Getting Comfortable with Hanes In New York City

During all the craziness that is BlogHer, Hanes took the time to throw a little party for the Comfort Crew and our friends, which I truly appreciated.  Anytime I can take a break from a hectic conference schedule to have a Comfortini and a foot and hand massage sounds good to me – because anytime I’m hanging out with my friends at Hanes I know it’s all about comfort.  Heck, I even took a break from my heels-only wardrobe and wore flip flops with my summer dress – they don’t call us the Comfort Crew for nothin’!

I was so glad that my guests Shannon from Traveling Mamas, Stefanie from Mommy Musings, and Debba from Girlfriendology could join me at this fun event!  Michael Moloney of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was on hand to teach us how to reorganize our sock and underwear drawers (seriously, when is the last time that you did that?  It’s time!) and also to show us just how quickly it could be done.  Celebrity stylist Jenn Falik went back-to-basics and showed us how to create some super-stylish outfits using the awesome new Hanes bras (bandeau?  one shoulder?  both straps?  one bra does it all!) and by layering items like the tanks and tees – great ideas for fall! 

It was so great to relax, hang out with my fellow Comfort Crew members, and sip a Comfortini.  I loved learning about all of the new Hanes products in person (I swear that the ComfortFlex Fit Bandini bra is my new BFF – sorry dad for the TMI) and loved feeling like I’m a continued part of Hanes’ social media efforts.  I have learned so much about the brand over the last 7 months, and I am incredibly proud of everything that the brand stands for (green initiatives, support of Susan G. Komen, committment to it’s customers) both online and off.  If you take a minute to watch the video below, you’ll hear me say that I believe Social Media is really important because it’s how people nowadays communicate and relate – and that Hanes is doing an amazing job.  I mean that 100% – Hanes is a standout in this space.

Thanks so much to Hanes and everyone who played a part in hosting such a wonderful, relaxing event in NYC!  Check out Shannon’s post about the Hanes event on Traveling Mamas – including 10 travel tips for packing for comfort!

Celebration for a Cause – Mamas4Mamas Birthday Tweetup

I’ve been fortunate enough to grow up with the most incredible powder white sand beaches and clear water just hours away from my doorstep in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama.  One of my family’s favorite destinations for years, I had the opportunity to visit Orange Beach again this past June with my family.  The experience was an incredible one, but one that left me full of determination to do my part to help this oil spill affected area along the gulf coast.  The reality and the gravity of the situation really sank in as I watched the waves crash onshore from our balcony, and realized that it could be years before tourism was back to normal.

So, to do my part, I’m hitting the road headed to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach next Friday, August 20th (my 28th birthday!) to party it up in style with two friends who will also be celebrating their birthdays on that day – Shannon of TravelingMamas.com (@Cajun_Mama) and Jay of BiteandBooze.com (@biteandbooze) – to raise money for charity.  We’re hosting a tweetup in honor of ourselves – but it’s really just an excuse to raise money for this amazing tourist destination that has been hit hard by the oil spill.

So why am I telling you all of this?

I want you to come with us!  It’s not a party without you there! We have a great, family-oriented weekend planned that will show you the best that the Gulf Coast has to offer, all administered with a hefty dose of Southern Hospitality.  Think of how much fun it would be to pull your family and friends together for the weekend and spend some time on the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.  The food and shopping there are to die for, and for the record the swimming advisory has been lifted from the beaches in this region – the oil spill is capped and the water has been deemed safe.  Check out the awesome hotel packages that the area has put together just for this weekend – some that include free nights at the Gulf Shores Deals page.  We have planned activities the entire weekend of August 20-22, but feel free to come for one night or 7 nights – the choice is yours.

They say a photo is worth a thousand words – so here are 8,000 “words” from our trip in June to show you what an amazing time you’re in for!

If you can’t stay the weekend, we’d still love to have you attend the tweetup at Live Bait at the Wharf on Friday night.  Tickets are $5 but every cent will go to local charity Share the Beach who’s mission is to protect the endangered mama sea turtles during nesting season along the Alabama beaches (part of which is a national wildlife refuge).  The oil in the water has taken it’s toll on the nesting habits of the sea turtle, and so the money from this event will go towards making sure that they are able to continue to nest and reproduce.  Of course, since the three of us are from Louisiana, an area that is also affected by the spill, a portion of the proceeds will also go towards a Louisiana-based charity that we are in the process of selecting.  The tweetup will be from 5:30 – 8:00 pm on August 20th and we will be giving out lots of door prizes and even a few free vacations – so please come join us for a celebration for a cause!

Even if you can’t join us on the 20th, we would love for you to consider making a donation.  You can still purchase a ticket for $5 or you can opt to donate more.  Remember, every cent of your money will go to two very worthy causes.  There is an option on the ticket purchase page for donations only, and we would really appreciate your support of the area.

For more information you can check out the Mamas4Mamas official page, or tweet at us with the hashtag #Mamas4Mamas.

Hope to see you there!

Happy Blogiversary, Chic Shopper Chick!

Hey there CSC readers!

Wow, it’s seriously INSANE to think that one year ago today I woke up in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, and had this crazy idea to start writing this blog thing.  I can still remember exactly where I was sitting when I wrote it, and you can even go back and read my very first post if you’re interested.  I was now the author of a blog.  About shopping.  Oh, and wouldn’t it be cool if people would like, READ it and stuff?  My friends were constantly bugging me to know where I found these awesome products, accessories, pieces of clothing – you name it – and I was even getting stopped in the grocery store on a regular basis so that people could inquire about my shirt/baby carrier/necklace/shoes.  So I just thought – maybe if I wrote it down in blog form (blog form?  Is there such a thing?) then I could just give my friends the URL and they could read about it for themselves.

You know what’s funny?  My friends didn’t read it.  Nope, not one of them.  And they STILL bugged me about where I got my cool stuff.  *Sigh* Is there no rest for the chic?

You know what else is funny?  Other people did read it.  Like, people I didn’t know.  Isn’t that crazy?  I was so excited just to get my first comment!  And no, it wasn’t from my mom.

Things took off.  I had my first custom design done on my Blogger blog and I found my now-signature Chic Chick up there at the top.  When I eventually moved to WordPress and had another redesign done in October, I asked my designer, Emily to incorporate the Chic Chick into this design too – I’m sure she’ll always be around.

Oh, and people were still reading Chic Shopper Chick!  A little ole blog written by lil ole me.  Who woulda thunk it?

Since then…

I’ve run countless giveaways, written hundreds of posts, and responded to thousands of emails and comments.

I made the most amazing lifelong friends in the process, women I would have never met otherwise became close friends, partners in crime, and confidants.

I attended Blog World Expo in Las Vegas, and more recently SxSWi in Austin.  If I hadn’t started blogging, I would have never had that opportunity.

I kicked myself for creating a name like “Chic Shopper Chick” which so many people struggle to say, but is great to make a joke out of now!  You’d be surprised at how many people can’t pronounce “chic” (sheek), for the record.  I’m ALWAYS called the Chick Shopper Chick.  But hey, you can’t win them all.

I’ve received emails addressed to Ms. Chick — those always make me laugh.  Especially since my name is on my About page.

I was asked to be a Wal Mart Eleven Mom!  (More on that soon, I promise!)

I was asked to join Frito Lay in their “Only In A Woman’s World” campaign as part of the Fabulous 15.

I became addicted to Twitter.

I was featured on 100 interviews!  (Go check it out!)

I even recently started co-hosting a weekly radio show with my close friend Audrey called Feel Good Fashion!

….all of that, in just a year.  I can’t wait to see what exciting things this year holds.  A huge thank you to everyone who reads or has ever read Chic Shopper Chick for your love and support!  Keep reading, and I promise this year will rawk even more than our first year!

xoxo,

Gossip Girl

Erika