NY/Blogfest...Part 2 in 16 Photos or Less

Morning, morning.

It's NYC part two time.

Day 3.

Alex and I set the alarms for 7 and were up early for the big breakie poo at the Hearst Towers.

Turns out this ginormous company owns Kravet and the major shelter labels...Veranda, Elle Decor and House Beautiful...this all means their the big time shizzlesticks.

Anyhoo...we sat at pretty tables covered in peonies...

...because EVERYONE knows bloggers go to fave flower answer is always this pretty bloom...and we ate 4 plates of food...and drank 5 cups of coffee...oh wait, that might have just been me;)

Anyhoo...the tower was gorgeosity and looked out right over Central Park...it also did a fabo job of holding a ton of bloggers and some pretty ah-maaazing talent.

We heard from the editor in chief of Veranda, Dara Coponigro, along with legendary design heavyweights,  Daryl Carter and Timothy Whealon...

...the ball cap wearing Mr. Carter kind of had me at hello with his uber intelligence and deep/should be a narrator/Morgan Freeman like voice...good stuff.

LOVED this panel- the insight into how design unfolds in the real world was beaucoup interesting and definitely a highlight of my trip.

I also enjoyed these guys...

{photo via Recycled, Consign and Design}

...the 'everyone loves him blogger crowd favourite' Newell Turner let a charming group into a talk about design Ah-ha moments...as much I kind of loathe Oprah idioms by definition, I did very much enjoy this look at how projects get noticed and published.

The designers Michael Harold, Jill Goldberg and Jon Call were brilliant...I especially went nutzoid over Mr. Call's branding and red pants...big thumbs up...oh and Jill was a laugh riot...and Michael was great too...you can tell he's the sweet/nice guy type.

Moving on.

I loved this whole thing with one GIANT exception.

The breakfast started at 8:30.  At 9:30 they had a 5 minute bathroom break but there were about 200 people and I had only had 2 cups of coffee at that point so I passed thinking there would be another one.  Well, there wasn't.  We loaded on a bus at 11 a.m. and headed for the Elle Decor Showhouse...thankfully, we arrived quickly but when we got there, we basically found 200 people squished all at once into a house that was unable to accomodate more than 50 at once...this meant we couldn't move...like at all...and by this point, I'd had 5 cups of coffee, and a bottle of water on the bus and well, I'm not a camel...I'm human and well, I needed to pee.

I tried to put the ginormous bladder pressure on hold and concentrate on the pretty house....I managed to snap a few pics of the food that I couldn't reach because it was too crowded...

...a great chandy...

...and an elephant...

...and that my friends was the Elle Decor showhouse experience.

Along with a few of my Blogfest besties, I spent most of the blocked off hour or two stuck in the front hall closet, in a somewhat desperate attempt to avoid the hoards of people...and I still had to pee....and there was a pretty bathroom right in front of me the entire time that PS, I of course was not allowed to use, being a showhouse and all.

So, I was more than a little elated when the bus finally showed up to pick us up...but...then we got stuck in traffic...for like an hour...and by this point, I literally thought I was going to die from the urine that I thought might actually force my bladder to explode.

My poor bus mate Elizabeth, who PS, makes these pillows that I'm totally obsessed with....

...was forced to listen to my incessant whining about said personal agony for the entire trip.

I had actually convinced her at one point to tag along with me as I stopped the bus, got off and found my way to the next destination, after the most relieving bathroom break of all time had happened.

Thankfully, my dear friend Alex got wind of the whole thing and let me know there was actually a toilet, be it a disgusting one, at the back of the bus...you have NO idea the relief I felt at that moment...no idea...total and utter bliss I tell you.

All I can say is that while in NY, I will NEVER again board a bus without finding a way to a bathroom first...serious life lesson people.

Moving on...I'm sure you're over my pee story at this point;)

After the bus ride from hell was over, we enjoyed a great lunch at the D&D building...lobster rolls y'all...because again there were tons of people in a rather small space, seating was tight so my girls Amanda, Alex, Elizabeth, and Chassity shared a wee floor picnic with me...good stuff.

After food, us bunch decided to shop.

I tagged along with Alex and had my first Bergdorf's experience...and it was heaven.

I saw the Plaza on the way...

...and that was trez coolio.

After a few glorious hours in Bergs, we met up with Amanda and Chassity to tour ABC...here's my parnter's in crime in their coloured skinnies...

{photo via Look, Linger, Love}

...I went blogger rogue and wore a skirt....hence my vantage point as photo taker;)

After getting our shop on, we went back to the hotel and had a quick wardrobe change, before leaving for a divine real dinner...and by real, I mean there was an entire plate of food at once and a glass of wine to go with it...tres important.

Then, it was on to the launch party for Ever Swoon, a boutique event/wedding planning company headed up by the very sweet Tamra...held in a very beautiful NY jewelry shop, the party simply was a nice change from the events of the day...and another excuse to chat with some of my blogging pals...

{photo via Ever Swoon}

No idea why I look like I'm sitting on a chair but whatevs...apparently I thought there was someone behind me?

Here's one of Amanda and I...

{photo via Guest of a Guest}

Good fun.

Afterwards, we made our way to potentially the weirdest place I've ever been for some apres cocktails.

Imagine walking into a building that looks like a bank...complete with velvet barrier ropes...after being led down to the back of the buidling by who I presume is the 'bouncer/ID checker" {sidenote...I love getting my ID checked in the US}.....you are led to an elevator that opens up to what can only be described as a tropical strip bar...

...with a rack of red velvet ropes lining the hallway?

Am I the only one who finds this sight BEYOND creepazoid?

So. Bizarre.

After passing the robes, you are led up some more steps that somehow open up to a rather lovely rooftop patio, complete with a gorgeous city view and palm trees.

Weird, weird, weird.

On the plus side, I sat across from these lovely ladies...

{photo via Design Manifest, Amanda, Chassity, Naomi, Nicole}

...and had a great cocktail nightcap to the very busy day.

I also managed to take this shot of Chassity on our way out with one of the tropical strip bar's mascots...

...not her incredible shoes and again, how completely wack job this place is.

The load of us finally got back to our room at about 3a.m. and let me tell you, I was DONE!

Je suis pooped x1000.

Also, I was getting sick...like real flu sick.

After a few hours of sleep, I woke to a bug that made the thought of any more activities, or wandering the streets of NY post hotel checkout nightmaric.

So, I b-lined to the airport and walked on a standbye flight and within an hour or so, was home to the fam jam...but still sick.

I spent the next two days in bed trying to catch up on sleep etc.

I also reminisced about my trip and came up with the following conclusions:

1. The people you think are awesome over the interwebs ARE

2. I'm old and so many activities causes me exhaustion and sickness

3. I need to get better at taking pictures of things when they happen so I have shit to blog about afterwards...I also need to bring a real camera so that every shot isn't blurtastic

4. I'm not meant to be a camel- bathroom breaks are important

5. I like plates of food more than yummy appetizers and if I don't eat until I'm full, I get grumpy

6. I'm SO thankful for my blogging buddies and am SO happy I can now call them friends without my hubster looking at me funny

7. I need down time in between fun time

8. I need to shop for some blotting papers so that I'm not ridiculously shiny in every photo, come next big event

9. Being sick away from home is no fun

10. I like wine more than blender drinks

11. Bloggers seem to be 25-35 or 50+....my demographic seemed weirdly under-represented.
12. My love affair with blazers shows no sign of ending anytime soon...pretty sure there isn't one photo of me without a blazer on.

I'm sure there's more but that's what I've come up with so far.

All in all, I had an AH-MAAAAZING time in NY- was very happy to get home but beyond happy I went...if you missed my Day 1 & 2 re-cap scroll down to read...I actually made a little edit because I completely forgot about a Day 2 event...evidence of my post BlogFest tired brain.

Anyhoo...

Blogger besties, and you know who you are, love you to the moon...and to the people who didn't go this year, please let's have some sort of get together in the not too distant future.

Peace out.

xo