The Trip That Ate New York! PART ONE

Ish, Eve and I left on Tuesday, August 3 to head to New York. We were there for five nights.

Then we visited Connecticut for three nights (since I spent the first 26 years of my life there and yet haven't really been back since I moved away nearly NINE years ago.)

Then, since we were already on a traveling jag, we decided to spend two nights in St. Louis, visiting Ish's 97-year-old grandmother who had never met Eve (and vice versa).

If you're counting, that's 3 hotels, 4 flights, 10 nights, and countless family/friends/parties/business-ings. WITH A BABY.

The trip was great. Traveling with Eve was great (she is a miracle baby, I swear). But still. It's over and the truth is: I have never been so exhausted from a "vacation" in all my life.

I started looking at the photos I took with my phone yesterday, and laughed my head off. Not only am I STILL the worst photographer ever, but I photographed about .0004% of Things That Happened.

I don't even know where to begin.  But I will try.


PART ONE: BEFORE NEW YORK, WHEREIN I ACCIDENTALLY BUY 7 NEW DRESSES

I have a lot -- I mean, a LOT OMFG LOT -- to say about BlogHer. If I can pull my head out of my ass long enough, I will try to put together an eloquent post about how the conference has morphed over the years. But for now, let me say that it's a good thing I don't suffer from social anxiety because I would have spent the entire conference hyperventilating in the hotel shower.

My point here is that back when BlogHer first began, there were no special cocktail parties that involved extra showers or jewelry or high heels. You used to attend the conference and then you'd burst forth from the closing keynote to the cocktail area and get yourself a Sponsor-tini and collapse. There was mostly no going back to the room to change. There was mostly one main event. Yes, there were other parties, but they weren't always giant to-dos. They certainly weren't the focus of the conference.

That started to change a couple years ago. By now, by 2010, the parties are a giant part of the conference. There are dozens of them: public, private, sponsored, non-sponsored, on-site, off-site, cocktails, finger foods, dinners, desserts, cheeseburgers. It is The Way Of Things. You attend the conference, you go back to your room, you change for the evening.

Now.

That was never, ever MY way of things. I have never been able to attend a party at BlogHer (other than the ones BlogHer hosted, of course) because I was working and/or exhausted AND needing to be up before the sun. I never had a moment to change. I never had a moment to even try to fix my makeup. Wearing heels of any sort would have been nothing short of perverted. My only accessories have been clipboards, Bluetooth headsets, and walkie-talkies.

This year, I'd be DAMNED if I didn't take time to get dressed up.

I'm a whole new person.

I weigh less than I've ever weighed at a BlogHer conference, for one. I actually FIT into dresses and cute(ish) clothes. I don't hate the way I look, and I don't have to wear I'm-working-don't-bother-me black.

I can wear heels! Not like, a lot (there's still plenty of walking, and I still weigh a metric ton), but at least some! A little! Because you know what I can do? I can SIT! WHENEVER I WANT!

Add in the fact that I'd also be there as a representative of the Clever Girls Collective. I'm excited and proud to be part of this venture, thrilled to be able to say that it's in part MY company. My partners are beautiful and put-together women, and I enjoy being with them. It makes me want to look beautiful and put-together, too.

ESPECIALLY since mostly bloggers who've met me have only seen my frantic, sweaty, crazy-eyed, melty-make-upped, clunky-sensible-shoed self.

And also? I got to be me. Not me, the person you yell at when you don't like your lunch or can't find your break-out session or have a complaint about the air conditioning. Me, as a blogger. Me, as an entrepreneur. Me, as a wife and new mother. Me, as someone who loves the blogging world and always has.

I feel good and am looking better, and I really wanted to go to BlogHer as a refreshed version of myself.

So, I shopped.

I thought about my makeup. I thought about my jewelry (I barely ever do this; I barely have any; I've never cared much about accessorizing, even though I've wanted to). I bought dresses that weren't a size MILLION and in fact, weren't even plus-sizes anymore. I bought shoes.

Also? I bought everything on clearance and spent practically no dollars. I forgot what it's like to be able to buy "regular" clothes on sale!

And headed to New York with my husband and daughter and partners and new business cards and more confidence than I've had in years, with more dresses than I've ever owned.

Comments

  1. I have to tell you that it was so good to meet you when I crashed one of the unofficial parties on Saturday night. You are every bit as funny and entertaining in person as you are here in the virtual world. And tell Ish I enjoyed meeting him as well.

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  2. Hey, you were in St. Louis? Well, thank goodness you weren't here during the really hot part! Of course I'm kidding because it's been absolutely miserable here. I hope you enjoyed The Lou.

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  3. Sounds like a great time. Jealous. When I get to 500 followers maybe I will consider it. I have a long, long, long way to go... :)

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  4. YAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

    I have been wondering where you were. I am BEAMING for you.

    YAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

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  5. It's so nice to read how good you're feeling about yourself. It's really inspiring. Have missed reading your posts and am glad you were off having such fun adventures.

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  6. this is lovely. and having read all of your posts (because i am rainwoman)its what life should be, right. a series of decisions that make sense you toward a steady progression of 'better' all around.

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  7. Kristy:
    As usual, blown away by you and your endless wonderfulness! Give Ish and Eve hugs from me.

    Love,
    Norma.

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  8. You said you didn't take many, but given how many others were at BlogHer, perhaps someone else did? If so, could you post a link?

    It would be nice to see how awesome you're looking (even though I totally believe you, of course).

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  9. "My only accessories have been clipboards, Bluetooth headsets, and walkie-talkies."
    ...and rust-colored tights! ;)

    Kristy, you ROCK!

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  10. i'm so behind the times. i have no idea what BlogHer is. Everyone was tweeting about it.

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  11. I met you at one of those parties, which was awesome, but I'm pretty sure I left without telling you I really liked your dress. Now I'm sorry I didn't notice your shoes.

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  12. Wait, I thought this was a knitting blog ??

    MWAHA hAHAHAHA HAHahahaHAHA !!

    Fabulous post and I am so happy for you and your dresses !

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  13. When do we get to see photos of your transformation and your face full of happy!?

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  14. found your blog through netwroked blogs on facebook. great stuff here. have a great night, oh shouldn't you be sleeping?

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  15. Okay, being fat and living in NYC is the worst thing ever because of the heels factor. It's not like I'm a person who thinks I need to wear heels to be feminine, and I'm already tall enough that most people wearing heels are still shorter than I am, but heels sometimes just look more formal, and I sometimes just want to dress up for My Man.

    So good for you. I am jealous in a friendly way.

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