” to connect everyone in the world through shared tastes and the “things” they find interesting “

this is the mission statement of pinterest, the newest, and arguably one of the fastest growing and most exciting social sharing websites around. i have been active on pinterest for the last few months now and am a HUGE fan.

pinterest is a brilliant concept that is beautifully executed. by now, you’ve probably heard people describe it as “amazing!,” “insane!,” and “you HAVE to check it out!” . . .  the level of eye candy is through the roof and it’s like a constant stream of motivation, inspiration, “oohs, ahhs” and “why didn’t i think of that”s . . .

pinterest is a fantastic way to collect your thoughts and ideas, to put together projects or plan parties to market a business, connect with friends, find information (all of these could be their own separate posts so i won’t go into detail and you can certainly google for more info on any of the above.)

what i think i love most about it, though, is that pinterest is also a great way to figure out what your style is and, if you previously struggled like me, to help you be more definitive in describing and elevating that style, both on a personal and a professional level. before pinterest, i kinda thought my taste and style (and maybe my life?) was a little all over the place (this wasn’t/isn’t always a bad thing) but seeing all of my pins together — being able to visualize the colors, patterns, textures, designs, shapes of the things i am drawn to — made me see that my style and interests are actually pretty cohesive and defined. i’m liking that.

if you’d like to follow me on pinterest, i usually pin things related to style, home decor, quotes/general motivation, business and social media tips, photography (duh!) humor, holiday, flowers and nature, and color theory. . . (among others!. . . i never claimed i wasn’t at least a little bit addicted. . . )  you can follow me here.

if you need a little help getting started, here’s a great beginner’s guide.

if you’re looking for some great pinners to follow, a few of my faves are:

design seeds    ben silbermann   bonnie tsang   Etsy  the short and the sweet of it

and here is mashable’s list of pinterest must-follows: http://mashable.com/2012/01/29/pinterest-users-to-follow

and finally, if you need an invite, feel free to drop me a line in the comments including your email address and i’ll be happy to send you one (i’m not sure what the limit is as it is defined by pinterest so please understand that this offer is only “good while supplies last.”)

i hope to see you around the pinterest boards! happy pinning!

p.s. . . . don’t say i didn’t warn you:

1. it can be a huge time-suck (as in, “it’s 2am already?! how did THAT happen?”)

2. with any social media and sharing, you have to take much of it with a grain of salt — don’t start comparing yourself to others through their pins — people aren’t necessarily making all of the things they pin or living up to the way they’ve curated their pin boards . . . it’s motivation, not “THOU SHALT” …you know what i mean?

3. be prepared when you decide you want to start looking at “everything”  . . . people truly do pin any and everything and it’s not unlike reading the anonymous comments at the end of a controversial article. . . don’t be afraid to be very selective in who you follow or to follow only some of a person’s board but not all of their boards.