Create your own virtual pin board

Before meeting with my long-time client, Amanda, to discuss a new project, she told me she would email me a link to her "pin board" to give me an idea of what she liked. This "pin board" displayed pictures of furniture, rugs and accessories that she had found on various websites. Thus was my first introduction to Pin Interest, a fabulous website for finding inspiration and great ideas. Not only is it a quick and easy way to copy images into my own pin boards, but it shows what everyone else has put on their pin boards. Here's what my "Products I Love " board looks like that I just started.

I can have as many different boards as I like: "Design Inspiration", "Photography and Art" - the possibilities are endless. And no need to cut out from magazines. As I surf the internet checking out websites, I click on the "Pin It" button on my bookmark toolbar and the image is saved directly to my pin board. So start pinning and follow my pin boards!

Insights into 2012

Happy New Year! Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2012.

Here's my prognosis for the coming year:

• Whether Canada will continue to avoid the recession that's affected the US and Europe or not, Canadians will redecorate, renovate and improve their homes. This should include an emphasis on planning, budgeting and smart purchases (quality + price = value).
• Social media will be bigger than ever. We'll be spending even more time trying to keep up with friends and relatives' Facebook messages.
• The IPad and apps created to make our lives simpler (4 new design app's in the last couple of months!) will cause information overload to a degree never experienced before.

Here's my 2012 mandate for this blog:

To distill through all that information, to sort out what's worthwhile and to provide you with the most relevant and useful tidbits on a regular and timely basis.

And to start off the year, here's a new product brought to my attention by my client Christine:

Magic Sliders, easy-to-apply cushions for the bottom of furniture that work on hardwood and carpet. There's nothing more aggravating than putting on a felt-type cushion on dining room chairs for the hardwood and then having to move them on a carpet. Problem solved.