When I first decided to launch my own blog, there were endless ideas for stories running through my mind. I was so excited to share my point of view on beauty, fashion, food, and celebrities with the rest of the world, but I needed the right kick-off. I pondered doing an Instagram post or sending out an email blast, but then I dreamed bigger..a launch party!

I wanted the outfit that I picked for my event to match the champagne-pink hue of my blog’s site, so I went with a shimmery velvet jumpsuit from BB Dakota (carried at Revolve). I accessorized the look with a gold Edie Parker clutch (completely made out of lucite!), a beige Gucci belt, a pink Hermes bracelet, and pink velvet sandals with a transparent heel.

My makeup was executed by Blushington, an Upper East Side store where professional makeup artists use the finest national makeup brands in order to create a look of your choice. I chose the “Camera Ready” service, which was topped off with liquid glitter eyeshadow from Stila that added extra sparkle. Glamsquad--an on-demand beauty company that sends professionals straight to your apartment for hair, makeup, or nail styling--completed the look by giving me beautiful beachy waves inspired by JLo.

Bergdorf Goodman--a high-end department store on Manhattan’s 5th Avenue--served as the venue for the event on the evening of December 18th (the day after my birthday!). It was held in the Good Dish Cafe on the beauty level of the store; the space was brightly lit, to ensure that the photos (taken throughout the event by Heidi Green Photography) would be perfect for the 'gram, of course. Fashion sketches of me--by Chic Sketch--were hung throughout the room, as well as posters with the blog’s logo.

I first found out about Chic Sketch, an app that creates quick sketches of your outfit of the day, at an after-party during New York Fashion Week a few years ago. I quickly fell in love with the detail and precision that was put into each drawing in such a short amount of time, and knew that they would be the perfect company to entertain guests at my blog launch. An artist came to the event to sketch each person in a mere five minutes and then sent the image to his or her email once it was complete. Attendees even got to take home a 4 x 6 printout of their #ootd!

In the other corner of the room, we set up a raffle that would be announced towards the end of the party. Each person filled out a ballot, hopeful to win prizes from some of my fave brands. Some of the loot included a box of Sugarfina candies, Dr. Jart face masks, tees from Olive and Bette's, an eyeshadow palette from Too Faced, Prada Candy Gloss Perfume, and a Rebecca Minkoff Velvet Crossbody Bag (the grand prize!).

Throughout the event, waiters circled the room, carrying trays of “Carrie-tinis” to hand out to guests. The custom pink mocktail, created by Bergdorf’s to match the color palate of my blog, was bubbly and delicious. Here's the recipe: 
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The Carrie-tini
(makes one large pitcher)
1 (12-oz.) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
4 cups white cranberry juice cocktail
4 cups lemon-lime soft drink, chilled
Raspberries for garnish

As for the food, Bergdorf's prepared gourmet hors-d'oeuvres for guests to nibble on: mini burger bites, truffle grilled cheese bites, and new potato bites, topped with cheddar, chives, and créme fraiche

As the party started to draw to a close, it was time for the cakes (yes, I mean cakes, plural!) to be revealed. Cakes Jagla created a beautiful fashion-inspired cake with all of my favorite high-end designer labels (Gucci! Chanel!) on it. There were even shopping bags from Hermes and Bergdorf Goodman that were sculpted out of fondant, as well as a life-size, edible high heel shoe as a topper! The inside of the cake was equally as incredible: the bottom tier was vanilla with chocolate frosting and raspberry puree while the top layer was vanilla with vanilla buttercream.

Another showstopper: the rainbow tye dye cakes from Baked by Melissa. The company, which is known for their bite-size cupcakes, recently branched out to create full-sized cakes using the recipe for their tie-dye flavor (a customer favorite). It was made with three layers of Electric Vanilla Tie-Dye Cake, vanilla buttercream icing, and tie-dye cake crumble topping. It perfectly radiated the positive spirit that I want to share in my posts.

Before guests made their way out, I handed each person a VIP goody bag to take home. Guests eagerly tore open the pink bags with my logo on them to reveal the incredible sponsored goodies. There were stretch bands from Theraband; purple velvet hair-ties from Kitsch; makeup from Ulta Beauty and Too Faced; lip gloss from Sephora; gummy bears from Sugarfina; and a pink fuzzy pen to match the one in my blog’s logo. Each gift perfectly captured the essence of my blog.

The evening was truly one to remember, and I was so thrilled to be able to hear people’s opinions on what I've written so far. This is just the beginning of Carrie’s Chronicles, and I hope that you stay along for this new, exciting ride!