Over (Last) Weekend: New England in Photos

 

 

A trip to Massachusetts without spending as much time as possible with family and friends? Never! I was fortunate enough to finagle my way into spending a few days up in Beverly before and after the Blog Better Boston conference, and with a late flight out on Monday, I even got to spend some time in Cambridge with friends before flying home. On Friday, my mom and brother came down and, after breakfast at my favorite diner, we headed over to the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, where the chickadees all fell in love with my brother and his red hat. Sunday was a lazier day, that began with another diner breakfast, and ended with a trip to Ocean Lawn off rt. 127. And finally, in Cambridge, lunch at Charlie's Kitchen and a quick trip to Oona's yielded an excellent lobster melt and a new-to-me summer dress that I can't wait to wear. This trip was good for my heart in so many ways.

Blog Better Boston with Lulu's: Conference Recap

Images 1- 2- 4- &6 taken by me / All others ©David Brooks Photography

One thing I've learned, after attending a few blog conferences over the years, is that the effects typically don't sink in for a few days. At least for me. I won't think much of it until I'm home, and then boom, I get super excited to blog again. It's nice to feel refreshed, connected, and inspired again, and that's exactly how I feel after attending- and participating in- Blog Better Boston.

Tieka and I arrived at the hotel on Friday night with Stephanie from Lulu's, and woke up early Saturday to head over to the Boston Globe offices to help set up and get ready. There were representatives on hand from MiniLuxe, Roster, City Sports- among others- and I was finally able to get my hands on a Red Sox tee (why it took me until now to acquire one, I don't know, I really don't). There was mixing and mingling and coffee and bagels, and then it was time for the panels!

My panel (third images from the bottom) was focused on managing your work, blog, and life, and how utilizing a content calendar can make your life so much easier. I was nervous, mostly because I hadn't used Power Point since my days as an admissions counselor (!), but really there was nothing to be worried about. Each panel went perfectly, and along with discussing the in's and out's of a busy schedule, each talk devolved into a conversation of blogging as a whole. It was wonderful! I loved hearing about everyone's separate experiences and what worked for them. I'll be sharing my presentation on this blog with you next week, after some tweaking of that Power Point, so if you've ever had questions about managing a job/blog/and life, let me know and I'll address them in the post! My only wish is that I got to hear the other speakers, but I did get to completely nerd-out over Katie of Paper Fashion and listen to her talk about building a successful DIY/How-to post. 

Between panels, attendees were encouraged to participate in a Lulu's style scavenger hunt. They were given a card with trends listed on it, and were instructed to mix and mingle and find other attendees that were wearing the trend. When they completed the scavenger hunt card, not only had they made conversation with a bunch of new people, but they were able to spin the Lulu's prize wheel and choose an item to take home! A pretty genius way of networking, right?

Thank you to Amy and Alana of Blog Better Boston for inviting me to speak and to Lulu's for choosing me as a representative of their brand.

Blog Better Boston With Lulu's: What I Wore

 Photos taken by Tieka

What I wore:

Tee / Cape / Jeans / Heels / Bracelets / Midi ring c/o Lulu's

Daisy ring: shop in Beverly ($11)

Vintage ring: antique store ($6)

Talon necklace: gift

Crystal & bird skull necklace: pieced together from other necklaces

I wore this to: Feel like myself again at Blog Better Boston

Sometimes, the thought of putting on a dress is exhausting, this wasn't always the case but I feel as though I've found a new appreciation for jeans over the past couple of years. This past Saturday, after a week of sickness, the Blog Better Boston event was my first chance to actually get dressed, and I chose jeans for the occasion. Granted, fancier jeans, but jeans nonetheless. And I felt fantastic.

After attending a handful of blog-centric conferences over the past few years, I've realized that it's incredibly important for me to feel comfortable and like myself at these events. It's already intimidating enough walking into a room full of incredibly stylish women, but coupled with the fact that many of them would be hearing my voice and witnessing me (and each other) in public- rather than online- for the first time, well the thought of that is enough to make me want to run for the hills. But I didn't, instead I chose an outfit that didn't take much fussing- the most comfortable heels, a loose tee, interesting jeans, and the coolest cape ever- so I could at least feel physically relaxed, if not exactly mentally.

And you know what? Nine-point-nine times out of ten, everyone is lovely, and welcoming, and interesting to talk to, and it's not until a few days later that I realize how truly wonderful it is to make connections with new people. 

A huge, never ending 'Thank You' to Lulu's for sending me to BBBos. Stay tuned for a full recap of the conference tomorrow!

Sneak Peek: Boston with Lulu's

After a whirlwind trip to Boston this weekend for Blog Better Boston, I returned home late last night to a very happy cat and a very happy husband. I'll be sharing all the details starting tomorrow (which include, but aren't limited to, communing with some very friendly chickadees), but I couldn't help sharing a sneak peek of my outfit, courtesy of Lulu's, which made me feel like a powerful high priestess (floor-length capes tend to have that effect).

I think at this point, I've made you all pretty aware of how much New England means to me, and how much I miss my family (a family that includes a lot of people who actually aren't related to me at all), so I just want to take a moment to thank Lulu's for choosing me (and Tieka too!) to represent their amazing brand, and for Amy and Alana of BBBos for believing in my capabilities and asking me to be a speaker. This time in Boston and Beverly was what my soul needed, I'm feeling so excited about blogging right now, and excited for the season ahead.

Ok I'm off, there's a fat striped cat vying for my attention (by knocking things off my desk), and it's time to get ready for work. I hope you had a beautiful weekend too!