Boston: Blog Better Boston Style Summit

This past weekend was the Blog Better Boston Style Summit, a local blogging conference organzied by Amy and Alana and held here.

I was honored to be invited to host a discussion session on Instagram sharing 10 tips on How to Make your Instagrams Better and Finding Your Voice (Thank you Kait for this shot of me!).

I also enjoyed attending the style summit to hear the other speakers discuss topics such as working with brands, creating content calendars and media kits. 

It was so wonderful to meet bloggers in person (Kaitlin, Melissa, Georgina, the JustUsGals, Allie, Tieka, Julie, Emily, Alyssa, Susan, Brooke, Holly, Sheryl) and see others I hadn't seen in a while (Alison {who I accidentally called Amy during my sesh!}, Shauna, Alana, Amy, Emily, Kristen, Amanda, Surabhi, Noelle and Elissa)

If you missed my Instagram discussion, here's a recap:

10 tips on how to make your Instagrams better

• Find your voice on Instagram by connecting and following others in the IG community
• Hashtag so that people can find you!
• ie: #igersboston (Instagrammers in Boston), #igers, #igdaily, #ignation etc., will allow you to connect with other IGs in Boston and around the world!
• Take a genuine interest in others, and leave comments
• Be visible, not just online (attend events such as Blog Better Boston and other blogger events)
• Be passionate about your IGs, treat them as you would photos with a real film camera
• Explore other apps to make your IGS better (ie. VSCOcam, Instasize and Afterglow)

There were a lot of sessions I wanted to go to, but alas, could only attend a handful, so here are some things I learned:

Working with Brands led by Kristen

• know your stats using google analytics
• a media kit is really important to introduce yourself
• create a pitch and send to a brand you really like and identify with
• know which posts are most read on your blog (most interaction/likes/views)
• your time is valuable
• follow up once you have worked with the brand/done a post

Creating a content calendar led by Julie:

• identify your priorities
• create a content calendar and schedule posts so that there is consistancy for your readers
• use google calendar or even a paper calendar and pencil, whatever works for you
• stick to a general theme and find your niche
• save your great idea for when you have time

Creating a media kit led by Tieka:

• a media kit is a pre-packaged set of promo material on YOU
• selling yourself to give a brand a few facts on whether or not you are a good fit for them
• include: about page, you and your blog, site stats, past brands/partnerships
• what you can provide as a service (ie. sponsored blog post, giveaway, side bar ads, text links, be gifted products to review)

Here are just a few snap shots from the Style Summit, as I was mostly taking notes! For more #BBBos coverage, check out the Twitter feed, and for more photos and updates follow Blog Better Boston on Facebook.

Thank you Amy and Alana for having me, and for all the sponsored goodies!

Here's how you can join the next Blog Better Boston summit.

BFW 2012: Firas Yousif

Thanks to Amy, who's been covering some of Boston Fashion Week for Hogger & Co., we get up close and personal with Firas Yousif and his cocktail frocks to asian-inspired dresses to bridal gowns! Happy to see the gorgeous Jane Conway Caspe make an appearance on the runway, looking glamorous as ever, just like she did at the Zac Posen appearance at Neimans last year.

BFW 2012: Sam Mendoza

Last night in Boston, the first set of runway shows at the tent at the Mandarin Hotel in Boston took place and I was happy to have Amy Connolly from Creative Soul Spectrum cover the shows for me. (We recently met Amy in a Style Profile, here).

Mendoza's show sporting casual yet chic neutrals with flouncy skirts and heads piled high in braids (which we saw a lot of at NYFW) took to the stage. Visit CSSpectrum for more Boston Fashion Week coverage of Mendoza's show and thank you Amy for shooting for Hogger & Co.!

Boston: Neiman Marcus, CUSP Launch

Neiman Marcus recently launched CUSP, at Copley Place. All of Neiman Marcus' contemporary departments have been revamped into modern, young and hip sections within each store. Carrying designers such as Alice + Olivia, DVF, Rag & Bone, A. L. C., Theory and Alexander Wang, to name a few, the concept is to provide a boutique feel that's fresh and updated.

Last week's launch was hosted by three of Boston's fashionable bloggers, Lissy (A Girl in Boston), Lani (Mon Petite Chou Chou) and Erika (Radiant Republic). Each of them styled a model in three different looks but it was at time easy to pick out who styled who. I was pleased to capture the festivities!

Hair styling by Jeffrey Lyle Salon // Catering by Broadway Gourmet // Models: Marie Wu, Jessica Clements, Olivia Guiny, Sarah Hodge, Kara Benghanem // DJ - Liz Ladoux

In keeping with the fresh new concept, it was recently announced that NM is looking for A Blogger on the CUSP, are you the one?

Boston: David Yurman at Lux Bond & Green + GIVEAWAY!

Last week, my sister, niece and I were excited to check out the unveiling of David Yurman's Fall 2012 Collection at Lux Bond & Green. The line will only be available for purchase in September, so it was nice to get a sneak peek. Thank you to Shauna, Sheryl, Trevor, Judy and Denise and everyone at Lux Bond & Green for the invitation and for graciously assisting us in trying out all the beautiful David Yurman jewellery!

It was lovely to see some of my favourite Boston Bloggers: Julie, Khatu, Lani and Hannah and I got to meet Amanda, Chelsea and Shauna's sister Kasey, for the first time, while we "tweeted" it up amongst champagne and cupcakes. Tweeting pays off people, look what Amanda and I won!

Thank you to my sis who took all the photos of me (in my favourite cobalt dress)!

I'm happy to announce that Lux Bond & Green would like to give one lucky reader of Hogger & Co. a $75 gift card for Lux Bond & Green!

To enter, simply follow the instructions below!

Contest ends at 12:01am EST Monday June 25, 2012 

A winner will be picked at random! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Boston: SOWA Blogger Meetup

Location:

The South End Buttery + SOWA Market, Boston

I'm always up for any blogger meetup ops, or meet-ops, and one such opportunity arose when Elizabeth from Miami tweeted that she was going to be in Boston this past weekend. A glorious plan to meet on Sunday morning at the Southend Buttery, then head to the SOWA market, was born.

Here's how Anna, Natalie, Melissa, Elizabeth and I spent our Sunday morning. We even ran into Anne from Adjewelry who has a jewelry shop at SOWA. I purchased a pretty bracelet for my niece's upcoming birthday.

And thank you Anna for the following Instagram:

Here's the item I purchased for my niece from Anne's SOWA shop:

And here's Anne at SOWA (via Instagram)

Boston: Zoora Shoot, Teaser

Had a ball with Aubrie and Rachel at yesterday's shoot for Zoora's Capsule Collection, which we saw at the Liberty Hotel not long ago. We shot at the very cool Mass Challenge space at One Marina Park Drive in Boston.

Here's a sneak peek of the shoot. Be sure to check out Zoora's Capsule Collection for custom Spring looks for under $100!

Greece: Santorini, Stripes

You know how the Greek flag has stripes on it? I gravitated towards that but switched up the colour.

More Stripes Pinspiration.

Boston: DressCode Boston

Had a blast attending Dresscode Boston's Spring showcase at the Intercontinental in Boston. The show featured brands from local faves: Stel's, Unifrom Boston, Ball and Buck and Drinkwater's Cambridge, and was hosted by men's style curator Jeff Lahens. I'm so excited about Dresscode Boston and JL Men's' new logo, which is from Jeff Lahens' Boston Fashion Week show, which I was so honoured to shoot.

Some Instagrams from the evening.

Boston: Zoora Capsule Collection

Last night Zoora had a capsule collection show at The Liberty Hotel for their Fashionably Late series, in Boston.

A beautiful collection of designer items (custom piece all under $100) made the walk around the gorgeous hotel that used to be The Charles St. Jail. 

It was nice to hang out with some blogger faves, the coolest couple we know, Kate and Jack, from Union Jack Creative, Danielle from Story of Style and Helena from The Honey Flower Girl, who you've also seen here.