Remember That Time I Wrote My Entire Haven Recap in Haiku?
I love poetry–
how it gives freedom in form.
So, here’s my wild plan:
I’ll write in haiku
{syllables five – seven – five,
rarely any rhymes}
to recap my trip
to Haven Blog Conference
three short weeks ago.
‘Twill be a challenge,
no doubt. I’m a wordy gal;
be sure to keep count!
Flashback
This story begins
in August 20-13.
‘Twas my first Haven.
I was like a pig
wallering around in mud,
soaking it all up:
The sessions wowed me;
inspiration out my ears!
And that’s not all, folks.
I had found my peeps
(fellow bloggers just like me).
Instant friendships forged.
Anticipation
I vowed to return
for Haven 20-14.
Got my ticket, too!
The countdown began
on Instagram this past June:
a photo-a-day.
(I only skipped one!)
Sorry for clogging your feeds
with my black-and-whites!
Time to add some swag
to my biz cards from last year:
temporary tats!
The Journey
So, I packed my bags,
and hit the road with Keri!
We chatted all day.
CoCo joined us, too,
caravanning behind us.
No speeding tix here!
The Arrival
Once in Hot-lanta
our excitement was mounting
and so were the nerves!
The hotel lobby
was Grand Central Terminal:
bloggers everywhere.
The squealing commenced
and continued all weekend
(I’m guilty as charged).
My Roommate
You all know Candace?
(From Rusted Roots, formerly
Vintage News Junkie.)
Welp, she and I roomed,
(we met at Haven last year).
And listen to this:
She gave me a gift
straight from the heart. A caddy
with blue mason jar!
(She knows me so well.)
A junker’s survival kit
was my gift to her!
And here we both are
with our matchy-matchy jars,
smiling up a storm.
The Sessions
I typed tons of notes
(yes, I’m totally THAT girl).
My favorite of all:
Allison‘s session,
called “The Business of Blogging.”
Oh so practical!
From how to trademark
to getting an E.I.N.
(might make your head spin)….
Broken down in steps,
she gave us the tools we need
to build our business!
The Brands
In between sessions
I visited with the brands
at their rockin’ booths!
From Modern Masters
to 3M, from Home Depot
to Rust-Oleum.
FrogTape and Moen,
Annie Sloan and G.M.C.,
HomeRight was there, too!
And prizes galore!
I won a pillow thanks to
Online Fabric Store!
The Swag
I still can’t believe
how much swag they gave away!
This pic gives a glimpse.
(It’s just missing the
Waterpik shower head Mark
already installed!)
The Biz Cards
We all swapped biz cards
like kids trading baseball cards
but with blog all-stars!
And here were some faves
that broke the mold or stood out!
Unique designs, no?
I gotta give props
to the three gals who boldly
rocked my temp. tattoos!
The Best Part
{Cue sappy music.}
The best part of all–no doubt,
no bones about it–
was seeing old friends
and making new ones, to boot!
I loved every hug,
every group photo,
every elevator ride.
You wanna know why?
For one long weekend
I got to be face-to-face
with these dear women
I interact with
screen-to-screen most every day.
They are my support,
my inspiration,
my tribe. I’m grateful to have
these gals in my life.
I did it!
Whoo hoo! I did it!
Survived my first haiku post!
Hope you enjoyed this
poetic recap
of my weekend at Haven.
I’m not gonna lie:
that was not easy.
Wordy Lauren will be back
next week, no worries.
So, happy Friday,
dear reader. I hope it’s grand.
Cheers! Until next time….
Wonderful sum…ry
Of your fabulous journey
Pictures, Poetry!
(I should have seen this before I used too many words to describe the Global Leadership Summit!)
I loved the haiku..it was so creative and on target. I felt like I found my people too. Women that were creative, crafty, handy with tools and like to wear lipstick! I learned a lot and am looking forward to next year!
You never fail to crack me up and find such a creative way to do it!
Such a fun recap! Just making me want to go next year that much more! 🙂
A recap with style! I’ve come to expect nothing less! It was such a treat getting to meet you in person! XO XO
Loved this recap lady! You’re always so creative and that inspires me every day! Thanks for making sure we got there safe and for all the memories along the way 🙂 Big hugs
You are a word wizard.
Oh, Lauren! How awesome!! What an epic recap!!
any post about a conference like this to keep your dad reading all the way to the end must be a really interesting post, person, and poetry. Love ya.
You. Are. BANANAS. And I love you so.
Awwww… Lauren!! Muah! Muah! Muah!
Love this! Sad we didn’t get to talk more in person! And…haikus are awesome. The end.
Amaze-balls. Love that you stuck to haiku the whole way through! English nerds forever!
Haven was an incredible weekend. I still get majorly sad every Thurs, Fri and Sat that it’s over for a whole ‘nother year! There were so many wonderful memories made this year!
Wow! Lauren that’s great!
I must get me to Haven
Oh! Start a blog first….
Wowza! My hat’s off to you girl!! Woop woop! Love this post. I’m still shaking my head, you are talented!
Hugs beautiful girl,
J.
holy crapola!
Most epic post of all time!
I loved seeing you!
You’re so fabulous
I just can’t stand it at all
How you rock my socks
Haikus are so hard
I’m not a poet, no ma’am
But I did my best
Because I love you
Sweet Lauren, sweet unicorn
You bless my heart lots!
OK Now I’m done
With this ridiculous beat
Have a rockin’ day!
I consider myself sufficiently ‘haikued’! 😉 LOVED it! It’s a great recap, and it was so great to see you again this year! Haven is truly like this big blogging sorority of sisters… maybe that’s why we all long for it to never end. It’s so great to spend time with people who ‘get’ you!! See ya next year!
Such a fun and creative recap! I briefly entertained the idea of commenting in haiku, but who can follow that? 😉
Mind blown! I think it would have taken me until next years haven to write this! It was so great meeting you at Haven! I wish we could have chatted a little more I was just so overwhelmed but so happy I went! Also thanks for showing my business card as one that stood out that means the world!
You’re the best!!! So happy I got to meet you in person Lauren!!! xoxox