Hello my little blogtarts!!!

Since my lovely friend Jess is on vacation working on her tan, she asked me if I would do her a favour and guest blog for her.

To which I replied, “um HELL YES!!”

Jess was one of the first bloggers I started reading aside from Jamie, so of course I feel like it’s an honor to even be asked. I mean, this girl was the featured member on 20Something Bloggers right around the time I joined, so she’s kind of a mini-celebrity.

But I digress.

I decided to share my stalker story with her readers while she’s gone, so drop by and check it out. (Right now, the internet seems to be the only stalker free zone  aside from my apartment of course. creepy!!)

I’ll be back to my regularly scheduled blogging tomorrow.

**Oh, and a quick update on my friend’s cousin from my post yesterday: she was shot in the back but her injuries were minor enough for her to be released from the hospital today. I’m wishing her a speedy recovery.

Holy crap.

This weekend was the most amazing, overwhelming whirlwind of a weekend I’ve had in a long time (if ever). It was my first time attending BlogHer and I had no idea what to expect. I was definitely overwhelmed and a little bit nervous. But that all disappeared pretty quickly.

I freaked out slightly on Thursday night because I couldn’t get in touch with anyone, only to find out the lack of reception people were experiencing. After finally meeting up with my friends, we got our badges and headed off to dinner. It was a great way to meet some of the other girls I didn’t know yet, and make connections with prior to the actual start of the conference.

I only ended up attending a few sessions, but from the general consensus I wasn’t missing much. I pretty much stuck with the Geek Lab sessions and 1) it was sooo hard to hear ANYTHING and 2) the sessions were either ones I had no knowledge of or way too basic. I’m a total nerd and into HTML, CSS and all that crap. But really, I would expect someone at a blogging conference to at least have a little experience with these things so I felt like my time was totally wasted on being taught how to bold or change font etc. Saturday I skipped all the sessions for two very good reasons: Paula Deen & Tim Gunn.

Allie, Jamie & I meeting Tim Gunn!!

Not gonna lie, I am not a fan of Project Runway but Allie and Jamie are. Tim Gunn was genuinely nice, although I had no real expectations since I’ve never seen him on TV. Paula Deen was absolutetly HILARIOUS. If I had a southern grandma, I’d want her to be Paula. Or if Paula happens to be looking for an adoptive granddaughter, I’m there!

The expo hall was pretty cool. There were a lot of really great booths, but I’m not sure I even stopped at every one. The lunches were surprisingly delicious. Ragu provided lunch on Friday, and it was a Mexican themed lunch Saturday. However, the lack of water was HORRIBLE. I heard it was because BlogHer was trying to go green, hence the absence of bottled water. Well, it pissed me off. I love Pepsi and all, but I am no longer a soda drinker. And I think the going green stuff is a lame excuse since they were providing bottled SODA. WHAT IS THE GODDAMN DIFFERENCE? (Clearly, a dehydrated Maggie= cranky Maggie)

The two main highlights of the weekend for me were the Nintendo Enthusiast dinner and BowlHer.  From getting all decked out, to being picked up in horse drawn carriages to dinner in the Signature Room of the Hancock building, the Nintendo dinner was fabulous from start to finish. Even the rain couldn’t ruin it. And I’m pretty sure everyone in the room was jealous at the awesomeness of our table. BowlHer was just silly and a hell of a lot of fun. We were provided with hot pink boas and got to walk the red carpet.

Photo by @rbucich

The real reason I went to BlogHer was not the parties or swag. It was about making connections. It was about building relationships with these amazing women who share their lives with me every day through their blogs

• Jamie, you are the best date ever. EVER.
• Jess, you are fucking hilarious and I love you.
• My other Chicago girls: Allie, Blagica, Suz and Angie, you’re all wonderful.
• New friends: Heidi, Beth, and Katelin, I had a blast getting to know you and I can’t wait to see you guys again.
• Jenn I wish I had seen more of you, and one of these days we better have an awesome hangout.
• My Nintendo table: Doni, you are cute as ever & need to spend more time in Chicago. Jenn, you are probably my soulmate or sister in another life. We must bake cupcakes together. And last but not least, Brandon you are a true gentleman, a good sport, and totally fun to be around.

Photo via @rbucich

Jenn, Jess and I

You wonderful people are the reason I blog. Would I do it again? Totally. I’m already looking forward to BlogHer10. Thank you all for everything.

*I didn’t take many pictures this weekend, so I’m waiting to steal some friends’ photos. Also check out @rbucich’s flickr set to see some amazing shots throughout the weekend..

I’m hanging out over at Lovely Land today.

Jamie jetsetted her cute self off to Vegas for the weekend and handed me the reigns.

Apparently my brain took a mini vacation as well. *Sigh*. When someone as cool as Jamie asks you to guest post, you don’t turn it down. But I may have gotten a bit of stage fright. Or something like that.  You can read my ramblings here.

On the upside, I’ve asked her to guest post for me later this week/weekend since I will be out of town in the less exciting city of Pittsburgh.

And upon my return back to Chicago, there will be cheesecake.

I hate days like today when you come to realize you’re more grown up than you thought and you have no clue how you got there. For example:

• Finding your own doctors. Never in my life had I had to find my own doctors. Back home, I went to the same PCP and GYN for years, and I found a GI specialist only because he worked in the same hospital and had a rep for being the best. I basically had to rely on the advice of friends and acquaintances to find new doctors here in Chicago. I have appointments set up, now just to meet with them and hopefully like them. If not, it’s back to square one.
• I’ve come to the realization that once you love someone they’re basically stuck in your heart. Forever. No matter what. It sucks, but I guess that’s reality. Which brings me to:
• I’m getting married…MARRIED! I don’t know about you, but I still feel like a kid inside. It seems like just yesterday I was in high school, and as a friend pointed out  its been FIVE years.
• With age comes pain. No really, like bone aches and crap. I listen to my patients day in and day out complain: “I don’t know what I did, but one day my (insert joint/body part) just started hurting” and now I realize OH WOW that’s me. I think at least 3 out of 5 days this week I spent complaining about my shoulder and how much it hurts. I don’t remember doing anything to it either!! This is like the worst version of Karma ever.
• Icy Hot has become my new perfume this week. It also makes your ears tingle if you happen to accidentally apply it where it’s not needed.
• My birthday is in about a month. While I’ve been on the verge of a quarter life crisis since I entered my 20’s, the fact that my 24th is just around the corner is giving me a little nudge over the edge.

On the other hand, I’m seriously considering folding to my impulses and booking a trip to Vegas to hang with Jamie, Allie, Jess, and some other fabulous bloggers for the weekend. Some parts of me are thinking “Maggie, you should really be saving your money for your wedding” but the other part of me that’s winning is saying “When will you ever get a chance to do this again!?” Jury’s still out. Verdict to be announced hopefully by the end of the weekend.

Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.

I am, however, guest blogging over at Free and Flawed today. Jenn sent out an offer for someone to blog for her the other day, and I jumped at the opportunity. For FREE!! (Aren’t I nice?)

So read my guest post here. Because really, you should be reading her blog anyway. She’s awesome.

Now go!

Now please excuse me while I go inflict an easter candy induced coma on myself.