More DIY mojo at Haven 2013

For the past two years, I’ve been blessed to attend the Haven Conference in Atlanta.

Haven is the place where power tool-wielding ladies like me celebrate our DIY spirit. We attend hands-on classes about subjects like painting furniture and cutting trim. And there are also sessions on how to grow our blogs. One of my favorites this year was the “Let’s Case this Joint” session with Pretty Handy Girl and Sawdust Girl. Thanks to them, I now know how to cut crown molding!

This year’s keynote speaker was the inspirational and uber-popular Anna White. Not only can this woman build some furniture, but she’s a genuinely great person.

She’s also expecting her second child. Adorable!

One of my favorite parts about Haven is meeting all the wonderful ladies who are just as crazy as me. My friend Traci came up with a hilarious dance called the “DIY Shuffle” and taught all of us how to do it.

It was so much fun. I even taught my 6-year-old daughter the “DIY Shuffle” as soon as I got home and we went to a minor league baseball game. She loves it.

I get a bit verklempt when I think about all the lovely ladies I had the opportunity to spend time with at Haven. Even though I only see some of them once a year, I feel like we’ve been besties our whole lives. They energize, motivate and uplift me daily!

The sweet lady next to me is Cindy from Daisies and Crazies. This lady makes me laugh so hard I almost pee my pants. OK, confession … I may have actually peed my pants (a little) on one occasion with Cindy. She and I could talk for hours. We also had the privilege of hanging out with the lovely Brandie of Dreaming & Scheming. She is one hard-working Mississippi mamma.

I met so many amazing people at Haven. Apparently, many of us even share the same fashion sense. I wrangled up a few denim-clad divas for this shot:

I could go on and on about how much I love getting together with like-minded DIYers at conferences like Haven. But I want to keep your eye-rolling to a minimum, so I’ll close with this challenge …

Do you have people in your life who inspire, motivate and energize you? If not, I would encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and seek out a few. You need them to help you become the best version of yourself!