Color Inspiration Daily: 02. 13. 12

Lemons. Venice Beach, CA. 2007 by Kevin Balluff.

Souvenir Foto School: Day 11 - R for Ribbons

Today for my Souvenir Foto School assignment I just wanted to capture the simple beauty of some of my favorite metallic ribbons from my craft stash. The light has been really challenging lately, but I discovered that if I hold two white foam core boards on either side of my subject it bounces in a decent enough light (I used to only use one).

My little "technique" must be pretty comical to observe too. Imagine me (not exactly the most graceful creature alive) trying to focus my camera and hold one board in my left hand, while adjusting levels and depressing the shutter release with my right pointer finger while trying to hold the second board steady in my right hand. Hehe!

If you'd like you can also find all my images in individual and diptych form for this month-long class challenge over in my flickr album. | Souvenir Foto School is offered by Besotted Brand.

Souvenir Foto School: Day 10 - Q for Quince

Today I got to knock a really tough letter off my assignment list for Souvenir Foto School by photographing one of my favorite things: Quince Blossoms! Double win - woohoo!

I was in my early twenties and living in California when I discovered quince for the first time. I remember it so clearly (is that weird). On that providential late-Winter day, I decided that it was just warm enough to head out with my daughter for a walk. I bundled her up in her stroller and we set off. The little circle of a neighborhood that we lived in was called Garden Farms (and aptly so for all the small orchards and beautiful gardens that everyone seemed to have on their property). Anyhow we strolled along, my daughter babbling to herself and me noticing (with disappointment) very little growth or signs of the coming Spring. But then we rounded the final bend on our way back home, and spotted amidst all the grey a row of the most deliciously pink flowering bushes that I had ever seen. Quince!

Of course I didn't know what they were called then, but we must have gone on walks just to view those brilliant blossoms every day until they were gone and replaced by Springtime itself. To this day when I see Quince I am filled with a bright hopefulness for the warming months ahead. Hooray! xo Ez

P.S. I'd also just like to take a quick second to thank you all so much for your lovely and encouraging comments so far about my photos for this month-long challenge. It's been a little bit nerve-wracking for me to post my images up every day for all to see, but you guys always have a way of making me feel better. So thank you so much for that. xo

If you'd like you can also find all my images in individual and diptych form for this month-long class challenge over in my flickr album. | Souvenir Foto School is offered by Besotted Brand.

DIY & Printable Valentine Roundup: Part 2

Hi friends! Sorry this post is kind of late today. I wanted I'd share one last roundup of sweet DIY and Printable Valentines with you before I take off for the weekend...but oh my word, there are so many great ones out there! So it took me longer than I was expecting it would for me to narrow my picks down. Anyhow, I hope that you might feel inspired to make one (or more) of these charming Valentines for the special people in your life. If you missed the first DIY Valentine Roundup you can find it right here. Enjoy your weekend adventures...whatever they may be. See you next week. xo Ez

Super awesome DIY & Printable Valentines:

• Printable Red in the Face Valentine from Mer Mag | Don't you just love Merrilee's saucy red lipstick?! I hope she'll spill her secret and tell us which brand/color it is sometime soon!
• DIY Clay Heart Candy Gift Toppers from Fellow Fellow | So realistic looking...don't you think?! I feel like I might need to go in for an attempted nibble just to make sure they aren't real.
• Printable Valentine's Day Tattoos from Freshly Picked, The Alison Show, and Fifth & Hazel | Um, is it wrong that I want to stick these all over my arms (okay, and maybe my face) too? So cute!
• Printable Pencil-holder Valentines from Sweet Muffin Suite | These are charming even without the addition of a pencil, but with one they are a truly fabulous sugar-free Valentine solution! (via Isadora)
• Printable Pirate Valentines from Mer Mag | These cuties are from a couple years ago, but they arrrr just as adorable as ever!

Color Inspiration Daily: 02. 10. 12

Agave Azul by Geninne Zlatkis. You can also find Geninne on her blog and in her beautiful shop.

Souvenir Foto School: Day 9 - W for Whirling World

Day 9 - W for Whirling World

It's day 9 of the Souvenir Foto School, and I'm already feeling challenged by how I should fill the letter requirements so that I can cover the entire alphabet this month. X and Z are going to be brutal! Fortunately I was inspired by another one of the students in my class who photographed a globe mid-spin, and thought I'd try to capture my own version with one of my favorite thrift store finds...a vintage globe lamp. And now I can cross W for Whirling World off my list. Woohoo! Isn't that blue just divine?!

If you'd like you can also find all my images in individual and diptych form for this month-long class challenge over in my flickr album. | Souvenir Foto School is offered by Besotted Brand.

Printable Action Plan Sheets - Let's Do This Thang

A few weeks ago I was chatting with a dear friend of mine and inevitably our conversation wound around to a familiar place...what do I really want to achieve and accomplish both in the short term and long term for my business and life. I have a lot of ideas, but find myself easily overwhelmed when at the end of the day I look back and feel as though I've gotten nowhere closer to achieving any of them.

But then it occurred to me that I have actually not been seeing things correctly. Because honestly there are small ways that I am working towards my dreams every day. They might not be news-worthy or groundbreaking, but they are something...and I have decided that instead of berating myself for not making it all in one giant leap (how silly is that anyhow), that I am going to instead focus on treating myself positively as I work towards accomplishing my goals...even if it's just one tiny accomplishment at a time. It reminds me of that lovely quote: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao-tzu

So to help me keep this positive outlook in mind I created an little action plan sheet (and a card for my wallet too) with a motivating reminder attached. The reminder is simple: That today I will only worry about doing at least one thing that brings me closer to achieving my dreams. I'm going to use the blank portion to write down what I did each day that supports a dream of mine. It could be something tiny like: "created a new painting," or something larger like: "paid for new logo design." Then at the end of each month I will look back and be able to see all the little steps I took in the right direction. A cause to celebrate for sure!

Do you want to join me?! My guess it that you have goals and dreams too...maybe some so large that they feel almost impossible. But let's commit to working towards them one step at a time together (while being nice to ourselves in the process). Shall we? I don't mean that you have to share your dreams openly here, but if you want to print out your own action plan sheets I've made them available for you to download and print as you'd like (downloads will begin immediately when you click the buttons below). I hope they will be useful to you. Now let's do this thang! xo Ez

The wallet sized action plans below are perfect for remembering your goals as you go about your busy day. These are an especially useful reminder for me to save my money for the things that matter most to me, instead of impulse buying so often. They print three (one of each color) to a page.

Awesome Site Design Tips & Tricks from Alt Summit

Hi everyone! So it's been taking me ages to formulate my thoughts after Alt Summit. I took loads of notes...half a notebook full...and today I thought I'd try to share a few of the great tips and tricks I learned regarding site design dos and don'ts. For the sake of timeliness I'll be sharing them in bullet pointed fashion. I'm afraid I would never make this post happen if I didn't simplify and start somewhere. Please let me know if you have questions in the comment section below and I will be happy to answer them for you to the best of my ability. I've made bold the tips that resonated most with me.

Site Design Dos & Don'ts:

• Determine the purpose of your site and have a message to convey.
• Your design decisions should always support that message.
• A quick glance at your site design should make your purpose/message clear.
• Keep the big picture in mind.
• Include a line of descriptive text under your header i.e. a tagline.
• Be thoughtful about your site layout. The design should lead readers around the page.
• Your site navigation is vital and should be easy to find.
• Take time to determine the hierarchy of your content and then categorize and tag to make it as easy to navigate as possible.
• Whenever possible condense content into fewer categories.
• Fonts play a very important roll in the design of your site so use them wisely.
• Choose only a few typefaces and stick with them.
• Use fonts to help aid navigation.
• Be sure to use a font that gives the right meaning for your site (i.e. preppy, artistic, vintage, etc.), the wrong font can easily confuse readers about the nature of your site.
• Consistency with design and content is vital. Decide what the goal of your blog is, and always use that to guide your design decisions.
• Too many messages (content, contrasting visuals, fonts, etc.) results in noise.
• More messages will dilute the main focus. More is not always more, so be selective.
• The internet has changed the rules. Online, first impressions happen multiple times. Make sure you are making the right impression every time.
• Begin by always including a personal photograph of yourself along with a bio on the front page of your blog.
• Show your readers the person behind the blog...it builds trust.
• Make the profile image you use consistent across all online social media outlets.
• You are your brand!
• Brand consistency builds a trusted reputation.
• When choosing colors for your site, select between 3-5 colors.
• Keep the look consistent throughout your site.
• Think of your blog like a polished outfit. What does your look say about you? Do you need to change or remove anything to make the look represent you better?
• If you're stuck on color inspiration, you can find inspiring palettes on sites like Kuler or ColorLovers to get you started.
• Don't be afraid of "white space." It gives eyes a place to rest.
• White space isn't necessarily white...it just means you've left appropriate space between elements to allow them to "breathe."

Next Alt post I'll be covering what I learned in the Advertising / Ad Networks panel. xo Ez

P.S. They've removed the schedule information from the Alt Summit website, so unfortunately I can't remember exactly who presented on this panel. There were four talented ladies: two of them were Christine Castro of Darling Studio, and Arianne of Aeolidia. I apologize that I can't recall the names of the other two. Update: The last two speakers were Alyssa of We Like We Love (thanks Liz) and Laurie of Upside Up (thanks Alyssa).