Monday, February 20, 2012

Are You Pinning?

I have a new love.  No, let's call it what it is.  I have a new obsession...and it's all Trish Milburn's fault!  (read her recent blog at Romance Bandits here)  I had heard of Pinterest though I wasn't exactly sure what it was.  Several friends had recommended I give it a try but I resisted.  Frankly, I have a hard enough time already fitting everything I need to do into my daily schedule.  The last thing I needed was to add something new - something that looked like it had the potential to become a huge consumer of my precious time.  But then I read Trish's blog and my intrigue level ratcheted up a few notches.  I decided to ask my facebook friends who were already "pinning" what they thought of Pinterest.  The responses came fast and furious:

"It's fun!" 
                                                                 "Like window shopping.  You see some fabulous things." 

"It's addicting!" (I was a little fearful of this one)

"It's a great place to find recipes!" (This last one from a long-time friend who knows me well.  It was the one that tipped me over the edge.)

So, with enthusiastic recommendations - and an invitation from a friend - in hand, off I went to explore the wonderful world of Pinterest.  The first pages I visited had fewer than five boards on them and a mere smattering of photo "pins."  This reinforced my conviction that I could control the time spent on this new venture.  Then I visited Buffie's (she with the mad scrapbooking skills) page...and the aforementioned conviction was blown to smithereens.  Clearly, I had not thought this through.  Not only did this new online neighborhood have the potential to absorb countless hours of my time but just surfing Buffie's gloriously populated boards would fill an entire day on its own.  The crafts!  The food!  The photos!  The food!  Donuts and cookies and cupcakes, oh my!  Not to mention Cherry Stuffed Pork Chops, Quick Apple Dumplings, Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken and Miniature Monte Criscos.  Forget the time!  Clearly, this was someplace I needed to be.

I have now been an official Pinterest member for two whole days and, in that time, I've discovered that, yes, it can consume your time...if you let it.  But I've discovered a flip side.  It can also save time!  No more searching through closets and drawers looking for that elusive recipe I wrote on the back of an envelope.  I just pin it to my Food board and it's right there waiting for me anytime I'm in the mood to make that particular dish.  It's a great place to house all those interesting photos I see on the internet (so many cute dogs!) that I might want to use in a blog someday (but can never find again when I need them).  I'm redecorating my bedroom and looking at oodles of curtains, comforters, rugs and other accessories.  How convenient to have photos of all of them on my Home board to help me make decisions!

Of course, I've also set up boards on my page for those all-important books we love to read.  I have one for books I've reviewed, one for books I recommend and another for books I want to read (like the Paris memoir from Eloisa James on the left).  I'll slowly be adding more titles to those boards as well as the other boards I've started.

All in all, I think I like this new neighborhood.  The residents seem friendly, it's easy to find my way around and exploring the diverse and fascinating boards makes me happy.  Click here to see my page, but remember, it's still a work in progress! :)

Are you on Pinterest?  What boards do you have (or would you put) on your page?  I have a "Books Worth Reading" board on my page.  If you had one of those, what books would you put on it?   




Let's dish about "Pinning" on Pinterest.  I have a book from my prize stash for one random person who leaves a comment on today's blog!

~PJ

40 comments:

  1. I am not on Pinterest, but my roommate is and she really enjoys it. She has boards for recipes, cute pictures, cute sayings, and wedding stuff since she is engaged. I fear that if I started I wouldn't be able to stop! ;)

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    1. Trisha, I think the recipes are going to be the most beneficial for me. It's like an online recipe box...that I never forget where I put! lol!

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  2. PJ, I just can't seem to get into it. I know several people who love it, but, so far, I haven't found out the appeal. My sister, who is like a Martha Stewart, loves it....I suppose I just need to make time to get on and look around at the pins of interest. Besides that, I haven't quite figured out how to pin and re-pin. ;)

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    1. Deb, I'm still finding my way around but I can see that it might not be for everyone. When you sign up they prompt you through the steps to add the "pin" icon to your bookmark bar at the top of your browser. Once you've done that it's as easy as a quick click on any photo you see on the internet to add it to your board.

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  3. Trish got me too PJ, not a lot on mine yet because I am trying to control myself....... If I start on the books I will be doomed to live on Pinterest.

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    1. LOL! I know exactly what you mean about the books, Dianna!

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  4. No I'm not into Pinterest.... yet. I just started to hear about it on FB. I will have to learn more about it other than the fact that people are saying its habit forming!! LOL man, oh man.... FB is enough "habit" for me.... BUT, I am open to Pinterest. LOL
    bettysunflower at hotmail dot com

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    1. That's how I felt too, Betty! I can see how it could become very habit forming but I think I'll be able to control it. So far, it's not been a problem. ;-)

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  5. I was really interested in it after reading Jenny Crusie's blog about how she used it with her writing. When I responsed to an invitation (Thanks, Buffie!), it connected my Pinterest to the wrong Facebook account (I have two), and I haven't been able to get it changed. So even though I have an account, I'm not pinning yet, just looking and marveling.

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    1. I hope you can get the accounts straightened out, Janga. It's really a lot of fun!

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  6. I an not a pinterest and don't see me being one. I really don't have the time to do what I do much less adding something else to deal with. Spend to much time on the computer now.

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    1. I know what you mean, Quilt Lady. I'm surprised so far by how much I'm enjoying it and (for me) how little time it's taking. But, having said that, it does have potential to be a huge time drain if you don't control it.

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  7. I love Pinterest! So many times I remember seeing a recipe but then can't remember where I saw it. Now I just Pin it and when I want it I click on the picture and it brings me right to the website. I also have a photography business and I have a board for inspiration and another for all other photography. I do have a board not for books to read, but for authors and other things related to books. Here I am: http://pinterest.com/suzyq_/

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    1. It's the recipes that converted me too, SuzyQ! Thanks for posting your page link. I'll check it out!

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    2. What a fantastic photo of you on your Pinterest page!

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  8. PJ:

    I think you might have convinced me!! Especially with the idea I can save things for later - I'm forever tearing out a recipe, stuffing it into a folder, drawer, book, etc and then forgetting about it (and never trying the dish!)

    Addison

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    1. It was knowing I could have a collection in one place (and not forget where that place was) that convinced me, Addison. Like you, I've printed out recipes and stuffed them all over the house, never to find them again. Or, at least, not when I want them!

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  9. I got a Pinterest account about a week ago. My friend convinced me to get one.She said it was addicting and I would love it because of all the pics we always email back and forth.She was right, it is addicting.Every time I see a pic I think..should I pin it..lol.The board I use the most are the hot guys.I have a book covers,quotes and sayings,couples,actors,cupcakes and other goodies..etc... I have 9 boards I'm sure I will add more.

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    1. Elaing8, will you share the link to your page? Or email it to me at theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com if you'd rather not post it publicly. I'd love to follow your page!

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    2. here's my page link :)
      http://pinterest.com/elaing8/

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  10. I am already too addicted to twitter and fb... I don't think I can afford the time for another addiction... I did notice that more and more people are into it though...

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  11. May, what I like about it is that I can "pin" items from pages I'm already on without going to Pinterest. That way, I'm saving things without taking a lot of extra time. Say you liked this blog or one of our book reviews (or Buffie's Hot Dish), you could just click on the "pin" in your bookmarks at the top of the page, select the photo you want from this blog and the Pinterest board you want it pinned on. Voila! It's there with a link back to The Romance Dish and the whole process probably takes about 20 seconds.

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  12. I'm not on Pinterest, I just learned about this site about two weeks ago. I have seen some boards featuring hot actors.

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    1. I have seen some boards featuring hot actors.

      Always a good reason to wander on over and take a look! :)

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  13. LOL! Didn't realize you were surfing through my boards ;-) I've been on Pinterest for a few months now and found so many wonderful ideas. And I just love the fact that I can pin something and then when I have time to try, I know where to look. In fact, I have a friend who has a board titled "First You Pin, Then You Do It" and she pins everything there that she has done -- if she makes a craft or a recipe from something she has pinned, she posts it there too. Great idea, huh?!

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    1. Are you kidding? As soon as I found out you were on Pinterest, I hot-footed my way straight to your page! :)

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  14. Both of my 20-something year old nieces looooove Pinterest. I'm afraid to get started---a new addiction could be dangerous. LOL

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    1. I agree with Buffie, Gannon. I think you'd love it!

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  15. Oh, Gannon, you would just LOVE it!!

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  16. I've been seeing mentions of Pinterest all over the place and have checked out some postings, especially some of the great recipes, but I haven't succumbed just yet. I'll have to check it out so I won't be left out. :D

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    1. Don't worry, Barbara. You're not too far behind the curve. A lot of people are just beginning to discover Pinterest. Like me! :)

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  17. Bwahahaha! Yes, that's me laughing that I got you addicted. :) I just knew you'd love it, especially when I saw how many recipes pop up on Pinterest. I really like it because I can put up all these virtual cork boards filled with things that interest me (cute shoes, hot guys, recipes, books, etc.), and I plan to put up boards related to books I write in the future -- like storyboarding. My Pinterest address is: http://pinterest.com/trishmilburn2/

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    1. Trish, did you notice you were blamed...uh...credited for hooking Dianna too? ;-)

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  18. PJ, I'm not on it, but have heard it's great. And addictive...which is why I'm afraid to even start. ;-)

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  19. I have heard about this site, but had no idea what it was. I have so many sites I try to get to every day that it is impossible to keep up now. I get lost in the research posts on historical author sites and can be an hour or more later before I surface after following links.
    I will check Pinterest out, but not until I catch up on other things.

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  20. a coworker got me hooked over the christmas holidays and now I can't stop lol!
    Pinterest is definitely the new thing at our library:)
    here's my boards:
    http://pinterest.com/bellasaurus/

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  21. I'm not brave enough to get in to Pinterest. I know I will become hooked. I'm bad enough viewing what friends are up to. It is incredible though.

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  22. the pic so cute ;)

    have been heard about pinterest, but have not join it ;(

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  23. I'm still in the considering stage, PJ. I think I'll eventually do it, but I as so behind in so many other things that I feel the need to catch up on all that before taking on a new time consuming though fun online activity. Also I think that George would kill me if I spent even more time on the computer before finishing all the stuff I'm behind on!

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