Entre Nous.

Party Like a Lulu

l Justin Hackworth Photography by ALT Summit, via Flickr l

First, I must admit that Shop Sweet Lulu had me at their name. I have an affinity for the name Lulu as not only was it my great grandmothers name, but also that of a dear friend. At the final night of the Alt Summit conference, the mini parties take place. Let me just say the name is not apropos, because these parties are far from "mini". They're over the top amazing and it's beyond clear the time and energy that went into planning and executing each and every one.

l Justin Hackworth Photography by ALT Summit, via Flickr l

Naturally Shop Sweet Lulu's was one of my favorite mini parties, the theme being, "You're a Gem." The moment I stepped through the hallowed doorway I knew I was in my glittery, sparkly over the top idea of heaven. Picture this: a gem bar, a photo booth with giant balloons filled with confetti, and ring pops galore.

l Justin Hackworth Photography by ALT Summit, via Flickr l

The team at Shop Sweet Lulu is really just as lovely and endearing as their products. They even sweetly regrammed a picture I posted on Instagram that featured their ring pop.

       

If you're in need of party decor or craft supplies, especially with Valentine's Day looming, then look no further. I just placed an order for honeycomb diamonds & honeycomb mini balls in a variety of colors along with the confetti balloon featured at the party. The team at Shop Sweet Lulu have generously extended a 20% off discount code: PARTYLIKEALULU. Enjoy darlings!

Isn't it the truth

Wise words for a Wednesday. Here's to being fashionably late and looking swell while doing so.

Those were the days my friend

I'm a couple days out from Alt Summit and my head is still spinning. This song has been on repeat since my return. Is it too grand a statement to claim that my sophomore year at Alt was life changing? I'm so glad I put my intention to "find my tribe" out into the universe before my departure. As that is exactly what I feel so strongly I came away with. The connections I made this go round were beyond belief. Everyone was so lovely, supportive, and inspiring. Girls really do run the world, Alt can attest to that. Once I take a few days to process and download the experience, I'll have some takeaways to share. Until then take a listen to American Authors acoustic version of 'Best Day of My Life', as Alt falls under that category for me.

Going Tribal

One of the takeaways I had from attending the "What Brands Want" Alt Channel class last week was that my ultimate goal from Alt Summit is to make connections. Find my tribe, If you will. Then make a significant effort to grow and cherish those connections once I return home. Alt is like a summer camp of sorts. You have this intensely bonding and supportive experience with like minded folk over the span of four blissful days. So here's to making connections, wish me luck.

Entre Nous the Remix

Welcome to Entre Nous version 2.0 (well officially version 3.0, this blog has been given a facelift once before). This time though is an official "relaunch" or "re-branding", if you will. Clearly I'm over the moon with the result, hence my Mary Tyler Moore moment. I teamed up with a designer from my beloved Typepad (their customer service is top notch) to collaborate on the new design. The designer managed to pull off the miraculous, an entire new design in 5 days. With a custom url, favicon, and signature, among other features, the look I've always envisioned was achieved.

As I start packing for my trip to SLC on Wednesday for Alt Summit, the butterflies are front and center. It feels like I'm prepping for my first day of school. There's the anxiety over selecting the perfect outfits, appropriately stylish yet professional. There's also the chance to sport your most daring and avant garde accessories (do I dare bring my shoulder length feather earrings?). Regardless of what outfits make the final cut, my tiara (of the knit variety) will most definitely be coming with me to Utah again. There's still the lengthy lists of tasks to accomplish before my departure, but the major to-do's have been checked off: blog redesign, website design and business cards delivered (told you I was having a "major malachite moment").

                                 Speaking of business cards. I had a minor heart attack last week when the business cards I designed with Moo arrived with a typo. The typo was of course of my own doing. So obsessively I reread the text for any miss-spellings I managed to overlook a space in my Instagram name. I contacted Moo and despite owning up to the typo, they immediately corrected the mistake and expedited the cards. 100% satisfaction guaranteed is their motto after all. They're rockstars! The bonus is that I now have 150 business cards sporting malachite that I can now turn into an amazing DIY.

Here's hoping Alt Summit and the redesign of Entre Nous is only the start of what exciting adventures 2014 has in store.