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

Brand Shoot & Film for Stacy Kokes Photography

Stacy and I go waaaaaaaaay back - way back to college when I used to pick her and her roommate for church on Sundays. This was long before the days of styling and photography. We were just two college girls trying to figure out who we were and what we wanted to do with our lives. Since then Stacy has become a wedding photographer and I have become a stylist. Stacy reached out to me a couple months back letting me know she was in the rebranding process for her business (check out her new site here). She new that she wanted to style a shoot the represented the feel and lifestyle of her new branding because she knew the importance of creating a cohesive experience for potential clients.

We dreamed up a styled shoot featuring two of her favorite people that also happen to be REALLY good looking - Chris and Lauren. Using Pinterest and email we collaborated and honed in on creating a approachable, beautiful and well-styled experience. This shoot was actually featured on Desiree Hartstock's blog. You may know her as The Bachelorette. =)

Flower crowns, a picnic, spring and summer colors...It's basically oozing love and all things pretty...I hope you like it! You can see more photos by visiting Stacy's blog.

Check out this beautiful shoot in motion too!

Engagement Shoot from Ryan Doran on Vimeo.

Photography: Stacy Kokes Photography

Models: Chris + Lauren

Fashion Styling: Alex of AVE Styles

Flowers: Sarah’s Garden

Makeup: Ashley Nicole

Video: Ryan Blake Films

Progress - 30 Thriving Challenge

I have less than 30 days until I turn 30, and I am happy to report I have already met one of my goals!!! In the past six weeks with the BIG help of Mountainside Fitness I have gone from a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 22 to a BMI of 20. I have stayed the same weight of 124 pounds all while burning fat and gaining muscle. I have never felt more healthy in my life. I no longer feel weak, and I feel more confident in a bathing suit. I always thought the loose skin around my tummy was permanent due to pregnancy. I was really surprised to see my stomach tighten up more than ever before. I have room improvement in that area, but my arms and legs are finally showing some muscle definition.

I am so excited to turn 30, and to finally have a healthy lifestyle. #30ThrivingChallenge

Sea Salt & Coconut Popcorn

"Pop! Pop! POP!!!" That's what Elle says whenever I make popcorn. She can't eat it fast enough. It's definitely her favorite snack and my go-to healthy snack when I'm craving something salty. I usually make popcorn with olive oil and sea salt, but AVE Styles Intern, Alyssa Hodson, gave me the great idea to try it with coconut oil. Oh. My. Gosh! Game changer! This sea salt and coconut popcorn is the perfect salty, sweet snack for movie nights and road trips this summer. Add some coconut flakes and chocolate chips, and you have one decadent treat.

SEA SALT & COCONUT POPCORN

Yields  16 cups of popcorn

1/2 c Popcorn Kernels

3 Tablespoons of coconut oil

1 Teaspoon of sea salt

1)  Heat the stove to medium and throw in the coconut oil and sea salt. Toss in at least two kernels into the pan with the oil and when they pop, then the heat is right.  Take out those two kernels.

2) Add in the rest of the popcorn kernels until they are all popped. Remove from stove. Sprinkle more salt to taste.

If you have a sweet tooth, add 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and a 1/4 cup of coconut flakes to the popcorn after it is cool. Toss and serve!