Thanks to @BestBuy I attended the @LGUS Designed to Inspire Event, presented by LG Studio #NateBerkusLG #ad

#Ad: This post is sponsored by Best Buy

From Left to Right: David Vanderwaal, Vice President, LGEUS Marketing, Alex Sobolewski, Petya Toncheva and Nate Berkus far right.

On November 19th in New York City Designer and LG Studio Artistic Advisor, Nate Berkus as well as ASID finalists attended a Hearst Magazines, LG Studio event to celebrate the new line of LG Studio premium kitchen appliances.

I got the chance to attend with fellow Best Buy Bloggers and in addition to a meet and greet with Nate Berkus, I got to swoon over the sweet new appliances too! I need ALL of these in my life right now, especially on the heels on the biggest cooking day of the year!

Above: You know I am all about the small touches and love live flowers so I just had to nab a  table centerpiece shot of these beautiful flowers.

Above: You can tell that's a candid shot of me, because I always take off my glasses! LOL

Above: David Vanderwaal, Vice President, LGEUS Marketing - Considering how far back I actually was standing I can't be mad at this shot, glad I lugged my DSLR along! David gave us an overview of the design contest and the appliances and then kicked it over to Nate Berkus who is the LG Studio Artistic Advisor and who judged and selected the winner of the contest for the ASID (The American Society of Interior Designers) contest.

Above: Nate Berkus, LG Studio Artistic Advisor discusses the judging contest.

Above: Nate Berkus and ASID Contest Winner Petya Toncheva

Above: Let's just say it was Cats and Dogs raining outside (like really all Noah's Arc 40 days/40 nights like!) so this photo booth shot is all #curlyhairdon'tcare - I also posted this photo on Instagram along with a photo of the signature drink made with Tequila and Jalapeno! So be sure to be following us Instagram to catch moments that may not always make the recap post!

MY TAKE:

I think it's great that LG US is looking to the next wave of designers to help create new appliances, and with contests like this one, it gives upstarts a chance to showcase their skills!

It was great meeting Nate Berkus, and he was kind enough to sign copies of his new book for the bloggers in attendance which I thought was such a neat touch!

I know I for one will be looking for new appliances and other electronic items during this weekends sales (I tend to shop Cyber Monday more than Black Friday), and Best Buy is going to be offering some super competitive pricing on the LG Studio Collection at Best Buy so get it while it's HOT!

Will you be shopping at Best Buy for Black Friday Deals this year? Are LG Appliances on your Appliance Wish List?

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FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post brought to you by Best Buy. This is an event recap, and all opinions are 100% my own! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.

Photo Highlights & Important Quotes from @WeAllGrowSummit New York City Tour! #WeAllGrowNYC

The We All Grow Summit is a Blogging Conference whose mission is to unite our community, infuse YOUR professional growth with hand's on learning and networking opportunities which is held in Southern California annually. This year the Summit visited a few main cities around the United States, and fortunately for me, New York City was on the roster! I haven't had the chance to attend the main summit, so getting a chance to attend it while it toured the 'City That Never Sleeps' that I call home was a fantastic opportunity for me to get a taste of this conference without having to fly out.

You all know I am *never* wordless on 'Wordless Wednesday' - but this recap is photo heavy - that counts right?

I am going to try my best to present the photos in as close to the order that panelists were presented to give you the best idea of how the summit was organized:

ABOVE: When I saw this on the blackboard, I knew it was going to be a great day! That's EXACTLY what it's all about, blogging is a form of entrepreneurship, and when one of us grows and succeeds in this space, we ALL grow!

ABOVE: Doors Open and there was time for a Sponsor Mingle, Pinterest sponsored a wonderful Brunch Buffet (Blogging is HUNGRY business!)

ABOVE: Ana Flores, Founder of the We All Grow Summit was our emcee and she kicked it off with a reminder to "Make Your Elevator Pitch Your Mantra". I can tell you many conferences stress this to bloggers, be able to sum up what you do, what you offer and what you focus on in a very brief sentence. Memorize it. Rehearse it. Run it by fellow blogger buddies until you have it DOWN PAT. She threw it to the first panelist, Emmelie De La Cruz of TheBrandingMuse.com

ABOVE: So you thought you would ignore the whole thing on the Elevator Pitch you say? Well the first speaker brought it up again, here is a great boiler plate on what a solid 'Elevator Pitch' should contain:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - What do you do?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - What are your skills?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Who Benefits?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - What is the Outcome?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - What Do You Want?

ABOVE: "Telling Your Story Informs You. Blog Like a Brand + Business" - Speaker Emmelie De La Cruz of TheBrandingMuse.com got down to the nitty gritty of what to do and HOW to do it, she showed us examples of bloggers who are slaying their niche - how and why.

ABOVE: Enid Hwang, Pinterest Community Manager gave us an amazing run through on the ins and outs of Pinterest. Let's just say there were TONS of quotes by Enid that gave us all great insight on how to use Pinterest to drive traffic and expand our reach. Pinterest is a visual bookmarking tool that helps people discover and save creative ideas. One of my favorite 'quotables' from Enid was this:

"People Follow Interests and Personal Tastes, NOT Social Connections, we are fundamentally NOT a Social Networking Service" ~Enid Hwang, Pinterest Community Manager

If this panel weren't kick ass enough, the conference worked with Pinterest to offer some of the attendees a chance to have a one-on-one session at Pinterest HQ in NYC! How awesome is that? Now is that a conference that is fully invested in our learning and advancing. I plan to post separately about my one-on-one session in a future post.

After this session there was a Networking Break sponsored by Vive Mejor:

ABOVE: A Dia De Los Muertos Sweets Bar? Um, YES PLEASE!!!!

ABOVE: The walk to the venue was lined with Houses that still had their Halloween Decorations up, so this display was right on the money, and this was a great point for a bit of a 'sweets break' thanks Country Crock and Lipton!

ABOVE: These 'Chocolate Crinkle Cookies' were the bomb dot com - Yummo!

ABOVE: Diabolo presented an assortment of thirst quenching beverages! Networking makes a blogger thirsty you know! =)

ABOVE: Back to Business with the Mentor Q&A Panel featuring LEFT: Zuania Capo of vivala.com, CENTER: Marie Chalita of vanidades.com and RIGHT: Ana Flores, Founder of We All Grow Summit

"To Tell A Story, You Need To Listen - Engage Through Listening" 

ABOVE: Lisa Price, Founder of Carols Daughter was open, honest and real about her experiences launching her brand and the road to the eventual sale of that brand, which she still plays a major role in. She shared about her insecurities with her weight and fears of appearing on Home Shopping she said "I was afraid that people wouldn't buy anything because I didn't look right". It bothered her, and she did something about it, literally, dropping 100 pounds and gaining control of her health, learning the social media ropes, but it was the quote that inspires HER, that I can't help but share:

"Tell Your Story The Way You Actually Want It To Work Out" ~Soledad O'Brien's Advice to Lisa Price

Let your peers inspire you my friends!

ABOVE: Around 3pm we took a Networking Break and one of the event sponsors NIGHT shared a bit about their pillow with us. Night Pillows use a special technology to give you better skin and hair while you sleep. On the way in I got to check out their 'zen' set up - many bloggers took cool instagram photos here:

Let's just say you will see more about this pillow again, later on in this post, and it may get a special post of it's own, so stay tuned!

ABOVE: A group shot of all the panelists and Founder of We All Grow Summit in the Center, Ana Flores

The Blogger Swag Bag included products from Conffianz, Carols Daughter and Vanidades!

Left: Co-Founder of NIGHT, Isaac Oppenheimer presented me with my new NIGHT Pillow!

RAFFLES: There were great raffles including conference ticket and hotel stay for the main summit, and one winner won a NIGHT pillow, guess who won the pillow? If you guessed Ascending Butterfly you are RIGHT! I am LOVING this pillow. This is coming from a lifelong insomniac. You have no idea how high a praise this really is. My love runs deep. I actually regretted NOT bringing this pillow along on my recent Food and Wine Bloggers Press Trip to BrandyWine Valley (which I will share all about very soon I promise!)

MY TAKE:

I LOVED this conference. And when you have been in publishing in some form for as long as I have, that is saying A LOT. Many conferences tend to be a bit too 'basic' for 'advanced' bloggers - I have a ton of notes from this one day tour so I can only imagine how much I would learn from the full conference experience for We All Grow!

I think setting up One-on-One sessions with Pinterest was an amazing thing to do and I am so glad I was able to avail myself of such an amazing opportunity. I learned I really was approaching it wrong and using it all wrong, more on this to come.

As you all know I try to make at least one conference a year. I do with conferences what I do with my leisure travel. I try to hit a different one each time. We All Grow is now one I want to put on my roster, I felt like I really got a chance to learn and grow, and very few conferences 'challenge' me, so when I find one that does, it's refreshing and exhilarating!

Readers Sound Off: Have you attended We All Grow Summit? What is your favorite Blogging Conference and Why?

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FTC Disclosure: This is an event recap, no monetary compensation has been received, and all opinions are 100% my own! I received a summit pass for Editorial Consideration and a Swag Bag. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.

@beautypress #SpotlightDay closed out the year with a #BEAUTY bang! Check out my highlights!

Beautypress Spotlight Day put a few great products on my radar and with holiday gifting season upon us, I thought a few of these would make perfect gifts!

The gift of 'grooming and beauty' is for both men and women!

Here are the Featured Exhibitors in no particular order:

Above: Walking in to flowers (I spot my favorites, Stargazer Lilies!) and a lit candle, set the mood!

Above: A facial mask for every mood? It's now possible with Florapy Beauty and their line of hydrating facial sheet masks, with the restorative powers of flowers and essential oils that include:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - arnica rose - strength + energy mask
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - chamomile patchouli - stress relief mask
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - jasmine peppermint - detox mask

These 100% coconut sheet masks are the perfect holiday stocking stuffers in my book, let's face it, everyone you are gifting has a 'face' right? Most users see an 8-10% increase in skin hydration after the FIRST use! Who wouldn't appreciate the gift of radiant and more youthful skin? (Santa could stuff my stocking with a few more of these and I wouldn't get mad at him either!)

Above: Thankfully I don't quite have a need for the products above just yet, but Zotos Professional presented their AGEbeautiful Temporary Haircolor Root Touch-Up Spray in assortment of colors. The ease of application definitely makes these perfect to have on hand with holiday parties just around the bend!

Above: Pencil Me In Cosmetics These eye liner pencils are heavily pigmented so you don't have to press hard or repeat the line. They have a sharpener already attached to them, how smart is that? Can't have too many eyeliners, at least speaking for myself anyway! I love that you can shop their site by tones (think cool or warm), by hair color (red heads, brunettes, blondes) or by desired effect (like dramatic eyes or glamorous glitter eyes). I LOVE the black! I also love the navy but for some reason the navy one really runs on me so I have to keep up with it when I wear this color, I haven't tried them all yet, but I like the ones I have tried so far including the purple/amethyst color. Somehow the black one is the one that pretty much stays put even if I put it on the water line only. There are actually very few brands I can wear on my water line without irritating my eyes, so I'm stoked that the black which is the workhorse color for me for eyeliner -works so well for me! (High praise indeed. I have tried black eye liners three times the cost of these that run on me like they are in a marathon to make me look like a raccoon at just the wrong moment!)

Above: Bellapiere Cosmetics I don't quite think I've got the facial contour thing down yet, and now we are contouring LIPS too? Lawd, I can't keep up with all this contouring! What happened to the day we just put on some lipstick? I will admit I love that this kit has everything in one place, and while I know most people are not like me - wearing a signature red lip everyday - this kit is a perfect gift year round if you ask me, but also perfect for your BFF for holidays too! Their motto is "From Everyday to Runway" - don't you just love that? This kit retails for $74.99 - not bad when you consider it offers lip perfection in a box!

Above: All this Beauty makes an Editor thirsty, time for a quick wine break and this La Vendemmia Pinot Grigio hit the spot!

Above: Bluebeards Original Beard Wash - Ladies if you love a bearded man, this is the grooming stocking stuffer you want to stock up on! Founded in 2005 by the husband and wife team of Paul and Moira Kaniewski in Pittsburgh, PA - the original goal was to ease "Beard Itch" and provide natural products that clean and tame even the wildest of beards.

Think Bearded Men aren't sexy? Get a load of THIS:

or this one in character:

Above: Yes I just totally found a way to integrate my obsession with Jason Momoa and Game of Thrones into a Beauty Post, Your'e Totally Welcome Ladies! Beards are starting to look a whole lot sexier right?

Above: OK all this talk of Jason Momoa requires a break, so let's take another pause for some Da Luca Prosecco Italia! What I can say, I LOVE my bubbles!

Above: VISAOMD Visit their website and take their skin assessment so you can mix up the perfect Skin Care Cocktail for YOUR Skin Type! I can't wait to get started on these, and I definitely dig the packaging, I have always been partial to the color blue, especially that deep cobalt. Medical Grade Skin Care? Um, Yes Please!

Above: elvis+elvin presented their Sea Mud Soap which uses Natural Mineral-Rich Dead Sea Mud. Sea Mud Detoxifies and improves skin texture and also stimulates blood flow/circulation. It's the benefits of a 'mud mask' within the ease and speed of a soap. I have used many sea soaps, and I will say this one is fantastic, I definitely cracked into this one when I got home. NYC is certainly a pollutant filled city and I love products that give me that 'spa treatment feeling' at home.

Above: elvis+elvin also presented their Treatment Masks, they offer Grape Stem Cell and Rose Stem Cell Treatment Masks. The Grape Stem Cells protect skin against harmful UV rays (which are responsible for 80% of skin aging) and also help prevent against photo-aging. This masks tones and strengthens the skin. The Rose Stem Cell Treatment Mask which is made using the natural essence of rose extract works as an antibacterial cleanser for treating acne and curing skin infections (rose water toners are also fantastic for this as well), this treatment mask is great for sensitive skin!

Above: elvis+elvin also presented their Sea Salt Scalp Purifying Anti-Dandruff Shampoo With Sweet Almond Oil Extract. For my fellow 'fine-hair' hair types, anti-dandruff products are great for building body and keeping your scalp healthy, so you don't have to actually regularly experience dandruff to benefit from using them!

Above: Spa Week Spa Week was promoting their annual Spa Week where you can get Spa Treatments at Various Select Spas for only $50, while this week is now over, you should still visit their site for Spa Deals and Special Giveaways year round! (PS: Check out their current #SquadGoals Instagram Giveaway!)

Above: Arts&Scents is a young German company that creates perfumes which combine classical European perfum tradition with modern art and design elements. Their packaging is made by an artist using recycled paper, and their bags are actually compostable! Smell great and help the environment, sweet right?

Above: CōTZ Skincare has quickly become one of my favorites since they first exhibited at BeautyPress, their mineral protection and sheer matte finish make them my favorite daily sunscreen for all skin tones. Sun protection with enough sheer tint to even out your skin tone - Santa can definitely stuff my stocking with a few of these!

Obliphica Professional makes a great hair day easier to achieve with their Seaberry line of hair care products. Simple System to use, just remember: Orange is for fine to medium hair types, and Purple is for Medium to Coarse. The heart of their line is the Seaberry superfruit (also known as Sea Buckthorn Berry), the therapeutic oil is rich with over 190 bioactive compounds! As for me, if I have time for only thing before I head out the door - hair or makeup - I am team HAIR all the way! Santa can't possibly keep up with my obsession for hair care products! (That and handbags, what can I tell you? As tech oriented as I am, I am still a girl at heart!)

Above: My hair type is fine, so the orange system from Obliphica Professional is the one for me!

Above: Cheryl Lee MD Sensitive Skin Care helps those with Eczema Prone Skin, Atopic Dermatitis, Aging Skin, Redness & Flushing, Dry Skin, Acne Prone Skin, and Cracked Hands and Heels find relief!

Above: With winter swiftly approaching here in the North East, those cracked hands and feet kits are certainly going to come in handy! I would say as a former Special Education Teacher that those would make EXCELLENT teacher gifts (think mail carriers, doctors office assistants, etc) as well!

Swag Bag Inclusions:

Bellapierre Cosmetics, Florapy Beauty, Pencil Me In Cosmetics and Zotos Professional Products that were featured above were swag bag inclusions, the reps were not actually there in person. I definitely hope to see them at upcoming BeautyPress Spotlight Day with other offerings in their line.

MY TAKE:

BeautyPress Spotlight Day always curates a great mix of products and brands, this was the final BeautyPress Spotlight Day event for 2015, and I have to say they definitely closed the year on a high note with a diverse range of brands and products that certainly offered a little something for everyone! The quality and caliber of brands featured this time around make it incredibly difficult for me to pick a favorite! I can't wait to see what 2016 will bring!

Which product above would you most like to try and why? 

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FTC Disclosure: This is an event recap, this is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been received, and all opinions are 100% my own! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.