<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/S82jxuLArcI/AAAAAAAABvM/YkHDUK1J-sE/s1600/Picture+10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tZVufRlMtzM/S82jxuLArcI/AAAAAAAABvM/YkHDUK1J-sE/s640/Picture+10.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />I don't know about you all, but something that continues to intrigue me since the first day I started blogging is good blog design. I've also been known to appreciate great blog photography.<br /><br />In this month's <a href="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/2010/04/tulsa-blogger-meetup-third.html">Tulsa Blogger Meetup</a> speaker, we get someone who has been recognized for excelling in both.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="332" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2698/4523784189_d54335a44b_o.jpg" width="500/" /></div><br /><a href="http://oklahomablogawards.blogspot.com/2010/02/2009-okie-blog-award-winners.html">Erin Conrad was the winner of the Best Blog Design category in the 2009 Oklahoma Blog Awards</a>. From what I could tell, it was one of the toughest categories in which to compete this year. Coming out on top is huge.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="332" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2740/4520714809_373b8e32fc_o.jpg" width="500" /></div><br />When she's not workin' it as an award-winning blog designer, Erin gets these creative, super-Tulsa-centric ideas for portraits.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="332" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4520714597_1284d7858f_o.jpg" width="500" /></div><br />And then follows them through. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="332" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4477195494_84dfccba67_o.jpg" width="500" /></div><br />In places like a new ballpark, or a locally-owned grocery store. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="332" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2767/4476419849_3de419e315_o.jpg" width="500" /></div><br />I don't know about you all, but many of my best love stories have had important scenes in grocery stores. Maybe it shows how domesticated I really am, but I don't know - there's just something about a grocery store to me. Apparently, at least three other people would agree. <br /><br />By the way, the dude in the grocery store photos is none other than <a href="http://www.contemplativetulsan.com/">Mr. Trait Thompson, author of The Contemplative Tulsan</a>. He's a thoughtful blog writer, and his blog, mostly about political stuff but also about Trait and his own life as part of a small family in Tulsa, is a good read. <a href="http://www.contemplativetulsan.com/">See for yourselves</a>.<br /><br />And then from Erin there's this: <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="332" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2741/4480140394_9c6565e897_o.jpg" width="500" /></div><br />It's a vintage camera photo album from Anthropologie, a postcard of one of Erin's most favorite images, what Erin calls the best lip gloss ever from Bath and Body Works, a state fair polaroid Erin took last fall, a mixed "tape" made by Erin, and Dr. Pepper freeze pops. All on a beautiful, vintage patchwork quilt. It was a giveaway Erin hosted on <a href="http://erinconrad.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-04-12T07%3A38%3A00-05%3A00&amp;max-results=7">her site, Erin Conrad Photography</a>.<br /><br />That image just pleases the pickles out of me. It takes a certain kind of person to put together that particular collection of trinkets - a person I'd like to hear from. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="332" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2725/4470290819_2ca6f3e387_o.jpg" width="500" /></div><br />My bet is that you all feel the same way. <br /><br />There are still a few tickets left to Tulsa Blogger Meetup: The Third, this Thursday evening at Siegi's Sausage Factory at 81st and Sheridan, starting at 6:30 p.m. Get the details on the menu and <a href="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/2010/04/tulsa-blogger-meetup-third.html">more about the event here</a>. Come join us for good food, even better company and a star for a speaker.<br /><br /><i>All photos by Erin Conrad from <a href="http://erinconrad.blogspot.com/">Erin Conrad Photography</a>. </i><a href="http://erinconrad.blogspot.com/"><i>Subscribe to her blog</i></a><i>, </i><a href="http://twitter.com/econ"><i>follow her on Twitter</i></a><i>. &nbsp;</i>