I have consulted my notes, chosen a few photos and here is my Alt Summit round-up.

Of course it was an amazing experience and my brain was and still is full to the lid with people, information and ideas.  Mission accomplished, but how was the day?

When I arrived at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, I shared the elevator with a very peppy young man who jumped in (yes, almost literally) and told me the news that Dolce and Gabbana had been arrested for tax evasion.  Next floor he jumped (yes, again) out.  Morning news flash – complete.

I found a seat and a coffee and took it all in for a minute or two.

Over breakfast there were lots of crafts on offer to make while you munched on your granola and downed as much coffee as possible (that part may have just been me, following a nervous and sleepless night).  I made salt scrub, started a thread bracelet and got an embroidery kit and immediately began to wonder how I was going to transport this out of the Summit, let alone home!

I swapped a few business cards and met a few bloggers I follow on Instagram or on Bloglovin’.  I must say that it was quite hard to find specific people, especially those whose blogs I follow and I don’t really know what they look like.  Short of randomly grabbing name badges, I failed at this and consequently missed a few bloggers I would have liked to talk to.  Thank goodness for the interweb!  I did meet Emily from A Beautiful Hello and Becky from Little Siddall Studios and Paige from Approaching Joy.

I want these fantastic heads for my walls!

The speakers were full of information and I scribbled like a crazy person in my purple notebook, hoping my writing could keep up and that I would understand anything when I looked back.  The moment of truth is here as I find some of my favourite moments.

Grace Bonney of Design Sponge   “Do not waiver based on other peoples fears”.

They Draw and Cook “Play is the highest form of research”  Wise words from Salli Swindell.

Every word and slide from  Valentine Freeman of Ace Hotels.  Especially  “Heart of Power, Heart of Sudden Lights” which sounds like a fabulous song lyric.

Garance Dore  “Arrive on Time” and  “Arrive Smiling”  Great advice which everyone on the planet should follow.

Finally another from the beautiful and amazing Garance “People don’t expect you to be perfect, they expect to understand your message”

The view from the roof of Martha Stewart Living and the ‘apres summit’ cocktail party.  Great place to grow lavender and feel the breeze in my very full brain.

On the way back to the Metro, laden down with books, boxes, magazines and information, I spotted this guy.  Of course I had to struggle my phone out of my bag to snap him!