Canadian Design Bloggers Meetup (Plus More Swag)

To my many readers who aren't bloggers: sorry my posts this week have been a bit blog-focused.  Hopefully you soaked up some inspiration from yesterday's post about IDS12.  I promise that next week it's back to fun in the townhouse as usual.  I just want to blog about blogging once more because, in addition to attending BlogPodium and checking out IDS12 last weekend, I also went to the Canadian Design Bloggers Meetup (organized by Vie of Verdigris Vie, and Daniella of Daniella Marie) and had a chance to mingle with fellow bloggers at Brassaii Restaurant and Lounge in Toronto.  PLUS I got to stand kind of near to some pretty fabulous people:

Cameron MacNeil, one of House and Home's senior design editors, gave us all a sneak peak into next month's issue of Canadian House & Home (hint: there will be a lot of fun, invigorating use of colour).  He also chatted about the process of choosing submissions for his "Ask a Designer" feature.  Submissions with many clear photos are more likely of being chosen and sending a floor plan is an added bonus. 

House & Home's online editor, Lisa Murphy, also spoke and revealed that House and Home loves blogs!  Her enthusiasm was contagious, and also encouraging.

Coco + Kelley founder, Cassandra LaValle, shared her personal blogging experience and even revealed the ups and downs on her way to running a gorgeous blog and successful business.  Best takeaway tip: don't create a post you aren't completely happy with because it is better to take a day off if you need it and only deliver your best content to readers.  I was surprised she was so down to earth, and so modest!

Brian Gluckstein was the surprise guest and wowed everyone.  We all know he's talented, but did you know he's a fabulous public speaker as well?  He is so witty!  He revealed that he too loves blogs (and blogging), even though other aspects of technology confound him.  I can relate.

  

Between juggling my drink, handing out my business cards and keeping my annoying hair off my face, taking a lot of photos was simply too challenging.  But I did manage to find a few photos of the evening, with me in them! (This is for everyone who has written or commented, asking for more photos of me - I'm listening).

Let's play spot the blogger.  In the first photo, all you can see of me is my oddly shiny hair (good lighting), polka dot dress, beloved new purse and the odd, show-and-tell kind of way I'm holding my business cards.

Photo by Alessia Lamonaca Via

My Daily Randomness

I actually won something in the draw!  Not the $1000 gift card to Ikea, fabulous Delta faucets or the many other drool-worthy prizes.  But I'm pretty excited about what I did win, because it is the gift that keeps on giving, as they say:

I won a subscription to Canadian House & Home magazine! It is a perfect prize for me because my mom bought a subscription when I bought my subscription to Canadian Style at Home, with the understanding we'd swap.  That never happened because one of us, not saying who, didn't hold up her end of the bargain.

Photo by Alessia Lamonaca Via

The prizes were so fabulous because there was a great line up of sponsors: House and Home Magazine, Delta, Ikea, Cottonelle, CIL, Gluckstein Home and Aya Kitchens, so our swag bags were - again - pretty great:

I'll be sharing the fruits of my blogging labour.  As a result of all this networking, I made some fabulous contacts and have some giveaways in the works!

Whether you are a blogger or not, do you enjoy networking?  Have any tips or tricks?

BlogPodium: Blogs + Media (Plus Swag)

Friday I attended the first BlogPodium, a quarterly conference series in Toronto, ON.  The inaugural session was a conversation on blogs and media.  That it was a first of this series was perfect for me, because this conference also marked the first blogging event I attended.

Organized by Jennifer, Shannon and Lindsay, BlogPodium was a fabulous morning of learning, laughing and being a little starstruck.  Margot Austin, Kimberley Seldon, Kate Moore, Jennifer Flores and Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault sat in front of a room full of beaming bloggers and happily, and frankly, gave us advice to blog better and successfully connect with media.  The conference was top-notch: well organized, fun and informative (click here for photos).

With a geeky, fabric-covered notebook in hand I took pages of notes but a few suggestions really stood out:

• Post your own photos (Kate Moore)
•  Edit your blog and focus on your brand & identity as a blogger (Kimberley Seldon)
• Add your own opinions/ideas/comments/thoughts to recycled photos, if you don't post your own (Kimberley Seldon & Margot Austin)
• Have a fresh, original voice (the entire panel agreed) & be fun (Kate Moore)
• Network with other bloggers and always put your best foot forward (Jennifer Flores)
• Make your pitches to media clear, concise and demonstrate your talent, but also your fun side (Kate Moore)
• Pitch to the medium (Kimberley Seldon) & study the magazine/website you are pitching to (Margot Austin)

For other recaps of the talk, take a look at Jen's summary on Rambling Renovators or read what Britt had to say on My Daily Randomness  And, for any bloggers reading, be sure to keep your schedule clear May, 2012 for the next installment of BlogPodium.

If the fabulous information doesn't lure you, maybe the fun swag will:

There is swag in this bag!

 

Sponsors included: Delta Faucets, OlioBoard, Home Depot Canada, Chapters/Indigo Books, CB2, Pure Green Magazine, House and Home Magazine, Benjamin Moore Paints, The Penny Paper Co., and Butter Avenue.  But our swag bags (I keep wanting to call them goodie bags, but isn't that what kids get at B-day parties?) had goodies from other folks as well, including Beatrice (who included a gift card for a free print from her shop) and Milk & Cookies, a Toronto-based shop that offered a sweet coupon.

We also received a copy of the gorgeous, print-edition of Pure Green Magazine, volume one.  I actually met Celine, founder and editor-in-chief of the magazine, at BlogPodium.  She is amazing: so down to earth, approachable and really interesting - having met her made it even more enjoyable to flip through the magazine.

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