Best of the Month and Elevate Blog Conference

May was a fun month! In case you missed it, I shared some of fun things to do in Santa Barbara and some highlights from Rock in Rio in Las Vegas.

I added a few recipes to the site, including a favorite, my Simple Skillet Lasagne. It is a really tasty meal that you can make in one pan.

I also shared some Money Saving Tips for spring.

I visited Austria and the Netherlands and will be sharing my trips soon.

Most recently, this weekend I had an opportunity to attend the Elevate Blog Conference in Newport Beach. What a wonderful day of inspiration, crafts and fun! We heard from some wonderful women who have built successful businesses from their craft talents.

Having never been before, I did not know what to expect. So I am sharing the experience with you.

Elevate Blog Conference 2015

When I got there, the tables were so pretty and welcoming. It was a little overcast in the morning, but the weather was mild and the tables were so inviting.

Everywhere you looked there we cute, inspiring hand-made signs, tasty snacks and beautiful sponsor tables. The conference was started a few years ago by Jen and Summer from Elevate Everyday.

The day started with a wonderful presentation by Alison Prince from Pick Your Plum. Did you know she has 8 different businesses and also is a mom to four children? Talk about being organized!

I really enjoyed her discussion of how she began her business and overcame many obstacles to make her business successful.

We had a nice lunch from Stone Fire Grill complete with tasty salads, chicken, beef, amazing garlic potatoes and brownies!

After lunch we had the chance to spend some time crafting, right there on the beach. Talk about a fun way to spend a Saturday!

Crafting Fun Conference Style

Mark Montano showed us how to make some great decorated cards with paint and supplies from DecoArt, one of the conference sponsors.

 

It's not everyday when you get to craft with a craft expert like Mark. I don't know about you, but I get giddy when craft supplies are set in front of me!

These are my finished cards.

We also made some fun greeting cards with Sizzix, which was really fun! I was happily included in this picture they posted on Instagram. Can you spot me?

Yay for making beautiful things! These Victorian Frame cards are SUCH a hit at #elevateconf. #sizzix @brendawalton pic.twitter.com/z9XnWxFyI6

— Sizzix (@Sizzix_US) May 30, 2015

After the craft sessions, there were more speakers including Ginger Parrish, Jen Romero and Rachel Brenchley. These young women have overcome some difficult stumbling blocks and have worked hard to make their businesses successful.

There was also a representative from the Orange County Ronald McDonald House. Attendees at Elevate were able to donate wishlist items to the organization that day when we checked in.

There was also a dinner and more speakers, but sadly, I was not able to stay for the entire event, due to a prior engagement. I heard that the speakers were amazing and that there was a raffle as well.

By the way, I also had my first Dirty Diet Coke at the conference. I did not even know there was such a thing. Did you?

Here is the recipe they shared. It tastes WAY better than it sounds.

It was a fun conference and they also gave us a big bag of swag with nice items from different companies.

What a great month! What were some of your highlights from the month?