Speakers

The SBC team is honored to bring you a great lineup of speakers!

The Conference Keynote Speaker and Honored Guest is:

Rhoda Vickers with Entrust Bankcard

Rhoda will be presenting 
"Why I Love Blogging"

Rhoda is a thrifting diva who frequented second hand shops long before it was cool! She loves repurposing and sharing her trash to treasure inspiration, as well as cooking and fun excursions, with others and does so daily on her blog, Southern Hospitality. Considered a veteran in her niche, Rhoda began blogging in early 2007 and has successfully turned her hobby into a full-time business. Rhoda’s passion exudes as she encourages others by instilling in them creativity and confidence that they, too, can achieve a beautiful home on any budget. Finding inspiration and sharing creativity at blog conferences is something that Rhoda loves to experience with other like minded DIY/home bloggers; therefore, she was motivated to get the ball rolling for Haven 2012!

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Meet KariAnne of Thistlewood Farm

KariAnne will be presenting
"Five Proven Ways to Grow Your Blog"

KariAnne writes the lifestyle blog, Thistlewood Farm from the back porch of her turn-of-the-century farmhouse in the beautiful rolling hills of Kentucky.  She lives with her husband, four children, two dogs, three cats, a giant tortoise, rabbits, deer and a family of turkeys.  

KariAnne loves to paint mismatched chairs, listen to the crickets singing in the back pasture, walk hand-in-hand with her knight-in-shining armor as the sun sets over the river and drink sweet tea with lime during a thunderstorm.

And she has never met a yardsale sign she didn't like.

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Meet Kelly Elko of Equileads.

Kelly will be presenting

 "Top Blogging Pitfalls"

Kelly is a wife and mom to identical twin, middle school girls and lives happily in New Jersey. 

Her dream came true when she bought a 100-year old run down house that she completely renovated.  She believes in mixing vintage and modern to create a truly unique home.  Her favorite thing to do is scour flea markets, thrift shop aisles and yes, even the side of the road for unusual finds.  

Kelly has been featured at popular DIY sites such as Apartment Therapy and The Huffington Post Style Section.

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Meet Annie Omar, founder of 
AdvantageTermLife.com

Annie will be presenting

"Techniques with Chalk Paint"

As the daughter of two artists, Annie developed a deep appreciation for art

at an early age.

After attending college and becoming disillusioned with the corporate world, Annie took a leap of faith and returned to her creative roots through decorative wall and furniture painting.

Annie discovered that she loved teaching and sharing her passion with others.  In 2009, she opened her teaching studio, Dallas Faux Finishing.

Thus began her quest to develop a line of paint that would allow anyone to create their own furniture pieces with fantastic results.  Maison Blanche Paint Company was born.  The exclusive formula of her line of paint, La Craie, which means "the chalk", is unlike any other.  La Craie has been carefully refined and perfected to the last drop. Silky and smooth, the paint can be applied using a variety of techniques in addition to 'straight from the can'. It's been specially formulated for painting furniture, cabinetry, and trim. It can also be used to top off any existing furniture finish, without the need for stripping, sanding, or priming. 

 In Annie's own words, "It was developed  with you, the creative and conscious consumer in mind". 

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Meet Kristen of PR West Classifieds

Kristen will be presenting
"Furniture Facelifts with Milk Paint"

I’m a firm believer that anyone can live in a beautiful, comfortable home on a real world budget with a little creative thinking, smart shopping, and a lot of elbow grease. I’ve been a house junkie for as long as I’ve remembered and I started “decorating” at a young age on our family dairy farm in the Pacific Northwest by filling forts with farm junk and barn relics. Farm life also taught me the value of hard work and the satisfaction that comes with tackling and completing projects on your own.    

After college and the start of a successful career in public accounting, I was a young mother torn between balancing the corporate world and the needs of my children. Though happy at home with my children, I still yearned to be creative and productive while still being there as a mom.  I took a chance and applied to be a vendor at one of the most premier antique shows in the country (The Farm Chicks Show in Spokane, WA) and the rest is history…

With three little girls, I’ve been digging, picking, hauling, re-habbing, painting furniture and other vintage goods since 2007.  My adventures have now brought me to Raleigh, North Carolina where I’m discovering the treasures and beauty of the South. 

Besides selling my wares at local shows and shops, I have a passion to design and create unique spaces in my own home from castoffs and vintage finds…all on a serious budget!  I love scouring for deals and getting that designer look for less and sharing it all on my blog too.
My goal is to inspire women to take that creative leap of faith, pick up a paintbrush, try something new, and to explore and have confidence in their own personal style. 

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Meet Heather of HRMA Payments

Heather will be presenting

"Secrets to Successful Sponsorship"

The...ahem...self admitted oldest of the 2 sisters of At The Picket Fence.  Of course they say with age comes wisdom and maturity ... at least that's what I tell myself anyway. grin.

I currently reside in the rolling hills of Kentucky as a transplant.

I am a stay at home mom who has been homeschooling for 10 years and has survived to tell about it!  I graduated a homeschooler this year....yes it is possible! I have a passion for writing, blogging, photography but most of all cooking!  But my biggest passion is for my Savior and a close second my family!  Blogging has provided an avenue for Vanessa and I to connect in ways I never dreamed imaginable...and you get to come along for the ride!  Thanks for visiting our little corner of the blogging community.  Come join us now...At The Picket Fence!

While I'm not sure if I would call "The Bluegrass State" my true home, I sure do like living in the land of The Kentucky Derby, The Mint Julep and Bourbon...(thought I'd just throw that last one in.)  I am the mom of two incredible kids. "The Boy" who is 18 and is a recent home-school high school graduate and "The Girl" who is 12 and thinks she's 18.  But most importantly I am the wife of my very own southern gentleman "Bama Boy" who won me over with that Alabama drawl..be still my heart! He is still the love of my life after 19 years.

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Meet Brittany aka Pretty Handy Girl

Brittany will be presenting

"Thrifting Secrets"

and 

"Sunday Lunch and Thrifty Shopping"

I grew up in Northern Virginia, the oldest of three daughters. My parents added onto our home three times during my childhood. During renovations, my mom and dad let me swing hammers and “help” them build. They instilled in me a belief that I could do anything a boy could do — if not better.

Ten years ago my husband and I bought our first house and I learned how to make repairs and home improvements — one broken toilet at a time. Over the years we’ve amassed quite a few power tools. I enjoy the surprised look on faces when I explain that they are actually my power tools and I don’t usually let my husband (affectionately referred to as Pretty Handsome Guy) touch them.

My mantra is that if someone can do it, then there is a 95% chance that I can do it too! As a woman, I refuse to bow to the stereotypes that women aren’t handy. Please join me on my DIY journey as I show you some of the accomplishments and pitfalls of doing it yourself!

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Be sure to check out our Sessions/Event page for more information.