A few weeks ago, I was invited to an exclusive influencer event in Chicago with Erin Condren. It was a dream – Erin Condren was always the #1 brand I wanted to work with when I started by blog. I’ve worked with them on a few posts in the past, but this was the first event I attended with the brand. I had the most amazing time with some super inspiring women, and I got to learn all about the new 2019-2020 EC LifePlanner. The theme for this planner is Kaleidoscope (hence the coordinating decorations at the event). This is definitely my favorite theme they’ve done yet. I’ll go more into detail about the reasoning behind the theme later in this post. I wanted to share some of the fun photos from this dreamy event and give you some insider info on a few new Erin Condren products that I’m obsessed with!
T H E E V E N T
Influencer Brunch + Hand Lettering Workshop
The Erin Condren influencer brunch + hand lettering workshop was held in downtown Chicago at the cutest little event space called Brique. Yes, I drove all the way to Chicago for this event (and I would have driven even further if I needed to).
When I walked into Brique, the first thing I noticed was the most adorable Champagne truck. They had a mimosa bar!!! This is literally nothing better than a mimosa bar. It changed my life. I will never turn down a good mimosa. I grabbed a drink (or two, hehe), and mingled with some other bloggers. I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty nervous. I didn’t know a single person at the event, and it was really out of my comfort zone to be there alone. Everyone was so nice though, and I made a few new blogger friends – my mom would be so proud.
Eventually they had us move towards the table, which was decorated beautifully. I found my seat and was super excited to see the new LifePlanner at my spot! I hadn’t had a chance to actually look inside of it before this event, so this was huge. I opted for the colorful version. Let’s talk about these colors for a minute – they are so beautiful. If you know me at all, you know I am not a big color person. I always opt for neutral and steer the opposite way of color. This planner might have converted me! My current Erin Condren planner actually ends soon, and I’m already counting down the days until I can use my new Kaleidoscope LifePlanner.
Next up, food. Guys, they had MINI FOOD. Everything is cuter when it’s mini, and food is no exception. They brought out a bunch of different mini food options, like chicken + waffles, ham sandwiches, eggs in a bacon cup, shrimp, avocado toast, and pancakes. It was not only adorable, but everything tasted amazing. It made me want to make all of my food mini because it’s so fun! Of course they also had an amazing array of desserts. From cookies painted to look like pieces of a kaleidoscope to little yogurt fruit bites, no detail was spared.
We finished eating and started our hand lettering workshop. I love hand lettering so much, but I definitely am not a pro at it! I usually do it on my iPad, so it’s easy to erase and clean up lines. When you’re doing it on paper though, you can’t really erase it! Delaina of Delaina J Designs taught the workshop. She gave us all the tips we needed to learn hand lettering, and she even showed us how she uses it to spruce up her planner spreads. I can’t wait to start hand lettering in my new planner!
We also got to learn a little more about the new LifePlanner from Tori and Alexis, two amazing women from the Erin Condren PR team. Check out the next section of this post for more details!
This event was so amazing – I’m so grateful that I was invited. I have already started using some of the products they gifted me at the event, and I can’t wait to share more about them with you guys!
N E W P R O D U C T S*
Goodies I Got at the Event!
The tablescape included a new LifePlanner and a pack of Gel Pens + Dual-Tip Markers (these are my favorite) for each person attending. This is the NEW LifePlanner that launched on May 8, 2019! I was sooo hyped up for this release – every year, their planners get better and better. The theme of this year’s LifePlanner launch is Kaleidoscope. From the Erin Condren website:
“True beauty lies in seeing the same things just a little bit differently. Our interpretation of the Kaleidoscope is about crystallizing your vision to transform plans into reality. No matter what you see in this design, the stunning neutral and colorful dimensions represent never-ending possibilities.”
You probably already know that I’m not a huge color person. The current Erin Condren planner I’m using is the neutral theme with a beautiful, simple marble cover. I never would have imagined myself owning a COLORFUL planner – like seriously, my entire wardrobe/home/life is neutral. Erin Condren knocked it out of the park with the Kaleidoscope design. The colors are bright but not in-your-face, and I am so obsessed with this cover. (Side note: the neutral cover is also beautiful – it has blue and grey tones).
The Erin Condren Dual-Tip Markers have been a staple of mine for years, and not just for planning. They write so smoothly, and the dual tips make it perfect for taking notes and anything else you might need them for! Plus, they come in so many fun colors – I just bought the new colors they released and I can’t get enough of them. I was also gifted a pack of their new gel pens, and I’ve been dying to try these out! So far, I’m really impressed. They write really smoothly and don’t smudge or get big clumps of ink everywhere (that’s the worst).
They also gifted me two little notebooks. I looooove notebooks (it might even be considered an obsession), so I was really excited to add these to my collection. The blue one is a one of their Softbound notebooks, and I also got the Kaleidoscope Petite Journal. I have already started using both of them!
Another new product they gifted me was the Kaleidoscope Mini Snap-In Bookmark Trio. These quickly became a favorite of mine! I used to use binder clips to keep my place in my planner, but sometimes I would forget to take them off and try to write and it would get all messed up. They’re also kind of bulky, so I have been trying to find a better method to keep my place. Erin Condren solved my problem with these cute little snap-in bookmarks! I already started using one in my current planner. They come in a set of three and are only $4.50.
One of my favorite things that was gifted to me at the event is this Planny Pack. I had always seen these when I was browsing their website, but I convinced myself I didn’t need it. Let me tell you, it has absolutely changed the game. I used to have a little pencil pouch I’d carry with my planner, and it was kind of annoying that I always had to remember to grab them both. Enter: the Planny Pack. This zipper pouch fits my entire pen collection (which is pretty big at this point), and it has an elastic band, so you put it right around your planner!!!! It seems like such a basic concept, but I can’t even explain to you how awesome it is to have your pens and planner bundled together when you’re on the go. They have Planny Packs available in a huge variety of colors, so there’s something for everyone!
Here’s a closer look at the new planner. It comes in an adorable keepsake box, so when you’re done using your planner at the end of the year, you can pop it in the box and put it on your shelf as decor! I love the idea of this, because I never know what to do with my old planners. The new planner has the same basics like tabbed months and notes pages, but there are a few new features. Each month has this cool little overview page which I LOVE. I already know it will be super useful to dump all my ideas and thoughts onto this page at the beginning of every month and then break everything down and add it to the monthly spread.
There’s a reason I religiously use this planner and will never switch to anything else. It truly is the best of the best. I would never recommend any products to you guys if they didn’t meet my high standards! I’ve been really impressed with every single Erin Condren product I’ve used.
E V E N T I N F O R M A T I O N
Venue: Brique Chicago
Floral Arrangements: Stemming From Love
Champagne Truck: The Bubbly Truck
Food Boutique Bites
Sweets: Jassy Sweets
Hand Lettering Class: Delaina J Designs
Event Photographer: Dawn E. Roscoe Photography
*I was gifted these items by Erin Condren, but all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
