All That Schwag!

Roddy from Startup Schwag has generously donated SIX BOXES of left over schwag from his Startup Schwag days! We're going to be selling startup t-shirts for $12 each to raise money for tech non-profit NPower Northwest at the expo.  Also, drop by the Happy Go Prize Wheel for a chance to win some free schwag.

The latest addition to my schwag collection:

It's super comfy.  :)

I want more web 2.0 schwag!

Schmancy Toys & Urban Craft Uprising 2011

If you're in Seattle July 9th and 10th, be sure to drop by the Urban Craft Uprising!  We love the concept of bringing together indie artisans and helping them reach the greater public.

{Artwork by Matthew Porter}

Watch this promo video by Behrens Films to see what you might find at the show.

You might find some wonderful tech accessories and art there if you happen not to make it out to the Happy Go Techy Expo this Saturday!

If you do make it out, drop by UCU's table at the expo and give them a little "hello!"  Kristen Rask will also be there selling some items from her awesome store, Schmancy Toys.

{Social Media WTF Wallet from Schmancy Toys}

Promote Your Business "Like" Contest Winner: Artistic Bend

Tulika of Artistic Bend will be showcasing her jewelry at the expo!  She is the winner of Meylah's Promote Your Business "Like" contest.  Tulika got 101 Likes on Facebook on her celtic charm earrings which won her a table at the expo.  

Meylah is doing a great job in aiding small businesses in connecting to the ever changing world of the web through their easy to use interface and free basic tutorials like this one.

Below is Tulika's testimonial on how Meylah has helped her become more tech savvy:

"Meylah has made me so savvy I would say. I WAS a person who was happy just checking emails and once in a while writing a blog. I always loved the way my friends monetized on their blogs about different things. For me there was a gap between doing it and not. Meylah helped me bridge that gap and the reluctance. Meylah made me look at myself as a person who could do it without feeling overwhelmed. I am doing pictures for my products and shipping them on a regular basis. It has helped me build my brand image. Meylah has preserved my hobby and yet helped me convert it into a business without making it like a job. I simply love it and love growing in both areas, technically as well as in my art. I was scared that once it became a job, it would not be fun anymore nut I was wrong."

Keep up the great work guys!

Fashioningtech.com: Where Fashion Meets Tech

Fashioningtech.com is the perfect site for the techie fashionista. It features wearable technology, fun DIY tutorials, photos, videos, and more! I love perusing spunky new designs and crazy ways technology is being integrated into the fabric of our lives - definitely fashion forward to say the least!

The brains behing Fashioningtech.com is Syuzi Pakhchyan. A little bit about Syuzi:

"Syuzi is an experience designer whose work investigates the intersection between code, cloth and culture. Her design and research interests include wearable technologies, physical and soft computing, and interactive textile design. 

Her book "Fashioning Technology: A DIY Intro to Smart Crafting" explores the emerging creative practice of soft circuits and soft technologies."

Some fun things I found on the site.

{DroidDare: Mocktail Making Dress}

{Soft Circuit DIY Kits: Salt n' Peanut Tutorial}

So techie and cute!

Fashion Showcase: electricfoxy

Jennifer at electricfoxy is piecing together fashion and technology one stitch at a time.  She currently has two gorgeous garment designs that integrate technology with fashion: zip & ping.  We're so excited she'll be showcasing her garments at the expo!

About Zip

"Zip is a garment that connects to your phone or music player and allows you to control it simply by performing natural gestures that are built into the mechanics of the garments we wear. In this case, zip up to increase the volume, zip down to decrease it, and tug on the pullstraps to retract the integrated earbuds. Enjoy your music experience without all the devices and wires hanging all over you."

ZIP from Dos Rios on Vimeo.

About Ping

"Ping is a garment that connects to your Facebook account wirelessly and from anywhere. It allows you to stay connected to your friends and groups of friends simply by performing natural gestures that are built into the mechanics of the garments we wear. Lift up a hood, tie a bow, zip, button, and simply move, bend and swing to ping your friends naturally and automatically. No phone, no laptop, no hardware. Simply go about your day, look good and stay connected."

Love the seamless integration. ;)

Handmade Spark Give Away Winner: Rogue Theory

{6th Generation Nano Cases}

I've been admiring Rogue Theory's cases & covers for a while now.  So happy they've been chosen as  the winner of the Handmade Spark & Happy Go Techy vendor package give away.  

See more of their designs here.

Thanks Handmade Spark for connecting us!

Happy Go Online Shopper Contest Results!

Thanks to everyone who submitted entries for the Happy Go Online Shopper Contest!  For the best online shopping site we narrowed it down to two entries based on fashionability and site design: 

Hautelook

and ASOS!

The fact that the two sites do not have brick & mortar stores was a plus.  We decided to go with Hautelook for it's unique internet-based business model and high-end yet affordable sassy styles!

We had 3 entries for Hautelook so we threw everyone's name into the "Random Thing Picker" (love the simplicity of it) and the lucky winner of a $25 Tango Card is...

Ms. Sai Liou!  Congrats, Sai!  We'll be sending over your card shortly!  

Happy Go online shopping or donating with your Tango Card!

A special thanks to Tango Card for sponsoring this contest!

Expo Vendor: SewZinksi

Sarah is a designer of all trades; she stitches, sews, paints... you name it!

We love her eco-friendly mugs and headbands!

{CMYK Mug}

{KAPOW! Mug}

{LIGHTENING Headband}

For the expo, she is crafting up some new geeky/nerdy designs as we speak!  Can't wait to see them!

Visit her site to view all her other lovely creations!

Expo Vendor: Worme Woole

Knits, mitts & (best of all) recycled gadget sweaters galore!  We're happy to announce Sara as our newest expo vendor.  She makes gadget "sweaters" out of upcycled felted wool.  Dress your gadgets up in style while being green!

Visit her store here.

  

Expo Showcase: Silva Limited

Justin started dabbling with wood at age 10; his father owned a hardwood flooring business.  His finely crafted bamboo Macbook cases will be on display at the expo.  They're incredibly gorgeous, sturdy, and light!

How They're Made 

The cases start their life as a solid sheet of bamboo. They are then taken to a CNC machine where they are cut out to meet the specifications of the MacBook Pro’s. Once cut, the hand work begins. They are sanded, glued, felted, and finished all by hand. Then there is the leather strap, which come from a full cowhide. The hide is hand cut into strips and shaped to get a comfortable feel, then hand burnished and oiled to get a strap that not only feels great in your hand but will also last forever.

Visit Justin's site here. 

Happy Go Online Shopper Contest

All you have to do is share the online shopping destination with us in less than 140 characters.

Submit your entry by:

following us on Twitter and tweeting it to @happygotechy using #happygoshopper

example: @happygotechy I love to shop on Swirl by Daily Candy http://bit.ly/3pvENB #happygoshopper

or

liking us on Facebook and posting a comment to discussion thread titled "Happy Go Online Shopper Contest" on our Facebook Page.

Submissions will be judged based on fashionability and site design.

Call to Bloggers!  Post this contest on your blog and send us the link to info@happygotechyexpo.com and gain exposure for your blog by receiving a complimentary Happy Go Mini sponsorship ($150 value) for the Happy Go Techy Expo. 

The Fine Print

Contest Timeline
Tuesday, May 17, 2011 - Contest begins at 12:00am PST
Friday, May 27, 2011 - Contest ends at 11:59pm PST
Monday, May 30, 2011 - Winners will be notified and announced

Rules

• You may only submit one entry. If you submit more than one, every title after the first submitted will not be counted.
• Abide by Twitter’s and Facebook’s Rules and Terms of Service.
• Derogatory, profane, crude, and inappropriate submissions as deemed by Happy Go Techy will not be accepted. 

Terms and Conditions:  Submission of any entry acknowledges the right of Happy Go Techy to use it for exhibition, promotion and publication purposes in any medium.

Expo Vendor: C's Charms

Cecilia makes fun, nerdy, and geeky jewelry.  Her pieces range from Decepticon cufflinks to Nintendo Controller necklaces.  Super cute!

We're so happy to be showcasing her pieces at the expo!

Visit her Etsy store here!

Expo Vendor: Haute Under the Collar

We're happy to add a fun, fashion vendor to the expo.  Being that they have a background in Burlesque performance, Iva & Elaine have a knack for all things sparkly!  They will be showcasing geeky ties & bow ties at the expo.  I absolutely <3 the bow ties!

Check out their Etsy store here!

Dress Up Your Tech Contest

All you have to do is share your find with us by describing what it is in less than 140 characters and attaching a link of a photo to your description.

Submit your entry by:

following us on Twitter and tweeting it to @happygotechy using #duyt

example:  @happygotechy Silva Bamboo Macbook Case http://bit.ly/maH6Yd #duyt

or

liking us on Facebook and posting a comment on our wall with "*duyt" at the end.
example: Wooly Bison recycled iphone pocket sleeve http://bit.ly/lOMtS6 *duyt

Submissions will be judged based on uniqueness, craftsmanship, and aesthetics.

Call to Bloggers!  Post this contest on your blog and send us the link to info@happygotechyexpo.com to receive a complimentary Happy Go Mini sponsorship ($150 value) for the Happy Go Techy Expo. Download an image for your blog post here. Let us know if you would like a custom sized banner, we'll make it for you in a jiffy.

The Fine Print

Contest Timeline
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 - Contest begins at 12:00am PST
Thursday, May 12, 2011 - Contest ends at 11:59pm PST
Friday, May 13, 2011 - Winners will be notified and announced

Rules

• You may only submit one entry. If you submit more than one, every title after the first submitted will not be counted.
• Abide by Twitter’s and Facebook’s Rules and Terms of Service.
• Derogatory, profane, crude, and inappropriate submissions as deemed by Happy Go Techy will not be accepted. 

Terms and Conditions:  Submission of any entry acknowledges the right of Happy Go Techy to use it for exhibition, promotion and publication purposes in any medium.

Expo Vendor: MadObsession

We're happy to welcome MadObsession to the Expo.  Below are some of Rena's beautifully handcrafted leather iPad cases.

For the ladies...

... and the gents!

Part & Parcel & Pink!

Each month in 2011 (as part of their Behind the Curtain section on their site), Kate Spade will be commissioning a short film based on a color.  January's color is red so it follows accordingly that February's is pink!  Watch the stop motion short film by Part & Parcel here.

{production}

{result}

More behind the scenes Part & Parcel videos here.

Dapper iPhone Pouch

I just discovered the Curiosity Shoppe and am excited to go pay them a visit this weekend!  Found this dapper iPhone case made by Hand Graft with room for credit cards, cash, and ID on their site - quite dapper indeed!

These limited edition iPhone pouches are beautifully hand-crafted from premium wool felt and fancy Italian leather. In addition to your phone there is also a pocket-shaped pocket (ha!) that will hold credit cards and cash as well. What more could you possibly desire? 

Wool felt and aniline leather wallet, hand-crafted in Austria, measures 3.5" x 5". $75

Happy go President's Day everyone!  

It's getting Haute!

 The emergence of flash sales sites like Hautelook and Gilt in recent years has really brought down barriers of distribution and pricing of high-end items for shoppers who would have never been in the market for high-end luxury goods.  Yesterday, Nordstrom announced that it is acquiring Hautelook for a whopping $270 million.  Goes to show that the mash up between fashion and tech is starting to really pay off, and not just for consumers. Brick and mortar retails giants are starting to take notice of the shift in the way consumers make purchases.  Gone are the days of pushing, shoving, and hair-pulling over a dress or a bag or a pair of jeans at an in-store sample sale.  We can be much more civil about our moderately priced, name brand purchases now.  Thank goodness!

Swirl is a flash sales site Mai and I frequent often.  We love the site design, the illustrations, the clothes, the everything about it.  Give it a swirl!  Happy go shopping!

FreshGuide.com - A Site Like Groupon But Catered For The Ladies

FreshGuide.com is an online women-focused city guide that provides access to exclusive daily offers from a well-edited selection of local businesses in beauty, health and fitness, dining, travel getaways and other relevant categories. 

Pretty much a Groupon for gals but deals can sometimes last longer than one day.

Five Friday Fashion Favorites

Marc by Marc Jacobs - New army tote that fits your laptop and iPad ($289.00)



Michael Kors iPhone wallet and clutch - Comes in three colors ($79.95)



DODOCase iPad Case - The original book bound iPad case, hand crafted in San Francisco ($59.95)


Handmade bookbindery case for the Kindle 3 by PadandQuill from Etsy.com ($44.99)



Comfy Facebook "Dislike" Tee from BustedTees ($20.00)