So not sure if you heard but last week I went to the Better Homes and Gardens StyleMaker event 😉
I may have talked about it just a little bit.
I was so excited to be invited and decided to up the fun and bring along my sister, Lauren. Our other sister Adrienne was supposed to come but had to cancel last minute. We were sad to be down a sister but still manage to do a little eating, shopping, and sight-seeing!
Taylor said I seemed to have a glow in that picture. I told him it’s just the look of a well-rested mom who is off-duty for a few days. It may have had something to do with The Standard Grille also…
It is easily in my top 10 for favorite restaurants.
We also roamed the hotel side and found some major fiddle leaf fig goals!
And my new kicks served me well for all that walking
After a nice relaxing day of walking NYC we headed to dinner with some other bloggers.
Some of these girls have been “virtual friends” but I had yet to meet them in person so I was so excited to see Kristin, Julia, Jennifer, Jennifer, and Ibie.
I always think it’s fun to see the real behind-the-scene photos but now let’s get on to the professional photos. The photographer, Avi Gerver, captured so many great moments from the event!
The event was held at The Hudson Hotel but they transformed our meeting spaces to reflect BHG.
As soon as we arrived we were welcomed and made to feel right at home. These two ladies were crucial for putting together the event and could not have been sweeter.
Kenzie
{social media editor}
Kaelin
{digital editorial manager}
Clearly socializing is a strong suit of this group and there was lots of it going on…
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And by the way, I went with the palm print culottes.
I saved the crop top for the cocktail party.
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The day consisted of a couple panels and three workshops.
I got to go to the table-setting workshop hosted by Eddie Ross and it was a blast.
Eddie feels like an old friend, no pretense, just warm and friendly.
Watching him set these tables was really entertaining because you can tell it’s just in his gut.
I can totally picture him scurrying around his own dining room, mumbling to himself, and trying out different combinations. It makes me laugh and feel normal all in one.
After having fun with all of Eddie’s dreamy props I got to hop over to a floral workshop hosted by Matthew Robbins. This was the point in the day that I really thought about how lucky I was to be there. It’s easy to feel enclosed in a bubble when you are blogging in your house alone and it was so nice to realize there is a whole world of people out there who love the things I do and find value in just creating beautiful things. These were my people for sure.
Being the creative folks that they are, our bouquets were used as decoration at the cocktail party hosted in the evening.
There’s actually a contest being hosted by FTD flowers and you can vote for your favorite blogger bouquet, here.
The panel discussions were really entertaining too and I learned a lot.
Some of the information was regarding things I am not pursuing, like a book deal, but I have always enjoyed hearing about other professions. I love learning about the ins and outs of what people do in different creative fields.
And what really blew my mind was how genuinely nice these editors were about bloggers.
They really appreciate this whole weird world and that in itself was a huge boost.
The Stylemaker panel was definitely my favorite though because I felt such a connection to these people. I have a very short list of designers I religiously follow and I have now added Kishani Perera to it. As she was talking I decided to take a look through her portfolio and holy rabbit hole!!
Her style just resonates with my soul…so layered and happy and perfectly imperfect. Her design theory seemed to be that..
Each room reflects that particular client’s personality so each room is different
I love the emphasis she puts on really honing in on a client’s personality to determine the style of the room. I am drawn to that same mode of designing and always kind of felt like it was the wrong approach but her portfolio is proof that it can be done and really really well!
I also absolutely loved Clodagh McKenna. In a big way.
She is bursting with passion and her 10 minute tangent about lemons is proof that no matter what you pursue you just should absolutely love what you’re doing and she does and that’s so inspiring to me!
In between all of the sessions we were treated to so much fun swag. Vera Bradley was one of the sponsors and they let us all choose one of their new fall bags. Here Mallory and I were getting down to business. I actually ended up choosing that cute little cheetah clutch you see in the background.
The whole day was capped off with a rooftop cocktail party where the oh so gorgeous Brooke Shields made an appearance. I loved her home feature in the September issue of the magazine!
And nothing beats a fun weekend in NYC with my hometown girls…
If you had asked me last year if I thought I would ever attend the BHG Stylemaker event I would have laughed. When I really stop and think about it it kind of blows my mind. I looked around and saw so many bloggers I have admired for years and just felt so honored to be there. And lucky to be able to soak in all that the professionals shared.
Emily wrote a post yesterday that really resonated with me…I had several moments during the workshops that I felt like maybe I should be striving for more but the truth is I am happy with where I am right now. I find a lot of excitement in setting new goals for myself but I also find the most joy in being able to truly enjoy the here and now. And I think that translates into your work. So as many plans as I have for this blog and my decorating business I am also grateful for where things stand right now and I am so thankful for loyal friends/readers/family who cheer me on along the way!
Carrie @ Cosy Carolina Interiors says
Thank you for sharing about your trip! This event is why I want to continue to improve my blogging. It looks so fun!!!
desingpostinteriors@hotmail.com says
You're welcome! I really wanted to share as much as I could! Keep plugging away!
Carrie @ Cosy Carolina Interiors says
You are the BEST!!! p.s. those culottes are so cute!
Julia Konya says
I think Clodagh touched us all in a profound way. She was enchanting! And I never got to tell you how much I loved your pants 😉
desingpostinteriors@hotmail.com says
Enchanting is the perfect word for her!!
designchic says
This looked like so much fun, Beth!! Love your arrangement!
desingpostinteriors@hotmail.com says
Thanks! We had great flowers to work with!
Summer Hogan says
Such a great trip with my besties! Love u!
desingpostinteriors@hotmail.com says
Right back at ya!
Elisa of Fancy Free Me says
Love this Beth!! Looks like such fun. It's so fun watching you and your blog grow. Major congrats!
desingpostinteriors@hotmail.com says
Thanks- you have been a loyal blog friend!
Khristian A. Howell says
Well done! I kept meaning to go meet "the girl with the great pants"!! Next time! xo
desingpostinteriors@hotmail.com says
Oh that's so nice 🙂 I really wanted an extra day to meet and talk to everyone. Luckily I can at least get to know you through your book!
{Hi Sugarplum!} says
Loved meeting you, and seeing your cute face in person finally!!! xo