July isn’t over, but it’s already been a wonderful month. As if Independence Day and long, warm evenings weren’t enough, I’ve been busy with some awesome stuff.

I just got back from a wonderful weekend in Seattle. I was there to present at CU Conferences on social media crisis management for credit unions. It was my first conference presentation that didn’t have to do with being Muslim or being  a woman, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was wonderful to meet credit union board members from all around the country and talk about how social media can help their credit union marketing and customer service. Thanks to everyone who grabbed some snapshots of my presentation!

Another exciting first for me is living out my fantasies of fashion blogging for Money Side of Life. I wrote about how to build a professional wardrobe without losing your entire paycheck, and had so much fun trotting out my Le Tigre and Blue Steel looks. Below is one of the looks; head over to Money Side of Life to see more looks and discuss my frugal wardrobe tips.

These two firsts were exciting because I’m turning 31 this month. I absolutely loved turning 30; it’s been a great year. I’m excited to see what firsts 31 will bring (hoping they’ll all be good ones).