What I Wore Wednesday - Roaring Twenties

A friend of mine recently celebrated her 29th birthday - in honor of the occasion, she threw a Last of the Roaring 20s party. Almost everyone who attended showed up in 20s-themed apparel... which was amazing. I didn't really have anything in my closet which could have qualified for 20s, so I went shopping. I ended up finding a Project Alabama dress at a consignment shop with the original tags still attached. I'm not going to tell you how much I paid for it, or how much it originally cost.... but I will tell you that the difference was enough to be worth it! It is a silk/velvet burnout material which looks almost like goldleaf... it had pleats and beading and draped in just the right way to look vintage. Add in a cloche-style hat (from Lord & Taylor), strands of pearls, tights, gold shoes and red lipstick, and I could have joined the cast of Chicago!

Hairdo was inspired by this pin

The thing I love most about this dress is its versatility - I can totally wear it again, and fortunately it can be used in any season depending on how I style it! I think the best part about this dress, though, is that it's completely unique and I'm unlikely to bump into anyone else who has this dress. I love consignment shopping!

Have you added any great consignment pieces to your closet recently? How do you intend to remix them?

Gilt-y As Charged

Do you have one of those friends who makes sure you go out for all of the fun shopping events in your area? I do - her name is Sarah, and she's always on top of making sure we go to Shecky's, StyleFixx and most recently, the Gilt City Boston warehouse sale on Friday, August 9th. We first went back in March, and had some insider experience which helped us navigate the event this time around. Here are some essential tips:

Go Friday night: We haven't been on Saturday or Sunday, but I've noticed that product moves quickly on Friday night, so I can't help but wonder what is left by Saturday, let alone Sunday. Besides, it's a fun Girls' Night Out after a long week at work.

Show up early: An hour early. Why? Because the line can be ridiculous to get in, and all of the good stuff goes fast, so the sooner you get there, the sooner you get in.

Wear layers: I'm talking a tank top and leggings with ONE cardigan. You will have to check your coat (and handbag) anyway, so just make it easy and don't bother with that stuff. It gets HOT running from the shoe tables to the racks, and back to the accessories. Plus, the line for the fitting room can get long, and it gets really packed in there, so why not just whip off the outer-most layers and try stuff on in the aisles? Works like a charm, and everyone was doing it!

Browse the tables more than once: As the options get depleted by the crazy shoppers, Gilt staff replenish the table tops and racks. Be sure to take a second trip (or third, or fourth) past the stuff you're interested in, and even the stuff you're not. The first time around, I picked up a couple of tops and a handbag, but decided I didn't want any of them. The second time around, I found a cute necklace, a fun cocktail ring and a set of 6 beautiful wine glasses. They all went home with me for the cool price of $60.

It's a lot of fun to enable your friends to make bad money decisions under the influence of free cocktails, so I highly recommend checking out one of these shopping events. Here's what's up next in the Boston area for this fall:

Shecky's Girls Night Out Boston - Thursday & Friday, October 10th & 11th. Buy your tickets here.

StyleFixx - Wednesday & Thursday, November 6th & 7th. Buy your tickets here.

Creating a Color Story

Color stories are common for apparel collections. A color story is a palette of colors which designers use to identify individual garments as part of a collection for a season or line. Retailers use color stories to organize product and create a visually appealing display. Check out the current shipment of fall apparel for Lauren Ralph Lauren (available at Macy's):

Which colors do you see in this color story? Furthermore, think about why a color story is useful when you are shopping.

Did you know that a season's colors and prints are determined up to two years in advance? Forecasting companies use data research upcoming trends in color and fabric to determine what will be popular for the season they are researching. However, culture (pop culture, street culture, the arts) also has some influence over upcoming trends. Once colors are determined, fabric mills will dye fabric which they will then bring to trade shows for designers to look at and ultimately buy sample yardage for the collection they're working on designing.

Think about it: your favorite mustard yellow sweater from last fall was determined to be a popular color back in fall 2010. Crazy, right?

When I am pulling together an outfit, whether for myself or for a cluster of mannequins, I try to keep an eye out for pieces in a similar color story to create a cohesive outfit without looking monochromatic. Here are two outfits I styled in May of last year which provide a pretty good example of a color story:

In the first photo, my color story was cool with teal and seafoam green, anchored by black. In the second photo, my color story felt nautical (and cool, again) with navy/white stripes, blue, and a pop of yellow to warm up the look a bit. While mixing several colors can be impactful (ie: colorblocking), it's often much easier to stick with one or two main colors and one accent color. One of the reasons designers stick to a color story for a collection is to encourage shoppers to buy multiple pieces at once. Basically, color stories provide a one-stop-shop opportunity for people who might otherwise have a hard time coordinating outfits.

All of this said... I generally like to jam as many colors into an outfit as possible. As easy as color stories can be, in my book, there's nothing wrong with going for gold and dressing as a rainbow!

Work It Wednesday - #MacysBTS

It doesn't seem right that it's only mid-August, and I'm talking about back-to-school. Truth be told, I've been setting up BTS at the store for about four weeks now. It broke my heart when I was setting a graphic for an aisle statement and a little girl grabbed her friend and said, "Look! She's holding a sign that says back to school, but we just got out! That's not right!"

Kid, you have no idea...

Despite the retail industry speeding up BTS, and pretty much everything in general (swimsuits in April? Christmas in October?), I'm pretty excited about some of the work I've done to prep the store for BTS. Here are some pictures of the ledge I set up geared toward Millennials:

Also, my boss asked for my input regarding some visual collateral we could create to beef up our BTS presentation in the Juniors' department. When she asked me what I thought of when I thought of BTS, I immediately mentioned chalkboards, backpacks and school supplies. I then suggested that if we could create some chalkboards with the paint you can buy (thank god for Pinterest, or I might have never known about this paint!), we could hang some chalkboards over the Juniors' runway. Here is the result of my stroke of brilliance:

Once we built the chalkboards, I had a blast with the chalk getting them all beautified and colorful. I hadn't played with chalk since I was a kid - I don't remember it being as messy and dusty as it was the day I did this project. But no matter, it was so much fun!

What comes to mind when you think of Back to School? Does it bug you that these seasonal events come earlier and earlier every year?

Curly Hair Care

So, I have naturally curly hair. It's thick, and there's a lot of it. My curls are different depending on where on my scalp they're growing from. For example, the curls around my forehead are tighter (and frizzier) curls. However, after a couple years of smoothing treatments, I have six inches of tightly-curled roots and the ends are looser. See Exhibit A.

Exhibit A:

It gets so much better! The curls at the crown of my head are loose waves, but then curl at the ends. The stuff at the nape of my neck always ends up as perfect banana curls. I have a lot going on with this mop. I don't even want to talk about what it looks like when I go to the gym.... so I'll just show you (Exhibit B). I warn you... it's not pretty. (That said, if you look pristine after a workout, you haven't pushed hard enough!!)

Exhibit B:

 

 

This halo of frizz is the result of a Saturday morning Power Dance class at the gym. I get so into the choreography that I throw my head around enough to dislodge the frizz to epic proportions. If I have enough time in the morning, I'll twist/braid it into submission, but who has time to braid their hair before a dance class at the gym on a Saturday morning? No one. Especially not me, hence the halo of frizz.

Most of my fellow curly girls will understand me when I say that there is pretty much no such thing as second day hair in the summer (unless, of course, the hair is flat ironed... in which case there is such a thing as fifth day hair thanks to touch-ups from the iron). My hair gets so crazy from the humidity that I have to wash it almost every day, which is a curly-hair no-no. But I do my best to limit how many times I use shampoo, versus just soaking my 'fro and conditioning it.

It took me years to come to terms with my curls, and now that I use these products, I finally like my hair. Here's what I use, and how I use it:

Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Moisturizing Lather Shampoo - this shampoo is sulfate free, so it produces fewer suds than regular shampoos. I only wash my hair once (I guess some people do it twice?), and despite this shampoo bubbling less, I still feel like it cleans my hair very well. I switched to this per my former hairdresser's recommendation when I was having regular smoothing treatments in order to maintain the treatment. This shampoo smells heavenly - it smells gingery and fresh. And yes, I get the BIG bottle. I usually order through Amazon.

Paul Mitchel Awapuhi Keratin Creme Rinse - once I've rinsed the shampoo, I liberally apply this so that I can finger comb my hair. I gave up brushes years ago, but need something slippery to help my fingers get through the curls and knots. I make sure to coat the ends very well, but I also give the hair framing my face a good coating, because that's where the majority of my frizz is. Once my hair is coated and combed out, I leave this conditioner in for the duration of my shower. I rinse it about 90% of the way (I always leave some in) with cool water to seal the cuticle.

Before I apply any styling product, I wrap my hair up in a hand towel to wick away excess moisture. I use hand towels because A) I hate using too many full-size towels, and B) because I can't twist my hair in a smaller towel (twisting wet hair causes damage [and damage means frizz]). My hair basically just rests inside the hand towel like a loose burrito. I might give the ends a little extra squeeze inside the towel before I apply product, but I never - I repeat, I NEVER - roughly dry my hair with a towel. This is a recipe for disaster (read: frizz!!!).

Suave Sleek Anti-frizz Cream - this is a relatively new addition to my styling process. A co-worker recommended this stuff to me at the beginning of summer when the temperature in Macy's got to be warmer and more humid than the outdoors. It smells fabulous, it feels nice, it's not too sticky, and my hair never looks or feels crunchy. I focus on applying this to the hair around my face and the ends - I just rub a nickle-size amount between my palms and slick it over my hair. I really only use this when I plan on wearing my hair down, since that is when my frizz is the worst.

TRESemme Flawless Curls Mousse (pictured)/Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse - I use mousse instead of gel because I find that it doesn't make my hair look crunchy. I use a ton of mousse. I probably use four or five healthy handfuls of the stuff to make sure that everything is covered. Also, I never comb my fingers through my hair when I apply mousse, because I prefer the way my curls form naturally. If I separate them with my fingers, they get stringy and unruly. Once my hair has completely dried, I will run my hands over my curls to loosen up the product a bit so the curls look more natural. Mousse doesn't cause that icky white flaky look that gel does when you run your hand over your hair.

Suave max hold Hairspray - really, in a pinch, any hairspray will do. But this is what I happen to be using now. I prefer the aerosol sprays over pump sprays because I feel like I get a more fine, even coating. This stuff feels nice, dries quickly, doesn't get sticky, and smells good.

Finally, I have to tell you about "plopping." I don't blow-dry my hair. It takes too long, it's damaging, and I don't like the smell of burning hair. Wet shoulders have always been an issue for me, and a few years ago, a straight-haired friend of mine sent me a link to NaturallyCurly.com about plopping, which is how I dry my hair. Basically, after I have gently towel dried my hair and applied the anti-frizz cream and mousse, I tie my hair up in a long-sleeve t-shirt to wick away remaining moisture and to give my curls some structure. This also tends to help give my roots a little lift, strangely. I usually keep my hair tied up while I eat breakfast and prepare lunch for the day, which takes me about 30 minutes. Then I take off the t-shirt, spritz my hair with hairspray and go.

Hopefully my curly-girl friends find this useful. Everyone's hair does something different, and I'm not a professional, so don't take this stuff too seriously. However, if you end up trying one of these products, please let me know what you think!

Please note: I was not compensated for this post, and have no affiliation with Paul Mitchell, Suave or TRESemme. I simply enjoy using these products, and have given my two-cents based on my own personal experience with these products over the years.

Packing for a Long Weekend

I can't contain my excitement - on Sunday at 6am, my honey and I are heading to VEGAS! Squeeeeeeeee! We haven't been on vacation for two and a half years, so we are overdue. I'm not really sure what to pack, though. It's supposed to be in the 100s, but it's dry heat.... we had 100s and crazy humidity as recently as last week, so I'm not sure what to expect. For now, my plan is to live in maxi dresses and bikinis, so that will have to do. However, it's always fun to day dream and plan the perfect "mobile closet" for a trip, so I popped over to Rent the Runway to browse the gorgeous pieces I could rent if I had the budget! Here are my top picks, and where I would wear them!

Parker Floral Ruffle Getaway Maxi - Rent it for $50!

This is the dress I would travel in. I always get cold on planes, so having my legs covered is muy importante. However, once I get out of that gloriously air-conditioned airport, I have a feeling a wall of dry heat is going to knock me on my ass, which is why the breeziness of a maxi dress is ideal! Besides, I like to look nice when I travel. And apparently I look sketchy to all TSA agents, because I always get tapped for a friendly feel and the wand, so the lack of hardware on this dress might help keep me out of their poke-and-prod line.

Elizabeth and James Share the Love Dress - Rent it for $75!

Mike doesn't know it yet, but he's taking me to Paris for dinner at Mon Ami Gabi for my beloved Chicken Grandmere. I went to Vegas with a girlfriend five years ago, and we ended up going to Mon Ami Gabi two nights in a row for this meal... I haven't stopped thinking about it. YUM. Anyway, about the dress - I want to show a little skin, and I love my legs, but I'm a firm believer in balancing out that skin with a little extra coverage elsewhere. The neckline and sleeves on this dress are perfect, and the little bit of shimmer on the sleeves makes the dress perfect for dinner and then crossing the street to watch the Bellagio Fountains. The black is perfect for hiding any mascara and tears that end up on my clothes thanks to this song. (And yes, I did in fact watch this YouTube video and cry... again. I love this song...)

 

BCBGMAXAZRIA Class President Dress - Rent it for $60!

I would stroll the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in this dress, and look fabulous doing it. Enough said.

Trina Turk In the Lead Shift - Rent it for $60!

I would wear this cute little color blocked dress to the breakfast buffet at the Wynn. Afterward, it would probably be cute to wear to Fremont Street to check out the Old Strip. Or maybe I would just dump Mike at The Gun Store and go see the early show for the Jabbawockeez.

Badgley Mischka Midnight Glamour Dress - Rent it for $75!

Finally, what would a long weekend to Vegas be without cocktails and dancing? And of course, I would insist on matching the glitter and glitz of Vegas in my own spangly dress. This one even has nice draping at the waistline to hide my inevitable cocktail belly. Winning! I wouldn't even need jewelry, so it makes getting dressed for a raucous night out that much easier!

Have you ever used Rent the Runway? How was your experience?

Following Up - Wedding Hair

Since yesterday's post was about wedding attire, I figured I might blog a bit about the hairdo. I mean... hair can make or break an outfit, right? I spent a bunch of time on Pinterest (where else?!) searching for inspiration... I knew I wanted to wear my hair up off my neck, and I wanted it to look soft and romantic. Here is some of the pinspiration I found:

Aaaaand here's what I came up with:

I have naturally curly hair, so I flat ironed the top half of my head (yes, just the top) for the bump and to have smooth hair framing my face. I have a couple braids in this mess, plenty of hair spray, and at least 100 bobby pins... if not more. Since I left the hair underneath curly, it was easy enough to just twist the pieces up and pin them in place. I was really happy with how it turned out... even though taking out the bobby pins and brushing out the back-combed bump was a pain. The things we do for beauty!

Have you been pinspired lately? Did it work, or did it fail miserably? I've found that I have an equal number of wins and fails so far...

What I Wore Wednesday - Wedding Attire

Since I took a fairly long hiatus from blogging, I never got around to posting one of my favorite outfits from this spring. I had the pleasure of attending a beautiful wedding on May 18th at the Hellenic Center in Ipswich, MA. In the months leading up to the event, I bought several dresses. I'm SO not that kind of girl, but it's like I kept forgetting that I already had a dress... so now I have all of these dresses I need excuses to wear to justify buying them in the first place! (Ahem... Michael, this means you need to take me out on some dates!)

Anywho, I ended up in a Lela Rose for Target dress in a beautiful watercolor print - I found it on an errands trip, and had absolutely no intention of buying a dress that day, but I couldn't leave this beauty at the store. I styled it up with a Lilly Pulitzer swing coat I found at a consignment shop the morning of the wedding, a pair of pink patent pumps by Bandolino (from Macy's, of course!), a rando pink belt from the depths of my closet, and some gorgeous lia sophia earrings. I wouldn't officially say that the Ray Bans were a part of the outfit, but they stayed on most of the day because the ceremony was outdoors.

These photos are a funky mashup of Instagram, shots I took, and shots taken by men who have no clue how important it is to include feet in a full body shot. This is what happens when you give up control and leave the tripod at home... bad idea.

Honestly, I love this outfit so much, I would even wear it again for a date or girls' classy night out. What do you think?

Have you had any outfit "wins" lately? Tell me about it!

Finding Color in a Sea of Black

I make it no secret that if I could wear every color of the spectrum every single day in the form of prints, patterns, color blocking and whatever else, I would do it. Unfortunately, I now work somewhere where the dress code mandates black. Black, black, black.

Black - /blak/
Adjective
Of the very darkest color, the opposite of white; colored like coal, due to the absence or complete absorption of light.

Are you as depressed as I am right now?

Being on the visual team, I am allowed to wear a colorful top (as long as I have my "black layering item," of course), accessories and shoes ... but every time I look in my closet, I realize that most of my colorful stuff is cardigans, dresses and collared shirts. So what do I do? I resort to wearing head-to-toe black. I even skip the fun shoes these days, simply because my feet get so sore that I now wear squishy Crocs flats, sneakers, and ohmigawd....... DANSKOS. Ewwwwwwwwwwwww!! I'm embarrassed to admit that I recently purchased a pair of Danskos, but I maintain that I did it out of necessity. They're clunky and strange to walk in, but my feet are so happy when I have them on, that I almost forgive these shoes for being so damn ugly.

Please don't judge me.

Let's pretend like I never confessed to that bit of fashion faux pas. Moving along.

So, here's my question: If you were forced to wear black every day, but wanted to infuse color into your work wardrobe, what would you do?

Chambray, Four Ways

There must be something wrong with me, because despite the heat and humidity, I can't stop thinking about my fall closet. Granted, I spend more time wearing all black than is socially acceptable (thanks a lot, dress code!), but I daydream about rich fall colors, textures and layers. I also daydream a lot about chambray. I have two chambray shirts, which is already one too many, but I keep seeing cute chambray tops everywhere and want to buy them all. I even styled one in my Cashmere display yesterday (see my previous post, here).

Since chambray is a relatively light fabric, I figured I would share with you a few ways chambray can be styled from the summer's warmer temps (and frigid indoor AC) through the chillier temps of fall.

Chambray, Four Ways by emilyofboston

Do you have a chambray shirt? What's your favorite way to style it?

High hopes for Mario Badescu

Image from MarioBadescu.com

It kills me that I'm 28 and still get the same acne I got when I hit puberty. I've tried everything - Proactiv, prescription medication, prescription lotion, olive oil, fresh wash rags/drying towels every time, every face wash/polish under the sun, Zeno HotSpot, Clarisonic Mia... the list goes on. PLEASE tell me it's not just me!

I love my Mia - it gets my skin cleaner and fresher (more fresh?) looking than anything else I've used before. But it's really not helping me with my real issue, which is cystic acne. I'm prone to getting them on my chin. Now, as honest as I like to keep this blog, I'm not willing to post a photo of the monster currently residing on my face (I'm sure you're thanking me for this - you should). Suffice it to say, it's big, it's red, it's painful, and it's NOT welcome here!

I recently started a second job at a local day spa, and got to chatting with a coworker. Apparently she also has an issue with cystic acne, and has had good luck with Mario Badescu's buffering lotion. Since I'm clearly willing to try anything (see: the first paragraph of this post), I put an order through on Amazon a couple days ago. My little $17.00 bottle of buffering lotion arrived today... and boy, does it smell (bad)! My hope is that the chemical smell means that it's going to vaporize this zit right off my face.

As it turns our Mario Badescu has a fairly extensive line of products, and a very informative website (more about the buffering lotion here). I probably should have checked it out before I ordered, but whatever.

What are your favorite skincare products? What have you found to work well for your skin type?

Cashmere

Soft Sweater, Warm Sweater, made of goat fur, Snuggly Sweater, Pretty Sweater, perfect lay-er!
Big Bang Theory fans might enjoy singing the above lyrics to the tune of "Soft Kitty."

My store is one of 42 Macy's locations across the country selling Charter Club cashmere earlier than normal... which seems crazy, considering it was 90-100 degrees last week. I'm not convinced that our customers are ready for sweaters, but I still love the shop. It's so pretty (and snuggly, and soft, and warm)! I had a lot of fun working on this project, and it's the first time I've done all of the visual by myself (lettering on the wall, the mounted sweater bar, the light box, the mannequins and the bust form), so I feel like a proud mama. Here are some photos I snapped with my phone (hence the crazy lighting):

Maison Jules launching at Macy's next month

Have you heard the news? Macy's is introducing two new private line Millennial brands in August - Q Mack and Maison Jules. The store I work at will be making room for Maison Jules, and I am very excited to work with the product. Seriously, I can't wait to set up the visual collateral for the shop! We're getting a red beach cruiser bicycle to raffle off, but before it leaves the store, it will be part of my visual presentation. (I already called dibs for the first ride through the store... if I manage to get some photos, I will be sure to post them here!) I wish we were getting Q Mack as well, but I will have to go to the Boston store for that. In the meantime, I've been drooling over their Facebook page!

Maison Jules is a "Girl Next Door" collection with Parisian flair. Who doesn't love a little Paris-inspired flair for their wardrobe? Picture it: tees in quirky (but cute!) conversational prints, feminine A-line dresses belted at the waist, color-blocked skirts, leggings, skinny pants, and cardigans. The collection is all about knits, cute little dresses, and layering pieces which are perfect for mixing and matching. Here are some of my favorite pieces and looks:

I'm obsessing over the polka dot dress, yellow boyfriend cardigan, and that cute bicycle printed tee. My rule of thumb when shopping is to come up with three to five different ways to wear an item with the stuff already in my closet. These three pass the test with flying colors... Macy's might as well keep my pay check. To see the entire line, head over to your local Macy's next month, or check it out on their website, here.

Also, here's some of the hype about this new private line at the following sites:

• Refinery 29 - Macy's And Garance Doré Team Up For A New Parisian-Inspired Line — Ooh La La!
• Elle.com - Maison Jules Creates Bikes with the Martone Cycling Company - Macy's New Maison Jules Brand

And check out Jeanne Damas, the "It Girl" behind the collection. Her personal blog has some gorgeous photos! http://jeannedamas.blogspot.com/

Blog Better Boston: Style Summit

Oh, how embarrassing. It has been over a week since I attended the BBBos Style Summit, and I'm just now getting around to blogging about it. I blame it on the degree program taking over my life! But the good news is, I only have two weeks left of class and then I will be DONE. Dee-Oh-Ehn-Ee! I have loved every second of this program, but I miss having a life. Hence why I haven't blogged about the style summit yet, so back on topic!

On Saturday, April 27th, I headed to the Boston.com offices to join 50-ish other fashion and personal style bloggers for a day of learning and networking. Here are some highlights:

LuLu's hosted this fabulous scavenger hunt which involved spotting trends on fellow bloggers, grabbing their name and blog, and Instagramming a photo of the trend they were wearing. I really loved this because I was able to meet some new people (and say hello to some people I haven't seen in a while)!

Thanks to these ladies for posing for photos for the Instagram pics! Left to Right: Christine of {Rules for} the Modern Girl repping dressed up denim, Heather of Cupcakes to Polka Dots repping neon, and Agnes of Spoons and Stilettos repping chevron!

Admittedly, I get a little shy and have a tendency to hang out around people whom I already know, so this forced me outside of my comfort zone. Anywho, once I finished the scavenger hunt, I got to spin a wheel to win a prize, and ended up going home with a super cute nautical dress! Keep your eyes peeled for a post about the dress, soon!

My first session was Simple Design Elements to Enhance Your Blog by Alison of Long Distance Loving. The entire session was great - I got the sense that Alison is a pretty straight shooter (she offered up opinion on a couple things which got me chuckling). I got some really great takeaways from her session. However, my favorite nugget must be a little HTML secret about setting links to open a new window. After all, blogging is all about finding the best way to sell MY voice, not someone else's voice. Brilliant!

My second session was Media Kit Creation by Tieka of Selective Potential. I must admit, I was pretty much starstruck when I noticed her during the morning mingling. I probably said something awkward and embarrassing, but she gave me a hello hug anyway and politely didn't tell me how awkward I was being. It was great. Anyway, her media kit session was fabulous... I've never really considered making a media kit, mostly because my blog has a grand total of 50 followers and I never really entertained the idea of collaborations or sponsored posts before. But I'm thinking about it now! I'm so glad I signed up for Google Analytics after the first BBBos conference last year. Now I just need to figure out how to read the results!

Next was lunch... and lunch is entirely worth blogging about because I met some pretty cool people! Here's a quick shout out to some new friends: Alyssa of Ruffle and Curl (a fellow curly girl), Holly of HollyDolly (quite possibly the cutest person on the planet), Surabhi of Third Eye Chic (super sweet!), Smita of Hogger & Co (#catsofinstagram!) Brooke of Insparisian (best blog name, ever), and Susan of Susan Style Inspirations (whom I had met several months ago, and it was such a pleasure bumping into her again!). It was truly a pleasure to meet all of you ladies! I hope we will see each other again soon!

After lunch were some short discussions - the first I chose to attend was Finding Your Voice through Instagram, led by my new friend, Smita! Her list of ten simple tips caused me to have one of those "DUH!" moments regarding better Instagram photos. The moment I got home, I tested out my new found skills with a picture of my cat (as promised! I am the weirdo who instantly piped up with my favorite hashtag being #catsofinstagram!). Thanks, Smita! I actually have more fun taking photos for Instagram now that I'm putting some thought behind them.

My second discussion was Working with Brands: How to Create Partnerships, led by Kristen of The Boston Fashionista. Again, this was a topic I had never given much thought to previously, but I pulled some great tips from this to match up with the info I got from Tieka's Media Kit session. I'm already working on my list of 20 dream brands to work with, and when I get my little blog up and running after this degree program is over, it's on like Donkey Kong!

After the discussions, we went back to the sessions. My third session was Developing a Content Calendar by Julie of Orchid Grey. Again, I had one of those awkward starstruck moments... and I'm so happy that she's even cooler in person than she is on her blog (not to mention this gorgeous smile which I firmly believe should make more appearances in her photos!). When I blogged regularly last year, I really struggled with timing and figuring out how to fit my blog into my life. I really loved blogging, but it became a part-time job doing it the way I was doing it... and considering I wasn't getting paid for it and I felt trapped by it, it became un-fun really fast. Julie's tips for managing a content calendar were great, and I've already started a Google calendar to get some regularity going for my blog again.

Between sessions, I popped down to the media room to socialize a bit and check out some of the sponsors. In addition to LuLu's, I managed to score a free Red Sox t-shirt and super cute hat from Roster, and a mini bottle of nail polish from MiniLuxe and a gift card for a free manicure (which I scheduled in a couple weeks to have a mani done before a wedding I'm going to). I love free stuff! (Who doesn't?)

My final session was Photography 2: Tips & Tricks for your DSLR Camera, sponsored by Hunt's Photo & Video. I was mildly concerned that my lack of knowledge of my interchangeable lens camera meant I would be in way over my head (I took a Chimpsy class to learn how to use my camera last summer, but haven't been diligent in practicing what I learned). Thankfully, I was able to follow along, and pulled some great tips about white balance and focus... I'm looking forward to practicing what I learned!

All in all, the event was a win. I signed up for it back in February when I got the first email saying that tickets were on sale, and I must say that between the freebies from the sponsors and all of the stuff in the swag bag, not to mention all of the fabulous tips and tricks I learned, the price of the ticket definitely paid itself off. Even without all of the free stuff, it was worth it, because I thoroughly enjoyed myself! Networking with like-minded people is always a blast.

SOOoooo... thank you to Amy and Alana for organizing another fabulous blogging event. I'm looking forward to jumping back into blogging again as soon as I finish my degree in two weeks!

 

Photo courtesy of David H. Brooks Photography

FB #10 - Traditional Style Traditional Brands - Spring 2013 Look Book

Here is my final project for my Creative Fashion Presentations course at FIT! I decided to create a video look book showcasing several traditional women's apparel brands currently available at Macy's. The target market for this video look book is women between the ages of 45 and 65, and the purpose of this video is to show women how a few basic and seasonal pieces can be remixed to create a complete and fashionable spring wardrobe. If you like any of the pieces you see, there is a shopping list at the end of the video.

Enjoy!

Oversized Barbies and Arts and Crafts

So, it has been two weeks since I started my new job as part of the visual team for Macy's, and I have come to the conclusion that it is SO MUCH FUN. As the title of the post can attest, I basically get to dress oversized Barbies and play arts and crafts five days a week, but with smart business decisions behind both activities. Love! LOVE!

We're prepping for Mother's Day (don't worry, it's a month away... you still have time to go shopping), and just finished setting the ledge over the fine jewelry counter (next to the escalator, a highly-visible display area). Here are some photos of the project!:

The floral star in progress!

 

 

It's done!

A view from the escalator

"Soccer Mom"

"Working Mom"

"Preppy Mom"

"Crunchy Hippie Mom"

(She was replaced by "Preppy Mom" because she looked really boring up there on the ledge)