Tuesday, June 30, 2015

{charleston travels}


If you follow me on Instagram or Snapchat (jennrog3) then you probably know I was in Charleston, SC this past weekend for the Southern Blog Society Conference! I'll do a post about the conference later but I wanted to give y'all a better glimpse into everything I did and saw in my free time while I was there. It's safe to say that I'm already planning my next trip to Charleston… and I want to stay for a lot longer!

FYI: this post is pretty long! Lots of pretty pictures though ;)


I roomed with three other DC bloggers that I've become close with this year: Kristyn, Katie, and Alicia! We had a late flight out Thursday night (lots of delays… thanks lightning storms) but we knew that once we checked into our hotel, Belmond Charleston Place, it was time to unpack and get everything organized so we could wake up Friday morning and get our day started!

 Tote bags are from Crab and Cleek ℅


We started off at the Escapada Living store. It was one of the most colorful and fun stores to ever walk in to! All of the clothes were so bright and it was only topped off by the pink calf skin rug on the floor! We tried things on, got a sneak peek at the new fall line (soooo good) and then shopped around a bit! I'm really excited about a pair of red and blue striped shorts I bought for the 4th of July :)






It was super hot on Friday so we snuck in to a little hole in the wall for lunch to meet some friends (aka bloggers we've only talked to via social media hahaha).


Then we were off to see Moon & Lola! The. cutest. store. ever. The gallery wall has me longing to redecorate ASAP! I love all of their acrylic jewelry and the framed prints are currently at the top of my wish list right now! I could've taken a million photographs… but I'll just give y'all some glimpses. You have to check out their jewelry!








FINALLY it was time for the welcome Cocktail Hour!!! I was BEYOND excited to meet everyone! Despite the insane humidity we managed to catch a breeze on the terrace and have a wonderful time :)


I thought this photo was the funniest thing ever… Jenga out of blogger's purses! There are some gorgeous bags in there! It was a fashion lover's heaven!


After an amazing dinner at Sermet's (no photos, sorry! I enjoyed some red wine and conversation instead!) we headed home to get some rest… up early for the conference portion at 8am!


I wore my new Marie Oliver dress and was so comfortable despite the fact that it was silk! It was breezy, loose, soft and really comfortable. Paired with an India Hicks clutch I felt like I matched the scenery pretty well. Palm trees and pink houses - I fit right in!


After hearing an amazing panel of speakers - from photography to brands to connecting with followers and utilizing Pinterest - we had the opportunity to get some goodies and meet the people behind the brands! It's relationships like that that get me really excited to bring you new products and show you fun things that are happening! I've learned soooo much and am really excited to map things bigger and better. The inspiration is FLOWING!!


Being on your feet in stilettos all day was rough… so we took a little break in our hotel robes before going out to explore historic Charleston and grab some seafood! We went to an amazing place called Pearlz and had the funniest waiter named Ben. He had us laughing the whole time and even made us moscow mules and margaritas even though they weren't on the menu!



full outfit details here


 Finally, we ended the night at The Vendue! The best rooftop bar I've been to - maybe I'm biased because all my favorite blogger babes were there that night ;)


Final day!! Phew… I'm exhausted looking back at everything I did and learned :) We had a farewell brunch (okay, not brunch… breakfast because it was at 8am) and said our goodbyes. I'm already looking forward to next year and planning some fun trips with these girls!


One blogger had a cat purse… I'm buying it. No, seriously, I need it in my life.


Quick outfit change (hot, hot, humid!) to explore Charleston some more! I swear we walked 10 miles on Sunday! Do you like how I found an anchor on the wall?





Cat whisperer ;)



After visiting Rainbow Row and taking some fun photos we headed back to Pearlz because a storm was coming through. The oysters were so amazing Saturday night that we needed to get them again before we had to head home. I actually have never liked oysters but I was so happy eating these!



We stopped by the AME church, where the shootings happened, on our way home. We all thought it was important to pay our respects and ended up saying a prayer as a group to draw some strength. It was a really beautiful sight to see because people of all races were lining up for the evening service. 


Ugh and then we flew home…  I did a quick change into some blue jeans and grabbed my turkish towel to keep me warm. It's technically a blanket but I wear it as a scarf since it has my monogram on it hehe. I love bringing my hat with me but you can't pack it so I had to wear it on the plane. Yep, typical blogger picture with my luggage (okay, that was only my carry on hehe I had another massive suitcase).


Sigh… and now I'm back in DC still dreaming of everything Charleston. I miss all of the gorgeous window boxes and pink houses but I especially miss the girls (and our Kentucky Gent)!

I'm so excited to show you guys everything I shot and share more about the actual conference!! Get excited for tomorrow's post… it's my favorite outfit from the whole weekend!!

Love Always,

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

{one year blogiversary}


WOW. ONE. WHOLE. YEAR.



Emily and I had this whole elaborate plan at an awesome (secret) location shoot yesterday BUT the weather last night sure ruined that plan!! I still adore how these photos came out. The wind really became our friend with this material and voluminous skirt :) I think we probably took these photos in 15 minutes? We then sprinted back to her house because the torrential downpour, lightning, thunder, tornado skies, came really quickly!!




This dress can be worn any way you want! The top is simply two long pieces that you wrap around yourself and then tie in the front or back.








Photography by Emily Smalling


All I can truly say is thank you
For inspiring me.
For motivating me.
For encouraging me.
For supporting me.
For continuing to read Southern Anchors every day.

Love Always… and cheers to another year!
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