Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend a swap hosted by two lovely ladies: Kimberlee of I Have a Degree in This and Jennifer of ClosetRaid. I’d been meaning to do some spring cleaning, but kept putting it off because it can be such a pain! However, this swap was the perfect excuse to finally get it done and gave me just the push I needed. Even better, Goodwill, Room to Grow and WGirls were also at the event to collect donations, meaning I could get rid of swap items and donations in one fell swoop! I spent several hours the Friday before the swap going through all of my clothes (at least all of the ones I have with me here in NYC!). When I was all done, I had one huge Ikea bag full of donations and one large shopping tote full of swap items. You should have see me trying to maneuver all of that stuff- it was hard! But, after a little bit of struggle and a short cab ride, I finally made it to the venue.
When I arrived, I checked in at the registration table and dropped off all my stuff. The amazing volunteers then added my donations to the appropriate piles as well as arranged my swap items in the designated swapping area. Depending on how many items you brought to swap, you received the equivalent number of poker chips (up to a maximum of 10). You then used the poker chips as your currency for the swap (i.e., 1 poker chip = 1 swap item to take home).
After I’d signed in, I soon spotted the co-hostess Kimberlee and a bunch of other bloggers from The Bloggers’ Collective. It is always great to hang out and chat with these ladies because they are such a fun and friendly bunch! While we waited for the swap to begin, we nibbled on some of the delicious snacks that were set out, including sweet treats from the Guiltless Baker, and sipped on some bubbly provided by Domaine Carneros. Vendors like Peppermint Chic and Nydia Charles had tables where you could browse and purchase their pretty jewelry. They also had set up a projector screen where you could live tweet about the event and see what other people were saying- isn’t that such a neat idea?
After a little while, it was time for the swapping to begin! When Jennifer said we could all start swapping, it got a little bit crazy! I was toward the back of the group and spent a little time looking, but then decided to hang back so I could catch some snaps of people in action.
After the first round, we all huddled to take a look at what each of us had picked up. There were also fitting rooms where you could try on clothing that you liked. I picked up a sequin top in the first round, but then I put it back because I didn’t think it would fit properly. While we were waiting for round two, we returned to snacking and sipping champagne. It was nice to be able to relax a little bit after the madness!
During round two of the swap, I scored some pretty nail polish and an awesome coat from Zara that will come in handy during the colder months. I almost passed over it because I thought it was in the men’s section, but I’m glad I took a second look!
I find that swapping is a really great way to add some fresh items to your closet without breaking the bank! Although I wish I had unlimited funds to spend, that’s simply not the case! That’s why I really appreciate events like the ClosetRaid Swap, where I can pick up new-to-me items for free! Also, I love that nothing went to waste, since items that were not swapped by the end were also donated to the organizations that I mentioned earlier. Plus, it’s always fun to hang out with other bloggers in real life and this event gave me the opportunity to do just that! Thanks again to Kimberlee and Jennifer for such a wonderful event!
The ladies of The Bloggers’ Collective (image via ClosetRaid)
For all my US readers out there- hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!
Tell me: Do you have any fun plans for the long weekend?
![It's a very belated book haul! These are the four books I picked up on my trip to Australia back in May. Of course I had to check out some bookstores on my first trip to Sydney and I think I ended up visiting 9 in total (check out my stories to see the mini bookstore vlog I made)!
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It was so fun book shopping over there since majority of the covers are different from our US covers. I couldn't resist this pretty edition of PACHINKO, which I've already read. And when I picked up this copy of PEOPLE PERSON, I was so excited to see it because it wasn't out yet in the US at that time. I also bought two books that I hadn't heard of before I discovered them in the bookstore: IDOL and LOVE AND OTHER PUZZLES.
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Do you tend to prefer US or UK book covers?
[P.S. This is an old photo that includes a HarperCollins UK title, but please note that I support the HarperCollins Union.]
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[ID: A stack of the following books sits on top of white bedding in front of a white wall (from top to bottom): PACHINKO, IDOL, LOVE AND OTHER PUZZLES, PEOPLE PERSON.]
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#Pachinko #Idol #LoveAndOtherPuzzles #PeoplePerson #whattoread #beautifulbooks #bookhaul #booksandtravel #travelandbooks #bookishaesthetic #bookstacks #bookstacklove #ukbookcovers #ukbookhaul #newbooks #bookbuying #bookpurchases #coolgirlsread #readerslife #bookishcommunity #australiatrip #stackofbooks #bookwormlife #booksandbooks](https://starcrossedsmile.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
You scored big with that jacket!
Yes, it’s a very nice coat and I know I will wear it a lot in the winter!
I love a good swap – and that jackets was a great item to snag!
Courtney ~ http://sartorialsidelines.com
I agree- I’m so glad I found it! :)
Looks like a pretty cool day! :)
Nice and interesting post dear.
XX
Thank you Christina! :)
This is why i want to come to NYC…there is such fun stuff to do!
It’s true- there’s always something fun happening in NYC! :)
Aww great recap of the event :) Glad you had a fun time!
Thank you Kimberlee! :)
This Sounds like so much fun! Cool event!
xx
Giovanna
http://www.oliveandanarrow.com
Thanks Giovanna, it was a lot of fun! :)
This sounds like so much fun and I adore the concept of a swap. I think every lady I know has things they could swap – some of us have three bags fulll…. opps haha. That Zara coat is stunning. Thanks so much for sharing pictures from this fabulous event.
<3Honeysuckelle
Thank you Rachel! You should totally host a swap for you and your friends- I’m sure you would have a great time! :)
ahh, for the long weekend i will be celebrating my 26thh birthday on saturday! i hope you have a great one <3 and i would lovee to attend a swap meet! i have tonsss of stuff that need new homes! looked like a great event, nnenna <3 and thank you for your comment on my last post <3 youre so sweet nenna and youve always been so nice to me, thank you <3 have an amazing weekend and happy summer vacay!!
love, james
beautyandlechic.blogspot.com
Happy Belated Birthday Jamie! I hope you had an absolutely amazing time celebrating your birthday :) And you’ve always been so very sweet to me, so I must thank you too! <3
Ahhh I’m so sad I missed this one!
You can’t miss the next one, ok?! :)
Oh, I really like the idea of the swap giving you more chits for bringing more stuff. I’ve only been to one swap, so I don’t know what’s common or not.
I’ll be at a wedding tomorrow, and I definitely plan on using Monday to sleep in and…maybe clean up around the house? Not so exciting, but necessary.
Hope you had a fun time at the wedding you attended! And sleeping in on a long weekend is absolutely necessary! :D
That pic of me is too funny!
Hehe, I think it’s really cute! :)
Damn i really wish we had more swapping events in the bay area, they keep talking about them but no one ever puts their heads together to do one!
You should totally organize a swap Eli- I know you would do an amazing job! :)
So glad you could make it out! That jacket is a great find! Don’t worry to those who missed it we’ll be holding another very soon…keep an eye out for the invite :)
Thank you Jennifer for such a great event- I can’t wait for the next one! :)