BHG Stylemaker Event 2016

Most of the time I try to not bother you guys with photos of myself, after all “a selfie a day keeps your friends away” and that’s not what I’m trying to do with my blog but for today’s post I’m breaking that rule because there will be a ton of photos of me. So it might not be the post for you.

I was fortunate again to be invited to the Better Homes and Gardens Stylemaker Event in New York City. I went last year too (click HERE to see that recap). It’s such and honor and so much fun. You probably read this all the time from other bloggers but it truly is amazing to hang out and meet with other bloggers who you talk to online all the time. Likeminded people who totally get your day-to-day life and how unglamorous it actually is to be a blogger at home.

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I love listening to Stephen Orr (BHG editor in chief) talk, he’s funny and engaging and during the first session with keynote speaker Grace Bonney of Design Sponge, I thought that if my husband would be here with me, he’d have no clue what they are actually talking about but I so enjoyed it. It’s the fact that I’m usually around people who don’t get what we bloggers do at all. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life but that’s what I meant with being around people who understand it and have something to say that inspires you and that you can learn from and grow with. That’s how it is for me when I go to an event like this. The energy is amazing.

I stayed two nights and the day before the event. I live close enough to NYC that I can take the bus.

I met my lovely roomie Jennifer of The Chronicles of Home at the hotel. Love her lots! We slept in bed together to split the costs like so many other bloggers. Ain’t that glamorous? It’s good for some bonding! And here is a bed selfie:

We stayed at The Lex with a lot of other bloggers because it was 4 blocks away from the stunning Gramercy Park Hotel where the event was taking place. I can only recommend our hotel, should you ever need one in NYC.

In the evening Jennifer and I went out to eat at ABC kitchen with my talented friends Jennifer Stagg of withHEART and Sarah M. Dorsey (in my pet series HERE).
I admire them all deeply.

ABC kitchen is so gorgeous inside. None of my iPhone photos turned out pretty enough to show you though except of the two below. My son and I (remember he is a foodie) had checked out the menu and he wanted me to try the shaved raw fluke which you can see on the right. Doesn’t it look pretty and it was so so good. I like eating two appetizers instead of one main meal. The other one I tried was the pretzel dusted calamari. So yummy!

The next day we headed to the Gramercy Park Hotel by 9am. The place is so gorgeous inside. There were many details to take in and that’s what I enjoy so much. I only have small photos since my iPhone photos weren’t all that pretty.

Now lets get to some pretty photos which were all taken by David Keith Photography and all credit goes to them for the pretty images in my post.

BHG Stylemaker Event 2016

Isn’t this lightbulb ceiling amazing. I couldn’t get over it and think it would be amazing in a basement bar hangout room. Just some of them light up.

Lots of hugging and chatting! Hugging Cory of Hey There Home and talking to Aniko of Place of my taste.

Here is the session with Grace Bonney of Design Sponge  I mentioned earlier. We each received a copy of her inspiring new book, In the company of women (click HERE)

I loved hearing from the following three inspiring women who have accomplished some really admirable things in their carrier and yes my friend Jennifer is right up there with them. We are talking book deals and product lines here.

Lana Wiles of Mommy Shorts, Jennifer Stagg of withHEART and Heather Christo of The HeatherMade Co.

Stephen Orr introducing the Stylemaker issue that I have the honor of being in as well (click HERE if you missed the post)

My straggly-hair-don’t-care self getting lunch which was amazing and prepared according to Padma Lakshmi‘s recipes who we also had the pleasure of meeting but more to that later:

Just in case you are wondering you can find the dress HERE. It’s super comfy which is the reason I bought it. I hate waistbands lately, the necklace is a vintage piece I bought at the flea market when I was 15 and I’m so glad that I still have it and you can find the bag HERE.

Sonya of At Home with the Barkers (wish I’d gotten to talk to you), Heather of At The Picket Fence, me, Darlene of Field Stone Hill, Rhoda of Southern Hospitality, Jessica of Four Generations one Roof, and Vanessa of The Picket Fence

I’m in the background lugging my big bag while trying to figure out who I hadn’t talked to yet. Oh and isn’t that Crate and Barrel rug amazing? (click HERE)

Padma Lakshmi talked about her carrier, life and her new book.

And the Creative Clinic where we got inspired and challenged by the following amazing people:

Jill Waage (Executive Editor), Chris Benz (Creative Director at Bill Blass), Woody Woodward (President at Crate and Barrel) and Stephen Orr (BHG’s editor in chief)

Are you guys getting sick of all of us posing yet? It’s fun for a mom like myself who never really dresses up, let alone have someone take professional photos of you? All of us had to take advantage of that.

And I hung a pom-pom keychain from my shoes I bought in Germany which you can see in the above photo.

Jen Woodhouse of The House of Wood (remember from my pet series (click HERE), yup me again, Ashley of Cherished Bliss, Taryn of Design, Dining and Diapers, Nina of Nina Hendrick, Heather of Setting for Four

I got to to chat with Padma about my son because we were talking about kids who are foodies and of course he adores Top Chef:

It kind of stinks trying to take selfies with a professional like her. I chose to leave the results out of this post 🙂 it wasn’t good. Can you believe she is 46?!?! What the heck? I’m 41 and I will eat according to her new Spices & Herbs book from now on because it clearly works for her. We all got a signed copy. Can’t wait to read it. (click HERE). She’s a beautiful, strong and inspiring woman.

And this bunch below is pretty awesome too. Aniko (hey she was in my pet series too, click HERE), Sarah of Life on Virginia Street (also in my pet series, click HERE), Corey and Mariella of Splendor Stylings and in the background is Jack Mitz who is BHG’s in-house video expert and he held another session about how to make videos. I should say he tried to teach me because I feel like a lost cause when it comes to videos.

The question was thrown at Padma about her favorite restaurants in NYC and she said that she loves the expensive and cool French Vietnamese (so down my alley) restaurant INDOCHINE and that she would have her last meal  of thin crusted pizza at Vezzo, so what do you think a chunk of us bloggers did after the event? Well we headed to Vezzo for some amazing pizza and ran into the BHG crew there who had the same idea. They truly are an amazing and fun team and probably have the best job in the world.

Day three: Crate and Barrel

Yes that’s right we got to hear Woody Woodward (president of Crate and Barrel) talk at the event and then come and see the store and do some shopping.

It was a great breakfast with some mimosas which this momma never gets to have. Thrilling!!!

In case you are wondering what I’m wearing because everyone loved my shirt. I bought it at Zara but don’t see it anymore. I’m wearing my favorite Spanx leggings (HERE). I live in them in the winter but I have to buy the cropped version because my legs are short and they actually still end up being long. And the same bag as the day before HERE. 

And you guys always ask me about my starburst over the sofa. Look what I found at Crate and Barrel, isn’t it similar? (click HERE)

For those of you who are new, I bought my vintage Curtis Jeré burst at an auction and layered it over an old mirror as you can see below.

I just couldn’t leave empty handed and had to bring something home from the store.  So I got the below throw and it looks so great with my chaise. (click HERE)

leopard pillow | similar knit pillow

I have to include the random photo below of Emily Clark (love her) doing her thing. I love all the indigo goodness going on! Give me all the pillows!

And then it was time to go home

Did I mention already that I’m a soup addict? Oh yes wait I did, in my recent fall tour where I shared my favorite tomato soup recipe (click HERE).  So every time I stepped out of our hotel I passed a little cafe, the Bao Bao Cafe, a tiny little place that is hard to notice  but those are my favorite types of places. I wanted to eat there so badly and couldn’t find anyone to go with me, so before heading to the bus terminal, I went and had some Bao Bao Noodles with Hong Kong Milk Tea on the side and boy it was good. The milk tea was the perfect drink to put out the spiciness of the soup. Gosh I’m getting hungry again writing this.

There are so many great little places like this in NYC. I promised my son that we would go one day soon to eat at some more Ramen noodle places. We are both addicted.

I decided to walk to the bus which was a 30 minute walk and got caught in the pouring rain with my suitcase which ended up being very yucky when you walk through all the dirty puddles in the gutter dragging your luggage but I didn’t let it ruin my perfect stay in New York City.

Hope you enjoyed my little recap even though it was filled with a ton of photos of myself.

Have a great Saturday and Sunday.

Tschüß

(Youleeya)