I am so happy.
And so tired.
The good kind of tired.
The kind of tired that happens when you have driven across the country to speak at a conference wearing these earrings…..
…..and you gave it everything you had.
You see…..speaking at a conference has been a dream. Something I have wanted and hoped for years and years and years.
A dream that I have had for so long.
And when it finally came true…..I was a little overwhelmed.
Dreams are funny like that.
We wish and we hope and we plan and we imagine it. And then when whatever “it” is…..actually happens…..we want to run.
That is exactly what I wanted to do.
Run.
Really. Can you believe it? Me?
I wanted to run because what if I spoke and I was terrible? What if I finished and they smiled that little kind of encouraging smile at me that said “How nice.” What if no one asked questions? What if they fell asleep? What if they rolled their eyes? What if they just didn’t care?
What if all the what ifs came true?
And right in the middle of all that “whatiffing” ……I discovered these.
I bought them the day before I left.
I went into the store and told the sales clerk that I wanted the biggest shiniest glitteriest earrings they had.
Statement earrings.
Earrings that swung against the side of my chin.
And with every swing they would remind me, “Confidence….confidence….confidence.”
Confidence with a little bling.
And so I went to the conference.
And I spoke.
And my hands waved.
And the earrings swung.
And this weekend…..I dreamed my dream.
What about you?
What’s your dream?
Whatever it is….you can do it.
Just lift your chin…..smile from ear to ear…..and tell those what-ifs…..
…..your earrings are doing all the talking 🙂
PS Have blessed and wonderful day rock stars 🙂
You rocked those earrings and your speech! Loved getting to hear you speak and hearing your story... you were fabulous and inspiring! Hope you get a chance to rest from your long trip home and thanks for coming to hang with us in NC this weekend.
I am so happy for you my friend!!!! Living your DREAM is what you deserve and I hope you keep living your dream each and every day! My wish for you is that all that is good in life be bestowed upon you! Sending hugs and love...
Karrianne, I so enjoyed meeting you had the conference and you ROCKED! Thanks for all the pointers! Karen @asouthernblossom
Just like Susan Boyle!!
I'm sure you knocked it out of the park, Kari! Sorry I missed it but I look forward to hearing about it! xo Heidi
I told you. You are a SuperStar! ♥♥♥
So glad you had a wonderful time!! Never doubted for a moment that you would wow them. A bit of bling never hurts----but remember, in truth, it was not the earrings--it was YOU!!! And YOU can go anywhere, do anything, because you are fabulous, with or without the bling!!!!
With those earrings, you can reach the top of Mt Everest - without a sherpa! Had the most amazing time - thrilled that we could make our blog speaking debut together! Kelly
I bet you were in your absolute element ... earrings and all. :)
That little bit of bling must have worked because you were amazing and wonderful and inspiring! Thank you so, so much for speaking at the conference the weekend. It was a joy to spend time with you!
Hi Kari, After meeting you, I'm thinking you could have done this without the earrings -- you were fantastic!!! But...everyone needs their own little good luck charm, and from now on, these earrings will be your "lucky earrings". :) So glad to have met you Kari; I can't wait for next year's conference. Thank you for driving all the way to North Carolina to share your story and your blogging experiences, tips, and advice with us. I feel like I learned so much from everyone. Have a wonderful week! Hugs, Denise
I am so sorry but the light from your bling was blinding my eyes in the back of the room ( where they put the free ticket attendees) so I could not look at you. I did hear you and you were fabulous! Much love darling, Laura
YOU, my dear are the true rock star. First things first - FAB earrings. And now to congrats you on being a keynote speaker at a conference? Holy smokes. That is TRUE rock star, You see I can sing solos or play the flute or piano in front of ANYONE......I am outgoing and friendly and talkative. I know no stranger and make friends fairly easily. I am the MEMBERSHIP chair officer in our local women's club....................but never EVER could I EVER EVER EVER do public speaking. OMG my hands are getting sweaty and my breath short just thinking of it. In fact I told the ladies at my women's club I can do all the officer's positions but I can NEVER be president b/c I cannot speak in front of others. They were surprised. I told them not to be - unless there is music involved I find it utterly impossible to be in front of a crowd. So YOU, my dear get my Most Courageous award today because, frankly, it would be completely and absolutely impossible for me to do that. Nope. Ugh, No WAY. I would run and I would succeed in my running away, trust me. WAY TO GO, KARIANNE!!!! (high fives ya)
Good for you! Wish I could have been in the room to see your earrings. :-) I'm sure they (you!) were fabulous.
Good for you, Karianne! It is so inspiring to watch someone go for their dreams! How I wish I could have been there! The sky's the limit, girl! Congratulations!
My dream you ask..?...My dream is to be able to introduce a fabulous speaker at a conference with a "dry eye"...I accomplished the first, but not the latter...as there was not a dry eye in the room!...Tears of joy and laughter as you presented that fabulous presentation....you rocked it!!! Oh, and maybe a little tear here and there from the glare of those ultra blingy earrings...they were the best! I am happy that your dream was realized at the Southern Bloggers Conference!!!
Sounds like a wonderful dream come true, Karianne. I love the bling! Wish I could have been there!
Oh, how I wish I could have been there to see you in your blinged out glory! So happy for you! Blessings, Doreen
KariAnne, It was such a wonderful time listening to your bubbly self shining up there!! I cannot tell you how fun it was to talk with you and meet you!! You are the Rock Star!!! And you are more than inspiration!! So sweet, so genuine, and I just adored you in those Blingy Texas sized jewels!! You are beautiful inside and out!!! Have a blessed day!! ~ Lori
I am sure you would have been absolutely fabulous even without the earings, but i must say they are amazing! Sorry i missed it :( ! That weekend was bad timing for me!
I am sure you did great and I wish I was there. Love the Bling. Cynthia
I can't believe this was your first time speaking! You ROCKED your presentations! I could have listened to you all day! You, my dear, are a natural! I am so happy I got to meet you this weekend and I look forward to seeing you again! Robin (the chick with the ring pops)
Well done! Bet you shined more than those earings up on that stage. Public speaking is never easy, (I teach an adult public speaking course), but the more you do it the easier it will become. If you ever want to know any tricks or techniques, just ask. Happy to share. :)
I didn't get to see you in person but I heard fabulous things about you & those earrings :) I'm so happy for you that you got to knock something so important to you off your "one day" list!!
I'm sure you were brilliant... even without all the bling! I so wish I could have been there to see you fulfill a dream! You are certainly a blogging star, my dear!
I see fro the cocmments that you ROCKED but then I knew you would! YOU are a super star and now EVERYONE knows it! Way to go girl. The earrings are fantabulous:):) I wore some similiar ones for my daughters wedding and LOVED how I felt in them:) Some serious bling never hurts one's confidence!!!!!!!!!!!! XO, Pinky
Sounds like you really rocked it!! You, and those pieces of bling! You just did what e.v.e.r. it took! What's NEXT?? ;)
Wish we could all live our dream...Glad you did..
You know, I was about to buy my ticket and sneak down there when we got that call... I mean, I had the site pulled up and everything. I know you rocked it our, rockstar!
Dreams are wonderful, scary, fantabulous, anxious things, aren't they? But with BLING, you can face ANYTHING! Love the earrings, love your blog, and wish SO much I could have heard your speech! Is it online anywhere? My dream? To publish my book. :) So excited that YOU dreamed YOUR dream - now maybe, someday, I'll dream mine! Gotta find me some great earrings . . . .
Girl, those earrings really did work, cause you absolutely ROCKED IT!!!! I would have never known it was your first conference speech! You were awesome and gave off such positive energy ...it was contagious! I want to do a post on the conference tomorrow, may I have permission to use a picture of your earrings? I'll be sure to link back to this post! :) ~Rhonda
Congratulations Karianne! That is huge, and I am so proud of you!!
Congratulations, KariAnne! I'm sure you were fantastic and an inspiration to all that heard you. (LOVE the earrings, by the way!) Now, and this would be one of my dreams come true, when are you going to write your book for all of us non-blogging (& blogging) friends that don't get the opportunity to hear you? :) Truly, I am so happy for you.
I'm so proud to know ya! I wish I could have been there to see your bling swing! YOU are the magic, and your fab earrings just came along for the ride. Keep your confidence swinging. YOur bud, QuirkyKim
Of course, you rocked it! With or without the earrings, you were amazingly generous and kind: with your time, encouragement, energy and transparency. In other words, you were a blessing! Marty@Marty's Musings
Good for you! I'm sure you did wonderful! I'm scared that if I start telling my dreams they will never come true!
I love that your dreams are coming true!!! Everything is possible and possible is everywhere...Glad you used the pic. I will send you the others for your scrapbook!!!
Those earrings were amazing and so were you! It was such a treat to meet you and spend the weekend with you! I loved your talk and am so excited to go back to work on my blog!! You are even cuter in person and I look forward to your blog every day!
You knocked it out of the park girl. The earrings were nice, but your blogging story was great. It's always a pleasure to be in the same room with you. You brighten everything up. I think a nice set of bling earrings might be just the thing for me. What do you think?
Oh My God, Karianne!!!! You are ADORABLE. I want meet you!!! That's a dream to live for!!! ANd I will be wearing BIG earring the day we meet!!! I live in Canada, so it is a big dream! You bring tears to my eyes, your posts are unexpectedly beautiful!!! I have to make a presentation this Thursday about my business. ANd I will wear big earrings. I will remember you, and confidence, confidence... Hugs and THANK YOU!!!
Forgive me for asking but, the organizer in me wants to see *how* you store your jewelry in your new-old farm house. Do post photos puleeze of your methods. PS - You and your earrings were super-sparkle-icious!
Love the ear rings but I have a love for shinny things....................I would have loved to hear you talk I can just imagine how awesome you would be
Way to go! I would love to hear you speak one day - was it taped so you can put it up on YouTube for the rest of us? Those earrings are fantastic - what a great way to give yourself a boost!
How did you know I needed a pep talk today? I have never sent a comment to a blog before, but when I read this I had to. You see, I opened a booth at an antique mall today. I'm exited and scared at the same time. How can that be? Your words spoke to me and I thank you. I live near your neck of the woods in Graves County. Love your blog, it's my favorite. Gonna get some of those bling earrings!
Good luck with your booth, Deborah. I opened one a few months ago, and it's a lot of hard work, but so fun when something sells. I wish I lived in Ky so I could shop at your booth. I bet it's awesome.
Thanks for your kind words....I really appreciate it.
KariAnne, I can feel your glow through the computer screen. And I can imagine you charming the socks off your audience with your humor and your warmth. Congratulations on your 'dreamy' conference. Earrings or not, I was sure you were going to rock the house. Leslie (aka Gwen Moss blog)
Girl, you ROCKED!!!!!!!!! I would like to have you as my BFF!!!! You are hilarious. I giggled the whole time you were lecturing. I may have even dreamed about your topiary Saturday night. LOL You are a great inspiration to me as I am just in the planning phases of my blog-I am not adventurous as Kelly who set hers up the same day while meeting in Starbucks:-). Thank you for sharing your story with us, the conference was a blast! By the way, I would so sport those earrings even to the corner grocery store in the middle of NoWhere Kentucky!
Someday I would love to hear you speak. You should go on tour just you and your fabulous shinny earrings. Congratulations on living your dream. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to do something with design. I use to redesign my girlfriends bedrooms and I loved moving the furniture in my bedroom around. It use to drive my mother batty. I can just look at something and say no that doesn't go but this would go better. I just don't know how to turn that into my dream job. Until then I live my dream through the blogs I follow and I still find myself helping my girlfriends with their rooms.
I bet you were good too, wish I could have heard it. Glad you enjoyed the conference, love those earrings!
Great earrings, great presentation. But mostly you have to be proud of how you touch people and leave them feeling so great! I was an honor to meet you!
Your bling couldn't hold a candle to your amazing presentation, style, personality, and fabulousness! :) me
Courage simply exuded from you...and your earrings. ;) Loved your session, your style, and your passion for blogging. Thanks for being an encouragement to us all.
That is awesome that a dream came true for you. Certainly not one of mine to public speak. I get so nervous and trip all over my words. Well you know that from the podcast LOL!~ Love the bling and I hope you wear them often. I am sure you rocked it all out.
Kari: Those earrings were fab, but you didn't need them. You blinded us with your sparkle, your fabulousness and your wit. Your a diamond in a world of rhinestones. The real deal. Special rare. Sparkly. Who every girl wants as her best friend. So glad to have played a small part in your dream come true, and to have met the wonderful, funny, sweet woman behind the blog. I'm proud to know you. Atta Girl Amy
Your earrings are awesome, your talk was awesome, and you are awesome! :) I am so glad that I got to be a part of such a great gathering of women (oh - and a couple men!) Thanks so much for your inspiring words. Brenda
O, girl...YOU WALK THE WALK and YOU TALK THE TALK...you are wonderful, the earrings are wonderful and there's not a doubt in my mind that YOU were a wonderful speaker at the convention.
You did such a wonderful job, and I loved the earrings! :) With your bubbly personality and excitement, you would have made an impact even without the earrings! Thanks so much for sharing and encouraging (as well as sitting next to me at dinner just after we first me)!
You rocked it and then some. You were awesome and I might add have got me rethinking how I do this blogging thing. I was totally inspired by you and I knew I would be. You were the carrot that drew me to the conference as I have always enjoyed your blog. You make me laugh with you not at you and you are so genuine. And upon meeting you in person - it was just as if it was a blog post. You are a real person who made me feel at ease immediately. I look forward to meeting up with you again. tammy
Karianne-YOU are amazing. Seriously. You are one of the most kind, sweet, charismatic women I have ever had the luck to meet. You have that special uncanny ability to make every person you talk to feel like an old friend and a truly special addition to your life-that is a gift! Your speech last weekend was wonderful and YOU were awesome! I can only hope to get to hang out with you again sometime soon!
Oh Karianne YOU ARE A ROCKSTAR!!!!!!!! Wish I could have been there.Wish we could have met.Someday right ?! Okay that is one wish to meet you :-) Another is to be featured in a magazine and a book.I would love to own my own shop or be a shopper a picker for someone.I LOVE to shop and I think I have a pretty good eye.What better than to have someone pay you to shop.Now that would be a dream job! xx Anne
Oh Karianne! I am sure you were fabulous! I am going to make it to one of those conferences oneday and meet you! Do you ever go to Nashville? I think you are a couple of hours from there. I am also a couple of hours away but from a different direction. It would be so cool to have some bloggers meet up in Nashville and go shopping and eat and just have a great time. Fall is such a gorgeous time around Nashville. Let me know if you are interested.
I can't imagine your not being great at anything you put your mind to...