From left: Melanie, Danni, Me and Vivien

Hello friends! I had such an amazing time at the Altitude Design Summit in Salt Lake City last week! The lovely Lisa of With Style & Grace and I roomed together and had a blast catching up, meeting so many amazing people and partying! I got to reconnect with some lovely acquaintances from last year like Danni of Oh Hello Friend, Nole of Oh So Beautiful Paper, Kirsten of Simply Grove, Chelsea of {frolic}, Vané of Brooklyn Bride, Stephanie of Steph Modo, Melissa of IS•LY, Kathryn of Snippet & Ink and Rachel of Black*Eiffel.

I also had the pleasure of finally meeting more of my personal favorites like Ez of Creature Comforts, Joy of Oh Joy!, Jordan of Oh Happy Day, Melanie of You Are My Fave and Megan of Not Martha – to name just a few! To top it all off, I met so many other amazing people that I can’t wait to follow on Twitter and online. My RSS reader may explode from all the brilliant new sites I have to read!

The two day conference was divided into 3 different sessions every hour and a half. Choosing between the panels was beyond difficult since each one showcased bloggers from all over the country that I was dying to see. I enjoyed all the panels I attended but my two favorites were the Faster, Smarter, Better Blogging and Taking it Offline – Events and Social Media. The Better Blogging session featured Megan Reardon, Erica Reitman, and Susan Brinson. The panel on events was hosted by Ashley Meaders, Brittany Egbert, Jordan Ferney, Victoria Hudgins. Both provided insight into each bloggers process and business goals. I think the tip I loved the most was “collaboration cultivates creativity”.

Some of the other highlights were chatting with Mondo of Project Runway for nearly a half hour and getting a hug from him afterwards. Plus, I got to hear the lovely Tina Roth Eisenberg of Swiss Miss. She gave the best keynote speech I’ve ever heard and meeting her afterwards was definitely a moment I will never forget!

Lastly, I took two classes (think summer camp), where I learned some great table top photography tips from Nicole of A Little Sussy and a silkscreening class by Andy Kane of Sparka. Both classes were fantastic and a new feature to the ALT summit that I hope they continue.

To complete the festivities, a series of mini parties were hosted at the hotel by the sponsors. I got to sample my first ever chocolate fountain in the HGTV room and received a party bag from Kate Spade with some thick black glasses thanks to the Girls with Glasses hosting the event. Oh yeah, did I mention that Brooke White of GWG was one of my all time favorites from American Idol??!!

All in all, it was a great time! I’m so glad I got to participate and share the experience with so many lovely and talented people. Saving up for next year already!

All images curtesy of ALT Design Summit 2011 and photo booth images by angela and ithyle

Hello everyone and Happy New Year! I hope you all had a lovely holiday and had a chance to rest up. I had a great time relaxing and catching up with friends and family. It was so nice to take a long break but I’m excited to get back into the swing of things!

Before the year was out, I was asked to contribute a mood board for the latest issue of Nonpareil Magazine. My board (above) was then used as inspiration by a selection of designers, photographers and stylists to bring the whole wedding theme to life. The “From Farm to Table” concept began with french country inspired details paired with pops of natural green and coral tones along with rustic wood and burlap surfaces.

I was unbelievably thrilled to see the final results! It is such a honor to see my concept realized and interpreted by the team. The outcome is just beautiful and all the credit goes to the amazing crew that put it all together: The floral and event styling were done by the talented Rachel Bowes of Fitch & Thistle Event Design / Photography by Angel and Evan Carlyle of Angela & Evan Photography / Stationary by Iwona Konarski of Iwona K. Design / Fashion and wardwrobe was provided by Chrissy Wai-Ching of Wai-Ching Studio / Hair and make up was done by Teryl Hawk / The georgeous model was Kara Saidler.

Below are some shots from the article but to see even more details be sure to check out the seventh issue of Nonpareil. The magazine, as always, is chalk full of beautiful details and concepts from other select bloggers. I can’t thank Maddy and Kristen enough for asking me to contribute and a big thanks to the team that made the board a reality!

Last weekend I attended the 2010 Urban Craft Uprising, Seattle’s indie craft fair. The crafters that came out this year where on top of their game! I got to see some of my personal favorites from last year, spotted a few amazing new-to-me shops that I can’t wait to share and I met THE Jill Bliss in person! It was a fantastic show and below are some of highlights from the event.

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LADIES & GENTLEMAN

Ladies & Gentleman is an all time favorite and they never cease to come up with the most creative pieces. I adore the sense of humor portrayed through their work which is evident in the “BOOH-YA” and “WTF” doilies along with their recent Daily Affirmation Mirrors. I also love the repurposed vintage superior flatware and  salt & pepper creature paws!

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A WORLD AWAY

A world Away had some pretty adorable kids clothes and pouch bags in an array of patterned fabrics. Of course I loved the plush matryoshka doll ornaments as well!

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SCHMANCY

Kristen Rask of Schmancy is another local Seattle favorite. Well known for having all things quirky and cute, she had some of the sweetest felt gifts at the show! I’m smitten with every single one of those plush pins and magnets. Felt ravioli? Yes please!

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MOUFELT

Moufelt is a Portland based design studio specializing in wool felt products. I couldn’t get to the booth fast enough, so many lovely pieces to see! Everything looked impeccably made and I particularly loved the trivets and color selection.

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JILL BLISS

I had one of those pinch me moments when I came across the Jill Bliss booth. I hadn’t looked at the vendor list beforehand so it was the sweetest surprise to spot her. I’ve been a huge admirer of Jills work for years and have nearly every journal she’s sold. I had never seen her fabric pieces though so that was a pleasant surprise. Loved her art pins and tiny gift tags as well!

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TAKO FIBERS

Another highlight and new-to-me shop was the work of Tako Fibers. Emily Baier is the genius behind the embroidery shop which sells handmade embroidery kits and supplies. All kits are designed using Emily’s original artwork and include everything you’ll need to make the project. Her astetic is both witty and charming and her little party fox stole my heart!

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WONDER THUNDER

Last but not least, Wonder Thunder caught my eye with their graphic prints and eco vegetable bags. I’ve mentioned them here before but they were even more beautiful in person. As we all try to conserve aand use less plastic bags, these are not only smart but they look cool as well. LOVE their illustrated tea towels too!

I love making my own wrapping paper, it’s such a great way to add a personal touch to any present. If you don’t have the time or inclination to make your own, I noticed that Mae, the Australian decal company, is offering a selection of free downloadable designs. Available in two sizes and all insanely sweet, what are you waiting for?! Head on over!

I’m taking the rest of the week off take some much needed rest and relaxation, have a great Thanksgiving if you’re in the states and if you aren’t I’m sorry you have two more days of work

One of the best details from my surprise birthday party had to be the invites and place settings. Katie hired Miss Danae, a completely amazing calligrapher! Her work is nothing short of perfection, just spend a few minutes (or hours) in her photostream and Etsy Shop, you won’t regret it!