Giveaway: Yogafest 2013

Most of you that know me know that I don't yoga well. I'm the awkward one in class that eventually gives up and finds herself in child pose for the last thirty minutes of the class. Or outside of the classroom chugging water like my life depended on it. It's safe to say I may have been over my head during those classes and should have taken a few beginner lessons, but I regress...

For those of you who enjoy or even LOVE yoga, Yogafest is not an event to miss! Even I'm willing to get past my awkwardness to support a good cause because I know no one judge me. That's the beauty of yoga: come as you are.

So what is Yogafest? It is an all day event that supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. For $10 you get 10 classes! That's a dollar per class and it's for a good cause. The classes vary in difficulty levels so there is really something for everyone. The class I'm most excited about is Meditation at 3:30pm because it'll be an opportunity for me to showcase my amazing form in child pose in a pair of $100 lululemon pants. That, my friends, is dedication.

I have partnered up with the folks over at Yogafest for this amazing giveaway:

Two tickets to the event and two $50 gift cards to Trysports.

You can enter up to five times by doing the following:

1) Like at least one of the following pages on Facebook:
in the Queen City
YogaFestCLT
TrySports
prAna
JDRF

2) Leave a comment listing the page(s) that you liked in #1 and what your favorite yoga pose is.

The contest ends at 12:00pm EST on Wednesday, October 16th, 2013 and one winner will be randomly selected.

Good luck!

What: YogafestCLT
With amazing yoga instructors, massage booths, traditional henna paintings, local food vendors, and more!
Who: Sponsored by Trysports and prAna.
Why: 10 classes for $10 for a good cause (benefiting JDRF)
Where: Morrison Square at Southpark
When: Saturday, October 19, 2013
How: Buy your tickets here.

Front Row Charlotte's Fall 2013 Men's Show

The men’s show did not disappoint! I believe we (the bloggers, instagramers, and overall social media mavens) had the best seats in the house, right in front of the big red X where the men stopped to give us a chance to, uhm, gawk at them and their stylish clothes. It was about the fashion and the pups that were benefiting from the proceeds of the event.

As always, Erica looked stunning and Joey looked handsome. All the attendees looked amazing and most everyone wore black.

Centerstage was transformed into a picturesque space, worthy of NYFW. It’s the perfect location for such an event, divided into four parts: the welcome/entry area, the bar/mingle area, the shop area, and the runway itself.

photo by Green Valley Photography

I had a bit of a technical difficulty so I missed the first boutique so my apologies to Taylor Richards & Conger. Below are the rest of the videos of the runway show:

Abbeydale

Blank Canvas

Nordstrom Men

Silverfly

The real star of the night was Shae, a Shiba Inu. She walked the runway for Silverfly and was a big hit! She's also a sweetheart that I wanted to dognap and spoil rotten.

As for my outfit, it came with a little bit of drama… I had to sew myself into the dress to avoid an embarrassing fashion emergency. Thank goodness for that life skill!

Pictured here with Camile of life in mod, Katie of Honeystuck, and Jen of A Fashionable Affair.
(photo by Lindsay Wyanne Photography)

What I wore: BCGB Max Azria Runway Collection dress, Cole Haan Nike Air slingbacks, TJMaxx bag

What was your favorite look at the event?

{Queen City Events} Front Row Charlotte - Fall 2013 Show

Shhh… do you hear that? It’s the sound of the excitement building for the fall Front Row Charlotte show!! It’s also the sound of frustration when I realized that, once again, I have nothing to wear to the event.

There will be some similarities with the spring show… Every ticket holder will have a front row seat and receive an awesome swag bag, you will be able to shop the runway looks right after the show, and 100% of the proceeds from the ticket sales will go to Coalition to Unchain Dogs.

But here’s the fun part, the fall show is a men’s show! According Charlotte’s own fashion stylist extraordinaire, Erica Hanks, men are the new women when it comes to fashion.

So what can you expect from the show? A lot of good looking men strutting down the runway in fall fashions from Abbeydale, Blank Canvas, Nordstrom Men, Taylor Richards & Conger, and Silverfly. You will also get to shop Revolve Men's Consignment and Dilworth Eye Associates in addition to the local boutiques mentioned previously.

Maki Taco truck will be there to feed our hungry bellies while my personal favorite local brewery, NoDa Brewing, will be on site with their awesome brews (fingers crossed my “Passion Crush” will be there pouring the good stuff) as well as McCallan Whiskey (confession: I’m turning into a scotch whiskey drinker and this excites me beyond words).

The event will be held on Friday, September 6th at CenterStage@NoDa (the same venue where Mr. M and I got married!) and will begin promptly at 7:30pm!

The tickets for this event are $50 and include the awesome swag bag, a front row seat to delicious manly goodness… I mean, a front row seat to see the male models strut their stuff… I mean…you know what I mean… what was I talking about again? Oh yes, 100% of the tickets go to a good cause, there will be munchies, and a bunch of fabulous people.

The tickets will sell very quickly so don’t delay, buy yours today!

What: Front Row Charlotte: The Men's Show, presented by Scott Jaguar and sponsored by Janus Real Estate and Madison Capital Group
Who: Erica Hanks and Joey Hewell
Why: fashion, shopping, and a great cause
When: Friday, September 6th at 7:00pm
Where: CenterStage@NoDa
How: purchase your ticket at http://frontrowclt.eventbrite.com

Charlotte Shopping Tour

It’s been a month since the Charlotte Shopping Tour and I still can’t stop telling people about it.

On June 22nd, I got on a bus with fellow Charlottean fashion lovers and was chauffeured around to local boutiques, hydrated by champagne at every stop, and was provided awesome deals specific to those the tour.

I got on the bus at JT Posh and everyone was quite chatty for the drive to our first stop, Fifi’s at Lake Norman. I’ve always wanted to go there but it’s quite a bit out of the way from where I live. Now I know just how much the long drive is worth! Fifi’s is a consignment store and stocked full of designer things and caters to all shapes and sizes, there’s even a section for men! Their visual merchandizing is impressive and I took pictures for home décor inspiration…

We also got to pick up our swag bags at Fifi’s and they were fabulous!

The second stop on the tour was the Junior League of Charlotte Warehouse, another consignment shop I’ve been wanting to check out. There were treasures to be found! For example, a brand new pair of Tory Burch flats…hello!! Unfortunately, they were not my size. The JLC Warehouse also has a lot of trendy statement jewelry at great prices so it’s worth a trip there just for that!

We then made an unplanned stop at the Clearing House, a home goods consignment shop. So many goodies but not a lot of time. Definitely on a list of places to check out when I have more time.

Our third stop was at The Cheeky Bean. I LOVE the Cheeky Bean. It’s a 45 minute drive from my house but I do it all for the amazing collection of clothes (a SouthPark location is opening in August). It was also the only non-consignment stop on our tour.

This was also our lunch stop and we enjoyed amazing sandwiches from Sunflour Company. I had two, the tuna and the fig & brie. Nom nom!

The fourth stop on the tour was at Summerbird, a designer consignment shop in Dilworth. It was well edited and one lucky tour shopper scored a Louis Vuitton bag! How’d I miss it…!? We were treated to cupcakes and more bubbly as we swarmed the racks.

JT Posh was the final stop on the tour and by that point I was ready to drop! You see, I was on the verge of getting sick and totally pushed myself all day. I came home and literally dropped on the couch and stayed there for four days. Ah, the joys of the summertime flu…

I had such a blast on the tour, not only because we all scored something special and got awesome deals, but we also got to meet and make new friends. Honestly, I can’t wait till the next tour!

"Passion Crushes" and Cocktails, the Bob Peters Edition

I’ve been on a “passion” kick brought on by my TEDxCharlotte experience this past February. There’s nothing more beautiful than passion. Nothing. And it’s even more beautiful to see it in action.

I now have “passion crushes” (PC). For example, I have a PC on Chad Henderson of NoDa Brewing. If you haven’t seen his TEDxCharlotte talk, go watch it. Now. Even Guy Kawasaki thought it was awesome and posted it on his LinkedIn profile.

Chad's passion for craft beer caused my friends and I to come up with the verb to Chad to explain things that we’re passionate about.

Here are a couple of examples on how to use the verb:
"I’m Chadding over feminine leather for F/W13."
"You’re going to Chad when you see this TED video."

And then last night I met Bob. Bob made me want to turn him into a verb.

Let’s back up for a moment and start from the beginning.

A couple of weeks ago I crashed a Twitter conversation between Cassiday and Bob the Bartender and asked if they needed help tasting cocktails and, to my surprise, an invite was extended. The day couldn’t come fast enough, and neither could five o’clock.

I arrived at Pisces Sushi shortly after five and sat down at the bar. A kind gentleman provided me with a glass of water and I waited. Shortly after, panic struck. Was I at the right place? The right bar? Where were Bob and Cass? A familiar looking gentleman (Jerry) walked into the restaurant and walked to the back half of the restaurant. “Is there another bar,” I asked. Turns out that there was and so began our night of magic.

The drinks were poured and the conversation flowed. Nothing was made using pre-fabricated mixes. The drinks were infused with fresh produce, mixed with local liquors, and prepared using tools I’ve never seen before. Bob is one part artist, one part mad scientist, and infinite parts passion.

Cassiday, Bob, and some tipsy chick

Huge thanks to Bryan for opening his restaurant's doors to us and for Cass and Jerry for being fantastic sipping partners in crime. I’m looking forward to many more nights full of friends, food, and drinks made by my new PC!

Cheers!

P.S. Part two of this post is coming soon with pictures of all the delicious foods and drinks.

{Queen City Cause} Plateshare

Last night I met up with my girlfriends to celebrate National Tequila Day. We went to Monterrey’s and they had no clue it was a holiday and thus did not have any tequila drinks on special. We overcame this crisis by accidentally ordering $14 margaritas… and they weren't all that great and costs more than my fajitas. This is definitely a first world problem.

What else is a first world problem? Hunger. Yes, in this good ol’ United States of America we still have people going to bed hungry. And it’s not just adults, children are affected too. Lots of children.

If only there was an easy way to help…

Oh wait, there is! It's called Plateshare. It's as easy as going out to eat, pulling up an app, taking a few seconds to enter information, and donating money to a local food bank (it’s the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina for the Charlotte area). Instead of wasting hours sorting through canned goods and processed non-perishables, the food bank can take the change that you have donated and make it work to purchase fresh quality foods in bulk.

And all you had to do was lift a finger.

The hardest part of donating to Plateshare last night was remembering my PayPal password...

You can download the Plateshare app here.

It’s never been this easy to make a difference... I'll drink a margarita to that!

Charlotte Shopping Tour - June 22, 2013

I’m a huge fan of shopping local so when I heard about J. Leigh Events’ Charlotte Shopping Tour, I was all ears!

The basics: get on the bus and shop till you drop at awesome local boutiques with your friends.

The stores: Fifi’s at Lake Norman, Cheeky Bean in Ballantyne, JLC WearHouse, Summerbird, and JT Posh. What a line up!

The goodies: a swag bag, discounts at participating stores, lunch, and more!

There are two pick up locations that you can choose from when purchasing your ticket:

Charlotte pick up at JT Posh (2400 Park Rd., Charlotte, NC)
Lake Norman pick up at Fifi’s (20601 Torrence Chapel Rd., Cornelius, NC)

The tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite and more information can be found on the Charlotte Shopping Tour Facebook event page.

Hope to see you there!!

Green Jeans Consignment Sale & Contest

Monday night I received an email from Diana to see if I wanted to come out to the Green Jeans Consignment Sale on Tuesday night, style an outfit for a competition, and get the chance to shop the sale early. But of course!!

I have been curious about Green Jeans for a while now. A friend of mine introduced me to them about a year ago when we talked about cleaning out our closets and making some money on the things we no longer wear. Since I’ve never consigned or successfully sold anything on eBay, I was all ears. Months passed and the March SouthPark sale was announced. Unfortunately, I had too much going on to organize, tag, and drop off my racks of clothing at the sale. Also, I wanted to shop before I sold to make sure that is what I wanted to do next time.

The answer is now a definite yes!
(Is it August yet?!)

The space that GJC is using in the Lake Norman area is fantastic. Lots of windows and natural light, makes for a very pleasant shopping experience. The sale was PACKED with goodies, packed! So many amazing designer and name brand clothes for amazing prices.

For example, I fell in love with this Talbot’s silk dress (only $14!!):

And this gorgeous St. John skirt for $20 (sold by the one and only Dwell by Cheryl):

Unfortunately, neither one fit well and I’m in the same boat as Diana of The Chic Life. I want a more paired down wardrobe of things that I love, that are comfortable, and fit right. Just because it’s inexpensive doesn’t mean I have to buy it.

Thankfully, the GJC has fitting rooms, both private and communal, so that you can try things on to insure the perfect fit. And there’s no shortage of things to try on!

I walked away with a pair of designer jeans for $22, a leather Cato skirt that I used in my style challenge for $20, and an awesome snake belt for $14. Not bad! It was also charity night so proceeds from the sales were donated. Even better!

Now, the fun part! There were three local bloggers that participated in the Green Jeans Style Challenge, including me. I would love (love) LOVE if you would vote for my outfit, #3, on the Green Jeans’ Facebook page.

All you have to do is like Green Jeans Sale and then comment on the contest picture with #3.

I appreciate your vote and hope that you get the chance to come out this weekend to shop at the Green Jeans Sale in Lake Norman. You won’t be disappointed!

Cheers!

Front Row Charlotte

The invitation for Front Row Charlotte came late last year, to the attention of "in the Queen City." It made me giddy. February 28th couldn’t come fast enough! And then it did and I had nothing to wear.

This is when I asked you guys to help me decide what to wear to Front Row Charlotte. First, I want to thank all of you who voted and provided feedback. It was exciting to have that many people voice their opinions! It also got me excited about fashion for the first time in a very long time. You see, I used to obsess over fashion and then something happened and before I knew it I was wearing the same boring things week after week with little to no variation.

I have a closet full of nothing to wear.

Or do I?

Pulling the outfits together for the vote was fun and reminded me how much I like to play with clothes. I used to share my purchases and outfits on my LiveJournal ten years ago, when fashion blogs barely (if at all) existed. It’s a whole different world now.

I don’t foresee this blog turning into a full fledged fashion/style blog, however, I do see myself sharing not only the things I see and like but also outfits that I’m particularly proud of. It will also force me to realize that I do have a closet full clothes with lots to wear!

The real fun part came after you voiced your opinions and a winning outfit was selected… Accessorizing! I needed a theme and it came to me. Big flowers a la Carrie Bradshaw. There was not enough time to craft a large flower pin so I repurposed my wedding day fascinator.

Step two was the hair. After discovering that my hair is capable of holding curls with the right product mix, I curled my hair… for the first time ever… an hour before the event. Did I mention that I purchased my curling iron at lunch that day?!

5:45pm - selfie in the work bathroom.
OMG, what am I doing?!

After inhaling half a can of Chi’s Helmet Head, I rushed to Triple C Brewery where the event was held. I found parking on the corner of the street (literally) and prayed that I would not get towed. Spoiler alert: I did not get towed.

I rushed inside and was greeted by the Erica Hanks at the registration table to get my seating assignment. FYI – Erica is even more gorgeous in person than any picture I’ve seen of her.

A few hellos and hugs later, I found the ladies (Jen, Erin, and Michelle) and ordered a pint of the Triple C “FrontRow” Ale. Katie was running a little late and you can read all about her (almost) runway debut on her blog.

We mingled, took pictures, and then took our seats.

(photo via Fashionable Affair)

(photo by Thien La Photography)

There were two main things that made this fashion show stand out. First, it was for a good cause. Proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to Safe Alliance, an agency that provides shelter, advocacy, legal and counseling services to empower those struggling with domestic and sexual violence, child abuse and emotional trauma. Second, you could purchase all the runway looks in pop-up shops after the show, no need to wait till the “next season” to find the looks you loved!

Joey, Erica, and Effie welcoming us to the show

presentation of the check to Safe Alliance

I opted to Vine the looks since there were plenty of media, press, and bloggers taking pictures of the runway. If you’re not on Vine, you’re missing out! Download the app here and follow me (in the Queen City).

KK Bloom Boutique

Monkee's of Lake Norman

Olive Boutique

Lotus

the finale

with my friend Liz after the show

(photo via Sweet Tater Blog)

photobooth shenanigans

We were famished after the show, so after loading up on hors d'oeuvres provided by the Roots Farm food cart, we opted for a late dinner at The Liberty. Jen and I both ordered a burger that was the size of a baby. It was delicious. The burger, not the baby.

Painted Hill’s Natural “Crunch” Burger
pimento cheese, smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, stacked with house chips

Staying up past my bed time on a school night was well worth a fabulous night with fabulous people for a fantastic cause. I also want to thank Erica, not just for the invite but for helping reigniting my passion for fashion and making me step up my game. :)

{Queen City Cause} The Young Affiliates of the Mint Museum

When CLT Buzz reached out to me to help spread the word on the CLT Buzz Blended coffee, I said yes for several reasons. First, it’s genius to use coffee. I’m a zombie without my morning cup and I know there are coffee addicts all over this town just like me. Second, the cause itself. I grew up in St. Petersburg and had access to the arts in many different forms (museums, ballet, symphonies, etc.) and to think that there are kids out there that have never experience the joy of art education breaks my heart.

(image via CLTBUZZ)

So please, go get yourself a bag (or 10) of the CLT Buzz Blend and help the Charlotte Meck students experience the local arts.

Check out CLTBUZZ for more information and information on where to purchase (both online and locally in Charlotte).

#TurnedUpVolume, a Social Experiment

Ever wanted to be part of a flashmob or a social experiment? If you answered yes, then tomorrow is your lucky day!

The people behind #CLTNoPants have done it again and created a Nightlife Social Experiment. This event is called #TurnedUpVolume and will take place tomorrow, March 9th, at the Volume Lounge, benefiting Doing My Part.

For tickets and further information, check out their Eventbrite page. The ticket includes a shirt, drink, a voucher for an appetizer and a dessert with more surprises announced at the event.

Watch Improv Everywhere’s similar social experiment:

Have you ever been part of a flashmob?

Pho Eating Contest at the Tet Festival

It’s safe to say that February was the busiest month of the year thus far. From the UNCC homecoming basketball game and alumni event (February 2nd) to a fashion show (February 28th) and everything in between.

It has become painfully obvious, for someone who is obsessed with Charlotte, that I have barely scratched the surface on discovering this amazing city. Amazing things are happening right here in our backyard. For example, did you know that there’s a secret dinning society? Or that there’s a restaurant crawl called Dishcrawl that goes on eating adventures one neighborhood at a time? Or that CPCC has a restaurant and, once in a blue moon, hosts a 3-course lunch for $12?!

Have you noticed how all the happenings that I’m drawn to are food related?

It’s safe to say that I’m a bit of a foodie and have surrounded myself with like minded (stomached?!) folks. One of those folks is Keia, who is always hungry (like me) and whose adventures I follow via Twitter, Instagram, and her blog.

The first time we met was at the Tet (New Year’s) Festival at the St. Joseph's Vietnamese Catholic Church after a failed attempt at meeting up for the CPCC lunch (seats for this event fill up quickly!). I had no clue what to expect. Little did I know how big the event was going to be! There was loud music, dancing, and of course, food! A long row of tables, running along one side of the tent, filled with Vietnamese delicacies I have never seen before. I’m obsessed with Vietnamese food but must confess that I never get out of my comfort zone. This was my chance!

I have another confession to make. I judge people based on their willingness to share their food. I knew Keia and I were going to be great friends when she suggested that we each get something to share, doubling our opportunity to try different things, and having no concern over the other person’s “kooties.”

Bahn Tom // Chao

Che Nhan Hnuc

Keia got shrimp fritters (Bahn Tom) and Che Nhan Nhuc, a jelly like dessert. I purchased Chao, a Vietnamese rice porridge with liver and blood sausage. It was all simply delicious and unlike anything that I’ve ever had. We talked about food, writing, and the projects that we’re working on.

There must have been something in the blood sausage because I don’t remember what happened next but somehow I was sitting down with an event organizer, writing a check for $30, signing a waiver, and entering the Pho Eating Contest.

There was no time to get nervous! The nine pound bowls of steaming Pho were brought out on trays, condiments and eating utensils were laid out, a bottle of water and a to-go container. The contestants were announced and we each took our place on the makeshift stage. Hundreds of people with their cameras surrounded us. Eight minutes on the clock. And…go!

“What did I get myself into?!” // “Eh, it’s just a bowl of Pho, I got this!” // pinky out, eating Pho like a lady

Eight minutes is longer than one might think, especially when it’s your fourth time eating Pho that week. Regardless, it was delicious. The adrenalin of being in front of that many people was slightly nauseating. Realizing that the owner of my favorite Vietnamese restaurant was in the audience was terrifying, I wanted to make him proud.

view from the stage // post-Pho
post-Pho photo credit: Keia Mastrianni

Photo credit: Danielle Brodie

In the end, I ate a little under two pounds of Pho. Not bad for someone who just ate two fried eggs and bacon for breakfast at noon and not long after that enjoyed a delicious Vietnamese lunch. I “won” for having the most Pho left in my bowl but lost the actual contest. It’s really how you look at it. The guy that won the contest is a professional competitive eater so none of us stood a chance anyways. He terrified the audience by digging his hands into the bowl of Pho and stuffing his face with noodles and using the to-go container (instead of chopsticks and spoon) to scoop the liquid and pour it down his throat. It was equally as terrifying to shake his hand to congratulate him after his win.

winner winner, Pho dinner

It was an absolute pleasure meeting Keia and going on our first (and hopefully one of many more) foodventure. Check out her lovely blog and read her experience of Tet. P.S. All dish name research credit goes to her.

Have you ever participated in an eating contest? What’s your favorite Vietnamese dish?