Social Media Diary 1 Year 1:The Beginning

In yesterday's blog post, I talked about living a quiet life and relishing only knowing a few people in my immediate physical circle. Moving to a new place and finding friends or social circles is not difficult but finding a connection with people does not happen often enough.   After all, cultivating a friendship takes time and gradual seed planting in varying degrees. Then...there was Twitter and I find myself popping in and out several times a day and enjoying the conversation and engaging with a like minded community. Soon enough, it started growing and is pleasantly encroaching on my real life. I was part of a Social Media panel in High Point University as a startup furniture manufacturer last April 2010 and was asked the perennial question, how much business have you gained from being on Social Media? We didn't launch SNUG yet so I couldn't answer that in a quantifiable amount. Most of the concerns are profit and bottom line, time, and who cares about what I'm doing?  All valid. After all, we are in business to achieve our goals and this is just one of the ways to communicate with the world and hopefully get there while having fun. Almost everyone spends a lot of time online these days and if we want to get our message out, this is just one of the ways. Tom Peters has a term for it, "the little big things".  Every little thing counts. I will share some thoughts on this towards the end of the series. My story is personal. I am not saying social media should be used in this manner but this is how I am engaging in it.  People ask, what do I say? Just be yourself and observe  proper conversation etiquette the way you do in real life and the rest will follow. At the panel,  I gave them a brief summary of the people I met so far and continue to communicate with and the wonderful experiences as a newbie to show its organic and viral nature. My personal and professional resource base has definitely expanded. I know more than I did a year ago. Is it useful information? It depends on how you use it. 

My first tweetup was in June 2009 with Charlotte locals and interior designers, @WandaSHorton of Interior Concepts by Wanda and @StarrMiller  of Starr Miller Interior Design. Since then, we've attended a few local events and meetings and Wanda and I have collaborated on a tabletop event last March 2010 that Starr invited her to be a part.  Please see photos below of the tabletop Wanda designed based on her Midsummer's Night Dream inspiration. I was thrilled that she used SNUG's Cocoon Chair, incorporating a contemporary organic chair into her elegant and gorgeous traditional setting. It was a chance for me to get a reaction from direct consumers and other designers about our chair pre launch. You can see Wanda's heartwarming post here. I am happy to say that Wanda and I have truly developed a friendship and we just did another tabletop event together a month ago! (more on this later)

first tweetup at The Tea House

Roger Horton, Roger's sister, Davetta Moore, Wanda Horton

I was in New York for two weeks last summer and tweeted up with @abcddesigns  (Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo) at 71 Irving Place Coffee and Tea Bar and @irwinfelddesign (Marcy Feld) at Isabella's. Sometimes, when you like the energy of a person online, you can bring it to the next level by meeting them in person especially when you find yourselves #just140it-ing all your exchanges too much. This is what happened with both ladies. I've long admired Amy's maximalist view on life despite her recent travails, find her bespoke stationery designs clever, and have tried and tested some of her family recipes before meeting her. By the time we finished sipping our coffee, she had convinced me to blog and when I did, she sent me ten blog header designs to choose from as a blogwarming gift! So overwhelmingly sweet!!!  It was so hard to choose which one, check them out! 

So are you FrouLaLaed  to death? Cause I was, in a massively good way!! Soon right after, one of my best girlfriends from the Philippines based in Dubai was asking on Facebook if I had any ideas for her wedding invitations. Of course, the first person that came to mind was Amy and so I introduced them via Facebook and through time zones and internet cables, they came up with these beautiful invites perfect for an island paradise wedding. You can see Amy's post on it here. 

I will end today's post with ABCD's inspirational and artistic handiwork. Tomorrow, I will tell you more about Marcy Feld---our beautiful friendship and their museum like midcentury modern gallery, Irwin Feld Design. 

Double Anniversary

I landed in Charlotte, North Carolina exactly four years ago today. Having led a relatively sheltered life in Cebu, Philippines, I've long wanted to explore living elsewhere. After two previous attempts to study in New York and landing a scholarship in Germany, the right time finally came after I turned thirty. Charlotte was not on my radar but it worked out. 

Cebu, Philippines

the Big 30 overnight cruise with my best friends

For most people in my circle, this wasn't the age to go out and do something different. It's the time to get serious and buckle down to whatever they expect of themselves or perhaps deemed by society. My restlessness was quelled by many exciting chapters, a few dalliances, travels, and a constant stream of stimulation from varied passions. There finally came a time though when I heeded the tugging of my consciousness. Within 5 months, a decision was made after asking my father, found a school, did the necessary paperwork and research, packed my bags, and immediately started a new life after my 20 hour flight. Picked a place with an international airport, a youngish demographic full of transients, no familial ties (they have to be within a 2 hr flight radius), and relatively close to furniture market. It was an interesting way to weave through life while getting to know myself more intimately. 

artwork by Dr. Joel Mendez 2003

A refreshing pace with nary a care in the world but my immediate goals and everyday to do list. I had the time to sort out experiences, nurture, and converse with myself. Truly a great period of affirmation, growth, and discovery. When one is almost always physically alone, there is a heightened sense of awareness and that was what I was after. This is also what drove me to walk 80 miles to Santiago de Compostela in 5 days in September 2007. My family and friends saw a different side from my usual gregarious self. For awhile, I'm sure that they thought I was mad.

I kept in contact and was thankful for many real and caring family and friends from all over the world so I didn't feel the need to socialize and seek out people in my new environment. Special mention to you dear friends for always being there. 

Thoughts of our beautiful beaches and 

sunny smiles brought warmth during winter.

Calicoan Island

a sandbar somewhere

The difference in time zones proved to be a good exercise in containment of emotion, whether high or low. If I was upset, there was no one to immediately call most of the time. My yoga guru would have been proud. Detachment comes when you don't seek it. Being a solitary spectator was meditative and I needed that after years of  being in the scene and sometimes, creating the scene as Gypsy Queen (my 6 year stint as a lifestyle columnist and I was out almost every night) aside from holding a day job at a furniture factory. My G.Q. experience gave me great sociological lessons that came in very handy. 

fishing in Ocala, Florida

Except for a handful of classmates, teachers and staff in school, a boyfriend, few friends from Withit, and a non denominational church (called Watershed --- which prompted my aunt to ask if I've joined a cult), I only know a few regular names...Google, Ed-my landlord; Eric-the fishmonger; Seang-the florist; Anna-the dry cleaner; Linda and Dan-stylists at Sloan,a fave boutique; Gale-the postman; and Carlo-the waiter at my perfect dine alone place, Coco Osteria, when I lived downtown.  I've had my fair share of addresses---from a cool downtown loft (my dad fondly called it the sanitarium, he couldn't quite equate industrial to chic); an established building 3 blocks away properly called The Jefferson ; 

 a Euro summer in Chateau de Pourtales, Strasbourg 

(with a whole chapter of its own akin to 

Before Sunrise (2003) and Before Sunset (2007)

  

  a historic duplex in Dilworth (the only place I felt truly at home in Charlotte) ;

a rambling pink Victorian in Warrenton, Virginia for my internship with the amazing Barry Dixon ; back to Dilworth ; a brief stint in a neo-chateau in Lake Norman ; and now somewhere in the Hickory woods. This time, the name Gypsy Queen, has truly hit home. All this moving is not futile though since I've learned to downsize and only buy if I truly like something or it's necessary. All my possessions are in a 10x10' storage and a few special furniture pieces stored in a warehouse. Of course, an opposite philosophy applies to the planet where my shoes belong :-)

Coming from entrepreneurial and furniture influences, the Snug partner and I decided to toy with the idea of a furniture business. So on our first sneak presentation at High Point Market in Oct 2008, we had a cocktail party and some friends and family in the industry critique the products. Then we put the thought on hold for a good year to see if we should still do it while working on our day jobs (still d0). I finished a bachelor's degree in Interior Design in 2.5 years just in time when the economy tanked. 

the lovely O at Home  ladies enjoyed lounging in the Lo Rider 

with caviar pie and Louis Bouillot champagne

Fast forward to May 2010, SNUG was launched in New York at ICFF. Pre launch, I had read about the importance of Social Media as a marketing tool especially for start ups and joined Twitter April 2009. Like many, I didn't fully get it from the beginning and was somewhat aghast about tweeting away too much info but eventually started enjoying conversations with like minded people. An intimate come-as-you-are virtual cocktail party. Coming from a different culture where it's not quite common to ask "what do you do?" immediately after shaking hands, I didn't say too much on my Bio, only to realize later that it's imperative to do so unless one is a known figure. I met many of these people online through tweet ups and upon the encouragement of Social Media maven Leslie Carothers (@tkpleslie) of The Kaleidoscope Partnership and maximalist Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo (@abcddesigns), I started this blog last Sept 22nd so my first anniversary is coming up soon. I plan to celebrate it all week by showing photos and snippets of the year that was for me in Social Media. It has been a fun journey meeting wonderful people and getting to know some of you extremely well. I've learned so much from so many! To me, it's not only a marketing tool but a way to communicate in our constantly changing world where sometimes, all you need to do to say or ask for something is to #just140it (there are 140 characters per tweet).

I spent most of the summer in Cebu and went on an unintentional blog hiatus, a no no  in the blogosphere, since readers expect consistency. I was Home and it was more important for me to spend every waking moment with loved ones and kept many in betweens for spontaneity and me time. I just needed that. In this day and age of instant gratification and TMI, sometimes it is more sublime to savor and save it for later.  

Thank you for sharing your world with me and 
taking a peek into my world!

I look forward to getting to know you all better.

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap

Spoon Fork Double Happiness

I'm supposed to be working but in the play area of my mind, there is a hamster that won't stop wheeling. I'm already thinking about Chinese New Year which will coincide with Valentines Day this year. I'm 60% Chinese 30% Filipino 10% Spanish. I often get mistaken as Vietnamese or Korean even by fellow Filipinos around here. I like that Lunar New Year is a month or two later than the Gregorian New Year. It gives me time to get those resolutions in place. I look forward to combining both occasions and have been thinking about my dining table decor and menu.

my theme name

Spoon Fork Double Happiness

is inspired by one of my favorite films

Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman

my friend and blog diva,

ABCD Design's brilliant Valentine Card

Thornwillow's Double Happiness Card

from One Kings Lane

I once hosted a Chinese New Year's dinner in Cebu which coincided with my girlfriend Lea's birthday. All I did was order the ten-course meal from a favorite Chinese restaurant and got dolled up in a cheongsam after setting the chinoiseried table with goldfish filled fishbowls. Everyone came in their mandarinned best. I don't have this luxury now since we don't have a decent Chinese restaurant in our area and my Chinese cooking is below average at best. This is where St. Valentine comes in to save me. I will be getting my recipes from a recipe book I've yet to unearth from storage hoping to serve western food in an eastern setting.

fork me, spoon me

by Amy Reiley

aphrodisiac extraordinaire

Going au naturel in the kitchen is not my style so I do hope to be dressed more conservatively. I pulled out these lovely outfits from Blanc de Chine's current collection. My friend, Emmanuel Hamoy, is the manager there in case you happen to pass by the 5th Ave store. They have amazing classic outfits that will last many seasons. Love the top since it's a mix of Chinese and Japanese (asymmetrical Issey Miyake-ish pleats) and the bottom is just perfect in its subtle elegance.

I am also crushing on this Bauhaus Silk Qipao from Shanghai Tang, another favorite brand that has everything. This is definitely more me, a mix of both worlds.

p.s. food for thought from the film

hello, have you eaten yet? (reminds me of my family, sometimes we say this before we say 'how are you?')

communicate through food, not through emotions (this is how my grandparents communicated, they had 3 course breakfasts and 5 course lunches and dinners)

you rely on feelings when you cook, not your taste buds

whatever you do, don't add salt. salt dries the fish and it won't be tender

beware of fake shark's fin in soup. no flavor no matter how long you cook it. (i know this is not animal friendly eating but my mom makes an amazing soup that i wouldn't mind having once in a blue moon)

what you want you can't get. what you don't want, you can't get rid off

Giveaways Galore!

Aside from all the support and admiration (Thank you sooo much for the fabulous mention , ABCD!) that is exchanged on Twitter and the Blog-a-delic world, there seems to be a bevy of lovely gifts being given away by our fabulous friends too! Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo is on a lovely roll with her 2nd Blog-I-Versary giveaway. This time, it is sweet bedding from Plum Pretty Sugar. The lucky winner will be announced on October 14th so go on over and tell them how badly your bed needs some cover up TLC!

ABCDragoo 

+

Plum Pretty Sugar

= Fabulous Bedding Blog-I-Versary Giveaway!

In honor of Columbus Day and Celebration of Exploration, my friends at Irwin Feld Design

are having their first ever droolworthy giveaway!!

Triangle New York Vintage Handbag

Cut Velvet with an Amber Resin Handle

Irwin and Marcy Feld, purveyors of fine Mid Century Modern furniture and accessories, are creative wunderkinds who complement each other so well with their range of artistic and business talents. After becoming Twitter friends, Marcy and I had the pleasure of lunching at Isabella's  for our tweetup in NYC one hot Summer day. Truly had a delightful time together as we exchanged stories so naturally that it felt like it wasn't our first meeting. As you can see from their gallery photos, Irwin is a master of mixing elements that result in a tableaux of spectacular juxtaposition. Marcy has a sweet genuine soul which reflects on her brilliant and moving writing about furniture makeovers,  love stories and sweet sibling devotion. This particular One caused tears and stained my pinafore, perhaps reminiscent of a romance that was never meant to be? (ha!) Before I digress, check out the wonderful details for you to win this cut velvet Triangle New York Vintage Handbag!

Become a fan of Irwin Feld Design on Facebook and explore the world of Mid Century Modern Design.

-      Only our Facebook fans will view “What’s New Tuesday”,our weekly sneak peak of new pieces in the gallery beforeANYBODY else.

-      Only our Facebook fans will have the opportunity to “Ask Irwin” questions about Mid Century Modern furnishings and design.

-      AND only our Facebook fans, who comment on our discussion page  Now through October 19^th at 12:00 noon, will automatically become eligible to win this elegant, vintage Trangle NY handbag.  A premier maker of handbags throughout the Mid 20^th Century, Triangle handbags represent the timeless elegance of Mid Century design.

So, what are you waiting for?

Run along now and

Be An Irwin Feld Design Facebook Fan

I am a Fan!

R

Blogwarming Present from ABCD

As you can see, my blog just took on a New Fabulous Personality! Can I use the "you, only better" line without being obnoxious? Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo masterminded the jazzy makeover in a jiffy as a blogwarming present. I am just a newbie to this big Blog-a-Delic universe so my heart was all a flutter when she sent me a zip file with twelve FAB (yes, 12!!) header options. It was exponential A.D.D but I finally decided on this design. The colors matched perfectly without a hitch which goes to show that Amy's Pantone vision is unquestionable.

I first 'met' Amy on Twitter and I was so taken by her creativity in everything that it makes one fall in love  with life even more. Before she left NYC for a sabbatical "Up North", I happened to be in town and asked her if she was up for a 'tweetup'. Thankfully, she obliged despite a hectic schedule and we had coffee at 71 Irving Place Coffee & Tea. We shared stories and she encouraged me to do a blog after I mentioned that I've entertained thoughts but was intimidated by it all. She assured me that it was easy as pie but Amy makes everything look as easy as her strawberry pie! I had a wonderful feeling about her. You know how it is when you meet people and you just have a great feeling about their energy? After our lovely chat, I remember calling one of my best friends and announced that I already know who's designing my bespoke wedding invitations one day!

Thank you, ABCD,for my j'adorable blog header! I knew it needed a lift but didn't know how to do it! Just the perfect blogwarming present and only you, can think of such bloglicious ideas such as your bespoke giveaway  on your 2nd Blog-I-Versary!