Vivienne Tam HP Mini - Final Journey Part 1

So, last week was my final days of documenting my journey with the HP Mini Vivienne Tam Edition. This stylish and affordable laptop has given me so much joy... I know it sounds corny, but I've never enjoyed a piece of technology as much as I have enjoyed using, carrying around, and gadetizing with my HP Mini Vivienne Tam Edition. To end my journey HP was kind enough to send me to New York during Fashion Week and not only let me meet Vivienne Tam and view some gorgeous clothes...but meet other women bloggers that have taken this journey with me.

My first stop was Phoenix, Arizona airport, unfortunately I still had to work so getting a wi-fi signal was very important. The HP Mini Vivienne Tam Edition picked up the airport signal immediately and I was connected within a few clicks. I was able to work from the airport and easily turn off my wifi on the plane so I could watch iTunes movies, play games, etc...

After settling into our hotel, our next stop was the HP Mini Vivienne Tam Edition bloggers from across the country got together for a New York City Tour. It was my first time in New York so I really enjoyed the city, especially being surrounded by great company.


That night it was time to meet Vivienne Tam at her boutique for a fashion show and cocktail party afterwards! I was sooo excited I didn't know what to do! I wasn't sure if we were going to be able to actually talk to her, but boy was I in for a surprise for the entire trip. Not only would we be able to see Vivienne Tam but we were able to talk to her, take pictures, and the week would reveal that Vivienne Tam would be involved in our trip in a way no one even expected....

Stay tuned for the rest of my final journey... until then you can view all my images on Flickr or read more from the other Vivienne Tam bloggers:

• Gina from Techie Diva
• Beth from Tech Mamas
• Amisha from Notebooks
• Ponzi from Ponzarelli
• Helena from Chip Chick
• Andru from Gear Live
• Judie from Gear Diary
• Sierra from Gotta Be Mobile
• Casey from Moosh in Indy
• Dana from The Art of Accessories
• Tammy from A Mom in Red High Heels
• Caroline from Morning Side Mom
• The Mama Bird Diaries
• Maegan from Vivir Latino
• Jennine of The Coveted

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Vivienne Tam HP Mini Days 3 thru 5

I'm still out on the road with the HP Mini Vivienne Tam Edition and it's been a really cool journey. This weekend was really fun, I'm still working with Retailing Together and Phoenix Fashion Week this month, getting some great content for both of their websites.

Hilda and Jazzy @ Classy Jazzy Boutique

My first stop was with at a boutique called Classy Jazzy in the heart of old town Scottsdale, AZ to interview Hilda for Retailing Together.com. The owner, Hilda, owns the boutique and named it after her dog, Jazzy. Jazzy was sooo cute, and to be honest, the real diva of the show! Jazzy had on a t-shirt that said... "I'm kinda a big deal around here"! Classy Jazzy sells some amazing jewelry and accessories for dogs, and Hilda, a huge Obama fan was very optimistic about the economy... not to mention being obsessed with fashion. She loved the HP Mini and thought it would fit perfectly with her store decor.

My next stop for Retailing Together was in Tempe, AZ at Tempe Marketplace with Eric Torres. Eric is the genius owner of Different Trends, a website that represents a number of emerging designers. Eric, a fashion techie himself, loved the Vivienne Tam laptop, all he wanted to know was if it had built in wi-fi... Of course!

Me interviewing Eric Torres, owner of Different Trends

I also made stop to interview Katie from Garage Boutique a The Mix shopping center in Scottsdale, AZ. I loved the boutique, it was full of grown up luxury clothes for kids. The Mix Shopping center was amazing.. each and every store inside was handpicked by the owners.

Me and Katie of Garage Boutique chatting it up in the Twizzler's corner

Lastly, I spent the rest of the weekend at Phoenix Fashion Week's Apparel for Success workshops. I really enjoyed this job because I got to interview creative designers who were just getting their lines started and were looking for resources to help them succeed. Definitely a fun day for me and the HP Mini Vivienne Tam Edition...


I fell in love with a few more features this weekend. First, it fits absolutely perfect in my purse. Everyone else pulling out laptops had this huge bulky thing (like I used to), and it was just heavy and cumbersome for them. Also, The HP mini is a great networking tool... talk about attention! Everyone wanted to know where I got it from, what it does... I actually made a few business connections with it.

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Carry your gadgets with style using CareerBags.com accessories

I LOVE IT WHEN I STUMBLE ACROSS CUTE BAGS I can use to carry around my gadgets. Besides a laptop bag, being a fashion techie, I carry around a lot of things in my purse that sometimes get scratched up.


Yeah.. that's my purse! (click to image to zoom and read captions) It's a mess and it can get extremely heavy. It hurts my shoulder and it's just too much stuff in it on top of my gadgets. That's why when Career Bags contacted me and told me about their new Abbi NY Carrie Slim Carrier I was really excited. It has slim shoulder bag strap with ComfortGel, oriental print, external zipper for additional storage, and suede lining with protective padding. Now I just need to purge so I can have a lighter load!

Keep if fashionable! Like This? Love This? Let me know!

Vivienne Tam HP Mini Day Two

So today I got to put the Vivienne Tam HP Mini to the real test! It was so exciting hearing what clients, and others had to say about the laptop... and it felt really good carrying it around.

First, I met up with Brian Hill (head of Phoenix Fashion Week) and the Phoenix Fashion Week (PFW) iReporting Team at Boston Gourmet Pizza in Tempe, AZ. We are getting ready for our big kick off for October 1-3 and are planning our strategy for getting the behind the scenes scoop with boutiques, designers, and other vendors before, during, and after PFW. I'm actually excited to be joining the team this year along with ASU's fashion writing club. The HP Mini really helped out at the meeting, I used it take notes, browse the internet and bookmark relevant links, and everyone was pretty much amazed.

Brian, Head of PFW

After the PFW iReporting meeting I headed to some local Scottsdale, AZ boutiques for in person interviews for RetailingTogether.com.

Me making sure recorder and HP Mini bluetooth was synced

This is a pretty fun job, I get to travel to trendy boutiques in the area and interview boutique owners about the economy, tradeshows, and fashion. The HP Mini really made my life easier (it even matched with all the handbags). First, I can use it to record my interviews directly, secondly, it's super light and easy to carry around and thirdly, the boutique owners really loved it. Patrice Mann, from Stefan Mann, who sells high end handbags, told me "If you get to meet Vivienne Tam in New York, tell her she really did a great job with this design!", and Danica Coral, from Pink House Boutique, was plotting to snatch it and run as I was leaving her store.


It's was a pretty great day, one thing I don't like about the HP Mini Vivienne Tam Edition, the webcam is really dark, but I have a few solutions for that, that I'll share later this week. Stay tuned!

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Journey of a Pro Fashion Techie and her Vivienne Tam HP Mini: Day One

I've been writing about the Vivienne Tam HP Mini for the last 5 months. First I found out it due to be released, then I found out it was walking down New York runways, and then I started experimenting with gadgets and apps...planning the day when I would get one.

So, like a true fashionista, when the Hp Mini Vivienne Tam Edition arrived on my doorstep, I excitedly thought about how I was going to review it. I mean, I could do those boring laptop reviews like everyone else is doing, but this isn't a tech geek blog... this is a fashion based tech blog, and it's just not our style.

So, many people don't know this, but I own my own business, www.thefashiontechie.com, and I'm actually a full time fashion techie. Everyday, all day, I deal with fashion as it relates to technology, and this is the month long "Journey of a Pro Fashion Techie and her Vivienne Tam HP Mini."

Day One

So the HP Mini Vivienne Tam Edition arrived on my doorstep last week and today I took pictures of everything. I can't wait to take it with me to all my meetings, parties, and stuff this month. Of course, I expect some jaw dropping... I mean this thing is gorgeous! Anyway... here's the HP Mini Vivienne Tam Edition before I opened it up... look how cute the mouse is!

In the box you the get the HP Mini, a small bag, a mouse, the charger, two Duracell batteries for the mouse, and the battery for the HP Mini.



However, the thing I love the most is the mouse. Inside of it is the small USB reciever. It's so cute and small! You just plug it into your HP mini, turn on the mouse, and voila! I love this because I'm not really finger clicking kind of girl, I like my mouse. It's a must have.

It also perfectly matches the HP digital clutch, so it's fashionable and resourceful.. exactly what I like.


It's really not a difficult device to use. It's simple and easy, Windows XP ready, web cam built in, and microphone built in. Here's a look at some of the basic features.


It also includes a SD Card Reader, 2 USB ports, expansion port, headphone and microphone jack, HP Mobile Drive indicator, and a security cable connector.

So stay tuned.. and we'll def see the response and give a real life road test! Like This? Love This? Let me know!