Smart Women at the Helm!

I saw a tweet about Dianna Huff's B2B blog today... 25 Smart Women in Social Media to Follow on Twitter. Having met some amazing people already through social networks, about social media, I just had to take a look. Some I knew of, or I was already following and most I did not know at all. But I want to.

These women have many common threads... they are all go-getters, they are entrepreneuers, some are Chiefs of Marketing and Content and some are VP's or Directors of Social Media. One is a wardrobe consultant, a few are best selling authors, some are in public relations while others are doing analysis for companies... but one thing they all do is... BLOG. Not blogs about trying products companies paid them to write about for them... but blogs about us. Blogs about the perspective of consumers, like us, navigating our way through this new technology. Blogs about businesses trying to manuever with us and somehow get ahead of the game. No fear though... we consumers are in the drivers seat and we're steering the reactions of business for the first time... maybe ever. It's nice to know so many thoughtful women are at the helm on the business side... listening. I mean really listening and nurturing these relationships between the hard cold business world and the real world now.

Please click the link above and give these women a quick read... then read more if you so desire. They are what I think we all want to be associated with: They are clever, well spoken, enthusiastic, passionate, educated, compassionate and pioneers with a boat load of moxy. What's not to love about that?

I was thinking HOME style versus MY style...

Bwahahaha! Saw this and laughed so hard I pee'd a little.

In Light of My Last Blog

Are you a TREASURE hunter like moi'? Exciting news for you then... 20th Century Props is closing their doors after 40 years! They've supplied props to countless movies and television shows... holy cow! Check out their SALE pdf by clicking THIS and take a gander at the "treasures" they've stockpiled for yeeeeearrrs! I've got my eye on the maritime stuff... goes with the whole STEAMPUNK style I apparently am. I hope you find something fun to fantasize bidding for. It's all going to be via AUCTION.

The auction starts July 28th through the beginning weeks of Aug. Here's more information:

The Contra Costa Times reports this afternoon that 20th Century Props has decided to close its business. With an inventory of over 91,000 pieces, items are expected to be auctioned off in late July.
Tony Castro of The Times reports that founder and owner Harvey Schwartz this week made the decision to close the company, suffering from the recession as well as the Screen Actors Guild labor dispute which was resolved. Items from the 200,000 square foot warehouse will be offered at auction in the last four days of July. The collection is insured at $8 million but valued as high as $30 million. Included is the 20th Century Fox Studio prop department purchased by Mr. Schwartz in 1994.

Happy shopping!

Too Distracted to Watch the Movie...

Are you one of those people who go to a movie and find yourself completely caught up in something other than the actors or the plot or the dialogue... but rather, the set design? I am. To a fault. I recently saw Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince, and I know I've missed some key scenes in the movie because of three sets that made my jaw drop, my eyes bug and my brain buzz with thoughts of how I could recreate what I was seeing.

I have been tweeting about this and posting some comments on facebook, as we've discussed Harry Potter and it's release in the recent week or so. A long time friend, Patricia Shackelford... aka: Mrs. Blandings, recently posted about the same kind of musings on her site, about Nora Ephron's upcoming movie, Julie & Julia and their fabulous kitchen set designs. I was relieved to see I wasn't alone.

The movie Vanity Fair, had some of the most beautiful colors I've seen in a long time on film... Beautiful flocks in velvet plum colors... yellow toiles... pinks and light blues... it was fabulous! Another favorite is Pride & Prejudice... with the milk paint dark blue walls in the dining room of the Bennett household. In Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince , there is a new professor of potions with his own room. I adore his room... with it's dusty viles and large apothecary jars. The room is dark with greys and browns and the jars make me sooooo curious as to what is in them. (see photo) Another room in the Hogwarts school, appears to be an attic or storage room. It had a large pile of old Smith & Corona and Blickensderfer typewriters discarded in a corner. I have a Blickensderfer #5 (made in 1892) on my mantel now so imagine my surprise at seeing these! I type messages (on my computer of course, because God forbid I break my typewriter) for different holidays. I put messages like "I told you I was sick" in the roller for Halloween and "Dear Santa" letters in it for Christmas. You get the idea. Back to the movie... There is a large gold gilded cabinet with hundreds of tiny viles containing swirling blue-ish misty "memories". What a lovely idea and the cabinet, glowing from the gold, makes them even more special. Another area of this attic, had tarnished silver, as in pitchers and candleabras, on old tables and dusty crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings... all it needed to be a dream room for me, would be shells. LOL! Much of this type of style I am drawn to, can be found locally, in Prairie Village, KS, at The Curious Sofa, an amazing store bragging "Less than serious surroundings". Owner, Debbie Dusenberry, pulled from her photo stylist background with photographers and film makers, to create some of the most amazing, interesting and inviting displays I've ever seen. Her clientele come from all over the nation. It's easy to love the store.

Next time you find yourself at the cinema... and something delightful catches your eye on the set... take note. Send me a message... I'd love to know I'm not alone in my wandering eye search for all that is beautiful.

Another FIRST ...

Despite several unexpected snafu's, our first float/camping trip as a family, was interesting... and shorter than expected.

Despite a $132 speeding ticket before leaving city limits, 2 hours inflating an air mattress with a bike pump, RAIN coming down for 15 hours straight, despite rain pouring in on the sides and top of the tent, and even though we had rain soaked clothing and bedding, throw in a tornado siren wake up call and not to mention the 6.5 hours of paddling our asses off down the 14 mile run of lower than normal and dead calm river... we had a LOT of laughs!!!!!!!! As my motto goes... If it's not fun, it's funny.

I love the fourth of July when you have down home good ol' traditional festivities. Hat tip to all the folks and their friends and families who came to the Round Hill celebration this year. Good times... good tiimes.

Cheers to Patti Greenbaum, right, who was the only female to participate in the Belly Flop contest! You go girl!