Alt. ALT. It has changed everything.

I’m back from blogger summer camp, dear readers! And like summer camp, there was learning, fun, food, parties, silliness, and friendships made (especially with Lindsey, my awesome roommate, pictured above). But there was more, oh so so much more. What do you get when 500 women and a good dozen men, collide for four days of discussions, keynotes, and tutorials? A whole lot of creative inspiration, stylish fashion, and lasting connections. I had found my people.


And these people had a lot to teach me. I learned all about the business of blogging and about building my brand. About how to grow a readership and how to write to an interior design audience. About pursuing book deals and attracting sponsors. The lessons were practical, doable, inspiring. I came away with so many ideas on how to make my blog better, more successful, more relevant for you.

I met friends who I have known for years but who in person surprised me even more with their kindness, beauty and humbleness. Nicole. Kathleen. Christina. Jenny. Kirsten. Caitlin. Gabrielle. Grace – more lovely than I imagined. And new friends too like Brianne, Abbie, Timothy, Michelle, Melanie, Marie and Uncle Beefy. I need to visit their blogs and so should you!



The parties, the business cards, and the swag... so good, like icing on the cake.

But what I walked away with most was this: blogging is hard. Its tough work and you need to be committed to it. If you want to be better at it, then you need to put the time and effort and learn and implement. There is so much you can achieve with your blogs – define your own success and do it.

There was also a clarity about who I am and what I want my blog to be. I have two grand passions in life – design and community building. You’ve seen the design side here – our renovations, décor and DIY projects – but the community building is a little something new. With BlogPodium and my previous ventures like PechaKucha Toronto, I’ve realized what I was trying to do was build a community, to share and collaborate, to network with like-minded folks and learn from each other. So, I’d like to do that a bit more around here.

I’m introducing a new series, Blog Talk Fridays. There was so much I learned at Alt that I want to share and discuss with you. Like the amazing inspiration given by Ben Silbermann, creator of Pinterest, ideas on monetizing and working with ad networks and sponsors, and growing your brand. Does that sound good to you? Then join me on Fridays starting February 3rd. I hope you’ll take part in the conversation.