nashville convention

Every year there are two major conventions and trade shows for professional photographers. This year one of them was in Nashville, Tennessee, which was a perfect place for us to travel! (Above, Dan is standing inside the hotel/convention center, The Opryland Hotel. It was a very cool, very big place!) 

Imaging USA includes a HUGE trade show (almost 1,000 booths) full of the latest greatest anything-you-can-think-of-that-relates-to-photographers-stuff! :) Frames, albums, labs, training, editing, equipment, jewelry, EVERYTHING. It can be overwhelming but we had a very specific plan of attack this year. :) And, we came home with the most adorable new framing options that we think will knock our clients socks off! Can't wait to launch the new line! :-)

There are also many classes to go to at the convention. We were {a lot} more excited about what we learned at this show two years ago when we attended in Florida, but since returning home this trip we've decided we picked up enough little things to make it worth the trip.

Ah....my favorite part of the trip! Our good friends Patricia and Thomas moved from Detroit to Nashville several years ago and we had yet to visit! They were gracious enough to invite us to move into their home for the week & we LOVED "living with" them!!

Their loft in Detroit was SO COOL that it was published in a magazine!!! So, it wasn't surprising that their huge new home was even better!!! (If that's possible!!!) I'm not sure these photos do it justice but I HAD to show it off!

Living Room

Kitchen

Their patios (yes, plural- which are on 2 of their 3 levels) overlook the city skyline. AMAZING! Like I said - these photos are terrible! I didn't even get all of their zen-like patio furniture!

Thomas is from England and is a vegetarian which meant two things.... 1. They cooked us all of these different foods and vegetables that we'd never tried before and LOVED, and 2. It gave Patricia an excuse to cook/eat/share meat! :) So....we were treated like royalty eating lamb, an amazing chicken dish, and going out for a fancy steak dinner! 

Dining Room

Sitting Room

Dan lounging...reading from their collections of art books

A separate office for Thomas.....SO SWEET!

Thomas still flies to Detroit to work 4 days a week so he had to leave us on Monday. The three of us went out to eat at a FABULOUS place. We got appetizers, sides to share, steak, crab, salmon, and lamb, and get this...... Patricia had a super duper coupon that we stacked on top of the half-price bill for arriving after 9, and we paid a total of $40 (plus tip) FOR A $220 unbelievable dinner!!!! (Did I mention she is also one of the SMARTEST people I know?!)

After dinner we went on a tour of Nashville, which was absolutely beautiful. 

Patricia and Thomas both are some of the most giving, unselfish, smartest, most fun people I know and it was so nice to see them and catch up on life. Although the actual conference was a little bit of a bummer (maybe we chose the wrong classes?), we had an amazing trip seeing them and also catching up with some of our photographer friends - also VERY fun!!!! Overall the trip was great and we are glad we went.

A special thank you, as always, to Dan's parents for watching our girls the entire week - which we know is a major sacrifice (even though we do know you love them) and we never take for granted all you do to help us with life & our business!!!

And thank you, Patricia & Thomas for hosting us & giving us a wonderful week away! :-)