My Interview with Author Alli Worthington #BreakingBusy

I had the opportunity to interview my friend and new author, Alli Worthington, on her new book, Breaking Busy. Here's a small bit of what you can read over at Blissfully Domestic.

What made you want to write Breaking Busy?

I wanted to help other women get off the “hamster wheel” of frazzled living. I lived for too long with the burden of a busy calendar that sucked the life out of me and I hoped to share what I learned with others. 

We all spend so much time consumed with our busy schedules that we live on the edge of burnout. I reached a point in my life that I realized my crazy busy schedule was killing me. I knew I had to start breaking busy before the busy broke me!

Pop over to BlissfullyDomestic.com to read the full interview.

Affiliate link included within this post. What does this mean? When you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, you help support my family. It doesn't cost you any more than the product you are already going to purchase. 

dreams do come true.

test. test. is this thing on?

you've been wondering where i've been, huh?
well, you can call in the search dogs. i'm not lost.

i've just been....busy.

i hate to use that word. we're all busy.
you're busy, i'm busy, our families are busy.
life, in general, is busy.

if you're here today chances are you've been checking in to see if i posted since..oh, three weeks ago. {bad blogger!}
i haven't. i've been busy.

"what has been more important than your own blog, melissa?", you ask.

life for our family has been busy but, so good.
opportunities that i dream of have been offered to me.

for example, i'm a new curator/writer for Blissfully Domestic, a blog dedicated to bringing you recipe, craft and lifestyle posts that are amazing! go see for yourself how great Blissfully Domestic is!

you can see a few of my recent posts here, here and here.

of course, i don't write alone over there...alli {the founder and creator and all-around sparkly gal {muah!}}, angela, kat, caroline and ashleigh are all in it with me!

to make that whole bunch of previous stated info even better comes the second part of my dreams-do-come-true "busy-ness." {the period does go inside the quotation, yes?}

for the second year in a row i was asked to be a part of the BlissDom Conference team.
yes, the most amazing team of girls {and guys. more on that in a sec.} on the planet.

last year i was brought by a {now} friend to be a part of the conference...somehow. somehow, someway i was going to be put to work. for that, i was grateful. beyond words grateful!!! i would've taken any job there to just be there. {that doesn't sound at all desperate. LOL} my heart swelled. God is good. ok, you get it. i couldn't thank this friend enough for taking a chance on me.

she asked me to join forces with the group of talented photographers and capture shots of the conference life.
i shadowed casey mullins, aka mooshinindy, and learned so much from her. she knew everyone. everyone knew her. her photography is amazing. she's just too sweet to not want to be around...

and then, this year i was asked to come back again as one of the event photographers. what??!!! i may have jumped up and down and danced a little jig right there in my in-law's living room when i read that text. ok, the dancing didn't happen. but, i did immediately call hubs and tell him. my heart was exploding!

***

jeff goins said at killer tribes last year to start calling yourself what you are. you don't take pictures, you're a photographer. you're not a blogger, you're a writer. until you say it AND mean it no one will take you seriously. whoa! talk about a kick in the gut. no wonder people look at me like i'm crazy when i say i'm a blogger. "what's a blogger????" I'M A WRITER.

and, because of BlissDom {and that unnamed friend} believing in me and giving me the confidence that so many loved ones have tried to give me over the years, i now say i'm a photographer.

I'M A PHOTOGRAPHER!

{p.s. i'm so proud to say, my photography can be seen on both the killer tribes and the blissdom conference websites. dream come true moment!!!}

***

are you still with me???
i feel like i could break this into multiple posts.
past history says i may not come back to this thought...so, i'm gonna keep on keepin' on with this post. :0)

remember when i said that the BlissDom staff is made up of amazing gals and guys??
well, hubs was asked to be a part of the staff this year too.

talk about fun!
we traveled to dallas, tx together!
we had more fun this past weekend than we've had in a long time.

and if we weren't together at times {most times because we were both so busy} then he was still having a blast.
work was total FUN for us both!

wanna see something fun???


hubs was part of a three man team of security guards/helpers. he didn't like the "security" title too much...but, someone totally asked him if he was scott stratten's bouncer. {just embrace the title, babe! it is what it is.}

so, @mrjonahbonah {you can now find him on instagram and twitter} became a celebrity in his own right. the girls loved him. he was reminded he's still got it. the boy can straight tear up a dance floor. he made a bunch of new friends.

most of all, he sees what i see in BlissDom. a big, HUGE family! we felt loved and appreciated and needed and loved...most of all LOVED! we were blessed beyond measure to be a part of the most amazing staff evah!

thank you, BlissDom for all that you bring to bloggers, ahem, writers across the country {and even in canada!}!!!

we can't wait until next year. BLISSDOM '14, BABY!!!

a few of my favorite shots of hubs and i...


{us with jeremy sisto & ana gasteyer}


{us just before chris mann and amber riley got to the step and repeat}

hubs didn't get in this shot for some reason...


{kat, amy, chris mann {from The Voice}, amber riley {from Glee}, jana and me}

{all photos credit to BlissDom}

that one time when i met chris mann... {an album review}

{me with chris mann at blissdom 2012}

in february of this year i was blessed with the opportunity to go be a photographer at blissdom.

i honestly didn't realize the magnitude of that experience in the moment.
casey, mooshinindy, told me more than once that i was really very lucky to be experiencing all that i was experiencing in my first year at blissdom.
maybe i was able to do as much as i did because i wasn't all star struck. ya know?
i took my photog gig very seriously.
and followed casey around absorbing as much photog knowledge as i could from her.
now i'm looking back, or i have been looking back over the last few months, thinking "wow! i was a part of that!" or, "hey, i met him!"

i have a lot of "if i knew then" moments.

fast forward to today.

recently i was asked to review chris mann's new cd roads.
to be completely honest, before blissdom i had no idea who he was.
i don't watch much tv so i may have never even watched the voice had chris not been there.
he wasn't there to promote the show.
he was simply there to sing a few songs for his friends.

one of the songs he sang was the title track to his new album, roads.


{casey, danielle, and rachel enjoying the voice of the uber talented chris mann. photo taken by moi.}


{chris has a voice that is full of emotion and sincerity...one can get lost in the lyrics and sound. simply beautiful.}




here's a little info about chris mann for you...

As a finalist on the hit NBC television series “The Voice,” Chris Mann captured the hearts of millions while drawing the respect of multi-platinum talents such as Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo. Following one of his many dynamic live performances on the show, Aguilera told him, “I feel the heavens open up when you sing.” America agreed, and when the series ended, Chris had not one, but two songs on the iTunes Top 10 Pop Singles Chart.
Influenced by Pavarotti, Robbie Williams and vintage Sinatra, Chris’ blend of classically-trained tenor and contemporary pop vocals is a sound that’s rare in music today. Said Cee Lo, “He is by far one of the most incomparable vocalists I have ever heard.”
This classical crossover artist is set to release his Christmas EP on October 9 and his full-length major label debut album on October 30.


chris' new album is one that i will pop in whenever i need a relaxing vibe.
the album is perfect for your next dinner party background music or ladies night.

you can purchase your very own copy of chris mann's new album, roads, at itunes or amazon now.



this is a review post from one2one network. i was provided with a copy of the album and i am eligible for a prize drawing. all opinions stated are my own.

broken.

what does picture say to you?


does it look "okay"?

look again.
at a different view.


yep, i broke my thumb.


i went a whole 31 years, 7 months, and 25 days without ever a broken bone.
and then it happened.

it was all my fault.
no exciting story to tell.
i just fell.

add in excitement, exhaustion, hunger, crazy photographer angles and, with me, you get a broken thumb.
the doctor called it skier's thumb.
{i assure you there was NO skiing involved in the breaking of this thumb}

{at least i was cute and comfy in the ER waiting room in my new dr scholl's kicks from the folks at famous footwear!}


and it requires a cast for three weeks.





so, this is my new, stinky sidekick.


ever wonder if you really need those thumbs of yours??
if you enjoy your independence the answer is yes. you need them.

*folding a load of laundry takes me double the time.
*opening a new bag of cereal is near impossible. scissors are my friend.
*putting my hair in a pony tail? not easy.
*putting mckinley's hair in a pony tail? turns out ugly.
*showering? in a bag. the arm. not me.
*my right arm...and my left for that matter...have not been washed in more than a week.
*my right armpit is 'mostly' shaved. and halfway deoderized.
*thank goodness we recently delegated dish duty to our oldest son. no worries about eating off dirty dishes.
*sleeping with this thing is dangerous. if your my hubs. he says i whacked him the other night...whoops! sorry, babe.

moral of the story?
have fun but, get your rest, eat well, and remain on your feet at all times while taking photos of your most favorite people.

bliss. {part two}

grab a cup of coffee or an ice cold diet coke.
this post is a doozy!

friday morning was set to start early.

8:00- breakfast.
guess who didn't eat.
yep, you guessed it.
me!

i was so busy taking in all the sights.
there was no time to stop and eat when there are sponsors to connect with and people to network with and photos to be taken...

i met some pretty amazing folks.

i met one gal in particular, barbara, who works for YoCrunch.
we connected at the heart of haiti booth. {hopefully, more to come on this booth in weeks to come}
barbara and i shared each others hearts for adoption.
she and i both know EVERY boy and girl NEEDS a forever mommy and daddy.
every one of them.
no matter what their story/special need/age.

while adoption might never be a part of my story...i will pray for these boys and girls always.

whew! breakfast is over.
it's time to go see what Jon Acuff has to say.



i have to be honest, i had no idea who he was prior to hearing him speak.
never even heard of him.
but, boy am i glad the bliss chicks asked him to deliver the opening keynote to blissdom.

a couple of notes i walked away from hearing jon speak...

* let go of negative internal voices. {i'm not good enough, who's even reading my blog?, i don't have anything interesting to say}

* be selfish at 5am or 11pm. {since i'm not a morning person the 11pm time appeals more to me. use that time, the time your family doesn't need you, to blog or work}

* 90% perfect on the blog always changes more hearts than 100% perfect stuck in your head. {this was probably the most impactful for me. more often than not, i have a great idea for a post but i don't write it because i don't have a picture to go with it or i don't know how to quite articulate what i want to say.}

* it matters because you can change the world. {WOW! me??}

jon generously gave each of us a signed copy of his newest book, quitter.
i'm only one chapter in but, it's good, y'all!

if you ever get the opportunity to hear him speak or read one of his books DO IT!
he's down to earth, funny, and he's also a christian. bonus.

the afternoon was filled with break-out sessions.

i went to shoot like a woman, part one and part two.
my mind was blown by the amazing Me Ra Koh.
i was so entranced in her amazing photography tips and photos that i didn't take a single note.

she. is. amazing.
AMAZING!

that's all i got on that.
AMAZING!

break time!!
with YoCrunch.
and a couple new friends.


greis of amazinggreis.us and casey of mooshinindy.com.

greis and casey, muah!
i miss you girls!!!

{all of my new friends from blissdom deserve a post all their own. i was seriously BLESSED to have met SO MANY amazing women at my very first conference!}

you're ready for more celebrity sightings aren't you??

blissdom does not disappoint in bringing in the celebs!

i mean, the lorax?
really?
FAMOUS!!


{photo courtesy of blissdom2012}




{me, in action}

next up?
joe jonas.
yep, THE joe jonas.
know him?
no?
well, i only do cause i have a ten year old son.








when jake austin saw joe's shoes he immediately asked if he could have a pair.
see. the ten year old is how i know of joe.

and then.
AND THEN.
rascal flatts.
yeah, y'all!
you heard me right.





and with that the evening came to an end.

but, there's more!
tomorrow.

one last picture before i go.
my favorite from friday night.
possibly my favorite that i took all weekend.

these are the amazing woman behind blissdom.

the beginning of bliss.

where do i start?

how about with an apology for completely ditching you all.
i'm sorry i haven't posted in weeks.
bad blogger!

i will do better.

i can give you a good reason why i was gone for at least five of those days.

BLISSDOM!!!


if you've ever even thought for two seconds about whether or not blissdom is for you, think no further.

it's for every blogger, social media lover, photographer, chatty gal, nice person, etc.
{no mean people allowed.}

for three years i've day-dreamt of joining the hundreds of bloggers that go to the gaylord opryland hotel in nashville, tn.
my dream came true when the beautiful alli worthington asked me to join her team of blissdom photographers.
i was over the moon excited.
and scared.
and nervous.

what do i wear?
what should i bring?
who will i meet?
will i be good enough?
will they like me?

us girls all have those little insecurities about us, don't we?

once i got sitter arrangements made, a new outfit or two, hotel reservations, and a kiss good-bye from the hubs, i was off to spend five days in the {almost} unknown.

what i did know...

i knew alli was sweet.
i knew i'd be staying in a luxurious hotel.
i knew i'd be eating good food.
and i knew i'd meet lots of women i stalk read about everyday in the blogosphere.

blissdom, here i come!!!

{i'll share a few pics in each post for the next few days so i don't overwhelm you!}

day one:
photo walk with lotus carroll.
she's lovely and talented and sweet and i wish i could have picked her photographer brain for hours.

here are a few of my shots around the beautiful opryland resort.





a few new friends...

{left to right- bridget of the ivey league, ??? -let me know who this beautifyl lady is so i can link to her-, heather of domestic extraordinaire, and kat of sassy irish lassie}





and, i met one of my fellow instagrammers!
hi, shan!!! it was SO nice meeting you!


next up, the official kick-off reception - sponsored by babble.
and my first celebrity sighting of the weekend.
nathan pacheco.


by the end of this evening i was ready to CRASH into my bed.
while the whole day was amazing...every second of it...i was not prepared for all the awesomeness overload.
this momma was T I R E D.

tomorrow brings jon acuff, joe jonas, the rascal flatts, alli worthington, and so much more!

stay tuned.