Barefoot Contessa Holiday Picks

Yesterday I teased my Holiday 2011 picks with Barefoot Contessa (sidebar: did you enter my Barefoot Contessa giveaway yet???).

And today, here are some of what I think you should pick up for the fabulous people in your lives.

Check out Barefoot Contessa's blog over the next few days to see what else I picked!

Vancouver Blogger Meetup: Recap

First off, thanks to everyone who came out last Wednesday. A big thanks to The Network Hub for letting us use their fabulous space. A huge hug to Hummingbird 604 for asking me to be on the panel, and of course, a huge thanks to my fellow panelists: A Beautiful Life, Fashion Forward 40, & Style Struck.

For those of you who missed out, we had a lively discussion about monetization, the state of blogging in Canada, PR pitches, and many other things.

A few tips from the evening's conversation:

1) PR firms: Know the blogger & their content before pitching. Also, personalize pitches.
2) Some brands, big and small, don't see the value of getting blog exposure.
3) Don't get discouraged by not having a high number of comments.
4) Blog for yourself, not for attention.
5) Have a consistent brand across social platforms.
6) Post as often and consistently as you can.
7) Take the opportunity to meet other bloggers in real life - even if you seem like a stalker.

Likely telling about the time I was pitched a story about sex toys.

If you have any other questions for me to (attempt) to tackle, ask me on Formspring or shoot me an email.