style file week one

Monique and I decided to take charge of our closets by posting our five outfits from the week each Friday until we get to 30 photographs. We considered doing 30 for 30, but decided we don’t like doing laundry that often.

It has been unnaturally nice in San Diego, so lucky me, I was able to bust out spring and summer gear for to wear to this week. Don’t ask how I ride my bike in a skirt!

You can track Monique’s weekly posts on her blog in the Daily Digs section! Check back every Friday to see what else is hiding in our closets!

// for full size images check out the flickr set: style file

layered looks

Oh. Em. G. I can’t stop peeking at these layered bookshelves in the home of Vogue’s Lauren Santo Domingo. The shelves looks well used and I love seeing people with books. I am a book person, and I am suspicious of anyone who is not!

She calls it her lending library. I can see why you would want to suggest & lend out books, but I am not a fan of lending them because it’s rare they come back to you. Hi, my name is Bekka and I am a book hoarder.

// photographed by claiborne swanson frank

a little more alt

I was able to glean even more wisdom from alt day 2 on the twitterverse. I heard Tina Roth Eisenberg hit it out of the park with the closing keynote.

Up and coming blog list from Liz Stanley

“If you don’t find something inspirational, or come up with a great idea you shouldn’t force a post.” - Design Milk

First benchmark for ad sales: do you WANT ads on your site? Second benchmark: do you have 5 passionate readers - Federated Media

“Art is the ultimate renewable resource.” - DJ Spooky

“Life is too short not to surround yourself with beautiful things.” - Swiss Miss

Blog with the right intentions (don’t blog just to make money) - Swiss Miss

Rules of blogging from Swiss Miss:

  1. Always credit your sources.
  2. Respect the reader - too many ads, too busy, music on site, insincere content are no nos.
  3. Keep it light “I want to be a happy place.”
  4. Blog with the right intentions. Focus on what’s important.
  5. Respect your readers with beautiful images.
  6. Find your place and own it.
  7. There is such a thing as blogging too much. Don’t make your readers feel like they can’t keep up.
  8. Be personal.
  9. Know what not to post about. 

// kaleidoscope image from I need nice things

inspired to work

I did not attend alt summit this week, but you can bet I was stalking the twitter stream all day yesterday to get some good tips. Between the wisdom coming out of alt and this functional workspace belonging to The Heads of State I am totally inspired to get to work!

Everything I learned at alt, even though I wasn’t there

Advertisers will respect your brand. If you’re not into what an advertiser is pitching you, it’s okay to suggest another way.

Less is more with advertising, have 95% editorial content and 5% sponsored.

Mondo: “If you’re looking for trends then you’re probably doing something wrong.”

Always credit photos and original sources. Save files using photographer’s names or website source for later use.

If you’re creating content for someone else’s blog you should get paid.

Top takeaway for blog etiquette from Grace of @designsponge “Transparency equals trust.”

Event Planning Tips from Jordan Ferney & Ashley Meaders

  1. Invitations that shine
  2. Pick a theme and run with it
  3. Add elements of surprise
  4. Fun group participation element
  5. Make everything monochromatic for easy maximum effect
  6. Decor: Size does matter {make scale of things bigger or smaller than norm or do multiples}

Online tools for organization, tracking & efficiency

Outbrain - like link within, but with stats.
Evernote - keep track of sources with memos, can add from your phone, desktop.
Instapaper - Add articles, blog posts to read later.
Dropbox - Online file storage with easy uploads and syncing, great for collaboration.
Tynt - Adds your link to anything copy & pasted from your site.
Tineye - Image backsearch, see who used your images, or find image sources.

// The Heads of State photographs as seen on From the Desk of…

one year ago...

One year ago tomorrow my first this & that post went live on Oh Joy! I can’t believe it’s been a whole year. The top image above was my very first one! And the others are two of my all time favorites.

Getting the guts to send Joy my cover letter was one of the best decisions I have made. In the spirit of making dreams come true I recommend taking a leap today!

// top, center, bottom

i wish your wish

Gorgeous installation by Rivane Neuenshwander, I would love to have this installed in my house.

Visitors are invited to select ribbons printed with a wish to tie around their wrists. When the ribbon falls off, tradition has it that one’s wish will be fulfilled. Visitors may write another wish and place it in the empty hole. This work of art is based on a similar practice that takes place at the church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim (Our Lord of the Good End) in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

// at new museum