Speaking at Alt Summit - The After

I did it! I spoke at Alt Summit and I didn't throw up. (Yes, that was my first goal.) Was I more nervous than anything I have ever done before? Yes! I was more nervous to speak at Alt than to walk down the aisle at my wedding. Why? Not only did everyone spend big money to glean important information to grow their businesses, but some people flew from across the globe and country to get this information. It HAD to be good and relevant! Plus, there were brands like The Honest Co. sitting in my session, and boy would I feel terrible steering Jessica Alba the wrong way.

Thankfully, I had Rachel Faucett of Handmade Charlotte by my side. Together, we divided and conquered the beast of Pinterest Strategies. She added such humor and confidence. Her laid back personality really kept my type-A, intense personality in check. I really felt like we balanced each other out well.

For those that couldn't make the talk and for those that weren't able to attend Alt Summit at all, I wanted to share a top 10 list of things to do for your Pinterest account.

TOP TEN PINTEREST TIPS

1. Verify your website - This will ensure that people can click through to your site when they are viewing your Pinterest profile

2. Less than 20% of the images on Pinterest have a face. YES! Try to avoid putting faces in the content you pin. When people are dreaming about their lives it's weird to have a face staring back at them.

3. Stay true to your style while pinning. Don't pin anything that you wouldn't buy, wear or make yourself.

4. Stay vertical - vertical images out perform horizontal photos by a long shot. They take up more real estate on Pinterest.

5. When pinning your content try to pin a couple images of similar content at the same time. This will ensure that the viewer will focus on the topic you are sharing rather than hoping you get noticed in the feed of competing images of many different subjects (i.e. decor, recipes, fashion, beauty, etc.)

6. Always check where the image links to. You don't want to give people dead links. I have made this mistake myself and it has cost me followers and given me many a bad comment.

7. Engage with your audience. Follow back or reply to their comments when you see fit.

8. Check out related pins when you find something you love. Often times you will find something else you love as you scroll down. This is always how I find great content.

9. Product images don't perform that well. Try to show products in lifestyle settings.

10. The average user spends almost 15 minutes at a time on Pinterest. If you are going to invest in the social platform aim for 15 minutes a session at least. (I, on the other hand, should probably cut myself off a little more often. It's addicting!!)

If you have more questions about Pinterest or how to create good content for the platform, please shoot me an email. alexandra@avestyles.com Also, follow along on Pinterest to see what I am pinning, http://www.pinterest.com/alexandraevjen/. A BIG thank you to Alt Summit for having me there. I hope to be back again!

Photos by Justin Hackworth

Boudoir Redefined

Sometimes you are just struck by an image and inspired immediately. I saw an image on Pinterest (click here), and right away I knew I wanted to do a photo shoot that celebrated the natural beauty of the female body. I loved the idea of seeing water droplets on the skin, golden sun rays illuminating the body and hair blowing in the breeze. Liz Evans was the perfect photographer for this project because she has a whole company called Boudoir Redefined seeking to redefine the celebration of the female form. Boudoir doesn't always need to be smokey eyes and bed sheets. Boudoir doesn't even mean a woman isn't wearing clothes...Boudoir is purely celebrating the female body.

I thought Kelsey would be the perfect model for this project. I had the chance to work with her during a bridal shoot, and I was just entranced by her beautiful skin. She was really excited about the project too! Azure Shaffer did her makeup on the bridal shoot and did an AMAZING job. I knew I wanted her back for this, especially since she knew her skin already.

After three months of planning we headed out to the Salt River. It was a scorcher of a day. We all ended up in the water which was perfect to keep us cool. There were a couple of Tim Gunn make it work moments like sewing her into her bralette. It all worked out in the end.

I loved this shoot because it was so simple. It wasn't about the clothes at all. It was just about the feeling, the light and the confidence of being a women. I did, however, get to use an amazing French vintage nighgown my mom's friend gave me. It was the PERFECT slip for this project. It had lace ties all down the side. A simple bralette and high-waisted swim bottoms from Urban Outfitters was the perfect second look.

Photography by Liz Evans, Boudoir Redefined Art Direction and Styling by Alex Evjen, AVE Styles Modeling by Kelsey Groetken, Agency AZ Makeup by Azure Schaffer, Artistry by Azure Assistant Styling by Alyssa Hodson

Grilled Balsamic Nectarine Salad

I love nectarines! For the longest time I had no idea that they were actually peaches who have a recessive gene that eliminates the peach fuzz. Who knew!?! Well, Elle loves them as much as I do. During peach/nectarine season she eats almost one a day. So, the other day I decided to add them to a mixed green salad so that we could eat them together. Inspired by some recipes on Pinterest, I decided to concoct my own grilled nectarine salad.

GRILLED BALSAMIC NECTARINE SALAD

Serves 4:

2 Tbsp. of balsamic vinegar

1/2 Cup of crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1/4 Cup of sunflower seeds

3 Nectarines

1 Bag of mixed greens

Favorite vinaigrette to taste

STEP 1: Wash nectarines, slice them in half and remove the pit.

STEP 2: Brush all sides of your nectarine with balsamic vinegar and place on your grill or grill pan using a low heat. Leave on there for about 4-5 minutes rotating once for some nice grill marks.

STEP 3: Meanwhile, assemble your salad by placing your mixed greens in a bowl, adding your sunflower seeds and gorgonzola cheese.

STEP 4: Remove the nectarines from the grill. Brush them once again with the balsamic vinegar. Slices them into more pieces and add to salad. If you are using this recipe for a dinner party, it looks gorgeous to plate the salad and then add a half of a nectarine on top of the greens.

STEP 5: Drizzle your favorite vinaigrette on top of the salad and toss. Add pepper or salt for flavor if you would like. I just added more balsamic and some olive oil to keep is simple.

I hope you enjoy this fresh and easy summer salad!

Enjoying Life Sip by Sip - Cayenne & Cinnamon Honey Latte

I spend waaaay too much money at coffee shops and restaurants, especially during the summer. AVE Styles intern, Alyssa Hodson, is in the same boat. Together, we have decided to start a recipe series of our favorite foods and drinks that won't break the bank. Get to know Alyssa more and share in our yummy adventures! Waking up to the sweet aroma of coffee brewing in the morning is one of my fondest memories of when my grandparents came to visit.  My parents do not drink coffee, so it must have skipped a generation and hit me full force.  When I was young, one of my favorite parts of going to the store with my mom was getting to sample their coffee and cookies.  If you asked me how I took my coffee, I’d say there was little coffee compared to the creamer and sugar.  But now, if you asked me how I take my coffee, I take it seriously, very seriously J and on a budget.  Coffee can definitely take quite the bite out of a budget!  I was lucky enough to have Starbucks as a part of my meal plan as a college student (thanks GCU), but I am now graduated and I still need my coffee.  I may emphasize that I need coffee that tastes good and doesn’t break the bank.

So I have been experimenting at home and attempting to make coffee as good as my local coffee shop, which I do understand is quite the feat to overcome.  I used to have a cheap coffee pot that in turn gave me cheap tasting coffee.  I’ve learned so far that something as simple as trying a different brewing method or grinding the beans right before you brew may seem little, but they can definitely affect the taste of your coffee.  I decided to go shopping and was able to find a coffee press for $5 (Most of them run around $20, but I found this gem at Ross).  I would suggest buying the coffee beans whole and buying a grinder separate.  Heads up though, don’t grind your beans too small or you’ll find a lot of pieces of coffee beans in your coffee cup and not at the bottom of your coffee press.  Not very pleasant when you have to chew your coffee.  If you want to use your coffee press right away and don’t have a grinder, no worries! Just find a coarser ground coffee that you like.

Check out this link on how to use a coffee press:  http://stumptowncoffee.com/brew-guides/press-pot/. And this link for more information on the actual brewing method for fellow coffee snobs: http://www.sweetmarias.com/brewinstr/brewinginstr.frenchpress.php

To spice up your coffee life, here’s one simple recipe that we've tried and liked.  It's sassy and sweet with hint of cayenne pepper (the sass) and with honey (the sweet) and cinnamon to balance. You can even pour this over iced coffee if you prefer cold drinks in the summertime.

Cayenne & Cinnamon Honey Latte

For 2 cups of coffee:

1/8 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

2 Dashes of Cayenne Pepper

1 Tablespoon of Sweetened condensed milk

1 Teaspoon of Honey

2 Cups of Hot Coffee

Helpful Hints:

1)  When mixing the ingredients, try throwing the Cinnamon and Cayenne Pepper along with the coffee grounds when brewing the coffee. For example, if you used a coffee press I throw the cinnamon and cayenne pepper along with the coffee grounds in the beginning, so that they leave the taste and not the clumps of powder.

2)  Then pour the mixture over the sweetened condensed milk and honey.

3)  If you use a different type of milk, you could even try steaming it beforehand and then pouring it into the coffee.

4)  Also, these measurements are according to taste, so if you like your coffee with more of a kick, throw some more cayenne in there! If you would like it less sweet, hold the honey. The coffee cup is your canvas.

Speaking at Altitude Summit

Three years ago I went to Altitude Summit - a conference connecting bloggers and creatives together to learn and grow from one another. I was so intimidated. I didn't even know where to start with my blog, but I loved meeting so many different people and learning all about social media and content creation. In fact, that conference was where I met Janet Sahm, Fashion Editor of Verily Magazine. Back then the magazine hadn't even started yet. I also roomed with two strangers - Alyssa Yuhas and Liz Field of We Like We Love Magazine - who now are great friends. So many good things came from that experience! What is even crazier was when I went to Alt I had just started using this tool called Pinterest. I had noticed it was growing substantially, but no one at the conference was really using it as a means to collaborate and market. I remember thinking how I wished I could be one of the speakers one day, and well, the day has arrived. I will be a speaker at Altitude Summit this summer, and I will be talking all about Pinterest tactics. CRAZY! What a dream?!

I would LOVE to see you there and hang out with you for a couple days in Salt Lake City. If you're a Martha Stewart fan you are going to want to get your tickets ASAP! Click here to find out more information about Alt Summit Summer.