I’m the kind of girl who talks a LOT. In fact, my first ever report card had a lovely note for my parents to interpret at will: Stephanie talks too much during circle time. I haven’t changed much. I still tend to talk too much, both in and outside of circles. Of course, words elude me when I become overly emotional. At that point, my words dry up and the tears start to flow. It’s happened to me many, many times, but the most recent time was so spectacularly public that I’m turning a bit red even writing about it.
the tiniest plane ever.
On Wednesday I boarded a tiny plane and headed off to Vegas for the 5th Annual Saveur Best Food Blog Awards. I went with no expectations, other than an absurd amount of anticipation for meeting some of my favourite food bloggers. I wasn’t disappointed. It was incredible to meet so many new friends! We talked about food, of course, but more so, we just talked, which is so, so much better in real life than over the internets.
so fancy!!
Saveur and the Bellagio put on a great show: there were dim sum demonstrations (complete with shrimp dumpling bunnies!), chocolate demonstrations, meatball making and general merriment all around. But of course, I’m sure you want to hear about the crying.
Fast forward to the lovely awards ceremony at Sensi and Helen Rosner saying the sweetest things about ALL of the food bloggers and the food world in general. She says there won’t be a formal awards ceremony as all of the awards are the same (awesome Le Creuset frying pans) but, she is going to announce the Blog of the Year. “This is it!” I think, surreptitiously looking around for the winner. I’m convinced they’ve flown in a surprise winner/famous blogger and I want to spot them. Helen says something about the blog getting everyone excited about getting in the kitchen and I turn to Molly and whisper, “I think it’s V.K. Rees!”
Next thing I know, Helen’s announcing, “and that blog is: I am a Food Blog.” TOTAL, COMPLETE UTTER SHOCK. Immediately tears start pouring down my face. I feel trembly and incredibly hot. Like sweaty hot. There are so many cameras and congratulations and I’m actually an incredibly shy person so the attention was a touch overwhelming. I’m speechless. I’m a mess. I’m incredibly, incredibly thankful.
I wasn’t able to give a speech, even though Helen asked me if I wanted to say a few words. I was too busy crying to be coherent. But thankfully the internet is all about words so here I go: Thank you to Saveur for making us feel like rock stars and thank you to the Bellagio for hosting. Thank you to Helen, Cory, Camille, Kristin, Demetria and everyone else at Saveur that I have yet to meet (that’s you Oliver!). A million thanks to all the food bloggers out there for being the wonderful community you are – you amaze and inspire daily. Thank you to Mike because who else would take me grocery shopping as a date on Friday night? And of course, thank you to you, dear readers!
Please check out all of the other winners and nominees. They are truly a lovely bunch!
PS – These are all iPhone photos, which isn’t my usual jam, but I didn’t bring my camera! Thanks to Cynthia for the picture of me crying/laughing, which is more common than I’d like to admit.
GAHHHH!! i’m going to cry again. MISS YOU SOOO MUCH!!!! xoxoxoxoo
i have sad face right now :( i miss you TOO much!
You are quick with the recap! Congrats again and so nice meeting in person.
heehee, yup, only because i didn’t have my camera so there was no photo editing going on. it was so nice to meet you two!!! xoxo
so precious. soooo… i’m trying not to cry too.
aww, phi, i really wish you could have been there! let’s meet up one day and eat giant salads together :D
How amazing!!!! You definitel deserve it Stephanie! :)
thank you so much vanessa!! xoxo
CONGRATULATIONS! You deserve it so, so much. You are seriously such an inspiration. And so glad you had a great time! Enjoyed keeping up with everybody’s pics. XOXO
thank you michelle!! you’re too sweet!! xoxo :D
CONGRATS again!! This trip sound INCREDIBLE!! So excited for you!
aww thanks tieghan!! you’re the best! :D
You rock! So very well deserved. Congratulations once again.
Thanks so Saveur for bringing us all together and introducing us such an amazing group of super talented people.
thank you prerna!! so nice sitting (somewhat) close to you at dinner!! it was so lovely of saveur!
Congratulations!!! I’ve only just discovered your blog recently but it’s good to know I picked a GREAT one to follow! :)
thank you so much farah! :D
Congratulations!!! You are such a source of inspiration–that must have been such an exciting moment!
thank you laura!! gosh, it was so many things all at once…excitement and shock and….it was just too much! :P
I am so crazy jealous! My boyfriend was in Vegas this week on vacation and I went nuts when I found out he would be there at the same time as the awards. I wish I could’ve been there with him so I could drag him to the Bellagio and crash the Saveur party. I would’ve loved to meet all you amazing bloggers! Seriously, you guys do amazing stuff.
ooh, you totally should’ve crashed the party!! :D
OY YOY YOY steph i have SHIVERS. i am SO happy for you!!!!! tears are an absolute beautiful thing. your blog is the rulingest, you are the sweetest and dammnit, it is so well deserved! you lucky LADY you got to meet some sweet radical bloggers, too! i am stoked we live in the same city and extra stoked for some major snacking when you get back from PS! WOOT!
aww, lyndsay, i’m going to cry again…must stuff face so no crying…and YES to snacks when i get back!! xoxo
How lovely Stephanie! Love the photos and the experience looked amazing! The nomination was thoroughly deserved and you looked beautiful! Congratulations :) x
thank you so much millie!! xoxo
Awww, girl!! You so deserve both the awards! You’ve created such a lovely, gorgeous, and inspiring space. A truly unique kind of space. Thank you for sharing this moment with us who weren’t able to cheer you in real life, in real time. You ARE a rock star! xoxo
thank you, thank you sini!! i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, i wish you were there too!! next time, right?!
OMG!!!!! MANY MANY CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!! This sounds like a fantastic experience!!!!!! Your blog is lovely! <3
:D thank you samina!! xoxo
Yay, well done indeed! It’s a beautiful blog that I’ve been enjoying very much so it was lovely to see you shortlisted, and then to read this is even nicer. CONGRATS!
i know, i was so excited to be shortlisted!! this was over the top. thank you so much for the love kavey and right back at you!! xoxo
Congratulations!!! I recently discovered your blog and been enjoying it so much. So happy for you! :)
thank you yized!! xoxo
How exciting! I love ALL of these blogs. Thanks for doing this bloggy stuff.
oh i know, ALL the blogs nominated are AWESOME!!
You ARE quick with the recap! This is so lovely. It was SO great to meet you and so many talented folks this past week. Coming from the cocktail world it was amazing to be introduced to this whole other, beautiful world of food and the brilliant minds behind it. Congrats, again!! xx
:D it was SO nice meeting you too!! may the food world and the cocktail world forever be joined as one! xoxo
Congratulations!! You deserve it! You really do! Please snatch a few of those bunny shrimp dumplings for me, say hi and kisses to Molly and Cynthia for me. Love you guys!
if only i could send you some bunny dumplings!! but…if there was only one person in the world who could figure out how to recreate them, it would be YOU! love you lots mandy!! xoxo
Congrats!!! Always inspired by the inventiveness of your recipes but comforted by the fact that they are actually doable, not just something you add to your food board on Pinterest for ‘inspo’ but never actually create at home.
thanks JS!! hahah – yup, i like keeping it simple :D
CONGRATS!!!! Your blog inspires me, a home cook & home brewer & writer & recent law grad, to COOK HARDER. Thank you.
thank you jon!! i feel inspired to cook HARDER after your comment! :D
First of all…CONGRATS! I am so thrilled for you! Secondly, I am not one bit surprised. Not even a little. You’re incredibly talented and inspiring, and they would have been hooligans to choose anyone else.
aww, thank you so, so much mandy!! xoxo
You represent our field beautifully, Stephanie. Sometimes tears do the work of words better than words could ever do themselves.
Enjoy your accomplishment!
thank you cheryl!! so, so lovely to meet you, even briefly! xoxo
Huge, huge congrats and so well deserved my friend!
thank you melissa!! xoxo and a million baked donuts sent your way :D
Congratulations!!!
thanks sylvia!! :D
Stephanie! I know I’ve said it already but I have to say it again — there is no one more deserving than you, gorgeous friend <3 And your touching reaction (it makes me wibbly again every time I remember it!) said it all. SO PROUD to call you my friend and miss you TONS!! Can't wait until we can hang again. (P.S. omg that IS a tiny plane!)
i miss you SO MUCH!!! we definitely need to hang again…a million, million (is that a billion?) xoxo’s!
Congratulations. All that work paied off in a second. That must be such a great feeling.
thank you rok!!
Totally deserved! It was such an immense pleasure meeting you. You are as awesome as your blog, which is saying a lot. xoxo!
OMG. can’t believe you are commenting on my blog!! :D heehee…it was SO nice meeting you.
Congratulations on your achievement!! Your blog is lovely :)
thank you shareba!!
I love this! So many congrats…you seriously deserve it!!
thank you so, so much cindy!! xoxoxoox
Truly deserving! Congratulations!
thank you kathleen!! xoxo
I was following along via IG and when I saw that you won this SPECTACULAR new award, I was freaking out with you! Girl, so SO well-deserved!! This space is beautiful, delicious, inspiring, and also? your tears are positively adorable, I don’t think you should be embarrassed! Though I can imagine having the spotlight on yourself was pretty intense. LOVE that photo of three of the best gals in the food blogging business! Sounds like such wonderful trip! Congratulations, again :)
aww, thanks so much sophie!! you are one of my longtime readers, you know!! i remember you commenting waaaaay back when :) i super, super appreciate your support!! xoxo
so well deserved! congratulations!
thank you archana!! :D
This is so AMAZING Steph! I can see more recognitions and success in the future for you. Too bad, you’re not in town all the time, if so, we can hang out. I’d love to learn more about cooking from you. Congratulations once again!!
xo Jo
http://www.whiterosesandcoffee.com
thanks jo!!! i’ll be back soon and we can hangout!!! xoxo
Steph,
your blog is amazing. Like, way amazing.. You have SO much good stuff on here, it is no surprise that you one the award that you did. Congrats my dear, and know that I am quite thankful for chatting if only for a few moments.
aww thank you so much kristan!! it was super FUN chatting with you!! wish we had more time for socializing..but there’s always next time :)
Oh wow, congratulations!! I’m the same way: Love talking, but am totally shy and start crying once too much attention is on me. This would simultaneously be my dream/nightmare.
So excited for you!!
thank you tara!! it was kinda dream-mare-ish now that i think about it! :)
Congratulations – very well deserved!
thank you so much amanda!! :D
Congrats!!! Your blog is amazing and this is such a fantastic accomplishment!! Enjoy this moment!!
thank you so muchc leah! xoxo
SOOOOO very exciting! Congratulations again. We’re all super proud of you!
aww thank you so, so much aimee!! you’re the best! xoxo
You’re fabulous! I ❤ how funny and humble you are