This month I got a special invitation to participate in the Hallmark’s Moments And Milestones Tour that took place in San Francisco. Since I don’t live too far from San Francisco and I happen to LOVE the city, I accepted the invitation and made my way to the bay, especially since I love Hallmark stuff.

When we arrived we had a meet and greet and enjoyed some breakfast before the event officially started. Not only did I get to meet some other friendly local bloggers and the friendly PR that invited me, but also three creative experts from Hallmark that are not only authors, they also make some of the fun Hallmark cards that some of you have probably already given to friends and loved ones. Here are these experts I got to hang out with:

Molly Wigand, Writer – Molly Wigand’s portfolio doesn’t begin or end with greeting cards. For more than 30 years, she’s had stints as a screenplay writer, stand-up comedian, freelancer, teacher and has published a few children’s, how-to and inspirational books along the way. It wasn’t until the early 80s that Molly began her journey as a greeting card writer and editor for Hallmark. After a brief departure from the company to raise her family, she happily returned in 1999 and today works as a consulting writer in Hallmark’s Humor Works Studio.

Lisa Riggin, Writing Director – For as long as Lisa Riggin can remember, she’s wanted to be a writer. She got her start at just seven years old when she wrote an impressive birthday poem for her mom. Over time, she continued finding ways to grow as a writer in the jobs she had prior to landing at Hallmark. Currently the writing director for Hallmark, Lisa will celebrate 11 years with the company’s writing community in August. When she’s not fueling her creativity through people watching, fine arts and nature, Lisa enjoys hiking, sailing and making lotions and teas for her family and friends.

Tom Shay-Zapien, Writer – Drawing upon his eclectic childhood (which included looking for crawdads under creek stones, reading and re-reading encyclopedias, pretending to be athletic and exploring varied styles of music) and experience as a youth minister and counselor, Tom Shay-Zapien applies his understanding of human emotion and the strength of his “creative subconscious” in his daily work as a writer for Hallmark Cards.

Before the event, we were asked to share a special moment about our dad. Unfortunately I forgot to include some text, but a picture of my family is included in this video we all got to watch together. Please watch it below:

After we watched the video we had a writers type of workshop where one of the activities was to sit at our table with one of the Hallmark employees and come up with greetings for some funny looking blank pictures. Being able to brainstorm with other bloggers and Tom Shay-Zapien was an awesome experience for me.

We  had another writing assignment called “Tell Them”, where we shared something we wanted to say to someone we love. Even though I can be extremely shy, I got up in front of the group and shared my story too!

While we were there, we got to fill out Hallmark cards which was fun. I thought that being able to meet the actual author of the card I sent to the husband for Father’s Day was awesome! I had to take a picture of her holding the card so I could show him once he got his card.

Overall, this was an awesome event and not the only place that Hallmark is stopping at.  I am glad I was able to attend and make some special memories while I was there. For more information, be sure to check out the #HallmarkTour Hashtag on Twitter.

For more information on Hallmark, visit: https://www.hallmark.com.