A Day at SXSW

8:15 a.m – Beyoncé’s “Hold Up” blares from my phone. I’ve slept in, despite arriving at my hotel at 11 p.m. It feels amazing.

9:30 a.m – eat breakfast in bed while watching Meet The Press and wearing eye patches. I had shaved my legs and steamed my dress and topper the night before, so all I have to do today is apply my makeup and fix my hair. This hot air brush is the best for refreshing a blowout. Trust.

11:30 a.m – after checking out of the hotel and grabbing a ticket for my luggage, I make my way to the convention center. I neeeeeeeeeed coffee. The line for the café moves along quickly, and within minutes I’m sipping my latte.

12:30 p.m – my interview at the Comcast social media lounge has just wrapped, and I’m answering questions from the audience on more of my favorite travel hacks (dryer sheets, the best steamer, and my accessory math rule). They all promise to purchase the book. I hope they do!

1 p.m – pop into the Timeout Lounge to visit my friend Jenn, who is wearing an amazing pair of Vera Wang glasses fitted with blue light filtering frames. I get fitted for the exact same pair myself. It feels right – I’ve been following Jenn’s style advice for years. YEARS. You should too.

2:45 p.m – after filming an interview at The Girls’ Lounge and meeting some incredible women, I find a quiet corner to recharge my phone and Mophie and just breathe. I sneak in a quick 5 minute meditation. Everyone must have thought I had fell asleep.

4 p.m – Alejandra and I clink our margaritas to toast to a successful day (and to each other). She had been hosting a dessert bar at the Pinterest House for the past few days (!!!) and was still standing and smiling – in heels, no less. We enjoy our drinks and brisket sandwiches, catch up, and make plans to hang in the city.

6:25 p.m – Rakia and I are bare-legged and freezing, so we hop in a cab to the nearest open CVS to pick up tights. I’m still going strong in my MM.LaFleur Emily dress and Ferragamo flats, but my legs are FREEZING.

8:30 p.m – I’m seated at a table with some of the most incredible women at the Cosmopolitan dinner. One woman is Jessica Ladd, the founder of Callisto (who was the FIRST Bridge2Act charity partner). We had only talked over e-mail, so it was amazing to meet her in person. Callisto is a platform that allows students to report sexual assault in a secure, empowering manner. Jess is even cooler in person than she was over e-mail.

10 p.m – dancing to The Flashdance (the DJ) at the Dell party. Great music, interesting vibe.

11:15 p.m – end up at the Austin Music Awards with mayors. Like, the mayor of Austin and a number of other cities, thanks to my pals Sonia and Jason. The mayor and first lady of Austin are beyond lovely.

1:15 a.m – Sonia and I eat Taco Cantina while we chat and watch Star Trek: First Contact. I haven’t seen Sonia for over two years (the day she appeared on Larry Wilmore’s ill-fated show), and it was amazing to catch up without being limited to 140 characters.

2:00 a.m – crash at the van Stanford pad’s guest room. I have to wake up in 3 hours…

P.S – how I styled this dress for a cocktail party, and my go-to look when I mean business