{Happy Valentines Day!} | crafty kids and LEGOS

Happy Valentines Day!! Here's a snap shot of the card the kids made for daddy. (Of course I helped) ;)

I've been inspired lately by pixel art thanks to swiss miss for introducing me to ixxi! Can't WAIT to make my own customizable art. We actually hit the LEGO store this weekend, since my kids are really into them...oh and so is my husband. He apparently was really good at LEGOs in his younger years. Anywho, I ran across these little valentines day lego images and thought I would share! Hope your day is full of LOVE!

All images were found via google! BTW, don't you love their little video doodle today!

Come back tomorrow. I have some exciting news!!

XOXO

{ALT Summit} | a movie

I had to share this ALT video from Tiger in a Jar. What Alt Summit feels like! It gave me goose bumps...and yes, that's me in the video with my friend Diana of May, June and July posing with this season's winner of Project Runway, Anya Ayoung-Chee! Again, I can't say enough about @Altsummit. It's definitely opening up doors that I only dreamed about.

What Alt Summit feels like from ALT Summit on Vimeo. 

Things are really ramping up in Austin. I'm excited to share a new project, and I have more exciting news coming up in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!!! 

XOXO,

Regan

{introducing} | urban matters : a design firm

Drum roll please!! I'm super excited about this introduction. Introducing....Urban Matters Design Lab! A design firm who defines themselves as creative change agents, dedicated to improving the social fabric of cities. WHAT THEY DO : empower communities. WHY THEY DO IT : to build communities.

Meet: Stephanie Houston. Smarty pants, graphic designer, and an uber talented, in-training architect (currently sitting for exams) with a passion in life: building communities. This introduction is special not only because she is my talented twin sister, but because since we were kids, she's aspired to making a change in our world, and she's doing it, in San Francisco. Founder and creative director of Urban Matters Design Lab and Nomad Gardens, Stephanie brings passion to an entirely new level. She truly is an inspiration. Those looking for a designer or looking to be a part Nomad Gardens via the garden, events, creatives or workshop, you should meet. I'm so proud of you sis. I knew you would do it some day. Here's to my biggest fan, dreaming big, and keeping passion alive. Keep rockin' it!

{blogger introductions} | weekend fun

Seriously, I am still in a ALT Summit comma! I've been extremely busy with work, preschool enrollment, and a fun couple of features that I can't wait to tell you about, and yet my mind is still consumed with my Alt excitement and my eagerness to introduce you to my new friends. Oh, and I think I've recruited 9 new attendees for next year. I'm not kidding. ;)  Again, who doesn't want to party like this?! 

Me + Sarah ;) Winter Wonderland Photo Both. Photo courtesty of Moss & Issac

Me, Rebekah & Maggie - Photo courtesy of Smilebooth

Rebekah + Me @PinholePress | thegirlwithglasses mini party  - Photo courtesy of Carolee Beckham Photography

So here they are...Drum Roll please! Just in time for some weekend fun. There were so many great people @Alt it's hard not to list them all, but a few gals I truly connected with instantaneously, a unique connection, like I've known them my entire life. And because I found them all so inspiring, I think you all should get to know them too. ;)

Blogger INTRODUCTIONS:

Brittany Sage: @2littlebirds - hair stylist, make up artist, fashionista & founder of lipstickandleopardprint, a blog about her life’s adventure, passion and inspiration. I absolutely adore her style. I only wish I could pull off her fashion sense. 

Cariann Burger: @cargoh - Founder, Creative Director & Idea Maker of Cargoh, a curated marketplace for artists & designers. This girl and I speak the same language. Fly fisherman-fly tying fathers, childhood target practice with a bow and arrow, and both are interior designers who love anything design related. She's awesome and so is her husband, Paul. ;) 

Christine Harmel: @christineharmel - founder and strategy consultant at The interactive Resource, Inc. Christine has lived all over the world, but currently resides in Austin. Yippee!

Diana Taylor: @mayjunejuly - A recent move from Barcelona, Spain to SF leaves her blogging about living in a new city, taking care of a new baby, and whatever it takes. Founder of mayjuneandjuly Super sad I just missed her

Erica Dublin: @seejanefly - founder & CEO of the travel blog: See Jane Fly and Director of Content Strategy for Federated Media. This girl has an amazing background. A country girl at heart, she and I share the same asthetic style, and we both love the smell of leather and horses. Both Equestrian riders as children, we both still dream of owning a horse one day. 

Hillary Schuster: @hillaryschu - Information designer, pop culture obsessed, scatterbrain, coffee drinker, nerd, recovering engineer, party planner, fashion lover, cat owner, wife and founder of hillaryschuster.com. This chic is smart and hilarious. 

Maggie Hannon: @maggiemight - Content producer for a cool techie company, founder of margaretedith.com, and just plain hilarious. Everyone needs a Maggie in their lives. 

Rebecca Miel: @quickbrownfox - Graphic designer for Burt's Bees and now founder of quickbrownfox, she combined her last name and husband's last name to create Miel. She is also due with twins in June. Fate brought us together. We were roommates at Alt!

And these guys I shared only a brief moment, but wish I would have had a few more days.

Alix Bannon: Cuteanddelicious.com | a blog of vegan treats and crafty fun. So sweet and awesome glasses.

Camille Styles: Camillestyles.com | Creatve Parties::Inspired Entertaining. Shared a plane to Alt Summit.

Caitlin Creer: Caitlincreer.com | Interior Decorator - and a great one! Thanks for the Round Top introduction!

Emily Henderson: Winner of Design Star and now hosting her own HGTV show: Secrets from a Stylist. Love her personality, and of course I adore her style and approach to design.

James Roche: Owner and founder of BO.LT | former architect now tech entrepreneur. 

Kait Kucy: yuppielove.org - marriage, crafternoons, and other stories.

Mara Kofoed: ablogaboutlove.com- Wife, want-to-be-Mother, New Yorker of 12 years, and Former Entrepreneur (Harvey Faircloth) Such a sweetie and always so elegantly stylish. 

Melissa: melissaesplin.com - I Still Love You. Had a great discussion about buying original art, and enjoyed sharing stories about our kids.

Morgan Shanahan: the818.com - writer, mom, consultant, designer, panicer, dinner ruiner, rinser and repeater. ;) She also liked my business card. That's my business card at the far left bottom. :)  

Mike Loveland: Mikeloveland.com We had a great chat waiting in line to be interviewed by Maxwell of Apartment Therapy. He runs Ollibird and just a super nice guy. Want to learn Photoshop, Indesign or Illustrator? Check out his site and his wife's site almaloveland.com. Amazing peeps.

Tara Wilson: Tarawilson.com - Event Designer and Entertaining Expert | Fort Worth, Texas. We need to have coffee soon!

Krista Jonas: Blue Eyed Yonder - vintage rental company out of Georgia. So glad we shared a taxi!

Tabitha: glitterandganache.com - She writes a blog & works on a TV show called Parks & Recreation. She also has a great necklace with her name. Loved it!

Now you can see why my head is spinning. I met so many amazing and uber talented people, all doing what they love and successful. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Next week I have a very special introduction. Come back soon! 

XOXO

Regan

{a new community} | get your blog on --- ALT

I still am recovering from the high I am on after attending Alt Summit! Wow, what an amazing experience.  Thanks to Gigi, Nana K and my husband for watching the kids so I could go off and party like a rock star! No really, this conference has literally rocked my world, in a GRAND way.

I made so many new friends and hung out with my pal Sarah with Modern Kids, who really made me miss SF. Anyone looking for a commercial kid photographer? She will knock your socks off!

Needless to say, you’ll be seeing a lot more of me here. New segments and features including: Where to shop in Austin, Today I want to be a ____, Designer Tools, and SavingFrazier, our home remodel project. OK, on to the good stuff.

I won’t bother to write too much today on what I learned, since so many others did such a great job already, (check them out here and here), but rather on the underlying concept of what I truly grasped from this conference: A SENSE of COMMUNITY and understanding how little ole’ me and you can impact our world by empowering or building platforms for these communities. I heart social media. 

Community: [kuh-myoo-ni-tee]  a group of men or women leading a common life according to a rule.

ALT Goer's Community: Do what you LOVE and LOVE what you do.

I’ve never been around so many like-minded and inspiring people in my life. I’m not kidding. :] I’ll be introducing you to some of my new friends over the next couple of months. You all are in for a treat! For those of you who want to make an impact on our world, but aren’t sure how, start a blog or be a part of a blog community. Empowering communities via social media is changing lives. GET YOUR BLOG ON…be a part of the movement, and your parties can look like this.

Photography Sources: Justin Hackworth, an amazing photographer, known for his 30 portraits in 30 days project, and now a fan of the "The Never Ending Story" thanks to Sarah.

Bottom photo: Smilebooth @altdesign mini parties. 

Packaging designed and made by Cargoh. Fun and AMAZING peeps. Check back next week for a more in depth recap of what I learned at ALT Design Summit.

Have a great weekend!

XOXO,

Regan