DCOTA winter market

I'm back from my whirlwind adventure to speak on the Elle Decor panel 'Redesigning Design' at the DCOTA winter market. First, I just have to say that DCOTA is the most beautiful design center I have ever seen; spacious and light filled, it's a pleasure to spend time there.
Jennifer and I with Empress of the Eye
Unfortunately due to the weather, the moderator, Allison Mezzafonte and 2 of the panelists, Habitually Chic & Little Augury were unable to attend. We soldiered on however and Ellen Rubin, executive director of brand development for Elle Decor, took on the role of moderator. The Peak of Chic, Velvet & Linen and I had a great time discussing how we feel the internet has impacted the design world and how our blogs have impacted our lives and careers. I think the biggest impact for us all are the friendships our blogs have made. As Brooke said in the discussion, it had traditionally been so hard to make friends as passionate about design before our blogs; sentiments echoed by both Jennifer and myself. Nearly everytime one of us has met a fellow blogger the first thing we say is "I feel like I already know you!".
with Jennifer and Lynda Quintero-Davids
Other subjects we hit upon included different social media outlets (facebook, twitter, blogger), their pros and cons and how we utilize them. Of the three of us, we don't utilize twitter but do have a presence on facebook. We felt there was only so much time in the day and we try to concentrate on our blogs.
Advertising was another subject we hit upon and our conclusion was that blogs maybe can't make one much money, but the opportunities they have provided the 3 of us outweigh any financial incentives ( I mean, Elle Decor asked us to speak at a conference; hello, thats amazing!). It was so great to meet fellow bloggers (Hello Empress of the eye and Focal Point!) and to help contribute to the design dialogue that Elle Decor continues to foster by continually reaching out to the blogging community. Thank you so much for including me and keep up the good work Elle Decor!