The Park Wife is a tribe builder. She is the founder of Arkansas Women Bloggers
(ARWB), an online community designed to gather,grow, and connect bloggers in our state. Stephanie recently launched her company The Women Bloggers
and expanded her state-focused blog communities into Oklahoma, Kansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas. Through ARWB, she holds the popular, smaller niche blog conference Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged, submerging
bloggers in an environment that fosters relationships, communication and some
pretty fierce dedication and camaraderie. Considered an old-timer in the blog
world, since 2005 she has written what she hopes is a love letter to her children
on her lifestyle blog, The Park Wife. Raised in the debutante world of Mississippi,
she married her hunky park ranger and moved to Arkansas 15 years ago and has
fallen in love with the state. She loves gardening, porch swings, a beautifully
set table, a delicious meal surrounded by great conversations, their cabin in the
woods and monograming everything that is not nailed down. She is a devoted
wife and fun-loving, homeschool mom to two extraordinarily cool little gentlemen
and is fortunate enough to live on one of Arkansas’s premier state parks.
(This is a repost from 2014 highlighting our relationship with Arkansas’s finest rice producer, Riceland Foods.)
Arkansas Women Bloggers are the social media megaphones of Arkansas. So naturally, when Riceland wanted to get the word out, they hired Arkansas Women Bloggers to bring in some great influencers to Stuttgart for the WingsOver the Prairie/World Championship Duck Calling Contest. The eight bloggers were able to interact with Georgia Pellegrini, TV Chef, Author, Outdoor Adventure Expert, Modern Pioneer, #GirlHunter on stage, learn more about Riceland, and even get a duck calling lesson.
Riceland provides marketing services for rice, soybeans and wheat grown by its 5,500 farmer-members in Arkansas and Missouri. Each year, its 1,500 employees receive, store, transport process and market more than 125 million bushels (2.5 million metric tons) of grain.
They are the WORLD’s largest miller and marketer of rice , yes, right here in Arkansas people.
Each Riceland product is backed by generations of rice farmers whose goal has always been to produce the finest quality rice in the world.
Riceland makes me proud to be an Arkansan and we are happy that they have seen the value in Arkansas Women Bloggers and our influence.
Enjoy some of the photo collages from a few of the bloggers that spent the day listening to duck calls and cooking with Riceland.
A special thanks to our dear, sweet, encourager Debbie Arnold for making all the bloggers and Georgia camo and embroidered aprons. Yes, that is how she rolls.
I’ve been wanting a peplum top for a few years now, but I never found that I liked that was in my budget. I’m kind of really cheap when it comes to buying clothes. I really don’t like spending more than $10 for a shirt (and I hate buying low-quality clothing). So I shop end of season sales where everything is really cheap. And for that reason, I have not come across a really cheap peplum top. 🙂
So I was really excited to try sewing Simplicity 1425 because now I could just make myself an affordable peplum top. I got the pattern on sale for $.99 when Hobby Lobby had Simplicity patterns on sale. Then I found some cute geometric blue & green stretch cotton fabric on clearance at Jo-Ann. And I was ready to sew my own peplum shirt.
I do my best to try to find ways to make the everyday a bit more special. And you know what? Like exercise, the more I act upon this quest, the more toned I become.
Take my little photo tour of three every day items around my home that elevate pretty in two ways: for the items they cradle and for how they make me feel. Read More.
There’s more to Hope, Arkansas than giant watermelons and the birthplace of President Bill Clinton and Governor Mike Huckabee. Join Arkansas Women Blogger member Melissa Beck as she shares an historic walking tour of a place that truly is #OnlyinArk on First Security Bank’s OnlyinArk.com. Read more…
I have never doubted that I was loved. By God, by my parents, by my husband, my children, my friends.
But I have always doubted that I am wonderfully made.
That it is some sort of weird fluke that I love theology and glitter, decorating and liturgy, a yard of chickens and a house of worship, a dinner table jammed pack and a solitary retreat.
I have believed the lies that say that my love of pink diminishes my validity as a serious thinking person. That the intensity of my love for family and gatherings is a sign of an unrealistic Pollyanna-esque outlook. That posting pretty Instagram pictures means I am being fake.
But lately God has been arresting me in these man-made lies, reminding them that none of these things have come from him… READ MORE
I’m typing these words from the front patio of our “family cottage” here at Mongena Game Lodge near Pretoria, South Africa. The thatch roof effectively shielding me from the blazing African sun, the gentle breeze keeping me cool. Charlotte is inside napping while the big kids watch a movie, all four snuggled together on our fluffy king-sized bed. Dave is beside me, quietly reading. Every so often, I glance up from the screen to watch a momma and baby zebra slowly trot past or a herd of Nyala leap through the brush. If I close my eyes, I can hear only the rhythm of my own breath, coupled with the whistles and peaceful melodies of dozens of bird species nestled in the trees surrounding our cottage.
The contrast of this moment with the ones I have experienced over the past week is not lost on me. This serene, surreal setting feels other-worldly, not unlike a Hollywood movie set. All the while, the hardships, suffering, and extreme poverty I’ve witnessed still loom closely at the forefront of my consciousness.
My cork burned garden journal is a succulent baby book of sorts. In it, I keep pictures of all my succies, care instructions, growth and potting information, and a short history of the plant. Putting it together is quick and easy and can totally be customized to anyone’s style. Grab your favorite washi tape, pictures, journal and join Gina at DesperatelySeekingGina.com !
I’ve long been a fan of Dale Chihuly’s glass artistry so I was thrilled when Crystal Bridges announced some time ago that it would be bringing an exhibit of his work. Last Saturday, Hubs and I attended a member’s preview of the new indoor-outdoor exhibit entitled Chihuly: In the Garden + in the Forest. I’m delighted to share some of that with you. Read More on DiningwithDebbie.net
Five years later…Spreading the Amazing of #AWBU with Our Neighbors
For five years, we have gathered women from every walk of life in a unique place that was warm and welcoming, a place to grow and stretch bloggers as they explored or even discovered their voices, and cultivated deep connections in an atmosphere that felt like sneaking off for an amazing weekend with your best girlfriends. Ladies from our surrounding states noticed, they wanted to be a part of this unique thing we had built. So, they came from Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Kansas, Alabama, and Mississippi. They experienced and understood the #AWBU magic. So, this year, we invite them all to this place we have created.
September 9 – 11 in Fayetteville, we open our hearts and Arkansas for MEGAPHONE 2016, an influencers conference.
Some of you are planners. You want to know exactly which sessions to attend at the upcoming #AWBU conference. So, here’s a sneak peek into what is happening next weekend. It’s going to be a wonderful time full of learning, community building, and fun.
Arkansas Women Bloggers University 2015
#AWBU
#FoodieFriday, August 28, 2015
Presented By:
11:30 Registration and Gathering, The Arlington Conference Center
2:30 Chef Matthew Bell ~ @chefmabellz ~ South on Main, Little Rock
From Our Field. To The Kitchen. For Your Table.
3:15 Break
3:30 Creative Food Photography
Branding Yourself with Gorgeously Designed Food Photos (Interactive)
5:00 Announcements and Dismissal
#AWBU 2015 FULL CONFERENCE FRIDAY, AUGUST 28
4:00 – 5:30 p.m. Registration – The Arlington Hotel Mezzanine
6:00 p.m. Full Conference Kick-off and Evening of Fun-
Crystal Ballroom – Derby Hat Night Lela Davidson, Work/Life Balance and Fun
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29
7:30 a.m. Breakfast – Conference Room C
8:30 a.m. Conference Welcome & Kick-Off, Y’all – Conference Room C Stephanie Buckley, The Women Bloggers/ARWB Founder
8:45 a.m. Keynote Speaker Presentation – Rhea Lana Riner
10:00 -10:45 Workshop Session 1:
Conference B: How to Handle Your Legal Issues in Blogging – Meredith Lowry
Conference A: Your Facebook Fans Don’t Matter- Ramona Collins
Hickory Room: How to Increase Your Chances of Getting Hired – Suzy Taylor Oakley
11:00 -11:45 Workshop Session 2
Conference B: Blogging as a Launching Pad to Social Media Work – Fawn Rechkemmer
Conference A: Blogs and Photography – Nick Smith
Hickory Room: Creating a Writing Sanctuary – Julie Kohl
Noon – 1:15 Lunch, sponsored by Riceland. Um, yum. Plus, a huge fun thing! Please be in your seats by 12:00
1:30 – 2:15 Workshop Session 3
Conference C: Get Hired by ARWB – Panel with Farm Bureau’s Taste Arkansas, First Security Bank’s OnlyinArk, Riceland, Ghidotti Communications, Petit Jean Meats and Stephanie Buckley
2:30 – 3:15 Workshop Session 4
Conference B: Podcasting – Taylor Bradford
Conference A: WordPress Visual Design and You – Nick Smith
Hickory Room: Professional Writing – Angie Albright
3:15 – 3:30 Afternoon break
3:30 – 4:15 p.m. Workshop Session 5
Conference B: Email Marketing – Laurie Marshall
Conference A: Evernote – Beth Stephens
Hickory Room: Yes, You are a Writer – Mari Farthing
4:30– 5:30 p.m. Feed the Funnel—The Pack Shack- Magnolia Room
We will host a one hour Feed the Funnel party. Meals packed at Feed the Funnel parties are donated free of charge to local organizations, such as food banks and food pantries, for distribution to people and organizations in their area. Our blog/social media community giving back to the community that gives so much to us.
6:30 p.m. Dine around Hot Springs
Rest up, freshen up. We’re heading out on the town! Walkable dinner options all around the hotel. Grab some friends, old and new, and grab some food in historic Hot Springs.
Join us in the Hospitality Room (Al Capone Suite) for snacks, games, and a lot of laughs. Thank you Petit Jean Meats, Mountain Valley Spring Water, Central Arkansas McDonalds
SUNDAY, AUGUST 30
6:00 a.m. Rise, Shine, and Run! Morning run with Ashley Ederington, Maniac Mom
Zumba with Brittney Lee of RazorbackBritt.com Conference Center
Breakfast on your own. There will be plenty of snacks in the Hospitality Room, Pancake House across street, buffet in lobby.
8:30 – 9:45 Alliance Rubber Company –
Creativity and Fun. Made in the USA.
10:00 – 10:45 Workshop Session 7
Conference B: 45 Ideas in 45 Minutes – Allyson Twiggs Dyer & Rhonda Franz
Jerusalem Jackson Greer is a writer, blogger, speaker, and an Episcopal Family Minister. She is the author of 
I’ve long been a fan of 
