award came in the mail this week…since i didn't go to BlogHer to receive it in person.
it's pretty.
sean asked "MOM!!! is that real?!!"
so let's talk about why i didn't go.
i have a few reasons excuses.
1. it was in chicago and i am in kansas….
that is a logical reason…except that i have made that trip
kansas to chicago every year for 15 years and i love chicago.
2. it was kind of last minute on a thursday…i have five kids…what could i possibly do with them?
3. i wasn't signed up for BlogHer…but i was specifically told that it was okay and i didn't need to be.
4. craig didn't want me to go…technically he never said anything like that but i assumed he didn't.
surely he couldn't survive here on his own without me…right?!?!
5. gas is expensive and we already went on a long trip…that part is true.
do you see a pattern here?
i was full of excuses.
reality: i was a chicken.
my thoughts were "what if i go all the way there and it's an empty room?"
or "what if i go and they had it wrong and i didn't get an award?"
"what if nobody likes me?"
"what if….what if…what if"
so i stayed here.
and read about it all over blogland.
i was ticked at my scared little self.
i tried to blame craig…but he had nothing to do with it.
the truth is the thought of entering a room full of people alone….terrifies me.
i mentioned it to a friend & she said "why didn't you say something? i would've loved to have gone!!"
suddenly i remembered i am not alone.
how did i forget?
why did i think i had to drive all that way alone?
why did i not think once to ask a friend to come along?
now i was even more ticked…at myself and my fears.
(but i sure do like to be alone)
i still received the award but it wasn't nearly as much fun to open it alone in my kitchen
when i could have gone up on a stage with the other winners.
and i could've made lots of new friends.
i would have had a blast.
maybe next year.
the winners were given a $100 gift certificate to cambria cove.
i chose an ice cream maker and some note cards.
we had homemade ice cream today after school – yum.
and i have never owned $30 note cards…but they are beautiful.
thank you cambria cove.
i love it.
and thanks for voting.
you helped me learn a lesson about myself…even if i didn't like it. :)
Allison - It was a first for me too. In a lot of ways. Stuck my neck out there putting on this party {oh how I stuck my neck out!} but it turned out to be marvelous. I completely get it though.
Next year? I’ll hold your hand at the party. I’ll be the one running around shouting orders. 🙂
Congratulations, wish I could have given the award in person. Next year indeed.
carissa... brown eyed fox - not a bit surprised… but SO happy for you!
congratulations!
shine… LET it shine on your face… you deserve it!
Suzanne - so happy you won, you deserve it! I thoroughly enjoy your blog and i would have been the same little scaredy cat, just like you! Love you, your family and all your photos. They inspire me. Thank you and congrats on the award!!!!!
P.S. I voted for you several times and I would do it again 🙂
danyele - i totally voted…and you totally deserve it!!! love your blog and shots…and well, all your fun stuff! congrats
Angela - Congrats!! I was literally just wondering yesterday who won all the awards! Thanks for the link. 🙂
princesslasertron - congratulations meg! you really deserve it.
I know what you mean about being scared.
I think I talk a tough game and I always hope I’m fooling everyone. smoke and mirrors!
I’ll sit by you at silver bella. 🙂 are you bringing a friend there?
julie - I wouldn’t go by myself either… but I would go with you!
I was wondering when you would finally post that you were the super cool and super deserving winner!! Hip hip hooray for ginormous faux diamonds!
Jill - That’s some diamond you have there and you certainly deserve it. Congratulations! Believe me, I know all about hating to go it alone. I’m divorced 2 years and I’ve yet to dine or go to a movie alone :o(
Mindy Harris - Meg,
I think you could find hundreds of us readers who’d be willing to co-pilot you to NYC next year.
Me included.
Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - Oh Meg I would have felt the same way. I’m learning that about myself too. I’m a little chicken *#@& sometimes. Get over it. You are a talented lady and you totally deserved that award. Congratulations! I’m proud I voted for ya:)
Amber - Oh well regardless of your fears or insecurities you absolutely deserve this award. Congratulations and I would have probably done the same thing. I’m the most introverted extrovert alive. 😉 Anywhoo congrats.
Diana aka "knzus" - Congratulations on your award! I had come across it the other day while cruising the socialluxe site. Coincidentally, I’ve been reading your blog for quite some time now, and at the time I saw your blog on socialluxe, something in the back of my mind just kinda made me think… then on the news tonight I saw the piece about Cora’s playground and it clicked. Came here to make sure of the connection… what a small world, I am in the same city as you! And oh my goodness, I also have huge social fears (in spite of that I’m the former genealogy society president). Maybe all of us here in town – or Kansas! – should get together to go next year, huh! LOL! {{hugz}} to you! Keep up the awesome blogging! 🙂
Cate O'Malley - Congrats on the eye candy award – very deserving! BlogHer is finally coming to the East Coast next year and is in NYC. Can’t wait to go!
Dana M. - Don’t EVER turn down a trip like that again! I would love to go with you and visit the “windy city”. We live in the windy state, but I have a feeling it’s much different!
sandy toe - How wonderful!
sandy toe
melissa @ the inspired room - Well I understand those fears of new things. This January I boarded a plane ALONE for the first time in my life, no kids, no hubby, no mom…just me. I was kind of scared but it was the most freeing moment in my life. I can get on a plane BY MY SELF after 42 years. Yes I can and I lived to tell about it. And not only that I walked into a hotel and met my best friends (where were you though?) in a hotel for the first time. And I spoke in front of a room full of people, which really terrified me. It was horrible and good at the same time.
Either way, in person or at your kitchen table, I’m glad you WON. You are awesome. I voted for you a million times. Almost.
xoxo
Elisa - Oh man Meg- that is so stinkin’ cool!!!
And I am the same way- I did the exact same thing when I was invited to the MTV movie awards pre-party for my bags. My girlfriend had our outfits picked out, she was ALL over it. I chickened out.
Congrats!
Stephanie@Geezees - congrats! That is so wonderful!
Debra Cripps - Aww, I would have been scared to go too. Congrats on the award though!
Erica - Congratulations… too bad it’s not real! 🙂
You should have something else coming in the mail soon…
Kelly - Great post, Meg! I think you touched on something that a lot of us deal with at one time or another. Kelly
The Paper Note - How Awesome is that…to cool, Congrats….. 🙂
Tammy - Congratulations, well deserved award!!
I know how you feel, I would have made the excuses.
Love, love, love your blog. One of my first “visits” in the mornings!
Mary Beth - Thanks for being brave and telling us the truth.
Because I’m the very same way….and my kids are not even living at home anymore!!!
Too
Scawwwy.
Cause (as the saying goes…) on the internet, nobody knows you are a dog!
(this is from a New Yorker cartoon where a REAL DOG is in a chat room.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Internet%2C_nobody_knows_you%27re_a_dog
andrea - you and me sista, i have missed many things for this same reason. im glad you won, you deserve it, i voted like everyday, congrats
purejoy - i can really relate to your excuses. . . i would have been scared out of my pants, too.
and i couldn’t blame not going on my husband because he doesn’t even realize i blog. seriously, if he did, he’d have a stroke.
i had a chance to go to nashville and hang out with milk breath and margaritas. only a 3 hour drive.
nashville is fun.
i would have met new people.
but i was scared to death.
and i didn’t want to have to explain to my husband how i know people in the wonderful world of blogs better than my own town.
makes no sense, really.
i’m so glad you won.
and even you made eye candy out of your award. i love how you love color. there’s a parry on your blog every time i go.
thanks for the party.
emily :] - CONGRATS! 🙂
Kate - Congratulations! That is so great! (the notecards are BEAUTIFUL – I’m drooling!) Have a wonderful day and don’t beat yourself up too much – just vow to go next time!
Simies - CONGRATULATIONS!!! You deserved it!
Sandy - You deserved to win and deserved to go be on stage…next year we’ll make you go! 🙂
How cool that you actually won “stuff”…cool stuff! I thought you’d get to put a little Eye Candy Winner icon on your website and that’s all (by “that’s all” I mean that’s a huge honor and I’m proud of you), but how cool to really win STUFF and be invited to an awards ceremony. I had no idea. Congratulations! We love you and you’re never alone even when you think you are and you want to be…we’re always stalking you…ha ha
Tricia - Congratulations! How cool is that?! The award is beautiful and those note cards are AMAZING! I don’t think I would want to use them. I would frame them. 😉 I’m such a dork.
XO*Tricia
adrienneK - i was just thinking to myself the other day…did she ever win that thing?!?! well good my votes(everyday) counted!! your blog truly is full of eye candy that inspires me through each season,i only hope to have a blog a pretty as yours lol (im trying)
xoxo
adrienne
TRACI - Congrats, OF COURSE you won, your blog is FABULOUS!!!! I come to it DAILY and if you don’t post I am SAD.
Good to know you are not perfect and have a fear..lol I think many who come here think you are perfect with your overload on talent!!!! Have a great day and enjoy your awesome trophy 🙂
amy bell - i voted for you!! woo hoo. i am so excited for you. promise you will go next year? ok? what an honor. it is so fancy!:)
Sarah - I like your “excuses”…I think because they sound so familiar? I also kind of like that you just opened up your award on the kitchen counter, and wasn’t all fancy about it. That’s totally “Meg”. I do hope you go next year (because you will win again I’m positive) just because it’s another excuse to go to Chicago.
Congratulations.
Flower Patch Farmgirl - It sounds like this is a lesson that you learned the first time around. There will be a next time – and you’ll BE there! Congrats – so deserved!
Ashley - Meg-
You ARE inspiring,it’s true. Eye candy and brain candy for certain!
Congrats on the award – you SO deserved it! (you could make it into a huge ring- LOL)
I would have felt the same way -shy.
Kepp up the good blogging girl!
~Ashley from nut in a rut
traci - well congrats to you miss meg. i would have gone into the city with you or at least met you there. you’re never alone baby!!!
mary dyer - meg i voted for you! i love reading your blog, and i can’t even remember how i found it but i love it. inspired by you i have begun taking photos again, looking at life more simpler, and helped out a little with cora’s playground through you!
you might not know it all the time, but you are heard and inspiring!
Sam - Congratulations! You deserved to win:-)
Ruth - oh it’s so pretty! congratulations – you deserved every vote 🙂
Lori Danelle - First off, congrats!!! It’s always fun to win!
I can totally relate to your fears. I HATE being out of my element. Not knowing what to expect, or how to go about doing something. I think I’m afraid that I’ll mess up or fail at whatever it is. Or look stupid. Or both.
The thing is, I want to start my own company. And there is SO MUCH involved in it that I have NO IDEA how to do it or even where to start! So I might want to just get over it or I’m going to miss out on my dreams! Wouldn’t that be awful? To fail just because I was too afraid to try? Who knows, I might surprise myself and succeed.
http://loridanelle.blogspot.com
se7en - Oh well done you, so glad you won and so glad you got yourselves an ice-cream maker. Isn’t it awful that life-lessons are never ever easy to learn, no matter how old you are! Hope you all have a fun weekend.
Kathy - Congrats!
Christina - Congratulations on the award.
Fears really suck. They drain all the best parts of a person and replace them with nothing. I’m looking forward to Heaven, and no more fears. That resonated with me tonight.
Rebecca - Congratulations! You deserved a win! 🙂
tinycandi - I understand your fears…I’d feel much the same!
I’m in Kansas too…if you end up wanting to go next year we could go together. 🙂 Well…that is if I could find a way to afford the flight and hotel to NYC before then. 🙂
Congratulations! Well-deserved. 🙂
elizabeth - I know just how you feel. But congratulations — you totally deserve that beautiful, genuine crystal! In all seriousness, your blog is gorgeous, a pleasure, and something to look forward to each and every day!
Sarah - Congratulations! You’re so awesome, despite the fears:)