Blog Chat: A Conversation About Sponsored Content

Hi friends! So if you read my Alt Summit round-up post for the Building Relationships with Ad Networks and Sponsors panel this year, then you might have noticed a few common themes: authenticity and originality. It's something I think about a lot. One of the things that really stuck with me during the panel is the idea that "Sponsored content should be organic. Ask yourself: "Would it fit, not matter what?"

Over the years I've turned down quite a few larger-scale sponsorships because when I imagined myself talking to all of you about the brand/products (whatever that brand/product was), it felt forced and left a bad taste in my mouth. At the end of the day, being authentic is more important than money (even though it has not always been an easy decision to make). To be honest, after all the ill-fitting proposals, I'd kind of written off ever working with a corporate sponsor. But when Method (also a sponsor at Alt) got in touch during the conference this January to ask if I might be interested in working with them this year, I was excited to hear more. As a long-time user of Method products, I knew that this was finally a product and company I could potentially get behind.

In between the time when Method first got in touch, and the phone call I would have with them to discuss their campaign ideas, I decided that if I was going to take the plunge with my first content sponsor, there would have to be a few things agreed to (and those things kind of felt like a long shot). To help me not lose my nerve, I kept another key point from Alt summit in mind: "Always ask for what you want. Be proactive." It sounds easy enough...but it's actually kind of nerve-wracking:

• Firstly, I didn't want to devote full blog posts to talking about their products. Not because I don't love what they sell (because I really do), but because I don't think that you guys value that kind of content. A monthly post about one specific product type just doesn't seem to fit naturally in with what I already write about.
• Secondly, what I really want, is to be able to share more of what you guys actually love. For the majority of you, that means DIY projects. Those however, take a lot of time and energy to create.
• So I decided to ask Method if they'd be interested in sponsoring me to write DIY posts about whatever I think you guys would like to read about...not about their products. It really seemed like a long-shot, but fortunately they have a pretty awesome team of out-of-the-box thinkers and totally got where I was coming from right away. They said yes!
• So now, I have the opportunity to team up with a really awesome brand that I feel great about working with, and in so doing, will get to create a handful of DIY posts that I'm hoping you guys really love. How cool is that?!

So here's a quick run down on what this sponsorship will look like. Once a month I'll be creating an awesome DIY to share with you (again, totally my original content written just for you guys...and not about Method products), and for the sponsorship portion, I'll be sharing a nifty little video from Method within the post. I had the opportunity to watch all the videos for this campaign, and they are actually very entertaining. You might even like them so much that you'll want to share them on facebook, pinterest, etc. Seriously....they are really that good!

So why am I talking about this with you guys? Because I really respect each one of you and want you to know where this new sponsorship is coming from. I didn't just want to surprise you with a sponsored post later today. You all are an important part of how this sponsorship was negotiated, and that is something that really matters to me. I also want to assure you that there won't suddenly be corporate ads and sponsored content filling my entire blog. All sponsored posts will always be clearly marked as such. Transparency is very important to me. As it stands I currently have a 5 month contract with Method (which includes 5 posts—1 per month) and I'd love to hear your thoughts along the way. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I really hope you'll love the DIY posts that Method will be making possible. I'm excited to get to it! xo Ez

Color Inspiration Daily: 03. 12. 12

Ballerina Shoes Photographic Print by Anne of Megalerie.

One Good Thing: Pantone Sweets by Emilie Griottes

As a blogger I am lucky enough to spend most of my days perusing a wide assortment of beautiful and inspiring things online. However, every once in a while something comes along that totally boggles my mind and practically knocks me out of my chair with excitement. These Pantone Sweets by Emille Griottes did exactly that when I discovered them on Pinterest yesterday (via Joy Yao, seen on Anthology Magazine blog). I mean wow...just wow! I'm practically speechless (and that's saying a lot).

Check out more from Emilie on her blog Griottes, and find more images and details about this awesome project right here.

Color Inspiration Daily: 03. 09. 12

A row of white blossoming trees caught my eye on the way to the store yesterday afternoon, and as soon as I returned home and quickly stashed my groceries, I grabbed my camera and headed out to take a few photos. The weather was pretty chilly (good thing I thought to throw on my winter jacket as I dashed out the door), and as soon as I parked my car at the curb it started to hail on me. I wasn't about to head home without a few photos though, so with teeth chattering I hopped outside and snapped a few shots anyway.

I just love all the pure clean white mixed with that crisp pop of green. If you look really closely in the second shot you can even see that the pollen inside each flower is bright pink!

Have a gorgeous weekend friends! xo Ez

One Good Things: Happy Notes from Tokketok

I spotted these aptly named Happy Notes by Tokketok over on Frolic last night and fell in love instantly. I can just imagine hiding these colorful little bursts of joy around in strategic areas, for a down-in-the-dumps friend to discover. It seems like that would perk them right up, don't you think?! See more from Tokketok right here. xo Ez

Images from Tokketok | Styling by Chelsea Fuss | Photography by Lisa Warninger