I'm Thankful! And Soon, You'll Be Thankful Too

Back in August I attended the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged Conference. Myself and 70+ women joined together for a weekend of fun, laughter, learning and boots!!

When I was planning to attended the conference I had no idea what to expect. I knew I was going to be 3 hours from home with 70+ women, most of which I had never met, and we were staying in a state park.

Sounds fun right? (It was a freaking blast!)

I went in fearing the unknown but, I didn't go alone. I manged to drag my girl Heather along for the ride and together we dragged another Shannon along with us.

Our road trip there was awesome!

We sang, we talked about how Okies drive 90+ mph till we hit a curve then drop to 25 mph, and we debated the oxford comma.


We also had some really nasty McDonald's because we waited to long to stop and eat and ran out of choices.

Even the register at McDonald's was taunting us.

The AWB hosted several "twitter parties' to give each of us attending a way to connect with each other prior to packing up and heading down.

During one of the twitter parties Country Outfitter joined us.

That was a dang good twitter party!

By the end of it, I had a sponsor paying my way, an invitation to pick out any pair of boots I wanted, up to $150 value), and a gift for you!

Now, I know you're all distracted by the whole "gift for you" and don't worry I'll get to that.

First though, let me tell you about these BOOTS! Hey it is my blog ;) I should get to brag a little.

Look at these beauties!

 

 



I LOVE THEM!

I took roughly 2 weeks deciding which pair of boots I wanted. And I couldn't be more pleased!

I picked a pair by Justin. The Justin Women's Burnished Tan Boot to be exact!

They have survived hospital stays, mid terms, and divorce court. (Not mine! I'm a legal secretary, remember.)

Last week my giveaway was suppose to "go live". It didn't.

It didn't because last week I was in the hospital with my baby girl.

She was at her dad's for the weekend and while there she suffered a seizure like episode. We met up at the ER and after 5 hours of worry filled testing we were admitted.

Here is where the thankful part comes in.

While I was waiting with my daughter in the hospital some of the lovely women I've met through AWB were calling, texting, emailing etc. They were asking what they could do to make things easier.

They were sending positive vibes, and lots of prayers. They offered me dinner, or laundry, entertainment, or a shoulder to cry on. They just wanted us to know we weren't alone.

They cared!

Today as I type this I want to say I am thankful for my daughter's recovery.

I am thankful for my sweet Daniel's support.

I am thankful for Heather, Jasmine, Stephanie, Logan(who isn't a woman, but is a great Arkansas blogger), Kim, and so many others.

I am also thankful for good boots! They make the days easier sometimes.

Last but not least, I am thankful for you!

And, thanks to Country Outfitter you can be thankful for good boots too! (Yep, here's where that gift for you comes in.)

Country Outfitter would like to give one of my readers the gift of good boots (up to $150 value).

And, we've made it pretty simple for you.

1. Click HERE and submit your email address. (You may receive additional emails or offers from Country Outfitter it's totally worth it though! )

2. Leave a comment here on the blog telling me what you're thankful for and that you've submitted your email address.

A random winner will be selected in two weeks, November 29, 2012, after 9 p.m.

(DISCLOSURE: Country Outfitter, a retailer of Justin's Women's Boots gave me these Justin Women's Burnished Tan Boot to review, and as you can tell, I love them!)

 

 

Kicking Up My Boots At AWBU

Did you see my new badge?

It's over there on the left.

I'll give you a hint, #AWBU.

Ah, now you see it.

Little ol me is going to be a part of the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged Conference.

And, it's all thanks to the kind folks at Country Outfitter.

I've been a fan of Country Outfitter for awhile now. My daughters' birthday list usually consist of something from their website. So, when I heard they had signed on as a sponsor of the conference I was beyond excited. When I got a tweet saying they'd like to give me a scholarship to attend the conference, I did a happy dance. I did several happy dances.

Arkansas Women Bloggers, AWB, is a network of support for women in Arkansas that blog. I bet you kind of knew that by the name though, huh. AWB has given me a supportive group of women to bounce ideas off of, and that stand behind me cheering.

I'm a transplant to Arkansas, Originally from Oklahoma. When I moved, I left most of my support system behind. (You can look here for a little more about that.) The ladies in AWB have made this Okie feel a little less out of place, and a little less homesick.

I am thrilled to be attending the conference, and so grateful to Country Outfitter for sending me there.

I am looking forward to meeting so many new faces, and to be thanking them in person for the support they have given me. I hope to learn a thing or two, and make some new friends, and most importantly, to Gather~Grow~Connect.

Oh, and one more thing, stay tuned to the blog for the next few weeks; I've got a little surprise coming your way, and who doesn't like a giveaway. Now, go tell your friends.