MAIYA :: I'm Not Dead

...but I did sleep for 12 hours last night.  What!  Also, check out my haul from ICFF.  Pretty sure there's an entire dead tree sitting on my sofa.

So, I'm back home after a whirlwind of a weekend.  There were some pretty great things to be seen at ICFF, which I'll be posting about in the days and weeks to come.  Meanwhile, one of my favorite collections can be spied over on GrassrootsModern today, if you're curious.  It's a wild combo of satin brass, wood, and powder-coated steel.  Crazy, just the way I like it.

And with that, I'll let out a huge exhale.  I'm back.  I missed you guys.  Hugs all around!

MAIYA :: FYI

Adventurers!  You may have noticed that my posts have been a bit spotty this week, which I apologize for.  Tsk tsk, I say.  But, I have a good excuse.  I am busy, busy, busy trying to wrap up everything before I head to NYC on Friday for this year's International Contemporary Furniture Fair!  Woohoo!

This will be my first year attending ICFF and I cannot wait.  I will be there through Tuesday, so unfortunately posting on MAIYA will be on hold until I return.  But don't fret, I'll still have posts on Curbly, GrassrootsModern, and 2Modern scheduled while I'm away.  Yay!  Also, I'll be sure to report back with tales of adventure and good design.  That's a promise.

See you next week!

Altitude Design Summit :: Recap

Credit: Angela and IthyleWow.  What to say?  This year's Altitude Design Summit was more amazing than I could have ever imagined it to be.  From incredibly inspiring keynote speakers (Tina Roth Eisenberg and DJ Spooky) to panels on the ethics of blogging, it all blew my mind.  Most valuable were the friendships forged in just a few brief days, relationships I'll cherish for a long time.  In short, if you ever get a chance to attend, GO.  It's worth it.

There were so many great points made during the conference!  Basically, it was non-stop inspiration for 3 days straight.  I've included a few highlights gleaned from my experience at ALT this year:

• Treat people how you want to be treated.
• Transparency = Trust
• Reach out, take risks, and collaborate!
• Social Media: it's about genuine quality!
• "Art is the ultimate renewable resource" - DJ Spooky
• Do everything you can to support people; it will pay off in the end.
• Collaboration cultivates creativity.
• "In all new beginnings dwells a magic force" - Hermann Hesse quoted by Tina Roth Eisenberg

In other words, be genuine and reach out to people.  Words to blog by and words to live by!  If you're looking for more inspiration from ALT Summit, check out Liz's list of some of the best up and coming blogs or follow the conversation on Twitter.

So.  Was ALT Summit the best conference ever created?  Definitely.  Are puppies cute?  Always.

[Image aka my experience at ALT summed up in 1000 words: Angela & Ithyle for the Kate Spade and The Girls With Glasses photobooth.  See more here.]

And of course, a huge THANK YOU to PicScout for affording me the opportunity to attend this year's summit.  A year's worth of inspiration, meaningful connections, and brand new friendships: priceless!