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Rustoleum Blogger Event in Charlotte

February 10, 2013 By Rhoda 31 Comments

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It really is amazing all the doors that have opened up to bloggers in the last couple of years. I still have to pinch myself that I get to do these things and they are part of my business as a blogger.  Totally unreal at times, to be able to take part in these brand events.   A group of bloggers were brought together last week in Charlotte, NC for a Rustoleum event to showcase some of their new products.
Inspired by you!

I love brands that get it.  They realize that working with the end users who actually use their products is the best way to get the word out. And getting product to bloggers who are end users really gets the word out. We use their products, we blog about their products and it’s a win-win for all.  You all get to read about the products and decide which ones you want to try in your own homes and we are the ones who document the process of using them in our own homes.

I love that brands and companies are realizing that we do have a large voice as bloggers and that when we love a product and a brand, we will share it with the world.  Rustoleum is one of those companies who get it and I’m very happy to be associated with them, getting to try out products.  This blog journey is multi-faceted all along the way and I’ve been so blessed to be able to partner up with some incredible brands, Rustoleum being one of them.

There were 12 bloggers brought in for this event and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner the first night and then the second day got to hear several presentations from the folks at Rustoleum about some of their stain products and some new products that haven’t been out that long.  I hope to use one of those soon. I’m excited that I might have found a product to use on my concrete block wall at the end of my driveway, so that will be something that I will get to try out this year.

The Duke Mansion

They booked us all at the historic Duke Mansion in Charlotte, NC.  I didn’t know what to expect, but boy oh boy, was it beautiful.  This gorgeous mansion has a lot of history in the area and began as a family residence back in the day.  It’s now a bed and breakfast and wow, is it grand.

This is the front of Duke Mansion and when I heard the word, mansion, it totally conjured up this view.

Duke Mansion

This is the back yard of Duke Mansion.  Can you imagine?  Totally beautiful place.

Rhoda Roeshel

Me and Roeshel enjoying the sunshine that first afternoon.

I was really bummed that somewhere between Charlotte and Atlanta on the last day, I lost my point and shoot camera that I’ve had a few years and so lost all the photos that I took at the event as well.  So, these pics are from my iphone, blog friends and some that the Rustoleum team took the two days we were there.  I’ll just have to find another point and shoot, the smaller ones come in handy many times.

lobby hallway Duke Mansion

The foyer area of the mansion has these gorgeous black and white tiled floors and Rustoleum used all of this area to showcase their products.

Rust-Oleum Wood Stain - Golden Mahogany

Chevron board and spray painted bottles and jars.  Their products really can be used for so many applications and DIYers love it.

Rust-Oleum Wood Stain, Chevron style.

These are all stain colors on the boards.

party

That first night we all gathered in the big lobby area for a cocktail party and it was fun to catch up with everyone.  I had met all the bloggers who were there, except one, Kristi and it was so wonderful to get to see many of my friends again.

spray painted vases

More spray painted bottles.

spray painted owls

These 4 colors are possible contenders for new spray paints, so check them out and place your vote. Would love to hear which one you’d love to see out!  They will be paying attention to popular vote.

my room Duke Mansion

The room I stayed in was large and spacious, very comfortable.

group dinner

After the cocktail party, we headed to  Bonterra, a really nice restaurant for a fabulous meal.  I love great meals like this, totally a treat.

Young House Love

John and Sherry from Young House Love were there with us, talking about their new book and how blogging is so much easier than writing a book.  We loved seeing them again and getting to hang out and chat during our time together.  They are a great example of how starting a blog has changed their lives as well.  They started the same year I did, documenting their fixer upper house and now they are mega-blog stars (although they are so down to earth, you’d never know it!), with a new book and lots of great opportunities  have come about for them.

I can’t complain, so many great things have happened to me too because of blogging.  I’m thankful every single day for those blessings.

dinner at Bonterra

I chose tenderloin for dinner and this was one scrumptious meal, let me tell you.  We had appetizers, a delicious salad, and I had creme brulee for dessert.  A girl could get spoiled being treated like that.

Rustoleum presentation

The next day we heard from lots of the Rustoleum folks about new products, color trends, and more.

Rust-Oleum Wood Care

We then had a hands on workshop with Mark, where we got chunks of sanded oak boards to stain and take home with us. They are shipping our boards to us as well as the hooks that will go on them. I’m putting mine in my laundry room.  We got to try out all the new stain colors and that was fun.

Remodelaholic, Beneath My Heart and Southern Hospitality

Something was funny, can’t remember what.  We all got personalized aprons to wear, how cute is that?

Rhoda Cassity

My buddy, Cassity and I shared the same table.  She is from Utah and we’ve been on other events together.  She’s a sweetheart.

Southern Hospitality and Remodelaholic

I was enraptured with my block of wood apparently.

Beneath My Heart

Traci was having fun with hers too.

Rhoda staining

I took a pic for Instagram at one point, but had to bite the foam brush in order to press the button on my phone, so this is what came out.  We bloggers love to put out pics on Instagram. Are you on there, find me?

Rust-Oleum Blogger Event - Wood Stain

We all worked on staining our boards. I chose Weathered Gray for mine and then went back and added a darker stain to darken it up a bit and I think it’s going to be pretty hanging on the wall.

Blogger Pose!

Group shot with many of my closest blog friends.

Rust-Oleum Blogger Event

A group shot of all of us who were there:

From left to right, back row:  Kate, me, Roeshel, Sarah, Beth, Ashley (who blogs with her sister, Whitney), Traci, Ethan, Kristi

Kneeling:  Cassity, Whitney, Jocie (married to Ethan)

I loved getting to meet Kristi and hanging out with Ethan and Jocie and Ashley and Whitney again (they were at Haven last year).  Such great people!

It was such a fun time.  These events are all fun and we do learn a lot too.  Again, I love brands that get it and want to work with the folks who are using and promoting their products.  Being a blogger has been such a fulfilling journey for me and I’m grateful every day that I get to do something that I love to do so much.

Thanks for coming along the trip with us! I hope this gave you an idea of what goes on behind the scenes at these events. 

Here’s one more bit of exciting news to share.  It seems that I’m going to be featured in Atlanta magazine in May. Yippee, can’t believe that either. I’ll keep you posted when I know more details!  I heard a one page feature, so that is wonderful news to me.

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Filed Under: Travel 31 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Judi says

    February 12, 2013 at 12:44 am

    I need to paint a closet door. I just saw Rustoleum in the store today and almost got it but wasn’t sure if it would work. Now I will go back and get it. Thanks.

    Reply
  2. gina says

    February 12, 2013 at 10:22 am

    congrats on the magazine feature and thanks for bringing us along on your journey. never disappoint!

    Reply
  3. linda miller says

    February 12, 2013 at 2:45 pm

    Hi Rhoda
    Wish I could have met you while you were visiting Charlotte.
    My son-in-law sells wine to the Duke Mansion and also to Bonterra’s.
    You guys really got the royal treatment! How great for you!
    These vendors are so smart to key into bloggers for endorsements. I know if you say it’s a great product, it is.
    Linda

    Reply
  4. Linda says

    February 17, 2013 at 11:35 pm

    Oh wow! That looked like so much fun! It is so neat that you get to meet blogger friends and enjoy such fantastic events! What a great getaway too! How do you hear about these events? I have never heard of anything like it in my area-Philadelphia, Atlantic City, N.J. , but it would be something I would love to attend! Smart move, by Rustoleum to teach you about their great stuff, and use bloggers to promote their products! You blog is fabulous and I learn so much from you! Congrats on the mag. article, too! Have fun! Linda

    Reply
    • Rhoda says

      February 18, 2013 at 9:12 am

      HI, Linda, since I’ve been blogging so long, along with my friends, we get contacted by companies. We’re on their radar and that’s how these events come about. I’m blessed to be invited!

  5. Jessica Ballard says

    February 26, 2013 at 12:08 pm

    Oh Wow Rhoda, you guys were all so close to where I live. Hard to imagine so many bloggers I follow and grab ideas from were less than 20 min away all while I was in Mexico on vacation bahahaha! I can’t wait for Haven!

    Reply
  6. Becky Miller says

    March 26, 2013 at 1:33 am

    HELP! I love your blog and like to follow it daily. However, since the Rustolium event that you wrote about on 2/10, I can’t get any of your more recent posts. Don’t know what the issue is because all the other blogs that I follow are coming in just fine. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Rhoda says

      March 26, 2013 at 8:42 am

      HI, Becky, I’m so sorry that a few of you are still having problems getting to my blog. Do you come to my blog via a bookmark? Which browser are you using? ARe you subscribed and get my blogs in your email, because I think you should be able to click over from there. My tech guy has not found any reason for this to still be happening, so this is perplexing. Please don’t give up! I also post daily from my Facebook page over here with links.

      https://www.facebook.com/SouthernHospitalityBlog?ref=ts

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Thanks for stopping by! I’m Rhoda, from Atlanta, GA and I love decorating and DIY projects. Decorating a home doesn’t have to cost a fortune and I’ve spent years thrifting at antiques markets and yard sales, finding those treasures that make a home unique. I’m here to inspire and encourage other women to find their own inner creativity. Won’t you join me?

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