Sunday, January 30

Sharing the bliss: a giveaway

Like hundreds of other bloggers, I spent last week at the Blissdom conference in Nashville. Last year, like thousands of other bloggers, I spent the week of Blissdom wishing I could be at Blissdom and wondering what it was really like. Frankly, I wondered if it could really be worth the hype, not to mention the expense.

So now I've been, and I'm here to tell you: it IS worth the hype and the expense.

Why?

Because it's an amazing experience. The conference speakers are experts, and they share their expertise freely. More than that, the attendees are nearly all there to do just what you'd want to do, so they're an incredibly cooperative group of women. Most everyone wants to deepen connections with other bloggers and to build new relationships. So people are friendly and open and helpful to one another. Alliances are formed. Cooperative projects are planned. You can see light bulb moments happening right and left. It really is amazing and inspiring to be in the middle of all that.

1.27.2011 066 1
Traci, Marian, Melissa, me, and Kate
(Thanks for the photo, Melissa!)

Besides that, it's just plain fun. You learn that people are just the way you imagine them to be when you read their blogs. I'm sure there's an occasional exception, but the vast majority of bloggers are genuine and honest. So Blissdom provides a remarkable opportunity to turn URL friends into IRL friends.

And there's one more thing. The Blissdom organizers are brilliant. These women have done a phenomenal job of forming alliances with some of the most generous sponsors I've ever seen. Blissdom sponsors are awesome. They love on Blissdom attendees like you wouldn't believe. But I want you to believe it. Just look at some of the wonderful things I received at Blissdom, all compliments of the generous sponsors:



The Blissdom jewelry:





It's not junk. It's not dumpster fodder. It's cool stuff. It makes quite a swag bag. And I want one of you to have it. So I'm giving mine away.

That's right: everything you see pictured here was given to me by a wonderful Blissdom sponsor. And I'm going to put it all into a package and mail it to one of you. I want you to see it and be convinced that there's a whole lot of love at BlissDom.

Want to win? Here's how to enter the giveaway:

  • For one entry: leave a comment on this post.
  • For a second entry: tweet, retweet, Facebook, or post about it, then leave me a second comment.

You don't have to be a follower to enter the giveaway. If you'd like to follow me, I'd LOVE to have you. But I know you can't follow everyone, so you should only follow me if you want to. I write about my home and my heart. Click here to see some of my favorite projects of 2010, or here to read one of my favorite posts of 2010. That'll give you an idea of what I'm about, and you can choose to follow me if you'd like.

I'll choose a winner randomly on Monday, February 7.

Good luck!

138 comments:

  1. Richella you are the most genuine and caring person ever. How kind of you to offer your generous goodies to another blogger. The conference looked like fun. You look beautiful! I want your auburn hair color. It's just stunning.

    I happily follow and enjoy single every post. You do a fabulous job.

    Warmly, ~Melissa :)

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  2. This is very, very generous of you!! You guys really were treated. :) I'd love to win!

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  3. What a generous offer to share your goodies from Blissdom with another blogger! I have been following for a while now, and love your blog. I just heard of blissdom, and hope to attend next year. Thanks for the opportunity!

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  4. you are home safe & sound!!!! and you had fun! i'm so happy :) someday i'm going to go, okay? love you!!!

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  5. How awesome of you!! I didn't get to make it to Blissdom because of my husbands schedule and I have been living vicariously through the hashtag! It looked like an amazing time!

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  6. How generous--I have wanted to go for the past 2 years, but can just never get it in the budget. Maybe next year!

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  7. Maybe I should be kicking myself... I live 45 minutes from Nashville. If it is always held in N'ville I will just have to make plans for next year! Thanks for offering such a cool giveaway.

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  8. How generous of you! I would love to win.

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  9. I wasn't able to attend Blissdom this year, due to timing conflicts, but I'm hoping to attend next year!

    I'd love to win this swag bag!! :-D

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  10. Richella,

    I don't want to enter the giveaway. Just wanted to say hello and let you know how much I enjoyed meeting you at Dayspring's (in)courage prayer meeting on Friday morning at Blissdom.

    Praying God's richest blessings on you and your blog in the new year!

    Julie :)

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  11. Looks like Blissdom was a lot of fun! What an awesome giveaway.

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  12. Maybe someday Blissdom will be in the cards for me, but for now, I'd just love to win your incredibly generous giveaway!

    God bless you for your caring, generous heart!

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  13. That's awesome! Thank you for being so giving!

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  14. How nice of you to offer this to one of us who sure wished she got to go. Please enter me in the drawing.

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  15. Stunned, absolutely stunned. This is so generous of you! I've had a little pit in my stomach all week, like I've missed a really great opportunity at Blissdom. I'm so glad to hear from you that it is everything I've heard it to be!

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  16. I would have LOVED to have been there... it was awesome following the tweets. What an amazing give-away. Thanks for the chance to win!

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  17. This is the first year that I've heard about Blissdom and I can't wait to hear more! You are so kind and generous and I would just love to win all this amazing goodies...;j

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  18. What a generous give away. I just heard about Blissdom and would love love to go!

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  19. Richella, I always enjoy visitng your blog and your posts. You inspire me. I wished from afar that I could attend Blissdom, but my anonymous blog has no real direction (sort of like me :) )

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  20. How sweet! I have been following since right before Christmas, in fact, I think I found a fudge recipe you posted and made it for christmas. (I find so many things to try on different blogs and then forget who I got it from!)

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  21. wow! what a great giveaway! thanks for the chance to win.
    blessings, lora
    eagerhands@gmail.com

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  22. WHat a great giveaway...I would love to win!

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  23. How thoughtful and generous of you. I would love to win this prize package.

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  24. So glad that you had a great time, Richella! It looked like a lot of fun! Carla

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  25. What a great gift, Richella! I'm glad you had a fun time and I know they all loved you.

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  26. How amazing that you are offering your Blissdom swag! You shine :)

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  27. What a generous treat! Blissdom sounds incredible.

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  28. What a generous treat! Blissdom sounds wonderful

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  29. drooling... You are too nice to offer your Blissdom Swag! How sweet would that be! someday I wanna try a blogging conference!! :) Glad you had a great time!

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  30. tweeted here...

    http://twitter.com/parresia/status/31886477809942528

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  31. I'm glad you had so much fun, this is a very generous giveaway.

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  32. Richella, What a nice gesture and a guarantee that "Deborah" won't be eating any of your Blissdom goodies!
    I follow your blog and realy enjoy how genuine you are in every post.

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  33. This is really sweet. I'm a follower and i love your beautiful home...thanks for sharing...Pat H
    pattygary@kc.rr.com

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  34. This is so nice of you. I have just started following your blog and I am enjoying it thoroughly. Keep them coming!

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  35. I did a post about your site and giveaway. Here is a link:

    http://justpleasedaspunch.blogspot.com/2011/01/weekend-in-blissdom.html

    Couldn't resist a second chance to win the goodies!

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  36. Just Facebooked about it as well!

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  37. amazingly generous! Thanks for a sweet chance to win :) I'd love to win too! :)

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  38. Wow! I wish I had been there. Thanks for this giveaway!

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  39. How awesome are you to share with us!! Thanks for the opportunity to be blessed. You are truly a blessing to me thru your blog.

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  40. How fun! I'd definitely love to be in the drawing for this amazing giveaway!

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  41. Richella, that is so generous and thoughtful of you! I would love to attend! I grew up in Nashville and we used to go to the Opryland hotel just to walk around! I had my senior senior prom dinner there! What fun and so glad you were able to go and have a good time!

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  42. I just did a Facebook post about it!

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  43. I would love to be able to attend Blissdom next year. All of the recent posts about Blissdom have been so fun to read. What a generous giveaway! I'm your newest follower too!

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  44. How fun and generous! I'd love to win that swag bag!

    I think one year I'd love to go to Blissdom. It just seems so fun. I wouldn't "personally" know a soul there, but I think I'd be all googly-eyed seeing all of these "famous-to-me" bloggers. :)

    I subscribe to your blog in Google Reader, but rarely comment. But I LOVE it!

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  45. Richella, it was such a pleasure to meet you at Blissdom. I can tell you are such a genuine person and I'm thankful to have met you.

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  46. Been following about a year. Love reading your blog.

    Crazy swag you got there- much better than what my dh brings home from his conferences. :) What a fun thing to show off to him. He's traveling right now and won't be able to get home Tuesday as planned, before he has to head to Nashville Weds so they're rebooking his ticket to just go to Nashville and not even try. We've only had like 76 hours together since January 15, so I'm all bummed tonight.... sitting up late reading blogs... Yours is one that usually makes me smile. :)

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  47. I am one of those who would LOVE to get to Blissdom some year. I can't believe I missed it this year, but with my crazy life this past 6 mos. I don't doubt it. Maybe now that we are semi settled here in Indiana I can catch up on what I've missed.
    I'd LOVE to win that beautiful necklace!! Thanks for the chance.

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  48. Just tweeted it on my Twitter acct.

    :)

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  49. What a sweet giveaway! Don't enter me, but just wanted to say hi and welcome home and I miss you :)

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  50. So glad you had a great time! Love seeing the photos everyone's posting of it. Looks like it was fun! :-)

    P.S. I can't believe you're giving away your swag bag. What a nice idea!

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  51. How sweet you are! Blissdom looks like it was a lot of fun...makes me want to start a blog just for the fun of it! Where will the 2012 Blissdom be held?

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  52. What an absolute peach you are!! Thanks for the chance!

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  53. Wow I would love to win! Came over here from Gina's blog and so glad I did! :) What an incredible act of kindness!! :)

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  54. What a generous give away! I'm already a follower and love your blog :)

    I hope to attend Blissdom one day as well.

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  55. Bless your giving spirit! I have enjoyed seeing everyone's Blissdom photos over the past couple of days. It's amazing how many faces I recognize, and I can't imagine how fun it would be to actually meet and spend time with women that I admire so much and honestly think of as friends and mentors, though we have never met. Maybe next year... I'm *so close* to Nashville. It just seems crazy for me not to be there, right?

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  56. I'd love to win this swag bag for my daughter who is fairly new at blogging. I am hoping she will be able to attend Blissdom next year:)

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  57. Thank you so much for this opportunity! I am a blogger lurker and it is such fun.

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  58. Thank you so much for this opportunity:)

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  59. Wow, Richella, really? You don't want to keep something?
    Well, if you're offering, I'd love to win! Thanks for being so generous!

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  60. You are so awesome, I wish I could go and meet all the wonderful ladies like you that I read everyday.

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  61. Well it sounds like Blissdom was a success! Glad you had such a good time Richella. It is so generous of you to pass your goodies on to a blessed winner.

    I hope you will have a good week ahead.

    Bless you!
    Linda @ Truthful Tidbits

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  62. You are so generous, to give your "goodie bag" away! Thanks for the chance to win! :)

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  63. You are such a sweetie. I am so glad that you had a good time and got to fellowship with other bloggers. Maybe I will be so lucky next year and get to go and meet you:)

    Happy Monday.

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  64. I tweeted about your giveaway.

    @ladynole35

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  65. You're home!
    So happy to hear you had a good time!
    Our swag bag from Relevant was wonderful, too, so I don't need one, but only wanted to welcome you back.
    So, if I win this, give it to the name above me :)
    HUGS!
    ~me

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  66. SUCH a Blessing to meet you!! cannot believe you are giving it all away.. and since I didn't get a ticket you know I'd love to win!
    need to email privately about renovare...so so interesting!!
    LOVE & HUGS!
    LIB

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  67. Wow! It looks like y'all had an amazing time! You are such a sweet, generous person to giveaway your stash of beautiful gifts. Glad y'all had a good time!

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  68. I found your blog today and will definitely be a follower. I don't want to miss anything. So sweet of you to share your gifts.

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  69. I roomed with Heathah Lee at Relevant and became instant besties with Traci and Cyndi at Relevant and I know they all adore you...I can't wait to read more of your blog. I would love to win a Blissdom swag bag, I have never been to Blissdom, maybe next year!

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  70. I would love to go to Blissdom and meet all the amazing women that attended! It looks so great from all of the pictures I have seen, glad you had fun!

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  71. I would love to go one day. Just started blogging so I am a newbie!Thanks for offering this!

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  72. I recently discovered your blog and I am stuck now trying to think of a theme and angle to write my own blog. I am not familiar with blogging but I think your home photos of Christmas show the sort of warmth, hospitality and care that I idealize for a family. Thank you for posting, sharing and being real.....look forward to more.....

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  73. How wonderful of you to share this with someone. I'm new to your blog but have enjoyed looking around and am a new follower via google reader.

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  74. Wow!! What a GREAT treat for those of us who lived vicariously through you at Blissdom :) Thanks for your generosity!
    Kim B.

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  75. WOW! How generous of you! Very, very awesome! :)

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  76. Just tweeted this very generous giveaway! Still can't believe how awesome you are!

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  77. I'm a newbie to your blog, and love it! This giveaway is so incredibly generous of you. Thank you so much for the chance, and I look forward to reading your future posts. :-)

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  78. I tweeted about your generous giveaway :-)
    http://twitter.com/#!/bcherry82/status/32318407995035648

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  79. Sorry to miss Blissdom - thanks for posting pics - maybe next year. Meanwhile, count me IN for the great giveaway.

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  80. How nice!!! Sounds like everyone had a wonderful time.

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  81. How nice of you!! Please enter my name in the drawing!

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  82. What a generous offer to share your goodies from Blissdom with another blogger! It looked like a great time was had by all. I love your Blog. You are very inspiring.
    Jana (Rodeomom)

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  83. Richella,

    Thanks for the opportunity to win your swag bag!

    I have been loving your posts on grammar/English. As a current student, I need all of the assistance that I can get ;-) And, I made the hot chocolate recipe that you posted after an unusually "big" snow for my area of the South... the hubby, kids, and I enjoyed it so much that I will never buy the packaged cocoa mix again!

    Your blog is the first one that I have ever subscribed to and I LOVE it!

    Thanks for sharing your ideas and wisdom with us all :-)

    Sincerely,
    Misti

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  84. Oh I love it that you are willing to share ! comecajones@yahoo.comhttp://shanswife.blogspot.com Got my fingers crossed thanks for the chance!Love your blog found you by way of the Lettered Cottage on FB!

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  85. Wow! Very generous of you. I'd love to win!

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  87. What a generous giveaway! It's almost like being there. Ü

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  88. I'm new but I can tell this is a blog I am going to enjoy following... Thanks for sharing! and now I am off to the Dollar Store for heart candy~

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  89. Oh, I just found you and love your blog...love your philosophy on your sidebar...Blissdom sounded like so much fun...what I would give to meet all those wonderful bloggers that I also check in on...

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  90. Wow! This is so sweet and generous of you! Thanks for not requiring me to tweet ~ I've got to get that thing figured out I guess, but I just haven't yet! :D

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  91. Just found your blog, love it. Your decorating ideas are great. Would love to win:)

    Jana

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  92. Love your blog! So happy you had a great time at Blissdom. Please enter me in your giveaway.

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  93. Wow! What a generous offer! Blissdom sounds like an amazing experience.

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  94. Wow!! What a generous gift!! And what a blessing it must have been to attend!! Thank you so much for the opportunity!!

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  95. This is such a fantastic giveaway and I'm thankful for your kindness...not to mention really excited to have stumbled upon your blog for all the other wonderful posts you write! Blessings!!!

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  96. How generous! I have really considered becoming more serious about my blogging this year. You all inspire me! Thank you for this wonderful giveaway.

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  97. I love that you didn't require me to follow you, but instead said, "go here and here; this is what I'm about."

    so now I'm following you. :)

    Johanna

    r0d3warri0r at yahoo dot com

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  98. That is so generous of you. I don't live in the States but I have you send it to my best friend who does (sniff)
    And I love the jumper with the belt you are wearing in that photo! too cute.
    About to become a follower....

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  99. Sweet! Looks like you had a wonderful Blissdom!

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  100. Wow! I've just recently learned about Blissdom and really don't blog, but I might have to attend next year just to meet some of my favorite bloggers. Thanks for offering to share the love.

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  101. What an amazing "goody bag"! I would love to win!

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  102. what a lovely giveaway! so incredibly generous of you! sounds like blissdom was amazing! thanks for sharing!

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  103. I was "blog hopping" the other day and came across someone's post about Blissdom and saw your photo...it is so surreal sometimes - recognizing someone you don't know!!! This sounds like it was a fabulous time.

    oh, and I like your decorated valentine candle!

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  104. OOOH, so beautiful! Hope I win!

    Thanks for the opportunity!

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  105. All I keep seeing about Blissdom makes it look like such fun with a bunch of wonderful people! I am sure it was a treat for you to go this year.

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  106. What a fun giveaway! Very generous! Blissdom sounds like so much fun!

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  107. I'm so glad you had such a great time! Beautiful things here you have to offer!

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  108. I'm fairly new to your blog and I'd like to win! :)
    Debbi Weeks

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  109. Oh! I would love to win. I am so jealous of your hugs with Traci and Cindi! I met them at Relevant and I was ready to up and join their family.
    So glad you had a great time!
    Maybe see you at Relevant??

    - {darlene}
    fieldstonehilldesign.com

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  110. I totally want to go to Blissdom next year after reading all the good things you have to say about it.

    & How nice of you to give away all the great things you got from Blissdom. Obviously the three days spent there with great women & learning amazing new things about blogging were more important & interesting than the monetary things you received and that is great!

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  111. Thanks for this post. I had thought of Blissdom but considered the cost to be too much for something I wasn't sure was worth it. I'm glad to know it was!

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  112. Sounds like it was a ton of fun. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  113. I've followed your blog for a but. I think we even live in the same town! I appreciate your posts on your home. I'm new to blogging and trying to make a record for my kids.

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  114. Looks like so much fun!! Good luck to everyone :)

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  115. you are generous too!

    sign me up.

    are you sure you don't want to keep your goodies??

    too generous!

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  116. New to your blog & so glad I found you...What a great giveaway and very thoughful of you...
    Someday I hope to experience Blissdom..sounds amazing..

    Julie

    babybird1025@aol.com

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  117. great prizes i would love to win

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  118. You are the sweetest blogger ever! I want to room with YOU at my 1st conference!

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  119. Richella thank you for your encouraging words about Blissdom. I'd heard great things about the conference now thanks to you I'm saving those pennies!

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  120. How did I miss this post? and how generous of you to giveaway all your goodies.
    I'm just reading your one from today and saw you mentioned this one? I will have to go back and make sure I haven't missed other posts too!
    Hope you are having a great weekend sweetie.

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  121. You are SO generous! And so sweet, which I already knew. I enjoyed reading your "Best Blissdom Advice" post! It looked like it was so much fun. I totally agree with being nice and encouraging. I strive to be that way in all my online communication. Blessings!!!!

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  122. I LOVE your blog! What a fun bag of goodies. I would love to win this! Looks like a great time! :)

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  123. I enjoy reading your blog. After reading your post, I will make plans to attend Blissdom next year. Your are a very special person with a big heart!
    Thx! apple 7555 at gmail dot com

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  124. thank you for being so generous....and I love your blog!!

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  125. So glad you were able to go to Blissdom this year. It sounds like an outstanding conference where the virtual community meets in reality. Thank you for your insight, your encouragement and your generosity. Blessings ~ Kristi

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Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I read every one; they make my day. If you have a specific question, please be sure your email address is attached to your profile or leave your email address in the comment; I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Every blessing!