The best thing about being a blogger is that you can work where you want and set your own hours. However, this also means a lot of isolation with not much of an opportunity to connect with others in your field (yes, I just called blogging a field). This is why the event we attended a few weeks ago was so amazing.
The Arizona Blogger Meetup Group is a Facebook group that connects bloggers from all around the state of Arizona- although most are located in the Phoenix area. Once every few months, the leaders of the group host a meetup where we all get the chat (in-pers0n), eat delicious food, learn from other bloggers in fabulous education sessions and win incredible raffle prizes and swag.
Photography in this post that does not appear as an Instagram is courtesy of Photography Hill.
This meetup was held at the Shine space near downtown Phoenix.
Immediately on entering, our lovely hosts greeted us and gave us truly spectacular swag bag! I didn’t know how amazing it was until I opened it at home. Those details later.
The leaders of this event were the lovely Chrissy, Deidre, Kayla and Camille. Please click on their names to check out their amazing blogs! 
While mingling, we perused the fantastic giveaway table. My favorite was this beautiful necklace from To Adorn:
And this one from DownEast Basics:
I was not lucky enough to win either. However, I am now in search of a new chunky necklace. I haven’t decided if this is a good or bad thing.
We were also treated to some delicious food.
I loved these chocolate breads from Proof Bread.
After some networking and trading of business cards, we got to pick from four classes that were to be offered for two sessions a piece. Megan and I decided to split up so that one of us could attend each class.
My first class was on branding your blog , taught by Reachel of Cardigan Empire.
She discussed the concept of being “smashable.” To explain this, she described a coke bottle. If you smashed a coke bottle against a wall, how small of a piece could you pick up and still be able to recognize it as part of a coke bottle? This also pertains to a blog. How small of a section could you look at from your blog and still tell that its yours? Are you consistent throughout? Are readers able to recognize your work, your writing, your photos if they look at only one post?
To be smashable, you have to know exactly who you are, what you represent and who you are not. We were given a large list of adjectives and asked to circle five that describe our blog now, five that describe what we are not and five that describe where we would like to be. 
My second class was taught by Stephanie from Life Created. Stephanie gave us lots of tips for photo styling. I learned that the best angles to take a picture are bird’s-eye, 30 degrees and eye-level. I’ve been trying to take more pictures at these angles.
We got one picture together at the event. I feel like it a prediction for the future of Whimsicle.
We met tons of fabulous bloggers on this Saturday afternoon It is so amazing to actually meet someone that you know online. When I got home, I opened my swag bag to discover.. amazingness!! Packed in a canvas bag from Lawless Denim was:
a Pumpkin Brownie from FairyTale Brownies
a pair of gray, fleece-lined leggings from Pink Blush
A notebook from Tiny Prints especially designed for this event with artwork from Beth Allen Art and lettering by Strawberry Mommycakes
A print from Yellow Bungalow Shop
A pair of leggings from Agnes and Dora which I immediately wore to the park the next day
Candace says
Looks like a lot of fun! I love going to blogger meet ups when I have the chance!
Alicia says
It was so good meeting you! Glad we have events like these to meet fantastic bloggers!
JoAnn says
Great to meet you too Alicia!
Betsy Mitchell says
What an amazing meetup! I Love meeting other bloggers and forming a community where we can all help each other. It’s especially nice when you’re able to meet them in real life!
JoAnn says
Definitely Betsy!
Angelic Sinova says
This looks like such a fun time! I’ve always wanted to go to a blogger meet up <3
Angela Price says
Looks like it was fun. I am looking forward to my first blogger meetup!
Nancy says
I love how many people showed up to that blogger event!
JoAnn says
It was huge! Tickets sold out within the first day, so there was quite the waiting list too.
Chelsea says
SO much fun! I wish there were meetups in my area!
Lindsay says
Wait, what?! How did I not know about this? I must be in this group ASAP 🙂
JoAnn says
Yes! It’s called the “Arizona Blogger Meetup Group” on Facebook.
ananda says
how fun! wish i started my blog before we left AZ!
kendall says
What a cool meet up! I wish there was something like that here!
Alisha H. says
Looks like fun. I would enjoy the food the most. Kidding. 😉
JoAnn says
I enjoy the food the most! No shame in that 🙂
Melissa says
This looks like so much fun! I always wanted to go to a blogger meet up…maybe one day!
Brenda says
Aww this looks like so much fun! The food looks delicious!
Fi says
I love blogger meet ups, I organised my own this summer.
JoAnn says
That is awesome Fi!
Deidre says
So great meeting you at the event! Great summary post.
JoAnn says
Thanks Diedre! Great to meet you, too!
Marissa says
This is awesome! One day I will find a blogger meet up closer to where I am. They look like so much fun!
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes says
This looks like such a fun blogger meet up.
brita says
This looks like it was a great meetup! I really want to attend something like this soon. I like the coke bottle analogy a lot! I’ll have to think of my blog in that way.
JoAnn says
Loved the coke bottle as well! It’s so easy to apply elsewhere.
Alyssa says
I kept seeing these kinds of pictures on instagram and I cannot believe I missed out on this meet up! Looked like so much fun!
JoAnn says
Hopefully I can meet you at the next meetup Alyssa!
Erica says
I was beyond bummed I could not make it to this meet up (it was my 5 year wedding anniversary that day) but I hope to see you at the next one! 🙂
JoAnn says
Happy 5 year anniversary! Hope to meet you in person soon!
Jessica Doll says
This looks like such a great meetup! It’s always fun to be able to connect with blogging friends offline too.
Carly Anderson says
This looks like such a fun meet up! I love meeting local bloggers
Jordan says
Looks like you guys all had a really good time! The San Francisco Bay Area has one tonight, so it’ll be fun to go and party with a ton of babes!
Tammi says
Sounds like a great event. I always love meeting others with the same interests and learning new things. Sounds like this event was both — with presents!
JoAnn says
The presents were a definite perk 🙂
Joanna Sormunen says
What a wonderful meetup! The pictures are great and sounds like you had so much fun! I think for me the best thing would have been to meet other bloggers and network with them. I really wish I had that opportunity.
JoAnn says
There must not be very many bloggers in Ecuador. It’s fascinating reading about your life down there though!
Michelle Chouinard says
That looks so fun! I’d love to do something like that will my area bloggers. 🙂
Michelle Snow says
That is a cool thing to do. There is my sister in law on the far left!!
JoAnn says
It was so much fun! Your sister in law is Alicia, right? I met her there 🙂
Winter White says
This looks like a super fun event! I would love to learn more about photo styling because I want to do more styled shoots at home. Thank you for sharing!
JoAnn says
I definitely want to learn more about photo styling. Especially how bloggers get those amazing looking backgrounds on their product shots. I think there is some secret I’m not aware of.
Avie says
What a great meet up! I wish I could find more bloggers in my area! Haven’t met very many or any really.
JoAnn says
It is definitely a cool thing to be able to meet other bloggers. Where do you live Avie?
Camesha | Mama Motivator says
My goodness, what a meetup! Looks like you all had an awesome time.
JoAnn says
Thanks Camesha! It was spectacular 🙂
Ayana Pitterson says
I am itching to attend a blogger’s meetup. Definitely on the to-do list for 2015. Dang, can you believe 2014 is about to end so soon.
Thrifting Diva
http://www.thriftingdiva.com
JoAnn says
The year has gone by way too fast! I love meeting other bloggers though. So cool to see others do the same things I do 🙂
Angela Livingston says
What a fun meet up…I need to move to Arizona! Looks like a fun time was had by all!
kristine foley says
You guys have so much fun in Arizona! Looking forward to going to a conference next year!
JoAnn says
This was my first meetup and I just attended my first blogging conference this past weekend at Blended. Which conference are you planning to attend Kristine?
jessica says
This looks like such a great time! I wish there were blogger meet ups closer to NJ!
JoAnn says
Thanks Jessica! It was so fun! We are definitely lucky to have something like this in our area 🙂
liv says
Those tights are awesome!!!!! And I’d love to be apart of an event like this!!!!
Lana Lou says
How fun! Looks like a blast!