The day started with breakfast, lots of meeting and greeting, and of course, a few photo ops.
Stephen Orr, Editor and Chief of Better Homes & Gardens, kicked off the morning education session by giving us a video tour of the BH&G headquarters in Des Moines. I wish Scott could have seen the footage of their prop room {which is more like a prop warehouse} - maybe then he wouldn't think I have too many pillows and vases in my own prop closet at home. LOL!
The morning included some great panel discussions and educational sessions. Then at lunch, we heard from celebrity chef and Chopped judge, Maneet Chauhan. First of all, how stylish is her take on the traditional chef whites? And second, did you know that Basmati rice is kind of like Champagne? It can only be called Basmati (meaning "full of aroma") if it's grown in a few select regions of India and Pakistan.
After lunch, we had a panel discussion on photography strategies with BH&G Beauty and Fashion Editor, Erica Metzger and lifestyle photographer, Annie Schlechter. I definitely need more practice to feel comfortable in front of the camera, so I can use all the tips I can get!
The afternoon also included some hands on workshops, including a cocktail making class led by Marie Viljoen, author of Forage, Harvest, Feast.
She taught us how to make a very fancy Yuzu Sumac cocktail.
Of course, we couldn't just make the drink ... we also had to do what bloggers do best - take photos of the process.
After taking lots of photos, we also posed for some as well.
The afternoon wrapped up with a keynote chat between BH&G Editor Stephen Orr and Carla Hall, former contestant on Top Chef and co-host of The Chew. Carla started her career as an accountant, then spent years traveling Europe as a runway model, before finally finding her way to her true passion as a chef - a winding path to find her true passion that resonated with many of us in the room!
After a quick break to grab a bite to eat, we reconvened for a cocktail party with stunning views of the Manhattan skyline!
A little rain and a lot of wind couldn't put a damper on this party!
Throughout the event, I had a chance to catch up with some of my long time blogging friends, like Corey of
Hey There, Home...
...and to finally meet in person some of the bloggers that I've admired and collaborated with over the years, including Rachel of
This is Our Bliss.
Blogging isn't usually a glamorous job - most days it looks like one of two things: (1) me dragging photo lights and camera equipment around and making a mess of 90% of my house to get a good photo of the other 10%, or (2) sitting on my couch editing photos and writing content in between driving school carpool. But for this one day, Better Homes & Gardens put on one heck of a party and gave us all a reason to dress up and step out from behind our cameras and computer screens. The BH&G Stylemaker was a whirlwind day of inspiration, education, and celebration, and I feel so fortunate they invited me to attend!
We made the most of our remaining time in New York City by seeing a Broadway show, doing some shopping, eating good food, and of course, taking in the views.
WHERE WE STAYED
The Public Hotel, where the Stylemaker event took place, was gorgeous, but it was also expensive. If we'd just been staying a night or two, we probably would have splurged. But since Melissa and I wanted to spend a couple of extra days in the city, we decided to find more affordable accommodations.
We stayed at the Cambria Hotel in the Flower District of Chelsea. We arrived on a rainy evening, but woke up the next morning to find the sidewalk surrounding our hotel packed with greenery.
Nearly hidden between all the foliage were dozens of store fronts, each leading to narrow, but deep, shops specializing in different types of flowers and plants. This orchid wholesaler was my favorite!
I was impressed with the size of the rooms at the Cambria Hotel {you may have noticed in that hanger photo above that we even had a couch in our room - that's pretty unheard of for NYC}, but the bathroom was straddle-the-toilet-to-close-the-door tiny.
In between rain storms, we took advantage of the Cambria's rooftop bar - even taking out laptops up here a couple of evenings. You can take the blogger out of their house, but you can't make them stop working.
Our hotel was also within walking distance of the High Line Canal - a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets of the West Side. Urban landscapes have always been my thing, and the juxtaposition of old and new along the High Line really makes my heart pitter patter!
WHAT WE SAW
Being married to a professional musical theater actor, I'm pretty sure I would be disowned if I went to NYC and didn't see a show on Broadway.
Since this was a girls' trip, it seemed like an obvious choice to see Mean Girls. I know the movie well, and I like pretty much everything Tina Fey does, but I still wasn't sure what to expect of this stage adaptation, especially because the Mean Girl's performance during the Tony Awards didn't really wow me. But I'm happy to report that I really liked it! As you'd expect, it's pretty fluffy, but the music was fun and catchy, I set design was very clever, and the show kept me laughing out loud from beginning to end. In a show full of female characters, it was actually Damien, played by Grey Henson, who was my favorite.
WHERE WE SHOPPED
For years, I've been hearing that ABC Carpet & Home is the holy grail of furniture, accessories, and rugs. Since it was within walking distance of our hotel, Melissa and I window shopped our way there, finding lots of other gems along the way. Favorites included the three-story flagship Safavieh store, and Fishs Eddy with their quirky dishware and kitchen goods.
When we finally made it to ABC Carpet & Home, we found out that it's currently under construction, so only a couple of it's six floors were open, but it was, nonetheless, every bit as "must see" as I had expected. New York Magazine describes it best: "Worn hardwood floors creak under your feet, glittering chandeliers and gigantic antique carpets adorn the high ceilings, and furniture vignettes—often more piles than displays—stand everywhere. It's like an estate sale for your packrat dowager aunt, albeit with impeccable taste."
In the building across the street, there are three more floors of rugs and carpets.
And tucked back in the corner of the upper floor was a revelation that blew my mind - an entire custom rug design studio called the Design Lab. There are tables covered in thousands of rug fiber color samples that can be used as a starting point for designing completely unique carpets and rugs. Of course, I could
never afford to do this, but it sure is fun to imagine the possibilities.
After spending a day shopping for home decor that we can't afford, we decided to spend our last day in NYC shopping for clothes and accessories on 5th Avenue. We started on the affordable end of the scale at stores like Top Shop, then worked our way up to the iconic Henri Bendel, which is sadly closing at the end of this year after 123 years. Since this was my last chance to be a #bendelgirl, I found a purse that I couldn't live without (though it won't officially be mine until Christmas).
WHAT WE ATE
Normally when I travel, I do a lot of research and have a list of restaurants I want to try. This time, we were pretty much winging it, and we got really lucky! During our first shopping day, we were wanding through the NoMad district when a sign outside a small restaurant caught my eye. It advertised a seasonal peach and bacon sandwich and grilled corn with lime aoili and coconut. That was enough to draw us inside.
As it turns out, we'd happened upon
Num Pang, a Cambodian sandwich shop with a cult-like following that has been named the
#1 Fast Casual restaurant in New York by Zagat. Well, it totally lived up to that reputation {the reputation I didn't know it had until I got home and did some research}! It was so good, in fact, that I just ordered the
Num Pang cookbook last night {affiliate link}.
Another afternoon, we were looking for a sit down lunch near Rockefellar Center when the decor aesthetic of B&H Kitchen and Bar caught our eye {because that's how everyone chooses what to eat, right?!}. This restaurant has been owned and operated by the same family for seventy years, so you know they must be doing something right.
Melissa spotted a wall in the restaurant that warned, "Don't Share, You'll Regret It." But we shared, and we didn't regret it at all! It meant we got to try the club sandwich, the chili, and the onion rings.
A few years ago, Scott and I discovered the European-style "food hall" in the basement of the Plaza Hotel, which was created by celebrity chef Todd English and features lots of specialty food vendors. After a stroll through Central Park, Melissa and I wanted to something to hold us over for a late dinner, so I introduced her to the Plaza Food Hall where we snacked on some savory and sweet mini doughnuts. I may not be able to afford a night at the Plaza, but at least I can eat in the basement. Ha ha ha!
Later that night, we finally made our way to Hell's Kitchen where we planned to eat at a small Thai restaurant. When it had a long wait, we took our chances on K Rico, the South American Steakhouse next door and It. Was. Delicious!
ENDING THE TRIP ON A HIGH NOTE
On our final night in the city, we got a call from some of our fellow Stylemakers that they were headed to the top of the Empire State Building so we decided to join them. I've been to the top before and enjoyed the views during the day, but never at night... it was fun to see the city lights from this perspective.
The romantic comedy fan in me loved being at the top of the Empire State Building (a la, Sleepless in Seattle), and being there with these Stylemakers made it even more fun!
Ok, if you've made it to the end of this post, I am seriously impressed!
Until next time, New York!
