The links in this post may be affiliate links.  That means that if you click them and make a purchase, this site makes a commission.  It will have no impact on the price you pay or the experience of your purchase.

Hi Friends!! Last week I attended Better Homes & Gardens‘ Stylemaker event in New York City. It was all kinds of inspiring, both to me as an entrepreneur and creatively as a designer. I find it is easy to get in a creative slump working at home (at least for me), and found the trip INCREDIBLY refreshing. I allowed for extra time on either side of the event…the event was on Thursday so I flew in midday on Wednesday and left Friday midday.

I took almost 500 pictures while in NYC. ANDDDD figured that might be a bit much to share with you, haha. So I’ve narrowed it down and will be sharing some of my favorites below! 

Wednesday Afternoon

My experience up until this trip was mostly Manhattan, Times Square, the typically tourist stops. So I really enjoyed exploring some new boroughs this time! On Wednesday my roommate Stephanie of Garden Therapy met at the airport and headed straight to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx.

I highly recommend visiting NYBG when in New York City. We took a tram to get a feel for the 250 acre site. Some of my favorite things included the Chihuly glass art which was on display throughout the gardens. The children’s garden was also something my kids would have enjoyed and is currently decorated with fun Autumn gourds and pumpkins.

I’m a novice gardener at best, and I usually need to read the signs to find out the plant or flower name. But I loved the patterns, colors, smells, and textures. I found the gardens inspiring from a creative perspective. We spent several hours exploring NYBG.

BHG Stylemaker Event

I stayed at the same hotel as the event this year, and will definitely do that again if I go next year! The Stylemaker event is a collection of sessions for select home & garden bloggers led by editors and selected experts in the areas of branding, marketing, and trends. Several sessions were hands-on this year (we styled avocado toast in 1 session and made a cake with Joy the Baker in another session).

photo credit: David Keith Photgraphy

I also learned to finger knit a necklace in a session with Etsy & Brandi of PurlBKnit! Another new thing for me this year was I pitched an editorial idea to a panel of editors. I was definitely nervous, but I’m so glad I did it. After the sessions we enjoyed a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres and got to chat with more BHG editors (who are all really nice).

After the Event

Thursday night I went out with a group of girls to Black Tap (SoHo location) for craft burgers & ridiculously large milkshakes. I drank my $15 milkshake proudly before I got my burger. Its a fun experience and definitely worth checking out when you visit NYC! 

Friday I enjoyed a quiet morning with breakfast by myself (as a Mom to two hyper kiddos, this happens rarely!) at the hotel. Give me a bagel, latte, and some peace…it is the simple things! 

photo credit: David Keith Photography

We stayed in Brooklyn at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. Its a gorgeous new hotel…with great views of Manhattan. I LOVE how they’ve incorporated live green into the indoor and outdoor space. They even had an outdoor herb garden for people to pick from.

Friday morning I also got to walk around Brooklyn with Kierste of Simply Kierste. I am so glad I made time for that! Last year I found local thrift stores in Manhattan, and this year we found a Goodwill in Brooklyn. And in case you are wondering, it felt pretty similar to any other Goodwill I’ve been in. I picked up some books for the family and then we hurried back to the hotel to pack up.

All in all it was a wonderful trip!! I’m so glad I was invited back this year (my recap from the 2016 event here). I found the trip really refreshing creatively. Its given me time to reflect on what I’m good at and what I’d like to outsource in the future.

I love the “make” part of blogging. And at times the backend (scheduling content, website management) takes up more time than I like. So I’ll continue to think on it and try to put more energy into what I love: creating new content for you to read! 

I was so happy to see these guys on Friday when I flew back!