Oh, friends. I had an out-of-body experience a week ago. It was so real, and so fun, and so brilliant… but yet, I am pinching myself. Wondering if it was a dream…?

I was blessed enough to be a participant in the Better Homes and Gardens Stylemaker Event. The event was a full day extravaganza of brilliant workshops, given by BHG’s talented editors, followed by a televised Stylemaker panel featuring brilliant talent galore {and led by Nate Berkus!!}, and culminating with a cocktail party at the Gavensvoort on Park Avenue.

I have got to give props to BHG!

#1: They know how to throw a party

#2: They have HUGE respect for creative business builders and bloggers; they take the time to invest in the ideas of the everyday creative type, and that SHOWS in their awesome publication. Nothing stale. Real, fresh and doable! Real solutions for real human beings!

#3: Their editors are brilliant. I learned SO MUCH during the workshops and I could not take notes fast enough. Now, if only I had a team of people to make all the brilliance happen here at FHD!

Here are some of my favorite pics from last week, and a word or two about my amazing time. At the end of this post, I share another big takeaway from the event… an unexpected takeaway:

My roommies and I hit the NYC streets, Kelly of View Along the Way and Kristin of Bliss at Home. If you don’t read their blogs, you MUST, oh MUST, get acquainted with these talented women, who are beautiful inside and out.

Here is a pic from our night before the event. I just HAD to include this bc of all the city magic going on! From left to right, Kelly and Kristin {my roomies, see their links in the above pic}, and my bestie of besties Caroline who lives in the city and works at Carnegie Hall. Caroline brought us to this FAB place, the rooftop bar at the Kimberly Hotel:

The BHG Stylemaker morning gathering was sponsored by Minted {LOVE their art prints!!! You can snag Minted’s Wall Art here}. They did THE most thoughtful thing that I have ever seen a sponsor do. They gathered family photos for each individual blogger and made us our own work of art! {hey. I spy my roomies and the lovely and talented Lindsay of White Buffalo Styling Company }

The view from the Meredith building on Park Avenue. Hey, I see my home state of New Jersey across the river. AND the adorable precious reflection of one of the sweetest most lovely women I know: Rhoda of Southern Hospitality:

Selfie!  Here I am with THE. ADORABLE. AMY. of The Blissful Bee. Ya’ll. This girl is lovely, and savvy, and FUN! I shall take her home in my back pocket.

The workshop sessions were amazing! Most sessions were not conducive to picture-taking {think high-powered-business-meeting-amazingness!!}. And then. There was Eddie. Eddie is ALWAYS conducive to picture taking – as are  Eddie’s lovely styling displays. Eddie is the East Coast Producer and Editor at Better Homes and Gardens, and he offered us a workshop session on how to style for print images. He is a wealth of creative information, as well as the king of #intentionalhoarding . <- the hashtag I lovingly gave him. mwah. And yet another awesome person I would like to take home in my pocket.

Y’all. I took several selfies with so many awesome peeps. Maybe this is the sign that I need to upgrade to iPhone 6 {help me justify this, friends}, but so many of my pics come out terribly. Here is a very sub-par pic of the ABOVE-par and wonderful Gwen, also known as The Makerista. We discovered that we are not the only singing decorators out there. So fun to find a kindred spirit.

Ok. Soooooo…..

I got to meet Nate Berkus.

Now that I got that little, squeal-worthy tidbit out of way {squeal!} ; I also got to sit THIS close to the Stylemaker Panel, and soak in their stylin’ tips. I had no idea it would be televised. No idea. I was filled with pure-happiness-butterflies as I stepped into the studio. I kinda sorta have a thing for studios, the stage, and lights, my dear friends. I think they call it the “stage bug.” And I was born with it. Lord, help me.

Back to these beautiful people. The Stylemaker panel had a wonderful chat about their favorite finds, their love for flea market shopping, and how they weave their own personal style into their lives. #livewithbeauty , amen?

Giddy bloggers gawking. {image courtesy of BHG and photographer Avi Gerver}:

Gen Sohr, Gabi Dalkin, Susan Feldman, and Nate Berkus {image courtesy of BHG and photographer Avi Gerver}:

I had fun doing an interview with the team from the Better TV Show. Shocking. I found my way to the camera. I will be tickled beyond belief if they decide to use a clip.

And then. On to the FABULOUS cocktail party at the Gavensvoort Park Avenue. If you have wondered lately why BHG is so fresh and savvy, check out these awesome editors! {image courtesy of BHG and photographer Avi Gerver}:

Ha. Here is a great shot of the cocktail schmoozings and goings-ons. I am up in the corner left, doubtlessly giggling with Eddie Ross and the Makerista about something uproarious. A special thanks to Pier One imports for all the decor and Lee Jeans for their sponsorship of the event. {image courtesy of BHG and photographer Avi Gerver}:

A special picture from a very special evening. THIS moment was one of my faves. I got to meet and chat with the very talented Monica Pedersen, who is an HGTV host and a judge/host on American Dream Builders. I cannot tell you how LOVELY this woman is. This pic is courtesy of her Facebook page. Go and give her some FB love!!! She is worth the follow!

And yes. That all happened in 24 HOURS!!

Thank you SO MUCH Better Homes and Gardens for this fabulous Stylemaker Event. It exceeded my expectations, and I am further impressed by your amazing publication and your vision.

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I had so many takeaways from this amazing day, but I must close this post with complete honesty that, I think, should follow such a fun party-like time:

Waltzing around NYC, dining and drinking on rooftops, sharing beverages with TV hosts and magazine editors and talent scouts, soaking in night music, and hailing taxicabs…

is a far. far. far. far cry from my every day life.

And I found this fact FASCINATING. How very different lives and realities can be for each of us. How there are so many of us, living so many different kinds of lives. Each with our own definition of “home.”

I soaked it all in. All the waltzing, and dining and schmoozing and laughing and networking. And then, I hopped on a train. Back to my home.

Home. Where I waltz… but, around laundry and flying plastic objects.

Where I dine… on leftovers and drink my hydrating water minimums, if I remember to.

Where I share beverages… with 1 year olds; until I realize there is some leftover breakfast floating around in there.

Where I schmooze… with THE MOST TALENTED people on the planet and homeschool them {my children of course? did you even need to ask?}.

Where I AM the taxicab.

So the first thing that you need to know about my amazing, glamorous time in NYC is that I soaked it in, fully and humbly. I loved every single second of it all. I lived it up. And then, I came home. And I love that too.

My takeaway? I discovered that I wish I could be BOTH of those Darlene’s. The NYC Stylemaker and the 100%, all-feet-in, domestic goddess and loving momma. But I am under no illusions that people can “have it all.” We only have one life to live. But that is a beautiful thing, and I am excited to see how I will weave these two lives together. I think I shall toast to that, and to seeing how that will work its way out in my life. Living with Beauty comes in all different kinds of ways.

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This post is generously sponsored by my YL. I am into natural choices for my family, and this is the main way I avoided taking any medicines during pregnancy, and now our family is hooked. My Young Living essential oils are also my business, and the oils are so well loved that they sponsor my blog!!! Thank you, friends! Be sure to check out the July freebie for trying the oils with a wholesale Premium Kit. Enroll by clicking here.

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