And yes, my entire house is pretty monochromatic. I can’t help it. Anyway, here’s a quick shot (the how-to video will be live on our HGTV.com column next week) of how it turned out, along with a source list for all of that lovely art!:

Clockwise, from top left: Gelato by RibbonSquirrel, Little Fox by Little Studio, Arrow by Twig Creative, Egg by John Gusky, Debbie Carlos calendar cutout, Balance Sheet by Tsilli Pines, Oh, Darling by Fifi du Vie, Vogue – Nov 1960 by Leombruno-Bodi, Man with Rabbit Mask by Andy Warhol, Sarah McNeil (old print), If You Want to Be / B by ConiLab.

Happy shopping!

GIRL!

We’re so so excited to welcome a little sunbeam to our family in July! We found out a bit early – she was upside down and waving her buns for all the world to see (it was fairly obvious that there was a serious lack of boy appendages happening!). We love her already and can’t wait for you to meet her this summer!

Until then, I’m sure I’ll be sharing baby bump progress on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (it’s getting bigger!). If you want more baby news here, I’m happy to oblige. Just let me know in the comment section! ;)

Now that I’m out of my first trimester (which consisted of the most epic naps ever), I’m looking forward to being awake long enough to get in a proper shower and outfit. Sure, dressing in this stage is pretty tricky (I’m just starting to look pregnant, rather than look like I downed three cheeseburgers for lunch), but I’ve found that embracing what’s comfortable has been key for me. Enter shoes.

I’ve been relying on skinny jeans or leggings, striped tunics and flats for the bulk of my pregnancy because it’s just so, so easy. But after months of the same outfit combination, I started to itch for some excitement, and around the same time, ShoeMint came into my life. ShoeMint.com (much like StyleMint!) is a shoe collection designed by Rachel Bilson and Nicole Chavez where every design is $79.98. New styles arrive each month catered to your specific style and taste, just like a subscription to your favorite mag!

Want to give ShoeMint a go? Get 20% off your first purchase with code MYKIND (good through Feb 29th, 2012!). Happy shopping!

SPONSORED POST

Alt Summit felt very different for me this year, possibly because it’s grown leaps and bounds since I first attended (with my sweet roomies Vic and Jaime) in 2010. The sheer number of inspiring creatives was nothing short of overwhelming, and I found that I participated in more 10 second, frenetic conversations this year – and much less 10 hour, life-changing conversations. And as you can probably tell, I’d pick the 10 hour convos any day.

BUT – it was still a treat to attend, to present an alarmingly brilliant sponsorship panel (pictured above) with Sarah, Danielle and Meg, throw another kickin’ resource party and teach a videoblogging class (with my sweet husband!) for HGTV. And because I’ve been pretty exhausted lately (when does that amazing second trimester energy kick in, friends?!), I slipped away for the bulk of the conference to nap, have quiet lunches and many, many meetings. And I left feeling like yes, I missed out on keynotes, panels and parties, but I took care of myself and furthered my business on the spot, rather than talking about furthering my business. You know?

In short, I feel like this was the first conference where I strategized instead of socialized. I stood up, rather than sat down. And I forged, rather than followed.

Sure, I felt really, really left out when I look back and see the photo booths, streamers and confetti, but I think that next week, when the sparkles fade, I’ll be proud of the relationships I formed and business smarts I gained. I hired an agent, negotiated a contract and committed to a new sponsorship deal – all in the span of three days. And here’s where I state my new conference rules:

1. Come with a plan. Peruse the speaker list and follow the Twitter buzz. Pick out a few choice attendees or business contacts that you’d love to connect with on a deeper level, and invite them to breakfast ahead of time. Conference schedules can be packed, so don’t rely on impromptu meetings; they rarely happen.

2. Save room for others. While I would have loved to plan every second of every day, it’s important to support others and give back to your community. This is why I love throwing impromptu resource parties (pictured below) – you get to hear about some really inspiring goals for the year, help further those goals, and make real connections that will (hopefully!) last beyond the Grand America hotel.

3. Be present. I have a hard time with this one, because I get super overwhelmed when I’m around a bajillion people that I love and want to connect with. But when having a conversation, it’s important to be present in that conversation. If you’re not good at this, arrange a conversation in a quiet place where you’re less likely to be interrupted – or less likely to people watch around the room. My best convos this year took place over a secluded breakfast spot, on a brisk walk around the block, a secluded sofa corner of the hotel and yes, the restroom.

4. Follow up. This is what’s happening now. I have a list of a few friends and colleagues that I didn’t get near enough time to chat with, so this week? This week I’m going to email them and see how they enjoyed the conference and what’s to come in their lives for 2012. Maybe even throw in a phone chat or debriefing session along the way. Because even if we didn’t get to toast champagne or break dance in a ballroom, I love them dearly.

In other words, if I missed you at the conference, let’s get in touch this week. I’d love to hear how you plan to take over the world in 2012 and beyond. Plus, chances are, I loved your shoes.

p.s. I didn’t take any photos at the conference (See! I was being present! #3!), so thanks to the AltSummit2012 Flickr group and the amazing photogs for the above shots.
p.p.s. An incredible thank you to Gabby and her Stanley family clanley. They make things happen for the benefit of all.

It was lovely. So lovely, in fact, that I’m planning a Fort By The Fire Day as I type this. Roasting marshmallows, reading real! live! book!, snuggling with the dogs and decompressing after an inspiring trip. After all, we can fix that furnace when we return to reality tomorrow, yes? See you then!

Hi, friends! I’m out of town for the week, speaking and teaching a HGTV.com course at Altitude Design Summit. Posting will be light, but you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram, which will likely be updated very, very often. Inspiration abounds!

XO,
e.

p.s. If you’re attending the conference, be sure to say hello! I love meeting new faces! Or, say hello to my sweet partners The Stow Company, who I’m working with to make this year the best Alt experience yet!

That’s right, friends – Ken and I are expecting a new little addition to the Loechner family this July! We’re terrified / thrilled all at once, but one thing’s for sure – we wanted YOU to be the first to know!

I’m so grateful for this space to share seemingly mundane inspirations, thoughts and musings and although I sometimes shy away from getting personal, I really am uplifted in connecting with you daily. As I look back at all of the transitions I’ve been through since starting this site (in 2006! Crazy!), I’m amazed at the support you’ve given me through it all: job loss, cross-country moves, family deaths… and now soon-to-be births.

Life really is an amazing little cycle, isn’t it? Thanks for joining me on mine.

XO,
e.

p.s. We chose TinyPrints to create the above announcement – isn’t it sweet? They’ve also got equally well-designed birth announcements, party invitations, and address labels, and you can enjoy free shipping with the code FREESHIP20. Happy shopping!
p.p.s. TinyPrints is a sponsor of Design for Mankind.

Every year, I sit down and make two lists: the goals and the non-goals. The goal list is obvious: things I’d love to change about my current self, routine or surroundings; things I’d love to incorporate to strive for betterment. Yet the non-goal list? That’s a bit more complex.

Non-goals are action items that I’ve already put into practice, or things about myself that I want to stay the same this year. It’s my way of praising the good habits I’ve formed over a lifetime, or maybe just over the past few weeks. Either way, I find that it’s so important to balance change with stability, especially stability in the things you love about yourself. And it’s dually important to praise yourself and embrace your positives, yes? Here we go — my 2012 non-goals:

1. You’re working really, really hard taking care of yourself. Keep it up (especially those leafy greens and evening yoga!).
2. Your marriage is a huge priority. I love that about you.
3. Last year, you managed to juggle a billion different things. Well done. Feel free to slow it down this year (if you want!); you deserve it.
4. Keep protecting yourself from influences that don’t have your best interest in mind. Follow that intuition.
5. Great job doing things that scare you last year. Keep raising your hand and saying “Yes!”
6. You’re committed to sharing unique things that raise your eyebrows daily. Don’t stop!
7. Good job saving money and curbing impulse spending in the past few months. It’ll pay off; I promise!
8. The house is looking cozy and beautiful; keep working hard on those last few renovations.

Happy New Year, friends – let’s keep being ourselves in the best way we know how.
[image credit: vivre sa vie]

Wowza. Thanks for giving me an extra day off, tootsies. I’ve been admittedly down in the dumps lately (oh, hormones), but after a fresh coat of snow outside and an inspiring playlist, I’m reminded that a new year is inevitable, and change is around every corner. Time to embrace it (I’ve always been a slow learner, clearly…)!

With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of goals (resolutions is a scary word for me) I’ll be striving for this year. Tomorrow, I’ll be sharing my non-goals, which is my very very favorite tradition EVER. More on that later…!:

1. Learn to sew (my mother-in-law gifted me a vintage sewing machine for Christmas and I start lessons next week!).
2. Practice grace often. Even with myself. Especially with myself?
3. Take neighborhood walks at least 3x weekly. (We have the most glorious walking trails that I never pause to enjoy!)
4. Pick up a book once a month. A real, live one.
5. Keep the mindless Internet loafing to a minimum, but appreciate the connectivity and community you’ve helped to build.
6. More tea, less coffee.
7. Perhaps surprise Ken with a home-cooked meal every now and then? (Really reaching on this one…)
8. Squirrel away your earnings for something special on the horizon.

What about you? Any new goals on the horizon for you? Say them out loud!
[image credit: lukasz wierzbowski]

Forgive me, friends, as I need just one more day to recoop from this exceptionally frantic holiday season. I’ll be back to regular art/design snippets tomorrow, but today? Today I’m having trouble regaining entrance into everyday Internet life. I thought about posting my non-goals for the year (a tradition I look forward to annually!), but am instead find myself pulling the cover over my head for one more snooze day.

I’ll be back in full swing tomorrow. I promise. Until then, I’m so happy to see you in this new and shiny year of 2012. We’re getting so grown up, aren’t we?

p.s. Tell me things. How was your holiday season? I missed you!
[image credit: christina antonovich]