Our super Western Washington Conference was last weekend. It was so chock-a-block with children's book industry superstars and phenomenal advice and inspiration that I'm still processing it all. In fact, it was like a good layer of chicken manure to my writing and illustrating idea seedlings. But more on manure later.

Top four conference highlights for me:

1) Seeing family. My cousin, It, came over from Eastern Washington. It loves two things: Kirsten Carlson and SCBWI. It is working on an edgy Yeti YA and is shopping around for an agent, so this conference was right up It's alley.

2) Meeting conference faculty and attendees. Our conference goers were so sweet, smart and talented – I really enjoyed getting to know some of them better.

And the faculty was amazing – those I got to see and talk with:

Betsy Bird – smarty pants firecracker with a killer wardrobe and terribly nice husband (picture stolen from Laini's blog, Betsy's hubbie not pictured, but he is also a dapper dresser)

Newbery Dream Team with my dearest Kirby and newly-dear-to-me Susan Patron and Cynthia Lord

Potter Champion and children's book guru Arthur Levine with adorable Sara and Jolie, most freakin' awesome organized Regional Advisors ever (where are their blogs? I don't know. Let's start a petition to make them start.)

Best-reasons-to-move-to-Portland Laini and Jim (Um, no lovelier couple exists. I think they are the Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy of SCBWI except Jim isn't ever proud or prejudiced... Sometimes he's a turkey, though)

Most favorite art director Laurent Linn (with me and Dana)

Rockstar agents Stephen Barbara and Marcia Wernick (with delightful Jessica Garrison)

Always killer Joni Sensel (with superstar Rosemary Stimola)

Not pictured: Cool hand Gary Luke; Razzle dazzle Nina Hess; Really Truly Laura McGee Kvasnosky; Lovely, lovely, lovely (that's three times lovely) Randi Rivers; Very nice and non-Hollywood Royce Buckingham

And other wonderful faculty I didn't have a chance to connect with, but have only heard good things about and wish they were local.

3) Cupcakes

4) Consultations
I can't tell you how helpful the manuscript and dummy consultations I had were. Actually, I CAN tell you – worth their weight in gold. Or chicken manure. Besides attending a conference this is one of the best investments you can make. If you have a manuscript or dummy that you've slaved over and revised, but are looking for that extra nudge in the right direction you'll get that with a consultation. Meeting with smart industry professionals for your critique can take your piece from woe to wow.

Back to manure. Here's a picture of my chest! Braving lines longer than at Disneyland yesterday I bought some vegetable, herb, and flower plants from the Seattle Tilth Association at the Good (German) Shepherd Center. I'm really really excited for spring - to be in the dirt again after years of waiting for a real yard. I'm not sure if this is analogous to my children's book career or not. I feel like I've been in a long line waiting to get to where I want to be without a real place to call my own in the children's book world. And this conference made me feel like I'm getting closer.

And lord. Chompo Blog. I'm not sure why it is so hard to post sometimes. It is daunting to share sketches and share in general. But now, with oodles of physical and... mental? manure all over my yard and me - with my new garden on its way – I'm hoping to revitalize my blog postings, too. Betsy's conference session on blogging was very inspirational. A good kick in the pants. And everyone at the conference was so nice I'd be happy to share just about anything with those people. Even my manure :)