For my final day in Austin, Texas, I attended a super fun & laid back breakfast with Amy and Elise, both of whom work for Blowfish and were an absolute dream to meet, along with my dear friend Jenni of Story of My Life, and Elizabeth of Delightfully Tacky. Yay! My overall impression of the blogging community?! The nicest people you will ever meet!! I couldn't have felt more at home! :)

I then headed to the conference. This year's theme was thinking beyond your blog, and recognizing that not everyone wants to be a full-time blogger. Most bloggers have full-time jobs and choose to document their outfits/lives because it's such an inspiring community. The conference also focused on bringing the most authentic you to your blog, allowing yourself to dream, and creating genuine connections with your readers, or customers if you are a small boutique owner. I absolutely love that point of view on blogging!

Kendi delivered a strong & inspiring message during her keynote speech: realizing your purpose is much greater than your blog, and you have the ability to make it whatever you want it to be! We are all on a path and no two paths look the same, and that's OK. We are here to find our own unique voice, point of view, and connect with a life that's authentic and reflects our passions. Kendi challenged us to dream bigger, to dream beyond our blogs! One of my favourite quotes from her was, "Comparison is the thief of joy!" It's not about what everyone else is doing... it's about what you want to be doing!

Well that's a wrap, guys! I can't stress enough how inspiring it was to hear so many bloggers talk about their journey. For me, this conference couldn't have come at a better time. I feel armed with loads of inspiration and I look forward to sharing it all with you on the blog. Lastly, be sure to take a peek at the video - this was one of my favourite panel discussions. Happy blogging everyone! xo

Outfit Details:

Sunglasses - Marc Jacob

Cardigan - American Eagle

Dress - Club Monaco 

Clutch - Aldo

Ballet Flats - Aldo 

Hello, friends! It's been such a crazy & whirlwind week. I was hoping to get to my TxSC recaps sooner, but Martin (my hubby) ended up getting rushed to the hospital late last week. He lost consciousness several times and is now recovering from a serious viral infection. Ugh, what a week! Let's take a look back at the Texas Style Council Conference, shall we?! On Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the speed mentoring breakfast. I loved mingling with my favourite bloggers and learning from their blogging experiences!

Once we got settled and enjoyed some super tasty breakfast tacos, we then walked around and chit chatted with any blogger of our choice. Each blogger was there to represent a certain topic. I had the chance to talk to Jen of Jen Loves Kev about blogger burn-out, a topic that was discussed a lot at the conference; life & blog balance is absolutely something I've struggled with at times. It's easy to get wrapped up in all that you have to do, but we need to learn to cut ourselves some slack. The sky will not fall if you don't get to a post or answer all of your emails/comments on a given day!

After a fabulous morning of networking, I headed down to South Congress with some of the girls for an afternoon of city tromping & vintage browsing. I'll be honest, I was kind of geeking out... I felt like I had to pinch myself - was I really shopping with a handful of my favourite fashion bloggers?! Eee! The afternoon ended with a visit to a fantastic Mexican restaurant (Austin has the best food!!) and some super tasty tequila, which was absolutely the perfect way to unwind! I'll see you guys for my final Austin re-cap this Thursday and share a more in-depth review of what I learned!

Glasses - Forever21

Sweater - Pink Martini

Blouse - c/o Lulu*s

Jeans - AE

Ballet Flats - Joe Fresh

Yay, I’m back! I had such an amazing time at the Texas Style Council and I can't wait to share all my favourite re-caps with you guys. For my first night out, I attended the annual swap, which was hosted by swap.com & Lulu's. I absolutely loved visiting the Lulu's lounge - each blogger was lucky enough to receive a complimentary item, and I nabbed the cutest BB Dakota dress. Score!

As for the outfit? It was totally unplanned & very last minute. It was cold and rainy when I arrived in Austin, so all of my pre-styled outfits kind of went out the window. I chose something a little bit more laid back & comfy as I spent a fair bit of my day site seeing, but still chic for the party. I had a lot of people/press ask to take pictures of my look, which was a nice vote of confidence.

I was thrilled to finally meet so many of the ladies that I have connected with this past year, some of whom are pictured here: Kyla, Tieka and Jen. It's such a surreal experience because you feel like you know everyone super well, but yet you've never met face to face. Everyone was as sweet & kind as they are on their blogs and amazingly stylish. I felt so welcome, plus the venue was perfectly intimate, the ideal spot for kicking back & chatting! 

Bowler Hat - Thrifted

Jacket - H&M (similar)

Skirt - H&M (similar)

Tights - Joe Fresh
Cross Body Bag - Aldo (similar)