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Recap // The Southern C Summit

Wednesday, May 07, 2014

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So much charm at the Kings Courtyard Inn, don't you think?

Where do I begin with telling you what an amazing experience going to The Southern C Summit was? There's so much to tell! Let me start off by saying the biggest THANK YOU to Caitlin. Without her, there was no chance that I was going to go, so thanks Caitlin for being the best roomie and friend!

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First stop on this event-packed week was at the Charleston Academy and Candy Shop Vintage Trunk Show. It was held at Dean Suzanne's incredible home (wait til you see the pics) where they (the Deans of the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits) showed us some really simple yet tasty appetizers to make for entertaining. Caitlin had told me a while ago about her friend Deidre who owns and curates Candy Shop Vintage and how the two of us should meet. Well, I was in luck because I finally got to meet the stylish Deidre, along with her gorgeous jewelry, at this event. While talking with her, we realized that we have so much in common. We both come from web design backgrounds, have two year old daughters, and have an absolute passion for vintage jewelry. It only makes sense that we collaborate somehow, so stay tuned on that front!

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Next on our tour of Charleston on our first night was heading to the Furbish Studio Popup Shop. I have long been a fan of Furbish Studio & Jamie, so to finally meet her (she's a hoot!), and to see all of her wonderfully curated items was such a treat. That same night, I also got to meet two bloggers that I've been following and girl crushing on for some time now. The two I speak of are the lovely and bubbly Chassity and the extremely talented and sweet Hanna. Meeting and talking with these ladies has always been something that I had hoped to do, to get insight into how they do it (run a successful blog/business) and do it with such ease. And the insight that I got from meeting both of them is that they're normal people doing the extraordinary. They work hard, very hard, and have a clear vision of what they're trying to accomplish. But that doesn't mean that everything is perfect. I talked to Chassity a little bit more about how she juggles motherhood along with her brand and she says it's hard and that right now her kitchen looks a mess and other days it's something else that doesn't get done. It's all about balance. Some things will get done and others won't and it's all about realizing that and just letting it go or else it'll eat you up. Something I need to try harder at doing.

I also got to meet Elizabeth, Jane, Lauren, and Liza who are all southern belles but more than that, they are successful, entrepreneurial women who left me in complete awe. A few of them are moms, have their sanity, and somehow manage to have incredibly successful businesses all while looking perfectly poised & coiffed. Hmm, that description makes me want to hate them, but seriously there is no hate, only admiration for these ladies. This is another reason to come out to this summit, you not only learn from the summit itself with it's knowledgable panelists, but also learn from the savvy participants as well.

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I'll take one of each, Jamie.

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Amy Smilovic of Tibi was the first panelist to speak at the summit and she had some great insight into how to start and grow your business. She told us of how she started Tibi with a friend in Hong Kong and how it's been going strong ever since. One thing that she said really resonated with me, "think big in goals, small in execution." Sometimes, I think big in both goals and execution and that just turns out to be too much for me to do. So I love that she shared her mantra. Clearly, it's working.

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One of my favorite sessions at the summit was the one on how to have a unique voice with Hanna, Chassity, Libbie, and Liza. It was so inspiring to see that all these women who have completely different points of views could all be successful in their own right. There really isn't one path that you have to follow to "make it" but rather as long as you share your own perspective and make it unique, then there's really no way you'll blend in with the crowd. Plus, people love seeing how others create in their own way. There's nothing more inspiring and lovely than that.

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The Tibi runway showing of their pre-Fall pieces was just such a fabulous way to end the summit. I've never been to a runway show before so this was a real treat for me. Plus, I got to talking with some real cool girls from Charleston who all have amazing businesses. I'll be featuring these girls in another post, but Leslie and Marion of Open Door Shop are just about the sweetest, coolest girls you will ever meet. They've got major style and it definitely shows in what they curate in their shop. But I promise you I'll share more about them in another post. I also got to meet Lindsey of Troubadour, her gorgeous clothing line based in Charleston. Her line has that perfect balance of quirkiness with tailored lines, it'll make you want to be that cool girl wearing her clothes. And I was also lucky enough to meet Morgan, the founder of Shop Buru, an online clothing destination for new moms and nursing moms. I wish I had known about Shop Buru two years ago, because I felt that there wasn't much in the way of what I could wear as a nursing mom, and Morgan's stylish store would've kept me looking good as a new mom. Now I know for the next kid if/when we have another one ;)

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The pre-Fall pieces from Tibi are absolutely gorgeous, but this dress, this dress, was just the absolute winner for me. The pre-Fall pieces of Tibi aren't available anywhere but here, so hurry and get yours!

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The last night we were there, we ate at this quaint Italian restaurant off of King's Street and the bolognese rivaled that of Steve's. But don't tell him I said that.

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What is it about glasses filled with champs all lined up that make me want to take a picture of it? This was the spread at the Tibi runway show.

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This was my outfit on the last day of the summit. I realized that I never took any outfit posts while I was out there (was busy having too much fun!), so I promise to share my outfits starting next week.

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9 comments

  1. Sounds like SO much fun!! =)

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  2. Great recap! Couldn't have said it better!

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    1. Thanks ladies!!! So glad you liked it ;) xo

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  3. Well this is the best way to start a day as I sit in my messy kitchen :) I love you and I'm so glad we got to meet and spend some good time together. Come back!

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    1. Haha, you're too sweet and funny! Love you back and am so glad we met! Xo

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  4. Loved meeting you! So fun to relive the Summit today- great recap. Thanks! XOXO

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  5. Thank you for the recap! Hope you can join us at another summit soon!

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  6. Love this recap! Are you attending this year (2016)? I'm so excited to attend this year and am actually collaborating with some other bloggers to meetup while there and potentially visit some shops and restaurants together. Let me know if you're attending and interested, I would love to meet you in person!

    Erin, Attention to Darling Blog
    attentiontodarling.com
    attentiontodarling@gmail.com

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    1. Hi Erin!
      I wish I was going this year, but sadly I will have to miss out on all the fun :( But I am so excited for you since you're attending! You're going to have the best time!

      xx,
      Christina

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