Monthly Archives: May 2013

The Week In Pictures: 5.31.13

Nubby Twiglet The Week In Pictures

To say I’m getting antsy for Summer is an understatement — it’s going to be a fun-filled one, with trips to New York, Minneapolis, Austin and then, stops in Greece and London right as Fall inches up. Between now and then, there’s a lot to get done but I’m a big fan of working hard and playing hard!

Nubby Twiglet The Week In Pictures

Over the weekend, I pulled out a pile of some of my favorite books, removed the slip covers and stacked them up. I always forget what I own when it’s shoved away on shelves and in closets and I like the idea of using the objects around me like books, shoes and records as decoration. It’s all art to me.

Nubby Twiglet The Week In Pictures

After much trial and error with marbled floors in the backyard bar, we finally defaulted to black, which I am really liking. With the pine walls, ceiling and shingles on the outside, it’s nice to have a more modern touch with the black floor. We’re getting so close to finishing up! Our back yard has never been nice (sparse grass, faded barkdust) so to watch Joey slowly transform it over the last few weeks with a freshly seeded lawn and river rock is really inspiring. We’re itching to have that party. 😉

Nubby Twiglet The Week In Pictures

I’m a creature of habit when it comes to meals but sometimes I get completely sick of everything! When those times hit, I default to the tried-and-true basics like Joe’s O’s. Gotta love them.

Nubby Twiglet The Week In Pictures

Over the long weekend, I knocked out the first 40 pages of the new Rock n Roll Bride Magazine and we’re moving along quickly because the second issue just completely sold out last week! 1,100 issues are gone and we still can’t believe it. I’m not one of those girls who gets obsessive over weddings but putting this magazine together has given me a whole new appreciation for the planning it takes to put one together, especially when you have a tiny budget and no planner like most of the featured couples (I skipped all that and took off to Vegas!) Kat and I are itching to show you more…which means I need to design faster. 😉

Have a super duper rad weekend, everyone. We’re babysitting Rocky’s little friend, Raleigh, who we affectionately refer to as wolf man. What a cutie!

Any plans you’re looking forward to?

Link Love: 5.30.13

link love

link love


Source: Anna Lomax

• 75 of the best Tumblr blogs for designers is jam-packed with amazing discoveries.

• I always look forward to Launched, which covers the latest blog launches and my friend Star’s beautiful new site is included in this batch!

• What the hell should you do with your life? The whole article had me cracking up, starting at the intro: “So you just graduated. Congratulations. Hopefully you spent the weekend patting yourself on the back. It took me eight years to graduate from college. And that was in the ’90s, when the internet wasn’t even any good yet.”

• Brushing up on your knowledge of espresso-based drinks? This infographic will help!

• This article about a 14-year-old who’s completely addicted to her phone and social media is frightening.

• Take a peek at rejected early drafts of iconic movie posters.

• If you travel often, Jess Lively has the best method for organizing bath products I’ve seen.

• 10 notable design books of 2013.

• Thanks to the stills from this post, I’m even more excited to see Behind The Candelabra now. The costumes, blow-dried hairdos…it’s all too much. Obsessed.

• 11 quick tips for writing compelling posts on your blog.

• Gala shares how she made the transition from corporate corpse to blogger babe.

• Looking for a real time waster? Check out the list of common misconceptions that Wikipedia has gathered!

2 Game Changers I Learned in Entrepreneurship Class

Game Changers

Last week, I completed a two-part entrepreneurship workshop, So You’re The Owner of a Million Dollar Company and You Don’t Even Know It! While the whole class was jaw-droppingly good from beginning to end (really, it takes a lot to keep business chit-chat interesting and Stephanie Lynn sure delivered), I thought I’d share my top two takeaways. While it’s never a walk in the park running a small business, these two points were huge eye openers for me:

1. To overcome your fears, put them on a shelf. Literally.

Hear me out: we all have fears when it comes to running a business / blog / etc. and I have a lot of them. If you’ve met me, you’ll know that I’m confident, a hard worker and I’m never afraid to seize new opportunities but at the same time, I also value stability. There’s a really fine line between craving a stable life and playing it too safe.

In class, we were asked to write a list of everything we were afraid of. I quickly scribbled down half a page of notes without a second thought. Easy enough, I figured. Fear flows out freely if you let it and glancing down at that paper, I was holding onto much more of it than I realized.

Next, we were each handed a Ziploc bag and told to place that list inside, zip it closed, take it home and place it on a very high shelf. It was time to put away those fears, once and for all.

I know this exercise sounds simple but sometimes the act of physically doing something is such a powerful thing. Just writing that list wasn’t enough — how many times have we each written those same lists when we’re scared? But the symbolism of physically putting those fears on a shelf really inspired me to finally let go and move on.

2. For your business to flourish, you MUST understand the difference between price and value.

No matter how fabulous your business is, there will always be people who come along and ask for a discount. There will always be people who want something for nothing. But if you’re not benefitting, don’t be afraid to say no. It’s hard but most of the time, these are not your ideal customers anyway.

Your ideal customers do value your offerings enough to pay you what you’re worth. They respect your talent and your experience. These customers aren’t the easiest to find at first but I promise you that they’re out there.

One of the keys to convincing your ideal customers that your product or service is worth the price you’ve set is to back that value up with a story. For instance, Stephanie used the example of her business, Sweet Spot Skirts — her story is that all of her products are manufactured in the U.S. and she provides jobs for unemployed women. She clearly outlines her commitments here.

Any time someone balks at your prices, reaffirm the value they are receiving from doing business with you. Do not lower your pricing unless you have very specific reasoning for doing so (such as a holiday sale, anniversary and so on).

If you have sales all the time and offer up a discount to anyone who comes along, you’re diluting your offerings and once you’ve gone down, it’s a tough climb back up.

Thinking back, I had come across these two concepts at earlier points in my life but sometimes it takes a certain teacher outlining specific experiences to bring them to life. And when they finally click, they’re lessons you’ll never forget.

In The Mood #7: Lemon Zest

In The Mood

This week’s In The Mood is all about yellow. Go bright or go home! I’ve been having a serious love affair with the hue lately — first, it was the mix of yellow Poppin accessories that made their way into my office and then it was the blazingly bright espresso machine setup. Yellow feels so full of optimism and I can’t get enough.

In The Mood

In The Mood

In The Mood

These very Big Bird-like Matikos are definitely one of the more eccentric pairs of shoes I own but I tend to balance them out with all black ensembles. I always joke that shoes like this are the equivalent of an explanation point at the end of an outfit!

View more of the In The Mood series here.

The Week In Pictures: 5.24.13

Nubby Twiglet The Week In Pictures

Nubby Twiglet The Week In Pictures

All I can say is that: 1. I’m so glad it’s Friday and 2. I’m so glad it’s Memorial Day weekend! Woohoo!

On Wednesday night, I wrapped up the second session of an entrepreneurship class and absorbed so much helpful content in the process — I love those moments when your mind feels blown open with new possibilities and you can’t wait to start digging in. Since then, I’ve been crunching numbers and working on budgets (not my strong point at all!) and working on assets for my new business. It’s all a big mix of fear and excitement, which I’m finally learning to embrace.

In less than a month, I’ll be in New York gearing up for the sixth installment of The Blogcademy so we’re in pre-game prep mode getting everything sent off to print (there’s always updates to tote bags, workbooks and sponsor cards). It’s like special homecoming to me because New York was the first city we ever did a workshop in…and I remember how nervous I was! So, so nervous. It was just last October but so much has changed since then.

Nubby Twiglet The Week In Pictures

I love the silhouettes of these planters in our front window! I’m always snapping photos of them in different light, just because. I always forget how eccentric my house is until we have new visitors. Speaking of visitors, my friend Mary Bee from LA will be staying with us in a few short weeks! The last time she was in Portland, it went something like this (and yes, I already told her to pack the gnome).

Nubby Twiglet The Week In Pictures

Have a great extended weekend, everyone! We’re going to be staying home and in a way I’m glad to just chill out, have some quiet time and avoid vacation traffic and crowds. See you back here Tuesday!

What about you? And big travel plans you can’t wait to kick off?