The Friday Roundup & an Online BlogCon Thank You + Review!!

Happy Friday, friends!!

I’m super stoked it’s Friday I got lucky this week and had a three-day workweek, so I’m savoring my double three-day weekend.. starting tomorrow!

This week was really busy. Between my blogging, baking, and life, there was Online BlogCon. If you didn’t attend, you really missed out. It’s been so fun getting to know fellow passionate bloggers out there in this crazy, cupcake-filled world, and there was tons of information and tips, from photography to recipe development to blog/life balance. I can’t wait for BlogCon ’13!

And of course, there was baking. Crazy baking.

I popcorned your cupcakes.

I blondied your brownies.

I candied your.. candy.

I cookied your pie and pied your cake.

And I white chocolified your cookies.

I suppose you could say I like to stuff stuff.

And now, friends, some BlogLand Loves.

Pumpkin Spice Fudge with Marshmallow Swirl from The Farm Girl Recipes
Blackberry Praline Crumble from Something Swanky
Brown Sugar Cheese Danish from Chocolate, Chocolate & More
Soft-Baked Ginger Cookies with Pumpkin Pie Dip from A Kitchen Addiction
Chocolate Euphoria Cookie Bars from Crumbs and Chaos
Pumpkin Pie PopTart Pops from Pint Sized Baker

I guess I’m on a pumpkin kick

1. This week, I went on a search for my favorite red flannel shirt. Which was GONE. I’m devastated. It’s my favorite flannel of all time, and now it’s MIA. I’m in mourning.

2. Also, this week a mysterious dime-sized dent appeared in the seam of my trunk. WTF! My car is only a few months old, this stuff can’t happen! After losing it, crying, and drinking, I finally realized it’s probably easily fixable by someone with superhuman-strength thumbs. I’m now waiting for someone like that to come along and pop it out (as opposed to paying a hellacious $150 for someone else to do it–eek!)

3. I have been pigging out like craaaaazy. Is there such a thing as non-pregnant cravings? Because I have them all the time. On Saturday, I kid you not–I had donuts and Moscato for dinner. Forrealsies. And I’ve been literally having dreams about French fries.

4. It’s finally fall weather here (yay!) so I’ve been snugging up in sweaters and sweatpants and snuggling up under blankies. I’m so excited!!

5. Also, Halloween is next week (can you believe it? Where did 2012 go, peeps?) and I’m actually kinda excited. I still don’t know if I want to trick-or-treat (be quiet, naysayers) or just hang out at home passing out candy and watching Halloween. Either way, I’m just excited for the plethora of candy. Almond Joys, come to mama.

6. Thank god I actually like my real job, but I can definitely attest to having jobs that have made me feel like this. And this is going to be my new weight-loss plan. Also guilty of this. And omg, sorry T-Swift, but YES.

7. As I mentioned earlier, this week was Online BlogCon. It was the brainchild between Ashton and Dorothy, and it was a tremendous success!! They worked SO hard and SO tirelessly to create a seamless, fun and interactive blogging experience entirely online so novice, seasoned and aspiring bloggers could get together, break the ice, and learn together in one fun environment!

Between the adorably designed site from Sweet Bellaroos to the incredible wealth of information from esteemed bloggers I seriously admire to the AMAZING Facebook group which had me meeting tons of amazing women from around the world, Online BlogCon was a total one-of-a-kind experience. Dorothy & Ashton (as well as their fabulous guest speakers!) ensured each post was tailored expertly to the topic at hand, organized beautifully, and offered valuable insight to topics that matter to me as a blogger. To be honest, I kind of wondered if I would learn anything I didn’t already know since many times, there seems to be the same information repeated all over the web, but I was shocked to learn really awesome things to help me as a blogger on a personal and professional level. And the experience of meeting so many kickass people was totally worth it in itself!

So, Thank you to the Speakers Jessica from How Sweet It Is, Christi from Love From The Oven, Shelly from Cookies & Cups, Camille from Six Sisters’ Stuff, Nikki from Chef in Training, Lexie from voiceBoks, Jamielyn from I Heart Nap Time, Kristyn from Lil’ Luna, Stephanie from Somewhat Simple & Joan from Chocolate, Chocolate & More (for being an awesome Facebook affiliate!! )

Thank you to the sponsors Silpat, Simply Sweet Creations, Kitchen Meets Girl, My Memories, Vint Print, Six Sisters Stuff, Hello Love Designs and Hello Love Too, Kitchen Kneads, Naptime Creations,  Pearlsand Petals, Primula, William Bounds. Together, all of you made Online BlogCon such a fun, unique and SUCCESSFUL conference!! And especially thanks to our fantabulous, supermagical creators, Dorothy and Ashton, for creating and putting so much love & effort into this awesome idea, and asking me to be an affiliate. You two are the bees knees! <3 <3 Congrats–you should be proud of yourselves!!

Have a fantabulous weekend!!

xo, Hayley