Monthly Archives: February 2016

What to Pack for a Blog Conference

What to Pack for a Blog Conference

How to Pack for a Blog Conference

Spring Floral dresses

packing for a blog conference

henri bendel train case and favorite beauty products

what to bring to a blog conference

what is in my blog conference bag what do i bring to a blog conference

blog conference must have items

I had so much fun at the Thrive Blog Conference this weekend!  I hope you were able to follow along on the fun on Snapchat!  All week I am going to be sharing different insider looks at my blog conference experience.  This was my second time to attend Thrive and my third blog conference ever.   I feel like I am kind of start to get the hang of these things.

My first insider look is all about what to pack for a blog conference.  This conference was only a day and a half and only an hour away, so I packed much lighter than I would for a longer conference or one where I am flying.   While I am normally a notorious overpacker, I tend to pack semi-light for a blog conference.  I plan all my outfits out well in advance all the way down to what jewelry I am going to wear.  My blog is all about fashion, so I want my outfits to really represent my style well.  I lay out all my planned outfits side by side by event.  I try to coordinate my jewelry, so it can be worn mix and match with all my outfits.  I then layout my handbags to see how they will look with the outfit.   I like bringing crossbody bags for the night mixer events, because they help keep your hands free to shake hands, hold drinks, share pics on Snapchat 🙂 , etc.  I also always bring a backup outfit that will work for all or most of the events just in case.  I make sure it will work with the jewelry, purses, and shoes I already have packed.  Speaking of shoes, I always bring several pairs of shoes with me too.  For this conference, I ended up bringing all nuetral shoes without realizing it.  I always be sure to bring a comfy pair of flats or flat sandals for walking around the hotel or exploring the area.  I also bring cute pajamas, because you never know who you may run into in the hall while filling up your ice bucket.  I highly recommend bringing a jacket or cardigan, because some conferences can be a little cold.  Below is a look at some of the items I packed for the Thrive Blog Conference.  You can click on any picture to shop that item or hit the black arrows to scroll through to see all the items.

WHAT I PACKED

Next on my packing list is my beauty products.  I love this Henri Bendel train case, and this color is back in stock!  It also has a strap so it can be worn on your shoulder.  I love the little side pockets for storing any brushes or pencils easily.  Most of what I pack is my everyday makeup and toiletry items.  Some of my current fave brands are Bare Minerals foundation system and It Cosmetics eye makeup.  A few extra items are the nail polish I am currently wearing in case mine chips, and the Urban Decay All Nighter Spray to help hold my makeup in place during an 8+ hour conference day.

WHAT BEAUTY ITEMS I PACKED

When it comes to the actual conference portion, I like to bring a tote or large purse filled with my necessities for the day.  I always bring a notepad and pen or pencil.  All the conference that I have attended have provided paper, but sometimes it may not be exactly what you want.  They don’t always provide a pen, so you definitely want to bring one or two of those.  I also bring my blog business cards to hand out to fellow bloggers and brands during the conference.  For this conference, I carried my big tote bag, so I brought my Lilly Pulitzer pouch to put some of my smaller items in like my lipstick, phone, wallet, and room key.  It makes it easy to find items then hunting through a huge tote.  I also always bring a snack and usually a water bottle.  I just found these Raw Revolution bars and love them!!  Another favorite to bring along is Larabar or Kind Bars.  I like to have a healthy and filling option on hand.    I toss in a couple beauty items like my Sole Serum in case my feet start to hurt, lipstick for touch-ups through out the day, and my Listerine pocket packs to keep fresh breath for networking times.  I also bring my camera just in case I want to shoot any photos.  Most conferences also have a photography session, so it’s nice to have your camera in case they give demonstrations.  Sometimes the session leader will answer questions about your camera afterwards too.  The camera shown below is the current model of what I own.  The one I have has been discontinued by the brand.

WHAT I BROUGHT IN THE CONFERENCE

For my suitcase, I just brought my carry-on bag and filled my tote.  I’m currently looking for some new luggage, so if you have any recommendations leave them in the comments below!  I hope you enjoyed this peek into what I packed for the blog conference.  Stay tuned all week for more looks inside my Thrive Blog Conference weekend!

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Colorful Cardigans

spring weekend outfit - cardigan and distressed denim

tassel earrings and pendant necklace

ways to wear a cardigan sweater

spring outfit - coral cardigan and blush heels with jeans

how to wear colorful cardigans

baublebar bracelets and a brown tote bag

weekend outfit -heels with distressed denim

blank nyc distressed denim with brown tote bag

coral cardigan and cream tunic

street level reversible tote with gold bracelets

what to wear in spring

| DETAILS |

H&M Cardigan (SIMILAR)  | JCREW Popover Tank  | BLANKNYC Distressed Denim  | STEVE MADDEN Proto Heels  | STREET LEVEL Reversible Tote  | LISI LERCH c/o Tassel Earrings  | GORJANA Pave Taner Necklace,  Mia Necklace  | BAUBLEBAR Slim Bangle,  Ladder Cuff  | RAYBAN Aviator Sunglasses  | JULEP Nails in Shari  | MAC Lipstick in Craving

I’m so excited for this weekend!! I am heading to the Thrive Blog Conference later this afternoon!  The conference is just north of Houston, but I took the whole day off because Houston traffic can be brutal on Friday afternoons! I also kind of really wanted to have a little me morning. You know sleep in, enjoy a cup of coffee or two along with some dog cuddles before heading out to the conference.  I do still have to finish packing and running a few errands, so I can’t relax for too long! The hotel is brand new and gave us a great conference rate for 2 bedroom suites.  My two roomies and I will each have our own bed thanks to a pull out couch.  I’m going to be sharing more about how the conference went and what I wore on the blog next week, but if you can’t wait you can follow along on snapchat (ladyinviolet) or Instagram!  I promise to post a tour of my two bedroom suite and let you in on who my fabulous blogger roomies are over on snapchat!

Now on to the outfit! Colorful cardigans are high on the list of my favorite items for spring!  I love tossing them on with sundresses or sleeveless tops.  I own them in a few different colors, but this coral one is a spring and summer fave of mine.  I love wearing it over some of my black dresses for work to add a fun pop of color.  On a little more casual days, it is that perfect addition to a more neutral color palette.  This one in particular is a few years old, but I linked a similar color from H&M.  I love buying basics like tees and cardigans from them, because I find them to be good quality and a great price!  Plus, their basics come in so many color options!!

 Alright, I should probably start packing soon or at least making my packing list. If there is anything you would like me to share on snapchat or a future blog post about the conference, feel free to shoot me an email or leave me a comment!  Thanks for stopping by the blog this week!

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The Everyday Dress

Spring Outfit - dress and wedges

kendra scott skylar earrings with house of harlow necklace

everyday dress and black tote bag

spring office outfit - Lady in Violet

skies are blue dress with house of harlow tessellation necklace

seychelles rambe wedges sandals

long sleeve dress for work

everyday dress for work

weekend outfit with dress and wedges | Lady in Violet

Jord wood watch - ely nude wedge sandals with black tote bag

spring outfit idea for work or weekends

| DETAILS |

MINT JULEP BOUTIQUE c/o Confetti Creations Dress  | SEYCHELLES Ramble Wedge  | STREET LEVEL Reversible Tote  | HOUSE OF HARLOW Tessellation Necklace  | KENDRA SCOTT Skylar Earrings  | JORD c/o Ely Watch  | BAUBLEBAR Cuban Links Bracelet  | RAYBAN Aviator Sunglasses  | MAC Lipstick in Craving | JULEP Nails in Shari

I’m kind of obsessed with this dress right now!  I love so many different things about it. For starters, I love that it is both black and brown.  It makes it so easy to pair with different accessories.  I can easily wear with both brown or black shoes or purse.  You could even toss a colorful purse with this to add even more color to the look.  Second, I love the material.  It is lightweight and perfect for fall, spring, and possibly even winter with some tights.  Last, I love the style of this dress.  You can toss on some heels for the office or wedges or riding boots to make it more casual.   You can also add a long pendant necklace to this look too!  I also like the long sleeves because I get cold super easy. Plus, once it warms up, everyone blasts the A/C inside.  As soon as I saw it, I knew it was going to become a highly worn dress in my closet.  If you want to create a more defined waist line, you can add a belt to this dress.  I really like the comfort and ease of the slightly loose fit.

The darker colors of this dress definitely have a more fall look.  If you want to make some of your favorite fall dresses work for spring, try pairing them with wedges.  A change of the shoes is one of my favorite ways to transform an outfit between seasons and events.  Also, this tote is my reversible tote that you have seen on the blog before but normally I have it on the brown side.  I wanted to show you the other side.  Much like this black/brown dress, the black/brown of this tote make it so versatile!  It will definitely be coming on my summer trips, since it’s like packing two bags in one!

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Stepping out InStyle

Office Outfit sheath dress and burgundy heels

InStyle Jewelry pearl necklace and ring

Burgundy heels and green satchel for work | Lady in Violet

how to accessorize a work outfit by Lady in Violet

InStyle jewelry pearl necklace and modern glow ring

pearl statement ring and henri bendel west 57th satchel

Spring Work Outfit Idea

gray sheath dress with pearls and silver jewelry

what to wear to the office

gray sheath dress pearl jewelry and green purse

henri bendel west 57th satchel and sole society lux heel | Lady in Violet

office outfit idea - dresses

| DETAILS |
CALVIN KLEIN Dress  (SIMILAR)  | SOLE SOCIETY Lux Heel  | HENRI BENDEL c/o West 57th Satchel  | INSTYLE c/o  Modern Glow Pearl Necklace and Ring  |  KENDRA SCOTT Tima Studs,  Arden Bracelet  | NADRI Crystal Bangle  | RAYBAN Aviator Sunglasses  | JULEP Nails in Shari  | MAC Lipstick in Faux

I can’t think of a better way to kick off this Monday than with a little office outfit inspiration.  During Spring and Summer, I tend to wear lots of dresses to the office.  I love the professional look of a solid color sheath dress.  I wanted to share a few of my favorite ways to take a basic office dress and give it a bit more personality.  One of my favorite ways to add some flare to an outfit is through accessories.  InStyle just launched a jewelry line on HSN, and the pieces are a super cute mix of fabulous statement items and everyday wear basics.  A pearl necklace is a great touch for an office outfit.  I love this over-sized pearl necklace to add more of a bold statement to the outfit.  The collection also has a matching ring which adds a fun trendy feel to the overall look.  Since these two pieces are more statement pieces, I kept the rest of my jewelry simple with silver studs and some of my everyday wear bangles.  When adding statement jewelry to a work outfit, I typically opt for one maybe two pieces only.  I decided to go with both the necklace and ring, because it was just super cute and the two pieces really work well together.  If I were to add a bold earring to this look too, the pieces would be competing with each other.

Another fun way to add some flare to a basic dress is with colorful add ons.  I think having a few colorful pumps in your closet are great for days when you want something different than a basic black or nude heel.  These burgundy ones get so much wear in my office looks.  They still have a professional look to them, but just give that little extra something to the outfit.  By the way, they are on sale right now too!!  I also love adding color with my purse.  This Henri Bendel satchel has a very clean, sophisticated, and professional look to it.  It comes in a wide array of colors, so you can find the one that best fits your personality.  If you are going to mix colors, try to pick colors that work together.  I love this green and burgundy color combo.

When you put all these pieces together, it really changes up that basic sheath dress to allow a bit more of your personality show.  I love that the outfit still has that professional vibe for the office too.  Alright, now let’s grab some coffee and tackle this week!

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