Blogger Bash in the City

A few weeks ago, Rebecca Beach and Michelle Edgemont hosted a blogger social in NYC with special guest Victoria Hudgins of A Subtle Revelry. Along with the help of some amazing local vendors, the crazy-talented duo put together an afternoon that was fun, gorgeous and – if you ask me – worthy of a last minute flight to The Big Apple. Our whole team has been ogling the stunning photos from the day (captured by Chris Ozer) from the moment they landed on our desktop, and we were just dying to share them with all of you. Click through some of our favorite shots for a glimpse at what a blogger get-together should look like, plus the fun party video and a super easy DIY!

Rebecca: Planning our blogger party to welcome Victoria Hudgins from A Subtle Revelry to NYC was a blast! We had so much fun connecting with our fabulous sponsors and planning all the little details, but most of the fun came the day-of, when we got to meet over 50 bloggers and sponsors in real life! After reading so many blogs, following people and businesses on twitter and constantly e-mailing, that personal face-to-face connection is simply wonderful!

Michelle: I love meeting internet friends in real life. Let’s all step away from our computers now and then and grab a coffee with each other.

R: Our inspiration behind the event was an industrial and botanical french cafe. We wanted our guests to mingle, and have little tables at which they could sit down and chat with their new friends.

M: I think we pulled it off! The little grouping of chairs, cute tables, and snacks foods helped to create that intimate, yet chatty, atmosphere.

R: The venue we chose to host the party, M Wild’s Studio, is a stunning, all-white photography studio in NYC’s Chelsea district. The exposed beams, concrete floor, and open floor plan allowed us to embrace an industrial look and feel.

M: This studio was wonderful because it was essentially a blank slate, which let our creativity run wild!

R: Rather than lots of flowers, we chose to mainly use fresh greenery in scientific vessels (test tubes, pyrex beakers, etc.). Jeanette at True Florette produced magnificent floral designs! She used a surprising mixture of passion vine, mint, maidenhair fern, jasmine, oregano, bay, laurel, fruiting almond, pomegranate, eucalyptus and dogwood; her florals were simply perfect.

M: Greens are the way to go. Sure, a million blooms are pretty, but the understated elegance and ease you get with mixing different greens is so beautiful. They have been my go-to design element lately… plus, they are less expensive!

R: Our vintage furniture came from our friends at Patina Vintage Rentals. We used their cafe chairs, industrial factory carts, scales, Wonder chairs, postcard display, old doors, work and study stools, and so much more! This furniture completed our industrial/cafe feel.

R: The menu was simple – a few savory items, cupcakes from Kumquat Cupcakery and brownies from HoneyBee Brownies. The Stand NY provided delicious brunch cocktails and lemonade, which were a huge hit.

M: Tiny snacks are the key to a good party. No one wants cheesy dips dripping down their chins. Oh, and these desserts! So delicious!

R: We created a burlap photo backdrop (which we hung from the exposed piping), with an assortment of vintage book pages and botanical prints, each individually stitched to the burlap in a cascading design. Guests were given door prize “tickets” upon entering. The tickets were made from neon Knot and Bow parcel tags, and were hanging from nails on a piece of salvaged architectural wood. Fringey and circle paper garlands hung from the ceiling, adding a touch of neon and spunk.

M: It’s really amazing what can be made with some bright paper, a circle punch, monofilament, and some patience. String anything really onto monofilament and you have yourself and instant, and easy, garland to decorate your next party.

Scratch Weddings provided perfect music (and a turntable DJ) for the morning, playing a mixture of indie, French cafe, and jazz songs.

Jeanette at True Florette also created a test tube installment, which hung from the exposed piping in the ceiling. It looked so beautiful, that we thought we’d share the instructions to achieving the same look!

Hanging Test Tube Installation

Assemble your supplies: a branch, scissors, two screw hooks, fishing line, test tubes, white electrical tape, flowers/fresh greenery
Screw the hooks into each end of the branch.
Attach a length of fishing line to screw hooks to hang from ceiling. Temporarily hang branch (I hung it from the fence in the backyard!) to attach test tubes.
Cut a strip of electrical tape (long enough to wrap around the test tube).
Cut a length of fishing line to hang the test tube. You’ll want to make varying lengths and the length will depend on where you are hanging the installment and how high off the ground your display needs to be.
Loop precut fishing line over the branch, then attach the fishing line to the test tube using the electrical tape. Press the tape firmly against the test tube. Repeat steps 4-6 for all your test tubes.
Fill test tubes with water and fresh greens.
Hang from door moulding or from the ceiling for your next special event. Enjoy!