Thanks so much for all your great feedback on my Charleston Travel Guide both on the blog and Twitter yesterday! It’s so great to see so many of you are as passionate about the city as I am.

When I was prepping for this conference, I knew that overall, I wanted to spend way less money on clothes than I did last year. For one, last year’s conference was in June, so I’d have more time to re-wear whatever I purchased. And for another, I was so nervous about looking the part at a blogger conference that I didn’t really buy pieces that were true to my personal style. All-in-all, I spent less than $100 on new items for this trip, which meant more money for all those nights eating out!

I had never shopped at Lulus before a month ago, but a friend from grad school recommended it to me for affordable, on-trend dresses. I have to say, this Ocean View Avenue Navy Dress was the perfect outfit to wear walking around our first full day in the Charleston heat. The fabric is so light, you barely feel like it’s there! Added bonus, the material doesn’t wrinkle in-transit, so no need to iron or steam before starting your day/tourist adventure. I am definitely going to bring this with me to New Orleans later this month, which I can only imagine is hotter and more humid than what I experienced last Thursday, when we shot these photos!

When we arrived in Charleston Wednesday night, we were pretty much looking for a relaxing dinner and a night in. We opted for Stars, and although it’s known for the late-night scene, I definitely cannot recommend the scallops risotto enough. Of course, no night in is complete without a liter bottle of Barefoot Pinot Grigio, which we diligently worked through the rest of the week.

The following day, we were up and at ’em early to explore Charleston before The Blog Societies Conference Welcome Party, hosted by Vera Bradley, that evening. We started the day at The Daily for breakfast tacos, then did some shopping at Candy Shop Vintage and Mac & Murphy, and stopped by the hotel before a late lunch at Husk. Monica and I split the BLT and cheeseburger, which were absolutely delicious, and kept us full until dinner after the Welcome Party at the Darling Oyster Bar. (Links to all these places can be found in my Charleston Travel Guide!)

En route to lunch at Husk, we walked down Anson Street and really enjoyed the architecture. Of course, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to snap some outfit pictures, even if we were hot-yoga-sweaty! After lunch, we hightailed it back to the hotel, aka not on the scenic route, and got ready (read: showered) for the start of #TBScon.

*** SHOP THIS POST *** 
Lulus Ocean View Avenue Navy Dress
Faux Leather Strap Sandals (my color is sold out, but these are similar)
Illesteva Leonard Sunglasses
Baublebar Bar Neclakce
Vera Bradley Natalie Satchel c/o
Michael Kors Chronograph Runway Watch

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Photos by Monica Dutia