September was a whirlwind of a month and I got to check a few major things off of my bucket list! I plan on writing all about those things specifically throughout this next month, but the first item I wanted to talk about was New York Fashion Week.
| On My Way to the Big Apple |
I decided to go to NYFW this past February (maybe March-ish) when tickets were pretty cheap. I knew that influencers could go to NYFW and get into the events, but I was a little intimidated at first by the idea. NYFW sounded so intimidating and I thought only people with hundreds of thousands of followers could go. I decided right then and there that if I bought the ticket, I would have no choice but to take the leap.
Fast forward to September, I was on a plane to New York getting ready to take on one of the craziest weeks of my life.
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| Who I Went With |
I would highly recommend finding a roommate early when planning a trip to NYFW. I also saw a lot of bloggers take their husbands with them too which I thought was such a great idea. This year I went with Karina from @karinastylediaries. She was such a gem and the perfect person to room with. She went to NYFW the year before and was such a great help with the preparation process and showing me the Do’s and Don’ts of NYFW. When it comes to timeless fashion and flawless beauty tricks, Karina is your girl. (A blog post to come on tips and trick for NYFW for those who are wanting to go next year)
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| Where We Stayed |
Housing can be very expensive in New York, especially during NYFW. I am so thankful and grateful to have been able to stay with my good friend who lives in New York. We were located a block away from Times Square, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, and all of the major shopping areas. There is nothing I can give or do to show how thankful I am for my friend letting us stay at her place.
| Our First Day: Exploring SoHo and meeting with Warby Parker |
Our flight landed at 8 am in New Jersey and we had a full day ahead of us. New York Fashion Week officially started the next day so we had the day to ourselves to explor the city, try some fun food, and visit the Warby Parker headquarters. I created a recap of day one NYFW on my blog. Click HERE to see our tour of Warby Parker and more details of our day.
– Shop My Outfit –
| Dry Bar |
I recently got a gift card to Dry Bar so I thought I might as well use it while in New York. I was able to book a morning appointment and it was honestly the best decision I made. If you’re new to Dry bar it is $40 to get your hair washed, blowdried, and styled. The curls can last up to three days without washing. I didn’t have to wash my hair the entire trip and my curls lasted a long time. I just had to touch them up each day. I got the “Mai Tai”.
My Favorite Dry Bar Supplies
| Meeting with RewardStyle + Banana Republic Presentation |
After a good night’s rest Karina and I had the day to ourselves to shoot some content and attend a few meetings in SoHo. I was so excited to meet with my RewardStyle rep and get a lot of questions answered. (Bonnie is the BEST!). I decided to wear these plaid pants to be a little more “businessy” They are so comfortable and my entire outfit is under $100 {LINKED BELOW}. After that we got a quick lunch at Shake Shack before the Banana Republic show that night. There is no comfort food like a good burger and fries.
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After eating we took a quick nap and headed out to celebrate the launch of Erin and Sara Foster’s new line at Banana Republic. The show was so much fun and I had the opportunity to meet some of my favorite blogger friends! Every girl was so genuine and it was a breath of fresh air to know how real the blogging community is! Below are a few of the girls I got to meet:
- @jenagreen920
- @almost_readyblog
- @wearandwhenblog
- @everyday_abby
- @ashdonielle
- @saragailvickers
- @joyfullystyled
After the Banana Republic show, Karina and Sara (@saragailvickers), and I took a cab to get dinner at the Conrad. We had a delicious meal and our bellies were full and happy. The Conrad sat close to the water and after dinner we went to the rooftop and saw the beautiful city sparkle in the water.
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| Bollare Showroom |
Karina and I started off our day visiting Bollare PR agency. THEY WERE UNREAL. When we arrived all of these clothes from different brands were set out and we got to pick one item from each brand. Most brands you can find in Nordstrom and large department stores. They had everything from Wrangler, to BlankNYC, to CottonOn, the Herschel Supply Co. I was in heaven. I also had the amazing opportunity to get my makeup touched up by Samantha and Nicola Chapman, the founders of Real Techniques. They were so down to earth and they killed it with my makeup – It lasted all day!
I got to meet and connect with SO many of my blogger friends that I have made over the year IN PERSON during this show! I was reminded on this day that there is power in community over competition. Blogging is such a unique career and it’s hard to find people who can relate. I got to finally meet @bresheppard, @karlierae, @candidlychan, @alwaysmeliss, @makennachristinexo, @mumuandmacaroons, @nataliekennedyblog, @alexa.anglin, @lipstickheelsandababy, and @shelbymoroney. I also got to see my Indy friends @kathleen.post and @holliewdwrd at this show too! I felt like when I first met these girls I already knew them because we had been following each other for so long on Instagram. We instantly connected, laughed, goofed around, and it was so refreshing. I am so thankful for my blogging community.
Shop My “Bollare” Outfit
| RewardStyle Parties |
RewardStyle Rooftop Party
After Bollare, myself and a few of the girls took a cab to the RewardStyle Rooftop party. Before we got to the party, our Uber driver accidentally dropped us off at the wrong spot and we were almost 10 blocks away from where we needed to be — not to mention we were carrying our full, very heavy bags from the Bollare event. Let’s just say walking a mile in heels carrying these large bags in 80 degree weather was quite the bonding experience for Karlie, Bre, Karina, and I.
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After sweating and getting a mini workout in from walking 10 blocks, we finally made it to the RSHQ party. Rewardstyle sure knows how to throw a party. One of my biggest goals this year was to get into the RewardStyle events during NYFW because they’ve been such a huge part in my blogging journey. I have connected with so many bloggers through Rewardstyle and I’m beyond blessed and thankful for this community. Imagine seeing all the people you have looked up to all in one room! I was in shock and not going to lie, VERY intimated. But my biggest piece of advice for anyone who is in this situation. Don’t be scared and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself and to say hi. Chances are, everyone else is probably feeling the same way!
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Liketoknow.it Cocktail Party Book Launch
On Saturday night, Rewardstyle hosted a book launch party where I got to see all of the friends I made again. The venue was beautiful and we danced the night away with an amazing DJ. We got to sign a wall, writing why we started in honor of the #followmystory theme. At the end of the night we were all given the @liketoknow.it “Stories from the Influencer Next Door” book. It was so cool to flip through and read the stories of women who were in my shoes not too long ago and to see what they have accomplished. I greatly admire all of these women and the path they made for influencers like me!
| Lulu’s Party |
I had the great pleasure of attending the Lulu’s Party. If you haven’t heard of Lulu’s it is a one stop shop for women’s clothes and accessories. The venue was on the top floor that overlooked the city. We were able to shop some of their newest collections and get photos taken. They had Amika and some other beauty brands where they handed out products. I got to see more of the blogger friends I made during this week. They had the BEST food. We stayed a little later and the last hour of the party they brought out small bites of mac n cheese, egg rolls, and other delicious bites. I also got to meet a few more bloggers that I’ve been wanting to meet! @baileyschwartz and @thecheekybean were AMAZING and the most down to earth girls! I remember following them when they first started and it’s so cool to watch them grow!
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| Brooklyn Bridge + Dumbo |
The Brooklyn Bridge is a staple when visiting NYC and Karina and I took the trip out at sunrise to beat all the tourist to get a photoshoot in with Katie from KVC Photography. Getting up early was the best decision we could’ve made. The Bridge was empty and we had everything to ourselves. Katie was a CHAMP and I wish she lived closer than Atlanta. I discovered Katie through another blogger that I follow, @loverlygrey . Katie has a energetic and warming personality that you can’t replicate. She was so easy to work with and she was our cheerleader during the shoot…literally. She would cheer you on making you feel confident. After hitting up the Brooklyn Bridge we went to Dumbo to take a few pictures as well. The views were breathtaking.
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Shop My PhotoShoot Outfits
*More pictures of our photoshoot with Katie are at the bottom of this post
| My First Fashion Show |
On Saturday, Karina, Lindsey (our host), and I went to a fashion show. This was my first ever and it was so cool to experience. Before we went to the fashion show Lindsey took us to one of her favorite brunch spots in town, Bluestone Lane Cafe. They had the best avocado toast! I would highly recommend going there for brunch. It’s a spot that most tourist don’t know about and it’s honestly some of the best food I’ve ever had. More details on Bluestone are in the “Where We Ate” section of this post.
After brunch we took a cab to the Oxford Fashion Show. It was so surreal sitting in the seats watching models walk down the runway. I would highly recommend anyone going to NYFW to attend at least one fashion show.
Shop My Outfit (Dress sold out)
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| Where We Ate |
Brunch:
Bluestone Lane Cafe: This was a recommendation from Lindsey, our host. She is a big foodie and Bluestone is one of her favorite brunch spots in SoHo. If you ever go, get their iced coffee with the brookie board. It is a combination of a fruit parfait with amazing avocado toast.
Lafayette Cafe: We went to Layayette on the last day to meet with the shop &OtherStories. If you haven’t checked out their clothes, you have to! They’re actually owned by H&M and have beautiful staple pieces. This is a popular spot most celebrities like to eat breakfast at. We actually saw Candice Swanepoel eating breakfast at the table right across from us. The quiche I had was delicious and I would highly recommend even grabbing a pastry to go from their bakery.
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Lunch/ Dinner:
Rosie’s: ( Mexican)Whenever I travel I always crave chips and guac and Rosie’s did not disappoint. On the first day we ate lunch at Rosie’s while wandering around Soho. I would highly recommend getting their guac. It was very delicious!
SUGARFISH: (Sushi) I have heard that you haven’t experienced New York until you had their sushi. Our host Lindsey recommended SUGARFISH and it was amazing. We went with a few local Indy Bloggers: @karinastylediaries, @trendyinindy, @erickaakresge,@katmmurray, and @ericadildine. I loved how at the restaurant they brought 10 different sushi courses out for us to try. I would highly recommend getting one of the platters where you can sample every type of sushi roll.
| Wicked |
The last day of our trip was rainy and Karina and I wanted a chill day. What not better way to relax than to see Wicked on broadway! We got so lucky with our tickets. I would highly recommend getting tickets ahead of time if you plan on going. The show was phenomenal and I only cried about 5 times. If you haven’t seen a broadway show in NYC I would recommend seeing Wicked first! It was the perfect way to end our vacation.
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And just like that, my first NYFW was wrapped up and in the books! I’m already looking forward to next year. I learned so much this trip and there are some tips and tricks that I learned from going this year that I want to do next year. I plan on doing a whole blog post soon on tips to NYFW first timers so stay tuned.
I love you New York! MUAH
