WEARDROBE, BOOTS, AND JEANS, OH MY!

This may be a slightly looooong post. I apologize. Not really, though, because it's good stuff.

In an attempt to cover most of the NYC weardrobe conference for you, I'm breaking it down, little by little. Today, let's recap day 2 of the conference and shout out to a few of the sponsors.

The day started with a groovy little brunch at Eat Records in Greenpoint. It was co-hosted by the awesome ladies of Fred Flare. After breakfast, they treated us to a little shopping spree in their eclectic little boutique across the street. I can't even begin to tell you how NICE they were. I would absolutely encourage you to check out their web site and/or store if you're in the area. They were so, soooo kind.


The Clothes Horse, My Style Pill, The Fashion Void that is DC and Kansas Couture


Bloggers shopping in Fred Flare

I used my gift card to by a cutesy little dress that I can't wait to show you, a pair of kitschy elephant earrings (you know how I feel about elephants) AND a pair of faux nerd glasses that I'm going to wear with pride no matter how much my friends make fun of me. Geek chic, anyone? ...anyone?



THEN, we hit up some thrift stores in the area. First up was Beacon's Closet. The selection was unbelievable and the staff was unbelievably rude. Whatevs... My purchases consisted of a fur hat (I don't know) and a cute cherry-print vintage top. Hmm... maybe I'll wear that tomorrow... After Beacon's was Buffalo Exchange where we were showered by the wonderfully generous staff with tote bags, t-shirts, fans (it was hot as balls) and water. Dude, shopping is tough work.


Some seriously worn out bloggin' ladies

From there, we moved on to Artists & Fleas which I told you about earlier. It was a garage full of indie designers, craftspeople and artists. So great!

At this point, we were exhausted! Sweaty, dehydrated, hungry and just all around icky. We reconvened for a little air-conditioning and DIY session at a workspace in Brooklyn. PacSun was a PHENOMENAL sponsor of our weekend and gave us a pile of denim to shred, stud, deconstruct and anything else our hearts desired. I opted to do some minimal studding on mine. Unfortunately, the jeans didn't fit me so well (these legs of death haven't fit into juniors jeans since third grade), so I recruited my childhood bestie to model my creation. Lucky for you, she's gorgeous and wore them well.




Thanks, C!

After the DIY, we were swept away to the Lower East Side for wining and dining at Fat Hippo, courtesy of the girls from Gilt Group. (Be sure to check out the site and if you want an invite, drop me an email.) This night was one of the highest points of the weekend. The food, the company, the wine, the conversation. Awesome, AWESOME, AWESOMER!!! Afterward, we hit up Union Square for some more wine and a cheesecake to take back to the suite where we continued the chat fest into the wee morning hours. SO MUCH FUN!


Mmmm ... fondue sliders


Fat Hippo - the perfect end to a looooong day

I can't believe it was only a week ago - it feels like forever! Now I'm feeling a little sad and must go email some new friends...

But before I do that, here's a little outfit post for you. I told you it was good stuff!



Aren't these boots amazing?! They were in my swag bag! Alice & Olivia for Payless. Sweet! Technically, they fold down at the top, but I prefer them this way. They're soooo comfy and even fit my calves and high arches (two things that make flat boots a HUGE challenge for me).



Since the boots are so fierce on their own, I kept the rest pretty simple. A $9 black dress from Sears and a $10 scarf from H&M. I felt awesome in this and I can't WAIT to wear these boots again. Ah, love...

GIVEAWAY & DISCOUNT : UPDATE

As promised, it's time for a fantastic giveaway here at BCC. Rebekah of Stella & Dot and I have teamed up to bring you some sweet offerings!

First up, GIVEAWAY!

We are giving one lucky reader this pair of Gilda Hoops. Beautiful, no? I can think of about 10 different ways to wear them just off the top of my head.

To enter, head over to Rebekah's Stella & Dot site and ooh and aah a lot. Then, leave a comment on THIS post with you favorite item.

Wanna up your chances?
Get an extra entry for each of the following:

Twitter a link to the contest.
Post a link to the contest on your blog.
Become (or be) a follower.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry and be sure to include the link to your blog or twitter!
Contest is open to all US, Canada and all other international readers! Yay! All entries must be in by Friday, September 25 at midnight EST. The winner will be drawn on the 26th. Good Luck!

Not feeling so lucky or have your eye on something else (like that killer pearl bib of mine)? For you, Rebekah is offering a 20% discount on all orders placed through her. Just tell her that you were referred by BCC. Just like the contest, this discount is also available for all US, Canadian and international readers. Be sure to email her directly for the discount. Woohoo!

This EXCLUSIVE discount will be available through the end of the contest period and will expire at midnight EST on Friday, September 25.

Enjoy!

BIB O' PEARLS

Yay, it's almost Friday. That doesn't mean much to me anymore, but it's always kind of nice when it's the weekend even when you're working.

Anywho...I digress.

I'm feeling totally chic and cute today and much taller than I actually am. Hmmm....



Are you not DYING over my new necklace?! The wonderful Rebekah of Stella & Dot gave me this gorgeous necklace to work into my wardrobe. The best part is that she picked it out for me. If you haven't checked out Stella & Dot, you should. Their designs are amazing and their company is designed to promote women-owned business. Woohoo!

My other favorites from the site are the Love necklace, the Garden Party earrings, the Charlize Teardrop earrings, and the Charlize matching necklace. I could truly make this list go on and on. The eye candy is delish!

Even better? Rebekah is SOOOO awesome that she's not only going to be offering a Stella & Dot giveaway on Blue Collar Catwalk, she's ALSO offering all BCC readers an EXCLUSIVE discount! Holla!

I'll be posting all the deets tomorrow, so be sure to come back. Trust me, you don't want to miss out!

Black t-neck, Kohl's $3 - Oversized JCP pants, $20ish - Gap outlet belt, $5 - Madden Girl flats, $23 - Stella & Dot necklace

WEARDROBE NYC DAY 1

From what I can remember, day one of the weardrobe NYC conference was a blast. We all arrived at different times throughout the day, meeting at the ever so glamorous Gramercy Park Hotel. SOOOOO posh!

We then had a photo shoot with Eddie Newton, formerly of Style Sightings, presently of Mr. Newton. It was a ton of fun, but I'm definitely not made to be a model. There was some sweat involved...

Brooke, Keiko, Suzanne of weardrobe, Christine, Katy, Amy, Sara, Christine, Kelly, Noelle and Joelle

Upon first meeting, we were all pretty intimidated. As you can see, there was some SERIOUS style in one room. But everyone was super cool and very nice. There's something so refreshing about a room full of confident ladies. Woohoo!!!

After the photoshoot, we opened our goody bags. Double WOOHOO!!! We got some serious swag from some majorly generous sponsors (more to follow). Then, we got our NY slice. Pizza, of course.

This is what I wore for the first day of adventure. This 14 and a half cent thrifted one-piece took me through the whole day, from bus to subway, to photoshoot, to pizza.


Photo credit - Katy of Kansas Couture

Though, about 2 hours into my 4 hour bus ride, I had the horrifying realization that I was wearing a jumpsuit on the bus and I had to go the bathroom. Oh. Crap.

LUCKILY, the bus stopped at a proper rest area and I was able to disrobe and do my business without the added stress of keeping my balance and working in cramped spaces. Tragedy averted.

Once in NYC, I conquered the subway all by myself! It was awesome! Aside from the part where my suitcase got me jammed in the turnstile and it locked up before I got through, which resulted in me buying another ticket. I suppose I could have bugged the station attendant, but I'm far too bull-headed for that. On my home, I had ANOTHER mishap with the subway and my suitcase. This time my suitcase got through, but I ended up straddling the turnstile. Um...ouch. I don't think I've EVER wanted longer legs so badly!

I'M BACK...REALLY, I AM

What an amazing weekend! I haven't had the time to fully process everything, yet. Awesome, AWESOME people, great shopping, yummy food and incredibly generous sponsors!

I got back into town Tuesday night a little after 11pm and was up and at work the next morning before 9. And with my crazy insane week before the conference, I just need a minute to chill. Maybe next week...

Anyway, I'm still getting dressed and looking cute. To prove it, this is what I wore for my first day back.

Just because summer is pretty much over, I'm not putting away my maxis. This is my old stand by from Ross ($9) with a tux jacket (Sears, $12.50) thrown over it. I finished the look with boots and a GORGEOUS scarf I picked up at Artists & Flea in Brooklyn.

Isn't the detail beautiful? I picked it up, tried it on and owned it in less than 60 seconds. Then, I snagged it on my bag in less than 15 minutes. Boooo, sad... Oh, well. Jessica had a good point that once you take the preciousness out of something, you can enjoy it more. True.

Some of the highlights of the weekend:
1. My roomies and the incredibly stylish, confident and independent lady bloggers that filled the weekend with such kindness and creativity.
2. Shopping.
3. Goodies.
4. Dinner at Fat Hippo. Oh, and the wine...
5. Meeting the weardrobe crew. So COOL!

There's so much more to share, so stay tuned. I'm getting to it all as fast as I can!

Also, that giveaway I promised is coming up tomorrow. Stay tuned...

I'M OUTTA HERE!

It's 1:30am and I just got home from tearing down at the fair. I worked 40 hours at the fair alone, plus all of the other jobs I've picked up in the day. Needless to say, I'm EXHAUSTED! And sooooooooo EXCITED!

I'm off to bed now and will be up in a few short hours to hop on a bus to the Big Apple. Hopefully, I can catch up on some much needed sleep then.

I most likely will not be posting over the weekend, but be sure to follow me on twitter. I'll be updating all weekend. Including pictures!

And be sure to tune in next week! There's TONS of fun stuff coming - new jewelry, NYC finds and lots of new threads, a GIVEAWAY and maybe even a DIY for kicks and giggles.

Love you all and I'll see you soon!

WTF ... IT'S SEPTEMBER?!

I seriously cannot believe it is September already. I am just not mentally prepared for such nonsense.

I have been running around this week like a chicken with its head cut off. But it's all leading up to a really, really good finale! Most of you have caught the buzz of the Weardrobe NYC Conference by now. If not you can read a little more about it here. And if you are the sponsory type, please read closely :) I can't f'n wait! It's a good thing I'm so busy or else I'd be going nuts with anticipation. Like, what the hell am I going to wear?!



Until then, I'm working no less than 12 hours a day this week and then tearing down at the fair until about 12-1 am Thursday night/Friday, then off to sleep for a few brief hours and hop on a bus to NYC at 8am Friday. I'm sooooo excited to meet the INCREDIBLE talent that will be there and to finally meet the famous Jessica of What I Wore - the very first inspiration to start my blog. I still can't believe that I've been included in the same arena with these ladies!

Anyway, today's look had to be quick with all the flying around and such. I love these pinstriped pants and am soooo glad they found their way into my life. I had the exact same pair before I lost all of my weight, but had to get rid of them when they were 4 sizes too big. Lo and behold, I went to a clothing swap a couple weeks ago and there they were! In the right size! I love how the universe works these things out :)

The rest of the look is comprised of the usual suspects with a vintage scarf of my Nanny's to add a little flava. And the turquoise polish of course:)

I'll be checking in again soon, but now I need to send off a couple proofs and then go bake me some more dumplin's!