Austin-Area BlogHers

A Visit to Blue Heron Farm, Making Delicious Goat Cheese An Hour Outside of Houston

SpendWiselyTexas@gmail.com — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:47:46 -0600

Lisa and Christian, the owners of Blue Heron Farm, raise beautiful goats and make delicious cheese in Field Store Community, Texas. They sell their cheese at farmers markets all over the Houston area and have developed quite a following for their ultra creamy and flavorful chevre (or goat cheese). I recently took a tour of their farm. For more on this post click here.

Austin-Area BlogHers

Sadie Sadie Single Mom Married Lady

lblock — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:56:37 -0600

I am on hubby #3. I don't have any shame about it. It is what it is. I was too young the first time, the second is the father of my kids and the third is the love of my life.

All that being said, I still view myself as a single mom. My hubby is bi-coastal. He has kids in the East and his company is in the East, so he is there for about 2 weeks every month...sometimes more and sometimes less.

The traveling works for us. Many friends and family ask me how I can stand it, but the truth is, if he were here all the time, we would probably kill each other. We have been together for 3 years and married for 3 months.

I have been a single parent for almost 4 years. My ex is not what I would call involved. He does take his visitation, but he is absent the rest of the time. It is me and them and them and me and has been that way for a very long time.

Whether hubby is home or not, I feel single when it comes to my kids. Hubby loves them and they love him, but I am Mommy. Mommy is who they go to when they want something, need something, have something, get something and say something. Mommy is who takes them to camp, play dates, parks, zoos, movies, swimming, dinner, shopping.

I can ask hubby to stay with the kids or take them to Birthday parties and take up slack for me, he does it willingly and with a smile, but it's the hard stuff. The discipline, the fighting, the whining that makes me feel like I am doing it alone.

I know that I am not the only married parent out there that feels this way, and I also know that some of you that feel this way are married to your kids fathers, but I still sometimes wonder about that dichotomy of married and single.

Just another curve ball that I have to figure out and just another outlet to let it out. Thank you all for allowing me this outlet to vent, complain, digress and talk. If you would like to see the humorous side of my life, please visit me at Headaches, Hormones & Hot Flashes.

Austin-Area BlogHers

Today I Cried

lblock — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:56:37 -0600

I have not cried in a long time. I swallow it down. I don't let the tears flow. I will not allow this for myself. I can't afford it....but, this morning....I cried. I cried for hours. I cried non stop. I went through an entire box of kleenex. I cried until my eyes were so puffy they would not even open anymore. And, I didn't think I would ever stop.

But, I stopped, made myself a cup of green tea and sat down to write.

Yesterday, my Mother called me very concerned because she read my blog. She is worried that I am dissatisfied with my life and my marriage. She thinks that getting the hormones right is not necessarily the answer for me. She thinks that diet and exercise will mask the issues.

Well, she knows there are issues. BIG issues. HUGE issues. Doesn't everyone have them? Am I dissatisfied? HELL YES! Will I do anything to change it? Don't know!

Here is the truth...

I WANT a career, but have no clue what to do, when I have spent my life being taken care and getting married to AVOID figuring out what to do. I have no experience doing much more than being:

a. A Mom
b. Arm Candy
C. A Bitch

Those don't get you very far in the corporate world. Yes, I have started "businesses", but they have not succeeded. Yes, I "craft", but it is a hobby that does not earn me a living. Yes, I have an "online store", but if I had to survive on those profits I would be living under a bridge...I might not even be able to afford that.

Is my marriage perfect? NO. Does hubby have two lives he lives? YES. Did I know that when I married him? YES. Did I hope he would change? YES. Do I know that people never change? YES. Am I an idiot? HELL YES.

BUT, he is great to my kids. He is a warm body, albeit not an emotional understanding let me lean on you and tell you my problems warm fuzzy guy. He does take care of me and the kids financially, although he complains about it constantly.

He is who he is. I am who I am. And right now, I am a HORMONE-LESS WRECK OF A PERSON!

In Florida I bought this shirt. It is so fitting to my mental state at the moment, I couldn't resist it.

I called my therapist yesterday after leaving the GYN for my post op and begged for an appointment to put me on anti depressants, anti anxiety and sleeping pills. I see him for a consult today.

There are days where I want to go back to the Doctor and BEG her to put my sick ovaries back in. I had no idea it would be THIS hard. She warned me, but I scoffed at her...SCOFFED! How stupid was I? Like she wouldn't know?!?!?

This blog is MY sounding board. A place where I can write, scream, yell and rail at the world, myself, my kids, my life and my hubby. It is also my place to share and it does work as therapy in many ways. Just to write it out, which means to think it out, which means to be a rational human being is so helpful.

So, for those that read, thank you. For those that get me, thank you. For those that understand, thank you. And for those that tolerate me, thank you.

Austin-Area BlogHers

The Second Wife

lblock — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:27:11 -0500

I am the second wife. I don't mean wife #2, because I am wife #3. I mean the second wife. As in, more than one. Yes, folks, my hubby is a bigamist without committing bigamy. How is that possible?

He has his wife, me. He has his ex. I am wife #2 and she is #1. She gets all the concessions of being first wife, without the sex and the shit that goes along with being married. She decides that I am not allowed to be around his children. She decides that he can't take them on vacation. She decides that he can go with them on vacation, but only if I am left at home. She decides that I am not allowed at any life cycle events.

As wife #2, I get the honors of having sex when he wants, picking up his dry cleaning and cleaning up after him. That's it. Nothing else. Wife #1 lives with the kids in another city. He goes to said city to work and see kids. I have no idea what they do together as a "family", but I think I should be his family.

Why can't I be his family WITH his children? That's the million dollar question! He is my family with MY children. He is more their father than their real father, who is just a glorified babysitter!

I have put a LOT of thought into this issue. And, yes it is an issue, not a problem. A problem would indicate there was a solution or a trying to work it out, and that is not the case here. First, there is the guilt. The guilt he feels when his kids and his ex tell him he ruined their lives and broke up the family. Because of this guilt, he bends over backwards to do what they want and how they want. But where does that leave me, the real wife?

It leaves me as the second wife. Just like in the olden times when the King had a harem. I live in the shadows. In the back room. I am visited when the King is horny or lonely. I have perks of not worrying about a roof over my head or food on my table. But, I am not the Queen, and will never be the Queen.

I am the Second Wife, and being the Second Wife Sucks.

Austin-Area BlogHers

Michael Jackson Dead At Age 50 Updated With Statement From Jermaine Jackson

Megan Smith — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:01:24 -0500

Singer Michael Jackson died at the age of 50 this afternoon at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was rushed there this afternoon in full cardiac arrest. On a day when actress Farrah Fawcett also died, it was nearly unbelievable when news reports and tweets on Twitter first proclaimed late this afternoon that the superstar might be dead.

Jermaine Jackson at around 9PM EST tearfully read the following statement outside the UCLA Medical Center:

My brother, the legendary King of Pop Michael Jackson passed away on Thursday, June 25th, 2009 at 2:26 PM. It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known. His personal physician who was with him at the time attempted to resuscitate my brother. And, uh, as did the paramedics who transported him to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

Upon arriving at the hospital at approximately 1:14 PM a team of doctors including emergency physicians and cardiologists attempted to resuscitate him for a period of more than one hour. And they were unsuccessful.

Our family requests that the media please respect our privacy during this tough time. And, uh may Allah be with you Michael always. Love you.

Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958 to Joe and Katherine Jackson. By the time he was six years old, he was singing with his five brothers and on the brink of discovery by Motown Record executives. There's an old black and white audition video of a very young Michael imitating James Brown, fancy dance moves and all. (I'm working on getting a link for that, bear with me.)

When Michael was ten, Motown signed the Jackson 5 and the group became an instant hit. Songs like "ABC," "Stop The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There" were records every kid on my block was dancing to, though my grandmother insisted there was no dancing on the street, only in the house.

Around the same time, the Osmond Brothers were also hitting it big and as a black child growing up in Brooklyn, there was the black/white, Jackson/Osmond rivalry. Michael Jackson was cuter, no Donny Osmond was cuter!

There were TV appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Sonny and Cher Show." There were Saturday morning Jackson 5 cartoon shows:

As he got older, Michael Jackson broke out on his own with his 1979 Quincy Jones produced solo album, "Off The Wall." It created a huge sensation for an audience that was growing up with him and for the next generation as well.

But no one could foresee the phenomena that would be "Thriller."

The album, which has sold 45 million copies worldwide, pushed Jackson's career into the stratosphere with songs like, "Beat It" "Billie Jean" and "Thriller." That was in 1982 and when in 1983, Michael debuted "Billie Jean" and the infamous moonwalk dance step on the 25th anniversary Motown TV special, it pushed his career and his fame to a level that was beyond superstardom.

In 1984 the Jacksons, including Michael did the Victory Tour which according to Wikipedia grossed 75 million dollars, at that time the most ever for any concert tour.

My cousins and I went to one of the concerts at Giants Stadium. We were way up in the rafters but still thrilled to see Michael, Tito, Marlon, Jermaine and Jackie, so close. One of my favorite songs from the tour and my favorite Jacksons video is "Can You Feel It?"

Jackson's cutting edge videos also forced the burgeoning MTV to play the videos of black people. they'd been resisting because supposedly they were only going to play rock videos, but to the rest of us "rock" meant "only white."

Along comes the album "Thriller" with it's seven top ten single records and MTV could no longer ignore the first class videos Michael Jackson was producing to go along with them: "Beat It," and "Thriller" being by far the most popular.

Jackson followed up "Thriller" with "Bad." Though not as big as "Thriller" it was still a worldwide sensation and even more videos came to go with the songs. One that showcases Jackson's dancing skills to perfection is "Smooth Criminal."

But all that talent and fame came at a very high cost. Jackson eventually built the Neverland Ranch as his own sanctuary from the world. He thought of himself as a modern day Peter Pan and decked out Neverland with an amusement park and a zoo.

In 1994 he married Lisa Marie Presley, someone who understood fame as the daughter of Elvis Presley, but that marriage lasted less than three years. He then married Debbie Rowe who eventually became the mother of two of his three children, Michael and Paris. That lasted less than three years as well. His third child Prince was born with the help of a surrogate mother.

It was during this time that all the Michael Jackson craziness seemed to develop. As his fame got larger, his nose got thinner, his skin got lighter (Jackson said from the disease vitiligo, but many questioned that) and his popularity waned. The rise of other types of music, like hip hop, seemed to signal the era of Michael Jackson was over.

Even that might have been okay except in 1993 a thirteen year old boy accused Jackson of sexual molestation while the child was on a visit to Neverland ranch. Jackson denied the accusations and the case settled out of court.

Then in 2003 Jackson was arrested on charges of molesting a young cancer patient who came to visit his ranch. The case dragged on for two years until Jackson was acquitted in 2005.

But after the molestation charges Jackson's reputation and career were irreparably damaged. He spent time in the country of Dubai and as the years passed his financial woes almost forced a foreclosure of Neverland and a sale of his possessions. Eventually, Jackson prevented the foreclosure and transferred the title of Neverland to new owners.

After years of financial woes Jackson was preparing a comeback concert tour in London. The tickets for the 50 concerts sold in record time. Just today Rolling Stone posted an article about the tour and how the four opening dates were postponed:

While Jackson has been rumored to be frequently absent from his Los Angeles rehearsals with choreographer and musical director Kenny Ortega, the technical complexity of the shows, as well as Jackson's perfectionism has been cited for the delayed starting dates.

Now those concerts are no more.

I tell you, I feel like a big part of my childhood has been shut away forever with Michael Jackson's death.

And before I tell you why, let me first say that I believe that he was innocent of those molestation charges. I believe he was stupid and naive to still have boys sleeping at his house after he was charged the first time, but deep down in my gut, I don't think he did it. I couldn't say what I'm about to if I did.

Though I was often frustrated by his strange quirks, I loved Michael Jackson. I think he was one of the most talented performers ever born. It may not look like it now because over the years we've seen so many pale copies of the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson-like moves, but Michael Jackson was the original. Like Madonna, I actually think his true talent was not so much his singing, but his dancing and his choreography.

I also think he became something that fame created and which any human being would have a tough time handling. I think about Elvis and Marilyn Monroe and Diana. The level of fame they faced was beyond anything that could ever be imagined.

And those with fragile natures are hard pressed to handle something so crushing. I think Michael was one of those people. It makes me very sad.

When I heard the news I actually cried out I was so upset. I mourn for the cute little kid with the big, big talent. I mourn for the adult that he couldn't become. And I mourn for that piece of my childhood that was sweet and safe and fun.

RIP Michael.

Related Links:

(Thanks for my fellow CE Aniis Flox for these)

Fans Gather Around Michael's Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

Michael Jackson May Have Left Rights To Beatles Songs To Paul McCartney

Reactions from the blogosphere:

ABW at Diary of An Anxious Black Woman:

My childhood icon, my first ever superstar, Michael Jackson, died after a cardiac arrest at the age of 50. I'm still crying as I type this. I'm really upset about this! :(

Jen at Connect with Your Teens Through Pop Culture:

I
have such memories of listening to the Jackson 5 during my tween years. I loved every single song they came out with. We were both
approximately the same age, so when Off the Wall came out, it seemed
the perfect music for that time in my life.

MamaLaw:

It's officially the end of an era. May he rest in peace.

Megan Smith is the BlogHer Contributing Editor covering Television and Online Video. Her personal entertainment blog is Megan's Minute, Quirky Commentary Around The Clock.

New York Area BlogHers

Blogging While Brown 2009: An Interview with Gina McCauley of What About Our Daughters

Megan Smith — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:48:14 -0500

Have you heard of Gina McCauley? If you haven't, listen up--this is a woman who's on the cutting edge of the internet and social media and you need to get to know her right now. If you do know who she is, read the following interview anyway, because I defy you not to be inspired by her story, her passion and her good old fashioned smarts. Just the kind of black woman the MSM almost never talks about.

Gina's the outspoken publisher of the blogs What About Our Daughters and Michelle Obama Watch, and she's also the organizer of the blogging conference for people of color, Blogging While Brown. After attending last weekend's successful 2nd annual conference, I had some questions for Gina and she was kind enough to make time to answer them for me.

What did you hope to achieve with this year's conference and do you feel you accomplished what you set out to do?

My goal was to bring people together so that they could meet other people, learn something new and have a good time. My hope before the conference that people would develop relationships with others they could partner with and collaborate. I think we definitely accomplished that. I was afraid that we couldn't replicated the amazing "vibe" from last year, and we didn't. The "vibe" this year was even better than the vibe int he room from last year. People genuinely liked each other, were excited for each other, encouraged each other and enjoyed each other's company to the point that they would leave :)

On the way out the door, three women who live in Chicago who didn't know each other before they came to the conference and attended the bootcamp and conference said they were going to collaborate together and start a group blog. That's so important because blogging can be a very solitary experience. Blogging While Brown makes blogging a family experience. You know you're part of this loud lovely group that loves to get together and chat.

How was this year's conference different than last year's?

First, we added the beginning blogger bootcamp and I think its fair to say that was an overwhelming success. We got raves about that, and we'll be expanding our "nuts & bolts" training next year. We had a really small class that met before the conference began. They got each other. I think it was less intimidating when the entire conference convened because they already had their bootcamp friends. My goal was to take civilians and turn them into lean mean blogging and podcasting machines and we did that.

We clearly had more people this year. We eliminated Sunday morning events, which I think is wise :) We had all conference events in the same location. I actually did very little organizing this year because I delegated logistics to our conference coordinator, Shalon and programming to Shawn P Williams from the Dallas South Blog and literally the conference was able to take without me. I arrived to both the kick reception and the Saturday workshops after they had started and they in full swing without me. So that means from a delegation standpoint, it was successful because I had a good team who made sure the conference could take place without me... AND we had power outlets EVERY WHERE this year! That was something we learned from last year when we blew the convention center power grid during the conference.

Your blog What About Our Daughters is very focused on speaking up about issues relating to women of color in a blunt and unapologetic way. I love that. But at the same time there are people in the black community who would say, you shouldn't be putting our "dirty laundry" out there for all the world to see. What do you say to that?

I don't what those people think! The cost of silence is too high. You're not going to march the community over the side of a cliff while I quietly watch. Another blogger once said, I forget who, that when you hear someone fret over "dirty laundry" being "aired" that you have to wonder how many loads they've washed. I started blogging because I think the very survival of young Black women is at stake. Live free or die. Folks are worried about bad PR with blood running in the streets.

We're seven times more likely to be sexually assaulted, being devastated by HIV-AIDS, young Black women under the age of 18 are the most likely to be killed when pregnant or within a year after their deaths. I'll shut up about it when all the dirty laundry police start protecting Black women and girls. Until that time, Black women and girls have a natural born right to engage in self defense. Our only defense at this point is to open up our mouths and scream. I've often found that merely shining a tiny light under the darkest rocks in the Black community sends the foolishness scattering

What are you trying to accomplish with Michelle Obama Watch?

You know I don't know anymore :) I was one of those Black folks who wondered if the country REALLY REALLY was going to elect a Black president so when I started the site, I really couldn't conceive of her ACTUALLY being first lady and I think that's a good thing. The possibility was just so outlandish :) But what I was trying to do was to point out that a lot of the criticism that was being directed her way was rooted in stereotypes we have about Black women. Those stereotypes are driven by the media and pop culture. I didn't think she was being adequately defended.

In fact, I was outraged by the silence of social justice and women's groups about her treatment at the time. She was being characterized as angry and unpatriotic. Michelle Obama is just like me. She's like my friends, we're Black women who are professionals and almost all of us have anecdotes about just walking to get coffee and being asked if we're "okay" because its 7:30 Am in the morning and we're not smiling like the UPN frog. Or being accuse of being "angry" when we're merely passionate about something.

So I wanted to respond to what I felt was typical media stereotyping. By doing that and starting the site, I've become this like Michelle Obama subject matter expert to some people, mainly the media, but its great because Black women, not all of our original contributors were Black BTW, but Black women have been able to inject their voices into the national dialog about Michelle Obama. And guess what? even though she's the first lady, those organizations and groups who were silent during the campaign still are silent :) Although the NAACP came out of hissing to demand a "proper" apology, whatever that is, from Rusty DePass. Big Whoop, now if only they could tackle gender pay equity issues and a history of the appearance of sexual harassment in their national headquarters.

Back to BWB, several people I spoke with suggested the conference was almost ready to be a two day conference. Are you thinking of that, and what will it take to get the conference to that next level?

ARGH! You know I almost think that its a good thing that people leave wanting more :) We'll definitely be adding more programming on Friday during the day. I think we're going to add some more "nuts & bolts" small classes where "learning by doing" is the focus. We'll get some really good instructors to teach in a small group setting and they will cover some of the more intermediate topics that we discussed. For example, we'll have someone teach a course on Buddy Press, or Migrating your Blog to your own hosting service, or how to configure and understand adsense and SEO, people will be sitting there with their laptops actually DOING this stuff instead of taking notes about how to do it. I think the only way to learn about blogging is to do it in some cases. But don't hold me to that.

We're also going to have a "spin off" conference that will likely be in in the Fall or winter that will likely be west coast based and focus on access to capital and the "business" of blogging. We'll likely be bringing "boot camps" to under served communities, in places like the Mississippi Delta and others because now we know from this year that we can set up a mobile computer lab :) we even know how to set up our own wifi network :) So we're definitely going to grow and expand, but I don't want the conference to become so big and unwieldy that we lose the energy. the Size of the conference isn't nearly as important as the depth of the relationships people develop at the conference. People can watch tutorials online to learn a lot of the stuff you learn at the conference, but its only by coming to the conference that you can walk in a stranger and leave with 10 new friends.

What is the hardest thing about writing your blogs? The easiest?

The hardest part about writing my blogs is dealing with the success :) I'm a "celebrity" or sorts and I have all of the issues that any other celebrity would have, just not the money :) The loss of anonymity, the expectations from others, the responsibility of managing this thing I stated on a lark and has grown into so much more. In some ways, as I've become more successful at blogging, I have less time to blog :) So just continuing to get new posts up while juggling the additional obligations like speaking at conferences is a challenge also As any small business person will tell you, in order for the business to grow, you have to make time for that.

So I really want to expand the number of people who hear my message and that means trying to write a book and produce content that can be viewed offline. That takes more time than sitting at my keyboard and letting it rip. So that's my biggest challenge right now, making room for growth and expansion and I think all the lessons I learned this year with BWB about delegating and making myself clear and being firm and giving people guidelines will be really helpful. Because the conference planning team really executed my vision well.

The easiest part is actually writing the blog posts. I have a lot to say and I've never been afraid of sharing my opinion with whoever will listen so for me, expressing myself is easy :) I think the challenge is sometimes hitting the "save" button instead of the "publish" button. I don't need to share EVERYTHING I think with the world. '

Where did you grow up? What was your family life like growing up?

I grew up in southeast Texas in a Black Baptist family. I was the youngest until my little brother came along when I was 13. I have an extraordinary family. Both of my parents were present in my life. I know realize how blessed I am to have been raised the way I was because I read horror stories about what's happening to children whose parents don't their obligations as seriously. I have big family with 4 siblings. I was always outspoken and that was something I struggled with as a child because children are to be seen and not heard, especially girl children and I struggled to just shut up :) My life would have been so much easier if I could have compelled myself to conform, but even from the earliest age, I've hated injustice. I hate seeing the powerful mistreat the weak. I hate bullies :)

I think you see that in my blogging. I'm not afraid to tell powerful institutions that their wrong. It wasn't until I started blogging that I realized that my outspoken nature was not a curse, it was a blessing. But I couldn't blog the way I blog without my family. I remember when the NY times wanted me to reveal my identity because I was blogging pseudo anonymously at the time and I was very reluctant to do that and I remember asking my mom that if all this blows up in my face and I end up on the streets, can come home and sleep on the floor. She said of course. My parents were my first readers and they read the blog every day and get downright indignant if I go a couple of days without posting :) they also are unofficial editors because when I am in the zone and I can hear music in my head as I'm writing a post blasting someone, my only limitation on my "passionate" prose is that I know my parents are going to read what I write. So I do edit myself unconsciously at times. For example ESSENCE magazine had a ridiculous sex issue in June that I just blasted, but I would have blasted it in far greater detail if my parents weren't reading my blog.

In the end family is ALL that matters. Once you become high profile, you don't know why people are approaching. You don't know their motivations, but you always have the security of the love of those who knew you and loved you when you were just an carbaholic couch potato sitting on the couch watching life roll by.

Tell me something about how you grew up that you think might have influenced you to be where you are today, on the cutting edge of social media.

Well, first of all, I grew in a house with computers. My Daddy is an electronics geek. We might not have had the most fashionable clothes, but we had a VIC-20, A commodore 64. I was publishing a newspaper in the 5th grade because we had a desktop publishing program at home. My daddy had the internet back in the day when you had to pay the minute. IRC all that stuff. I remember making this little device from Radio Shack and making this little red light come on. I've been
programming since I learned how to write a code on the Vic-20 that would make my name scroll up the computer screen.

My mother is VERY active in the church so we were conscripted into service. We were always "on program." Giving speeches and performing community service. My mother was the matron of the girls group at church and before we could go to an amusement park, the group had to do a "good deed."

Education was important.

So I think my comfort with technology and my comfort with speaking to the world is rooted in the fact that that's just who I am. that's who I've always been. I'm not afraid of technology. It never occurred to me that I couldn't learn anything I didn't know. So its always interesting when I teach people how to blog how amazed they are that something so simple to me as posting a YouTube video is possible for them.

We've always been a cutting edge family from a technological sense and my parents have always marched to the beat of their own drum.

There was a lot of talk about branding at this year's conference. What is
the next step for the "Gina McCauley brand?"

Oh lord, there is NO Gina McCauley brand. I don't see myself that way. Its interesting to see people's reaction to me because I don't feel any different from them :) I don't view myself as "the product" or the "the brand." I view myself more as the messenger. But I'm definitely writing a book. I've started and stopped a few times, but I'm going to get grustle on. I haven't decided if that's going to be self published, I will likely be sending out query letters sometime this summer to see if I can get a book deal. I definitely am moving into video content production. I complain about the images of Black women in popular culture, but its time to not just complain, but to compete with those images. I think there is a HUGE audience for content that is being under served and ignored. I also think that Black people who know better tend to be risk averse and the creative process is inherently risky. You risk rejection at every turn, but I think people like me have to begin to create a vision of what they want to see in the world because if we don't' do it, no one will.

Most people don't know this, but I've taught myself how to do 3D animation so there is a cartoon on the way featuring your Black girls. There is also a live action movie on the way and i hope to move into some barter syndication deals to broadcast television programming featuring Black women. Public Affairs, Lifestyle, and some fiction. But again, all that takes time an I have to reorder my life so I can do that. I VOWED that once Blogging While Brown 2009 was done, I was
going to shut down for a few weeks to just reorder my life. I've gotten at least one volunteer to agree to hold down my blog and guest post while I walk away for a while.

So I'm trying to set up my "summer" retreat so I can create a structure in my life to do this stuff. If I had a "brand" it would be a brand about Black women living EXCELLENT lives. We don't have to struggle, we don't have to be long suffering, we don't have to me marginalized. My life is fabulous, the lives of my friends are fabulous, why aren't we seeing that? Why is there this narrow spectrum of our human existence in the media? The reason why, is that we aren't sharing our vision of who we are in a compelling and creative way. That's what I want to do.

Is there anything else you'd like to say about the conference or the future of blogging, especially as it relates to people of color?

I just want to say that we should never take any progress we achieve for granted. Right now there are large forces at work aimed at attempting to limit some of the freedoms we take for granted as
bloggers Whether that's imposing costs that make our content unattainable for certain segments of our community or if we continue to lag behind when it comes to access to capital. There are Black bloggers making six figures who should be making 8. There are black bloggers making 2 figures that should be making 5. There are black bloggers who are speaking passionately and forcefully about issues, but they haven't figure out a way to develop and agenda and push for
change legislatively by becoming lobbyists.

We're still very much on the outside and Black bloggers, as you saw from this weekend are the largest gathering of interdisciplinary genius in the Black community. I mean If took a poll, just from my interactions, at least half that room had advanced degrees. The other half had insane amounts of experience. There was easily 30 billion dollars of potential sitting in that room. There was easily two or three congressional districts worth or political strategy and organizing skills sitting in that room. SO how do we go from this awesomely talented fringe and more towards the center of power. How to we make sure our communities keep up with the rapid change in technology. There are probably millions of smart phone aps, how many are aimed at making the lives of poor and working class people easier? Is there an ap for paying your utility bills. Is there and ap that show you the GPS location of the closest bus so you don't have to wait out int he cold.

Are we going to make the same mistakes as were made by earlier generations of media, print, TV, radio and end up being merely consumers. There's a lot of emphasis on producing content, but not as much on the infrastructure that makes that content possible. If you don't know how to build the infrastructure, its very easy to make you disappear online. So, as exciting as BWB is, we really are in a type of technological arms race. Obsolescence online can be a matter of months, not years.

We have to continue to evolve and grow. Stagnation is not an option

Let me just repeat Gina's last line, "Stagnation is not an option!"

Have I mentioned I love this woman? You go, girl!

*A small formatting note. This interview was conducted by email, so I've corrected any obvious typos.

Other fabulous bloggers I met at BWB:

Brandon Q. White of The SuperSpade.

Senam Amegashie of TweetMeBlack.

Afrobella of the blog Afrobella.

Shawn Williams of Dallas South. You can read his BWB recap here. He also included great pictures from the conference.

All the ladies who ran the very successful Red Pump Project AIDS fundraiser/cocktail party. You can read all about it here.

Related Links:

At the Young Black Professional Guide, DNLee writes about people of color and science, and lists several science blogs written by people of color.

Blogging While Brown 2009: A Conference for People of Color with Lessons for All Bloggers

Blogging While Brown 2009: Making Money, Making Friends and Making Movies

Megan Smith is the BlogHer Contributing Editor covering Television and Online Video and she had a great time in Chi-town. Her personal entertainment blog is Megan's Minute, Quirky Commentary Around The Clock.

Exploring White Privilege and Dismantling Systems of Oppression

Blogging While Brown 2009: A Conference for People of Color with Lessons for All Bloggers

Megan Smith — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:33:47 -0500

"Fish where your buyers swim," said Milton Haynes of Blacks Gone Geek.

Before you hit publish, check your headline, "That's the most strategic choice you're about to make," said Megan Tady of Save The Internet.com.

"Own your digital real estate," said Hajj E. Flemings, branding expert and author of "The Brand YU Life."

These quotes came from presenters at last weekend's 2nd annual Blogging While Brown conference held at the University Center in Chicago. It's the kind of advice that's important for all bloggers but the attendees of BWB got that and much more.

BWB was launched last year by blogger Gina McCauley of the blogs What About Our Daughters and Michelle Obama Watch. During her closing remarks this year she said, "My goal is to give you the tools and connections to do whatever you want to do."

The weekend kicked off with a Beginners Blogging Boot Camp on Friday to teach newbies the nuts and bolts of starting a blog. The main event took place Saturday and covered a more advanced range of topics. For example, "Using The Latest Tech Tools To Grow Your Blog," "Building A Strong Personal Brand Online," and "What's Next For Traditional Media?"

Now you might ask yourself, isn't that the kind of stuff all bloggers would like to learn? What's the point of having a blogging conference for just people of color?

The answer is, it's an opportunity for people of color bloggers to bond with a group of blogging peers who often face the same challenges as they do. These were people of color, energized and enthusiastic about the internet and technology, and bursting with ideas to explore its power.

An additional benefit, and no less important, is it allows those people of color who write about politics and social change to start building a formal or informal network that can be mobilized to influence public policy.

According to eMarketer.com, last year nearly 47% of the black population were internet users. Their 2007 report also estimates that "In four years, 56% of African-Americans will be online, roughly the same percentage as Hispanics."

With a black president in office, this group of black bloggers attending BWB was proud of the role many of them played during the campaign to get the perspective of people of color out to the mainstream media. Part of the discussion at BWB involved trying to find ways to build on that momentum.

Speakers and panelists at the conference included Angel Laws, the creator of the popular entertainment blog, Concrete Loop, Megan Tady of Save The Internet, Sabrina Miller of Hit Me Back! and Carmen Dixon Rosenzweig of All About Race. Milton Haynes of Blacks Gone Geek gave a presentation about prepping your blog pitch, Fredric Mitchell, a professional web developer talked about the importance of knowing how your blogging platform operates, and Bruce Montgomery, host of the Chicago weekly TV show, Technology Access Television talked about the current state of mainstream media.

Cheryl Contee who writes as Jill Tubman on the blog Jack and Jill Politics talked about the importance of finding allies within the blogosphere. She encouraged bloggers to find allies among people who share the same agenda. No matter the color, no matter the ethnicity. "Diversity is a strategy, not a color."

Here's an interview I did with Ms. Contee after the conference about women, blogging and marketing.

But what did some of the attendees think of the conference? Yvonne Shinhoster Lamb and her partner Sherry Howard are about to launch a site called We Are Black Women.com for black women over forty.

Attendee Philena Rush on the most significant thing she learned at the conference:

You can see more of my BWB video interviews on my YouTube channel.

Sponsors for the conference were AT&T, who provided 20
scholarships for people to attend, BlogHer, Daily Kos, BlackPR.com,
NextGenWeb and Freepress.net.

Tomorrow I'll post my personal thoughts and feelings about the conference and what important tech tips I learned. I'll also tell you how I ended up having lunch with several good looking men. They'll be more photos and video interviews, including one I did with Angel Laws of Concrete Loop.

Then on Wednesday, my final BlogHer BWB post will include an interview with organizer Gina McCauley.

Thanks to Gina and Shawn P. Williams of the Dallas South blog who kept the conference running on time. Also thanks to Shalon Evans who worked behind the scenes and was then the welcoming face at the registration desk.

Related Links:

What About Our Daughters: "Oops We Did It Again: Blogging While Brown"

Luvvie at Awesomely Luvvie thought Blogging While Brown Rocked!

BWB bloggers on digital activism's past, present and future

Everyday Citizen: Hot Time In The Old Town, Blogging While Brown by Zola Jones

Next Gen Web at Blogging While Brown (includes video of the panels)

Megan Smith's Travels in Chicago during Blogging While Brown

Here's a list of conference participants courtesy of Everyday Citizen. There's some great stuff here so do yourself a favor and check them out:

5 and a Possible, A Buzz in Your Ear, Acts of Faith in Love and Life, Afrobella, All About Race, Around Harlem, Around NYC, Awesomely Luvvie, Beckie Has a Blog, Beyond-isms, Black Gyrl Cancer Slayer, Black PR, Blacks Gone Geek, Blank Bare Clean, Blog Not War, blogHer, Bronzeville Change, Brother Bartell, Brown and Bridal, But You Are A Girl, Carlos in DC, Change You Can See, Chartreuse, Color of Change, Concrete Loop, Consumer Blast, Cyber PR Urban, D Jones Productions, Dallas South Blog (go Dallas South!), Dante Lee, Dragon Fly, Ebony Jet, Flack Me, Fresh Manna of the Day, Global Wire, Global Wire, Goddess Intellect, Hajj Flemings, Harmonic Leadership, Haute Muslim, Have a Wonderful, I Hate My Developer, IT Empowers U, Jack and Jill Politics, Jamal Street Journal, Kiamsha.com:That Which Awakens Me, Listen to Leon, Live Life Posh, Locs and Dreams, Love a Black Woman, Marty Blogs, Megans Minute, Michelle Obama Watch, Miss Theda, Mocha Mom 365, Monroe Anderson, Naomi Christine, Pams House Blend, Peruanista, Philena, Photo Solitude, Pocket Book Protest, Project New Era, Queen Tahj, Save the Internet, See Your Worth, Small World View, Social Media Socialite, South Shore Chamber, TATV, The Joba Group, The Smak, The SuperSpade, Theo Talks, Urban Beauty, Urban Science, UWISHUNU, We Are Black Women, What About Our Daughters, Woman Body and Soul, YBP Guide.

BWB Group Photo By FreddyO.

Exploring White Privilege and Dismantling Systems of Oppression

BlogHer for Beginners

Average Jane — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:59:07 -0500

Every year I see several pre-BlogHer
Conference posts with helpful tips for first-timers. It occurred to me
that I may have something to offer along those lines, seeing as I've
been going to BlogHer ever since it began. Thus, here's my take on the
subject, in no particular order:

Just say "hi." If I have a cardinal rule for BlogHer
Conference interactions, this would be it. You're going to see people
you recognize from your blog reading and Twitter icons. Do not EVER
think to yourself that so-and-so is "too famous" to want to talk to
you. Just go up, introduce yourself, gush a bit if you can't help
yourself, and say hello. What have you got to lose? This doesn't just
apply to people you recognize. Say "hi" to anyone you run into. The
very first person I met at the first BlogHer Conference in 2005 was Liz Rizzo, and we've been buds ever since.
Bring business cards. Trust me, you will kick yourself if
you don't have cards to trade. I can tell you that from experience
because I forgot mine one year. Some people will have elaborate cards
or other logo-branded giveaway items, but don't feel pressured to go
crazy with yours. I use the Avery laser printable cards and they're perfectly fine. If you order soon, you can get something fancier from Moo, Vista Print
(warning: Vista Print has no boundaries when it comes to marketing to
you after you've ordered!) or another online custom print shop.
Wear whatever you want. There is absolutely no such thing as
a BlogHer dress code. I always dress for comfort. Other people dress up
a little bit or a lot. If you're like me and don't post your photo on
your blog or Twitter profile, you may want to consider getting a
t-shirt with your blog logo or graphics on it to help people recognize
you. I generally wear my Average Jane t-shirt on the first day of the conference and switch to something else after that.
You're not obligated to spend all day in sessions. Feel worn
out or overwhelmed? Go back to your room and take a nap. Just not into
any of the sessions coming up next? Go sit in the lobby and chat with
other conference-goers until the next session starts. I've done both of
those things at various times during BlogHer. The last time it was in
Chicago, I walked down Navy Pier and rode the Ferris Wheel after lunch.
Individualize your conference experience in whatever way works best for
you.
Consider leaving your laptop at home, or at least in your room.
Sacrilege, I know! But...how are you going to interact with your fellow
BlogHers if you're hiding behind a laptop the whole time? Unless you've
been appointed to liveblog, try to spend as much time in face-to-face
interaction as you can. That's why you're there, right?
Don't feel bad about missing things. You can't go to every
session on every track. You're going to hear about parties that you
didn't know about/weren't invited to/can't find. You'll see some people
with awesome swag from mystery sources. There's a LOT going on at the
BlogHer Conference itself and there's a whole 'nother level of
unofficial parties, swag suites and attendee-organized events beyond
anything you could anticipate. If you ask around a bit, sometimes you
can get enough information to be able to crash. If not, don't worry -
you'll find something else fun to do.
Pack light. You are going to end up with so much free
merchandise and literature, it'll make your head spin. Even if you drop
off the stuff you don't want in the recycle room, you'll still be
flirting with the airlines' luggage weight limits. Coordinate with your
roomie(s) re: hair care appliances, etc. and resist the urge to pack
quite so many extra clothes and shoes.
Relax. Yes, a gathering of 1,200+ bloggers is rather
overwhelming. With that many people in one place, believe me, nobody is
looking at you, judging you, thinking about how your hair looks, trying
to gauge your Technorati rankings, etc. We're all there to learn
things, meet people and have fun. You're going to love it!

Dallas-area BlogHers

Party Like a BlogStar: A Comprehensive List of BlogHer '09 Parties

jes — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:00:49 -0500

Sure, sure. BlogHer sessions are generally awesome, and informative, and humorous and inspiring. You’ll undoubtedly leave the conference with a slew of new things to implement or try on your own site. Along the way, you’re certain to meet new friends. And BlogHer plans to help with that. We’ve got comprehensive details on EVERY open-invite party happening at BlogHer ’09 (and this post will be updated continuously, to keep you in the loop), so if you want the inside scoop on what events will be taking place during this summer’s hottest blogging conference, read on…

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2009

Chicago Webgrrls Networking Event
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Offsite – The Creative Group, Chicago
Learn more and RSVP here

Enjoy the RIDEZ Reception
Time: 7p.m.
Location: Offsite – Quartino Ristorante
Learn more and RSVP

THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009

Pre-BlogHer Luncheon at Dick’s Last Resort
Time: 12 – 3 p.m.
Location: Offsite – Dick’s Last Resort
Learn more and RSVP here

Swiffer SocialLuxe Lounge
Time: 3 – 8 p.m.
Location: Offsite – Penthouse, The Hyatt Regency Chicago
Learn more and RSVP here

SMC Chicago: Women, Blogging and Social Media
Time: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Offsite – 200 West Madison
Learn more and RSVP here

People’s Party
Time: 8:30 – 11 p.m.
Location: On-site – Chicago X, Ballroom Level
Learn more and RSVP here

Room 704 Party
Time: 10:30 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Location: On-site – Java East, Lobby Level
Learn more and RSVP here

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009

BlogHer 5k
Time: 6:30 a.m., limited registration
Location: Offsite – Along Chicago’s Lake Michigan shore
Fee: $5, includes race shirt
Learn more and RSVP here
[Sponsors and assistants needed, if you want to be involved but don’t want to participate in the walk/run]

BlogHer Cocktail Party
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: On-site – Expo Floor, Sponsored by Pepsi

EA Summer in the City Party
Time: 7 – 10 p.m.
Location: Offsite - House of Blues, Chicago
Learn more and RSVP here

Queerosphere Crimson Lounge
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Location: Offsite – Crimson Lounge, Hotel Sax
Learn more and RSVP here

Blogalicious Party
Time: 9 – 11 p.m.
Location: Offsite – Macy's Watertower
Learn more and RSVP here

MamaPopRocks! A Sparklecorn Extravaganza
Time: 9 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Location: On-site – Sheraton I, II, III, Ballroom Level
Learn more

Mommy Needs a Cocktail Party
Time: 9 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Location: On-site – Sheraton V, Ballroom Level

Learn more and RSVP here

Type-A MOMfluence Party
Time: 9 – 11 p.m.
Location: On-site – Columbus A & B, Lobby Level
Learn more and RSVP here

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2009

BlogHer Cocktail Party
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: To Be Announced

BowlHer '09
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Lucky Strike Bowling Lanes
RSVP here

Shutter Sisters Suite GapBody Pajama Party
Time: 8 - 10 p.m.
Location: On-site – Suite Details Forthcoming
Learn more

Third Annual CheeseburgHer Party
Time: 10 p.m. (ish)
Location: On-site – Tradition dictates that room details are kept under-wraps until party date
Learn more and RSVP here

SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2009

Starbucks Recovery Breakfast
Time: 9:00am – 12 p.m.
Location: On-site - Same room as Third Annual CheeseburgHer Party

Ann Taylor Style Event
Time: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location: Offsite - Flagship Ann Taylor on Michigan Avenue
Learn more and RSVP here

The Op-Ed Project
Time: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (with breaks for lunch, snacks)
Location: Offsite – Room 313 Spertus Museum
Learn more and RSVP here

THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND

Shutter Sisters Suite
Time: Beginning Friday, July 24th at 11:45am
Duration: During conference breaks, before and after select Friday parties
Location: On-site – Suite Details Forthcoming
Learn more

Mama's Tea Time, Prizes and Breastfeeding Bar
Time: Beginning Friday, July 24th at 3:30pm through Saturday, July 25th at 11am
Duration: During conference breaks, before and after sessions and Friday parties
Location: On-site - Hospitality Suite
Learn more

Tattoo Discounts at The Tattoo Factory
Dates: July 22 to July 26, 2009
Location: Offsite – The Tattoo Factory
Learn more (Appointment recommended)
Specials: 20% off tattoos and piercings, free swag, food/beverage discounts

(Many thanks to Shannan from MommyBits for starting the BlogHer party announcements!)

Dallas-area BlogHers

What are you reading this summer?

ItsKelly — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:30:55 -0500

Summer is here, and that means more time to lay by the pool, sip cool drinks and devour our favorite books...

Okay, not really, but I can hope.

I do tend to read more in the summer, and I'm looking forward to catching up on my long list of To Reads.

What do you plan to read this summer? What have you already read this year that's worth sharing

To see what I'm reading now, go here.

~Kelly
http://itskelly.com

Austin-Area BlogHers

Save the dates: BlogHer Meet-ups near you now scheduled for June!

Lisa Stone — Fri, 29 May 2009 19:45:39 -0500

UPDATED: Philly now on for Thursday, June 18. Details below!
UPDATED: SF East Bay now on for Saturday, June 13. Details below!
UPDATED: Seattle now on for Saturday, June 13. Details below!

Time to get your SQUEEEE on people, whether you've got a ticket to BlogHer or not, whether you've ever been to a BlogHer conference or not -- a meet-up of BlogHers may be coming to a 'burg near you in the next two weeks! Look, I've been moved to actually use exclamation points, that's how excited I am.

Times, dates and locations are now set for meet-ups in these 14 cities: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Boulder/Denver, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, St. Louis, Toronto and Vancouver. See the list below for details, including where you can find out who else is going and which blogger will be your gracious host. Six more cities are still seeking your feedback on dates, places and/or times: Austin, Chicago, D.C., Los Angeles, Seattle and Tampa.

From one person who's battled shyness her whole life to any other shy person out there: If you're wanting to meet other BlogHers and don't know a soul, get thee to a meet-up. These get-togethers are a great way to break the ice. I'm seriously thinking of packing the fam into the car and road-tripping to Pasadena to meet the children who wrote this post. See you there?

Cities where details are set (19):

City: Atlanta
Host: Renee Ross
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/date-has-been-set-atlanta-area-blogher-meetup
Date: June 13th, 1-3PM
Location: Pizzeria Venti in Buckhead [Proposed ]

City: Austin
Host: Skye Kilaen
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/blogher-austin-meetup-saturday-june-6th
Date: June 6th, 10:30AM
Location: Central Market Cafe on North Lamar

City: Boston
Host: Susan Getgood
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/im-calling-it-boston-area-meet-june-13-2-6pm
Date: June 13, 2-6PM
Location: Susan has kindly offered her house in Hudson, MA, kid-friendly

City: Boulder/Denver
Host: Gwen Bell
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/boulder-denver-pre-blogher-meet-greet-june-you
Date: June 20th, 1-3PM
Location: The Cup Espresso Cafe in Boulder, CO, free WIFI!

City: Chicago
Host: Jamie from Oh How Lovely
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/june-13th-meet-details
Date: June 13th, 2PM
Location: Oz Park, kid-friendly

City: Cincinnati
Host: MommyBits (aka ShannanB)
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/cincinnati-blogher-meetup-location-annouced
Date: June 13th, 10AM
Location: Yagoot in Rockwood Commons, kid-friendly

City: Cleveland/Columbus-area
Host:
Meet-up post: See the comments on this post!
Date: June 13th, 5.30pm-7.30pm
Location: The Greenhouse Tavern 2038 East 4th Street Cleveland, OH
See details in the comment below, RSVP required

City: Dallas
Host: Jes Ferris
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/brunchy-lunchy-meet-details
Date: June 13th, 10:30-1:30
Location: Central Market's Community Room, kid-friendly

City: Los Angeles
Host: Yvonne
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/saturday-june-13th-10-am-rsvp-here-please
Date: June 13th, 10AM
Location: Zona Rose Caffe in Pasadena

City: New York
Host: Megan Smith
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/lets-have-nyc-area-pre-blogher-09-meet-june-whos
Date: June 6th, 1PM
Location: Central Park, kid-friendly

City: Philadelphia
Host: Paula Gregorowicz
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/final-details-june-18th
Date: June 18th 6-8PM
Location: Manyunk at Le Bus (http://www.lebusmanayunk.com/mdinner.htm)

City: Portland
Host: Katherine Gray
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/blogher-pre-conference-meetups
Katherine is actually planning two meet-ups, both kid-friendly:
Meet-up #1: June 6th (afternoon) at Posies Cafe
Meet-up #2: June 13th (2-4PM) at Sydney's

City: San Francisco
Host: Ana Picazo (bonggamom)
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/lets-get-party-started
Date: June 13, 5-8PM
Location: Liz Henry has offered her Redwood City home, kid-friendly

City: San Francisco East Bay
Host: Victoria (@vdog)
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/lets-get-party-started#comment-104931
Date: June 13, 5PM
Location: @Vdog's house See post for details on how to get address

City: Seattle
Host: Leslie Flinger
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/here-it-aka-info
Date: June 13th, 2PM
Location: Kelsey Creek Farms, kid-friendly

City: St. Louis
Host: Kelli Best-Oliver
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/pre-blogher-09-meetup
Date: June 13, afternoon, 3PM
Location: Soulard Coffee Garden

City: Tampa-area
Host: Janet Dean
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/lets-have-tampa-area-pre-blogher-meet-june-whos
Date: June 6th, 7PM
Location: Channelside Bay Plaza

City: Toronto
Host: Katie (Motherbumper)
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/blogher-meet-location-location-location
Date: June 6th, 10AM
Location: Don Mills Brickworks, kid-friendly

City: Vancouver
Host: Mr. Lady (aka Shannon)
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/and-were-go-bloghervancity-details
Date: June 13th, 1PM
Location: Caffe Artigiano,Hastings St. location

Cities where we still need feedback! (1):

City: DC:
Host: Alison Fill
Meet-up post: http://www.blogher.com/planning-pre-conference-meet-june-6th-or-13th
Date: June 13th, time TBD
Location: TBD, TBD on kid-friendly

Let me know if I missed anyone or if you have an event you want added to the list!

Best,
Lisa

for Elisa, Jory and Lisa
BlogHer Co-founders

Van-City BlogHers Unite!

Tasty Baby

PrincessMAR — Wed, 20 May 2009 23:39:28 -0500

We are 4 days into our wonderful adventures of solids, when the door bell rings unexpectedly this morning. Who might be ringing our door I, the Pink Haired Momma, utter quietly to the peacefully resting Baby DIVA? I have not showered in quite some time now, nor even bothered to brush my Pink Hair, and it may have been eons since I looked like a human. And I may be mistaken but it is quite possible I have some discarded PEAS residing behind my left ear. Anyhow, how can I possibly answer this surprise ringing at my door?

I stalk towards the door in stealth mode for a couple of reasons actually. The first reason being I do not want to wake the peaceful resting Baby DIVA. We all know that waking Baby DIVA from her beauty sleep can result in a catastrophic nightmare of epic proportions. Let the DIVA rest!! The other reason being I just know whoever is at the door must have x-ray vision and surely will be able to see my scary Pink Haired Momma self through the heavy metal door. Gently I look ever so softly through the little peep hole and see my "friend" the Fed Ex man.

Wow! It has been such a long time since I have seen him. (The sour economy has put a limit on my online shopping not to mention I am so tired from Baby DIVA's 24 hour playtime adventures, that I often can not get myself, the computer and the credit card all together in one simple location to even attempt to make a purchase)! Fast as lightning I try and recall if I have done any shopping lately...hmmm there was that wild night on Sunday when Baby DIVA slept but Pink Haired Momma did not...vaguely I recall playing online but I seem to only remember working on my wedding registry (shhh don't tell anyone yet, just trying to get a head start LOL). I wonder what this could be!! A late Mother's day gift from Hubbs-to-be??? I was totally stumped.

Now let me remind you this entire conversation happened inside my Pink Haired head while I was unlocking the lock and flinging open the door to see my "friend" the Fed Ex guy!! Excellent parenting and safety skills were definitely utilized during this encounter!

"HI"!!! I exclaimed as my friend handed me a box and the little electronic signy thingy. "Friend", was not so friendly today. He had a supervisor following him and he just handed me my box and said "Have a good day Ma'am". Well okay, I thought and took my box inside.

Goodie Goodie Gumdrops, I have a PRIZE!!! Sure glad it wasn't a bomb or something scary like that because I tore into that box like a kid on Christmas. My goodness what motherhood and a sour economy can do to a Pink Haired Momma. I guess when you get excited about making mashed up veggies and then feeding them to your child and having them spit it back at you (note mashed up peas can look even grosser and more mashed up after being in a babies mouth); the little things in life can spark total and complete awesomeness and excitement. Hence the tearing open of an unknown arriving package!!

I pulled open the box and made a quick realization...

Grandma Kathy is becoming a very active participant in spoiling Baby DIVA. What a wonderful mom I have and a totally fabulous Grandma Baby DIVA has.

She sent us a Tastybaby Starter Set!!

This is an organic line of baby food that I like. We, of course, are making our own foods here at home courtesy of Chef Pink Haired Momma and her gourmet blending techniques, however sometimes you just need something that is already made, like when visiting family and such. So we have been doing some research and have found this line called Tasty Baby that we really like; well at least we really like what we have read about and the reviews we have seen. We have talked about ordering some for Baby DIVA to try in the coming weeks and months as she develops a more mature palette!

And now Thanks to my Loving and Wonderful Mom and Super Grandma of the famous Baby DIVA, we have a cool starter set to test out and see how well we like. It is so cool! The set arrived boxed up super tight and packed in nice. It came with a nifty little bag and 6 different types of stage 1 and stage 2 baby foods. The names are hysterical. For example the peach is called "Life 's a Peach". Too fun!! I totally dig it and I think it is so rad!So these little goodies have now found a lovely little place to call home in our deep freezer until they are promoted to the indoor freezer for consumption at a later date. I am super stoked to have her try "Life's a Peach" in the not too far distant future!! Keep checking back to learn more about Baby DIVA's adventures in TastyBaby delights!!!

BlogHer Beginners

Food Bloggers Share Picks on Where to Eat in Austin if You're Attending SXSW

Kalyn Denny — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:23:10 -0500

Over the next few weeks, literally thousands of bloggers, techies, film-makers, and musicians will be descending on Austin, Texas, for the SXSW Music, Film, and Interactive Festival which runs from March 13-22 this year. I doubt all these folks are as food-obsessed as I am, but since I'm going to SXSW as part of a panel about food blogging, I've been checking for weeks to find the "don't miss" places for good food in Austin.

I know three food bloggers with ties to Austin, and they've been happy to share opinions about where and what to eat, so here are Austin restaurant picks from Homesick Texan Lisa Fain, Anna Ginsberg from Cookie Madness who lives in Austin, and Addie Broyles, a food writer for the Austin American-Statesman who blogs about food at Relish Austin. If any BlogHer readers have favorite Austin restaurants to share as well, please chime in with a comment!

Photo of Frito Pie from Slashfood
Group Picks for Great Eating in Austin:
After I asked my three Austin food experts to send me their restaurant ideas, I was amazed how little overlap there was on the lists, so I thought it was worth spotlighting places that got mentioned more than once. Lisa and Addie both included Shady Grove, with Lisa remarking that the Frito-Pie-in-a-Bag here is not to be missed, while Addie says Shady Grove is a great watering hole. Another place that made more than one list is Home Slice Pizza, which Anna calls "the home of Austin's best pizza." Then there's La Condesa, a relatively new Mexican restaurant that Addie says had "everyone in town buzzing," even before it opened. Also dishing up Austin's brand of Tex-Mex cuisine is Chuys, a place with Elvis Presley-inspired decor, and famous for being where one of the Bush twins got busted for fake I.D. Another classic Austin place is Jo's Coffee, which Anna says is "great for eating alone or for a casual lunch."

Five Austin Restaurant Picks from Lisa:
~Magnolia Cafe is a place Lisa calls "a classic," (and if you want to try Migas in the Morning, this is where you can get them )
~For burgers, Lisa picks Hills Cafe (with an exclamation point after the recommendation!)
~Lisa loves breakfast tacos, and in Austin she recommends Maria's Taco Xpress. (Warning: don't enter that site unless you like Texas music!)
~If you want barbecue, drive to Lockhart and visit Kreuz Market or Black's BBQ, and don't ask for sauce, Lisa says.
~For classic Texas Chicken Fried Steak Lisa goes to Tony's Southern Comfort, which she calls "chicken fried steak heaven" and a place where "you can get your fill of black-eyed peas, okra, and cheese grits as well."

Five Austin Restaurant Picks from Anna:
~Anna likes Trio in the Four Seasons Hotel which she says has a great sommelier, and says "be sure to order the French fries with rosemary, shallots, and garlic."
~Bess Bistro is a place Anna describes as having "an eclectic menu with choices that are usually above-average." (It's also owned by a famous actress, and I'm going to let you discover by yourself who that is. Hmm, famous actress who lives in Austin, Texas; this should not be difficult.)
~Anna says "everyone recommends" East Side Cafe, which has a menu that ranges from steak to vegetarian choices.
~Sushi lovers won't want to miss Uchi, which Anna calls "a great place for people watching" and this place is also recommended by Food and Wine.
~Anna says the drive through the hill country to Llano for barbecue "is gorgeous" and when she gets there she'd pick Coopers or for barbecue downtown, try Stubbs or Green Mesquite.

Five Austin Restaurant Picks from Addie:
~Addie likes the food at Somnios, which she describes as "a fantastic BYOB places that features almost entirely local ingredients."
~South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery is a collection of food trailers where Addie says Torchy's Tacos is "much loved" and she also recommends the companion trailer Shuggies for "delicious po' boys and burgers."
~For "the best of many cupcake eateries" in Austin, try Sugar Mama's Bakeshop (also picked by Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake.)
~For lunch Addie loves Koriente on seventh where she says "try the bulgogi!"
~If you've over-indulged on barbecue or Tex-Mex and want some lighter fare, Leaf is recommended for salads.

More About Texas Food or the Austin Food Scene:
~from Homesick Texan, The Essence of Tex-Mex
~Top 12 Austin Restaurants picked by Austin360.com (mostly upscale places)
~Alaina Browne at A Full Belly talks about Austin Eats
~Where to Eat in Austin from Serious Eats
~Food-Related Events at SXSW from Addie at Austin360.com

Kalyn Denny shares her passion for low-glycemic cooking at Kalyn's Kitchen. She's excited to be participating at SXSW as part of a panel on foodblogging that also includes Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake, Zach from Midtown Lunch, Kathy from Not Eating Out in New York, and Addie from Relish Austin.