Texas Style Council Conference.

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to go to the Texas Style Council Conference: a weekend event for fashion bloggers, readers, and shop owners in Austin, TX. Attendees were not limited to Texans, as Jennine Jacob of The Coveted and IFB proved.

Jennine Jacob, during her keynote speech.

The conference, broken down over the weekend, focused on one key event each day: on Friday, Swap.com and The Swapaholics hosted one of the most amazing swap meets I have ever been to.

I don't know how many people were there, but there was definitely a lot of clothing! Despite the large amount of clothes, the swap was organized. I made off with several amazing items, including a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress.

Swap Madness!

The DVF dress.

My WikiFashion Goodies Bag had coupons!

On Saturday, before the Scavenger Hunt, local jewelry store Charming Charlie brought in damaged jewelry so that we could create beautiful collages. I made two. Standing around the jewelry table was a great way to meet other bloggers.

TxSCCers surround the jewelry table.
One of my collages.

After the jewelry sesh, the attendees split into teams for the Scavenger Hunt. With instructions from The Go Game, teams of 3-4 descended on the 2nd Street District with smart phones in hand and lunchboxes with information.

Team Fashism's lunchbox.

Prizes for the scavenger hunt? Grand Prize was a $100 gift card from Lulu's, a $50 gift card from local boutique Langford Market, a purse from Modcloth, jewelry from local jewelry shop Eliza Page, a collection of items from Peyton's Place, a scarf, and a really good smelling 12 oz. candle.

So, you bet that my teammates kept their eyes on the prize: we literally ran from mission to mission. Missions included making up funny pick-up lines, making a child laugh, and styling outfits. The running did the job, as Team Fashism--myself, Ashlee, and Julie--won!The winnings.

The next day was business...mostly. We met for breakfast at BoConcept, a modern furniture store breakfast tacos. Next door, at the boutique Plain Ivey Jane, were morning cocktails. More networking ensued!

Coffee was provided by Austin Java.Attendees on a BoConcept couch.

After breakfast, we got down to business: I attended five panels, which followed the keynote speech by Ms. Jacob. The conference was greeted by Indiana Adams, one of the organizers for the conference. Joah, of StyleX, also came to talk about the fashion happenings during SXSW.

The panels covered Going Pro, Careers, Longevity, Authenticity, and Community.

Joah. Indiana of Adored Austin.

With Jennine Jacob.

In all, I learned a lot of information: to not suffer from burnout, it's a good idea to make a calendar for your posts. If you make a lot of posts that are then separated by long periods of absence, write when you are inspired and save them for later. Also, to keep your voice to yourself, it may be a good idea to write like you talk to your friends. However, don't post your dirty details, as you'll regret it later. Interaction is made through posting content that makes an impression. It's a good rule of thumb that you may have to give more comments than you receive. Lastly, if you're planning to to make a career out of your blog, it's important to network and prioritize.

Here are a few photos of the panelists:

Panel 1--Going Pro: Grechen, Patty, and Eliza.

Panel 2--Careers: Pamela, Brooke, and Kendra.

Panel 3--Longevity: Kyla, Katy, and Jennine.

Panel 4--Authenticity: Jen, Indiana, and James.

Panel 5--Community: Dave, Susan, and Kendi.