Lucky FABB Recap: Day 1

The Lucky Magazine Fashion & Beauty Blogger (FABB) conference flew by earlier this week! I spent a whirlwind 48 hours in sunny Santa Monica with some of the most stylish ladies, coveted brands and inspiring speakers in the country.

Lucky FABB was created just under two years ago as a means for the fashion mag to connect with some of its most influential readers. At its first West Coast venture, Lucky FABB hosted over 150 bloggers and a slew of the hottest brands & style sites in the land. Lucky was awesome enough to pack the day before the conference with events for all of us to meet each other and get a taste of California style. I flew down Sunday morning (it's just a two-hour flight from Seattle to L.A.) and made it just in time for the Lucky FABB Brunch, hosted by RewardStyle at the beautiful Viceroy hotel in Santa Monica.

Lucky FABB Brunch hosted by RewardStyle. So many beautiful outfits!

Lucky FABB was a great excuse to catch up with my girl Jammie, who recently moved to L.A. from Seattle. We'd only met in person a couple of times in Seattle, but have kept in touch on Twitter. She's one of the nicest, most giving & motivated people I've met in a long time, and she was the first to tell me about Lucky FABB! She's a FABB veteran, having attended all three so far.

After brunch, we hopped on a sweet double-decker bus for a Lucky FABB Shopping Safari hosted by HaveToHave. Lucky's West Coast Editor, Marlien Rentmeester & HaveToHave swooped us down to Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach for shopping and sun at Marlien's favorite AK boutiques. I hadn't spent a lot of time in Venice prior to this trip, so for me it was a lot of fun seeing the sights while networking with some amazing bloggers!

During our safari, we Instagrammed & tweeted out our most-wanted pieces in each of the boutiques. You can peep and vote for your favorite safari finds on HaveToHave.com right now.

Lucky FABB Shopping Safari hosted by HaveToHave. 

Marlien talking about one of her favorite finds at Heist, for HaveToHave

Sweet beachwear at Undrest by the Sea

Dog bone bracelet & sick nails on Kelci of Two Point Oh L.A.

We closed this fabulous day at the Kelly Wearstler boutique in West Hollywood for the Lucky FABB opening cocktail party. The beautiful Ms. Wearstler herself was in the building to greet all of us for FABB, in addition to an army of Lucky editors and staff. Not only is she a master fashion and interior designer, she is absolutely stunning in! She was super sweet and chatted up everyone at the party. We even went home with a sweet neon distressed muscle tee which I may or may not have worn a few times already :)

With the amazingly sweet Caroline Waxler, Lucky's digital content director and executive producer of the Lucky FABB conference!

Finally met Erin of Apartment 34, a fellow but former Seattleite who's now in the Bay! Love her

So naturally, after a busy and productive day, I'm starving. Jammie was kind enough to take me to one of L.A.'s finest - the original Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles! It was my first time at Roscoe's, and now my tastebuds will know nothing that compares to a good old Roscoe's meal. Can't wait to come back here!

All in all, day 1 of the Lucky FABB conference was packed full of networking and fun with some serious fashion mixed in. I had a fabulous day and went to bed excited for the conference day to come.

See all of my Lucky FABB photo adventures on the Fresh Jess Facebook page!

Fresh Jess & AlixRose Hangout on Air with Google+ (updated)

UPDATED 5/2/12:

They say you should try one new thing every day. Last night, I did two things I've never done before: a live DIY demonstration, and hosted a Google+ Hangout on Air! 

When Google asked  AlixRose and I to host a Hangout on Air, I jumped at the chance but was still a bit nervous. I don't do much video, but have always wanted to incorporate more into my blog posts. Hosting this Hangout on Air made it much more approachable to me. We asked a few of our friends to join us in a DIY Hangout Circle, then planned to broadcast at 7:00p.m. last night. Half an hour flew by, with two quick & easy DIY projects inspired by one of Alix's recent blog posts mixed in with some conversation on summer trends and our friends' DIY experience.

Most people have a Google+ profile but haven't done much with it since signing up. I'm one of those people! After using G+ (and Hangouts especially), I've found it's a great way to keep in touch with groups of people and the general public as a whole. For my blog, it's an easy way to share my posts and host small video chats with friends and readers.

Jen Joyce says that the Uber community managers in each city use it for their weekly meetings, and another friend, Carrie, is excited to use it to keep in touch with all of us (we've got one girlfriend in Vegas, New York and Nairobi, Kenya!)

Visit my Google+ page and add me to a circle! Alix and I had such a fun time with Hangouts and are definitely open to doing another one again in the future.

Thanks Google for inviting us to do this; to Sara for letting us use SPUN Sustainable Collective as our space to Hangout, and to our participants: Alyson, Carrie, Emily, Jen, Jillian & Steve!

Fresh Faves: Byron Gronseth & a Re:Fresh Jess

People ask me all the time how I manage to work, blog, be out and have a life. The truth is, you never get anywhere (sanely) without the help of a great team, and for mine, I'm grateful. I enlisted the help of one of my dear friends, Byron Gronseth, to help me breathe some new life into the look and feel of Fresh Jess. What he is giving me in return is so much more.

Byron is definitely not your cookie cutter graphic designer. At least not to me. He sat me down in a coffee shop for a few hours and walked me through a ton of questions, delving deep into my interests, passions and visual stimuli to come up with a whole new branding identity. 

What you now see here on FreshJess.com is one piece of that. "Pretty, witty, girly, worldly" - I also wanted imagery to reflect the West Coast and Pacific Northwest without a cliche shot of the Space Needle and me holding an umbrella or something. We both agreed on a darker palette too. Take one look at my Pinterest style boards and you'll see I'm not one for frills and sequins and glitter (unless I have to be.) 

I also wanted to reflect my insistence on keeping FreshJess a lifestyle blog, even though I'm classified as a fashion blogger about 90% of the time. It's fine, but I still want to cover other things that mean a lot to me: the causes I support, the celebrities and mentors who inspire me, the books I read, the places I eat, etc.

All things fresh in the eyes of a young Seattleite. Life + style, if you will.

Anywho, I'm so extremely thankful for Byron's help in making FreshJess look so fly. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Check out ByronGronseth.com and his Behance gallery.

IFB Conference Feb 2012 - Recap

The February 2012  IFB conference was the perfect way to kick off New York Fashion Week! This was my third time attending and my first as a speaker, moderating the "Media Goes Mobile" panel.

The audience was full of fresh faces and judging by the #IFBcon tweets, they had a great time and learned a lot from all of the speakers!

I hadn't really considered myself a "veteran" blogger - in fact, I still don't since I have a lot to learn and do! However, it was really fulfilling to be onstage sharing information and advice on social media and blogging.

Milk Studios was absolutely PACKED to the walls for each panel, so my pictures are mostly backstage. Enjoy!

Vintage plaid cape, bib necklace, belt & clutch from Sustalux; bracelets from Moksha, Sustalux & Urban Xchange

The panel! Karen Moon (StyleMusee), Macala Wright (Fashionably Marketing Me), Tom & Lorenzo, Bryan Boy & Aliza Licht (DKNY PR Girl)

H&M sleeveless top w/back cutout; vintage belt from Sustalux

With Jennine Jacob, founder of IFB

With Karen Moon & Bryan Boy

With Aliza Licht in our capes

With Macala & Aliza before our panel

Tony Wang

Tom & Lorenzo

Met one of my favorite bloggers, Vintage Vandalizm!

Another fabulous panel

bling!

Guest of a Guest has their conference photos up already. Check them out!

I am in town for the rest of the week catching a few shows and catching up with some great friends. Tweet at me if you're around! @JessEstrada

So You Want to Start Blogging

I've received a lot of emails & messages with a variety of questions from people who want to start a blog, so I thought I'd write a post with some of my general thoughts and tips!

First of all, kudos to you for wanting to start a blog! Fresh Jess has been an outlet for me to share with you the things in my life that inspire me. It's also been a great exercise in refining my writing style and ultimately learning about myself. I love it, and I hope you do too!

With that, here are some tips on getting started:

Know your passion(s)

Having an answer to the question "What do I want to write about?" isn't enough, especially if it's a vague, one-word term like "fashion" or "food." What is it about fashion that moves you? What do you gravitate towards when you find yourself thinking about food? Try to be specific in defining what it is your blog will be about, but be broad enough that you can write about a diversity of topics. Whether it's personal style, covering the latest trends or highlighting independent, unknown designers, knowing what you're passionate about will help guide you in writing blog posts. In turn, your readers will have the best possible idea of what to expect when they visit your blog.

Do your research

Now that you have an idea of what you want to write about, take some time and make a list of other blogs or online publications who are covering those topics. What are they doing well? What do you like about the layout, design, writing style, and content of these blogs? What don't you like? There's nothing like seeing what's already out there to conjure up - and focus - inspirations for what you want with your blog.

Make time for it!

This might sound like a no-brainer, but it's important to make the time commitment to writing and maintaining your blog if you're going to start one. It sucks to Google a topic, find an interesting blog about it and find out that the author hasn't posted anything since 2006! Carve out some time each week devoted to writing blog posts, promoting your blog, networking with other bloggers, and maintenance or analytics. If you don't work it into your current schedule, it's really easy to fall off and really hard to pick it back up again. Your readers also won't have an idea of how often you post, if at all.

Are you adding value?

This one is absolutely necessary. Does writing and maintaining a blog bring value to you? If it stresses you out to even think about sitting down to create blog posts, maybe you're better off with a less time-intensive social media platform like Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr. You can still write and share what you want to there. Beyond that, think about whether or not you're adding value to your readers' lives. Are you sharing valuable information? Setting the platform for dynamic conversation? Hoping to inspire your readers through visual imagery or video? This is all part of really knowing why you want to blog.

Write, Write, Write!

Practice makes perfect. I created FreshJess.com then posted 25 blogs before telling anyone (aside from my boyfriend) about it. Doing that gave me time to get comfortable writing blogs, playing with different post formats, finding my voice and just getting in the habit of writing regularly. When I first started at my job, I got so busy that I nearly stopped blogging altogether. I reached the point where I was always working and never writing, and eventually it felt like writer's paralysis. I couldn't write because I felt like I didn't know how anymore. I got back to journaling (with pen and paper) and started writing for my agency's blog, and that helped me get back in the groove of posting here on Fresh Jess. 

I've also found a great resource for getting started over at What I Wore. The video below is from one of my favorite bloggers, Tac Anderson of New Comm Biz, on quitting the overthinking and just diving into it!

You don't need weeks or even hours to create something. sometimes you need to stop overthinking things and trust your creative impulses.

Happy blogging!

Do you have any questions on blogging? Leave a comment below, or feel free to email me at info@freshjess.com.

Stay Giving: Meet AlixRose & Clutch 22

Christmas might be behind us now, but the giving spirit never leaves me! I love this week's project over at the Independent Fashion Bloggers - Give Your Favorite Blogger a Gift Post!

You've read about AlixRose & Clutch 22 here on Fresh Jess before, but when I think of my favorite bloggers, they are the first to pop in my mind. I love telling the people the story of how I met these Alix, Jordana & Sara at a private party hosted by Darnell Sue for Glamour Magazine back in 2009. Since then, these ladies have been among the strongest forces in my life and I am incredibly fortunate to call them my friends.

AlixRose has all that it takes to be amazing at whatever she puts her mind to. I admire her dedication to the things that are important to her, whether that be friends, family, blogging or her career. She's taught me a lot about nurturing your blog community, thinking up content ideas and taking my blog to the next level. She is diligent about posting regularly to AlixRose.com despite a busy schedule and a really demanding job in social media. We experience very similar struggles with balancing everything, and it's great to have a friend and peer to talk things through with. You have no idea how lucky you are, Seattle! If you haven't perused AlixRose.com yet, bookmark it for her unique perspective on fashion trends, outfit styling and general musings on what makes her tick.

If you've ever had the pleasure of talking with Jordana of Clutch 22 in real life, then you know how infectious her energy and tenacity are. Get her talking about something she's passionate about and she is absolutely untouchable! When I first met her, I could not believe this chick was talking to me. "I am not cool enough to hang and my little blog is just getting off the ground!" was all I could think while I read through her thoughtful takes on outfits and shopping. Clutch 22 now features more of her life in NYC and affinity for digital everything, but the smart, sassy, confident spirit is all the same. She was featured as DList Magazine's Young Northwest Blogger in 2009, and I was lucky enough to follow in her footsteps two years later. She's responsible for introducing me to the Independent Fashion Bloggers and so much more! 

Thanks you two for making a blogger's life beautiful! WOO!

The Freshest Posts of 2011

The holidays are times for family, food, fun and love. It's also a great time of reflection, and for me, 2011 has been definitely been a ride. While it's easy to describe it as a roller coaster, I don't want to call them "ups and downs." Instead, my experiences this year are all lessons learned and opportunities to grow.

Inspired by the recent Independent Fashion Bloggers' Project of the Week, this post features ten of my favorite posts from this past year. It was a trip down not-too-distant memory lane, but also a way to start reflecting on my life as it was in 2011.

Like to hear it? Here it goes... (in chronological order)

Exploring NYC

1) IFB Evolving Influence: What I Learned

They say that if you feel you're the smartest one in the room, it's time to find a different room. Part of a series of posts highlighting my trip to NYC in February for Fashion Week, this one recapped the amazing sessions at the IFB Evolving Influence conference. Milk Studios was that room for me - being there and hearing from the likes of everyone from Yuli Ziv, Jennine Jacob and the gentlemen behind Proenza Schouler showed me that I have so much to learn as a blogger. Though I always stress that I categorize myself as a Seattle lifestyle blogger and not strictly a fashion blogger, style is definitely a huge part of my blog. IFB has been so helpful in being a peer-to-peer knowledge base and sounding board for thousands of bloggers like me.

2) Mamas & Meatballs Make My World Go 'Round

As I chose these posts, it became clear to me that the personal ones - the glimpses into the inner workings of my life - are the ones that would make it in this top ten. 'Mamas & Meatballs' was written on Mother's Day, thanking my mother for always being there for me, and thanking my dearly departed bulldog baby, Meatball for giving me life. They are my everything.

3) Coolin' at Coachella

2011 was my first time at the annual festival, and I loved it! This post brought back countless memories of a couple of weeks in L.A. with the love of my life, capped off with a trip to the desert with my awesome Anisa Leyla to meet up with Andy Fortson and friends for an amazing weekend filled with music, art and the most gorgeous and stylish people I've ever seen in my life. One of my favorite trips of all time.

At my photoshoot for #8

4) Showing Up for Life - Bill Gates Sr.

I traveled a lot in the first half of this year and though I don't regret any of it, I barely did anything to nourish myself. Too much indulging and toxic people. No working out, reading, writing, eating that well or blogging. Come summer, I decided this needed to change immediately. I turned to a book I'd read before, by one of my heroes, Bill Gates Sr. Showing Up for Life is a quick read on exactly that - showing up. One of the hardest things to learn is how to say "no," whether that be to attending an event, a new opportunity or to having too much fun as I was doing. This book is a great reminder to me about remembering your passions and your priorities, then choosing to "show up" for those things that matter to you - consistently.

5) Fresh Eats: Revel

I am fortunate to know many of the talented foodies in the city, but that's always kept me from writing about food here on Fresh Jess. I don't consider myself on their level! I do, however, love going out for a  delicious dinner and checking out new restaurants in town. In July, I launched my "Fresh Eats" series, highlighting my experiences at various Seattle establishments. I am not a food critic by any means, so you won't see any of my personal dislikes here on the blog. I simply enjoy sharing my meals and featuring a small business while I'm at it!

6) Seattle Style: Bianca Casimes

Another regular feature I introduced this summer is my "Seattle Style" series. Believe it or not, there are a lot of style mavens roaming the streets of the Emerald City. Seattle Style is a monthly feature on FreshJess, giving you a look at some of the city's most stylish - who they are, what they do, and some of the very best out of their closet! It's another way for me to give back to my city, and the people who make it stylish.

New beginnings... #9

7) Love & Meatball

Losing a pet is so hard. Blogging about my dear Meatball has helped me focus my grief and turn it into thankfulness and positivity. It's also been a way for you, amazing readers and social media friends, to share your own pain and loss with me. Thank you! Meatball may be gone physically, but his love and energy course through my soul always. Thank you Meaty pie for showing me what it's like to love like a mama.

8) Meet the DList Magazine "Young Northwest" 2011 Honorees!

It still humbles me every day that people read and listen to what I have to say, not just here on Fresh Jess, but on Twitter, Facebook, now Pinterest and everywhere else. I was floored when Seattle's DList Magazine selected me as their Young Northwest Blogger for their annual issue. Let me tell you, the nominations for this really kicked my butt back into gear and blogging on the regular! Thank you so, so much. If there's ever anything you want to see on here, please let me know! Email me at jess(at)freshjess.com. Take a look at the rest of the Young Northwest 2011 talent in this post!

9) The Newest Member of the Family

After a summer and fall full of self-reflection and tons of work, my life has changed radically in just the past couple of months. One of those changes is a new bulldog in our home. Meet Spike, our 4-year-old rescue from Bulldog Haven NW! I'm so thrilled to be a bulldog mama again and Spike's consumed my life. I love him :)

10) Fresh Faves: Brian Oh, Photographer

One of my favorite experiences is featuring someone on Fresh Jess and getting their reaction - from them and from their own friends and fans. Brian Oh's been so thankful and appreciative of this feature I did earlier this month, and his friends from the team at Seattle lifestyle brand Rich Kids Clothing to the party rockers of Trashed have also shown their love and support. Nothing is greater than the feeling of good people helping good people!

There you have it. Ten of my favorite posts this year. Looking forward to bring you some heaters in 2012!

Recap: DList Magazine Young Northwest Party

Here's a quick photo recap of DList Magazine's Young Northwest honoree party. I'm so grateful for all of my friends and loved ones who came across the bridge to Bellevue to support a lady! I couldn't have asked for a better group to hang with that night. Wish I'd gotten more pictures with the other great nominees like Dhruva Mikkelsen, Osiris Navarro, Casey Carter & Sasha Pasulka. 

Enjoy!

Photo credit: Danielle Bortone-Holt

Photo credit: Danielle Bortone-Holt

Photo credit: Danielle Bortone-Holt

Meet the DList Magazine Young Northwest 2011 Honorees!

You know how I said I was finally inspired to pick up blogging again in July? Well, that's because my dear friend Jen Joyce nominated me for Seattle lifestyle magazine DList's Young Northwest 2011 issue for Blogger!

For the first time, DList took to Twitter to see who might be a good candidate for the various categories in its Young Northwest honors. Although tweet votes were just one criteria in choosing each honoree, it helped the magazine find talent they might not have otherwise considered.

I have Jen and lots of dear friends to thank for putting me in the running. I write this blog to share information and personal insights with you, and I am incredibly humbled to have this year's Young Northwest honor. 

THANK YOU!!!

This sweet photo was taken in Olympic Sculpture Park by the talented Brian Oh.

Dimepiece Designs dress / Vintage bracelet / Ring from Nasty Gal / Hair & makeup by Dior Calloway

If you're in the Seattle area, I'd love to see you at the Young Northwest Party this Friday at Munchbar in Bellevue! You can meet all of this year's Young Northwest honorees. I'll be live tweeting using #DListYNW & blogging at the party, and I hear Report Shoes will be in the house! 

Band – Eldridge Gravy and the Court Supreme

Entrepreneur – Dhruva Mikkelsen, Shocking Goat

Jack of all Trades – Andy Karuza, Brand Buddee

Trail Blazers – Josh Berman & Ramel Williams, 4Evergreen Group

Blogger – Jess Estrada, Fresh Jess

Writer – Sasha Pasulka, Red Magnet Media Agency

Chef – Jason Stratton, Artusi

Mixologist – Ricardo Hoffman, Zig Zag

Photographer – Alvin Nguyen, Alvin Nguyen Photography

Socialite – Casey Carter, MissCaseyCarter.com

Artist – Adam Jackson, Adam Jackson Art

Filmographer – Zia Mohajerjasbi, Love & Shoestrings

Stylist – Osiris Navarro, Osiris the Great & Treats Club

Philanthropist – Michael Henrichsen, Play My Birthday Billy Idol

Congrats to all of the honorees, and thank you DList Magazine!

Read the issue online below!

Into the Deep

Jotting down my thoughts! Instagram pic by Anisa

In July, I was FINALLY able to get back on a regular blogging schedule. After over a year of being extremely busy with work and life changes, with a borderline loss of interest in even continuing with the blog, I am so happy to be blogging on the regular again.

While I am still focused heavily on two big parts of my life (style and events), I want to dive more into other aspects as well. More of the restaurants I eat at, books I read, people who inspire me to be more. More of the non-profit work that stirs my heart alive and keeps handsome Meatball's memory fueling me.

Most of all, I want to be able to share thoughts and observations I'm having in this crazy life. I don't think any single post on FreshJess has resonated with people quite like when I write about my beloved Meatball. Posts like that are so easy for me to write because they come purely, truly and honestly from the heart.

While I have my focus on expanding the kinds of posts I do, I'd love to ask you, my lovely and amazing readers:

What do you want to see on Fresh Jess?

Is there a specific question or topic I should cover? More of something you've already seen? Please leave me a comment and let me know!

I can't say enough how much I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog.

Thank you!

Birthday Love From the Baddest Bs

My friends are adorable and amazing. Thank you so much for making my birthday so special.

Infographic bday card from Jordana (Clutch 22) w/help from Sara (SPUN) & Alix (AlixRose)

IFB Evolving Influence Part II: What I Learned

If there's anything I learned at the IFB conference, it's that not all bloggers are created equal. I am of the camp that still blogs for leisure. It's fun for me and I like sharing about some cool things I'm in to. At the conference, I was in the company of bloggers who do it for a living, whether falling into it for the love of fashion or a natural evolution from a lifetime of writing. I think Evolving Influence did a great job appealing to bloggers like myself as well as to those who are looking to make (or are currently making) a career out of it.

One session in particular stuck out to me.

Moderated by Kristina Medhus (Pretty Shiny Sparkly) and featuring: Sasha Wilkins (Liberty London Girl), Rebecca Stice (Clothes Horse), Kristin Knox (The Clothes Whisperer), Lindsey Calla (Saucy Glossie) and Rachna Shah (KCD),

"Working with Brands Gracefully" gave some really great insight into how brands and fashion bloggers can work together successfully. The panel addressed the sensitive subjects of gifting and brand ambassadorship while maintaining credibility and keeping your personal brand true and intact. Here are some of my favorite points shared during the talk:

• Be honest with your readers. Be clear about paid posts ("This is an advertorial" or include mention of working with the brand organically in your post)
• Maintain creative and editorial control. The brand will have some input on what they want you to say, but remember to stay in line with your personal brand and your blog's purpose. Would you write about a free facial when your blog is focused on outfits and styling?
• Be smart about how you deal with gifting. Accepting offers and product from brands shouldn't be about "getting free stuff." It's a chance for you as a blogger - an influencer - to share knowledge with your readers that stretches across various boundaries (geographical, financial, etc.) It's rarely about displaying a brand in a positive light just because they give you something. They want honest feedback, and as a blogger, you should feel like you can share your truthful opinion about a product or service. Successful partnerships between brands and bloggers build over useful reviews and feedback.
• Be ready! Brands will sometimes offer bloggers brand ambassadorship, essentially creating a long-term relationship with that blogger to help promote the brand. For bloggers, that means your readers have access to events and insight into things they wouldn't otherwise have. If you want your favorite brands to reach out to your blog, get your press kit ready so you can show them the value of working with you.
• Earn your brand ambassador status! Prove to brands that you're passionate about what they're doing. They'll respond when you bring ideas to the table.
• Protect yourself. If you do work with brands, you'll be sharing ideas and thoughts all your own. Make sure to get a non-disclosure agreement drafted and signed by both parties.
• So...what metrics are important to brands? Ahh, the age-old question asked by bloggers, brands and social media agencies alike :) There's no true answer for that, but the two things to remember are: analyze what you can, and remember that numbers aren't the only thing that matters. Be able to speak intelligently about your audience and traffic.

Hope these gems of advice can help you! For more from the Evolving Influence conference, check out the live blogs on IFB.

IFB Evolving Influence Part I: The Pictures

When I first got into blogging and Twitter a couple of years ago, I found myself gravitating towards a specific group of Seattle girls who were also into blogging and social media: Jordana (Clutch 22), Sara (SPUN), Alix (AlixRose), Birdie (BonneVie) and Nadine (Girl's Guide to Seattle). It was through these amazing ladies that I learned about and joined the Independent Fashion Bloggers community. Though I don't consider myself a purely fashion blogger, IFB has been a great resource for blog trends, news and of course, networking with other bloggers. I've grown fond of IFB's founder, Jennine and her blog The Coveted and commend her for creating this community for us!

The Evolving Influence conference is IFB's bi-annual all-day workshop that coincides with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in NY. Evolving Influence is chock full of valuable information for bloggers to really take their craft to the next level. This was my second time at the conference and I'm so impressed how much it's grown in the past year.

I've split up my coverage of Evolving Influence into three parts: The Pictures, What I Learned, and The Afterparty. Enjoy Part I!

En route to the conference. Cozy in my vintage fur hat!

The stylish crowding the sidewalks outside Milk Studios

Darling, understated Tavi (Style Rookie)

We're here!

The crowd looks on as Jennine introduces a panel

Me, Mary (Shop Glamarous), Nubia (Nubia's Nonsense) and Alix (AlixRose)

Playing with laptops at the Microsoft station

The Microsoft laptop station. Really wanted to take that art home & find it a new place in my living room.

Pamela (Market Publique), Taylor (Sterling Style), Alix, me and Amy (PunkyStyle)

Beachy keen in the Aldo booth. Those sweet wedges won't be on sale until March! I want

Me, Nichelle (StyleMom), Alix & Amy (Midtown Girl)

Super fun times with AlixRose in the Levi's "Shape What's to Come" booth

Proenza Schouler keynote

Ethan (Elle.com  / Titans & Co.) and I

What I wore:

Green & black checkered vintage duster coat

Vintage bib necklace

Urban Outfitters cream scarf

Vintage shoulder bag

JetSet latex high-waisted leggings

L.A. Made white double-V tee

Dolce Vita shearling boot

(not pictured)

Tete Couture feather headband

Moksha black double-rope belt

Vintage fur hat

Influencers: How Trends & Creativity Become Contagious

Watch this short doc from R+I Creative. You're welcome.

INFLUENCERS FULL VERSION from R+I creative on Vimeo.

"An influencer has the confidence that not many people have. They know that what they're doing is the right thing because they're comfortable with it."

I live this!

Fresh Friends: Clutch 22 (and a call to action!)

I met Jordana of Clutch22 early this year and she's been a force in my life ever since! She's the true embodiment of one of my favorite quotes by Madeleine Albright:

"There's a special place in hell for women who don't help other women."

While making a name for herself professionally in the world of (digital tech & fashion) PR, Jordie has always been willing to lend her time and energy to help her friends. She was a catalyst in driving me to take FreshJess.com much more seriously, branching out to new creative ideas and ways to differentiate my blog from other lifestyle blogs out there. Despite her recent move to NYC, she's been there to bounce ideas off of and is a constant support in my plot to take over the world :)

Jordana was featured recently in DList Magazine's Young Seattle issue as "The Blogger" and is a regular contributor to the international online community Independent Fashion Bloggers.

She needs our help in the home stretch of the America's Most Stylish Blogger competition by BlueFly.com & StyleList.com. Jordana is representing style that's made her fashion blog Clutch22.com a hit - Seattle-influenced and now with an NYC edge.

The AMSB challenge ends December 1st , and you can vote daily in the AMSB widget in the sidebar <-----

Every time you vote, you're entered in to win $1000 to spend at BlueFly.com! Check out her past outfits (w/links to her commentary) and stay tuned for her last one tomorrow. Seattle - show your girl some love and vote every day through Dec 1!

Challenge 1: The Boyfriend Vest

Challenge 2: Prada studded booties

Challenge 3: Hot Pink Mini

Challenge 4: Red English Plaid Top

Challenge 1-3: images via J. Bruner & J. Matthews

Challenge 4: image via

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