Design Crush + Great.ly

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I’ve been playing the middle man between creators and my readers here on Design Crush for almost seven years. SEVEN YEARS! And oh my gosh do I love it. I could write the longest post in the world on how lucky I feel to do what I do every day and still not convey just how happy my work makes me.

It’s one thing to share all of this incredible work but it’s another to be a part of it, which is why I’m so thrilled to let you know that beginning in mid-May I’ll be one of 50 tastemakers opening a boutique on GREAT.LY!

 

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So what is GREAT.LY, you ask? Good question. GREAT.LY is an invitation-only marketplace for makers and tastemakers. The tastemakers have the shops and do the selling, so that the makers only need worry about what they do best – making! I already spend my days finding fantastic things to share with you all, so it’s a natural fit. Here’s the breakdown of how GREAT.LY shakes out…

 

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GREAT.LY is also looking for talented makers to set up their studios – nearly every creation is welcome! If you’d like to become a part of what is sure to be amazing you can fill out this form. I’m so looking forward to sharing my shop with you all once it opens next month!

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Blogging 201: The Business of Blogging

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PHOTO: Brooke Dennis

In January I had a conversation about blogging as a profession, and it went something like this. “If you’re only having fun, you’re not really a blogger.” Because really, blogging its work. It’s a job. And if I’m being honest I don’t like all aspects of it – invoicing, analytics, weird hours.

But here’s the thing. I wouldn’t trade my job for any other profession, because I love it that much. If you feel the same as I do and want to take the next step, join me and a slew of other pros who know what they’re talking about. The Business of Blogging is Alt Channel’s day-long schedule of online classes Thursday, March 20th full of ten hours of knowledge dropping. I’ll be talking about growing your readership, and you can check out the schedule in its entirety right here. Hope to see you in my class on the 20th!

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Design Crush + Chirps & Cheers

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I’m excited to share that I’m teaming up with one of my favorite Oklahoma City shops! Come to Chirps & Cheers Saturday, March 8th at 2pm as we kick off their REAL PEOPLE series. The premise behind it all is that in today’s internet-addled world it’s easy to know people without really knowing them. I’ll be talking about how Design Crush got started, sharing some secrets, and answering your questions. It’s free to attend and no doubt the socializing will be top-notch. So if you’re in the OKC area please stop by, I’d love to meet you!

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Join Me at Craftcation 2014!

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Four days at the beach learning and creating with industry professionals – sounds good, right? And it’s not just me daydreaming, it actually exists in the form of Craftcation! This year the conference is being held April 3-6 in Ventura, CA and I’ll be in attendance speaking on two different panels – Advanced Social Media and Keeping Track. The goal of it all being to ignite your entrepreneurial spirit, strengthen your skills, and build relationships within the handmade community – all things I wholeheartedly support. If this all sounds tailor-made for you, sign up for Craftcation registration right here (if you do so before February 15th you can take advantage of the Early Bird Special). Hope to see you in Ventura this April!

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Confluence

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Heeeyyy, Oklahoma City! Saturday, October 26th I’ll be speaking at Confluence, a conference celebrating OKC’s bloggers and digital influencers. Because you know what? We’ve got a lot of them. Confluence was created by David Christopher (an Oklahoman by way of Britain, funnily enough) as a way to bring us all together to meet, mingle, and learn from one another. Such a simple yet brilliant premise that I can’t wait to be a part of. I’ll be talking about growing your online community, but you can check out the whole Confluence lineup of speakers right here. If you’re in the OKC area and want to attend you can register here, use the code earlybird when doing so before October 12th for $10 off. Can’t wait to see you all at the end of the month.

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Make My Crap Your Crap MEGA Garage Sale

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The Make My Crap Your Crap MEGA Garage Sale has been moved to next Saturday, 10/5 due to a 100% chance of severe storms.

Believe it or not this garage sale has been in the works for over two years. I just couldn’t get my act together and had a million and one excuses. So instead my guest room was filled to the brim (literally, I could barely open the door) with every single unwanted thing I’d been corralling since I moved into my house. Five years ago.

I can thank Go Mighty for helping me get it done, this sale is actually an item on my Life List believe it or not. That’s how much I want to get it taken care of it. And because I’m attending Camp Mighty next month and in the process of raising my $200 for Charity: Water there was no better time to get my ass in gear and no better reason for you to come buy all of my crap.

One other thing. I’ve never had a garage sale before, so this is all off the cuff. I’ve got my permit, my tables rented, etc for the big day this coming Saturday but I’m kind of nervous. What if no one wants my stuff? So if you’re in the Oklahoma City area and would like to attend, just drop me a comment and leave your email address in the form. I’ll reply with the location the day before (you know, creepy stalkers need not apply and all). There might even be some snacks and beverages waiting for you! (There totally will be.)

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Alt For Everyone + Design Crush

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You all know how I feel about Alt Design Summit. It’s through this yearly conference that I’ve met some of my best friends, grown as a business, and networked my butt off. It’s given me a lot. But the masterminds behind it all realize that you might not be able to get to Salt Lake City every January, or to their one-day conferences in NYC or San Francisco. And that’s why they’ve created an amazing 3-day online conference – Alt For Everyone! I attended the first one a few months ago (virtually, of course) and have to say that I took away TONS of great information. Maybe even more than when I’m in SLC because I was much more focused with it being just me and my laptop.

The first iteration of Alt For Everyone did so well that another one is taking place at the end of September, and I’m happy to share that I’ll be teaching a case study on Design Crush! My class will be taking place Friday, September 27th at 10:45am PST. You can see the full September 2013 schedule and register with a few clicks.

In my class I’ll be sharing what I did to take Design Crush to the next level. The easy action steps you can take that add up, as well as the failures I’ve experienced on this six year journey. If there’s anything you’re extra curious about I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Hope to see you there!

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Euro Edge

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Euro Style Lighting’s Euro Edge is a new online resource that helps you find modern interior inspiration with the assistance of some of the most reknowned design bloggers trolling the web. And I’m humbled and honored to be considered among their ranks! That’s right, you can shop Design Crush’s mid-century modern with a twist style over on Euro Edge. And if my taste isn’t your cup of tea you can check out the picks of six other talented ladies – Say Yes To Hoboken, Simply Grove, La La Lovely, Sacramento Street, vmac+cheese, and Justina Blakeney. (Psst… here’s the scone above!)

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Doing Good With Anthropologie

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A huge thank you to everyone who came out last Wednesday and Thursday for my string art workshops at Anthropologie! We had a great time crafting, snacking, and raising money for Adopt a Classroom. More specifically Plaza Towers and Briarwood Elementary Schools that were demolished by May 20th’s Moore tornado. Check out everyone’s creations and stay tuned because I’ll be sharing the DIY for the project next Monday!

 

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