Minnesota Blogger Holiday Party Link Up

Hi Minnesota Girls! Feel free to come here and link up your recaps from last night's Minnesota Blogger Holiday Party. It was a lot of fun to see all of your smiling faces, as well as to laugh at our creative tacky sweater attire. Hope you all had fun :-)

 If you weren't able to join us, then you are definitely missed in this photo above. We'd all love for you to join us at our next get together.

Merry Christmas, all! :-)

Kelly

Secret Santa names have been distributed!

Happy Monday ladies! Hope you're all surviving the first day back from the long weekend!

I just wanted to stop in and let you all know that the names for the Minnesota Blogger Secret Santa have all been distributed, so check your emails! 

Also - get excited! Our Minnesota Blogger Holiday Party is next week! EEK! :)

 For more details on that... head here!

If you have any questions, concerns or didn't get a name, please email Kelly and/or I! 

A Tacky Christmas Sweater Shopping Guide

Hi, all! Kelly here. And I'm about to talk about Tacky Christmas Sweaters.

Jess commented on last week's post about where to "procure" a Tacky Christmas Sweater and I had to highlight her comment. Not only because I love her descriptive word but because this seems to be an important question!

The Sweater Store and The Ugly Sweater Store are both online sites selling Tacky Sweaters, but the prices are a bit steep. Although I have seen a few LIGHT UP sweaters for sale on these websites. Tremendously tacky.


Tipsy Elves is a fun site that sells hilarious sweaters... but again, the price is a bit on the high end (in my opinion)

If you want an in-store option, Kohls has some options and Walmart has an impressive stock as well!

{these turtlenecks make me think of my mom... in the most NON-tacky and MOST-loving way possible of course ;-)}

Of course you could save a few dollars and hit up your local Goodwill store like Carolyn and I did this week. The store that we met at had three racks full of tacky-licious sweaters boasting $8.99 price tags and the store even a flier alllllll about how to host a Tacky Christmas Party :-)

It goes without saying that we had a blast trying on our sweaters in the dressing room together. And NO, these are NOT the sweaters that we chose (it's a secret!!) ALTHOUGH? These WERE the runner-ups and yes, we had to talk ourselves out of buying both a sweater AND a sweater vest for a mid-evening wardrobe change.

So now that you know where to pick up your Tacky Christmas Sweaters, GET EXCITED for the meet up!! I know I am. Make sure to RSVP for the meet up and the Secret Santa Gift Exchange (partners will be announced on MONDAY) before this Saturday as well. Hope to see SO many of you there!!

SANTA!!! I KNOW him!!!

Okay kids, Kristin here! Get out those fancy day planners and your red and green glitter pens because...

...the details for our Minnesota Bloggers Holiday Meet Up have been set.

Here's what you need to know:

WHO: Minnesota Bloggers!

WHAT: A Holiday Get Together!

WHERE: Mall of America!

WHEN: Tuesday, December 4th at 6:00pm

WHY: Why the heck not?!

 

The plan is to meet in the rotunda at 6 o'clock and GET OUR PICTURE TAKEN WITH SANTA!

Yes, I know, it's going to be chaos. It's also going to be hilarious. And super awesome.

That poor old man will have no idea what hit him.

 

From there we will head up to the 4th floor for dinner at drinks at Dick's Last Resort.

 

Here are the requirements to complete (or you WILL be put on the "Naughty List")

1. We need a firm RSVP by November 24th so that we can organize Secret Santas and set a reservation!

 

2. We will be wearing Ugly Christmas Sweaters...so dress accordingly.

 

3. Get excited, it's going to be FUN!

 

And now, I'll turn the mic over to my pal Kelly so she can fill you in on all the Secret Santa deets!

 

Feel free to e-mail me (Kristin), Carolyn or Kelly with any questions! Hope to see YOU at the Holiday Meet Up. Make sure to RSVP by leaving a comment and filling out the Secret Santa survey!

Tis the Season

The stores have their holiday displays out, Santa's elves are working doubles and the Bieb is dusting off his Christmas album.

"Hey girl"

Which means it TIS the season to get a Holiday MN Blogger Festive Meet Up on the calendar before everyone is booked up with family and work parties and last minute shopping.

We have some really fun & festive ideas (including ugly sweaters and a secret santa gift exchange) but first we must pick the special day!

What day would you ladies prefer....

*TUESDAY, December 4th

*WEDNESDAY, December 5th

*SATURDAY, December 15th

or

*SUNDAY, December 16th

and don't be a Grinch, you're going to want to be at this one, it's going to Jingle Bell ROCK your socks off!

Please leave a comment with the date(s) that work best for you!

xoxo,



We're Facebook Official!

Carolyn here again! I have some exciting news for all of my favorite Minnie bloggers! 

We have a facebook group!

That's right! Minnesota Bloggers are going big time! HAHA

We are hoping that the facebook group will give us a more interactive space to plan and discuss our #MNBloggerHH events! 

Now... you ALL need to go join the group! There's already some information about a pumpkin patch adventure! And I want to see ALL of your smiling, adorable, blogger faces when I'm picking out my pumpkin!! 

Click here to get to the group!

#MNBloggerHH 3.0... holiday style!

Hey friends! It's Carolyn, and I'm taking over this round of planning from sweet Kelly who has been AMAZING with all of her organizing for the first two (and this blog!)

Since I wasn't able to make it to the painting party, I am going through MN blogger withdrawals! 

Which means... we need to get another one on the books! :) 

Bridget and I were emailing back and forth about planning a Halloween/fall themed get together... maybe at a pumpkin patch or a haunted house or something, but we know that everyone is super busy, and that would only give us a couple weeks to find a date. 

Kelly had the BRILLIANT idea of planning a holiday party with Secret Santa gifts, and I'm adding in ugly sweaters. Because really... that would make for some ridiculously amazing pictures!

I figured since the holidays are coming up quick (not sure how that's even possible!) and everyone's schedules will be filling up, I'd mention both, and we can get a vote on what people would like to do!

So... here's your job! Leave a comment answering the following questions:

1. Would you be interested in doing a fall themed get together in the next couple weeks? Would you rather it be a pumpkin patch or a haunted house?

2. If yes, do you have any suggestions for a good place to go?

3. Would you be interested in doing a holiday themed get together? With or without Secret Santa? With or without ugly sweaters?

4. Do you have a genius idea for a get together? If so, TELL US!

Minnesota Bloggers Get-Together: The Paint Pub

Last night, thirteen fellow Minnesota Bloggers got together at The Paint Pub for our own private party. It was pretty understood that many of us were nervous about creating an actual painting-- just as nervous as meeting one another at our last get-together?

Well just like that event, all of the nervousness was for nothing because our Stone Arch Bridge paintings turned out fabulous and most importantly, it was fun to hang out together :-)

Special thanks to Tom and Laura at The Paint Pub-- what a fabulous place! They were so welcoming and accommodating, friendly and nerve-easing, and Laura helped us turn a challenging painting into thirteen pieces of artwork :-)

And plus? I didn't see either of them scoff or roll their eyes once at our "weird blogging ways" ;-) I think we all agree that we are of a special "wait! one more picture!!" breed.

I know it was a late, late night but it was so nice to see you all. Big thanks for everyone coming near and far to meet up-- it was so much fun!

Stay tuned for some discussion about our next event. Although I created this here blog, I certainly am not the ringleader :-) If anyone feels inclined to organize our next get-together, feel free to volunteer!!

Also, if you would like to be a featured blogger, leave a comment or email us at minnesotabloggers@gmail.com for more information.

If you wrote a recap post, feel free to link up below!

PRE-Painting Get-Together Information!

Just a quick note before we all head off to our (no doubt) fun weekends ahead... Becky and I met for frozen yogurt earlier this week, caught up for a bit, and of course chatted about next week's Minnesota Blogger's Get-Together at The Paint Pub.

The idea of getting together for a very unofficial bite to eat before the painting shenanigans begin was brought up and Becky encouraged the idea.

So here is the scoop...

For ANYONE who wants to join us before heading over to The Paint Pub, Becky and I will for sure be at Wild Bill's Sports Saloon at 5:45pm. This is super informal and serves just as way to meet up for some food and liquid courage before rockin' it out with some paint.

12730 Elm Creek Boulevard.
Maple Grove, MN 55369

If you would like to join us, PLEASE leave a comment by the end of the weekend. I will NEED a head count for reserving a large enough table at Wild Bill's.

Just as a reminder, it is NOT too late to join us for our private event at The Paint Pub on Tuesday at 7pm. Click here to learn about how to register-- it's bound to be a blast! I personally, cannot wait!!

And one more thing? It was discussed between Becky and I that a major agenda talking point for Tuesday's event will be thoughts on what, where, and when will be our next get-together. Waiting two months to see you girls again and to meet other Minnesota bloggers was just waaaaaay too long in my opinion ;-) Come with ideas!

Hope to see YOU on Tuesday!

<3 Kelly

Don't Forget: Minnesota Bloggers Get-Together

Where will YOU be next Tuesday the 18th at 7:00pm?

HOPEFULLY

You will be hanging out with some of the greatest girls in the Twin Cities :-)

Check out this post on how to join in the fun-- come sip on some wine, create a FUN Minneapolis-themed painting, and meet some new friends!

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment or email us at minnesotabloggers@gmail.com Hope to see YOU there!

Join Us For a Night of Wine & Painting

Who: Minnesota Bloggers

 

What: Private Party at The Paint Pub

 

When: Tuesday, September 18th

7:00pm

 

Why: Because it's FUN!

 

Want to join us? It's easy! Just go to The Paint Pub's website and click on the "Calendar" tab at the top of the page. Find "MN Bloggers" Private Event on September 18th and click on "Register" You can then enter in your information and payment details.

 

The $30 price includes canvas, brushes, acrylic paint, and aprons. The instructor walks us step by step through the whole painting process. Unfortunately, wine is available at extra charge but I'm most excited about the company anyway :-)

 

The majority of those who commented on our last post voted for The Stonearch Bridge:

 

So what are you waiting for?? Take a few seconds to hop over HERE and register to join us on September 18th-- guaranteed to be a FUN time :-D



Mark Your Calendars!

Hi everyone!

Mark your calendars for the 2nd Minnesota Bloggers Get-Together!

Tuesday, September 18th!

We hope you can join us :-) Stay tuned for more information including where, when, and what (yanno, the important details)!

Pull Out Your Calendars & Planners... It's #MNBloggerHH 2.0 Time!

Alrighty! So after chatting with the owner of The Paint Pub, here is the scoop...

The best possible way to make everyone happy with dates and painting choices is to host our own Private Party. With this option we obviously have The Paint Pub (and most importantly, our instructors! ;-)) to ourselves for a 2-2.5 hour class and we get to choose our painting for our group (rather than choose according to the calendar and trying to schedule based on that date).

Price includes canvas, brushes, acrylic paint, and aprons. The instructor walks us step by step through the whole painting process. Unfortunately, wine is available at extra charge but I'm most excited about the company anyway :-)

If you would like to join us for the 2nd Minnesota Bloggers Happy Hour, please choose the following TWO things...

What would YOU most like to paint?



Choice A: Stone Arch Bridge

Choice B: Sunset

Choice C: Tropical

Choice D: Starry Night

... As you can tell from the first two options, the instructors REALLY walk you step by step on how to create your painting. Carolyn and I narrowed our choices down to four paintings that are of different skill levels and hopefully will appeal to you. Please comment (or email us at minnesotabloggers@gmail.com) on which ONE painting that you would most like to paint!

What date(s) works best for you?

The least expensive option is for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday classes which cost $30. The price increases for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and weekend dates so we made the decision to stick with earlier weekdays. We hope that Mondays and Tuesday work well for most everyone. Here are some date options...

Monday, September 10th

Tuesday, September 11th

Monday, September 17th

Tuesday, September 18th

Monday, September 24th

Tuesday, September 25th

Please comment (or email us at minnesotabloggers@gmail.com) on which date(s) would work best for you!

For our last Minnesota Bloggers Happy Hour, we had 13 bloggers attend. If you were not able to attend last Happy Hour, we would love for you to join us this next time! In case you're worried, there is no "clique" going on and I believe that we ALL feel that the more, the merrier :-) If you have ANY questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask.

Otherwise... Get down there and COMMENT on which painting you like best and which date(s) work for you!! I personally cannot wait for this event and to hang out with you girls again :-D

<3 Kelly

Minnesota Blogger: Kelly from Kelly B., JD (among other things...)!

Hey there Minnesota Bloggers!

I'm Kelly, and I blog over at Kelly B., J.D. (among other things)...

You can find me blogging about my daily life.. which, as of late, has consisted of me whining about the bar exam (which is now over, I promise. YAY!) I also blog about my wiley kitten- TJ, the wedding I'm in the midst of planning to my guy- M, and the occasional DIY, recipe, and law-related blabber. 

Now, onto 5 photos that describe me: 

#1: M and I at my law school graduation. 

As my blog title would indicate, law school/the law is a very big part of my life. Actually, it predates my admission to law school. My great-grandpa, grandpa, great-uncle, and uncle were all attorneys. It was a long yet quick 3 years, I made some fantastic friends, and I'm glad it's over. :) Now, I just have to wait 2 months to get bar results. Woof. 

#2: The first hello.

This is a screen grab of the first REAL communication M and I ever had. Yes, we met on Match.com. That story can be found HERE, and as amended, HERE. 

#3: This is our kitten. 

He's 1 year old, and I firmly intend on calling him my "kitten" until he dies. His name is TJ. His nicknames include TJ-Monkey, monster, gremlin, fuzz-bucket, TJ-baby, etc. TJ stands for "Trapper Joe"... he came that way when we adopted him, and then when M found out it was based on a character from Swamp People.. there was no changing it. He's crazy, and adorable, and you can go ahead and call me a crazy cat lady.. I am one, without a doubt, and have zero shame about it. #embracethecrazy

#4: April 7, 2012. 

This photo was taken at my parents house, a few hours after M proposed. You can read that story, HERE. And you can pop by my page and click on the "Our Wedding" tab to read more about the big day! I was placed on a temporary planning moratorium while I studied for the bar, and am now itching to get back to it. I just bought 100 yards of burlap from the interwebz, so, brace yourself people. Crafts are coming atcha hot!  

#5: Our house. 

We bought our house on May 13, 2011. Actually, M bought it, and lets me squat for a small fee ;-). Kidding, kind of. It seems silly to say a photo of our house describes me, but it does. First and foremost, there is nothing I love more than watching each room evolve, as we decorate, tweak, etc. Most of the art in our house was DIY. The greatest compliment I've received was when someone told me my living room looked like a Pinterest board. Haha!

Annnnddd that's a lil' bit about me! Stop on over to my blog and say hi! You can also follow me on Twitter (@KBjd14), Instagram (kellybea14), and Pinterest (kellybea14)!

If YOU would like to be a featured blogger, please send an email to minnesotabloggers@gmail.com

Who's Ready for Happy Hour Seconds?

Hi friends!

I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one who has been excited to set up our next Minnesota Bloggers get-together ever since last week's first Happy Hour event. And if you weren't able to attend, we hope that you're just as excited to participate in the next get-together!

Those who attended know that it was fairly impromptu and unofficial-- just gettin' together to have a good time! That is why we wanted to ask a few questions so that our next get-together can (hopefully) be the best for everyone.

The last #MNBloggerHH was on a Tuesday-- what day works best for you?

Is there a day that normally works best for you?
	Monday
	Tuesday
	Wednesday
	Thursday
	Friday
	Saturday
	Sunday
	Any day as long as it works with my schedule.
pollcode.com free polls

There was talk about meeting at The Paint Pub Art Studio Cafe in Maple Grove for our next event. If you haven't heard about this type of business yet, you basically show up with friends, sip on a bit of wine, and follow your instructor on how to paint a masterpiece!

Does that sound like fun to you? If so, let us know and then we can plan our event by polling everyone to see which painting we most want to attempt!

What would you MOST be interested in for our next event?
	Just another fun Happy Hour sounds good to me!
	I want to get my wine and paint on at The Paint Pub!
	BOTH! A shorter Happy Hour followed by getting together at The Paint Pub sounds like fun to me!
pollcode.com free polls

{you can see the results by click the "view" button}

If you have any other thoughts, suggestions, or opinions, feel free to leave a comment or email us at minnesotabloggers@gmail.com


And just to give you all a time frame to think about, we are hoping to get our 2nd #MNBloggerHH scheduled for sometime in early-to-mid September. We were able to successfully organize the first happy hour in a month's time, so hopefully we can do it again!

Can't wait to see many familiar faces and to (hopefully) meet new ones as well! :-)

And while you're here, did you see Bridget's Featured Blogger post from yesterday?

<3 Kelly

Minnesota Blogger: Bridget from Life As Bridget Knows It!

Hi fellow MN blogger's!

I'm Bridget and I blog over @ Life As Bridget Knows It... I am a CPA working less than 5 miles from home! I've lived in MN my whole life and have no plans of leaving anytime soon. I started my blog over a year ago and I am so glad I did. One great thing about blogging is the awesome fellow bloggers I have met!

I blog about...well everything in life, hence the name! Great adventures, travel, yummy food recipes, home decor, wedding stuff, Mya and all her cuteness and DIY projects are a few things you will see posted there!

Now onto the 5 (well I have a few collages of photos) that describe me!

First and foremost...I married the love of my life in the fall of 2011. It was the BEST day of my life! I can't imagine life without him and he truly is my best friend! We met at college and have been together for 8+ years. Love him to pieces!!!

My baby girl, Mya...means sooo much to me! Probably more than some people think is 'normal'! I've been her very loving Momma for 3 years now and I seriously would do anything for her! She may not be the best dog...but to me, she's perfect and I love her!

I'm a HUGE football fan and love the Vikings! I am a true fan that cheers for them even in the bad times...which seems to be the case the last few years, but I'm very hopeful that 'our year' will be here soon enough. I married a Packer fan...which some wonder how that works, let's just say...Sunday's are ALWAYS very interesting in our house!

I love doing projects and am all about DIY! Pinterest has been a dream come true for this minor obsession. I blog about all my latest and greatest transformations! I love taking another persons trash and turning it into my own treasure...so cliche, I know :)

My favorite holiday (if you consider it one) is Halloween, hands down! I love it! I've dressed up my whole life and pretty much have my outfit planned out before summer ends...heck sometimes I have it planned out a whole year in advance! I love that it's in my favorite season and in my favorite month! Everyone can count on Tate and I hosting the Halloween party and it is required that everyone dress up!

Thanks for letting me share...come on over to my blog and say hello. You can also follow me pinning my little heart out on Pinterest, learning the ropes of tweeting on Twitter, and for sure taking loads of photos on Instagram (@lifeasbridget21)!