Altitude Design Summit

Last weekend I went to Alt, a conference for design and lifestyle bloggers. As much as the conference was about design, for me it was about blogging and the beautiful people behind the blogs. It was way more than I had hoped for. When something like this comes to your hometown, you have to go. Everything from the beautiful location, to the amazing speakers, to the chance to meet some of my favorite blog celebs, and do it all with my Utah tweeps, made it a weekend I hope to repeat next year. A big thanks to Design Mom and her team who made it all happen.





I wish I had time to link everyone I met, but for now, here are a few Alt recaps I really liked:

Making It Lovely
Apartment Therapy
Petite Elephant
Mint
sfgirlbybay

and for more Alt photos, you can go here.

Top 5 for 2009

It's interesting to me to see what made the Top 10 searches for Yahoo's Year in Review.

Here are my top five most searched for blog posts from 2009:

1. Glitter Toes! - for a while my post was ranked #1 on google search. It's funny, because that was a last minute post... who knew?!
2. Advent Time - ideas I love for your Christmas Advent Calendar
3. How To Post Bigger Pictures In Blogger
4. Gorgonzola Pear Salad with Candied Pecans
5. A Word About Blogging - which needs to be updated... so many things I'd change.

I'd love to know what tops your blog's list at #1?

I hope you all finish off 2009 with a Bang (pots and pans included)!

Here's to 2010... See You Then!

A Day Made Better

all images via: my oh so handy/a bit blurry point & shoot

Right now, OfficeMax has a campaign going on called "A Day Made Better" with a goal of helping to erase teacher funded classrooms. A bunch of us got together for a little Girl's Game Night along with a bunch of donated school supplies to help out a great cause.



The highlight of the night was the rubberband ball contest: to see who could get to the center of the ball first. Geez-Lousie, some of those girls were in-it-to-win-it! I however, wanted to bring my rubberband ball home just how it was.


Right now, there are parties in support of this campaign, going on all over the nation. You can see all their stories on Whrrl, here. You can see more from our Girl's Game Night Out, right here.

Thanks to the hosts Jyl of Mom It Forward and to Rachael of Todays Mama for a fun night!

The Biz of Blogging

We all know (or have heard of) people turning their blog into a business. The numbers may still be small...but they are growing rapidly. As I meet more 'mompreneurs', I find myself questioning whether or not I should go down that path?

Would turning a hobby into a job make me feel even more 'blogligated'?
Would I provide enough value to set myself apart?
How does one actually go about generating revenue from a blog?

Like most (or all) of you, I didn't start blogging to make money, and I'll blog-on regardless. However, if I'm going to continue putting so much thought, time and effort into this blog, doesn't it make sense to see if the blog can become a home-based business? And if it can help facilitate my love for going places and doing things, then I'm in!

Enter Vanessa Brown.

Vanessa of I Never Grew Up is a consultant who teaches people how to turn their blog into a business. She knows how to earn money through blogging and has created a comprehensive (yet user-friendly) program to show others how to do it. I've decided to look into her program and am excited to implement what she teaches.

How about you? Do you view your blog as a business? Are you for it or against it? Either way, if you would like to learn more about Vanessa's program and how you can monetize your blog, click on the button below (or on my sidebar).

Touchpoint

Last Friday, I was able to attend Touchpoint - an event for women. It was a full day of inspiration. I was thrilled to meet Heather Bailey and have a chance to talk with her. I loved hearing her speak about her story. She was so nice in person, I just loved meeting her.

It's always a fun day when you get to spend it with blogging friends. In this photo above: Marie from Make and Takes, Allison from Petite Elephant, and Sarah Jane from Sarah Jane Studios. Surrounded by talent I tell ya, pure talent.

Thanks you ladies! Let's do it again next year... I'll bring the Diet Coke. Also thank you Kelly of Startup Princess for such a fantastic conference.

Quick Tip: A Blogger Tip

Have you ever clicked over to someone's blogger profile from a comment left on your blog, only to find that they are the author of not one, but multiple different blogs?

They have their:

food blog
photo blog
book club blog
weight loss club blog
super secret private blog


Blogger tip: Only list one blog (maybe two if one is personal and one is professional) on your blogger profile and list the rest on your blog's sidebar. Make it easy for a new blog friend to leave a "Hey, thanks for saying Hi" comment on the right blog.

If any of the blogs that you list are private, maybe label them as private on your sidebar, so that no one wastes time clicking on them.

to do this, just edit the select blogs to display option while editing your blogger profile.




If you do have a private blog, I really like how my friend Laura does her profile with her email. So you could at least contact her even if you didn't know her.


just thinking out loud here.
ps. I have a super secret private blog, do you?

Summer Social Retreat 2009

Last Friday I got to join a big group of local bloggers for the first annual Summer Social Retreat hosted by the lovely April of Sweet Life in the Valley, which was held up at Soldier Hollow. It was a day packed full of fun.


We spent the first part of the day doing all activities offered by Rocky Mountain Outfitters: fly fishing, horseback riding, or Reins & Train. I joined the group for the train ride overtaken by outlaws...yes, Outlaws! It was fun. Your 5 year old boy would dig it... or your blog friend, either way. :) Thanks Evonne for joining me for a little self serve nacho cheese action. Nothing like self serve nacho cheese on a train ride. :)


SWAG... my new favorite word. Not only does it sound cool, but it means free stuff. ;)

So many wonderful local vendors joined in for this great event. So far I am loving my little tin of Badger Balm and I am excited to start using the M2 Skin Care Line.

Thank you Lyndsey and Melissa for being my hand models. So great to meet you both.


The best part of the day for me for sure was the time spent with all these wonderful women. I loved being able to spend time with blog friends like Marie who I just love, and making new ones like Jefra, who I found through Tara Whitney. I have admired her amazing work behind the lens, for a while now.

Thanks again April, for such a fun filled day. I loved it!

Reason #57 Why I Love Blogs

- You can win stuff.

I won a swimsuit! Thank you Sweet Life in The Valley and Shade Clothing, I love it! This was perfect timing, because I needed a new suit bad.

Sung to the tune of I love a Parade... I love a Giveaway!

P.S. please don't ask "Why aren't you modeling it?" ...like, duh?!

I'll let this girl do it for me. :)

Happy Happy Monday

A Word About Blogging...

actually lots of words. A few weeks back, my blog buddy and fabulous fotog Bethany did this post: Blogger 101, and I thought it was such a helpful post. I learned a bunch of new tricks (thank you Bethany!!), so I thought it would be fun to highlight her post here and share a few more things that have helped me...with you, the bloggers in my bloggerhood.

1. Add this gadget ☟ to your side bar...


and then do it yourself. I think it is helpful to subscribe to your own blog because then you can see it how everyone else sees it. Also...subscribe to your comments. That way if someone comments on an older post, you won't miss it. I prefer to have these come through google reader rather than through my email, leaving my email wide open for all the junk stuff my mom and little brother send me. ☺

#2 Speaking of Email...I think it is a good idea to add your email address to your blogger profile and a blog button to your sidebar. Sometimes people would rather ask a question or say something in private. I am more likely to answer a question through an email rather than here on my blog, because I'm not sure if they will ever check back. (If you have ever asked me a question in a comment, and I haven't answered you (sorry), just send me an email).




Your email button can be any image that you want. I am loving Bethany's email me button in their 'stumes'...too cute! To make an email button, find the image you want for the button and add it to your side bar as an image. Instead of linking the image to a website, link it to your email by adding...mailto:your email address here.

#3 To see how many subscribers your blog has in google reader, Click on Show Details. This was a new one to me (thanks Bethany!)



#4 Also new to me was tagging posts in Google Reader...life changing I tell you. Until now, I had been starring every post that I liked, filling up my starred folder. Now everything is tagged in an organized manner (just how I like it)☺. Now when Valentine's Day rolls around next year (and you know it will be here again before you know it), I will have lots of inspiration to go to.

I think I tagged almost all of my blog buddy Amy's Valentine's posts this year, like this one and this one and I was ooohing over this one, if only I could sew (dangit!).


#5 Google Analytics...it's a neat thing, if only to peek in once in a while to see that your favorite Aunt Laurie (sorry Lisa) is pooping popping in to check on her favorite niece now and then.☺



#6 Music on blogs: If you happen to have a music player on your blog, and it is playing, I think it is a nice thing to have the player up high on your sidebar so that your readers don't have to scroll all the way down to the bottom to turn it off (because that is what most of us do). Also...if it still happens to be playing Bubbly by Colbie Caillat...for the love!

#7 Just a thought for all my 'private friends'...I would LOVE to get an email from you letting me know that you have updated your blog (just like google reader updates me on my non-secretive blog friends) . Even if I am not able to comment on everything, it is great to know that you are still active and that I won't be wasting my time by clicking over to your Christmas Recap (once again).

#8 Don't list people by their full names on your sidebar or even by their last names for that matter.

#9 A tip for the Newbies: If you do a link word on your post to another blog post, remember to link just the post, and not the entire blog.

#10 If you are a writer (and by writer I mean you are asking me to read a lot of words), I think it is helpful to bold key words or make them large or red (please, just not yellow). That way I can see right away what it is that you are thankful for on Thursday.☺

Some posts to note:
-1 I liked what Elise had to say here about blogging.
-2 I could not agree more with Hannah on her blog pet peeve.
-3 And I loved what my girl Mindi had to say about commenting on blogs and just her plain old thoughts on blogging too.

Now it's your turn...to spill'em. Any good tips that you want to share? I would love to hear them!

ps. See you next week with a post all about Facebook tips...aka 'blog lite'. Don'tcha just love being on a diet?! ☺
pps. Don't forget to read all the comments on all these blog posts that I linked...that is where all the good stuff is!

Over on Clover Lane

This picture was our Christmas Card this last December taken by my sweet friend Laura (Thanks Laura!)

Last week Sarah at Clover Lane invited me to be a part of her Celebrity Interviews on her blog. (celebrity?! ha...that is funny, maybe blog-lebrity...that sounds goofy enough.)

Anywho, I was thrilled to be a part of it. If you haven't been over to her blog Clover Lane, you must, you need to see how organized her garage is and to identify with her love/hate relationship with blogging.

Thanks Sarah!

The Lovely Joanna...

image via: Their Engagement Photos

of A CUP OF JO also writes a daily blog for Glamour Magazine, called "Smitten". She recently (last Friday) featured Kyle and I in a series on her Glamour blog called "The Secret To Our Relationship Success", where she asked us to share the secrets to our success. I must admit that when I first got her email, I was freaking out a bit because:
1. I have been a longtime reader of her blog, but never dared to comment because I was only 1 of her 2500+ readers. (Celeb-Blogger Alert!)
2. I was worried that Kyle and I had to quickly become "the hot couple" and start calling each other "Babe"...n'stuff. ;)

After I got over my self-doubt, I realized a couple things:
1. You never know who is looking at your blog.
2. Not only is Joanna Goddard a power-blogger, she is also a sweet, down to earth and lovely person.

If you are not yet a reader of her two blogs, you must! I have really enjoyed following along as she is planning her wedding with her fiance Alex.

You can see us featured on Smitten here.


image taken by our friend Suzanne

Thank you Joanna. What fun!

Starred!

I just wanted to declare my love for all things Google. Specifically Google Reader. Y'all know that I love to share things that I like down on my side bar under "Sharing Time" (gotta love sharing time). Have you checked it out lately? My good friend Amanda is selling her home and she needs our help. There is a reward involved...better than any giveaway I have ever entered.

Along with sharing items, I also love to star items too, things that I want to save or remember. My starred items folder is becoming way too full, so I was going through it the other day and discovered that any starred item can be un-starred then re-starred again and that brings the starred item up to the top of your starred items folder. I was thrilled to find this out, cuz it means no more scrolling and hunting. Here are a few items that I have had starred for quite a while that I thought I would share.

• The first one is a project that I have wanted to do ever since I saw it back in February. One of these days if I ever get around to it, I would love to make this. You just have to love Ali Edwards, if there ever was an A-lister of scrapbooking, she'd be it.
• The next one was starred back in April. It is just something I liked if I ever lost my dog or wanted to sell my car, I would love to do it this way.
• The last one is something I have found helpful from the Google Reader blog itself. Maybe it could help you too!
  

So tell me, do you star things using the G-force? And if so, what are your favorite things about it.

Lately...

I've been feelin' like this guy.


via swissmiss

The weather in these parts has been beautiful.(If I sound like a hick, then Super!) I hope to enjoy it a little more this week, than I did last, and I hope you can too. Have a Great day!

Silent Auction Results

Congratulations to the winners of the Nielson Family Silent Auction. Here they all are:

Item #1 Metal Home Plaque - Colleen: $20
Item#2 Laundry Room Sign - Carly: $35
Item #3 Winter Paper - Sylvia: $20
Item#4 Stars & Stripes Plate - Debbie: $12

Thanks to all those who participated in the auction. If you are a winner, please forward your paypal receipt email to me at itsnobiggie@gmail.com along with your mailing address. So that I can get your item to you.

Nie Nie Day: Silent Auction

It's exciting to be a part of this silent auction for the Nielson Family! Here are my four items that are up for bid.

#1 Home Plaque - Brushed Metal Home Plaque is about 2 1/2 in. tall and 8 in. wide. It would look great on a book shelf.


#2 Laundry Sign - Antique style metal laundry sign with white wood (ruffed up) frame is 19 in. x 16 in. with frame.


#3 Winter Paper - Two 3 1/2 x 5 ft pieces of Winter Wonderland silhouette paper
Looks great hanging up or as a table overlay.


#4 Stars & Stripes - Three star shaped ramekins with a wavy striped plate. This item is 16 x 6 in. in size. It works great for a summer bbq to put chips and dips in or as a candle holder in the center of your table.

I will start the bidding off low to get the ball rolling. Please leave your bid in the comment section. Use the link below if you would like to donate to Nie Nie without bidding on an item. I hope you have a great time bidding for such a great cause. There are close to 100 auctions going on today, head on over to Design Mom to see all the participants. My auction will end on Sunday Night at 11 p.m. Bids will only be accepted in dollar amounts. Please check the most recent comments to see the current high bid. The winning bidders will be announced on Monday and then they will send their amount directly to the Nie Nie pay pal account. I will then mail the items to you after you have emailed your paypal receipt to me.

Happy Bidding!

Love For Nie

Over the weekend, I have been thinking a lot about Stephanie and Christian Nielson, two people I don't know, but I wish I did. I have seen it all over the blogosphere...about their accident, and I am just sick about it. (They were in a plane crash and are both severly burned.) I stayed up late on Friday reading old posts of hers and I just love the way she lives her life and how she writes about it. They have four young children and will have months of recovery in the hospital. Here are two posts that I love from her blog. Slow Cooker Day and Perfect Day (just to help you get to know her). I am going to join in with Design Mom on Thursday and try to help out with the silent auction. I think it is a great idea and an easy way to help out. You too should join us in honor of Nie Nie Day.

Let's Discuss: Do you Tweet?

I have questions for those of you that use Twitter.

Do you also use facebook? (Because you can update face book sort of the same.)

If you use both, what do you like about using both?

I really am intrigued by the whole thing, but I would love to hear from all of you that tweet.

So tell me, what do you like about it?

We Did It Again!

Last night we had another blogger get-together and it was as always great fun. This time around I was excited to finally meet Mindi. We have been bloggin' together for the last five months, and I have loved getting to know her via blogs.


I was so back and forth on what to wear last night, I really was thinking about this dress, but I worried that it would be a bit much. What do you think?


It was so much fun welcoming "The Mind" to the big city (aka Taylorsville).


She was so much more funny, beautiful and taller in person.


Mindi, Tiffany & I


Kami, Mindi & Tiburon


What a small world it is in the world of blogs, it was so great to see my old friend Arianne. We used to work together at Magleby's back in the day.


I had to throw this one in, Amy and her soon to be famous bedazzled cups. Aren't they beautiful? They can even be personalized and everything. See the T for Tib...isn't that cute?!


Thanks Rachel, for listing all who was there for all of us (it's late and I'm tired).
In true Mindi fashion, I thought I would throw in a little something flashy to say thanks. Thanks girls it was a fun night! I look forward to bloggin' more with y'all, right after I take a little blog break. I am blogxhausted (blog + exhausted)...it'll catch on, just give it some time.
I hope you all have a great week!

P.S. To create your own fancy polaroid dress or billboard, go here. Thanks Photojojo!

Tag Team Back Again

My friend Arianne tagged me AKA...Omgirl - Thanks Arianne!

How to play the game. Post these rules on your blog: List 3 Joys, 3 Fears, 3 Goals, 3 Current Obsessions/Collections, and 3 Random surprises about yourself. Tag five people at the end of your post by leaving their names.

3 Joys-

*A new sweet baby boy

*Listening to Avery sing Pocket Full of Sunshine (by Natasha Beddingfield) in the backseat

*Summer nights in our neighborhood

3 Fears-

*claustrophobia

*acrophobia

*amathophobia (wink wink)

3 Goals-

*organize my music in itunes (I messed it up awhile back)

*learn to be more patient with Aves

*better time management

3 Current obsessions/collections-

*blogging. I am with Mindi, it really is all your fault.

*Crystal Light White Grape..."It's New" (Thanks Jamieanne, I am hooked!)

*the same shirt in three different colors, when I find something I like, I want it in multiple colors...it is a bad habit

3 Random Surprises About Me!

*although I have been known to have a bit OCD, I am not a germ phobe. It's all about the 10 second rule.

*Whenever we eat out, I always try to order something other than chicken...like steak or fish, because we eat a lot of chicken at home.

*As much as I love to get together with friends and family, sometimes I just love a long weekend with no plans at all.

Alright, this is where I break all the rules, I tag anyone and everyone that really wants to play, this way no one is blogligated (my new favorite blog word). Happy Blogging!

Friday Favorites

All week I see so many great things out in blog land and cyber space, so I thought I could share some of my favorites. I do share a lot of what I like down on my sidebar under the title Sharing Time (just click 'read more' to see it all), but I thought if I put it in a post, then..."Voila, something to blog about!" This is kind of like my version of Ali's Making Me Happy, which...makes me happy too. So here are my favorites on a Friday.

1. If I ever got a tattoo (I know, Mother), this would be it, for my constant to-do list.
2. The next generation of the iphone sounds so cool (ahhh, someday).
3. I wish they made the green, white & navy ones in my size, they are darling.
4. I hope you are not offended by the description, but I think this pinata is too funny.
5. My sister getting me excited to be a boy mom. I can't wait.
6. This video giving us all hope. Thanks Gina Bina!
7. The best motivational poster, if only it had an italian word on it like "spaghetti", then it would be complete.
8. This t-shirt for giving me yet one more hairdo option (Dan... it has your name all over it).
9. Avery's blanket in the picture above. I don't hang onto much of her papers from school, so I love that we have these two blankets to always remember her first two years of preschool.
10. And last of all this...Thanks Lisa!
I hope y'all have a great weekend.