Stitch Fix Tastemaker's Event: Part 2

Sooo, I'm guessing that you've all seen the first segment of my Stitch Fix adventure by now.  I told y'all about my photo shoot but omitted info about other activities so imma fill you all in today.  I was in Frisco for 3 days - I wish I could've stayed longer, but I had a concert back in the DMV so I had to leave as soon as Stitch Fix stuffs was over.

For those of you unfamiliar with Stitch Fix, get familiar, ha!  I've blogged about them on SS several times already, but I'm gonna refresh y'all just in case.  They're an amazing clothing company that provides personalized shopping experiences for each and every one of their customers.  Let me break it down for you guys: your stylist handpicks a selection of 5 items (both clothing and accessories) for you after you fill out a detailed style profile.  It helps him or her understand your size, style, shape, budget and takes about 10 minutes tops.  Then you decide when you'd like to receive your shipment! You're then free to try everything on in the comfort of your home!  If you need help putting together looks, they got you covered with a cute brochure with killer outfit ideas to help you style looks.   If you decide to keep everything in your fix, you get 25% off your entire purchase (!!!!) Now that we gots that out of the way, let's talk about trip deets.

Day 1

I flew in super early on Tuesday because I wanted to check the city out - I had a killer tour guide so that was all sorts of awesome!  Shout out to Robby aka Flow Zen for good times.  I checked in at the Axiom and met up with Robby shortly after to check out Fisherman's Wharf.  We started our day with In n' Out.  I'd never tried it before so I wanted to get my nom on there!  Conclusion? Eh.  It was pretty ok, but nothing mind-blowing.  

I got a burger + fries both animal style.  In retrospect, I feel like I should've just gotten regular fries because the cheese + special sauce was pretty heavy (think thousand island dressing).  Yeah, I felt kinda gross afterwards. Honestly, Shake Shack & Five Guys are both SO much better IMO.  I know my Cali readers are gonna give me sh*t, but I'm sorrrrrry!  Damn my tastebuds, right? Anywho, we walked off our massive food comas...before getting a huge sundae at Ghiradelli, ha. 

Time was tight because I had shoots scheduled in the afternoon so we decided to just drive to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was hella foggy that day so I couldn't see much, but it was a cool view nonetheless. He dropped me off at my hotel afterwards, and I rushed to get ready for my shoots (if you're interested you can see photoshoot 1 here and 2 here - more will be up later)! After working, I met up with Robby again and grabbed sake + tonkatsu ramen at Waraku for dinner. I was exhausted at that point so I crashed hard...

Day 2

...only to wake up at 4:45 to get my hustle on.  Hey, work calls, right?  I was meeting everyone (fellow influencers + Stitch Fix peeps) in the lobby at 8:45 so I needed to finish my to-do list + get ready before that.  I answered emails and did blog work while munching on room service (egg and ham croissant, fresh squeezed orange juice, and espresso).  

OH, and just in case you missed the AMAZING list of women who were at the event, imma list them all for you here again: Africa Miranda, Andrea Roche, April Moore, Coco Bassey, Daniela Ramirez, Jaime Doborek, Juli Bauer, Kryzayda Rodriguez, Maria Gavin, Monique Volz, Rosanna Javier, and TaraLynn Mcnitt.  Love, love, LOVE each and every one of these girls.

Anywho, we started our day by touring Stitch Fix headquarters.  I can't even begin to tell you guys how cute their office was.  It was like this magical place full of beautiful clothing and super friendly people killing it on the daily. The atmosphere there was so inviting!  We then sat down for two killer panels that were informative and interesting. We met with the heads of their buying, styling, exclusive brands, and trends team to learn all about merchandising and styling at Stitch Fix.  It was really cool to get an inside look at how a fix comes to be.

Panel no. 2 was all about social media.  They brought in representatives directly from Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest (in addition to the head of the Stitch Fix social media team) to give us inside tips on how to optimize our work.

Afterwards, we headed to a fabulous private lunch with Stitch Fix management at Perbacco.  We had an opportunity to talk to Lisa Bougie (general manager of women's), Mike Smith (general manager of men's), and Julie Bornstein (chief operating officer) aka Stitch Fix VIPs.

We then headed to their Hizzy Warehouse for tour no. 2.  We got to see how a fix was processed firsthand, and I gotta say, each one is made with serious love.  They take so much care in packaging everything perfectly to make sure you get THE best product possible.  Y'all have no idea how much more respect I have for them now after seeing everything.  I even got to package my own fix for someone!  Folding everything perfectly takes so much work, ha.  It took me like 3+ tries to get it all right.  After the tour, we got a short break before heading to dinner at CALA.

Day 3

Day 3 was cray because I had to wake up even earlier to get ready for a shoot - I had to meet peeps in the lobby at 9, and I didn't want to be late so I was running around like a chicken without a head.  My photographer and I finished shooting a bit earlier though so I had time to quickly grab breakfast and do some work before heading over to Stitch Fix's studio with errbody.  

We started the day with their design team and helped create clothing for one of their exclusive lines. We chose everything from cut to print and even named the pieces ourselves!  Then we broke off into groups and visited different stations to learn more about photography, retouching, and flat lays. It was such a treat learning from these amazing professionals.  

Afterwards, we sat down for a beautifully catered lunch with the Stitch Fix Creative Team.  We were joined by Cristina Angeli (VP of Brand and Creative), Meggan Crum (fashion + content director), Aaron Brown (director of design), and Courtney Hardt (creative director).  We had the opportunity to pick their brains and learn all about personal branding.

Then it was photoshoot time!  I blogged about it all here, but I wanted to share more behind-the-scenes shots with you guys so here goes.

Our new personalized wardrobes!

Sifting through new threads with my girl Taralynn.  If you're not following her yet, you need to do so STAT - such a beautiful person inside and out.  

Delish cupcakes + champagne for us to munch on while getting dolled up by La Mienne for our shoot.

Getting my hair did by my amazing stylist!

Afterwards, we went to another lovely dinner where we said our goodbyes!  I felt SO beyond blessed to have connected with these incredibly amazing women.  I want to thank Stitch Fix for an unforgettable experience - special thanks to Hege, Hannah, Brittany, and Lydia for setting this all up and doing a beautiful job.  Also, I just want to recognize the fabulous Lindsay Dobbs for all the BTS photos.  I can't wait for more adventures.  Next up, performing at the Kennedy Center with my duo partner, Alicia Ward! Make sure y'all follow along on Snapchat for BTS snaps (@sensiblestylist's my handle).

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Stitch Fix's Tastemaker Event: Part 1

I'm SO beyond pumped to share part 1 of my Stitch Fix trip with you guys!  If you've been following me on Snapchat (my handle's @sensiblestylist btw), you know that I was in San Francisco last week for an influencer event.  They graciously flew me out and hosted me at the beautiful Axiom Hotel. The trip was absolutely AMAZING!  I had the opportunity to see everything firsthand, and it was truly an unforgettable experience!  More to come on all that next Tuesday though.  For today's post, I'm going to share photos from Day 2.

Let's start with a fun snap of everyone - these are all the incredible bloggers I met on my trip:  How Does She, Simply Taralynn, Paleomg, Glam Dapper, Nany's Klozet, Africa Miranda,  April Athena 7, Ambitious Kitchen, Crazy Together, Millennielle, C.R.A.F.T., and Kyrzayda.  Stitch Fix really put together a great group of women! They were all SO inspiring - it was truly an honor to meet all of them.  Make sure you guys check them out and follow if you're not already.

Stitch Fix treated us all like VIP, but we were especially spoiled on shoot day!  They surprised us with a whole new wardrobe and had La Mienne doll us up while we sipped on champagne.  I asked for big curls with lots of volume and Kim Kardashian make-up, ha.  As you can see, my hair and make-up artists were BOMB!  

Alright guys, that's it for today, but I'll be sharing a TON more very soon so keep your eyes peeled.  I can't wait to show you guys all the cool behind-the-scenes shots I have lined up!  Yay for cool adventures.

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A Photo Diary: Korea Shenanigans Part 2

Alright guys, it's time for part 2 of my Korean photo diary - if you missed part 1, no worries, simply click here. Now, I'm covering a ton of ground in today's post so bear with me!  We're gonna start with my snaps from Cheoneunsa Temple.   It was built in 828 but was burned down in 1592 during a Japanese invasion.  It was reconstructed in 1610 but kept burning down for some strange reason. Apparently, legend has it that while rebuilding the temple in 1592, locals killed a big snake that kept appearing at a nearby spring.  In hindsight, they believed that it was the water's guardian.  To combat the negative chi, famed calligrapher Wongyo Lee Gwang-sa wrote "Cheoneunsa" on a sign in a flowy style and hung it at the temple's entrance, and there hasn't been a fire since.

A picture of one of the temple guardians.  There were four of them total, and they were located in the front of the temple.  

Prayers written by Buddhist worshippers...

Another temple guardian: this figure was guarding the Buddha pictured above.

By far the coolest shrine I saw at Cheoneunsa Temple.

Moving on to my time at Maengjongjuk Theme Park!  I really enjoyed exploring this bamboo forest. If you're a fan of nature (or even if you're not), you'll love hiking here. Remember to wear sneakers though because some of the hills here are pretty steep.  FYI: you also have the option of hiking up further.  

Next up, riding the Hallyeosudo Cable Car at Mireuk-san (san means mountain in Korean FYI).  This experience was straight-up terrifying for me because  I'm super afraid of heights.  Needless to say, I dug deep and sucked it up. The ride lasted for quite a long time - the view was absolutely beautiful, but I felt like I was going to pass out at the end because I was holding my breath, ha.  It was definitely worth it though!  BTW, once you get to the top, you can hike up further.  Again, remember to wear sneakers because you'll be climbing up a sh*t ton of stairs!  

Now, here are some snaps from Tongyeong's fish market!  These pics are self-explanatory so I'll let y'all browse in peace.  I do have to share one tip with you guys though.  If you're EVER in this city, you need to try their ggul bbang (aka honey bread).  They're so freakin' delicious - words couldn't possibly do 'em justice.  They're round, chewy bread balls stuffed with sweet potato or red bean. Both are nomtastic so you obviously have to buy one of each, but if you HAVE to choose, go with the latter.  The red bean was my personal fave!  I would've taken a pic for y'all, but I was too busy stuffing my face - #SorryNotSorry.

My best humans-of-south-korea shot, ha.

I didn't even know anchovies came in this size? 

Rows of seafood...lots of mysterious seafood that I've never seen before...

Last but not least, here are snaps from Suncheon Bay's Wetlands.  Since I went during the summertime, the reeds were green! Apparently, they're much more beautiful when they're brown in the fall.  It was really cool to see anyway though.  At the risk of sounding all artsy-fartsy, they moved like waves in the wind! Heads up, if you decide to come here, you're gonna be doing a lot of walking. I think the full course is about 2 miles or so?  If you'd rather chill, there's a museum on site.  They have different displays so you can browse a bit.  It's no moma though so don't expect to spend a lot of time here!

That's it folks!  I obviously didn't document everything from my trip, but those were some highlights! I can't wait to go back and explore more.  I definitely wanna go back and check out more of S. Korea! I can literally hear Jeju Island calling my name, ha.  Where have you guys been traveling to? I want to hear ALL about your adventures.

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SS Travels to South Korea

Hi everyone!  As I'm sure y'all know, I've been in South Korea for the last week or so.  I spent the first few days here chillin' at the Chosun Westin in Seoul, but now I'm on the move.  Currently, I'm staying in Kyungki-do, but I'll be traveling again soon!  Here are some pics from my trip so far.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung, the largest of the five grand palaces in S. Korea, was the first royal palace built by the Joseon Dynasty.  It also houses the National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum of Korea.  Admission is around $3 per person, and the museums are BAMF.  

Myeong-dong

I spent an entire day here walking around and browsing shops.  In addition to giant shopping centers like Shinsegae and Lotte, there are a bajillion stores and restaurants here. You'll find designer clothing and accessories, but unless you have moolah to waste, don't purchase 'em here.  Everything's super overpriced IMHO! I recommend Dongdaemun or Namdaemun.  

Dongdaemun is fashion heaven!  If you want to browse the best of Korean designs, go to Doota. That mall is goals. I literally wanted to buy everything, but I only ended up getting one thing because errthing was so damn expensive.  I had fun window shopping though!  

Also, FYI, there's another mall right next door called Migliore. They have some cute stuff, but you're not allowed to try anything on sooooo I'm not a fan!  Their stuff's MUCH cheaper though so if you're ok with the aforementioned system, knock yourself out.  Namdaemun's basically a flea market!  I like buying cute socks, hair accessories, and pens/pencils here.  Feel free to get your haggle on!  Now, onto food porn!!!!  There are seriously delish noms everwhere.  

Stay tuned for more! I'll make sure to update soon with snaps of my shenanigans.  

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New York City Shenanigans

A few days ago, I trained up to NYC to give a social media workshop for The Fashion Potential.  I was super excited to do so but I was dead tired for most of my trip because I had to catch a 5:30 train aka I woke up at 4 AM to get ready.  Now, I usually wake up pretty early, but let's be real, 4's straight up painful.  I think I would've been ok if I had a chance to catch up on zzz's, but I had a shoot, a bunch of business meetings, and hangs with friends so that was out of the question.

Luckily, the little rest I got was solid thanks to Yotel.  Located on 42nd and 10th Ave., they're a futuristic hotel with amazing customer service.  Now, when I say futuristic, I mean futuristic. Their hotel's designed like a freakin' spaceship!  Each room is called a "cabin," and "mission control" is yotel talk for reception.  You check in and out by using a self-service kiosk in the Ground Control area, and they even have a baggage storing robot (!!!!) Check in time's at 3 PM so if you get there early, you store your luggage in Yobot for $2 and get your exploration on.

Yotel's check-in kiosk || Yobot

My cabin had an absolutely amazing view - the lights were hypnotizing!  If you want to see it for yourself, click here - I shared it on IG a while back.  Oh, and on that note, if you're not already following me on instagram, you should because I'm all sorts of loveable...I hope!  Anywho, my cabin was so cute.  I took a bunch of pictures for you guys, but unfortunately, the photos didn't come out well because lighting wasn't ideal.  No worries though, I'll describe it in great detail for y'all so you can use your imagination to picture everything.  It had a convertible queen bed with a technowall and flat screen.  The monsoon shower was luxurious.  I felt like I was getting a massage while bathing because of the high water pressure.  The workstation had free wifi that was ridiculously fast so working here was cake!  On top of it all, Yotel offered complimentary coffee and tea 24/7 + free muffins at breakfast time.  

Now, enough about digs, let's talk adventures.  The main purpose of my trip was to give a workshop, but being me, I totally over-scheduled myself so I was running around non-stop.  Let me break it all down for y'all and share some highlights (the workshop's a given so I won't go into that):

Dinner at Bea:  After having an especially crappy meal in k-town - Shanghai Mong was a disaster - I was extra pleased with my meal here. Located in the Theater District, Bea was a do on so many levels.  Everything from service to interior was on point!  I ordered house ricotta with rosemary honey and sea salt to start - it was freshly made and served with grilled bread.  Initially, I thought the combo was a bit strange, but it grew on me FAST.  Each and every bite was creamy goodness, and I just couldn't get enough!  For my entree, I got their famous green pasta, and it was ridiculously tasty. If you love pasta (or even if you don't), you'll adore this spinach tagliatelle.  It was tossed in a rich alfredo sauce and came with perfectly cooked marinated shrimp.  

Drinks with Lipton PR:  After working with the lovely ladies of Lipton PR for years now, I finally had a chance to meet up with them in person.  They were just as wonderful as I imagined - all of them were gorgeous, kind, and fun to be around!  We went to Le Pain Quotidien and chatted over refreshing glasses of Chardonney.  

Connecting with Plum Society: I don't know if you guys remember, but a while back, I partnered up with Stephanie, the beautiful owner of PS, for a blog feature + a giveaway - click here if you need to refresh your memory!  I had wanted to meet her in person for so long - she was amazingly sweet over the phone so I knew that she was a wonderful person right from the getgo.  We met up at the Paris Baguette in Times Square and talked over tea.  Getting to know her was so lovely!  I know this may sound cheesy, but meeting readers, bloggers, sponsors, and the like have been by far the most rewarding parts of my blogging journey.  I mean, I would've never crossed paths with her otherwise, and she's a brilliant person who's kind to the bone.  Both her and her boyfriend (the owner of Snakku) are extremely successful, and I'm beyond excited to see what else they accomplish.

Visiting JWholesale's NY storefront:  Yet another brand I've worked with for years now.  Previously known as Sparkles & Pop, JWholesale is everything.  I was totally blown away by their setup in Manhattan.  Prices are mad low, and they literally carry all things fabulous - from clutches to hair clips to statement necklaces.  My contact, Thomas, was there to show me around, and I was really happy to meet him!  After corresponding via email for so long, it was nice to finally put a face to his name.  Now, for your sake, if you live in NYC, make sure you check them out STAT.  I guarantee you'll find something you love!  It's like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory...for jewelry.  For those of you interested, and you should be interested, their address is 882 Avenue of the Americas between 31st and 32nd street.  You're welcome in advance!

Inhaling Chicken n' Rice at Halal Guys: Oh god, you guys have no idea how much I've missed CNR. I used to get it all the time back when I lived in the city.  I mean, $7 for a huge plate of magical goodness? Uh, I think yes.  I met up with one of my oldest friends, Cory Lee (aka kickass violinist , BAMF recording engineer, all in all visionary), and we sat next to the stand and devoured our food before hitting up Maru at k-town.  We got a huge bottle of yogurt soju, which was ridiculously nomtastic.  I'm not quite sure how much alcohol was in there, but it was tasty so no complaints from my end.  

Shooting with Dennis Christians: Where to start? Dennis Christians is a helluva photographer.  I've been following him on IG for months now (perhaps years), and his work never ceases to impress.  I had a blast working with him, even if my feet are most likely permanently damaged, ha - totally not his fault though, we were scouting locations, and I very stupidly forgot to bring comfortable walking shoes. If you live in the big apple and need a photographer, hit him up STAT.

I hope y'all enjoyed today's post!  If you want me to write more about my life, let me know by reaching out!  Your feedback means everything to me.

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