I came across these two amazing pieces of art recently and they wanted to be next to each other.

{Adventure by Katie Rodgers.  Sunspots II by Pat Steir.}

It’s pretty dreary here, but wherever you are, I hope you have an adventure this weekend!  xoxo

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So amidst all of these sparkly, spangly, fun-tastic things that I’ve been posting about Alt, you may have been thinking that it was just one long party.  The deal is, it was kind of the opposite.  It was lots of focusing, listening, learning, networking, and thought about Lovely Indeed and where I’d really like it to be headed.  So while we may have come home with lots of crazy photos like this one:

{Image by Moss and Isaac.}

…we also came home with so many wonderful new ideas and goals, it’s gonna take a while to sort through and implement.  But I thought a good place to start sorting would be here.  So let’s do it.  My faves from Alt.

Camille Styles on building your brand:  “Every single thing you do — good or bad — is defining your brand to the world.”

Jasmine Star on having an authentic voice and knowing your assets & limitations: “If you can keep it real with yourself, you can keep it real with everyone else.”

Jasmine Star on staying true to your originality (especially when you’re discouraged at others’ successes): “You can’t compete with the appearance of limitless everything, but nobody is as good at being you as YOU.”

Pilar Guzman on traditional vs. new media: “The blogosphere at large has demanded a certain amount of authenticity.”

And three beauties from Ben Silbermann, founder of Pinterest, who gave a keynote speech:

“Discovering things about the world helps you discover things about yourself.”

“It’s okay if you don’t know what to do, but being around people who inspire you is a good first step.”

“There are so many things that are good enough — why not make the one that’s beautiful?”

Of course, there were a zillion more things that I scribbled down and brought home with me.  I just feel so lucky to have been a part of it all, and it was truly inspiring to see so many creative people striving to integrate their creativity into their livelihoods.  (And okay, the sparkles and spangles didn’t hurt either.)  xoxo

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{Image from Sterling Style.}

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Let’s keep it real — I’m no cook.  I like to bake, and I like to eat, but cooking?  Not so much.  That’s usually Mr. Lovely’s department.  Which is exactly why I was so proud of myself the other evening when I dreamed up this ridiculously delicious (and embarrassingly easy) meal!

Grab a baguette, some brie, and some salami.  Slice the baguette into 1-inch thick pieces and drizzle with olive oil.  Top each piece with some salami and a piece of brie and broil for 5-8 minutes, until brie is melted and bread is crispy & brown on the edges.

Toss together a simple salad (ours was literally lettuce, tomato, and balsamic) and eat!  You guys, I’m an amazing cook now.  Boom.  xoxo

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Why are they so fun?!  It’s kind of intoxicating to be handed a bunch of props and sat in front of a camera.  (By the by, does the background on these look familiar?)  In any case, one more little tidbit from Alt — Method threw a mini-party and had Smilebooth stop by for some photos, so we jumped in with some new friends.  This is me and Mr. Lovely with Carmen, Katie, and Kohli – three of the coolest kids at Alt.  xoxo

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It’s totally time to start thinking about Valentine’s Day!  I know what you’re thinking — Valentine’s Day?!  I just finished Christmas!  What’s next?  Halloween again?

And you would be right.  But!  If you want to get your DIY on, you’ve gotta plan a little bit in advance, no?  And if I wanna help you get your DIY on, I’ve gotta plan even more in advance.  Hence the Valentine’s Day talk in the middle of January.

But I digress!  I’ve got the perfect DIY for all of you coffee-loving, Earth-friendly movers and shakers:  upcycled and reusable coffee sleeves, just the right size to fit over all those Starbucks, Coffee Bean, and Peet’s cups.

It’s a piece of cake:  just download this template, cut it out, and trace it onto some thick fabric.  I used felt for one, and a scrap of faux suede from an old purse for another.  After you’ve traced, cut out the fabric and either sew or hot glue the ends together, overlapping as far as the marked section on the template.  Then cut a heart from another swatch of fabric and sew or glue it on.  I chose to use some embroidery thread and make big stitches for some embellishment.

Keep them for yourself, or give them to a coffee (or tea)-loving friend for Valentine’s Day!  They weigh nothing, so keep ‘em in your purse to use every time you visit a coffee shop (the Earth will thank you for laying off of the cardboard ones).  xoxo

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{Image from Wednesday.}

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Thanks a bunch for following along with my Alt Summit updates — it was for sure an inspiring weekend, and pretty glamorous to boot!  Friday was full of more panels & classes (and more visits with my DIY partner-in-crime, Jenny!) and lots more beautiful food.  One of my favorite sightings was a full-out haircut happening in the ladies room.  I guess that’s just how you roll at Alt.

Friday night we all hopped around to the mini-parties thrown by all of the amazing sponsors.  Each party had a different theme, and there were photo booths galore, so you know I was in heaven.  A couple of my faves: the Girls with Glasses & Pinhole Press hosted a Paris-themed soiree, complete with macarons and champagne, and Uppercase Mag hosted a shindig where they set out beading supplies so you could chat while you made jewelry.  What?! I was in heaven.

Then on Saturday after a photography class, Mr. Lovely and I headed to Sundance to explore.  We got there at the start of a blizzard, so we kind of hit the road early, but it was beautiful!  We finished off with some of Salt Lake City’s amazing vintage shops, and headed back home exhausted, inspired, and ready to rumble.  xoxo

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It’s Friday, y’all!  I know we usually do Friday Faves today, but I thought I’d continue with our Alt Summit Instagram updates. Yesterday was an absolute whirlwind — full of amazing panel speakers, more delicious food, and people running around looking impossibly chic in all of their coolest attire.  I had the pleasure to meet some of my favorite bloggers, and I crammed so much info into my brain it made my head spin.  The venue is gorgeous, the swag is crazy (I won a camera bag from Epiphanie!), and best of all — the dedication to excellence is infectious.

And if all that wasn’t enough, there was a white party last evening, with everyone dressed to the nines and sequins & tulle aplenty.  (I’m just saying: there were snowcones and I wore sparkly tap shorts.)   It was all stunning and I’m pretty stoked to be meeting tons of bloggers and designers face to face.

We’ve got another day and a half of action, but I’ll fill you in on Monday.  So go have a fabulous weekend and do something wonderful!  Happy Friday!  xoxo

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