Last Thursday I went to a fall blogger event in Memphis held by The Shops of Saddle Creek. It was fabulous in so many ways, and I’m so excited to share all the details with you today! I’m so grateful that I got invited! The majority of blogging takes place individually behind a phone or computer screen, so I’m thankful I got to spend time with other bloggers while following the most fun itinerary the Shops of Saddle Creek created for us!
As I start typing this post, I already know it’s going to be a long one because I have so many things to share- the good, the fun, and the scary! I’ll start by sharing our itinerary with you. And if you’re unfamiliar with the Shops of Saddle Creek, it is a shopping center in Memphis with the best places to shop, like Anthropologie, J.Crew, Loft, Madewell, Free People, Lululemon, Athleta, Sephora, etc.
Our Itinerary
6 pm- meet at J.Crew for drinks from vomFASS and bites from Rise Biscuits & Donuts
6:45 pm- walk to Pandora for nail art from Nail Bar & Co
7:30 pm- walk to Athleta for an optional light fitness session (we were dressed in our cute clothes, so we ended up chatting and shopping and not working out)
7:55 pm- walk to Brahmin for dessert from Rise Biscuits & Donuts
My friend Megan (megonomics101 on Instagram) and I planned to meet at J.Crew a little early to get some photos before the event started. Another friend Elizabeth from @lifestyleinfocus showed up right around the same time we did, so we all took pictures together. Lucky for us, Elizabeth is a photographer, so she gave us all the posing tips!
FYI- if you have not tried taking solo shots, it’s not as easy as it looks. There are so many things to think about- what do I do with my hands? My legs and feet? What is the most flattering angle? And this baby bump is throwing yet even more difficulty into the equation. But anyway, Elizabeth made taking photos fun and taught us all kinds of tricks, which is not always how it goes with Parker…
After our photo session, we walked into the event:
Stop 1: J.Crew with Rise Biscuits & Donuts
As soon as we walked into J.Crew, we were given an adorable Vera Bradley goody bag with all kinds of treats. They were also serving the most delicious biscuits from Rise. I was starving, so I grabbed a pimento cheese biscuit and some raspberry lemonade! Another girl grabbed a second biscuit, and I told her she had just scored the place of my BFF by doing this. I followed her lead and grabbed a second one, and this one was a chicken biscuit- even better!
Stop 2: Pandora with Nail Bar & Co.
We walked over to Pandora next, and they were serving fun drinks and providing nail art from Nail Bar & Co. I obviously couldn’t have a fun strawberry basil cocktail, but the bartender was so nice and went to the back to make me a mocktail version of what everyone else was drinking!
Then it was onto the nails- I had never gotten nail art before, and it was so much fun! They had really thought out this part of the event because not only did we get nail art, but then we got to try on some beautiful rings and bracelets from Pandora and model them with our cute new nails! I tried on this ring (I actually loved it and wanted it to wear in place of my engagement ring that no longer fits) and this bracelet that was just released in stores the day we were there!
Nail Bar is opening in Shops of Saddle Creek soon, and I will most definitely be going back for more fun nails. The people were beyond friendly, and they gave us some cuticle oil in a goody bag. I’ve never owned this stuff before. The rose scent smells SO good, and I’m so excited to add it into my nail routine!
Unplanned Stop 2a: Almost Fainting on the Floor
So this was clearly not a planned part of the event, and nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I had just finished trying on the pretty jewels after getting my nails done and was chatting with some of my friends. All of a sudden, my vision started getting blurry, and I started feeling really weak, like I was about to pass out.
We were in a jewelry store that was basically shaped like a rectangle with another rectangular case displaying jewelry in the middle. I say this because there was nowhere for me to inconspicuously recover. I made it as far as I could towards the door and then kinda slid down a wall to sit down. People started asking me if I was ok, and I honestly didn’t know what was happening. I said yes, I’ll be fine, but I could feel the color draining out of my face and my whole body starting to sweat.
Someone brought me a chair, and getting off the floor into that seemed to make things worse. There are sofas and hammocks in a courtyard directly beside Pandora and all I could think about was getting on a sofa, but there was no way I could make it out the door. So after a few minutes, I swallowed what was left of my pride and got back on the floor. This time all the way down. As in, on my side. In my dress.
My friend Megan brought me my Vera Bradley goody bag, and I put that behind me in an effort to not flash everyone. She started googling pregnancy + faint + what to do. She also offered to call Parker, but he was half an hour away, and I was hoping and praying this would go away soon, so I didn’t want to worry him. Heather from the Shops of Saddle Creek got the people to turn the air way down, and I think that helped a lot. But now let me tell you what all happened that led to me finally being able to get up off of the floor.
Remember the friendly bartender I mentioned who went out of his way to make me a mocktail? Well, he was actually an angel sent from God. First, he brought me some ice chips in a really cold cup. Next, he brought me some ice water. Then, he brought me a towel full of ice to put on my face. After that, he took his button-down shirt off his back (he had an undershirt underneath it), and he folded it up for me to use as a pillow. And then he proceeded to fan me. I started feeling much better and was able to sit up. Then, he brought me some sliced strawberries to eat.
Have you EVER heard of anyone treating a stranger like that? This kind man had no clue who I was, yet he treated me like a princess at a spa while I was hitting an all time low in life. I remember people asking him how he knew how to do all of these things, and he said he’s a bartender. He has to deal with drunk people passing out, but I was obviously not drunk and much nicer than the drunk people- his words, not mine. At least I had that going for me.
I still can’t get over his kindness. And the kindness of everyone who was there. This was obviously not an impression I would like to leave on my blogger friends who I so rarely get to see in real life, but I am beyond grateful for the bartender and sweetest girls who were so, so kind in such a strange situation.
I think it was caused by a combination of my weird eating that day (I know my 7 month pregnant body needs more than I had eaten that day), high temps (my car said 94 degrees every time I got in it), and being on my feet for too long while carrying around more weight than I’m used to. The whole thing probably lasted 10 minutes, but it certainly felt like an eternity. Once I got up, I was still slightly shaky, but almost completely better. I was able to go to the last two stops of the event!
My sister Ebie is a PA, and bless her heart- she needs to start charging me by the phone call. I called her when I left to make sure she thought the baby was fine, I was fine, and I didn’t need to go see a doctor. I was feeling fine at that point, so I headed on back to Southaven. I followed her orders and checked my blood pressure at Kroger the next day, and it was completely normal. So relieved that story ended happily! Now, back to the last 2 stops that I am so grateful I was able to participate in!
Stop 3: Athleta
Athleta just opened recently at the Shops of Saddle Creek, so it was my first time walking into the new store. The best part- the A/C was cranked up, and it felt SO good in there! I had already planned to shop instead of participate in the light fitness session they were offering, but that whole almost passing out thing solidified my decision. And then they canceled it anyway because we were all dressed up in our cute blogger clothes.
Athleta was generous enough to give us gift cards, so I went ahead and used mine and grabbed a couple things for my mom for her birthday! She had mentioned liking this shirt, so I grabbed a couple for her. She knows I got them for her, so I’m not ruining the surprise! She doesn’t know what colors I got though. :)
Stop 4: Brahmin with Rise Biscuits & Donuts
Our last stop was at Brahmin. They had some more cute drinks and delicious biscuits and cinnamon rolls. I had a blueberry biscuit for a little sweet treat, and it was AMAZING! Brahmin also very generously gifted us this Harley Melbourne bag in tinsel. Crossbody bags are my favorite, so I’m excited to take this one out next time I get all dressed up!
Do you see why I titled this post A Blogger Event I Will Never Forget? Between the amazing planned stops, the unplanned almost fainting spell, and the unimaginable kindness people showed me, this event will be a night I always remember.
Thank you so much to the Shops of Saddle Creek, J.Crew, vomFASS, Rise Biscuits & Donuts, Pandora, Nail Bar & Co., Athleta, and Brahmin for hosting the most fabulous blogger event! And thanks to you for reading this long post! Have a wonderful day!
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(My dress is from last year, but I have linked a dress by the same designer that is available this year!)