I Partied with a Giant Potato at BlogHer 09

Of course there was a conference and seriousness and learning going on at BlogHer. However, this is not that post.

It is the did-you-just-party-all-the-time or-was-there-a-conference-going-on post?


Thursday Party Patrol
After hotel check in, it was off to the Social Lux party for some pampering. I needed to get rid of the migraine that started the day before and I was so happy they had chair massages. The masseuse gave me a little extra attention and by the end of my session, my migraine’s gone. Thank you Social Lux!

Photo courtesy of Make and Takes

The Chevrolet carpool party. I was invited to one private party – for GM Chevrolet carpoolers. It was a casual get together in an Irish pub. They asked me to record an interview about my experience. I try to be insightful, because I’m a car girl, yet witty. They bring up the Cash for Clunkers program and ask what other clunker I could trade in if I could. I answer, “Old boyfriends.” They loved that.

After that I went to The People’s Party. I work the room to be polite and because I think that’s what you are supposed to do – isn’t that what these little shindigs are for? Even as The World’s Most Fabulous Aunt (trademark pending) it was a little difficult given that many of the sponsors were baby-centric. When asked if I was familiar with Gerber I say, “My dog loves your baby food.” (I put his meds in baby food. Ironically he doesn’t like the organic variety.)

The Gerber lady looks at me like I’m nuts.

This will not be the only time I get this look during BlogHer.

I do another video interview this time with Kristen Chase of Cool Mom Picks and Motherhood Uncensored. She interviewed me and Christina of A Mommy Story for Alice.com. I’m not sure if they are going to use our interview because when they asked me if I knew about Alice I truthfully said no. (Alice is a web store that allows you to buy cleaning and health and beauty supplies on line with free shipping. They have many environmentally friendly products for sale too.) Then when they asked me what my favorite cleaning product is I said the first thing that popping into my head - vinegar. I think I surprised them - not a good way. I think they were hoping for the name of a product they might actually sell. Oops.

Room 704 party. I hung out with fellow Green Moms Carnival bloggers: Micaela of Mindful Momma, Maryanne of Not Quite Crunchy Parent, Beth of Fake Plastic Fish, and Diane of Big Green Purse, Sommer of Green and Clean Mom, and Jennifer of The Smart Mama. My lost in mommyland feelings dissipate. I relax. I found my tribe.

We spend a wild evening together. How? By hanging out in a bar and testing our purses for lead content!

OK, actually we were really scrounging around for things Jennifer could test with her XRF lead analyzer gun so she could show us how it worked. We also tested the, ahem, silicone facial massager from the Room 704 gift bag. It’s lead free. We tweeted this information to the universe because we thought the world might want to know its naughty bits were safe.

And because it’s funny.


BlogHer Day 1
I made connections with bloggers and sponsors and volunteered my little feet off.

Highlight - I met Carsen Kressley!

Moth. To. A. Flame.

I get a DM from Husband. He’s happy for me. He says a diva needs her gays. The only question is – who’s the diva?

I Party With a Giant Potato
We listened to Beth sing karaoke at the Friday night BlogHer cocktail party.

Mrs. Potato Head was there. She can really let it rip on the dance floor!

However, her party girl exploits concerned me. You see, Mrs. Potato Head was dancing just a little too close to the Sobe Lizard. I wonder should we be concerned for the Potato Head marriage?

Mr. Mullet Head Karoke Dude (Appalling! Don’t they have drag queens in Chicago? Every decent karaoke show I go to is run by a drag queen not a mullet head!) cut me from the song list due to time (your loss. I was going to sing 99 Red Balloons – in German.) I decided to conduct an experiment - how many Green Moms you can stuff into a photo booth?

Diane of Diane of Big Green Purse, Lisa of Condo Blues – Me!, Micaela of Mindful Momma, Maryanne of Not Quite Crunchy Parent, Me!, Linda C. Anderson, Beth of Fake Plastic Fish)

The answer: six.

BlogHer Day 2
I’m asked to do video interview for Tropicana The Juice. They grabbed me as I was shuffling toward the coffee urn during breakfast and asked me to give some staycation tips. Perfect because I did a post on that. Not so perfect – I had to do the interview pre-coffee. I can barely dress myself in the morning pre-coffee let alone talk in complete sentences! Somehow I managed to communicate in something other than my normal decaffeinated grunts, clicks, and whistles – an achievement.

This was followed by more sessions, more networking, and more volunteering my little feet off.

S.A.T.U.R.D.A.Y. Night!
After eating a bunch of food I normally don’t eat in large quantities for the last three days (think fried) my stomach was going wuga, wuga, wuga. I needed a real dinner. I went out to eat with some of the Green Moms Carnival to a real sit down type restaurant. Somewhat. My stomach was still doing the Samba so all I could choke down was half of a salad. But at least it wasn’t fried!
After dinner Micaela and I headed over to the CheeseburgHer party where I attempted to make a jaunty fedora out a paper bag.

Creative reuse – check.

Hey, I wasn’t the only one – it’s tradition!

Sunday Bloody Sunday
Sunday morning came early.

Way too early.

One person I hoped I meet at BlogHer was Jenny, The Bloggess. I didn’t get a chance to actually meet her until I was in the lobby getting ready to leave. I walked quietly up to her because I don’t want to startle her (because I do that to people) not that she would scare easily, she is prone to yelling “Wolverines!” in public. Something I don’t dare do in Buckeye country. My city’s full of superfans. Little old ladies on life support will wake from their comas and cut you with a broken beer bottle if dare utter the name of their biggest sports rival.

This is why I admire Jenny. She can "Wolverine!" any where she likes.

We talk about how “hobo” is a funny word. She tells me she met and molested Tim Gunn. I think she’s joking. She’s not. I tentatively give her my card. She looks at it and says magic words, “I read your blog.”

I’m stunned. Well, hit me in the face with a brick.

A reclaimed brick.

Because it’s green.

And lead free!



If you liked this post you may be interested in:

Why I Went to BlogHer '09

Subscribing to Condo Blues