Petite Version of this Post

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend Femme Fair, a San Francisco Blogger Bazaar. It was a great way to meet other fempreneurs, and support the local blogger community, which includes various photographers and brands, some of which with Bay Area roots.

A few highlights were:

• getting my hair done in a fancy braided updo
• snagging some great finds while shopping their closets
• snacking on macarons and feasting on sweetgreen
• meeting brands, bloggers, photographers
• walking away with a swag bag with $300+ worth of goodies

I elaborate more down below.

Thank you so much to @StaceyAnnLoves, @Closet_Luxe, and @melsanv for hosting this fabulous event!

And if you find slight hesitation to attending such events, I conclude this hefty piece by kicking you in the booty and encouraging you to go! With a positive attitude as always! As you can see, this homebody has no regrets in networking this past weekend! (It’s a recap, so it’s a hefty post.)

If you and I met at the event, but you weren’t sure how to contact me, please leave a comment below. I would love to reconnect!

Full Post

Halogen Leather Jacket, XS (similar, which I have in blush) // White Tank, Forever21 // Paige ‘Transcend – Verdugo’ Crop Skinny Jeans, Size 24 (cropped, so no need to hem!) // Gladiator Wedges, old (similar)

The introvert in me and my initial resistance to resist

Scrolling through the vortex that is Instagram, I stumbled upon @FemmeFair. I wasn’t exactly sure what it was about, but I could see that we shared some interests, so I liked and commented away.

And then social media magic happened. I received an email from @StaceyAnnLoves who invited me to the VIP portion of the Femme Fair, which allows early access into the event. I was tentative because I honestly didn’t know my plans at the time. I thought I might be on vacation, which I’m still trying to figure out right now.

And the truth is, sometimes social functions just make me anxious. Although I am friendly, the introvert in me just wants to stay in the comfort of my home. Crowds? “No. thank you” is what I typically say.

However, as I did more research, I realized that how I’m digging the cause. The concept was to get local bloggers, brands/companies, and photographers together, no matter how “big” or “small”.

Certain bloggers hosted a little shop so guests had the opportunity to purchase their favorite bloggers’ highly coveted wardrobes. Hence, a San Francisco Blogger Bazaar!

So initially, I’m thinking… “I’m not exactly in the best place to spend a fortune right now. SHOULD I really go?”

But what struck a chord with me is that a portion of the proceeds go directly to Planned Parenthood, which I fully support. And if anything, my VIP pass would give me access to a goodie bag worth $300. So I was initially resistant to go, but then I realized “Hey, this is another way I can #resist!”

The event was hosted by @StaceyAnnLoves, @Closet_Luxe, and @melsanv. All three are SF Bay Area bloggers, whom I’ve seen around on Instagram, but have never officially met until this weekend. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, and perhaps I asked Stacey too many questions, but her answers ultimately convinced me to attend.

Meet Christina (@Closet_luxe), Melissa (@melsanv), and Stacey (@StaceyAnnLoves). These three fabulous women organized the entire event. Thank you so much, girlfriends!

Highlights of Femme Fair

Braid Bar

Loving my braided updo by Mishi Nova, owner of Morphic, a cool hair salon in the FiDi of San Francisco!

One of the things I knew I had to do was to stop by the braid bar. Since I was one of the first to arrive (thanks to my VIP pass), I wanted to beat the line. I was the second person Mishi worked on.

I wore a leather jacket, but for some reason, I really wanted a braid that would probably pair better with a bohemian dress. Well, what the hell, I still went with a braided updo. Mishi could tell that’s what I really wanted because this isn’t something I get done every day. I ended up really liking the juxtaposition of edgy meets dreamy.

Mishi’s technique was firm, but gentle. I highly approve. Isn’t this braid lovely?

I need to learn how to do this braid myself. To the left, you see Stacey’s boho chic closet and home decor.

The back of my head is ridiculous! (Brownie points if you know where that came from)

Raiding other bloggers’ closets

They had a good size run and a plethora of styles amongst all the bloggers. So I was very pleased to find a few of the bloggers were relatively petite-sized!

I purposely wore a tank top so that I could easily get in and out of clothes. I knew that since pants are tricky for me, the likelihood of me dying to try a pair of jeans was very low.

Most of the bloggers had a mirror set up. Stacey even had a little dressing room made from a room divider. There was also a restroom in case you didn’t have modest ways of trying clothes on.

I wasn’t really on the hunt for anything specific, but walked away with a few great things – all for under $34! All of which were very Bernielicious! (aka my style)

I bought a cute plaid/floral dress and a cheetah print scarf from Christina (@Closet_Luxe).

I also snagged a gray pleather jacket from Alyson (@thebeautyvanity). The crop cut was perfect for petites.

And I got a fab fur vest from Stacey (@staceyannloves) because although I have two fur vests at home, I obviously needed a third. This one has some blue tints, which reminded me of an Australian Sheperd, one of my favorite dog breeds.

I just love this idea of shopping bloggers’ closets because it’s sustainable fashion. Think of it like ThredUp or Poshmark, but perhaps even better. Why? Bloggers/sellers get a bigger payout. And the customer can try on the second-hand items.

Wine and Dine

I’m not much of a drinker, but they served cute cocktails and even had a bar with bartenders from Campari America. I was happy they didn’t look at me weird for requesting JUST sparkling water.

Connecting with the Community

One of the reasons why I decided to attend this event was to network! I also wanted double points for live human interaction that day. I took Barry’s Bootcamp prior to the event and that normally counts, but I wanted the extra credit.

I’m very happy to connect and meet the three ladies hosting the event as well as with local shops, like Morphic who did my stunning braid.

My favorite shop was Cuyana. The leather and workmanship are impeccable and their bags are definitely worth the investment. I’m still dying to make a purchase, but I had to restrain myself today. My birthday is less than a week away. It’s VERY, VERY wishful thinking, but perhaps someone will gift me something from Cuyana. LOL I’m laughing because I normally give myself the best gifts 😉

I also loved meeting a few folks who support the bloggers – aka the blogger boyfriends / photographers. I’m happy to make a genuine connection with at least one photographer who I might work with in the future. I got super excited asking him questions about his journey in photography. He even encouraged me to play around in Lightroom.

Now, if any of you know of any photographers who want to be a blogger boyfriend, please send them over my way and have them inquire within! One of the reasons why I don’t post a lot of fashion is because I don’t have that Instagram boyfriend to follow me around and take ten billion photos of all details of my life. (And also, there are so many fashion bloggers out there. It’ll be easier for me to talk about areas that I’m passionate in like fitness and interior design and meeting people!)

Side note back to the blogger boyfriend… The truth is, I could have probably had this life as I briefly dated someone who majored in photography. It would have been perfect because I wouldn’t have to pay for a photographer. But then that got me thinking… well, HOW would he want to be paid? mmm nah

My favorite gifts in the swag bag

I received quite a bunch of beauty products that are new to me, so I can’t yet say how much I like them. But other than beauty products, I loved the following items:

• A notebook from Minted
• Female empowered flash tattoos from Krome Body
• NSTY WOMN tote from Cucui
• A delicate ring from Katie Dean Jewelry
• A coupon for 50% off my next in-store purchase at Rebecca Minkoff. My bag collection will get an addition in the near future!

Conclusion

After coming home from this event (and taking a much-deserved cat nap), I can’t believe I almost passed up on this opportunity!

If anyone is intimidated about going to these types of events by yourself, don’t worry. It forces you to meet new people.

I went by myself. My closest groups of friends aren’t as into social media as I am. So being the brave Aries that I am, I went alone. I actually don’t know how they would react to all of the cameras and photo taking moments. They would have loved the shops though!

Overall, my impression of the community is positive, although… I’m only going to mention this because it’s not easy going to these events alone, especially with awkward encounters. I know of at least one person who did not look too happy that I was at the event, much less invited to the VIP portion.

All I could do was put my best foot forward. I took the high road and said hi. I left it at that because this individual was not screaming good vibes at me, so I proceeded to networking with positive folks.

The truth is although bloggers need support from other bloggers, sometimes, you can’t help but wonder how much of a competition it is.

Just because some people don’t blog as often as the pros do, doesn’t mean they’re not part of the community. Sad to say, there might be the slightest sense of competition or hatorade going around. I encourage the blogging and Instagram communities to welcome only positive thoughts. I honestly think there’s room for all of us to be successful in this game.

I personally blog on the side. It is just for fun and as a way for me to express my creative side. It’s also a way to make me laugh because for some reason, I giggle at my own jokes.

With that said, I had a great time at this event. I can’t wait for their next Femme Fair event! Hope to meet up with those in the community before then!