DIY Links

By: Melanie Blodgett Photo by: A Beautiful Mess

The awesome slideshow from the DIY Blog + Pinterest panel at Alt SL 2013

What a normal day in the studio looks like for a DIY blogger

Centsational Girl shares what she thinks are the keys to a successful DIY blog

Studio quality photography with a $12 set up

How to run a DIY blog out of your car

How to create a grid style board in Illustrator (great for your tutorial steps) 

Alt NYC 2013 Recaps

By: Jenny Batt. Photo by: Justin Hackworth.

We love recaps! Check out our roundup below of Alt NYC recaps. If you have one and we missed it, be sure to use #altnyc on Twitter and we'll add it. Did you have too much fun and forgot to take a picture? Luckily, Justin Hackworth was out and about catching the best moments thanks to our sponsor atly. Check out all the Alt NYC photos posted on our Flickr page. If you end up using some of our images, we just ask that you mention that all photography was sponsored by atly somewhere in the post.

Ch-ch-changes help you move forward.

It was my 3rd trip to Alt and my 2nd time in the house of Martha!

The 5 best things I learned at Alt NYC.

To say it completely blew my mind, is an understatement. 

And I'll never forget how magical that evening felt.

Still processing my Alt NYC experience.

I’ve always dreamed of attending an Alt Design Summit, practically from the moment I started this blog.

We heard so many great speakers and I met oodles of fabulous people.

I walked in feeling both nervous and eager, ready to meet like minded ladies and hear their stories.

To sum up my experience, this. Yes, this is how huge my grin was for the vast majority of my journey.

Even though I felt calm, cool, and collected, there were a few things that made me get all fluttery and excited.

Set a goal. Know where you want to go and stay focused.

I tried to play it cool, but guys, I was a hot mess of glee and excitement.

Dinner was delicious. I met some amazing bloggers and hopefully made a couple new friends.

There were a million amazing speakers at the conference.

The friendships you build will become a safety net and a sounding board for you throughout your endeavors.

And how the one thing you need to get started is DESIRE!!!

Looking back, it was such a whirlwind.

From the practical to the light-hearted & everything in between, there is a lot of wisdom here!

Dinner was an excellent prelude to the conference the next day.

I went to New York City to photograph Alt Design Summit.

I left feeling inspired and with new friends.

Be very authentic.

That one time at craft camp...

We form communities to validate.

How to edge paint business cards.

Then, the party didn't stop as we headed to another room.

What Grace Bonney taught me at Alt NYC...

Alt business cards...they're kind of a big deal.

lt Summit NYC felt more like a conference, whereas Alt Summit SLC felt like a blogging retreat. - See more at: http://www.bunnyanddolly.com/what-i-learned-at-alt-summit-nyc/#sthash.CF60QZ49.dpuf

Alt Summit NYC felt more like a conference, whereas Alt Summit SLC felt like a blogging retreat. - See more at: http://www.bunnyanddolly.com/what-i-learned-at-alt-summit-nyc/#sthash.CF60QZ49.dpuf

Alt NYC felt more like a blogging conference, whereas Alt SLC felt more like a blogging retreat.

20 things I learned from Alt NYC (and some drop dead gorgeous photos.)

Alt NYC Pictures are Here!

 by: Melanie Blodgett. Photo by: Justin Hackworth

Thanks to all of you and to our sponsors, our second year in NYC was just as fabulous as we hoped it would be. We're pretty sure you're feeling the same way and want to relive some of your favorite moments. While we can't transport you back in time, our photographer was out and about every day capturing it all. See if you can spot yourself - or even Martha - in the photos now posted on our Flickr page. 

Not only are those photos fun to browse, they will make your Alt NYC blog posts shine. If you end up using some of our images, we just ask that you mention that all photography was sponsored by atly somewhere in the post. 

Have you heard of atly? It's the new site dedicated to learning and we've become instant fans. atly offers online classes taught by expert instructors in a plethora of subjects, from food styling to getting more from the opera. Each class can be taken on your own time, at your own pace and each student can receive instructor feedback. Not only can you be an atly student, they're also looking for inspiring instructors (like the Alt photographer, Justin Hackworth) to teach hobbies and skills. Learn more and look at their current classes right here.

Thanks for making Alt NYC amazing!

 

Making Your New Blog Successful

By: Kelly Beall. Photo by Sandra Freij. 

Starting a blog is awesome, I think we can all agree. But what are some of the steps you should be taking to grow your audience after you pull the trigger and hit publish? Here are some tips and tricks and that will get you headed in the right direction!

Stand out! Blogs are a dime a dozen, doing something unique and/or giving your site its own voice (yours!) will take you places. Here are 5 steps to stand out from the competition.

Click to read more ...

FamilySearch Contest Winners

By: Melanie Blodgett

We sent a call for posts and photos about pops and you responded with thoughtful essays, videos, tributes and sweet moments captured. To be honest, it made us a little teary eyed. Okay, to be really honest, a lot teary eyed.

Thank you for participating, we wish we could give all of you a prize. 

Today we'd like to announce that the randomly chosen winner of the ticket to Alt SLC is Carly Morgan. And the lucky winner of the iPad is Courtney Khail.