Coco Cake Land via Instagram – Baking Galore + Alt For Everyone

What an awesome week. I feel jam-slammed busy these days but still it’s fun to be jumping from food-flying kid play dates to baking up a storm in the kitchen to styling cake photos to my kid’s music class to editing and writing… this week was extra sweet because Alt For Everyone happened! Alt For Everyone is a design and blogging online conference where participants from all over the world log in and meet in an online forum. Top bloggers, designers and photographers give inspiring classes on various tools for building your blog, and it’s a fun chance to meet, chat and connect with fellow bloggers from all over. It was my second time participating and I truly loved it – it’s really fun to connect and build community amongst fellow bloggers – you spend so much time working behind a computer that it’s just so nice to connect and chat with others who are in the same blogging boat! Plus, at $125, that’s a steal of a deal, man. From coding to photo styling to how to sell ads on your blog plus inspiration and new blog friends galore – for me, worth every nickel.

I made this washi tape moustache as part of an Alt For Everyone Instagram hashtaggy thing. Not a bad last minute moustache, right?

So fun to chat, connect and crack jokes with:

• Melissa, sweetest baker and maker and super fun Alt chat room buddy at Lulu The Baker
• Sharon, coolest mom ever who eats nachos in a hot tub while watching Dirty Dancing and throws the raddest parties (Ziggy Stardust party!) for her kids at Cupcakes + Cutlery
• Jenny, garland queen and all around amazing craft stylist at Hank + Hunt

and discover new blogs such as…

• Danielle’s blog about inspiring children’s books at This Picture Book Life
• Jessica’s beautiful photography and visual life stories at Team Wiking 
• Victoria’s bright and pretty design inspiration blog Oh So Pretty
• Brooke’s party and inspiration blog Lemon Drop Blog 

and so many more!

I was inspired and stoked by:

• Wit & Delight‘s wonderful keynote – distilling your brand and defining your core message and values – and going forth and creating beautiful, consistent content based on that defining core message.
• Liz of Say Yes To Hoboken started her blog as a creative outlet while working as a high school guidance counsellor. Everyone starts somewhere!
• House of Brinson’s awesome photo styling class – cannot wait to play around with my photos and styling and work on some more mood enhancing photos and get crazy with props.

Things I learned at Alt For Everyone, in no particular order: 

1. Favicon is a thing, not just the potential name of a sweet fantasy metal band
2. I’m not the only one who doesn’t wear pants while blogging or tweeting.
3. Bloggers are such a supportive community – people really look out for each other!
4. Content is truly king – beautiful, original and engaging content is the key to growing your blog
5. Blogging is hard work – I already knew this (I’ve been blogging for 5 years!) But success doesn’t happen overnight for anyone! Be kind, open, community-minded, work hard and create awesome content – and things will surely happen.
6. Women can rock moustaches pretty pretty good.

Happy Monday, everyone!

xo Lyndsay