Twenty-four thousand women gathered in Long Beach, CA over the past two days at the second annual Women's Conference. Under the leadership of California First Lady Maria Shriver, the conference gathered together luminaries from Madeleine Albright and Arianna Huffington to Annie Leibovitz and Richard Branson with the goal of empowering women as the future's "Architects of Change."

Here's what we heard...

Sometimes, living on a student's shoestring budget can reap big benefits, by teaching you how to think big by using less.

I had my Hyphen Takeout editor's cap firmly on while trolling New York's swank International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) last week for a good story. Specifically, I was looking for the kind of creative work we like to show off in our magazine -- the innovative, socially-conscious and often collaborative projects that can spark a conversation and add more value to a room than just sheer aesthetic wow.

I found it.

The difference a year makes. One year ago, Hoboken-area Sikh entrepreneur Hansdip Bindra made the news as a victim of a bias crime when a fellow bar-goer demanded he remove his turban, and, when he wouldn't, knocked it off for him. Fast forward one year and another Sikh entrepreneur-turned-media darling, Sonny Caberwal, is being hailed for his ability to flaunt yellow, pink and green turbans with panache in campaigns for Kenneth Cole and GQ.

News outlets such as the UK Telegraph are anointing him as "the world's only Sikh professional model." Is he?

I doubt it. The Sikh community is a strong (and apparently fashionable) one, and Sikh models abound within the community if you know where to look.

But if you don't, or prefer not to see them, such as the people behind major fashion runways who specialize in one-color-fits-all fashion shows, then Sonny Caberwal (now signed to modeling agency BOSS) can seem like a wonder.

Let's hope he's not a one-hit wonder.

San Francisco folks, the Cut & Paste global live design tournament comes to San Francisco this Saturday, February 28th. We might be a little biased because Hyphen's former creative director, Stefanie Liang, helped put it together, but it does sound like a great event.

Finger-biting time limits? Check. Razzle dazzle design in 2D, 3D, and motion graphics? Check. Over-the-shoulder voyeurism? Check. Brother-to-brother rivalry? Check. It's a design duel to the death! OK, not to the death. Just to the finish line.

Competitors include New Leaf Clothing co-designers Deny Khoung and Erik Otto (featured in our recent Road Trip issue). Here's a quick look at the artists who will be throwing down for your viewing pleasure:

My friends think I'm obsessed with stories.

My boss does too - I tried to change my work title to "Storykeeper" but they wanted something more professional.

But personally, I am obsessed with stories, and not the kind that I read about on the news. I'm enamoured with the stories of my friends and strangers.

I never ask "What do you do?" when I meet someone. I'd rather ask them what they're passionate about, what they've dreamed of, where they've failed and where they've succeeded. (yes, I actually have these conversations randomly in clubs and bars -- you'd be amazed at what you get when you skip over asking what's someone's job title.)

Of course, I like the big, huge moments (good for dramatic effect and a reason to get toasted) but frankly, I love to celebrate the mundane details about someone's day.

This is our life. More than the big moments, it's the little moments you remember.

For me, it might be what I learned when I asked my mom to make me cupcakes in elementary school. (Basically, I learned that my mom is very frugal and she used it as a reason to use expired items from the pantry. It didn't kill my classmates, but it did teach me humility, creativity, tough love, and an appreciation for cooking things myself.)

So when I was asked to dream up a blog for Hyphen, I thought of who Hyphen is... namely, you.

And I wanted to celebrate your stories. So, on this Valentine's week, I wanted to send you a valentine, from Hyphen.

Introducing "Wisdom from the Neighborhood: The What I've Learned Blog."