BBC-Dallas: A cute kids and conference quotes wrap up mashup

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I am a blogger. And I am a grandma. The role of blogger and the role of grandma are huge parts of who I am — though not all of who I am, by any means.

As a blogger, I can never have too many tips that help me succeed; as a grandma I can never have too many pictures of my grandsons that help me smile. Today I thought I'd meld the two: combine highlights of my recent Bloggy Boot Camp experience with highlighted photos I recently took of my grandsons.

Consider this a BBC-Dallas wrap up like no other — the ultimate cute kids and conference quotes wrap up mashup.

Bloggy Boot Camp: Brand Edition, which I attended free thanks to winning the conference prize package from The SITS Girls, was two days jam-packed with technical and inspirational information from successful women and men who've been there, done that in the digital world.

The technical stuff would require, well, attending a conference to get the full benefit. The inspirational stuff is a little easier to digest out of context, so that's what I share in this wrap up (with a wee bit o' tech thrown in just for you). Some are direct quotes, some are just nuggets of truth, all are surrounded by a few fave photos of Bubby and Mac taken during my visit to their world last month.

boys and iPad 

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'Labor Day' movie a tender ode to imperfect people... and pie

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I tend to expect the worst yet hope for the best when it comes to movies based on novels I loved written by authors whom I've long adored. Such was the case with LABOR DAY, a film directed by Jason Reitman based on the novel of the same name by author Joyce Maynard.

Joyce Maynard on her grandmotherI read Joyce's novel not too long ago. I literally hugged the book to my chest after reading the final page, I loved it so. Because of my love for the book, when I had the opportunity to screen the film — which opened the Starz Denver Film Festival — I feared I'd be disappointed.

Thankfully my fear was unfounded.

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Wherein I attempt to master the selfie

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I like to check my baggage when I travel. I know a lot of people prefer to carry on their items, but I prefer to check. Reason being that when I travel, I take my laptop (it's not an iPad or notebook by any means) as well as my DSLR camera. Once my camera is in a bigger bag with my purse, that bag and my laptop constitute my two carry-on items, while clothes and more are checked.

That said, I didn't check my baggage for my recent trip to Dallas for Bloggy Boot Camp, a fully paid trip I won from The SITS Girls. It was a quick trip with little chance I'd be leaving the hotel (which I didn't) so I left my camera at home, packed my laptop in my suitcase and lugged it all upon the plane.

Having no DSLR along for the trip meant I had to use my iPhone for any photos. An iPhone 4S, so it's not all that great, but it works in a pinch for most things.

I'm not so sure it worked all that well for selfies. Or maybe it's the camera operator. I tried, I really did. And the following provides proof.

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Veterans Day tribute plus GRAND Social No. 78 link party

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link party

Welcome back, my friends. For those of you who stopped by on Saturday, I apologize for there being no new post. So happens that Squarespace, my host, had technical difficulties Friday afternoon on into the early hours of Saturday, and I was already engrossed in Bloggy Boot Camp sessions by then.

Thankfully things are fine here now, just in time for this moving Veterans Day tribute produced by the husband of my bloggy friend Sandra Sallin. Sandra was kind enough to grant me permission to share her husband's video, When I Come Home, with you.

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