All About Blog Life University Conference 2016

Over a week and a half ago I attended Blog Life University Conference in Atlanta.  This was the first ever BLU and it was invigorating and inspirational.  I'm already looking forward to next year's conference that promises to be bigger and better... #BLU17 anyone?

In case you didn't see my post prior to attending the conference you can read it here..  The conference is one that  anyone that is blogging or thinking about blogging can attend, it is not genre specific. There were food bloggers, mommy bloggers, product review bloggers and of course lifestyle bloggers in attendance. The sessions dealt  with what I would call the brass tacks of the business of blogging.  After checking into the Double Tree Hotel in Marietta (which I should dedicate an entire post to )I met up with some  amazing bloggers for dinner.

 Hooray for new friends Call me PMC Swirls of Flavor Clutter Cafe

 We opted to dine inside the hotel at Mondo Mocha Cafe and I'm so glad we did.  The food was amazing.  When you are hanging with a bunch of food bloggers you must photograph the dinner!

Bright and early the next morning we met for breakfast and dashed to get our seats!  The morning started with Liz from Hoosier Homemade as a keynote speaker. She spoke about living the blog life and gosh ya'll her whole family is in the biz with her!  She shared that in December of 2014 she did 42 sponsored posts...that is nothing short of unbelievable. There were so many great sessions  it is hard to recount them all.  At one point all the speakers were on stage together, the great and creative minds all in one spot....totally unbelievable!

 At the end of the day a large group of us hopped over to  Pappasito's Cantina for dinner and a little bit of networking. That is the ever exuberant Paula from Call Me PMC peering thru the door!

Ya'll there is no doubt that is the best Mexican food I have ever eaten in my life!  They made guacamole table side, I thought surely I had died and gone to heaven!

Papasito's Cantina also gave us a couple of these assorted appetizer platters.  Everything I tried was nothing short of spectacular!

Many thanks to Kirsten of Sweet Tea for organizing this!

Day 2 had just as many remarkable speakers at the first day did.  Holley Homer opened the day speaking on the topic of Monetizing Your Blog.  The conference organizer, Melissa Llado spoke on affiliate links and I can't believe everything I learned!

The first night were there we found out there was a Chick Fil A virgin among us.  Lisa, of the Clutter Cafe blog lives in New Hampshire and had never been to one.  So the next day for lunch we walked over and she had a real southern treat, the peach milk shake and a Chick Fil A sandwich!  Oh and she LOVED it!

 The day ended with wine tasting from  Chateau Elan and reception sponsored by Dixie Crystals.  We made our own edible sugar scrubs. When we walked into the ballroom the aroma of sugar hung in the air....almost sugar overload for this diabetic!

It was an action packed 2 days and I'm already counting the days down to BLU17!