It is almost time for #AWBU 2013 and we are getting excited, are you? Here is a little update.

If you have not checked out our speakers and sessions, do that now. If you have chosen the #FoodieFriday Add-On, go check out that fabulousness.

For Foodie Friday attendees: Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. and we will start the program at Noon sharp. We have a lot to cover and will stick to the schedule, so do not be late, you will not want to miss out. Grab a bite to eat on your way, we will have snacks and drinks throughout the day but no lunch as programming starts at Noon.

Full Conference attendees: Registration begins at 6:00 p.m. and the conference begins promptly at 7:00 p.m.. We will have a reception with food, so come hungry. Also, Natural State Distributing will provide a wine tasting at the reception, but the rest of the weekend is BYOB. Please take note of this as we will not be “turning the truck around” for you guys this year (if you were at #awbu 2012, you get that).  Again, we have an informative, fun-filled weekend planned so come ready to learn, meet new gals, interact with brands, and no, you will not get a ton of sleep. I urge you to take advantage of all the wonderful offerings this weekend, our tribe rocks.

We are happy to announce that New Balance Arkansas will host a 5K on Sunday morning. If you are a runner, be ready. If you would like to walk, that is more than fine and could be a fun time with the other gals strolling the route. If you are not interested in running or walking, we need cheerleaders! We would love for you to pop a squat along the route and take pics, Instagram, Facebook and Tweet sweaty pictures of your fellow #AWBU gals. There might be a reward for doing this, hint hint.

This year, we have added the AWBU Handmade Marketplace. We have some extremely talented artisans among our bloggers and they will be peddling their wares on Saturday evening. In addition, we have eight, yes EIGHT, published authors in attendance that weekend and we will have a time for your to purchase their books and have them signed. Great Christmas presents ladies! Some will take credit cards, but most cash and checks, so be prepared.

We are excited that for our annual cookout, Hotdog Mike will be there cooking some of PetitJean Meat’s famous hotdogs. We will have vegetarian options throughout the weekend. If you have specific food concerns, please email Stephanie and let her know so she can make plans.

We have a lot more in store for the weekend, we will keep you updated, but also there are things we are keeping under our hats. Don’t you love surprises?

If you have not filled out the survey I sent out, please do that NOW. The shirts are in WOMEN sizes, so that changes some people’s mind on what they originally told me.

If you have any questions, let me (@theparkwife) know. We look forward to another great year at #AWBU!

Jerusalem Greer and I (Julie) are SO excited to be presenting the premier Handmade Marketplace event at #AWBU13 this year! Jerusalem brought the idea to me back in May and I knew it was something we should explore. Turns out we were right because we have a great lineup of vendors.

The coolest part is that these vendors aren’t just random people. The vendors are the bloggers and speakers that will be attending the conference. These vendors are your ARWB sisters!

Below is a preview of who will be setting up a table. Some, but not all, vendors will offer credit card sales but most will only be able to accept cash or check. There isn’t an ATM at Camp Ferncliff so come prepared! Several vendors will have items in the $3-$5 range, most books will be in the $20 range and some artwork and clothing items will be $40 or more. Everyone should be able to find something in their budget.

Interested in selling something? Contact julie@arkansaswomenbloggers.com. The deadline to signup is August 23rd. Registration is free for all conference attendees, we just ask for one product as a giveaway.

Authors

Keynote Speaker – Sophie Hudson – BooMama
A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon

Heather Davis – Minivan Momma
TMI Mom: Oversharing My Life (Volume 1)

Jerusalem Jackson Greer – Jolly Goode Gal
A Homemade Year: The Blessings of Cooking Crafting and Coming Together

Elizabeth (Liz) Owen – Mabel’s House
My (not so) Storybook Life: A Tale of Friendship and Faith

Tracey Eyster – Be the Mom
Be the Mom: Overcome Attitude Traps and Enjoy Your Kids

Tricia Goyer – Family. Words. Community.
Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors Series
The Big Sky Series
And more…

Robin O’Bryant – Robin’s Chicks
Ketchup is a Vegetable: And Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves
A Second Helping: A Collection of Popular Columns

Angie Albright – A Growing Season
Edible Ozarkansas Subscriptions

If you own Kyran Pittman’s (Planting Dandelions) Planting Dandelions: Field Notes From a Semi-Domesticated Life, bring it, she would love to sign it. She will not have books at the conference to sell. You can find it here on Amazon.

OTHERS

Sara Torbett – The Rosy Life
Photography Prints – You can preview her work here.

Stephanie Hamling – Southern Girl Soapery
Handcrafted Soaps and Bath Products

Cyndi Minister – The Twisted Purl
Yarn and Fiber Creations

Julie Kohl – Eggs and Herbs
Lavender Sachets, Original Art, Recipe Card Binders

Gracie Dilday – Grace Your Walls (Daughter of Jody Dilday)
Decorated Arkansas Carvings

Terra Butler – Ahoy Friend
Mixed Media Art – You can preview her work here.

Stacey Valley – An Awesome & Amazing Life
Baked goods including Mexican Chocolate Cake and Toffee Chocolate Bars

Keisha Pittman – Big Pitt Stop
Dresses and Car Seat Covers (You can preview her work here.)

Jeanetta Darley – The Splendid Things
Aprons and Crocheted Creations

I love this journey we set out on three years ago we so cleverly call #AWBU, yes we are creative like that. It has been a journey of incredible opportunities for those that have attended the annual Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged conference. There is something spectacular about face-to-face conversation, sharing our experiences in the blog world and in our lives with the people that we normally just see the avatars of on the web. I love that this small, state-focused conference brings the ladies from the Natural State together to empower, encourage, and connect.  We have built such a beautiful tribe. And, there is always room for more.

This year, we have stepped it up a notch, or twelve. The speaker line-up is incredible. Thanks to one of the Arkansas companies that truly gets social media, Petit Jean Meats, Alabama-gal Sophie Hudson, of the popular blog Boomama.net blog and Entertainment section writer for The Pioneer Woman, will be our keynote speaker. Warning: her humor and joy will be contageous. We also have gals from some of the other The Women Bloggers states. From the great state of Mississippi (where The Park Wife was born and bred), Robin O’Bryant of Robin’s Chicks, one of the 17 Funniest Moms on Twitter. She recently spoke at BlogHer and I met her at Blissdom, you guys will be enchanted by her. And, Oklahoma! Many of you met Heather Davis, yes Minivan Momma, last year at #AWBU. She will be heading back down this way to impart her wisdom upon us, and making our sides hurt from laughing so hard. Taylor from Texas is a blogging spitfire, you will love her!

And, speakers from our wonderful state of Arkansas. These women make my heart happy. So many that  have stepped up to make this wonderful community grow, willingly sharing their knowledge and experiences with others. Please go visit the #AWBU 2013 Speaker page, there are so many that I can not adequately praise these women enough right here.

We will have sessions in Techie Stuff (highly technical term, I know), Writing,  Business, and Life Development. Go check out the incredible list of sessions here.

You will not want to miss this years conference. If you have not registered, tickets are limited, you need to not put it off, go do it NOW!

And remember, for the conference and all year-long,  focus on the fabulous with an open, positive, kind heart and welcome the possibilities in gathering, growing, and connecting.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me at theparkwife at gmail dot com!

 

We are so excited to announce the first annual Handmade Marketplace which will take place at AWBU13!

We are continually impressed with the talents of our group and we want you to have the opportunity to show off. This year at AWBU13 we will be having a Handmade Marketplace where you can buy/sell/trade all of the wonderful things that you make.

Artists, crafters, authors, and chefs alike are invited to bring your creations to the conference and participate in a Handmade Market Place on Saturday evening! Bring your paintings, your knitted items, your books, your homemade jams and jellies! We invite everyone who has something marketable to share it at the Homemade Market Place.

Don’t have something to sell? No problem! You get all the fun of looking around and shopping for all of the wonderful wares available at the Handmade Marketplace!

Here are all the JUICY details!

The Handmade Marketplace will be held from 5-7 PM Saturday Night at AWBU13 inside of a covered pavilion near the dining hall at Ferncliff. Space will be limited so you will need to reserve a spot soon!

We will have 1/2 and Full tables available for you to set up. You will need to provide your own table covering and any display items you will need. Outlet space will be very limited so please plan accordingly. Setup can occur any time after lunch and before 5PM but you will likely want to keep it simple so you have time to enjoy everything that will be offered at AWBU.

There is no cost to rent a booth space but there is a catch. First, you must be registered for AWBU13 in order to reserve a space. Secondly, we are asking that every participant donate a minimum of ONE item that can be used as a giveaway or door prize during the conference. And that’s it!

We hope you are as excited about the Handmade Marketplace and we are!

Please send an email with “Handmade Marketplace” as the subject to julie@arkansaswomenbloggers.com if you are interested in reserving a spot or if you have any questions. The deadline to reserve a spot for the Handmade Marketplace will be August 23. Once your registration is confirmed we will send you additional important details.

If you ate today, thank a farmer.

As a former small farmer, I know the blood, sweat and tears that go into producing food to feed our communities.  As the state’s largest industry, Arkansas agriculture accounts for nearly one-quarter of the state’s economic activity ($16 billion annually), and provides one out of every six jobs.  That is huge people!

Did you know that Arkansas ranks No. 1 nationally in rice production, and is far and away the leader in baitfish production? The state is second in the number of broilers raised each year and No. 3 in catfish, cotton and turkey production. Additionally, Arkansas is the No. 5 producer of timber, the No. 8 producer of eggs, and the No. 10 producer of soybeans and grain sorghum.

The food, fiber and fuel that is provided by Arkansas agriculture keeps our state, and our nation, growing (and going) in just about every conceivable direction. 

Arkansas Farm Bureau is the voice of agriculture in Arkansas, supporting the farms and farmers who are so essential to our state and nation.  The Taste Arkansas blog provides inspiration and recipes for the wide variety of foods produced in Arkansas, such as corn, soybeans, catfish, poultry and rice.  The ARFB.com website is a wealth of information and links for learning more about the rich agricultural resources in Arkansas.  Join us in our enthusiasm at partnering with the Arkansas Farm Bureau – and stay tuned, there is plenty more in the works!

Website: www.ARFB.com

Blog: Taste Arkansas

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArkansasFarmBureau

Twitter: @ARFB

We are planning some wonderful “Farm Tours” for our bloggers. Please email theparkwife@gmail.com if you are interested in being a part of this fun! No farming experience required!

Blogger, Author of A Little Salt to Cut the Sweet~ Southern Stories of Faith, Family, and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon (yes, Petit Jean Meats loves that)

With an urge to document the hilarity of family life, Sophie Hudson began writing her blog in November 2005. Since then she has seen her blog readership grow beyond what she would have thought possible. Sophie hopes that through her stories, women find encouragement and hope in the everyday, joy-filled moments of life. In addition to her blog, BooMama.net, Sophie writes on a regular basis for HomeLife magazine and is a regular contributor to the Pioneer Woman’s blog. She also serves as co-emcee for LifeWay’s annual dotMOM event and participates in Compassion International’s blogger initiative. Sophie lives with her husband and son in Birmingham, Alabama. (Official Cool Gal Bio from Tyndale House Publishers)

Go register before all the space is gone at this wonderful conference where we gather, grow, and connect!