{from left to right}
Tamryn of Wannabe Fashion Blogger, (me), Camilla Thurman of Navy Grace Blog, Latisha Springer of The Girl in the Yellow Dress, Shannon Willardson of For the Love, and our hostess with the mostess Sarah of Sassy Red Lipstick
That working mom guilt is with me every day, and weekends are usually my only time to spend real quality and quantity time with my girls, so I am typically turning down any invite that involves a Saturday or a Sunday event. After this very special weekend though, I am learning to see that time with friends goes a really long way and as moms we NEED it.
It started with a text from Sarah, asking us who would be up for a little staycation at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, to which every reply was “ME!”, and so began the planning of our blogger babe staycation. I put the date into my calendar among work meetings, school events, kids’ special activities just like I would any scheduled appointment but the minute those double doors of the suite opened I realized what a special time this would be. I always say “it’s not the setting, it’s the company” but in this case it was both!
“I always say “it’s not the setting, it’s the company” but in this case it was both!”
The Palace Hotel, built in 1875, is a true San Francisco classic. It was rebuilt in 1909 after being damaged and then demolished after the 1906 earthquake. To hear about its rich history was like traveling back in time, to an era where chandeliers were a must and wearing leggings outside of the gym would have been a crime.
As we were shown our room, I couldn’t help but feel so thankful, not only to have this incredible experience but to be doing it in the company of women whom I truly respected and admired. Each one of us has worked daily for years, putting in countless hours (some way after midnight) to build our blogs into something. To be able to share special moments with our readers and to have adventures such as these. In this moment I felt like I all those late nights and moments of self-doubt were worth it.
“In this moment I felt like I all those late nights and moments of self-doubt were worth it.”
Not because I was standing in a fancy hotel room, but because I was here with women who shared my passion, my artistic vision and my vision.
In the blogging world, there is a lot of women essentially competing for the same thing. The same campaigns, the same engagement from readers, the same blush walls and latest ‘it place to shoot’. It can feel very much like high school. Or at least that’s what I’ve heard, because I have somehow been lucky enough to be completely sheltered from that, in our amazing little SF blogger crew. Every woman I have met has been a champion of helping one another move forward and sharing ideas, inspiration and style tips. When we finished our amazing staycation off with a high tea (my favorite part!) we spoke about one another’s blog journey and got candid about our ups and downs and what keeps us all going. And that was my favorite part of the weekend. Remembering how amazing it is to just sit around with a bunch girls, chatting it up. The gorgeous chandeliers above us sure helped!
Thanks for stopping by!
-Veronica
