Featured Archives - Blue i Style

Better Homes & Gardens Stylemaker Event

blueistyle — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 21:13:00 +0000

Each year, Better Homes & Gardens selects influences who are “making style” in their industry. This year, I was so incredibly honored to have been named a BH&G Stylemaker, and to be among the eighty home, fashion and lifestyle bloggers to attend the invitation-only Stylemaker event in New York City. A lot of you have been asking me about the trip, so I thought I’d share a recap of the event, as well as the details of where we stayed, what we ate, and where we shopped in NYC.

Photo courtesy of David Keith Photography

Last fall, I received an email from an editor at Better Homes & Gardens asking if they could photograph my garage to be feature in the magazine. Ummm… yes! About a month later, they flew in a stylist and sent a photography team that spent a full day taking photos of the space, and it was featured on two full pages in the March 2018 issue. {Read all the behind the scenes details about my BH&G photoshoot}.

Having my work appear in a national magazine – especially one with a nearly 100 year history, like Better Homes & Gardens – was a major pinch me moment and a check mark on my blogging bucket list!

I was still floating on cloud nine about the magazine feature a few months later when I received the news that I’d been given the highly-coveted title of “2018 BH&G Stylemaker” and was invited to attend the Stylemaker event in New York City. I had followed this event online for years, so I knew it was not to be missed!

To make great news even better, my best blogging friend, Melissa, from Polished Habitat, received an invitation as well. A chance to meet up with best friend, in my favorite city, and hang out with Better Homes & Gardens editors and inspiring stylemakers from around the country… what could be better?!

I’m pretty sure it’s impossible not to over pack for an event called “Stylemaker”… I mean, a girl’s got to have options, right?! When Melissa and I arrived at our hotel and found only about five hangers in the closet, we had to call down to the front desk to request more so we could hang up and de-wrinkle our shirts and dresses {I can’t live with out wrinkle releaser spray}. The poor bellboy arrived at our door with a precarious stack of hangers that he transferred from his arms to mine. I’m sure he thought we were crazy!

The night before the Stylemaker event, we grabbed dinner with some of our blogging buddies: Home Made by Carmona, Hey There Home, Brepurposed, Place of My Taste, Bigger Than the Three of Us, and House of Wood.

BETTER HOMES & GARDENS STYLEMAKER RECAP

The Stylemaker event is held at a different hotel each year, and this year the venue was the Public Hotel in the NoLita {North of Little Italy} neighborhood of Manhattan.

Photos courtesy of David Keith Photography

From the moment we arrived at the event, there were so many friendly and familiar faces! And that view… can we just talk about how cool these BH&G greenery letters are with the NYC skyline in the background?!

The day started with breakfast, lots of meeting and greeting, and of course, a few photo ops.

Photo courtesy of David Keith Photography

Stephen Orr, Editor and Chief of Better Homes & Gardens, kicked off the morning education session by giving us a video tour of the BH&G headquarters in Des Moines. I wish Scott could have seen the footage of their prop room {which is more like a prop warehouse} – maybe then he wouldn’t think I have too many pillows and vases in my own prop closet at home. LOL!

Photo courtesy of David Keith Photography nopin=”nopin”

The morning included some great panel discussions and educational sessions. Then at lunch, we heard from celebrity chef and Chopped judge, Maneet Chauhan. First of all, how stylish is her take on the traditional chef whites? And second, did you know that Basmati rice is kind of like Champagne? It can only be called Basmati (meaning “full of aroma”) if it’s grown in a few select regions of India and Pakistan.

Photo courtesy of David Keith Photography

After lunch, we had a panel discussion on photography strategies with BH&G Beauty and Fashion Editor, Erica Metzger and lifestyle photographer, Annie Schlechter. I definitely need more practice to feel comfortable in front of the camera, so I can use all the tips I can get!

The afternoon also included some hands on workshops, including a cocktail making class led by Marie Viljoen, author of Forage, Harvest, Feast.

She taught us how to make a very fancy Yuzu Sumac cocktail.

Of course, we couldn’t just make the drink … we also had to do what bloggers do best – take photos of the process.

Photo courtesy of David Keith Photography

After taking lots of photos, we also posed for some as well.

Photo courtesy of David Keith Photography

The afternoon wrapped up with a keynote chat between BH&G Editor Stephen Orr and Carla Hall, former contestant on Top Chef and co-host of The Chew. Carla started her career as an accountant, then spent years traveling Europe as a runway model, before finally finding her way to her true passion as a chef – a winding path to find her true passion that resonated with many of us in the room!

Photo courtesy of David Keith Photography

After a quick break to grab a bite to eat, we reconvened for a cocktail party with stunning views of the Manhattan skyline!

Photo courtesy of David Keith Photography

A little rain and a lot of wind couldn’t put a damper on this party!

Photo courtesy of David Keith Photography

Throughout the event, I had a chance to catch up with some of my long time blogging friends, like Corey of Hey There, Home…

…and to finally meet in person some of the bloggers that I’ve admired and collaborated with over the years, including Rachel of This is Our Bliss.

Blogging isn’t usually a glamorous job – most days it looks like one of two things: (1) me dragging photo lights and camera equipment around and making a mess of 90% of my house to get a good photo of the other 10%, or (2) sitting on my couch editing photos and writing content in between driving school carpool. But for this one day, Better Homes & Gardens put on one heck of a party and gave us all a reason to dress up and step out from behind our cameras and computer screens. The BH&G Stylemaker was a whirlwind day of inspiration, education, and celebration, and I feel so fortunate they invited me to attend!

We made the most of our remaining time in New York City by seeing a Broadway show, doing some shopping, eating good food, and of course, taking in the views.

WHERE WE STAYED

The Public Hotel, where the Stylemaker event took place, was gorgeous, but it was also expensive. If we’d just been staying a night or two, we probably would have splurged. But since Melissa and I wanted to spend a couple of extra days in the city, we decided to find more affordable accommodations.

We stayed at the Cambria Hotel in the Flower District of Chelsea. We arrived on a rainy evening, but woke up the next morning to find the sidewalk surrounding our hotel packed with greenery.

Nearly hidden between all the foliage were dozens of store fronts, each leading to narrow, but deep, shops specializing in different types of flowers and plants. This orchid wholesaler was my favorite!

I was impressed with the size of the rooms at the Cambria Hotel {you may have noticed in that hanger photo above that we even had a couch in our room – that’s pretty unheard of for NYC}, but the bathroom was straddle-the-toilet-to-close-the-door tiny.

In between rain storms, we took advantage of the Cambria’s rooftop bar – even taking out laptops up here a couple of evenings. You can take the blogger out of their house, but you can’t make them stop working.

Our hotel was also within walking distance of the High Line Canal – a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets of the West Side. Urban landscapes have always been my thing, and the juxtaposition of old and new along the High Line really makes my heart pitter patter!

WHAT WE SAW

Being married to a professional musical theater actor, I’m pretty sure I would be disowned if I went to NYC and didn’t see a show on Broadway.

Since this was a girls’ trip, it seemed like an obvious choice to see Mean Girls. I know the movie well, and I like pretty much everything Tina Fey does, but I still wasn’t sure what to expect of this stage adaptation, especially because the Mean Girl’s performance during the Tony Awards didn’t really wow me. But I’m happy to report that I really liked it! As you’d expect, it’s pretty fluffy, but the music was fun and catchy, I set design was very clever, and the show kept me laughing out loud from beginning to end. In a show full of female characters, it was actually Damien, played by Grey Henson, who was my favorite.

WHERE WE SHOPPED

For years, I’ve been hearing that ABC Carpet & Home is the holy grail of furniture, accessories, and rugs. Since it was within walking distance of our hotel, Melissa and I window shopped our way there, finding lots of other gems along the way. Favorites included the three-story flagship Safavieh store, and Fishs Eddy with their quirky dishware and kitchen goods.

When we finally made it to ABC Carpet & Home, we found out that it’s currently under construction, so only a couple of it’s six floors were open, but it was, nonetheless, every bit as “must see” as I had expected. New York Magazine describes it best: “Worn hardwood floors creak under your feet, glittering chandeliers and gigantic antique carpets adorn the high ceilings, and furniture vignettes—often more piles than displays—stand everywhere. It’s like an estate sale for your packrat dowager aunt, albeit with impeccable taste.”

In the building across the street, there are three more floors of rugs and carpets. And tucked back in the corner of the upper floor was a revelation that blew my mind – an entire custom rug design studio called the Design Lab. There are tables covered in thousands of rug fiber color samples that can be used as a starting point for designing completely unique carpets and rugs. Of course, I could never afford to do this, but it sure is fun to imagine the possibilities.

After spending a day shopping for home decor that we can’t afford, we decided to spend our last day in NYC shopping for clothes and accessories on 5th Avenue. We started on the affordable end of the scale at stores like Top Shop, then worked our way up to the iconic Henri Bendel, which is sadly closing at the end of this year after 123 years. Since this was my last chance to be a #bendelgirl, I found a purse that I couldn’t live without (though it won’t officially be mine until Christmas).

WHAT WE ATE

Normally when I travel, I do a lot of research and have a list of restaurants I want to try. This time, we were pretty much winging it, and we got really lucky! During our first shopping day, we were wanding through the NoMad district when a sign outside a small restaurant caught my eye. It advertised a seasonal peach and bacon sandwich and grilled corn with lime aoili and coconut. That was enough to draw us inside.

As it turns out, we’d happened upon Num Pang, a Cambodian sandwich shop with a cult-like following that has been named the #1 Fast Casual restaurant in New York by Zagat. Well, it totally lived up to that reputation {the reputation I didn’t know it had until I got home and did some research}! It was so good, in fact, that I just ordered the Num Pang cookbook last night {affiliate link}.

Another afternoon, we were looking for a sit down lunch near Rockefellar Center when the decor aesthetic of B&H Kitchen and Bar caught our eye {because that’s how everyone chooses what to eat, right?!}. This restaurant has been owned and operated by the same family for seventy years, so you know they must be doing something right.

Melissa spotted a wall in the restaurant that warned, “Don’t Share, You’ll Regret It.” But we shared, and we didn’t regret it at all! It meant we got to try the club sandwich, the chili, and the onion rings.

A few years ago, Scott and I discovered the European-style “food hall” in the basement of the Plaza Hotel, which was created by celebrity chef Todd English and features lots of specialty food vendors. After a stroll through Central Park, Melissa and I wanted to something to hold us over for a late dinner, so I introduced her to the Plaza Food Hall where we snacked on some savory and sweet mini doughnuts. I may not be able to afford a night at the Plaza, but at least I can eat in the basement. Ha ha ha!

Later that night, we finally made our way to Hell’s Kitchen where we planned to eat at a small Thai restaurant. When it had a long wait, we took our chances on K Rico, the South American Steakhouse next door and It. Was. Delicious!

ENDING THE TRIP ON A HIGH NOTE

On our final night in the city, we got a call from some of our fellow Stylemakers that they were headed to the top of the Empire State Building so we decided to join them. I’ve been to the top before and enjoyed the views during the day, but never at night… it was fun to see the city lights from this perspective.

The romantic comedy fan in me loved being at the top of the Empire State Building (a la, Sleepless in Seattle), and being there with these Stylemakers made it even more fun!

Bigger Than the Three of Us, House of Wood, Place of My Taste, Polished Habitat, Hey There Home, Brepurposed, Home Made by Carmona, and me.

Ok, if you’ve made it to the end of this post, I am seriously impressed!

Until next time, New York!

The post Better Homes & Gardens Stylemaker Event appeared first on Blue i Style.

Behind the Scenes of My Better Homes & Gardens Photo Shoot

blueistyle — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 08:44:00 +0000

When I was in law school rushing home from my contracts class everyday so I wouldn’t miss an episode of Trading Spaces, I could have never imagined that one day I’d see photos of me and my home spread across two pages of Better Homes & Gardens. Talk about a “pinch me” moment!!

Last week, Blue i Style celebrated its fifth anniversary. When I started this blogging adventure, I was still practicing law full time, Beckett was only 14 month old, and I was 6 months pregnant with Cooper. Starting a blog at that moment in my life didn’t really make sense, but once the idea was in my mind, I just had to go for it. I had no idea how many amazing opportunities would come from that decision, and I’ve loved every minute of it!

Seeing my work in print for the first time last summer – in Denver’s 5280 Home – was a major milestone for me. But I still dreamed of being published in a national magazine. Then in October, I got THE EMAIL.

It was a busy morning getting the kids ready for school and I was multi-tasking, checking my email as I walked down the stairs to the kitchen to pack lunches. Consider this a PSA… you should NOT check email while walking down stairs. I saw a new email pop up in my inbox from Kit Selzer, a senior editor at Better Homes & Gardens… and I nearly missed a step!

After I recovered my balance, I stopped right there to read the full email – because of course I couldn’t wait another 8 steps to find out what it said.

My garage… they’d seen the pictures of my organized and colorful garage makeover…

I kept reading… “We love what you did and would like to feature you and your garage in our I Did It section in an upcoming issue. Unlike our usual I Did It stories where we focus on a single DIY project, we’d like to photograph, well, just about everything in your garage! … And here’s the tricky part: Could we send a photo crew soon to your house for a photo shoot?”

A Better Homes & Gardens photo shoot at my house?! I wanted to respond with “Um…Yes, Please!” But I decided I should sound a little more professional, so I told Kit I’d welcome their crew anytime that fit their calendar.

Then I did what any good organizing blogger would do… I started making a to do list:

Prep the garage. Clean the whole house. Shop for clothes.

You’d think with Better Homes & Gardens coming, I’d have been most nervous about getting the house ready, but it was actually the clothing situation that I was most worried about.

BHG was flying in a stylist for the shoot, and I needed to send her photos of some clothing options in advance. Since I was going to be in the garage, they didn’t want me to look too dressed up, but they also didn’t want me to look like I was dressed to work in the garage. She told me to think of what I’d wear for brunch with my girlfriends on the weekend when I wanted to look super cute without looking like I’d tried too hard to look super cute.

The problem was that I had just lost about 45 pounds and I literally had one pair of jeans that only sort of fit (by which I mean, baggy in all the wrong places) and closet full of too big shirts. Two days before the photo shoot I was still frantically shopping. I had my heart set on wearing blue, since it’s the color I’m most comfortable in, and as the clock was ticking down, I finally found a shirt I loved. Thank goodness the stylist liked it too, and she also approved of my new black/blue jeans, so she wasn’t forced to do any last minute shopping for me.

The day before the shoot, the photographer, David, and stylist, Lindsay, stopped by to make a plan for the big day. I’ve had lots of blogger friends featured in magazines, so I’ve heard their behind the scenes stories and knew that stylists typically do a lot of rearranging. They bring in lots of new accessories, fill the space with fresh flowers, and shift everything around a million times until it looks just right on camera. But I wasn’t sure what to expect since we were shooting in such a non-traditional space.

After taking a look around and consulting the notes from the BHG editors, Lindsay let me know that she’d leave most things just they way I had them because they wanted it to look like a real working garage. That was a big relief, because for me it’s always so important to show real life, functional spaces that just happen to also be beautiful.

When they arrived the next morning, David and his assistant, Derek, got busy setting up and they attached a large sheet over one of the garage doors to filter the light. Photographing in a detached garage that opens onto an alley doesn’t make for the most glamorous of conditions. (Not to mention that it was trash day, so three separate trucks would be coming through the alley to collect garbage, recylcing, and compost throughout the morning, requiring that some of the photographers equipment be moved each time).

They started by taking some wide shots of the garage.

There was lots of shifting and tweaking to get everything positioned just right.

Then they moved on to taking closer-up shots – first the brooms and shovels, then the fridge and freezer, the hanging drawers, the workbench, and even the bike pulley system in the other corner of the garage.

Scott worked his butt off helping me create this beautifully organized garage, so I was really glad he was able to take the morning off to experience some of the photo shoot with me, and that he thought to grab our camera to capture these fun behind the scenes photos!

The metallic floor finish sure looks good in photos, but with the garage doors open, it also seemed to have a constant layer of dust on it. Fortunately, everyone thought my spray mop was fun, and became a running joke throughout the day because the Lindsay and Derek were fighting over who got to take the next turn cleaning the floor for each shot.

Finally, it was time for my photo. I got changed and brought a bunch of jewelry options out to the garage so we could see what worked best.

I’m so short that my jeans are always too long, and I never quite know what to do with them. I feel like I’m not cool enough to pull of the rolled up look, but the alternative is bunchy at the knees. Thank goodness for Lindsay being there to make me look good.

As a blogger, I’ve gotten pretty used to the neighbors thinking I’m a bit crazy (spray painting hangers on the front lawn, taking photos of myself locking and unlocking the front door over and over, and always having porch decorations two seasons ahead, just to name a few reasons). But a magazine-scale photo shoot in the garage really takes it to the next level.

I got a more than a few strange looks from people walking their dogs as I posed by my paint-chip covered fridge and freezer with a photographer taking my photo, and Scott taking photos of the photographer taking photos of me. We were quite the spectacle!

Notice how well my silver booties match the metallic garage floor. That became an issue of much debate. When we sent the first set of photos back to the editors for approval, they couldn’t decide if they loved or hated that they matched, so we ended up taking a second full set of photos with alternate black booties.

In the end, they said they liked the silver best… but I guess they changed their minds, because in the magazine, I’m wearing the black.

As the day went on the day, the stylist and photographer spent quite a bit of time sending each set of photos back to the editors and then having conference calls to discuss and get approval. Every detail matters when you’re photographing for print!

The photo shoot lasted until late afternoon, and I had so much fun hanging out with this talented group! They made it an experience I’ll never forget with lots of laughter along the way!

Then, just as David and Derek were starting to pack up their photo equipment, one more request came in. The editors wanted a close-up of our Rocksolid metallic floor finish. I’m sure photographers get a lot of odd requests, but based on the look on David’s face, I think photographing a close-up of my garage floor was right up there!

I got to see lots of sneak-peaks at the photos during the shoot, but it was a long three months waiting to finally see it all in print. Then one afternoon in mid-February, emails and Facebook messages started rolling in from friends and strangers alike, and I knew that the March issue had started to it mailboxes. The next day, I finally got my hands on my own copy!

There I am right in the middle of the magazine…

…and then again one page later with an interview and more details on all of our garage projects.

This was an amazing experience and I’m so grateful to Better Homes & Gardens for the opportunity, and to all of you for your support for of my Blue i Style for the past five years. I never would have thought I’d make the transition for attorney to blogger, but it’s been quite the adventure, and I look forward to all that’s too come (even if it means more strange looks from the neighbors)!

The March 2018 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine is on newstands now! Check my “I Did It!” feature on pages 50 and 52.

The post Behind the Scenes of My Better Homes & Gardens Photo Shoot appeared first on Blue i Style.

I Spy… My Work in Print

blueistyle — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 11:00:00 +0000

Oh my goodness! I am over the moon to finally share a little secret with you… my work is in print for the very first time!

Last fall, the Editor of 5280 Home reached out to me asking if they could photograph my boys’ rock-and-roll “studio” under our basement stairs to be featured in the inaugural “Best of Denver Design” issue as the “Best Playroom in Denver.”

Um, yes please!

5280 Home is the quarterly shelter publication of 5280 Magazine – a staple of life in Denver. For those who are wondering what the number is all about, 5280 refers to the number of feet in a mile, a measurement well known to everyone in the Mile High City.

The magazine sent out a photographer just a couple of weeks later, and I did several phone interviews with one of their staff writers to share all of the details about the playroom and my work as a design blogger.

The playroom feature was originally slated to be published in the Winter issue of 5280 Home, but they ran into a mismatch between the number of content and advertising pages, and my feature got bumped. The Editor assured me that the playroom would be published in a later issue, but I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Sure enough, though, a couple of months later I got the word that we were scheduled to be included in the summer issue. When my preview copies arrived in the mail a few weeks ago, I was so thrilled to see our full page feature!

The writer really did an excellent job of talking about the space and encouraging readers of the magazine to head to my blog for all the DIY tutorials. I have many blogging friends whose work has been featured in magazines without so much as a mention of their blog, so I especially appreciate 5280 Home giving such clear credit to my design work and my blog… it makes the feature that much meaningful to me!

If you’re not in Denver, you can still read the full article online at the 5280 Home website.

Beckett was pretty darn excited to see himself in the magazine, but when I asked if it made him famous, he replied, “I was already famous… I’m on a blog!” LOL! I wasn’t even sure that he understood what I do, let alone that it made him feel so important. He’s still quite proud of the magazine photo though, and he points it out to anyone who will listen each time we see it at the check stand in stores around town.

I’ve always had magazine hoarding tendencies {who could recycle all of that design inspiration goodness?!}… and I’ve definitely collected quite a few copies of our issue of 5280 Home! I am so grateful that they chose to feature the boys’ playroom and give me the chance to see my work in print for the first time.

And if you are a huge Bachelor fan, like I am, here’s a little bonus… Bachelor Ben and fiance Lauren’s Denver home was also featured in this issue of the magazine, but since they are splitsville now, 5280 Home did an online feature follow-up where you can read about his home post-breakup.

The post I Spy… My Work in Print appeared first on Blue i Style.

Denver Home Show Wrap Up

blueistyle — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 18:48:00 +0000

I had such a fun weekend as a guest speaker at the Denver Home Show! Thank you all for your kind comments and words of encouragement this weekend via social media! Lots of you asked how it went, so I thought I’d post a quick wrap up and a few photos from the weekend.

A couple of months ago I got a call from a woman who works for the company that coordinates many of the home shows around the country. She shared with me that organization has become one of the most requested topics at the home shows. She asked me if I would be interested in being a guest speaker at the Denver show and adapting my 10 Steps to Get Organized and Stay Organized post into a 30-45 minute presentation.

Despite not loving public speaking, it knew that it was a fantastic opportunity and I immediately agreed.

In the week leading up to the Denver Home Show, it was exciting to see my name in the newspaper along side the other two guest speakers, Matt Muenster of HGTV’s Bath Crashers, and Leanne Lee, winner of the Home & Garden Trendsetter of the Year contest and blogger at Diva of DIY!

On Thursday, the day before the Home Show started, I stopped by the complex during set up to meet the coordinators in person and to pick up some free passes that I was able to leave at will call for my friends and social media followers.

Then Friday was the big day! On my way into the venue I saw that each attendee was being handed a list of show highlights with my face on it – crazy!

I arrived early so that I could hear Leanne speak in the time slot before mine, and she was so welcoming and encouraging! We snapped a quick photo with her selfie stick – my first every selfie stick experience!

And then it was my turn to take the stage. Right as I began my presentation, the tech controlling my power point determined that his computer needed to be updated and restarted :/. The screens went blank and the nerves hit! I went ahead with my introduction and even talked through the first of my “10 steps” while the tech quickly worked to get my presentation back up on the screen.

I was starting to panic a bit about how to move forward with nothing on the screens because my presentation relied heavily on my photo examples. How was I going to keep people interested in hearing me talk about organization for 45 minutes with no photos to show them?! But right then, the computer restarted and my presentation reappeared on the screens. PHEW!

After my presentation on Friday, a lot of people stuck around to chat and ask questions. As a blogger, it’s wonderful to be able to share information with an infinite number of people via the Internet, but it’s so rewarding to be able to meet people face to face and being able to answer their questions in person where you can see that you are helping them!

After seeing the photos from my Friday presentation, I realized that my black shirt made me almost disappear into the curtain behind me… so I went a bit brighter on Saturday!

Saturday’s crowd was even bigger than Fridays – all the seats were full and there were people gathered around. Standing room only – that’s a good feeling!

And check out this photo… there were a lot of men in that crowd! That surprised me. And a lot of these men were the ones to approach me with questions after my presentation. I’ve always known that organization posts are among the most popular on my blog – but this experience reconfirmed for me that organization is something we all struggle with and that it’s something that everyone wants help with!

After my Saturday presentation, I stuck around to listen to HGTV’s Matt Muenster – and talk about drawing a crowd!! I am just glad I didn’t have to speak after Matt, because that would have been intimidating!! Matt packs them in, and they all stood in line waiting to meet him and get their picture taken with him. So, of course, I had to do the same!

After the crowds dispersed, Leanne introduced Matt (who was so nice) and we got a picture of all three of us.

What an honor to have been a part of this group! It was a wonderful experience and a very fun weekend! Don’t be surprised if you see Leanne making a few appearances here on the blog…we’ve been chatting about some fun ways to work together!

Let’s get social!

The post Denver Home Show Wrap Up appeared first on Blue i Style.