A Little Something

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A Little Something

I will be headed on the first plane out of Oakland tomorrow morning to join in on the festivities at Alt Summit in Salt Lake City.  This will be my second time at the conference, and I get to go with Blurb, so I'm feeling pretty calm considering I don't know anyone really all that well.  I found the right dress to wear to the "Green" party, I've got my outfits packed, my seminars picked out (this will be the year of video!) and I finally seem to have kicked my wicked stomach bug.  After I hit the publish button on my last post, I stood up, got super sick, and went to bed for 20 hours.  I didn't know if I'd be able to get this one last thing done, but sitting and painting is actually really relaxing. Along with my business cards, I will also be handing out these little painted birch magnets as little takeaway to remember my blog by. I wanted to do something that would relate to my new book, which features projects that re-imagine simple materials into something useful and pretty.  To make your own follow the tutorial below. See you at Alt?  Come say hi! My name is Heather, and  I look like the silly girl up top without the paper crown and glasses.  

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A Practical Experience

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A Practical Experience

As an interior design student, I got to play artist at my dream job for a few months, working as a visual display intern for Anthropologie.  It was an inspiring, rather humbling experience. I was mentored by a Senior Display Coordinator, Asaki, who's weekly undertaking put into perspective the small scale at which I design for this blog. In order to be successful in this position you need such a wide range of of skills, from fine arts to soft construction, you need to really understand the brand, and you need to be able to see the big picture, all from a cramped art room.  Here are my design takeaways from interning with Anthro...

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Bright and Beautiful

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Bright and Beautiful

I promise this is not evolving into a party blog...I'll leave that to the experts. My dear friend Coco is having herself a little party this weekend to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her 30th birthday, and her husband Jim asked me to help out with "the look". Coco is a natural beauty, she is kind, sincere, and a appropriately goofy. When we lived in Montclair (Oakland), we were their down-the-hill neighbors, our kids are friends, and we spent several days a week at each others houses. Our moving away was pretty hard on both of our families, so we were beyond excited when Jim took a counseling job at the junior college up here - they'll be our neighbors once more this summer! Right around the time we moved, Coco bought the supplies for us to make one of my paper lanterns together, but we never got around to it, so I'm surprising her with this gilded version for her birthday. The party is at Campovida's Oakland tasting room, a reclaimed wood and brick clad space, located near Jack London Square. I went for a Kate Spade inspired palate of gold, fuchsia, royal blue, and teal. I found these sparklers in the same colors for a little late-night fun, and we're doing a photo booth including big white C O C O prop letters set against a pretty gold sequined backdrop. The be-tasseled lantern will hang prominently with more draped garlands and some giant clear balloons filled with gold confetti placed around the room. To make the paper lantern watch this video tutorial, glue in a second layer of smaller papers, and apply multiple light coats of gold metallic spray paint, and check out the how-to for tassel garland below.

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Photo Bomb

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Photo Bomb

When we get all dressed up and fancy without our kids, as in never, I usually try to take at least one photo to remind myself of my youth, and to use as a totally realistic Facebook profile pic.  I know I'm not alone.

So for Adam's birthday party, I got to work making a photo booth, so that everyone could get a pretty shot of themselves dressed up. I didn't have a professional photographer, and I had to combat the nighttime lighting which can be either too dark or stark/artificial, so I had to think through the easiest way to make it work. I thought I'd share some tips for making a photo booth for evening-time soirees. Academy Awards party?

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Alt Bound

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Alt Bound

So I've been sitting on something kind of big for a few weeks... Blurb is taking me to Alt Summit as their brand ambassador! I had originally decided to sit the conference out, I couldn't get my hands on a ticket, and when more became available the expense and time away seemed overwhelming, so I didn't pull the trigger. Around the time that I was working with Blurb on my video interview and the cook book author's food fair, I made it be known that I wanted to collaborate with them in some way for the conference. As a veteran attendee and a featured Blurb author, I thought I might have something unique to offer. Alt is all about honing your skills as a blogger and learning how to work with brands, and since I'd connected with Blurb last year we've really clicked. They took me up on it, and now I am also happy to announce that I just finished up my second book, in time for the conference at the end of the month where I'll be their featured author during their brand sponsored mini-party.  In this new book I showcase the work I've done over the last year or so using ordinary materials, re-imagined into something more permanent and beautiful.  It's called "Making A Modern Homestead".  Here's a sneak peek. 

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