today’s outfit and a few snaps: sunshine and sand

Posted on 21. Jan, 2012 by Princess Lasertron.

This is me microblogging on vacation.

1: Mama’s outfit and Alice’s outfit from today. We all went to Green, an amazing vegan restaurant in Phoenix for lunch, where I had the best french fries I have ever had. Alice had noodles, and for dessert we went next door for house-made soy ice cream with peanut butter and chocolate. 2. Looking up at all the airplanes flying overhead. There are SO many planes and helicopters that fly over the house and Alice hears every one. 3. Waiting for our ice cream to arrive at Nami. 4. Building bridges and houses with Dad. 5. Playing in the sand table at the Phoenix Children’s Museum.

See more details about today’s outfit on my Polyvore page.

xo
meg

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redecorating and reorganizing: on my desk

Posted on 29. Sep, 2011 by Princess Lasertron.

We’ve been cleaning, building desks, rearranging, and redecorating in the last week to get ready for a few things…

• CAMP tenants Downs Design and ImageMade have legally merged companies to form Grain & Mortar, a new brand strategy and web/print design firm. They’re moving out of our coworking space and down the hallway into their own new offices!
• New full-time tenants are coming in
• Super cool drop-in tenants are coming in
• It’s gross in here and I want it not to be

We’re nearing the end and having the extra space, storage, and organization is already wonderful. Here’s a look at my desktop and a few shots of my workspace today:

Today I worked on scheduling posts for October–there will be some good ones. I uploaded my posting schedule .pdf sheet so you can all download a blank one to schedule posts on your own blog, or of course you can make your own too. What I love most about ours is the blank calendar in the top right corner, so you can fill it out for each month and see what day of the week a post would fall on. I always schedule our best posts on Monday because it’s our highest traffic day. Being able to see the calendar at a glance helps you be more strategic about reaching the maximum number of readers with your best content.

Next on my list: fixing up the CAMP website which is about 18 months overdue for an update, stepping out and scripting the biggest tutorial we’ve ever done (to come in early November), and finishing my book proposal for The Wedding Party. I love finally seeing some progress on these long-term projects.

What’s on your desk today?

xo
meg

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giveaway week: friends

Posted on 02. Jul, 2011 by Princess Lasertron.

Today is the last day of our first giveaway week. Each day I did a new giveaway inspired by a different theme, and today’s giveaway prize is about friends and friendship. Enter by leaving a comment and you could win a package of fun and interesting things to share with your friends and bring you closer together. Don’t forget that you can also go back today and enter in the previous posts this week because I am picking all the winners tomorrow.

The top 5 lessons my friends have taught me:

1. Kindness makes you beautiful.

My friend Emma always says that the most beautiful people are beautiful on the inside too. I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately and it’s making me appreciate people in a completely different way, and also inspiring me to be a nicer person.

2. Searching for faith in something you don’t understand doesn’t make you dumb.

Thanks Brook and Rahul.

3. People you’re not “supposed” to be friends with can end up being your bffs for life.

Bodybuilding lumberjack Lothario + tall black jet-setting design star + short white lady with a baby = a match made in best friends heaven

4. Surround yourself with people you want to emulate.

Positive people. Kind people. Driven, confident, hardworking people. My dad told me once that his success came from surrounding himself with people who were smarter than him.

5. There is always more to a person than what they show you.

My friends Eric and Shannon always let things go and recognize when something annoying I’ve said or done isn’t really about them, but about something going on with me. They are good at recognizing everyone’s strengths and inspiring others to stay positive and happy.

Have you ever made an unexpected friend?
What can you do to surprise a friend this weekend?
Comment to win a package of goodies picked by me to inspire new friendships and strengthen the ones you have.

xo
meg

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giveaway week: learning

Posted on 30. Jun, 2011 by Princess Lasertron.

It’s giveaway week! I’m excited about these little prizes I’m giving away each day because none of them are sponsored or planned out–each package mailed out after this week will be full of hand-picked items chosen by me. Things that mean something to me and that I want you to have! Today’s prize is inspired by the theme of “learning.” The winner will receive a package of supplies and items that I hope can teach you something! Comment below to enter and win.

Top 5 things I want to learn this year:

1. How to say the right thing

I think that one of my strengths is taking charge and sharing my opinions with others. Once I decide how I feel about something, I always want to let everybody know and convince them to take my side. I’ve learned that there are some good and bad aspects to a skill like that–on one hand, I handle confrontation well and people can always be confident that I’m telling the truth. On the other hand, I can come off as bossy or aggressive and sometimes my candor turns people off–especially when I haven’t thought the issue through. Another skill I have is moving quickly when I decide on a course of action, but that also leads me to a lot of impulsiveness.

Because of my job, I’m often in the position to convince somebody to sponsor an event (such as our Omaha Fashion Week afterparty or Barcamp Omaha), teach a technique to a large group (through a crafting conference like The Creative Connection), or speak about my experiences (for example, in front of a marketing class at UNO or at an event with community peers in business). I hBave to be more careful not to speak too impulsively and to think about the best way to reach my audience, whether it’s a one-on-one client meeting or a speech.

2. Bookbinding

Self-publishing is one of my mom’s interests, and I sort of got into it growing up because she had so many books about binding, printing, making cute little pamphlets with special folding tricks. I often think about what cute, creative marketing material I could make if I knew more about binding and I’d love to pursue that soon.

3. How to make a cute pillowcase dress for Alice

It’s the easiest thing ever and I have a stack of little vintage pillowcases just waiting to be ruffled and sewn into little baby clothes. Prudent Baby has some of the best tutorials.

4. Something from each of my friends

I want Emma to teach me how to do the chain stitch without passing the needle through all the fabric. I want Peter to teach me how to round the edges of a table. I want Jessica to teach me how to choose wallpaper. I want Shannon to teach me now to french braid. I want Eric to teach me how to order stickers. I want Rahul to teach me more about the traditions he and his wife teach their kids.

5. How to swing a golf club

I can’t believe that I can’t do this.

What did you learn today?
Comment to win a package and learn something new.

xo
meg

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To-Do List: June 27 – July 2 (and a week of giveaways!)

Posted on 27. Jun, 2011 by Princess Lasertron.

06.27.11

1. Last week I was inspired by my friend Paul who tweeted about winning a rare edition of one of his favorite books through a website giveaway. His happiness got me thinking about how easy it would be to do a simple giveaway every day this week. Every day this week will have a different giveaway theme, you can comment to be entered, and I’ll pick the winners randomly at the end of the week.

2. Meeting at 5pm with stylist extraordinaire Rebecca Forsyth at Bangs about styling my models for the runway shows and photoshoots surrounding the drop of our new collection on August 25th. I’m still trying to decide on the look I am doing this year. Leaning toward some soft waves, dewy skin, and orange lipstick.

3. Another hair/makeup consult at Tru Salon and Spa in Midtown. I met one of their stylists, Levi, at the Nebraska AIDS Project condom fashion show (yes, I was skeptical too, but it was one of the most fun nights I’ve had in a long time!) and he approached me about styling our collection this year so I’m eager to learn more about their salon.

4. True Blood viewing party at my friend Isa’s house. I left off on season 2, but I had someone spoil everything I missed for me today at the vegan meetup party!

5. Omaha Community Playhouse annual awards night! Did you know Omaha has the largest (and BEST!) community theater in the country? I recently saw Guys & Dolls and Adelaide could have been from Broadway. Our theater community here is so amazing.

06.28.11

1. My two employees Shannon and Emma (and Alice!) leave with me to spend the rest of the week at Lake Okoboji! My parents have a house up there on Spirit Lake and my grandparents live up there during the Summer. It’s my first time up there this year. It will be a nice work retreat and we are planning to crank out a ton of work.

2. Mailing a big batch of black and white wrist corsages to a pretty bride. I uploaded some extras to the Princess Lasertron store for you to snatch up!

3. Return old library books and get new ones. Ask your best friend what he or she read last.

06.29.11

1. Picking strawberries at Getting’s Garden in Sanborn, Iowa. Berries are Assistant Emma’s favorite treat! A fact we always tease her about.

2. Making strawberry jam, of course!

06.30.11

1. Finishing a cupcake topper tutorial for Inspired Ideas magazine.

2. Make a list of books you loved as a child.

07.01.11

1. Finishing up the rest of the orders we have for July.

2. Making a bunch of different brooch pins for the gift bags at Meg Duerksen’s Craft Weekend

3. Driving back from the lake in my mom’s minivan. Possibly stopping in Sioux City to meet with Joi, my partner in the dress line!

07.02.11

1. Going to my Aunt Jane’s for their fun annual 4th of July party. Looking for a fun pool toy for Alice–something that lets her sit in the pool and kick.

2. After that we are heading to my friends Jon and Sarah’s annual 4th of July party featuring the infamous bottle rocket show. Here’s a picture from last year’s extravaganza–this year there may be another new baby if my friend Jenny has her kid this week!

3. Finishing up the questions for Mr. Lasertron post! you have sent such good ones.

4. Working on the budget plan for this year’s Barcamp Omaha un-conference in September.

Last night we had another big rainstorm in Omaha and the streets around CAMP flooded so much–up onto the sidewalks over the curbs–that I couldn’t get out with my car. My dad came and got me in his SUV and I got all of the supplies out that we are planning to take to the lake. There are so many interstates and highways closed along Nebraska and Iowa that I hope we can make it up there without too many detours.

If any more levees break near us, we are likely to be underwater at CAMP, as well as our regional airport, the stadium where the College World Series is taking place this week, and most of North Downtown Omaha. If you can spare a prayer or a positive thought, the Missouri river valley can use it! Pray for the rain to stop!

xo
meg

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