What I Learned from Meeting Liz Marie Galvan

I am still coming down from cloud nine after this past weekend! On Friday I had the pleasure of getting to meet and listen to the amazing blogger Liz Marie Galvan and her husband Jose.  It was a weekend I won’t soon forget and today I am SO excited to share with you all of the treasures I learned from her!

Ok I am so excited that I am even able to write this post! But first a little back story…For those of you who are newer to my blog I started this journey about a year and a half ago. I needed a creative outlet and somewhere to share my passion for home decor, decorating and home projects. I was encouraged by several friends and bloggers who I had “met” and followed on Instagram. One of those encourager’s has always been Liz Marie Galvan. (You can check out her amazing blog by clicking HERE! )

When I heard that she would be coming to the Old House Vintage Market that was only 15 minutes away from my house, I was so excited. Well that excitement lasted for all of five minutes when I found out that this market was happening in January. What’s up with January you may ask? Well, as I mentioned in my previous post and over on Instagram , I have joined a spending freeze challenge with some Instagram buddies. This means I can only spend money on food, gas and bills for the month. I was seriously bummed because the market cost money to attend.

Luckily God had other plans! One week before the Old House Vintage Market I was contacted by Bernadette who runs the entire market and she asked if I would like some tickets to the Friday night VIP shopping event. I about cried when I read her email and of course I said yes! I ended up taking my mom (who has taught me everything I know and supported me from day one) and my two little girls. I was excited for them to see what made their mama so happy!

Thank you Bernadette for making this small town blogger’s dreams come true! Here is what I learned from the one hour Q & A session with Liz Marie and her husband Jose.

Treasure #1

Be you!

During the question and answer time I was able to ask Liz one question. That question was, “What would be the number one tip or piece of advice you would give a new blogger?” Her simple answer was… be you! Be yourself! It’s so easy to get caught up in the comparison game or to second guess yourself. She then went on to say tell YOUR story.

I loved her honesty on how she herself even struggles with the comparison game. She talked about how they had recently decided to paint their hardwood floors white. She said obviously that is not the norm and she got a lot of not so nice comments about their choice. But in the end it was what they really wanted to do and the end result made them happy. If she hadn’t been true to herself she would have kept her floors stained and been unhappy. I love that she had such a great example of “being yourself”!

As I look back over my time blogging and sharing on Instagram, I have mostly stayed true to who I am. I am a girl who loves color and loves the coastal cottage farmhouse look. I also love many other things and plan on sharing more of myself with you all real soon!

Treasure #2

Take Risks

Ok this one piece of advice we all hear a lot. Don’t be afraid to take risks! But for some reason this weekend, and hearing it from Liz, it really spoke to me. Starting this blog was a huge risk for me. However, I have generally kept it pretty safe and mostly on the side and not been consistent with posting. I would love to take it to the next level and turn it into a full time job. I’m still praying about that and how to do it and where to go with all of this but just putting it out there for you all to read is another huge step for me! My goal is to post here on the blog once a week and to be consistent. This will be hard with my crazy busy life but I am going to try! It’s time I take a BIG risk!

(Personalized mug decal made by my friend Renee @decalsfordecor )

Treasure #3

Attend Haven

I was able to talk to Liz one on one at the end (be still my heart) and she had some great suggestions! One was to attend the blogging conference Haven! She and Jose have attended and spoken at this conference in the past and loved it. They might return again this year! If so I hope we can meet up again!

My plan is to go to Haven this summer! I am mostly a self taught blogger and this will be a great way for me to step up my game by attending Haven’s break out sessions and using their sessions to learn more! Plus, I am excited to go and meet so many of my blogging friends in person!

Treasure #4

Teamwork

Just by watching Liz and her husband speak together it was very clear to everyone that they are a team. A team in marriage, their DIYs, their farm and blogging. She talked about her husband being her biggest supporter and fan. He bought her her first camera and computer and even helps with the technical side of her blog. Their love for each other was fun to see and experience in person! They are now venturing in to vlogging and more videos together. She also hinted at something REALLY BIG that was happening next year that she wasn’t allowed to share with us just yet! I can only imagine!

I am so blessed that my husband supports me 100%. He is my blog editor and number one cheerleader and he always supports my crazy ideas! My parents and sister have also played a huge role in encouraging me to always go after my dreams. I am a very lucky lady!

Treasure #5

Blogging and IG tips and tricks

Liz shared that being consistent in how many times you post on your blog and when you post on IG is critical as well. Just be consistent! She also stressed to not be too harsh on yourself on what you share. Be okay with sharing the not so perfect picture or unfinished project. Remember to just be you! Here is a link to a blog post that she referenced in her talk that includes her favorite photo editing apps and tips on growing your Instagram! This tip wasn’t in her post but was she shared with us this weekend: In the Snapseed app she brightens and sharpens her pictures she then moves it to the VSCO app where she uses the A6 filter. She said this filter is a must! Just thought all you who share pictures would appreciate that tip. I know I sure did!One For the Books

So as you can see this past weekend meeting Liz Marie Galvan and her husband was a game changer for me. I was able to take away so many wonderful treasures and pieces of advice from both her and Jose.  After hearing her speak and then getting to talk to her I felt like we had been friends forever.  She and Jose are so genuine and kind and I love that they are willing to help and encourage new bloggers like myself! And to top it all off she even followed me over on Instagram! Day made! 🙂

xoxo,

Kelly

Oh, and if you are wondering if I stuck to my spending freeze…I am happy to report that I did!