Pocketful of Joules - BlogHer14: My Whole Experience Shoved in One Post

BlogHer14: My Whole Experience Shoved in One Post

If you’re curious about what I ALMOST named this post and how it went wrong (so, so wrong), check out my Facebook post. Also, while you’re over there… click “like” on my page because every time I get a new fan I do a weird little dance. And maybe I’ll make a video for you, because one thing I learned at BlogHer14 is that I need to start making videos…

I tried to avoid giving you a play-by-play of everything that happened in the 5 days I was in San Jose for the most amazing blogging conference in all the land. Mostly, I just included a daily overview and all the photos that make me smile (most of the photos are also on my Instagram page if you want to see them larger). If there is anything I don’t cover that you want to know about, just leave me a question in the comments and I promise to answer them all!

For those of you who think that attending a blogging conference is like the Hunger Games – we all hate each other because there can only be ONE awesome blogger – yup, that’s totally true.

Want proof? Check out Holly from My Years of Fabulous…

See the bloodlust!?!

Just kidding. It’s truly like a love-fest. See, now Holly and I look all cute again.

My Crew
Speaking of awesome people, my main crew of cool chicks was: Holly, Chrissy from Quirky Chrissy, Lily from It’s a Dome Life, Jen from Me, Myself & Jen, Jenny Kelly from MarketingWerks, and Hege and Cotille from Stitch Fix. I also had the wonderful experience of hanging out with Sara and Dave, when they took me out to dinner at Blowfish. YUM!

I’d also like to give shout-outs to the following lovely ladies:
Nora Miller from AMP Anderson Miller PR – thank you for letting me talk your ear off at lunch and I totally LOVED every minute of it. Marcella Campbell from 24 Volumes – so glad we ran into each other again, 2 years after our first meeting! Stephanie Precourt from Listen to Your Mother – you may have ACTUALLY convinced me to try out next year… Kristin Swenson – thanks for hanging out with me at the BlogHer baby shower and talking fashion! I also have a stack of business cards to go through of people I hung out with, so I can’t wait to start shooting off some emails.

Now on to the pictures!

First off, the MOST important… what I wore. And yes, I say that with a teensy bit of sarcasm and a little {wink, wink}:

Look, I even took pictures each day in front of the snazzy hotel curtains! And yes, I thought about trying to convince the Fairmont to gift me the curtains as swag, but I digress. You can see a bit of a theme — bangs back and lots of Stitch Fix. Day 1: Loft t-shirt, Kensie jeans (Stitch Fix), etsy necklace. Day 2: Daniel Rainn shirt (by way of Nordstrom Rack), Steampunk Garage necklace (bought on day one), same jeans. Day 3: Pomelo dress (Stitch Fix). Day 4: Banana Republic Marimekko collection dress. I’m wearing the same Sam Edelman spiked sandals in each picture. I also threw this Soho hat from Ashbury Hats on for some of the evening events.

Wednesday
I left my house super-dooper early and flew for almost 8 hours. Luckily, the time change worked with me and it was only noon when I got to California. I spent the day walking around, shopping and also had dinner with the adorable Sara and her husband. I’m not sure why I didn’t get a picture with Sara and Dave, I can only assume we were too full of sushi, sake and beer to think about taking one.

Thursday
By far my busiest day! I stated off at the Speck Products #RESPECKED Suite and learned all about their snazzy new cellphone and electronics cases. While there, I also checked out the new line at Stella & Dot and had my head shot taken by a local photographer. From there, I met with Kristin and Hannah from Ashbury Hats (I LOVE THEM)… full blog post and GIVEAWAY coming soon. After that giggle-filled meeting, I stopped by the Astroblast Smoothie Social and met Nina from “The Good Night Show” on Sprout (she’s super sweet). From there, I ran off to the 2014 BlogHer Baby Shower (and chatted with so many cool mommas) and then hoofed it to the Eppa Sangria Sundown Sioree. Tired yet? Well, I kept going… and ran around the Evening at the Expo with Lily until they kicked us out! At that point, I was exhausted and ordered some room service.

Oh and to every single person who stopped me in the Expo Hall and at random times during the weekend to tell me that they KNOW me… THANK YOU. You guys made me feel like a total rockstar and sloppy KISSES to you all!

Friday
Bring on the learning! I was in BlogHer keynotes and sessions all day long and even squeezed in a couple brand meetings in between activities. I also had the chance to see The Hundred-Foot Journey, which I LOVED SO MUCH. See, I’m even quoted saying how much I love it on That Was Something. After the movie was over and I was walking on a cloud of loooooove, I met up with my friends at Killer Karaoke and did free shots of Twisted Shots until I ended up on stage in a group number. And yes, Cotille and I are just a little tipsy in that picture…

Saturday
MORE LEARNING! I also finally met up with my girl, Holly, and we basically talked all day long. I wish she lived closer to me, because she is my kinda people. In addition to attending the BEST session in the conference – “New Rules for New Tools” – I was also excited to have an appointment in the Flawed but Authentic suite. It started with an amazing hand massage with special oils and ended with an uplifting photo session and I loved every moment of it. After doing an emergency trip to Ross to pick up an extra suitcase, I grabbed Cotille off the street and we ended up having one of the best meals I’ve had in a LONG TIME. I’m not even kidding when I say that the first bite of mushroom risotto almost knocked me off my chair. So. Freaking. Good. Almost as good as the conversation… LOVE her. From dinner I made my very last stop… the Closing Party Sunset Bash. It was sponsored by McDonalds (HAPPY MEALS FOR EVERYONE) and our entertainment was Rev Run from RunDMC.

Which brings us to this story: At the closing party I danced like a fool and munched on a ton of French fries. Yes, I know I had just inhaled a whole dinner… but FRESH McDonald’s French fries are not to be denied.

Inevitably I had to use the restroom and started waiting in line for the fancy porti-pots. Well, the line was long and I started doing the pee pee dance. Apparently a guy across the way noticed, because he suggested that I use the porti-pots in the next parking lot over, behind a row of bushes. So, I leap through the bushes, jump into a porti-pot and immediately regret it. The ones I was waiting in line for were the NICE ones with lights and toilet paper. These… were not. They were your run-of-the-mill Ren Fest porti-pots with a dark, stinky inside and OF COURSE no toilet paper. So, I quickly use the bathroom and then stumble out as soon as humanly possible. As I’m stumbling out (mumbling how GROSS it was) and making my way back to the party – drip drying all the way – I nearly body-check Rev Run and his security team. Because, of course I did.

Hmm… that turned out a lot longer than I anticipated. I guess I could have just summed it up in one sentence: I had an awesome time at BlogHer. I missed seeing a few people that I was hoping to meet up with, but all-in-all had an excellent adventure (wheehew Wyld Stallyns!)

I’ll be sharing some new brands with you all over the next few months that I’m really super excited about. I also have a few fun giveaways coming up, including a sassy hat from Ashbury Hats, some super cool iPad cases from Speck Products, and a gift card to Chuck E Cheese!

Do you have any questions about BlogHer that I didn’t cover? Have you had a near run-in with a celebrity? Do you kind of want to go and watch Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure now?

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My July 2.0 Stitch Fix: A Lesson in Customer Service

I know, I know. I JUST wrote about my July Stitch Fix order two weeks ago. But, I was left with a yucky taste in my mouth after that Fix and just didn’t like ANYTHING that much. I was disappointed. And even kind of annoyed because I was totally planning to find something amazing to wear to BlogHer.

Instead, I returned the whole box. I also dropped a line to one of my Stitch Fix contacts about how disappointed I was and she totally offered to send me a do-over! YAY, A DO OVER! She even tried to get it out in the mail ASAP so that I could check it out before I left for California, but unfortunately it arrived at my house 4 hours after I left.

I had something to look forward to when I got back though… and I’m in LOVE all over again. I couldn’t WAIT to share it with you all, but felt a little weird about it since I just posted about Stitch Fix so recently. So I do what I usually do. I asked you! And according to the immediate feedback on my Facebook page, you wanted a post and you wanted it NOW.

So, here we go. I didn’t even take the time to digitally erase the camera remote from my hand!

Item #1: Ezra Bryn V-neck Mixed Material Knit Shirt – $48
Remember when I said I wanted “interesting” tops? Well, LOOK at this one! It is a mix of chiffon and a gorgeous knit and it doesn’t look like something I’ve seen a million times before. The color is a pretty mint and I tried it on with a pair of casual jeans (Loft), a t-shirt material skirt (Loft), and a pair of grey skinny jeans (Kate Spade). The only drawback is that it is see-through so a layering tank top is a necessity. Keep or Return?

Item #2: Mystree Skylar Asymmetrical Knit Zip Up Jacket – $78
If you’ve been following since my very first Stitch Fix review, you’ll remember that I said that asymmetrical tops aren’t flattering on us busty girls. I don’t know if I got used to the moto jacket look or this one is just super cute, but I’m LOVING this jacket. It’s made out of a super soft knitted material on the outside and a t-shirt material as the lining. It’s basically a fancy sweatshirt and I can see myself throwing this on with jeans or shorts all the livelong day. Keep or Return?

Item #3: Renee C Tucker Mixed Print Tank – $48
I actually had this tank top pinned on my Pinterest board at one point, because I liked the crazy pattern. In person, I like it even more. The fit is perfect and the colors are so vibrant. There is a split-back feature in the back that I’m not crazy about… but it’s only seen if you wear the tank untucked on its own. I like how it can have a super hippy vibe with shorts (Gap) and a jaunty hat (this one in chocolate from Ashbury Hats), or it can be totally professional with a swing skirt (Stitch Fix). Keep or Return?

Item #4: Pomelo Missy Polka Dot Tab-Sleeve Blouse – $58
When I opened the box, this top was the one I was least excited about. I mean, polka dots are cute. Tab sleeves are cute. The colors are cute. I don’t know. But, then I tried it on as both a casual and work option and I think that can become one of those fun go-to tops. It looks fun as heck with my red skinny jeans (Stitch Fix) and also looks totally professional with a high-waisted pencil skirt (Loft) and leopard heels (Target). Keep or Return?

Item #5: Daniel Rainn Greta Geo Print Crochet Detail Blouse – $68
I never realized it before, but I’m a huge fan of Daniel Rainn. Whenever I buy something from that brand, I wear the heck out of it. This shirt is super adorable. The top portion is eyelet and the print has hints of red (check out the fabric close-up picture for the details). For the first look, I paired it with a pair of my often-worn plain black work pants (Loft). For the second look, I threw on a pair of boyfriend-ish jeans (Loft) and sassy wedges (Toms). Cute, right? Keep or Return?

Here are all the close ups:

I want to know your thoughts. I really, really do. Because right now I’m pretty darn sure I’m going to buy the ENTIRE BOX! That’s right, the golden unicorn of Fixes has arrived… an entire box I want to keep! After having my first crappy Fix experience earlier this month, they really LISTENED to what I was saying and wanted to make it right. So they totally stepped up their game and I LOVE it all!

Let’s Talk Money
I think I’ve mentioned before that you get a 25% discount on the price if you buy the whole box. This entire box is $300 for all 5 pieces. Once you subtract the $20 styling fee, the additional buy-it-all discount is $70. I have been super lucky and three people have used my special referral code in the last month (which is AMAZING and has never happened before!!), so that is an additional discount of $75. So, for me to purchase the entire box it will be… $135.

Now it’s time for you all to chime in. Do you think I should keep the whole box?

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Stitch Fix, I pay for the $20 styling fee and any clothing I purchase with my own hard-earned money. If you enjoyed my review and decide to try Stitch Fix for yourself, the biggest compliment you can give me is by using my referral link. Thank you to anyone who chooses to click through and support my shopping addiction!

7/29/14 Update: Yup, I bought the whole darn Fix and I’m even wearing one of the tops to work today. I postponed my next Fix until the middle of September, as a birthday gift to myself. Thank you all for your feedback!

Psssst…Do you love checking out what other people received in their Fixes? I added quick links to every single one of my reviews on my Stitch Fix Reviews page!

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A Silly Q&A with Words for Worms

A couple weeks ago my buddy Katie from Words for Worms confessed that she rarely reads author interviews because they are boring. She suggested that the interviewers actually ask questions that she’d be interested in – weird, stupid hypothetical beauty pageant questions – because they are more her style. So I told her to put out or shut up.

Wait… I did NOT tell her to put out because I’m not Kenickie in Grease. And I’m pretty sure that Katie is not THAT kind of lady.

But I did tell her to give me a list of her author dream questions so that I could try my hand at answering them. Here’s what she came up with:

Words for Worms: If you were a nail polish, what color would you be & what cheeky name would you give yourself?
Joules: I just got a pedicure the other day and I’m kind of obsessed with the bright orange that is currently sprucing up my toes. As for a cheeky name, let’s do something super corny like, “Orange you Glad my Feet aren’t Stinky?!”

Words for Worms: Have you ever wanted to punch a fictional character? Who and why?
Joules: Okay, everyone knows I’m a total Harry Potter dork (Butterbeer, REPRESENT!), but when he was going through his moody phase in Order of the Phoenix I wanted to smack him upside his head. Actually, I frequently get fully immersed in books and want to lash out at the meanies… so maybe I’m just more of a violent person than I thought I was?

Words for Worms: What is your least favorite food?
Joules: It’s not a food, but a drink… and I have a true white-hot hatred for tea. I don’t remember when it started, but I vividly remember once ordering a coke at McDonald’s and them giving me an iced tea by mistake. I took a LONG sip of what I thought was going to be magical coke goodness and it was TEA. BLEGH! I can’t even smell the stuff without wanting to vomit.

Words for Worms: If you could choose a super power, what would it be?
Joules: I have given this a lot of thought because I would obviously like to have super/magical powers and I’m still waiting for them to come in. I would LOVE to fly. It would get me away from traffic jams, I could get places quickly and I totally wouldn’t have to wait in security lines at the airport. I would have to buy some super special goggles though, because if I was mid-flight and something flew in my eye… well, it would be bad-news-bears for my contact lenses.

Words for Worms: What would your Patronus be? (Can you tell I’ve been listening to Harry Potter audio books?)
Joules: And this is part of the reason why I love you, Katie. For the layperson, a Patronus is a positive energy force that takes the shape of an animal. Mine would probably be something that looks harmless on the outside, but is CRAZY vicious… like a honey badger. The bad guy would see it coming and be like, “aww, isn’t it cute!” and then BOOM my honey badger would TAKE. HIM. OUT. Because, frankly, honey badger don’t care.

Words for Worms: If a Kardashian got into a fist fight with a Real Housewife, who would win?
Joules: Oh crap. I don’t really know anything about any of the Real Housewives. Wait, they throw tables, right?! And I think I heard something about one of them taking her leg off and throwing it? I have a total hate for anything Kardashian-related, including their stupid weddings, their stupid babies, and their stupid mothering tips. I’m calling that the honey badger would kick all of their butts.

Words for Worms: What are some of your vices?
Joules: Hmmm… vices. Like smoking cigarettes and doing crack? Well, neither of those. I do enjoy drinking an alcoholic beverage every so often – drinks of choice being hard cider, sweet wine or something girlie with a cherry and an umbrella. I’m obsessed with keeping up-to-date with silly entertainment news on People.com and Eonline.com. I’m also pretty addicted to Facebook and thought for like 8 seconds about doing that 99 day Facebook Challenge thing (where you close your account for 99 days) and um… no.

Words for Worms: What is your least favorite household chore?
Joules: I HATE dealing with anything trash-related – bundling it and taking it outside, dragging it to the curb, picking it up when the birds decide to spread it all over the yard – so my husband does it all. The chore that I hate that I still do is scrubbing the shower. We have water that is high in copper, so it will turn any soap scum inside our stand-up shower blue. Then, I have to scrub the crap out of it with Soft Scrub and a scrub brush to get it back to normal.

Words for Worms: If you could go back in time, when would you visit?
Joules: Geez, I’m not sure. I like having rights and stuff, so if I go too far back I’ll end up getting all pissed off. If it was only for a specific period of time (and then I could return back to the present with no repercussions) it would be fun to be around with the dinosaurs. Like full-on Naked & Afraid. OR, in the late 50’s when Elvis was hot… I could totally see myself making out with Elvis.

Words for Worms: Where would you go on a dream vacation, money being no object?
Joules: Oooh, this is a good one because I LOVE vacations! I have two favorite options that have been living in my head for a while (and they’re totally on my to-do list):

Option 1: Italy. I want to take a week or two and just travel around Italy with my husband (sorry Jack, we’d leave you at home). We’d travel all over the islands, spend a ton of time on the beaches and EAT the entire time. Heaven.

Option2: Hawaii. When we got married, we were actually thinking of eloping to Hawaii. That didn’t work out, so we thought it would be a good 5 year anniversary location. Yeah, that didn’t work out either. I SWEAR I will get to Hawaii someday soon(ish). I just don’t think that 2 year old Jack can handle the LONG plane ride to get there from the east coast. Maybe for a 10 year anniversary trip? I think it would be awesome to jump on a cruise ship that takes you to each of the islands. Then, you could leave all your stuff at one location and explore each island while you’re there.

Thank you so much to Katie for helping out with today’s blog post! Now it’s time for you to play along – pick two of the questions that Katie asked me and answer them in the comments!

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