I'm Back Home! Recap of the Sears Home Design Summit
Thursday, July 09, 2009 Posted by Jolly Mom
I'm back from the Sears Home Design Summit in Chicago. I've got to say that it's bittersweet to be back--I am so glad to be home, but it was so amazing to meet all of the amazing bloggers and to see Sears and Kmart in a totally unexpected {and FABULOUS} way! The trip was a whirlwind though!It all started with Carl--the driver who took me to the airport.
Meet Carl:
Felicia from Go Graham Go met me at my gate when I landed in Chicago. She had landed just a few minutes before so it worked out great. This was the first time that we met and it was like I had just seen her yesterday {LOL}! That's the power of the internet, right?! You can make real friendships! After meeting, we headed off to meet the next driver who took us to the hotel. The hotel was wonderful and we were greeted by these adorable gift baskets filled with Country Living products from Sears/Kmart. Very sweet of them to do that! There wasn't much time to sit around though because we had to get ready for the welcome reception that was starting in an hour!
I'm going to be honest {at the risk of sounding corny}, but I was totally nervous walking into the welcome reception. I mean it was like a bloggers' who's who--Stacy Debroff from MomCentral.com, Jennifer James from MomBloggersClub.com, Janel from ApartmentTherapy.com, Liz from CoolMomPicks.com, Erica from 5MinutesforMom.com, Lori from ACowboysWife.com, Christine from FromDatesToDiapers.com, Gabrielle from DesignMom.com, Miranda from KeeperoftheCheerios.com, Tanya from MommyGoggles.com, Amanda from MommyMandy.com, Louise from MomStart.com, Stephanie from AdventuresInBabyWearing.com and more. Plus, all of the Sears people were there too. Can you say OMG??? EVERYONE was so nice, welcoming, down to earth, and just...amazing. I had nothing to be nervous about!
The next day was the actual Sears Home Design Summit and really words can't truly capture the passion that the home designers have for what they do. Meet Theresa Strickland--Chief Home Design Officer--in the video below. To read more about her and the rest of the design team, visit KmartDesign.com
They {along with everyone from Sears} were so wonderful to us! What really struck my is how much they sincerely want to reach out to our community and learn from us. They want our honest feedback so that they can learn, grow, and give us, as women and moms, what we both need and want. I love that! Here's a sneak peek at some of what we got to see:
Can you believe that any of that is sold at Sears and Kmart?! My jaw dropped when I saw how modern and updated they have become! I know that when I used to think about Sears, I always thought of tools, appliances, and--well, that's about it. Not anymore. Sears and Kmart have changed and are making huge strides to change even more. They are renewed. It also made me happy to hear that they are pushing for greener alternatives and to make more products in the USA. Go Sears and Kmart! I will be back to post more info on what we got to see, but I will tell you that the prices are unbelievable and the quality is outstanding! You will not be disappointed.
After the Summit, it was time to go home. It was definitely bittersweet. I would have loved more time with the great people at Sears and the other bloggers! Alas...it was time to go home---except once I got to the airport I found out my flight was delayed by an HOUR. Ugh. By this point, I was exhausted--as you can see here {LOL}.
I'll be back with more news on the exciting things that Sears and Kmart have in store for us!
After the Summit, it was time to go home. It was definitely bittersweet. I would have loved more time with the great people at Sears and the other bloggers! Alas...it was time to go home---except once I got to the airport I found out my flight was delayed by an HOUR. Ugh. By this point, I was exhausted--as you can see here {LOL}.
I'll be back with more news on the exciting things that Sears and Kmart have in store for us!
July 9, 2009 5:42 PM
What a fun experience!
July 9, 2009 6:15 PM
It was so awesome meeting you and everyone that was there. Truly a great experience!
I just got home today. I flew back last night, but had to get the family and drive 5 hours home today. Ahhh it's nice being home, but I had such a great time with everyone!
XOXO
July 9, 2009 11:19 PM
That is definitely a fun experience. I love love the photos!
July 10, 2009 10:42 AM
Glad you had a fabulous time and the stuff at the expo look wonderful. I haven't been to Sears in so long, you've made me want to go back.
Thanks for the post.
July 10, 2009 12:47 PM
It was great to meet you Piera. At least you had all that candy corn and Hershey's minis to keep you company during your delay, right?
July 10, 2009 6:11 PM
Glad you had a great time! LOVE that last room pic... You're right, I'm shocked at what they offer now! Thanks for sharing!
July 11, 2009 4:48 PM
How fun!
July 13, 2009 9:57 PM
It was so great to meet you!