Happy Weekend!

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Hey everyone! I hope you had a great week. We have a three-day weekend around here, and we got a little snow dumped on us last night, so for the most part we haven’t left our warm house. This evening Trent and I have date night (our first in months…that’s so sad) and I’m hoping to get a few more Go Mighty shoots done this week as well. Wish me luck!

Here are some links from around the web to keep you busy. Enjoy!

I LOVE this post about being intentional on Valentine’s Day. I think it could translate to any day of the year, actually.

I struggle to find movies we can all watch together…you too?

Why, hello there, cinnamon sugar doughnuts!

You guys, ice cubes are super hard to make. Just check out the reviews on the recipe.

I wonder what Trent would say if I serenaded him in song?

Twin babies laughing in the bathtub while hitting themselves in the head with buckets. Need I say more?

I really enjoyed this interview with author Pamela Druckerman, who writes about the keys to French parenting. I need to adopt some of her techniques for sure.

I know it’s nerdy, but I have loved the attention NASA and the space program has (finally) gotten this week. Check out these videos of the meteor streaking through the sky in Russia. Unreal!

Here are a few other posts I’ve written around the web this week!

Did you all know I was able to listen to a talk by Darcy Miller of Martha Stewart Weddings? It was pretty fantastic. Here are her five tips for party planning.

I wrote a post about my loving relationship with red lipstick, along with some tips on wearing it, no matter what your skin type. Red lips for all!

Happy Weekend!

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Well hello, Friday! I’m happy to see you. This is a short week for us due to our hooky playing ways earlier in the week and the fact that Lu doesn’t have school today for parent-teacher conferences. Tate, Lu and I have plans to go see my Little Sister at college and then spend the rest of the weekend catching up on everything we left hanging when we decided to go out of town last week. I’m still dragging since Alt Summit, so hopefully this weekend will be the time to get it all under some semblance of control. I also want to (finally!) watch the series finale of 30 Rock and maybe go see a movie. Is it nerdy that I want to go see this one?

In my defense, I’ve loved Nicholas Hoult since his days on Skins as the horrible Tony (link NSFW), but yes, it’s sort of like Twilight with zombies, shut up, I know.

(Random Sidenote: If US networks could stop remaking amazing British dramas like Skins and Shameless it would be awesome, thank you very much.)

OK, now for some links to get you through your weekend….

Need some great Valentine’s decorations? Check out these free printables from Oh Happy Day. The giant posters are my favorite!

Did you all read about the granddaughters of Fred Phelps leaving his horrible, hate-filled church? I don’t know if this is a big story nationwide, but it’s huge in my area since the Westboro Baptist Church is based near here. I’m so proud of this strong ladies and wish them well in whatever they decide to do. My favorite radio show here in Kansas City did a piece on this story, as they featured Megan Phelps on the show many times in the past. I loved what they had to say.

I thought this look behind the scenes of “The Lizzie Bennett Diaries” was so cool. I love seeing how amazing, unique things are created.

This is a drawing, not a photo. Blows my mind. People are so talented.

I’m obsessed with this song and this band.

Are you guys on Pinterest? You can find me over there under the name Crazybananas. My favorite boards are my music, photography and style boards. Do you guys have any pinners or boards you love? Let me know in the comments!

(Photo of the beautiful Mikayla Stover and her baby belly by Me)

Happy Weekend!

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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!

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

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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!

An Attempted Alt Summit Post

Alt SLC 2013 - Thursday Morning

Photo by Justin Hackworth for Alt Summit – Can you find me? It’s like Where’s Waldo!

Whew.

Did I say that loudly enough? WHEW!!!

I returned from Alt Summit on Sunday and my mind is still reeling with new ideas, thoughts, names, and all around goodness. I’ve been asked a few times how my “vacation” was, and I will be the first to correct them. While Alt Summit is a wonderful time, it is certainly not a vacation. In fact, every single attendee I spoke to mentioned how completely exhausted they were. It’s difficult to quantify how much information we all sucked into our brains, and, for me at least, the socializing was just as depleting. Alt is a great place to make connections, but the schedule and way the conference is set up pretty much means you always have to be “on,” which is really hard for me. Actually, until yesterday, I had a splitting headache and felt really hungover, even though I didn’t drink at all while in Salt Lake City. Today I’m finally able to (somewhat) formulate sentences, so I think I’m well on my way to recovery.

Alt 2013 - Wednesday Dinners

Photo by Brooke Dennis for Alt Summit

For those of you who don’t know what Alt Summit is all about, it’s basically a huge conference for designers, photographers, bloggers, stylists, crafters, makers and creatives of all kinds. This was the third year, and it has ballooned in size to about 600 attendees, with major sponsors like Bing, Citizens of Humanity, Honest, Method, Blurb and more (and more!). The conference started on Wednesday night, with intimate dinners sponsored by some of the biggest names in design. The dinners were smaller, and great way to ease into a few days of intense socializing. Thursday and Friday were packed full of classes, presentations and keynotes. On Thursday night there was a huge “Clue” themed party, where everyone had to dress up as a character from the game (I was Professor Plum). Friday night there were several themed mini-parties, where we could go from one to the other as the night went on. Saturday was design camp day, and you could take intensive classes on everything from sewing to photography to building your own media kit. And then it was over.

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iPhone Photos by Me

I gained so much from this year’s Alt Summit, but the biggest thing has to be the experience in itself. I met some of my heroes, people who helped shape this path I’m on without even knowing it. I met Jasmine Star in one of the break lounges and almost knocked her over with my crazy. Her presentation was a huge highlight. I met Karon Walrond, creator of the Pathfinder course I’ve talked about time and again, which shaped a huge positive change in my life. I met Mara Kofed of the incredible Blog About Love, whose words have helped me to be a better wife and partner. I hugged Alison Faulkner of The Alison Show, whose holiday e-course saved my sanity. I met the team from Go Mighty, who are helping me to realize my goals every single day. I met (in person) my new boss and all around amazing woman, Erin Loechner from Design for MiniKind (and Design for Mankind, of course). Heck, I even met Gabrielle Blair, one of the creators of Alt Summit and creator of the incredible Design Mom blog (who mentioned she had heard my name before…ahhh!).

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iPhone Photos by Me

The talks filled my brain until it almost burst and my heart was filled up right along with it. These people, these creatives, were not only knowledgeable, but so giving. Every speaker waited to answer questions after their talks (even Darcy Miller, creative director at Martha Stewart!) and for the most part, egos were checked at the door. It was so refreshing.

I was so lucky to share this experience with a friend I’ve known since preschool, the talented Nicole. We both are a bit introverted (she’s an INFJ too!) so it was nice to have someone at my side that understood how mentally taxing this entire week was and knew when we needed to call it quits for the night. Plus, I got to spend some time with her beautiful family, who I’ve missed so much since they left KC, and that was an extra amazing bonus.

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One of the sponsors said to me in between sessions, “I don’t think I’ve ever been to a conference where everyone seemed so genuinely happy to be here!” That describes Alt to me. People coming together to celebrate and learn…how could we not be happy?

Happy Weekend!

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Hello everyone! I’m still in Salt Lake City at Alt Summit and I can’t wait to share all I’ve learned with you. Today is the final day of the speaker sessions, then tomorrow we have design camp. I’ll be flying home Sunday to my littles who I’ve missed like crazy while I’m away. This week has be BEYOND beyond, but I’m really looking forward to returning home and digesting all I’ve learned here.

I would like to quickly say thank you so much to everyone who made it possible for me to attend Alt Summit this week. It was really a pipe dream of mine that I never, ever thought would come true. My husband, always more patient than I probably deserve, said okay to a huge sum of money (Alt ain’t cheap, y’all) right after I’d quit my full time job because he wanted to support me in getting where I need to go in this weird world of lifestyle blogging. My in-laws have been wonderful, coming to Kansas City to help out while I’m away and spending time with the kids. And of course, those kids, who make everything worth it. Oy, my heart may burst.

Okay, enough of that sappy stuff. Here are some links to get you through your weekend. I’ll be back on Monday!

I love the idea of taking a train somewhere in the states. I’ve always wanted to go cross country, but I think I’ll wait until Tate is not two years old (no offense, Tater). I really enjoyed reading about Jordan’s trip with her family to Seattle from San Francisco. So fun!

Please oh please someone buy me a Doctor Who valentine!

The “You Are My Wild” project is a blog where 14 photographers document how they see their children. It’s perfection.

I would love a video like this with my kids, showing a normal day together (with a bit of fancy fun thrown in, of course!).

Speaking of beautiful videos featuring bloggers and their kids, go watch “Betty in Paris.” You won’t regret it!

Guess what city made Refinery 29’s list of places to travel? Well, yeah, New York City. But also, Kansas City! Yay for KC! (Apparently the new hipster capitol of the Midwest….okay?)

The best photobombs of the presidential inauguration.

Nicole helped me make these sweet valentine’s last year, and now she’s sharing how on the Petit Soul blog!

I also wrote this week at Sweet Lemon Magazine’s Zesty Digest about my need to get out and run again…my dad is always right.

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