Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

New York

This is Fifth Avenue…

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Last week when @ShopwithRobin and I visited New York City, I had to defend my decision to fly in at the ungodly hour of 6:30am.

“But why so early?” she asked, politely questioning my sanity.
“I want to walk around New York on a crisp fall morning,” I replied. (I’m so romantic.)

After all, the conference was in the heart of the Fashion District, and I simply couldn’t let the chance to pound the pavement in Manhattan go to waste.

And so we suffered through a 4:30am wake-up call and boarded our flight bound for the Big Apple. Once we arrived, I requested that our cab driver let us off at Fifth Avenue, and after an hour or so of sightseeing, we would walk the rest of the way to the conference. Thank goodness for the impeccable weather; we were given the opportunity to experience the city in comfort.

I had strict instructions for Robin – find out which way the shops were… and we’d walk the other way. Robin and I experienced Fifth Avenue as a native New Yorker would – walking to work; catching the subway, or descending from one of the very trendy (or very decrepit) apartment buildings.

Here are a few of my favourite pictures from the other side of Fifth Avenue. (Captions appear below the photo.)

Staples Who? The iconic W.B. Mason trucks were spotted at almost every block, unloading office supplies and stationary. Love the whimsical look and feel… made me want to order up a printer.

Only on Fifth Avenue can you glance up and realize you’re looking at the iconic Empire State Building. Every time I look at the building I can’t help but think of Evelyn McHale – the most beautiful suicide – and wonder what the last thought was that went through her mind. And then, I’m thankful that my two feet are firmly planted on the sidewalk….

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I’m off to BlogHer’12.

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It’s a little blogging conference you may have heard of.

And, if you haven’t heard of it, that’s okay too – because Katie Couric, Martha Stewart, Christy Turlington-Burns – even Barack Obama! – have, and will be there. (Mr. President via live satellite feed, the others in the flesh.)

This year BlogHer is being held in New York City, so twist my arm, I’ll be leaving my hell-raising kids to go party into the wee hours of night.

And, I may just pick up a valuable tip or two from great sessions like Branding and Blogging Professionally, Vlogging Boot Camp, and more.

Last year, upon my return from BlogHer’11, I was inspired to give up the giveaway game, and severely cut down on the number of one-night-stand reviews.

(Excerpt: I embarked on the conference with an open mind and put much thought into the direction of my blog. And after a lot of soul searching, I realized that my true strengths – and desires, for that matter – lie in posts that aren’t necessarily tied to reviews and/or giveaways. Don’t get me wrong: I LOVE giving back to my readers, and will likely review many more products in my time, but have decided to transition away from a “review” blog and get back to Listen to Lena 101: shopping, family, recipes and fun. So after my final set of giveaways for the Summer Beauty & Fashion Guide, you’ll see more classic Lena posts; me just writing for the sheer pleasure of writing. To all my sweepstakes friends, thanks for stopping by! Hope y’all will stay for a good story or two.)

This year, I’m attending with the desire to find inspiration once again. I may find it during a keynote speech, a conversation with a fellow blogger, or at a rooftop party in SOHO. (Twist my arm!)

And so I’ll be off for the next few days, but do have some posts in the hopper that will keep my content fresh while away – so by all means, please visit again soon. I may not be as quick to respond to reader comments, but I’ll be toting my awesome Dell XPS13 laptop along, so I’ll stay connected for the most part.

With that, au revoir fair readers! Big Apple here I come!

One Hand in the Air for the Big City

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…New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There’s nothin’ you can’t do!
Now you’re in New York;
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you!
Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York…

Last week I had the awesome opportunity to attend a Tommee Tippee press event in New York City with other fabulous digital women. I can’t wait to tell you all about the incredible lineup of products; the science and ingenuity that go behind the brand – even about how my ovaries ached when confronted with baby monitors, sippy cups and breast pumps.

(To tell the truth; before the press trip, I knew very little about Tommee Tippee. And now I’m quite the #fangirl.)

My wrap up of the event – and all the juicy information about Tommee Tippee products – is certainly on its way. In the meantime, I’d love to share some phone pics that I randomly snapped throughout the day. Oh yes – did I mention we had over 6 hours to ourselves to pound the pavement? Let’s just say a crisp, fall afternoon in Manhattan is definitely my cup of tea….

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