Alt Summit: Creative Overload

Whew. That was amazing. My brain is full of creative juices and they're flowing like crazy. I decided to switch venues from my Friday roost and spent all day Sarturday attending classes online and watching the world go by out my front window. I was also closer to the string cheese this way. 

Cozy spaces make me happy.

I haven't had a spare moment to process all the awesomeness, but I hope to soon. Well, soon-ish. I fly out tomorrow morning on a business trip. Since Alt ended on Saturday evening I've...

...been to dinner...

...and the ballet with my friend John.

Today I hosted brunch for 7 of my amazing friends.

Then this afternoon there was a situation appointment involving all sorts of wax and all sorts of pain and we don't need to discuss it. I'm now packed, mostly. My stack of Apple products are adequately charged. My cab is coming super early to shuttle me away. I'm anxious to review my notes and set a game plan, but perhaps the plane ride will give me time to reflect on Alt and everything I absorbed. 

My initial thoughts are:

{ Pinterest }

It was repeated by multiple speakers that you need to pick a couple social media platforms and invest time to build a community there, versus a shallow community everywhere. I have that on Instagram, I'm trying to build that more on this blog, but I've decided I need to pay more attention to Pinterest. I love everything about it, and I know I can curate boards people will want to see and share, it just overwhelms me. There's too much awesome. Managing the awesome can be a part time job, but I want to give it more attention. So, Pinterest. 

{ Organize }

I need an editorial calendar for this blog. I've known that for a while, but I'm finally going to do it. 

{ Photographs }

I need to put down my iPhone and get back to high(er)-quality photos. Many people at Alt talked about how challenging it is for them to take photos for their blog. I felt fortunate that I have the passion, skills, and equipment to do that; but then I felt lazy for only re-posting grainy Instagram photos on here. I'll do better from now on and be more intentional about professional photographs. 

{ Graphic Design }

I should've got a degree in graphic design. I can take free classes at the college where I work and I think I'm finally going to do it. I'm not going to do it a degree-seeking way, I'm content with my BA and MA as they are, but I am going to develop those skills. 

{ Overhaul }

It's inevitable that I will overhaul the entire design of this site, with or without the graphic design classes. Also, I may switch platforms (opinions, anyone?). Also also, I'm considering a logo. 

That's it for now. Stayed tuned for more Alt insights (and changes) in the coming weeks. 

xo, 

me

Alt Summit: Location. Location. Location.

#fromwhereialt

Yesterday I mused that Alt for Everyone's "entirely online format is a great way for me to get my feet wet. The mythical magical far away someday Alt Summit feels considerably more manageable in my yoga pants on the couch." I was right. And cozy.

I could only participate in one class today, but it definitely got the ball rolling. My introduction to the summit was "Organized Online" taught by Liz Stanley of Say Yes to Hoboken. It was a validation that my OCD is indeed a superpower, and it was an eyeopener as to the business side of blogging full-time. I'm excited for the next two days and eight more events.

Oh, in answer to the question of how many Apple products it takes to attend a webinar, apparently four (if you include the phone used to snap this pic). Hashtag multitask the media.

Alright, Alt. You and me. Same couch. Same yoga pants. Mañana.

Alt for Everyone: Swagtastic.

In their own words: "Altitude Design is your definitive resource for the very serious business of beautiful, brilliant blogging. A community of exciting, creative thinkers and entrepreneurs..." Sweet. I'm all about beautifully brilliant things. And this year, I'm all about Alt for Everyone. For me the Alt Summit has been something mythical and magical and far away...something only purely fabulous people do...something I would love to do...someday. 

Well kids, in the spirit of 2013 and My Happiness Project, someday is now Thursday. Like, tomorrow. It's all part of my master plan to take back my creativity and then take it further than I've ever imagined. 

...and so it begins. With swag.

Brace yourself for the shout outs. Clickety click the links and show these awesome people some love.

The sponsor of all sponsors brought branded Mason jars to the party. #thanksbing

@BlueQness brought all sorts of awesomeness to the party...tucked away in this cute bag. 

Blue Q uses recycled materials, donates to the Nature Conservancy, and employs adults with disabilities.
Oh, and makes cute stuff. Pretty awesome, if you ask me.

Zelma Rose started a beautiful hashtag: #ihaveloveinmyheartforyou

How gorgeous is my curio? Check out Lisa Shaffer's website for all sorts of goodies. #ihaveloveinmyheartforyou

Ivory and Ash are in LA making amazing organic shea lip balm, btw. So soft.

Lila Smyth of Lingering Daydreams shares my washi tape fixation. Look...cute cupcake flags!

Childhood List sent handmade crayons (bee + soy waxes). Can't wait to incorporate in my mixed media art! 

pixelimpress nailed it. Stationary. Turquoise. Gold. Gorgeous.

The schedule and course offerings are awesome. Participants can take seven classes, hear the keynote, and network with people in one meet-up event. I'm ready and excited to absorb as much information as I possibly can. This is the first time they've offered Alt for Everyone, and the entirely online format is a great way for me to get my feet wet. The mythical magical far away someday Alt Summit feels considerably more manageable in my yoga pants on the couch.

Baby steps toward fabulous. Let's do this.

xo,
me

Beehive Bazaar. So. Many. Crafts.

So Beehive Bazaar has happened for nine years now, but apparently I'm the last idiot standing who just now tuned in. I've been living in a cave, clearly, because this DIY craft fair is super awesome and so my thing. I traveled south yesterday to check it out, not sure what to expect. Good thing I brought my AMEX, that's all I'm sayin'.

May 09-11 and 12-18. Get thee to Provo.

Oh dang...in case you forgot where you are. 

A mini gallery and a very cute vendor booth.

Jesus, is that you? Oh, wait. What? Just another hipster? Okay then. 

The staging of this vendor's booth is so perfect. Her watercolors are so delicate. Just lovely. 

Seeing how vendors decorate their booth is actually as fun as shopping in them!

I've always wanted to try my hand at a terrarium, but they intimidate me.

Cavalcade jewelry may be one of the reasons my wallet got a workout.

...truer than true.

How cheeky and adorable is that?

Thanks for being so *dang* crafty, Utah. mwah...xo

In case you missed it this past weekend, Beehive Bazaar continues for two more days. Get to Provo on May 17th and/or 18th. Be prepared to drop a few dollars, this fair isn't messing around.

Happiness Project brunch, no.4

We ignored Gretchen Rubin this past month, for the most part. Her chapter for April was about parenting. There are a few parents in our group, but we weren't feeling inspired by it. We decided instead to bring something to share that we are passionate about. It spun off from our conversation about careers and working for the man and needing more creativity and such.

Someone brought paintings they've been working on, while another person brought a giant pile of family history and photographs they found in the garage. Others talked about a writer's group they joined and still others shared their difficulty in focusing on just one idea or project to even begin with.

Some people chose not to share or didn't feel they had anything in particular to share. Those that did read the chapter used that moment to bring up the concept of "fog happiness" that Rubin writes about:

[Happiness] surrounds me, I see it everywhere, despite the fact that when I zoom in on any particular moment, it can be hard to identify.

Awareness is always the first step, right? You have to name it before you can do anything else about it. Some friends struggle to name what their passion is, what they would wake up and do every single day if money were no object. There isn't anything particularly wrong with their life, they just can't seem to zoom in and pursue something particular. I don't share that struggle, but since January I have been working on zooming in even more. I've been spending time this year naming and codifying what it is that makes me happy, and what will make me happy when I can get to it. I brought something to share with the brunch group that is still very much in development. It relates to my passions of traveling, writing, photography, and community organizing. If it becomes something worth sharing beyond my living room, you'll read about it here. Send good vibes, will ya? I'm hopeful.

The most significant success of the Happiness Project for me thus far, 1/3 of the way through the year, has been to really understand what Rubin means when she says:

The days are long, but the years are short.

That understanding has started to open doors and shift things for me. It's exactly what needed to happen. The past few months at work have been brutal. March and April are, every single year, overbooked and move at lightening speed. The days may feel long; I come home exhausted, I work 60 hours a week, I let my hobbies and social calendar slide...and yet here we are. We're 1/3 of the way through the year. I'm already starting to wrap up fiscal year end budgets and I'm putting appointments on my spring 2014 calendar. Yes, 2014, you read correctly. Time is marching on whether I come home exhausted or energized. Time will continue to march on whether I'm grinding out 60 hours a week or whether I'm traveling and taking amazing photos. The years are short. I hit my 11 year mark at my institution and something snapped. I asked myself what I wanted to be doing when I turned 40. The reality that the milestone is less than 10 years away sunk in and sunk in hard. I have an excellent job. It's secure. They would be thrilled if I was there for another decade. They have no idea I'm flirting with an exit strategy. But the years are short. I'm starting to spin a number of creative plates and one could spin off into a whole new life or they could all come shattering down tomorrow. I have no guarantees. I only know that what will ultimately make me blindingly happy is not what I'm doing right now.

And...so...anyway...breakfast pizza! I made two different pizzas and while they turned out alright, it was obnoxiously difficult. It seems so simple, but oh no. I purchased pre-made pizza dough, which helped, but I'd also never worked with it before. Anyway, one breakfast pizza was wheat dough, pesto base, grilled asparagus / peppers / red onion / garlic, fontina, romano, mozzarella fresco, with sunny eggs. The other pizza was white dough, maple glaze base, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, green onion, cheddar, and fontina.

...then 10 minutes on a stone at 500-degrees.

This Huffington Post article was my jumping off point, and then I discovered a lot of different blogs and recipes from this original post.