Putting Your Best Foot Forward at BlogHer’15

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Dawn Quyle Landau

 

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Note: All feet were photographed with permission. No feet were hurt in the making of this post.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I’m a shoe girl. Some might even suggest I have a problem… perhaps a small addiction.  I prefer to view it as a deep appreciation for floor-level aesthetics. Admittedly, I’ve been known to meet new friends, based on their shoes. That may seem a tad petty to some, but I would argue that you can tell a lot from shoes; they’ve rarely steered me wrong. I’m not a hater; I don’t judge. I do like some shoes more than others, and I tend to be interested in the people who wear them, but I’ll give any shoes a chance. Let’s be honest here, I’m not alone in my pedal-ardor. (Yes, I did make that up). I know that there are other women who enter Nordstrom’s shoe department with the same glassy, possibly drooling expression. There are plenty of women who spend much more on their shoes and have a much bigger shoe collection than me, and, there are plenty of women who don’t. But in the big picture, I don’t feel any need to apologize for this. To each his own shoes.

Last year I was totally new to the BlogHer experience, a complete BlogHer virgin. I had no idea what I was doing and found a lot of it daunting. My hotel was a few blocks from the Conference Center; I didn’t know anyone; I was a deer in the headlights all weekend– but I had a great time, and left ready to return this year.

This year was a very different experience from BlogHer’14, in San Jose; in so many ways! I came prepared, having downloaded the mobile app, connected with people on-line beforehand, and ready to hit the ground running. I learned last year that shoes are very important–– there’s a lot of walking at the BlogHer conference! This year there were more people, more networking, more choices, and shoes beyond my wildest dreams! In addition to comfort, your shoes say something about you, and the women of BlogHer bring it! It was clear that attendees put some serious thought into their feet. Pedicures in every color, shoes in every shape, size and style!  It only took me about an hour at BlogHer15 to start gawking.

Then… I started taking photos. Some people remembered me from last year: “Oh, you’re the shoe lady!” (Um, not really…) Most I had to start fresh with: Excuse me, can I take a picture of your feet– “My feet?” Well, your shoes? This is BlogHer; these ladies are open and curious– willing to play along. Many asked right away if I blog about shoes– they are also a savvy, sassy group. No, not really… but for BlogHer I do, I told them. Others were confused, unsure, or simply unwilling to go along– “My feet look horrible!” (None did). “Oh, I don’t have a pedicure.” (Who cares? Not me!) But most smiled and planted their feet together; a few posed for good measure–– again, sassy! Groups of women moved in together and shared their collective foot portraits. The few men I asked, were amused, but game. A New York security guard was stoopified: “Uh, you wanna take a picture of my shoes? Like these shoes? There’s nothin’ special about them, but sure.” I gave him my card, but something tells me he won’t be trolling the internet for the shot of his feet!

Admittedly, I had a much better time at BlogHer15– for several reasons beyond shoes:

  • I wasn’t new, and so I wasn’t as overwhelmed. I had a game plan and it worked well for me. A little planning goes a long way at BlogHer Conferences.
  • I was honored and really thrilled to receive a Voices of the Year award from She Knows Media and BlogHer. It’s a gorgeous trophy, and the VOTY’15 awards (find them all here) were really diverse and interesting this year! Loved the Always’ Like a Girl Campaign (it made me cray) and Sport­ England’s Girls Can ad (lit a fire in me!), and the First Moon video had us in stitches! It was a fabulous VOTY ceremony, all around, but made even better when I finally met and sat with Katrina Ann Willis of Table for Six– I’ve followed her blog for ages, and we were looking forward to finally meeting in person. Sitting next to her and Julie Tarney of My Son Wears Heels (who can rock a pair of heels almost as well as her son), was butter cream icing on the cake!
This is a sweet prize to take home!

This is a sweet prize to take home!

*I might have been a wee bit disappointed when we went out to the main hall and my piece On My Father’s Birthday, A Letter To The Man Who Killed Him, was not mounted on one of the sleek boards that so many other award-winning posts were on. My face might have fallen, as I searched each board with Kelly and other VOTY honorees… I might have wiped away a single, dejected tear… My piece was on a small screen that flashed through the posts way too fast for anyone to read… Ok, maybe I was very disappointed, and maybe I sound like a big ungrateful baby, but just bein’ real here. Ultimately, the trophy went a long way in fixing that brief moment of silent temper tantrum.

 

And even more reasons:

  • I was smart about my shoes and didn’t get any blisters. Praise.
  • I danced like a maniac for hours at the #McDBlogHer closing party, and had the best time with the kool folks from WordPress. Those kids can dance! *I am old enough to have been every one of their parents, so I can say “kids.”
  • I was interviewed by Danielle Barnett Herzog of Martinis and Minivans, for a new TV show Moms Everyday– And even if my interview goes nowhere, because I’m an older mom and I think they were more interested in the young thangs, it was fun and cool to do it.
  • This is key: I had friends coming this time. Emily from The Waiting and Kelly from Are You Finished Yet kept me company all weekend, and added extra fun. Emily and I met in person last year , but it was great to finally meet Kelly as well. It was awesome to see Julie Christine of Fabulous Blogging/Fabulous Life? (and trust me, she can really help you blog fabulously!) and meet the hot husband and gorgeous baby she’s had us drooling about. Alex was a delight, and little man is the yummiest little guy every! Didn’t get to see much of them (because they’re wild and crazy ladies) but brushed shoulders with Aussa at Hacker, Ninja, Hooker, Spy and fellow VOTY, the gorgeous Hedia of Gunmetal Geisha.
  • I made lots of wonderful new connections and had a blast with: Julie at My Son Wears Heels; Lucy at My Life as Lucille; Chrissy at Quirky Chrissy; Molly of A Mother Life; my buddy Tonya at Women Do Everything (and she’s expanding, to do everything!) And drum roll please… I was totally surprised and psyched (read, screamed like a banshee) to meet Samara of Buick in the Land of Lexus… and yes, she’s as interesting, sexy and dynamic as you imagined–and hella nice person as well.
  • These are all ladies I’ve shared with on line for years– or just got to know, but either way, it was epic to hang out and add 3 dimension to my online crushes and fantasies.
I was excited to finally meet Katrina Ann Willis at BlogHer'15

I was excited to finally meet Katrina Ann Willis at BlogHer’15

I’ve read posts from others who think BlogHer sucks, or who feel like it’s all hype, but for me–– in my 2nd year, it only got better. I learned a lot at the sessions; I enjoyed the opportunities to meet and connect with other bloggers; I had a blast in NYC, and I had fun with new and old friends alike. I may always feel a little bit out of the loop; that’s my baggage, but overall, I found BlogHer15 inclusive and inspiring.

And, again… there’s the shoes. Last year I was shyer; I wasn’t sure how to approach people. I didn’t give out my card to every person I met or every person whose feet I photographed. Some of those people found my post anyway, and some of them found me this year: “Hey! You photographed my feet last year, but I couldn’t find the post! Can I have a card?” (Here’s the post from last year, find your ’14 feet) This year, I handed them my card and told folks to check back in a few days; so here it is: This post is a “share the wealth” post. It’s as sisterhood of BlogHer’15 shoes thing. Find your feet in the post and leave a link back to your blog in the comments. Which feet are yours? Share a few words: tell us about your blog if you want, how you felt about BlogHer’15, or something about your feet. Those feet got you to the conference and they probably left tired and sore–– give them some recognition! And thanks to each of you for playing along and letting me take a snapshot of your tootsies!

An epic dance off with the kool kats from WordPress, me, Kelly and Emily

An epic dance off with the kool kats from WordPress, me, Kelly and Emily

Final note: this post would have been up days ago, but sometimes shit happens. After hours of typing, loading photos, adding links, editing (yes, this was cut down), the wifi at the crappy quaint Cape Cod hotel I’m staying at, crashed… and at 2:15am, I lost this entire post (because I thought I’d hit save draft, but hadn’t) and had to start all over. Labor of love, folks. LABOR of love!

*     *     *

GIPYThrow me a morsel; Help Me Reach My Goals! I’d love to see the Tales From the Motherland Facebook page reach 800 likes in 2015. Have you stopped by to spread some fairy dust? Follow me on Twitter, where I’m forced to be brief. Most importantly, if you like a post I’ve written, hit Like and leave a comment. I love to hear what readers think. Honest, positive or constructive feedback is always welcome. Click Follow; you’ll get each new post delivered by email, with no spam.  If you see ads on this page, please let me know. They shouldn’t be there.  ©2014  Please note, that all content and images on this site are copyrighted to Dawn Quyle Landau and Tales From the Motherland, unless specifically noted otherwise. If you want to share my work, please give proper credit. Plagiarism sucks.

 

 

 

About Dawn Quyle Landau

Mother, Writer, treasure hunter, aging red head, and sushi lover. This is my view on life, "Straight up, with a twist––" because life is too short to be subtle! Featured blogger for Huffington Post, and followed on Twitter by LeBron James– for reasons beyond my comprehension.
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44 Responses to Putting Your Best Foot Forward at BlogHer’15

  2. Pingback: Putting Your Best Foot Forward at BlogHer’15 | ugiridharaprasad

  3. James Oliver, Jr. says:
    July 22, 2015 at 7:53 am

    Hey, Dawn! I told you I subscribed. 🙂

    It was great to meet you at the VOTY ceremony-I enjoyed our chat.

    I love this recap and I too am bummed you didn’t get your post on the big board.

    Take care and talk soon.

    Like

    Reply
  4. Carrie Rubin says:
    July 22, 2015 at 8:55 am

    Congratulations on your Voices of the Year award, Dawn. That’s really wonderful and so well deserved. I’d say you also deserve a new pair of shoes for it!

    I was in New York earlier this month, too. Went to ThrillerFest. What a great conference. My 15-year-old son was with me, and we had a great time.

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    • Dawn Quyle Landau says:
      July 22, 2015 at 8:38 pm

      Thanks so much, Carrie. You have always been so supportive of my writing, and it means a lot to me! I’m traveling for a month, and feel so out of the loop… but I’m saving posts to read when things settle down a little!

      What a good mama to take your son to ThrillerFest! I’m sure he had a blast and will always remember that. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  5. storydivamg says:
    July 22, 2015 at 12:26 pm

    Looks like you had a lovely time. I need to learn more about BlogHer. Maybe I’ll plan to attend sometime.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Kelly Suellentrop says:
    July 22, 2015 at 9:51 pm

    YAY!!! Minion feet!!!! 🙂 What an amazing experience it was. And I am BEYOND happy we got to hang out in real life. You are as fun and sweet and energetic as I knew you’d be…with great tastes in restaurants! Let’s do it again! And girl, you better feel pride every time you look at that trophy. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think I actually ever read any of the sleek boards. I was too busy looking for my friend’s piece 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Dawn Quyle Landau says:
      July 23, 2015 at 5:46 am

      Thanks so much, Kelly! I had so much fun with you two! I made the whole experience more fun, and less overwhelming– so many people, so many things to check out, but lots of laughs and comfort in being with blog buddies who are so wonderful. Thanks for searching with me, and making me feel better when I was having my silent tantrum, and yes, let’s do it again! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by; it’s much appreciated.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  7. Suzanne Joshi says:
    July 23, 2015 at 4:37 am

    I appreciate how much work went into that, Dawn. You seem to never tire. Great job and a shame you lost it the first time. Sounds like you had another wonderful experience and I loved the pictures. Congratulations on the award! 🙂 — Suzanne

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    • Dawn Quyle Landau says:
      July 23, 2015 at 5:48 am

      Thanks Suzanne! I do in fact tire… in fact, I am exhausted right about now! 😉 The travel, all the emotional stuff of seeing family, the conference and anticipation for the baby… I am TIRED! But, I do love that life is full of so many wonderful things, and I appreciate getting to enjoy them. Thanks for the kind words and support. xo

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  8. hbksloss says:
    July 23, 2015 at 8:26 am

    Your post made me miss being at BlogHer 15 so much! Last year’s conference was great, but going to NYC in July was not possible for me this year. But your reading your post brought back great memories. Hope to attended next year. Where will BlogHer 16 be? Back in CA?

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    • Dawn Quyle Landau says:
      July 23, 2015 at 11:19 pm

      I had no idea you were there last year, Heidi. We didn’t know each other yet… I haven’t seen where it will be next year, but I hope to go again. 🙂 I do think NYC is THE best place for it!

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  9. hbksloss says:
    July 23, 2015 at 8:35 am

    PS, congratulations again on the award!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. The Waiting says:
    July 23, 2015 at 10:10 am

    Hey, look, ma! It’s my feet!

    SUCH a great time with you this year at BlogHer, Dawn. I agree: this year was better than last. Maybe you could say we hit our stride (Get it? Stride? Shoe post? Buehler?)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. susanissima says:
    July 23, 2015 at 12:57 pm

    Fun…love the photos. And congratulations, Dawn.

    Like

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  12. mariner2mother says:
    July 23, 2015 at 11:30 pm

    Thanks for bringing us along for the ride. What a fun time you had! And a big congratulations on your well deserved award. I love all the shoes, even though my own closet houses a fairly small collection. It’s hard to find ones that fit (especially where I live) when I wear a wide width.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. Quirky Chrissy says:
    July 24, 2015 at 5:28 am

    It was so awesome to meet you! I totally would have let you photog my pedi! It matches my blog 🙂

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  14. Katrina Anne Willis says:
    July 24, 2015 at 5:46 am

    Can’t even begin to tell you how fun it was to finally meet you in person! Sitting at the VOTY ceremony with you and Julie was definitely a highlight of my weekend! Your post deserved to be broadcast from Times Square, sister. I was so disappointed for you, too. But the shoes? Simply fabulous. Much love, Sister Feet. XOXO ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  15. Marcy says:
    July 24, 2015 at 6:28 am

    What a cool angle for a BlogHer post and a great way to acknowledge the many people you connected with. I’m all about comfort when I pick out my shoes, so it’s just as well that we didn’t cross paths for a photo of my feet :). I would have liked to have seen you at the VOTY reception, though–so many people, so little time. Congrats!

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  16. Honie Briggs says:
    July 24, 2015 at 6:31 am

    Dawn, your day in the sun is well deserved. Congratulations!
    For a while I had a post it stuck to my screen that read “save your work” and another that said “tag your posts.” Lesson, finally, learned.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Dawn Quyle Landau says:
      July 24, 2015 at 7:08 am

      No kidding, Steph! I should know better… and with such an image heavy post– I nearly screamed! I was up until 3am that day, just fuming and trying to put some of it back together again. Me and Humpty Dumpty! 😉

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      Reply
  17. Samara says:
    July 24, 2015 at 10:36 am

    It matters not that you weren’t on one of those boards. I also didn’t really stop to look at them. But I know you’re an inspiring, powerful writer who deserved her VOTY.

    I also wrote about how we screamed when we met! And girl, those ARE my feet! Woo hoo! I’m so excited to be in your “hall of feet” because I too, am a dedicated shoe girl!

    Here’s my post about BlogHer:
    https://samaraspeaks.wordpress.com/2015/07/24/and-now-everyone-knows-what-i-look-like/

    I’d like to stay in touch – via email, perhaps? Or is that too stalkerish?

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