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A little under three years ago, I pushed “publish” on my first blog post. The next night, I proclaimed my “bloggerness” to all by attending my very first blog event. See MAJOR throwback photo below.
Can you believe this was three years ago - we were such BABIES!
I knew no one. I’d seen Natalie’s blog before, and even bought a necklace she posted once, not knowing who she was at all, but hoping she was as awesome in person as she seemed online. Turns out, she’s even more so.
I started so many of my best blogging friendships that night. I met Alicia, who I went to my first blogger brunch with, shot my first outfit in DC with, and collaborated on many campaigns with. I also got to know the host and co-founder, Natalie, that evening as well. Since then, we’ve hosted events together, grabbed countless cocktails together, and obsessed over all-things-Kylie-Jenner together.
And a couple weeks ago, I helped co-host the 8th annual Blogger Scene event with those two babes! The event was held on the Embassy Row Hotel rooftop, which featured stunning views of DC and a very tempting swimming pool.
Lilly Pulitzer dressed us three to the nines in their latest collection (Alicia wore this colorful maxi, Natalie chose this chic two-piece set, and I went with a monochromatic, bohemian vibe!) Bloggers, small business owners and creatives all joined together for networking and happy hour benefiting the Washington Humane Society.
Super babe Erin Krespan was our photo ninja of the evening, capturing the very best moments to be recorded for all of time. You can totally see and feel the essence of the event through her incredible imagery.
After a couple hours of chatting, we got some tips and advice from a panelist of bloggers and entrepreneurs. First was Sara, founder of StyleMBA, who has partnered with the likes of Chanel and Forever 21. She talked about consistency, snapchat strategy and the benefits of hiring a professional photographer.
There was also my friend Diana, founder of Greenheart Organic and community-driven Instagram account, Lust Local. She touched on what it means to be a small business owner and a few tips on how to use the Instagram algorithm to your advantage.
Then Diego, from Diego Downtown, brought down the house with his fun approach on deciphering which events to attend, how to get a brand’s attention and the importance of contracts.
We also got a little guest appearance from Beatriz, a rep at Cuyana, on what brands are looking for in bloggers (hint: creating a page filled with photos that represent a lifestyle that people want to aspire to is key!)
We closed off the evening with some insanely awesome giveaways including a classic tote bag from Cuyana, gift cards to our favorite local stores (Sophie Blake, Lynn Louisa and Refine Boutique to name a few), Kendra Scott jewelry, a night’s stay at the Embassy Row Hotel, $250 to Tuckernuck and a free baliage to DC blogger’s favorite hair salon, PR at Partners on K Street.
Out of everything though, my favorite part of the event was watching people connect with each other. There’s something so beautiful about seeing two people you know meet for the first time and become fast friends. It was worth every drop of sweat, blood and tear that we poured into planning this event.
We can’t wait for the next Blogger Scene event - be sure to stay connected with updates from the Instagram account, @BloggerScene.
