WIWW Creative Estates Edition

Ok, so after my week of stressing last week, (because of how nervous I was to meet these lovely ladies) and leaving my entire house a wreck... these are the outfits I actually wore. It was a miserably cold and rainy Saturday in Arizona (just my luck, right?) so HALF the outfits I packed just sat in my suitcase (of course I overpacked...)

Before I post pics and outfits I HAD to share a sweet Ordy Boy moment! (Since this blog is about us, it's only fair, right?!)

Ordy travels Mon-Friday and I was sad I would miss him since I flew out Thursday morning... It would mean 2 weeks of not seeing him. I was home straightening my frizzball hair when I heard my doorbell ring Wednesday night around 11pm... It was my adorable Ordy Boy who caught the last flight out of Dallas to hand deliver my Wednesday Dozen and wish me well on my first "big girl trip all alone!" <-- his words... He wanted to "see me off properly"... I was pleasantly shocked as I had just made arrangements with his roommate to take me to the airport Thursday morning!

I deliberately wanted to wear a "loud" shirt as my airport outfit because I wanted it to be easy to find my roommate (whom I had never met before!) I actually tweeted her this same exact picture so she could find me! Great minds think alike because she wore stripes as well!

Shoes: The ones from this post! 

Only... add a trench because of the freezing weather!!! YIKES!

A rainy day in Arizona, thank goodness Ordy told me to pack my rain jacket!

I promise... He's normal. I don't know how to prove it... but you'll just have to trust me! That's the face I got... but that's what I'll post if he keeps giving it! Love him and was so happy to see him!

If this is your first time here, welcome! I'm linking up to the Pleated Poppy! If you've never done so, I encourage you to try it! If we met at Creative Estates, thanks for visiting my blog! {Feel free to tell me if an outfit is not as flattering in person as it is on my camera phone! HA, justtttt joking}

Welcome to the Neighborhood!

For those of you who weren't able to make it to Creative Estates... I'll be more than happy to brief you guys on the events!

If anyone knows how to format my pics to work best on Blogger, I'd love to know! I am so upset with the way they uploaded I almost didn't hit publish! For the best pics of Creative Estates Update go here!

There's no denying that 80% of my excitement for attending Creative Estates was to rub shoulders with the best of the best crafty bloggers... The other 20% was the excitement to learn new things haha. If I'm lyin' I'm dyin'..

The attending list made me so giddy I could hardly contain myself. Please note: I am making fun of myself as I type this, so if you plan on calling me out- it won't work, I won't feel like any more of a nerd! 

How is one qualified as a "celebrity", you ask? Well, when their following includes more than their immediate friends and family... I consider them a pretty big deal. So without further ado... here goes my claim to bloggy fame--total joke.

I'll start with the two most famous men on campus...(Pretty much the only men...other than Harrison from GroopDealz...) Conrad Jon and Jacob Jon, as I lovingly renamed them. 

The VERY FIRST blog I ever followed! I probably can attribute lower grades last semester from going over post after post watching her transform her Tuscan-style home into a refreshing, bright, airy house! She was generous enough to always reply to my e-mails -no matter how big her blog was! (Like one time when I was at a thrift store and saw a BIN full of colorful tubes and sent her the pic- she responded within minutes saying, "that's expensive vinyl, get them all!!!") 

I don't think there is any other way to describe her than "Saint Jen"... she seriously is the sweetest person, always smiling! I wonder if her cheeks hurt from all that smiling?! She has been so encouraging and had nothing but sweet things to say about my lemon wreath- I died when she complimented it! 

By far the nicest person I met and connected with at the conference... She is so sweet, encouraging, and genuine. I found myself cracking up at our text thread on Saturday and I miss her so much already!

Oh.em.gee. this girl... THIS girl... Lara (Ellie G on her blog)... SO spunky, so cute, so funny. I loved her hair, her blog, her personality, and her purse. She is amazing. She was so warm and welcoming when I met her and I loved her ever since. 

Another "saint-like" reference would have to go to Kami... I first saw her leading the Letterpress class and I couldn't believe how soft-spoken and sweet she was. She has the calmest spirit that I can only pray I one day get! She was on the photography panel and even spent extra time helping me use my Nikon... I mean, everyone was already headed to their break out groups and this amazing woman was on her hands and knees on the dirty ground with me to try and get a close shot! Here she is in the middle of Bev and I...

Char, Lara, Kami

Ok, spunkiest/funniest/coolest award has to go to Becca. She was so nice and humble I found myself floored she spent so much time with "smaller" blogs as opposed to just congregating with the "big dogs" haha awful analogy, but you get the idea. She was so genuine and sweet! I loved sharing my side of the table at Girl's Night Out with her... she kept me laughing all night! don't mind that I am double her size in the picture... I'll just convince myself it's because she is SO SMALL (probably 80lbs soaking wet...)  

The incredibly talented, extremely graceful (and gorgeous), always lovely Kim from TomKat Studio. I spend countless hours on her blog just oohing and aahing over all her eye candy on her blog. She did an amazing job all weekend and her displays were the most photographed! She took the time to talk to me at GNO and I couldn't get over how down to earth she was... 

Another huge shock: how humble Cindy was! I took copious notes of her panel discussion and the thing that stuck with me most all weekend was to have a close group of blogs to network with and count on. I loved the idea of having a skype group of people to idea share and get honest advice regarding our blog content and formatting. When I went to talk to her and thank her she said she would help with our group! I.Died. She is my hero. For real. 

Ohhhhhh what is there to say that hasn't already been said about the hilarious, incredible, lovable (but not huggable) Char?! I didn't spend as much time as I would have liked to with her but from what little time I did spend with her, I know she's one amazing person! I love her humor and her blog and the fact that she had a "crap" necklace on...  

I was instantly drawn to April Kennedy for two reasons: 1) she looks like my aunt's blonde twin and 2) she had on Toms and the cutest outfits. When I met her I was jealous she had just won the Letterpress but I worked past my jealousy and was so happy for her because she is so darn cute she deserved it! 

 504 Main, also a blog celebrity in my book- was there and one of the people I got close with- but NO PICTURE! SO SAD! Holly is an amazing person- so full of energy and kept me laughing all weekend- and she smells AWESOME.

Other celebrities like Tauni and SheyB were on the list- only I didn't get a chance to take a picture! Add other bigger blogs- I don't want to leave anyone out! These are just the people I got a chance to snap a pic with!

SAD REALIZATION: I didn't get a picture with Amy from one of my FAVORITE blogs EVER: The Idea Room!!! I am so bummed out but then again, I began chatting it up with her while in line for dinner... where I told her her celebrity twin is Rachel Griffiths from the show Brothers and Sisters (only Amy is prettier, of course!)

I am exhausted with the amount of time the picture loading has taken and will have to do a part 2 for the rest of the pictures! I can't wait to share the rest of my Creative Estates Experience with y'all! 

WIWW & Creative Estates Planning!

I'd be lying if I said I don't care about what to pack for CE... I have used this as an excuse to go shopping and have scooped up some new stuff...

Onto what I wore this week...

Dinner with Ordy at Fellini's- our favorite late night outdoor patio pizza place. whew. long description. 

Sweater: Sister gave off shoulder with studs

Pants: the most comfortable black sweat skinnies- you can't really tell i'm being lazy in stretchy pants! From Tj Maxx 

Shoes: thrifted boots 

ring: Loehmann's huge white ceramic ring I love

Camera Strap: The one I won in a giveaway but got lost in the mall (and replaced!!) from Eclectic Whatnot

Day in Kennesaw with India and later on dinner with Ordy: 

Sweater/jacket: borrowed India's since I spent the night before

Navy Sweater: Forever 21

Under Shirt: India's

Pants: Nordstrom Rack cargo skinnies

Rainy day lunch with Ordy at Flip Burger! 

Trench: Sister's

Skinnies: Forever 21

Boots: Burberry

Dinner out to celebrate 

Jacket: NY&Co Blazer

Shirt: You can't tell but it's really cute and ruffley...Nordstrom Rack

Dark Denim Skinnies: Forever 21

Wedges: H&M

Pretty Sunday out with my Bobo and Ordy: 

Tank: Target (love how it's two completely different sides/prints)

Skinnies: JEGGINGS! Don't judge me...

Shoes: Bought from a boutique similar to these 

NASTY day... late to class... thunderstorm kept me up all night! Bandit and I had to hide in my downstairs bathroom because I seriously thought my roof was about to get ripped off!

Polo Oxford

Hudson Jeans

Minnetonka Moccasins 

This is Grandma Bandit who hid in a bathroom with me all night :)

Onto Creative Estates shopping. Here are things I LOVED (some I didn't buy because I was convinced I could recreate for less... self-proclaimed DIY cheap-o)

I feel like I could beautify a simple cardigan with some lace and pretty buttons. And I will do JUST that for my next project! 

I wish Fedoras loved me as much as I love them...unfortunately, I think my face is too wide/chubby. But this one was SO cute and springish! 

Excuse the oily residue, I just left getting my mani/pedi and am in love with this color! 

Love these doily inspired sandals... I might have to justify this into my wardrobe. So cute and girly...

And the last random part of this past. A lesson for all you ladies...

Remember my hairy situation? Well, I absolutely loved my lighter hair... like beyond love- I caught myself not recognizing my reflection and it was fun to be this 'different' person! Anyhow, last weekend my sister kept pointing out that I was "red headed" and I didn't think so, but could see it in the sun... as seen below: 

 I loved the lightness here: 

But that's my sister taking my phone and taking a pic of the "crown" of my head to show me the super red tone... 

After noticing it myself (but not really minding because I just liked it light!!!) I called my AMAZING hair stylist (she seriously is amazing and you all should be jealous! just kidding...) She immediately came over THAT SAME NIGHT to "tone" it. I didn't know what this meant but she explained that dark hair going light usually turns out "brassy" and needs toning, so she wasn't surprised I needed it... 

After toning: it turned darker and I had trouble adjusting! I was so sad I could hardly sleep that night thinking I just "painted over a once beautiful artwork!" HA, I feel like I ruined everything we worked so hard to get! Light hair! It would be like spray painting something white after days of priming, and then turning around and spray painting it navy blue. I was so sad! I thought all our work to achieve light hair was in vain :( 

on our way to dinner showing the darker hair

After a few shampoo sessions later, the darkness is kind of disappearing... it's still not as light as it was BUT it's not completely dark either. 

I'm not too upset because I'm going lighter in a few months (and I have the best hair stylist that can do it with no problem at all), but still- it was such a set back! All that to say, don't be SO NIT PICKY like I was! 

I just spent an hour trying to narrow down Creative Estate outfits and I'm so overwhelmed I don't even know where to start! UGH! lucky people who live in Arizona and can just go home for outfit changes!