The Pinning Dance: One Pinner's Analysis of Pinterest

Like the masses, I'm completely addicted to Pinterest. I was recently asked why I thought Pinterest was so successful and why it seems to be growing so unbelievably fast.

My first answer was simple: It's visual. Let's face it, most of us are visual people. We love eye candy. We're attracted to a product by its appearance, a recipe by the photo of the food,  and yes, a book by its cover. In fact, I would venture to guess that most Pinterest users repin a picture without even clicking on it  to read the text associated with the picture. I'm guilty of that myself.

So, I dug deeper. I came across this great infographic below. I'm admittedly growing tired of most infographics but this one is actually quite interesting and speaks the truth, in my humble opinion.

(Source: Mashable http://tinyurl.com/cb6q3ue)

I would also add the fact that Pinterest is deepy personal, customizable, and dare I say somewhat solitary-- but in a good way. Let me explain. When I linger on Pinterest, I'm not really actively engaging with friends or family. For the most part, I keep to myself. I see something, I repin it. I may be repinning a friend's pin, yes, but the act of repinning is the extent of my interaction with them. They'll see that I repinned it and that's enough.

I continue to build my boards and create my personal collections more for myself than for anybody else. I want to remember a beautiful photograph, so I pin it. I do this so I can return to my board at any later date to find that photograph again and admire it, or be inspired by it to create something else of my own. I pin a recipe so I can either make it myself down the road, or share it with a baker friend of mine. She'll see it on my board and repin it for herself. Again, that's the extent of our dialogue.

In essence, the act of pinning and repinning has literally become our entire conversation. I pin, you pin, a friend pins, I repin, somebody else pins, a stranger repins, a friend of the stranger repins, and so forth.  Pins are repeated for days, sometimes weeks to come. I've nicknamed this act of pinning and repinning: "The Pinning Dance."

(Pretend that pushpin above is spinning like a ballerina).

I still thoroughly enjoy The Pinning Dance and as such, I'd like to invite you to follow me on Pinterest here. I'd also love to hear your thoughts on Pinterest too! Please feel free to leave a comment on this post.

In other news (no pun intended), I'm busy this weekend writing an article for a local newspaper!

Stay tuned to hear more about that story next week!

Pinterest a.k.a. My Latest Obsession

Do you know about Pinterest? If not, you should. Pinterest is a virtual (and visual) pinboard website and app that allows you to share photos, products, articles, and more with all of your friends. I could literally sit on the site for hours and once you get the hang of things, you'll probably feel the same way. The recipes alone look so delicious that you'll repin tons, even if you plan on never cooking them.

Here's the latest product that I pinned:


This limited-edition T-shirt from Hendrick Boards is available only until February 15th and reads: "BE THE PERSON YOUR DOG THINKS YOU ARE." With every purchase, a percentage is donated back to animal shelters, including Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue (the local dog rescue I work for). So, click that link and buy a tee!

Click here to follow me on Pinterest and find other cool things I obsess over.

All About Dino

This is Dino, my foster dog.

On the left is what he looked like when I first met him at the shelter and the right side is Dino today. He was a stray brought into the Brooklyn shelter system and was later rescued by Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue, the organization for which I manage social media.

Dino has been living with my husband and I since about June and I have fallen madly in love with him. Our dog, Frenchy, isn't too fond of him though and so we're still looking for the perfect permanent home for Dino.

Here are 10 things about Dino that you won't find in his bio:

1. You can probably see this in his "after" pic; his right ear hangs back as if he's opening it up to hear you. (It's uber cute).
2. He destroys chew toys, but will be your best friend if you give him a bone or better yet- a cow's ear.
3. He gives endless kisses and loves belly rubs.
4. He actually lets you clean his ears without a problem (my Cocker fights this like you would not believe).
5. He enjoys running (and prancing), and would probably make a great running partner.
6. He wakes us in the morning with a big lick on the face. Warning: His tongue is cold!
7. He sits and gives paw and will even give you his other paw too, if you ask nicely.
8. He sleeps with his eyes half way open, snores a lot, and is startled when you wake him.
9. He is enamored by the squirrels, birds, and cats that he sees outside our bedroom window.
10. He actually hugs like a human with his paws around the neck and everything!


If you have a fenced in backyard and no cats or kids (a prerequisite determined by the rescue) and would like to give Dino a permanent loving home, please email rescue@nyabandonedangels.com to request an application. My husband and I will be extremely sad to see him leave our family, but we know he deserves a suburban backyard. We are secretly hoping that his new owners will send us updates and photographs. :-)

If you're looking to adopt a dog, please visit www.nyabandonedangels.com to view their selection of rescued dogs. They have Cocker Spaniels, Poodles, Springer Spaniels, Jack Russell Terriers, and more. They are always looking for foster homes too and can arrange to transport a dog anywhere in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Please also give them a like on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to stay up to date with rescue news, etc. (Yes, I'm their Twitter gal). Please pass the info to anybody you know who is looking for a new pooch! Words cannot express how much Frenchy (adopted from Abandoned Angels in 2007) and Dino have both changed our lives. The love you will feel for a precious, homeless animal is bigger than you can ever imagine.

Taking Social Media By Storm!

Tweet, tweet...


Yes, I'm on Twitter. Do you follow me? Why not?

Tweet me here: @gooblythe and I'll wave back!

While you're at it, please follow my great friends at @NYCockerRescue, @SPOTFoundation, and @spotdogsrule.

Stay tuned for more blogs about social media... coming soon!

WOOF- I heart doggies!

If you've taken one look at my photograph featured on this blog, you'll know that I'm a dog lover. The cute pooch next to me is our beautiful cocker spaniel named Frenchy. My husband and I found Frenchy on Petfinder.com through an amazing dog rescue organization in my area called Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue Inc. They are dedicated to rescuing and re-homing cocker spaniels and other breeds, and let's face it- there are a ton of homeless dogs in kill shelters around the country who need groups like this one to save them.

Here's a great pic of our baby taken during our engagement shoot a couple of years ago:


Photo taken by: Ryan Brenizer Photography

Isn't she adorable? So, why am I telling you all of this? Well, in addition to my writing work-- I also have experience in social media. I've been racking my brain for a while now to figure out how I can make a difference, particularly with this dog rescue group that has given my husband and I so much joy.

And then it hit me! Social media! Why I hadn't though of this before, I'll never know. In any case, I am now managing Abandoned Angels' Twitter page and following! I'm proud to say that within one week, we gained almost 300 followers and boy, are they loyal retweeters! :-) If you love dogs as much as I do, please follow us here: @NYCockerRescue.

And without further ado...

Today, March 15th is Adopt the Internet Day on Petfinder! Go ahead, click on the ad... it won't bite.


More than 320,000 pets are waiting for homes on Petfinder.com. Help Petfinder Adopt the Internet today and find forever homes for as many as possible! Go to Petfinder and rescue, rescue, rescue! Then, spread the word via Twitter, Facebook or on your blog all about Adopt the Internet Day. That's today, people!

If you live in the tri-state area and are looking to adopt or foster a beautiful cocker spaniel, please visit Abandoned Angel Cocker Spaniel Rescue on Facebook and give them a "like" to see all of their pooches searching for loving forever homes. Even better, check out their selection of available dogs on their Petfinder page! If you see one you like, email rescue@nyabandonedangels.com to request an application. (Yes, they do adopt out of state occasionally).

Now, get out there and get your wag on! WOOF!