It’s Book Blog Hop time. See you there.

It’s Friday, you know what that means. . . is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2010 Monica Brand

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Isn’t she sweet? Meghan has bestowed a lovely award to my humble, little space of the Interwebs. Thanks, Meghan! Now it’s my turn. I answer the questions and pass the award on to other bloggers. The questions, with my answers, are:

What is one thing we don’t know about you? Did you know I can juggle, love spicy food, hate Lima beans, have an older brother and younger sister? (Aren’t I fascinating!)

If you were able to go anywhere today, where would it be? International: Ireland; State-side: Seattle, WA

What is your mission statement for your blog or the reason behind your blogging? The purpose of paperbridges.net is to point you to  good books, warn you of the less than stellar ones and to encourage the homeschooler freaks free spirits (especially you of the unschooling/super-relaxed mindset. I want to lift you guys up to do Great Things.)

What is your favorite trait about yourself? I am not afraid to try new things.

What is your Twitter handle or Facebook page? I actually have two Twitter accounts. Most of you follow me as @monicabrand. Now I have an account for all my book related tweets as @PaperBridges. If you want to hear about my kids, homeschooling and what I had for breakfast, follow monicabrand. Follow @PaperBridges if you could care less about the little details of life. Or follow me both at both accounts, I’m trying not to give the same tweet twice.

I’m not as active on Facebook, but I will be your friend. Let me know in the invitation that you know my from my blog. My account is http://facebook.com/monica.brand

I pass the award and questions on to An UnTraditional Home,  Sparking Adventures, Growing Urban Wildflowers, The Path Less Taken, Almost Unschoolers, and Adventures in Unschooling (Girls, I hope you all play along; I’d like to see how YOU answer the questions).

Readers, if you don’t know their blogs, please take a moment to go visit with a nice comment.

I win! is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2010 Monica Brand

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Don’t forget to hop till you drop with the seriously crazy long list of book bloggers. Add your book blog link, then go out and meet other book bloggers. Leave comments! Subscribe to someone new! Have fun. If you spill food or drink on a bloggers’ carpet, clean it up. Or call in the dog. That’s what we do.

It’s Friday, let’s go to the Book Blogger Hop is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2010 Monica Brand

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I just found the Book Blogger Hop in my Internet-rabbit-trails exploring. If you are in need of  more Kindred Spirits of the book blogger fare, click over to link up and have fun getting to know new-to-you book fans.

Blog Hop for book bloggers is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2010 Monica Brand

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The best part of NaBloPoMo (can you say that five times fast?) is the discipline of writing daily: You must post. I suspect pictures and video do not count. Since you must post original writing to your blog everyday for the month of June, that doesn’t give you a lot of time to worry about if the writing is as perfect as you would like.

Write fast, write brave. Or fail. This is not the task for the wimpy blogger.

This blog has seen me take this challenge on before and I almost made it, yet was foiled by a failing clock battery. This month I vow to do better, lasting to the bitter glorious end.

I will not be defeated by a faulty kitchen clock.

And honestly, I need a challenge. My blogging here has been quite uninspired and lacking in drive, going weeks with me updating. I’m hoping NaBloPoMo will help me to get into a good rhythm so I can continue to write everyday beyond June 30.

Who is brave enough to join me?

It’s only 9:30 p.m. – you still have time to make today’s deadline if you haven’t written yet today.

NaBloPoMo is here! Let the writing begin is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2010 Monica Brand

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Here I am on the ferry heading over to the City. I’m pleased I have no skyscrapers shooting out of my head (only my ears.)

Here we have Maureen Johnson during the opening remarks of the conference. I will not link to her blog, Twitter, etc. due to the poor quality of the photography. We WANT the authors to like the book bloggers, no? This picture says, “Book Bloggers Have Cheap Cameras.” (Sorry, Maureen!)

And this shot captures one of the sessions. I used my phone this time, so I could send it off into the Twitterverse. I can match the names to the faces . . . not this time. I should’ve used my real camera, I should’ve zoomed in closer, I should’ve demanded better lighting.

Note to self: Do better next time. More close ups, Monica!

And this will conclude all gushing regarding the conference; I will now return to regular fare of homeschooling posts and bookish thoughts.

Did you post Book Blogger Convention photos on your blog? Leave your link in the comments so we can come admire your camera skills (or lack thereof.)

In which I admit lame photo skills is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2010 Monica Brand

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1. Book Blogger Conference 2010: reactions and wishes for next year

I loved meeting faces for real, in the flesh, beyond the blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc. By far, this was the greatest benefit to me. I’m a social person, there is only so much the online social media can do before it comes across as not enough. Attending the conference was non-stop, “Oh, I know your blog,” and “I follow you on Twitter!” I did a lot of gushing, and there was an instance when I could only muster a “I like your shoes!” because shyness got the better of me (I really did like the shoes, a lovely red sandal.)

I can testify that Jennifer and Carrie ( of 5 Minutes for Books) really do exist In Real Life.

Having said all that, I wish I had more time with these people on an informal basis. I arrived at the registration table that morning later than most, so I missed most of breakfast. I left right after the conference to get home back to the kids, hence missing all the post-conference dinner invitations and hanging out.

If there is a Book Blogger Conference 2011, I must make more time for the social benefits of the conference, which means either staying in the city overnight or coming home later. I’m going to have to give this idea more thought because I’m not sure which solution is right for me.

I met new bloggers I’d never read before; book publicists and authors, all eager to talk books and reading. Too funny: all the business cards being passed around at lunch – this truly was a time to network and of self promotion, something I haven’t done in a long time as a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom.

I’ll take some more of that, please.

“Blogging with Social Responsibility” turned out to be my favorite of the workshops. “Professionalism and Ethics in Blogging” the least helpful.

What else?

I wonder if Maureen Johnson is as funny in her books as she was in her keynote speech. Going to have to read her to find out.

How silly of me to be apprehensive of traveling into the City. We – my husband decided to come with me – drove in to Weehawken to take the ferry over to 39th Street, then a short walk to the Jacob Javits Center. So easy! So pleasant!

My only quibble with the entire day happened at the end. There was a thanks to the organizers and we gave a standing ovation to one of the bloggers instrumental in organizing the conference. Then it was over rather quickly and it felt . . . anticlimactic. I would have liked to have seen an Open Mic session for five minutes or so.

Overall, a fabulous experience for the book blogger. Loved meeting People Who Get Me, enjoyed the sessions, and I’m inspired to keep blogging about books. (I may be writing more in the coming weeks about the conference as it sinks in and I feel a need to bounce ideas around.)

Uh- oh. Just got busted. Getting dragged back outside for Family Time. I think I’ll come back later with pictures.

Book Blogger Conference 2010: reactions and wishes for next year is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2010 Monica Brand

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Convention ponderings coming. . . is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2010 Monica Brand

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Educating Magpies: Life Without School is my new blog home for all things home schooling related. It’s still bare bones, but I have a few posts up – my most recent about bad attitudes and perfection – I hope you check it out if you are interested in following our home school journey.

Paper Bridges will continue to be my book blog for reviews, giveaways and commentary from a Christian reader’s perspective.

Thanks! See you here or over at Educating Magpies.

Just so you know is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2010 Monica Brand

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On vacation is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2010 Monica Brand

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