my outfit: TxSCC brunch & symposium

when: sunday, march 13, 2011

what i wore:
top: maude
jeggings: american eagle
sandals: target
clutch: gift (handmade by emery designs) 

where: brunch at BoConcept, TxSCC symposium at ballet austin

this outfit wasn’t supposed to happen. i packed a couple dresses for sunday, but after a busy weekend of wearing heels, skirts and dresses, i was ready for something casual. plus, i bought this shirt at langford market the day before and couldn’t wait to wear it! eric was able to join me at the conference, which was such a blessing because we could attend all the sessions we were interested in (by splitting up), and because (from experience) i know we do a lot better when we are both present to absorb the information. two minds are better than one.

overall, i couldn’t have imagined a better weekend. i was constantly impressed with the organizers, indiana and gretchen, and it was like fashion blogger’s heaven. i really hope i am able to go again next year. i went into the weekend quite burnt out (mostly from the 30 for 30) and not knowing how to balance my love of blogging with the rest of my life. after meeting great new friends and gleaning insight from top-notch panelists, eric and i left renewed, refreshed and inspired.

without a doubt, my favorite part was connecting with all the amazing women. i met the girls behind some of my favorite blogs and also was introduced with new friends who i couldn’t wait to connect with later online. the truth is, i really didn’t want to leave austin. i kind of got emotional about it! it probably didn’t help that i was rundown (we barely found time to eat or sleep when we were there).

without further rambling, please meet more of my new bloggy friends:

jessie lives in kansas city, so we’ll for sure be hanging out again soon! maybe she’ll even let me steal borrow some pieces from her amazing wardrobe…

the beautiful janette and i connected on many levels (she’s from the midwest and also has a journalistic background).

lisa is exactly what i thought she’d be—a human sparkler!

i caught myself staring at amanda’s adorable vintage clothes (and perfectly tousled hair!) all weekend long.

wit is emily’s middle name.

merl has many talents, two of which are crafting amazing jewelry and taking photos with her sweet camera (eric was drooling over it).

even eric made some friends. see?

» read eric’s recap of our trip on our family blog.

now. prepare to be star-struck (i certainly was!):

keynote speaker jennine came to most of the events, and i was lucky to chat with her multiple times. she has so much knowledge!

i had been looking forward to meeting “miss” james—and her kids!—all weekend. she thought she recognized me from somewhere. (i wish!)

i did a fairly good job taking photos throughout the weekend, but there were many great girls i didn’t get photos with. (we miss all y’all!)

25 March 2 Permalink

my outfit: TxSCC party

when: saturday, march 12, 2011

what i wore:
earrings: langford market (boutique in austin)
dress: banana republic
boots: borrowed (steve madden)

where: TxSCC party at BoConcept

you have to wear cowboy boots in texas, right? i don’t own any so i borrowed these from a friend before we left iowa. on saturday night in austin there was a super fun party with mingling, games, pop-up shops—and lots of photo ops! meet some of my new bloggy friends:

yay for lipstick! me, rach, amy.

amy made me feel so welcome the whole weekend. and i still want her long feather earrings!

yay for tall friends! kendi, me and jentine.

jen had the cutest dress on.

awesome ladies i met during the scavenger hunt: linda, laura and kara.

tanvii is the queen of colorblocking.

suze and me in a sea of TIKKR watch bands.

oh. there we are again!

and i can’t forget about eric. he was such a trooper all weekend!

23 March 2 Permalink

my outfit: boutique crawl & scavenger hunt

when: saturday, march 12, 2011

what i wore:
headband: forever 21
sunglasses: gift (original penguin)
tank: american apparel
cardigan: american apparel
necklace: forever 21
watch: c/o TIKKR
belt: target
skirt: american apparel
shoes: target

where: 2nd street district shops and TxSCC scavenger hunt

on saturday i met up with linda from rose à la mode and tanvii from the fabulous life of not-so-rich and infamous. i read both of their blogs regularly, so it was awesome to finally meet them and spend the day with them. first things first, we went shopping in the 2nd street district. my favorite store was langford market. i really wish i could have spent more time in there! i found a dreamy coral sleeveless top that you’ll see in a few days.

we ate brunch at taverna and then it was time for the scavenger hunt. we had lots of fun, but placed 8 out of 10. boo!

our scavenger hunt team!

eric and i with bob and linda. they’re both professional bloggers (how awesome is that?).

21 March Permalink

my outfit: clothing swap!

when: friday, march 11, 2011

what i wore:
hat: urban outfitters
shirt: j.crew
necklace: urban outfitters
jeggings: american eagle
shoes: jessica simpson (dsw)

where: clothing swap hosted by swap.com and the swapaholics

i was kind of a nervous mess on the first day. ha! it was like going to church camp where you don’t know what to expect, and a part of you would rather be at home than in a room full of people you don’t know. but when i walked in to the clothing swap, all my worries faded away. there were so many girls there who i “knew” from their blogs, and they were all so nice and easy to talk to!

after tagging my items, i volunteered to help sort everything into piles—which meant i got to hang out with the awesome organizers and other volunteers, and get a good look at what other people had brought to swap. this was my first-ever swap and i hope to do it again! i know there is one in des moines next month, and i might even get crazy and organize my own!

all the swappers! at this point i had already grabbed most of my items.

the once-loved items i brought:

five jeans, three dresses (one not pictured), two tops, a scarf, a necklace and black heels.

my new items to love:

i scored some fun, colorful items! two pants, two scarves, flats, earrings and a belt.

suze of miss vinyl ahoy and me having fun before the swap.

with some of my absolute favorites: jen, indiana, amy and amy. photo by burdastyle.

after the swap, a bunch of us went out to the hangar and then to chinatown for karaoke.

don’t let her fool you—erin is a really good singer.

at chinatown i got to sit next to and chat with one of my favorites, jen of jen loves kev.

19 March Permalink

my outfit: early bird

when: friday, march 11, 2011

what i wore:
hat: husband’s (from gap)
t-shirt: c/o raygun
cardigan: h&m
watch: c/o tikkr
jeans: banana republic
sandals: target
bag: puma

where: flight to austin, lunch at austin java, exploring austin and the university of texas

so this is what i look like at 6 a.m. i usually wear sweatpants when i fly, but i knew we would be out and about once we got to austin (we couldn’t check into our hotel right away) so i wanted to wear jeans. i love traveling! i don’t always love airports (how come i always get flagged “randomly” for a pat-down?) or airplanes (i get motion sickness), but i’m a really good sleeper and Eric lets me lay across his lap. it’s the only way i can get comfortable, so i hope i never have to fly alone. we have a little system down since we fly together about once a year. i just love discovering new places and especially love doing that with Eric.

we had a nice little date-day in austin before the clothing swap started. we got acquainted with the 2nd street district (where all the TxSCC events were taking place) and also checked out the university of texas. it was so great to feel 75 degrees on my skin again.

and then we got a $25 parking ticket. thanks for the welcome, y’all!

18 March Permalink