Remember in the last post I mentioned special interest groups and what a large part they play in an online world these days? Well, today’s post is about another one of those groups and the person behind it. A group of us have been planning this “blog-out” for months, and who knew a group of chatty women could keep a secret when they are in and out of pages and groups and walls with the special person, day in and day out!
“In the Pink…“ is a reference to one of my favorite people in this world: Lori Anderson of Lori Anderson Designs and the dynamo behind the Bead Soup Blog Party™ (and the soon-to-be-released book based on that HUGE online blog party.) Lori added pink streaks to her hair as a nod to her creative side and it suits her to a “T”. Check the bottom of the page for a photo of my homage to her fabulous pink hair!
This photo was taken in June at Bead & Button…Lori’s hair is longer now, and the pink is such a whimsical touch. I smile whenever I see it!
Let me back up….I have “known” Lori for years–online. I can’t even tell you when we “met”, but we’ve emailed and chatted online for years about making jewelry, books, our kids, and the ups and downs in our lives at different times. We had never actually laid eyes on each other til June in Milwaukee. I knew Lori was going to stop by my booth and yet when she did, it was still such a shock! We both squealed like 10-year-old girls who had stumbled on Justin Bieber concert tickets! I know we hugged and we might have done the jumping up and down thing, too. And then we crossed paths again in Philadelphia at BeadFest and I got to meet Zach, her son. I am as in awe of Lori, the mother, as I am of Lori, the writer and entrepreneur. Though our “real life” time adds up to a few hours, our time as friends adds up to so much more. I consider Lori one of my dearest friends.
A little about Lori
She gets more done than any 3 people I know! Lori is a talented jewelry designer whose work has been published in many magazines over the years. That’s an area that she encouraged me to pursue, as well, and I’m grateful for the nudge.
While I am always making deals with myself to blog more often, Lori is a wizard at it! She is generous with her ideas and suggestions. She coaches people and has written an ebook with blogging prompts to help those of us who struggle with that, and she practices what she preaches: blogging daily and more. Always looking for ways to encourage others to their own success.
That’s the premise behind this big blog party around “bead soup”, started by Lori a few years ago. We just finished the 6th version of it with 400 participants over 3 different weekends. And because all of those participants (and more) from previous blog hops wanted ongoing connections after the hop ended, Lori started a Facebook group called Bead Soup Cafe. There are now over 1100 of us (growing each day) who stop in (on Facebook) to hang out, share tips, promote our wares, exchange chitchat, ask questions, find great deals, and bridge the fact that most of us are miles and miles and even oceans away from each other. It’s the online equivalent of the kaffeklatch that my mother and her friends had…groups of friends getting together to share their days. It’s a far larger undertaking than I can imagine, and that’s where this blog hop to Lori comes in….a chance to thank her for all she does and for the great place she’s put together.
Thank you, Lori, for pinking up my life!
For more information on the Bead Soup Blog Party book and it’s concept, check out this link where you’ll meet Lori, too! (Check out the hair!)
And here’s my take on pink hair:
To read other stories from others participating in this hop, take a look at these blogs:
Gail Vanderster-Zwang http://angelmoose.blogspot.com
Lea Avroch http://lajewelrydesign.blogspot.com
Leslie Wayment http://www.aabeadsonline.com/blog
Kelley Katherine Hagerty-Fogle http://www.mylifeonebeadatatime.blogspot.com
Sheila Davis http://www.stonedesignsbysheila.blogspot.com
Amanda Effron http://craft-o-licious.blogspot.com
Solange Collin http://www.blog.ahowinjewelry.com
Jennifer Chasalow VanBenschoten http://www.vanbeads.blogspot.com
Isolina Perez http://IsolinaPerez.blogspot.com
Toltec Jewels www.JewelSchoolFriends.com
Sherri Stokey http://www.knotjustmacrame.com
Mary Howell Govaars http://mlhjewelrydesigns.com
Bee Kuhlman http://mixedmayhemstudios.blogspot.com
Lynnea Perry Bennett http://designsbylynnea.blogspot.com
Alicia Marinache http://www.allprettythings.ca
Heather Otto http://www.thecrafthopper.com
Kimberly Flood http://www.goddessesandbeads.blogspot.com
Courtney White Breul http://beadsbybreul.blogspot.com
Marlene Cupo http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com
Marianne Baxter http://www.simplyseablimejewelry.blogspot.com
Mária Horváth http://horimarikabeads.blogspot.hu
Andrea Beth Trank www.heavenlanecreations.com
Heidi Mansfield Kingman http://mybeadtherapy.blogspot.com
Emoke Schmidt http://emoke1.blogspot.com
Sandra MrtzDiaz www.petaloazuljewelry.blogspot.com
Lupe Meter http://gesmpccorner.blogspot.com
Tanya Boden http://fusionmusebangkok.blogspot.com
Ambra Chicandfrog http://chicandfrog.wordpress.com
Kumi Fisher http://maliekaidesigns.blogspot.com
Sandra Young http://blog.gypsyroadbeads.ca
Sandi Marinaro Volpe http://www.sandivolpe.com
Gretchen Nation http://www.artfoodlodging.blogspot.com
Mimi Gardner http://www.othercuriosities.blogspot.com
Marian Hertzog http://mhertzog-msplace.blogspot.com
Sonya Ingersoll-Stille http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com
Terry Matuszyk http://pinkchapeau.wordpress.com
Audrey Belangér http://esperianterra.blogspot.com
Sandra McGriff http://skyescreativechaos.blogspot.com
Shelley Graham Turner http://www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com
Mowse Doyle http://mowsemadethis.blogspot.com
