Maria Bailey Interviews Christy at Blogalicious ’09

Christy — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:02:48 +0000

I’ve been meaning to share this. Maria Bailey (of BSM Media, MomTV, etc.) did a short interview with me at Blogalicious to talk about teaching my kids about giving back to the community. By the way, if you ever see me with the string on my shirt looking funky (or any other wardrobe/hair/teeth misfunction), please let me know. =}

Blogalicious 2009 – A Chance to Be Just Me

Christy — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:50:44 +0000

Last weekend I attended the inaugural Blogalicious conference, a gathering aimed at female bloggers of color and their allies (yes, you’re ALL welcome if you come with a positive vibe). I started a blog post on the plane there where I talked about how nervous I was. I didn’t know a lot of people attending, I wasn’t sure how I’d fit in and, honestly, I was afraid that I’d be burdened with some sort of expectations about who I am and how I should act. It’s a biracial thing.

Rockin' the Tiaras with Liz Henry at the Bloglicious Princess Party, Photo by Liz Henry

In contrast to my fears, Blogalicious was a life-changing experience. The women (and men) present represented every hue you can imagine, but there was a collective sense of purpose and energy throughout the weekend. Race and ethnicity were certainly topics of discussion, but they didn’t dominate us. And most importantly, as a woman who has felt marginalized throughout her life, it was one of the few experiences where I wasn’t lumped into some pre-defined group. I was able to just be me, with all of the complexities and quirks that come with that.

The thing that really stood out was that I didn’t experience an ounce of negativity the entire weekend. Sure there were tiny complaints about trivial things (Dear W hotel, we want MAPLE syrup on our pancakes, not elderberry – what the heck is that anyway?!), but the energy was positive, constructive and supportive. Consistently. And Wow! Blogalicious had more hightlights than I could possible mention in one blog post, but I’m going to share some that jump out at me:

Listening to Denene Millner talk about her life work, her passion and her mom.

Sharing a ride, having lunch and stalking celebs/bloggers with @KeepItClassyJen (More about Jen)

Hanging out with fab ladies from The Blogrollers and CleverGirls Collective (I loved them even before I won a great prize bag!

Some deep and engaging conversation about race, ethnicity, parenting and all sorts of other things with Gina Carol (@MaDonnaNegra) and Carrie Ferguson Weir (@Carrie_in_TN).

Listening to Karen Walrond (@chookaloonks – which I can now pronounce) speak on “The Beauty of Difference.” Karen has a fantastic voice that I could listen to all day, plus a wonderful presence. Hey, Disney, how ’bout giving her a role in an upcoming animated film…?

Donning a tiara (a la Disney princesses) for a night of great music and glowy-blue drinks.

Sleeping in a wonderfully comfortable bed with no kids to wake me up.

Thanks to the ladies of MamaLaw for putting on a great conference. I’m looking forward to Miami in 2010!

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Maria Bailey Interviews Christy at Blogalicious ’09

Blogalicious 2009 – A Chance to Be Just Me