It’s Friday, y’all! Hooray! I’m headed to the family farm for a weekend of napping, playing with the kids, exploring, and enjoying my mother-in-law’s cooking. I’m one lucky lady. This week was mostly spent recovering from Alt Summit, and I think this will be the perfect way to bookend that experience. There is nothing more opposite on the planet than a weekend at the farm in Kansas. And it’s just what I need.
Here are some links to get you through your weekend. I hope you have a great one!
I’m so excited for this new Babble series from Alison Faulkner and Susan Petersen! A look behind the scenes of super successful bloggers, plus tips on how to get there!
I’m horrible at menu planning, so I’m loving these tips on Design Mom. I need to put these into action, like, yesterday!
Have you all heard of Rivet and Sway? They are an eyeglasses designer out of Seattle that wants to change how people see their glasses. Their styles are fantastic, and I’m getting ready to start a super fun project with them! Here’s how it works, you go online to their store and type in a few details about yourself, like your face shape and style, and they have a personal stylist that will contact you with three frames that would work best for you. Then they send you the frames to try for free! Once you decide, you send the frames back and order your fave. Awesome, right? If you’re interested, Rivet and Sway is having a Valentine’s Day sale starting today, with $50 off all frames! Head over to Rivet and Sway to check out their options!
So, packing for Alt Summit can be a bit daunting (sidenote: Sorry, I promise this is the last Alt-related post this week! And it’s a funny one!). I was stressed for a few weeks trying to decide what outfits to bring, how I’d do my hair and what shoes would go with what. Basically I was like a 14-year-old heading off to her first co-ed overnight camp. But not. That’s how I was acting. “Ahhh, will they like me? I have to look perfect! Are they going to think I’m a dork? Am I not hipster enough? AHHHHH!”
Up until the morning I left, I was listing out my options and trying to pack the perfect bag. When I left for the airport, I was pretty damn proud of myself. I packed outfits I was comfortable in and felt like “me.” I had packed way to many shoes, but I was okay with it. I was feeling chic as I stepped on to the plane in my dinner outfit (I didn’t have much time after my plane landed to get to my dinner with the team from Citizens of Humanity, so I wore that outfit during my travel day) of jeans, a striped mini-dress, and ankle boots. I went to my dinner, had a nice time, and felt fairly awesome. Someone even mentioned they couldn’t believe I was 30. Let’s just say I was pretty darn stoked.
And then….
I got back to the house where we were staying and opened my bag to get out my bathroom kit so I could brush my teeth…and lo and behold, no bathroom kit. I’d left my massive kit hanging in my bathroom at home, never to make the flight to Salt Lake. I had arrived in town with a few things in my carry on (thank god for my tight schedule and thinking I’d need a few things on hand) like make-up, a small travel size hairspray and a brush. But that was it.
Please see Exhibit A, the aforementioned bathroom kit, as I found it when I returned home…just as I’d left it.
Now, I don’t consider myself high maintenance in most instances. My beauty routine on a daily basis is pretty minimal, but it varies. My make up is usually simple, just a bit of tinted moisturizer, concealer, mascara, cream blush and lip gloss, and I’m good to go! It usually takes about five minutes total. But the hair. Oh dear lord, the hair. I have a long, thick (but also fine) main of wavy hair that is a beast to style. My saving grace has been dry shampoo, which extends my hair for up to four days between shampoos, as shampooing daily actually makes my hair greasy and flat. If I want to wear it straight, I need several products to get it there (styling lotion, glossing creme and/or smoothing oil, a round brush and hair dryer) and I need several totally different products to wear it wavy (styling tonic, curl creme, mousse and a hair dryer with a diffuser attachment). If I want to wear it up in a bun or any sort of braid I need dry shampoo and hair spray. So, let’s see…that’s ten different items. TEN! Just for my hair! Blergh!
I knew I wanted to have options at Alt, so I packed all of my hair products (plus shampoo and conditioner) for the trip. Well, I packed them in the kit and then left them behind. Not to mention other essentials like a toothbrush, deodorant, hair ties, hair pins, face wash, toothpaste…and on and on and on.
When I realized my mistake, I prepared for a self-inflicted freak out. But it never came. Maybe I was so stressed by Alt itself my brain couldn’t take anymore and just said “screw it.” No idea. But I borrowed some toothpaste, face wash and deodorant from Nicole, who also happened to have some shampoo and conditioner samples in her bag. I bought a toothbrush at the hotel gift shop. And I made it work. I attempted to blow dry my hair straight each day (as that takes less time and is easier to do without products than any of the other options), but I was definitely a bit of a grease ball.
Me, on Day 2 of the conference, looking a little greasy and flat…Nicole looking totally gorgeous…darn you Nicole!
And you know what? It was okay! I survived and maybe even learned something. I don’t need a million products and I don’t need to be perfect. I doubt anyone there was super disturbed by my lack of fancy hair (although I was looking longingly at some of the other girls with fab hairdos), in fact, I’m almost positive no one noticed. And my suitcase had so much extra room, I was able to bring home some fun surprises I picked up for the family in the hotel toy store!
I guess the moral of this dumb story is don’t over think things too much. And if you run into trouble, just buy a bunch of toys and you’ll feel much better about it!
——————————————-
In case anyone needs hair product advice, these are the products I use. They are Crazybananas tested and approved for unruly hair!
Alt Summit stirred up a lot of feelings in me, some positive…some not so much. And I’ve spent the last few days trying to figure out why that is. Why do I feel a giant weight of inadequacy about to crush me after I’ve left such an uplifting experience?
I was so overwhelmed with all the goodness at Alt Summit, and I think I was internalizing it in a way that was totally negative. Which, I mean, come on, right? Stop it. But I couldn’t help myself. I met so many people, tons of whom had only been blogging for a year or two, whose lives were overflowing with sponsorships, book deals, speaking engagements and everything else under the sun. Many of the people I’ve spoken to left Alt with a new sense of purpose…a new idea they were going to make come to life or an amazing plan for a collaboration. I left with a book full of notes and a big case of “oh poor me” syndrome. Gross.
But luckily for me, I at least had the foresight to look through that big book of notes and found my answers staring me in the face. Page after page of my notes described talks by bloggers who had started out with the same doubts and worries that I was feeling. In fact, a few of them expressed how they are STILL dealing with those emotions. Suddenly, I felt less alone.
Photo by Brooke Dennis for Alt – Layout by Me
Over and over people had asked for advice during these sessions, and over and over the answers were simple: Be Yourself. Don’t try to emulate others because you’re just going to come off as a cheap version of whoever they are, and you’re so much better than that. Karon Walrond gave a speech on “Finding Your Voice” and one of her main points was to stop comparing. She outlined the difference between inspiration (makes you want to do better) and comparison (makes you feel bad about yourself), and that was a real lightbulb moment for me. I was comparing. And it’s never going to do me any good.
iPhone Photo and Layout by Me
I’m me. Crazybananas. I write a blog about nothing. And everything. I’m not a designer or a professional photographer or someone who can craft my way out of any situation. I’m not usually the most fashionable girl in the group. Sometimes my life is mundane. Sometimes it’s extraordinary. I write about things that I like. I write about my life. I write about TV and pop culture and shoes that I think are totally rad. I’m not an expert on anything. Except for myself. I’m a world renowned expert in the study of me.
And now that I think about it, that’s a pretty awesome thing to be. And that’s why I continue here. This is why I blog. Because I have an internal voice that wants to tell my story. Someday, when I’m old and my grandkids can’t imagine who I was before, I want them to be able to read here and learn about what I am all about…what I liked and who I loved, no matter how mundane it may seem. My voice matters to someone out there, even if I can’t see it yet. And that someone is me.
(Someone remind me to read this before the next time I go to Alt, deal? Deal.)
(Just in case you need to have a dance party after that heaviness…I’m having one right now too!)
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2013-01-30 22:02:512013-01-30 22:15:32Why I Blog
Happy Weekend!
/2 Comments/in Gimme, web /by MeganIt’s Friday, y’all! Hooray! I’m headed to the family farm for a weekend of napping, playing with the kids, exploring, and enjoying my mother-in-law’s cooking. I’m one lucky lady. This week was mostly spent recovering from Alt Summit, and I think this will be the perfect way to bookend that experience. There is nothing more opposite on the planet than a weekend at the farm in Kansas. And it’s just what I need.
Here are some links to get you through your weekend. I hope you have a great one!
These high school photos of celebrities make me laugh.
Just in case you need a little pep talk…
I’ve talked quite a bit about Karen Walrond this week, but did you know she has her very own TEDx talk? You should go watch it. It’s pretty fantastic.
Some simple tips for taking self portraits. And if you follow me on Instagram, you know how much I love self portraits!
I’m so excited for this new Babble series from Alison Faulkner and Susan Petersen! A look behind the scenes of super successful bloggers, plus tips on how to get there!
I’m horrible at menu planning, so I’m loving these tips on Design Mom. I need to put these into action, like, yesterday!
These aerial photos of tulip fields in the Netherlands will make you gasp. Such color and beauty. Oh, my heart.
Here are a few other pieces I worked on around the Internet recently:
The Truth About Organic Toys on Design for MiniKind
How A Start Up Kids Show is Leading the Slow Parenting Movement on Design for MiniKind
Networking Tips for the Introverted on Sweet Lemon Magazine’s Zesty Digest
Have you all heard of Rivet and Sway? They are an eyeglasses designer out of Seattle that wants to change how people see their glasses. Their styles are fantastic, and I’m getting ready to start a super fun project with them! Here’s how it works, you go online to their store and type in a few details about yourself, like your face shape and style, and they have a personal stylist that will contact you with three frames that would work best for you. Then they send you the frames to try for free! Once you decide, you send the frames back and order your fave. Awesome, right? If you’re interested, Rivet and Sway is having a Valentine’s Day sale starting today, with $50 off all frames! Head over to Rivet and Sway to check out their options!
High Maintenance
/1 Comment/in Blond, Nerd Herd, Style /by MeganSo, packing for Alt Summit can be a bit daunting (sidenote: Sorry, I promise this is the last Alt-related post this week! And it’s a funny one!). I was stressed for a few weeks trying to decide what outfits to bring, how I’d do my hair and what shoes would go with what. Basically I was like a 14-year-old heading off to her first co-ed overnight camp. But not. That’s how I was acting. “Ahhh, will they like me? I have to look perfect! Are they going to think I’m a dork? Am I not hipster enough? AHHHHH!”
Up until the morning I left, I was listing out my options and trying to pack the perfect bag. When I left for the airport, I was pretty damn proud of myself. I packed outfits I was comfortable in and felt like “me.” I had packed way to many shoes, but I was okay with it. I was feeling chic as I stepped on to the plane in my dinner outfit (I didn’t have much time after my plane landed to get to my dinner with the team from Citizens of Humanity, so I wore that outfit during my travel day) of jeans, a striped mini-dress, and ankle boots. I went to my dinner, had a nice time, and felt fairly awesome. Someone even mentioned they couldn’t believe I was 30. Let’s just say I was pretty darn stoked.
And then….
I got back to the house where we were staying and opened my bag to get out my bathroom kit so I could brush my teeth…and lo and behold, no bathroom kit. I’d left my massive kit hanging in my bathroom at home, never to make the flight to Salt Lake. I had arrived in town with a few things in my carry on (thank god for my tight schedule and thinking I’d need a few things on hand) like make-up, a small travel size hairspray and a brush. But that was it.
Please see Exhibit A, the aforementioned bathroom kit, as I found it when I returned home…just as I’d left it.
Now, I don’t consider myself high maintenance in most instances. My beauty routine on a daily basis is pretty minimal, but it varies. My make up is usually simple, just a bit of tinted moisturizer, concealer, mascara, cream blush and lip gloss, and I’m good to go! It usually takes about five minutes total. But the hair. Oh dear lord, the hair. I have a long, thick (but also fine) main of wavy hair that is a beast to style. My saving grace has been dry shampoo, which extends my hair for up to four days between shampoos, as shampooing daily actually makes my hair greasy and flat. If I want to wear it straight, I need several products to get it there (styling lotion, glossing creme and/or smoothing oil, a round brush and hair dryer) and I need several totally different products to wear it wavy (styling tonic, curl creme, mousse and a hair dryer with a diffuser attachment). If I want to wear it up in a bun or any sort of braid I need dry shampoo and hair spray. So, let’s see…that’s ten different items. TEN! Just for my hair! Blergh!
I knew I wanted to have options at Alt, so I packed all of my hair products (plus shampoo and conditioner) for the trip. Well, I packed them in the kit and then left them behind. Not to mention other essentials like a toothbrush, deodorant, hair ties, hair pins, face wash, toothpaste…and on and on and on.
When I realized my mistake, I prepared for a self-inflicted freak out. But it never came. Maybe I was so stressed by Alt itself my brain couldn’t take anymore and just said “screw it.” No idea. But I borrowed some toothpaste, face wash and deodorant from Nicole, who also happened to have some shampoo and conditioner samples in her bag. I bought a toothbrush at the hotel gift shop. And I made it work. I attempted to blow dry my hair straight each day (as that takes less time and is easier to do without products than any of the other options), but I was definitely a bit of a grease ball.
Me, on Day 2 of the conference, looking a little greasy and flat…Nicole looking totally gorgeous…darn you Nicole!
And you know what? It was okay! I survived and maybe even learned something. I don’t need a million products and I don’t need to be perfect. I doubt anyone there was super disturbed by my lack of fancy hair (although I was looking longingly at some of the other girls with fab hairdos), in fact, I’m almost positive no one noticed. And my suitcase had so much extra room, I was able to bring home some fun surprises I picked up for the family in the hotel toy store!
I guess the moral of this dumb story is don’t over think things too much. And if you run into trouble, just buy a bunch of toys and you’ll feel much better about it!
In case anyone needs hair product advice, these are the products I use. They are Crazybananas tested and approved for unruly hair!
For Straight Locks:
– Bumble and Bumble Styling Lotion
– Fekkai Glossing Creme
– Moroccan Oil or Josie Moran Argan Oil
For Wavy Locks:
– Bumble and Bumble Tonic Lotion
– Bumble and Bumble Curl Conscious Defining Creme
– Suave Captivating Curls Mousse (oh yeah, $3.50!)
For Updo’s, Braids, Etc.:
– Klorane Extra Gentle Dry Shampoo
– Rockaholic Fun Times Flexible Hairspray
Why I Blog
/9 Comments/in Finding My Path, Grumples, Happiness /by MeganAlt Summit stirred up a lot of feelings in me, some positive…some not so much. And I’ve spent the last few days trying to figure out why that is. Why do I feel a giant weight of inadequacy about to crush me after I’ve left such an uplifting experience?
I was so overwhelmed with all the goodness at Alt Summit, and I think I was internalizing it in a way that was totally negative. Which, I mean, come on, right? Stop it. But I couldn’t help myself. I met so many people, tons of whom had only been blogging for a year or two, whose lives were overflowing with sponsorships, book deals, speaking engagements and everything else under the sun. Many of the people I’ve spoken to left Alt with a new sense of purpose…a new idea they were going to make come to life or an amazing plan for a collaboration. I left with a book full of notes and a big case of “oh poor me” syndrome. Gross.
But luckily for me, I at least had the foresight to look through that big book of notes and found my answers staring me in the face. Page after page of my notes described talks by bloggers who had started out with the same doubts and worries that I was feeling. In fact, a few of them expressed how they are STILL dealing with those emotions. Suddenly, I felt less alone.
Photo by Brooke Dennis for Alt – Layout by Me
Over and over people had asked for advice during these sessions, and over and over the answers were simple: Be Yourself. Don’t try to emulate others because you’re just going to come off as a cheap version of whoever they are, and you’re so much better than that. Karon Walrond gave a speech on “Finding Your Voice” and one of her main points was to stop comparing. She outlined the difference between inspiration (makes you want to do better) and comparison (makes you feel bad about yourself), and that was a real lightbulb moment for me. I was comparing. And it’s never going to do me any good.
iPhone Photo and Layout by Me
I’m me. Crazybananas. I write a blog about nothing. And everything. I’m not a designer or a professional photographer or someone who can craft my way out of any situation. I’m not usually the most fashionable girl in the group. Sometimes my life is mundane. Sometimes it’s extraordinary. I write about things that I like. I write about my life. I write about TV and pop culture and shoes that I think are totally rad. I’m not an expert on anything. Except for myself. I’m a world renowned expert in the study of me.
And now that I think about it, that’s a pretty awesome thing to be. And that’s why I continue here. This is why I blog. Because I have an internal voice that wants to tell my story. Someday, when I’m old and my grandkids can’t imagine who I was before, I want them to be able to read here and learn about what I am all about…what I liked and who I loved, no matter how mundane it may seem. My voice matters to someone out there, even if I can’t see it yet. And that someone is me.
(Someone remind me to read this before the next time I go to Alt, deal? Deal.)
(Just in case you need to have a dance party after that heaviness…I’m having one right now too!)