Day 2 of iBlog 7: Chillaxin' & Learning

I was hoping for a bigger crowd the following day, but it turned out that it was more or less the same number of people as the previous. I was also hoping to see some blogger friends, but it looked like everyone else had earlier plans, so only my friend Chad was there, along with my officemates for round 2 of the iBlog Summit.

Trolls. Do not feed them.

I actually enjoyed day 2 of the event, simply because there were a lot more useful tips and suggestions on how to optimize blogs to drive traffic, etc. The topics discussed were something I could personally use for my own blog, and if need be, venture into a possibility of gaining something else. Inasmuch as I'd like to receive extra income from blogging, it's not something I'm looking into the next few months. However, the event spurred some talks between me and Chad, as well as with Kat and Ching, about the possibility of collaborating.

I'm really bad at maintaining several blogs, but the idea of contributing stories and articles on an already established site seemed promising. I'm quite excited to get things started and use what I've learned in iBlog to help jumpstart our plans and fan the flames of great ideas.

Step U.P. bazaar

We also attended the bazaar at the Bahay ng Alumni around lunch just to stretch our legs and shake the sleepiness off. It was a good idea to take a walk and check out what's on sale--there were just loads of awesome stuff that I wanted to buy for myself. But before I went buying random things, I immediately scoured the place to look for the one thing I've been wanting to get my hands on.

Leather-bound journals for sale

I've been wanting to buy the journals made by Enan and Nadja of Alunsina Handbound Books. I first knew about their business in Facebook, and since I practically love collecting notebooks, I just had to get myself one.

I spent about 10 minutes or so just browsing the stuff they had. I had a difficult time which design to choose because they were all lovely. I originally wanted the plum journal with buckle, but the texture didn't quite appeal to me. I also loved the brown journals with the Celtic symbols, but in the end, I opted for the pink journal because I really liked the feel of the leather on my hands. I can't wait to start writing on it!

The Step U.P. bazaar also featured a lot of people selling cute and nifty accessories from polymer clay earrings and pendants to cute hats, stone art and bags. Secondhand books, antique items and clothes were also up for grabs. The place didn't have that much sellers, but the quality and diversity of the products for sale were more than enough that you really need to spend some time in each stall if you want to browse for some really awesome stuff.

Yummy polymer clay accessories

I want that Angry Bird hat

Butter pecan latte. One of the best coffee flavors I've ever tasted.

Focus, teh. Focus!

Yesterday's event for both iBlog7 and the Step U.P. bazaar was quite a nice break from the monotony of my weekends. It was the right mix of fun and learning with friends; I could get used to weekends like this.