Wabi Sabi Me

BlogHer ‘08

July 26th, 2008

If you were like me, and did not attend BlogHer ‘08, you spent four days last week looking just like this. And for good reason.

But don’t let the sour puss on the Keynote Speaker fool ya’, BlogHer ‘08 was amazing!

As a New York Times Fashion & Style writer describes it:

“The stalls on the second floor were lined with note cards featuring nurturing messages like “You are perfect.” Nearby, women were being dusted with blush and eye shadow, or having the kinks in their necks massaged.”

See? Told ya’! If it’s in Fashion & Style, it had to be good!

“Last weekend, about a thousand bloggers, almost all without the Y chromosome, attended the annual BlogHer conference, which began in 2005 to help female bloggers gain exposure. It has since evolved into a corporate-sponsored Oprah-inflected version of a ’60s consciousness-raising group.”

Clearly I missed out. But not as much as those who did not follow the Tweets and Blog entries that appeared during the conference. I followed several bloggers who microblogged on the scene and updated their blogs nightly, sharing a combination of light-hearted fun and savvy business tips.

I am offended that BlogHer was featured in the New York Times Fashion & Style section and not in Business or Technology. I find it blatantly condescending and undermining to the professionalism of the women who took time away from their families and day jobs, to gather with other tech savvy, multidimensional women, for a fresh exchange of ideas and information.

That’s what I believe I missed out on. Not a multilevel marketing cosmetic party with great door prizes.

Check out the rest of The New York Times’ review of BlogHer ‘08 here and then hop on over to this page to check out the BlogHer schedule for the rest of the year.

If you’re lucky, the BlogHer Reach Out Tour will make a stop in a town near you.

If we’re all lucky, media coverage for the rest of BlogHer’s calender will highlight the cute shoes and the wealth of information that is exchanged when bloggers (male or female) gather together.

BlogHer 08 - Heather Armstrong - Closing Keynote
Originally uploaded by hyku

Posted in Twitter, How to Blog | 1 Comment »

Random Fact About Me Day

July 26th, 2008

Yes it was yesterday, so this is a day late. But I have an excuse. I was busy.

6 Random Facts About Me:

I don’t have a tattoo, nor have I ever wanted one.
I’ve never felt more beautiful than when I was pregnant. I always wanted to have a bellycast or a nude portrait taken in my final trimester, but the unfortunate ex-husband did not approve
I’ve wasted enough time and opportunities trying to please other people, that everyone reading this blog is hereby and forevermore relieved of the same unGodly burden. So let it be written, so let it be done. No really, print this out, put it in your wallet — it’s your official pass.
The name Wabi Sabi Me came to me while at Church. I only had a vague understanding of its meaning and had to look it up when I got home.
The saddest days of my life: the two weeks my son spent in intensive care.
The happiest days of my life: my wedding day, my son’s memorial service, the day my divorce was finalized. I know. Go figure.

Enjoy more Random Fact About Me goodies from the Twitterverse at.

Tattoos and Pregnancy are beautiful
Originally uploaded by Bonnie Dickson

Posted in Twitter, Wabi Sabi, How to Blog | No Comments »

The Organic Rebellion

July 10th, 2008

We’ve been assigned a plot in the Community Garden and I can’t wait to start! Growing up, we always had a lush, family garden, so much so, that when I went away to college and had to buy food on my own, I was shocked at what passed for “fresh produce.” Not only were the grocery store tomatoes, dry and puny, so were the zucchinis, lettuces, potatoes, and onions. I quickly realized why my suburban housemates didn’t share my veggie cravings. They didn’t have the benefit of rural exposure to Food The Way God Intended It To Be. To add insult to injury, grocery stores charged exorbitant prices for their fraudulent fruit.

Thanks to an abundance of farmers markets in our new home town and our own little piece of earth, my children will not have to war with their vegetables. We can finally turn our (light)sabers into plowshares and use our peelings. May the Farm be with you.