Hi everyone! I can’t believe autumn has settled in and there’s pumpkin everything popping up. Today I want to share my recap of the Better Homes & Gardens Stylemaker event I attended on September 17th! I made my way through hundreds of beautiful images taken by photographer Avi Gerver to share with all of you. It was wonderful to meet the BHG editors, bloggers, and awesome speakers. I was very excited to meet stylist Eddie Ross and interior designer Kishani Perera! This was my first year attending the annual event held in New York City at the beautiful Hudson Hotel. Here’s my recap!
We started the morning early and I was a bit jet-lagged after traveling from the west coast. It took me a couple hours to warm up to the event. I’m sure I was quite groggy-eyed! There was a breakfast and introduction by the new BHG Editor in Chief Stephen Orr. Then we all bounced off to our first workshops. Prior to the event we selected three workshops to attend in between the panels. I picked one on branding, table styling and flower design of course!
My first workshop was Creating a 360 Digital Brand led by Kaelin Zawilinski, the Digital Editorial Manager. We receive so many emails from her, so it was great to finally meet her in person. She went over the basics of social media (the biggest extension of our brands beyond our blogs), focusing on platforms that will increase growth, and how to extend your brand beyond the blog. One of the biggest ways bloggers are doing this is with book publication. You can pop into any Barnes & Noble and see dozens of blogger’s turned authors on the shelves. Which leads me to the first panel . . .
The Truth About Getting A Book Deal consisted of a panel of publishers and authors sharing honest stories from the book world. The truth is that it varies, ha! Some folks are discovered by publishers and directly offered a book deal. Others create a book proposal, find a literary agent and then have the project shopped around to different publishers. Having a literary agent is crucial for a fair contract and negotiations. Nowadays, publishers really want authors with existing brands and followings. That means strong social media numbers (like 100K), blog readers/subscribers and marketing potential. Why? To sell copies of course. There are a few bloggers turned authors just killing the game (like Justina!). After they publish their books, so many doors open like product design, speaking gigs and on-camera work. Books seem to be the key step in moving a creative career forward.
After lunch we headed into our second workshop of the day. I was very happy to attend the Eddie Ross table styling workshop. He has such a beautiful collection of dishes and linens! He shared his tips for collecting, storing, transporting and creating impressive table-scapes. His new book is filled with this information as well as how to restore and mix vintage pieces in your home. I brought along my copy and he was so sweet to sign!
Next was my favorite workshop, Photo Shoot Worthy Flower Arranging! Floral designer Matthew Robbins shared a quick tutorial for arranging beautiful flowers and then we went to work! All of our arrangements were on display during the cocktail party later that evening. We made a complete mess of the table but the results were beautiful. FTD Flowers kindly supplied all the blooms and we took to Instagram to share our bouquets.
Once all the workshops were done we reconvened for the final two panel discussions. The editors of BHG tackled all of our questions in a very informative panel. We were able to learn what editors look for, upcoming trends for the holiday season (like bourbon!) and the importance of authenticity. It was encouraging to hear that bloggers are a key component to the magazine industry and that our work matters!
The Stylemaker Panel featured a wonderful group of designers, chefs and bloggers moderated by Khristian A. Howell. We got a copy of her new book in our goodie bag! All the stylemakers gave honest accounts of working in their respective creative fields. From building your own style, to the importance of experimentation when it comes to creating and building friendships with fellow artists. The most memorable piece of advice given was to “consider” before starting a project. A lot of times I rush into a project and I don’t always give the idea and style full consideration. I do plan and create inspiration boards to form a concept, but having a peaceful step of consideration of inspiration could add the special missing piece.
At last the cocktail party arrived, held on the beautiful rooftop of the Hudson Hotel. The view was amazing and the party started just as the sun was setting! All of us bloggers and editors mixed and mingled together. Simply Juice provided the refreshing cocktails. Then we were graced with the presence of the one and only Brooke Shields! She is on the cover of September’s issue and shares a tour of her beautiful home. She did a mini interview with Eddie Ross while everyone tried to record with their phones. Then we all took turns in the photo booth and chatted with attendees we’d met throughout the day.
There you have it! My husband and I spent the next couple days just enjoying New York. The weather was gorgeous and I finally got to check a few more landmarks off my list :)
Thank you again to BHG for inviting me to the event!
