Pin Me Down

Awesome Jewelry Display
Pinned about five weeks ago under Great Displays

Okay, so as I begin typing it is 12:22 a.m. on Saturday morning and until about ten seconds ago I had no idea what I should write about this week. I'm currently juggling (somewhat successfully) the edits of four books and a collection of short stories. One of these is literally a dream assignment and I may share it with you soon. One has turned out to be a nightmare and I will not be sharing it with anyone (because that's how I roll). If I can't say anything nice about a piece I've worked on. . .(I'll rant about it on twitter without naming names.)

Anyhow, that's not what I want to talk about this week. I want to talk about my latest online addiction: Pinterest. Yep. I've been sucked in. But I actually think that's a good thing. You see, I'm not just addicted and pinning my brains out, collecting pins I'll never use. I'm actually using Pinterest. . . In the way that it was intended. . . 

I know,  right? Like WTH?

I've always been a chronic bookmarker. Heck, I've got several thousand favorites on Ravelry. But my pins? Now that's a different story. For the most part, they're organized, although they could use a bit more tlc. And because each one has a photo preview, I go back to them and use them.

Someone asked me for a tutorial on the proper goodnessknowswhat grammar the other day. Rather than type a lengthy explanation, I ran over to Pinterest and pulled it up. . .because I knew I had a full explanation pinned. . .because I had researched the same thing only a few days prior. BOOM! No need to recite the rule, or even remember why it exists, somebody else had already done that for me. All I had to do was link it.

Yes, I'll admit that sometimes I get carried away when I pin, like the day I was craving meatballs and pinned six different recipes for meatballs in various sauces to make in the crock pot. But I can always delete them later (don't touch my meatball recipes).

Whaaaaaaat?! You don't know what Pinterest is?

My current read:
Pinned earlier today under
Stuff My Friends Write

Okay, I'll cut you some slack because there is a bit of a learning curve and it's not really obvious until you actually begin using it. If you are the type of person who has a gazillion bookmarks on your computer and you end up googling the same thing several times because you can't find it in your bookmarks, Pinterest is definitely for you.

Start by heading over there and creating an account. Don't spend a ton of time on the home page or you will end up there forever. Just open your account; fill out your profile; and decide whether you want to follow any of the people the algorithm recommends for you. OR, if you already have a friend or acquaintance (or me), follow them. Check out their pins.

Oh my gosh! Don't do it! Don't go to the home page!

Now get a feel for what your friends are pinning and you'll be able to figure out whether the site is right for you. It's a great place to just store your bookmarks and keep them organized.

I actually use the "Pin It" bookmarklet on my toolbar quite a bit for things I search often such as grammar rules and crochet or knitting tips. Also many blogs and websites (like Amazon--how much do I love that?) have "Pin It" buttons. So I can easily store the links to books and articles that I want to share.

If you do check out my pins, you'll find a few self-serving categories like books I've read or those to which I've contributed. But you'll also find collections of great craft ideas, recipes, and one designed specifically to cheer you up after a rough day (thankfully, I don't need that one much).

Comfortable? Okay, now you can go to the homepage.

You see, the first five times I visited Pinterest, I went to the home page, got lost there wondering what on earth was the point, and left. I didn't get it. Until someone linked a pin on twitter and told me to go there. Then I did just what I've instructed you to do. It's been a blessing. I love it. It's not for everyone, but I encourage you to try it.

I rarely visit the home page because it's simply a big time suck, but I have found some interesting things there. So go forth and enjoy. But return and let me know: Did you like it? Will you stay? Were you already a member? What are your favorite things to pin? Are you following any really interesting pinners whose profiles you'd like to share?

Don't be shy. Drop me a note in the comments section below.

Happy Pinning!