Growing up with many female influences in my personal life has generally made me gravitate towards smart, creative, and interesting women as a whole. Joining the Style Collective was one of those no brainer decisions I made after watching founder, Annie Spano, week after week hustle as hard to achieve her dream as I was to achieve mine. I knew that being around her energy would rub off on me. She not only recruited me, but many like me. These women were like minded motivated females all trying to change their story.
When the Style Collective announced that it would be having its first conference I dare say I was the first to register. I was thrilled at the prospect of being around other women, mothers, and bloggers that were all trying to navigate a new industry that allows women to authentically share themselves with the world.
Last month we all met up in the beautiful Cannon Room in the heart of Raleigh. NC! A beautiful space that inspired and enthused us. The agenda was filled with women that I wanted to hear and learn from and best of all, they were willing to share! Among many highlights from the conference, here are my top three.
The Venue
Cannon Room
Annie Spano Opening Remarks
Networking
Photobooth
Kendra Scott Display
Picture Perfect
The Cannon Room was named after the first female Mayor of Raleigh, Isabell Cannon. With that as a backdrop it was just the perfect vibe and space, intimate yet spacious and generously lit with its large windows. It made for an inviting space that made us want to network in. Lucky for us, this room has already been booked for next years conference!
The Influencer Panel
With our blog, we try to be open and honest about our journey as women and as mothers. At the conference, we were lucky enough to hear from mother to be Holly of @MakeTodayAHollyDay, Courtney of @CourtEInk, and Keke of @StyleYourSelfie and they were wonderful! Each shared their story, journey, and ideas generously with all of us. I recall chatting with Holly and discussing giveaway ideas! I really appreciated that!
The Agenda
Trolley Ride
Cocktails
The Details
Photobooth
Swag Bags
Networking
Generally we had a lot of information that we needed to cover during sessions, so by Sunday afternoon we were tired. The agenda, however, anticipated that we would need creative breaks. We had the chance to play in a live photo booth and network in a beautiful corner space. The agenda also included a cocktail hour on Saturday night and a trolley ride surprise on Sunday! Everything had been thought out and considered. The team at Style Collective did an amazing job putting it all together (Thank You!).
I, along with my fellow chicks, am truly grateful for the camaraderie and the learning and I am looking forward to next year. Here is a peek at all the fun!
The last thing I want to think about when traveling is the stress of packing, and I like to pack light. As a mother of two, the time I spend choosing pieces to fit in my carry on can be exhausting. This year I wanted to invest in pieces that are versatile, yet chic. Who would have thought a simple duster would end up being that versatile piece I was looking for?! This ended up being the perfect accessory for my recent trip to Raleigh. I was able to pack my most versatile clothing, A LBD (little black dress), a swimsuit, and a skirt (shorts do not do any justice on me) to pair up with my duster.
Akira Sale
With an LBD
Off The Shoulder Look
This print tho!
With my duster, I was able to cover up my swimwear by the pool and warm up by layering my duster in the evening when we went out to dinner. It also jazzed up my jeans and tank outfit!
My other favorite accessory to travel with is my Gucci belt; it definitely goes hand in hand with my duster. Whether it’s a quick luncheon with girlfriends or a MNO (mommies night out) I pair up my skinny’s with a cute tank and throw on my belt and a duster over the ensemble to give it that “extra touch.”
Date Night
My look for a sexy date night is pairing a solid tank dress with a print duster and Gucci belt to tie it all in. It’s amazing what adding a little something extra to a LBD can do.
I’m 5’4, 120 lbs and curvy in the right places. A duster not only completes my look, but covers me up in all the right places.
When you take a trip with your sister for Spring Break it is a Chick Trip and Family Trip all mixed into one! This year, we set our sights on some southern charm and headed to Charleston, South Carolina. We loaded up our mini’s (all four of them) and pulled off a fun and memorable trip complete with loads of laughs!
What to do:
Carriage ride:
A great way to get your bearings for this quaint city is to take a carriage tour. We hopped over to Palmetto Carriage Works for a ride through Charleston‘s historical district. We absolutely loved our guide, Jim. He was knowledgeable, relevant, and funny! We would highly recommend starting your trip to Charleston with this tour to understand fun spots to visit. As women and as bloggers, we found the story about the Grimke sisters who were early advocates for abolition and women’s rights to be pertinent and interesting. It was a refreshing reminder of women in history and a great teachable moment for our young children! The streets of Charleston are lined with historical homes that make the city truly a place to visit! We got lucky with a morning ride so it wasn’t too hot or too cold.
When we arrived at our hotel, our rooms weren’t ready. In an attempt to kill some time we drove over to Patriots Point and BOY are we glad we did (literally a 12 minute drive from the historic downtown area)! We walked over to the USS Yorktown and toured the ship. Tickets were $22 for adults and $14 for kids. Definitely worth it! The boat was easy to navigate with tours that are clearly marked (audio tours are also available)! We were traveling with 4 young kids who all found the ship’s many rooms fascinating. Aboard the ship you see where crew ate, slept and lived life while on board. The top of the ship was lined with fighter jets from both the navy and marines!
This is an awesome stop for both kids and adults! We went on a simulator that showed what it would be like as a pilot of a fighter jet, this helped jump start the kids imagination when we made our way to see the jets in real life (tickets were $6 per person). I would allow about 3-4 hours to check out the ship. Next door is Fort Sumter, of you plan to do both you would be looking at a full day outing depending on the ages in your group.
Sullivan Island : Lighthouse and Beach
We had planned to stop at Sullivan Island during our planning for the trip. I should warn that we went in the month of April for Spring break and the weather didn’t quite hold up for the beach. We made a stop over at the lighthouse which we could only see as we walked past it. Not the most picturesque lighthouse, but something to see nonetheless. Just past the lighthouse was a boardwalk to the beach. The kids loved collecting shells while we basked in the spring sun. It wasn’t quite warm enough to get in the water, so keep that in mind when planning a visit in the Spring months. A quick mention, if you have young kids and your hopes of spending a day at the beach get ruined, there is a park with playgrounds just up the road that was a savior for us!
What to eat:
Basil
Situated right off King Street in Charleston Basil is a Thai restaurant that has absolutely delicious food! With a blend of vegetarians and non-vegetarians in our group this was a sure bet for dinner. Most dishes can be substituted for tofu. In general we are regulars to Thai food, but I must say the food here stood out! Their Pad Ke Mow is a must try! My kids love Panang curry…unfortunately Basil didn’t offer this but had Massuman curry which was a perfect substitution! If you like Thai, you’ll love Basil.
Basic Kitchen
While shopping with the kids, we were looking for a lunch spot. Upon a recommendation we ended up at Basic Kitchen. This place was gorgeous! It had a light and airy feel and was clean and well staffed. They offered a good selection for the kids menu which made the kids…and us happy! We tried the bbq tempeh, cauliflower wings and avocado toast…all three were so good! This is a must stop for good clean and vegetarian eats!
What a fun Mexican restaurant! You can’t miss it off the main road once you get onto Sullivan Island. This place offered both indoor and outdoor seating, we sat indoor since it was a tad on the chilly side the day we went. They offer an extensive menu of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. It wasn’t like most Mexican restaurants with the standard quesadillas and burritos. They had an array of salads and bowl options as well! Come on, as people who love spicy food, they even had a hot sauce bar…my favorite was the blue agave sriracha..made in Austin, of course! Over lunch we noshed on guacamole and chips, and even sipped on some Paloma’s….we even spotted a celebrity from the show Southern Charm…Austen! I would definitely recommend this place. Of course, you know the chicks at ChicksAndSalsa can’t pass up a food spot for some “chips” and salsa!
Where to stay (or not):
Hyatt Place
We waited until the last minute to book our trip so we had very few options for hotels. We ended up at the Hyatt Place which we didn’t love. When we pulled up they were not very helpful. There was no one to help with our bags or even greet us. We helped ourselves to unloading our luggage onto the cart and then again upstairs…. this made for a terrible first impression! The room easily fit 6 of us, we had two double beds and a pull out sofa bed. The pool was indoor and decently kept, the kids liked that the water was heated so they enjoyed their time! Our room stay included breakfast…we thought this would be a good perk, but the food was just OK and the dining area was very crowded.
We were grateful to have something to start to the day, but truthfully we preferred to have breakfast out of the hotel. Overall, we are grateful to have had a place to stay, but would not recommend the Hyatt place, especially if you are big on service!
All in all, the city is so unique and distinct from the Chicago and Atlanta landscape that we are used to! We loved driving on the beautiful bridges, being by the water, shopping on King Street, and of course eating in Charleston!
Another one for the books, check out our other travel posts here!
I don’t recall ever being as tired as I am most days after work, school pick ups and drop offs, homework, extracurricular activities, going to the gym, and managing my household. Taking care of me and making time for myself comes only after all of that is done an settled. I like to call the hour of 8:30pm to 9:30pm the “golden hour”.
During this time, I am truly off duty. I am not worried about tomorrow, I am not worried about what is not done from today, but I take this time to just appreciate the end of yet another day with my family. I use the golden hour for leisurely multitasking: TV time and skin care. While watching Green Arrow on Netflix (OMG – I love Stephen Amell!), I apply a half a dozen or so products to my face nightly. If I keep these at my bedside I am 100% more likely to use them regularly. Here is the step-by-step night time regimen I use.
Makeup Remover Wipes
I know I could just wash my face, but I have never been in the routine of doing this. I usually brush my teeth and hop into bed. But more than ever I need my skin to breathe at night. I keep face wipes at arms length to guarantee that I don’t skip giving my face a chance to breathe at night. Although I do not have sensitive skin or any true allergy to common ingredients, I love these make up removing wipes because they are inexpensive, or do not leave a soapy or filmy feeling on my skin after I have used them. Even baby wipes work well and are cost effective. I have tried a bunch of different make up remover wipes but have yet to determine if one actually works better than the other, so I usually grab whatever is economical. Night time skin cleaning is paramount for brighter skin.
Lash Boost by Rodan and Fields
My sisters and I swear by this amazing product by Rodan and Fields. As former Latisee users, we loved that we were able to get Lash Boost without a prescription. The product works similarly and have therefore has similar results- fuller appearing, more dramatic and appealing eye lashes. As a wearer of ‘falsies’ I love the ‘pop’ that your eyes get from having enhanced lashes. For the days I am not wearing my go to wispies, Lash Boost has my back. This is an expensive product, but fellow chicks get an exclusive discount or gift with purchase if you contact Dr. Erica Bennett at drericabennett@gmail.com. Trust me, this works. You’re so close to gorgeous natural lashes.
Under Eye Serum
I have cycled through several of these, most recently I used Advanced Night Repair from Estee Lauder which I had received as a gift. This product is intended to help with fine lines, puffiness, and dark circles. The serum has great reviews, and in my personal experience it seemed to hydrate well which helped with fine lines, but when it came to covering up my dark circles, I am not so sure. Once I finished up that little bottle I switched to a product from Rodan and Fields called the Bright Eye Complex and with a water base it promises hydration for the bags under your eyes. After using this for 10 days, you can see the before and after below, this product is a keeper and can be purchased a la carte from their list of products.
Castor Oil
Like many other children of the 80’s and 90’s I totally trashed my eyebrows trying to keep up with the thin eyebrow trends. The beauty gurus that I follow have given me hope to regain what is lost of my eyebrows with Castor oil. Castor oil has natural antibacterial and antifungal properties and is high in Vitamin E, minerals, proteins, and Omega 6 and 9 beneficial fatty acids. Its unusually high ricinoleic acid ratio which is what makes it beneficial to skin and hair. I am going to try this on my eyebrows as part of my nightly routine, I will keep you all updated on Instastories.
Lip Therapy
With winter almost behind us, I could not have survived without all the lip balms that I have scattered all over the house and in all my purses. My lips chap easily and require frequent hydration. Currently by my bedside is an argan oil-based balm that is unscented, organic, and simply divine. In my opinion, truly any balm is a good balm if you ask me. Just layering some hydration before bed can fix all types of cracked lips.
Hopefully you are already using some of these in your daily skin care routine. If you are not, consider this post a life hack to place beauty items by your bedside. Ladies, it is NEVER too late to take care of your skin. This is also a great way to use products that are cluttering up your counters — place them on your end table (NOT in the drawers). Believe me, seeing them will make you use them. What fun products do you use as part of your daily skincare routine?
Your Chick,
Rina
**Complimentary Rodan and Fields products were received in exchange for this honest review. Thank you to Dr. Erica Bennett for her generosity and engagement. **
