Old Dogs, New Tricks. OR: Dewey & Penni learn about Instagram

People learn something every day, and a lot of times it's that what they learned the day before was wrong.  ~Bill Vaughan

A new techno craze is upon us.  All the cool kids are using the app.  Many of my friends are using it.  All the buzz marketers are sending me free e-books about it.  Some of my fellow business owners are doing "contests".  All you need is a photo and a good hash tag.

Yep.  I'm talking about Instagram.  I set out six months ago to figure it out, and found it too complicated.   I also didn't want to have yet another form of social media marketing I needed to remember to do.  Really, I didn't want to learn.  

So several weeks ago, I got another free e-book that explained what a loser I was if I wasn't doing Instagram contests.  And furthermore, I was going to lose customers eventually to cooler, hipper, smarter people than me.  I promised myself I would figure it out.

For the second time, I sat down at the laptop and signed into my Instagram account.  I had no followers, I was following no one and I couldn't figure out how to find or follow or even put up a photo.  Naturally, the next step in learning was to google it and hope for an e-how article on how to use Instagram.  (no, the free e-books weren't that technical - just "salesy".  I found little help there.

So, I texted my 23 year old daughter (whom I knew by her facebook photos used Instagram).  I asked for her help in figuring out how to use this tool, and she had a good laugh after I explained what I had done so far.

You see, Instagram is really only for phones.  Smart phones.  Not computers.  Well, you can see things on the Instagram on the computer, but thats it.  It's a "read only" kind of thing.

Oh.  Secretly, I cried a little.  I hate trying to use a phone for anything other than a text or a call.  It's soooo small.  And I can't really see.  I like a great big monitor and zoom, but I don't want to be a loser than can't use her phone to do what everyone else seems to have done already - and happily. 

So, my daughter taught me the ropes of installing the app and I managed to load a photo and "follow" her.    Then she followed me.  Baby steps.  Then my phone was blowing up because it apparently synched all my facebook friends and gmail contacts and I was deep in following and followers and photos and hashtags.  Ahhh - after a few days I realized the hashtag was important.  

No one had explained that to me yet.  I googled it, and found some helpful information, but really it was my youngest daughter and her friends that gave me the real skinny on the hashtags.  It's all about the hashtag.  For example, my first few days I should have used #rookie  #frustrated #simpleheadedfool

Then I couldn't figure out to get multiple photos (a photo collage) in one "post".  I had seen both my girls and one friend do that.  So, again, I asked a daughter.  Turns out you have to download a whole separate app to do that, then post it to Instgram via that app.  Forget it.  No picture collages on Instagram.  That's just too much work. 

Anyhow, after a few days  I felt confident enough in using this new tool that I set out to explain it to Dewey.  I told him it was just for phones and there was no posting, and it was just photographs and hashtags.  I hit all the important points.  He grumbled and said it better not cost anything and reminded me he hates the word "hashtag".  (He also hates the word "Syllabus").   

A few days after that conversation, he looked up from his paper and said "You were wrong about Instagram, babe.  You can post things".   I said "Yeah, pictures."  And he said, "No you can write things".   I said "Yeah, you can say something about your picture, babe.  That's where the hash-tags come into play".  

Dew was adamant though, and said "No.  It says right here that Justin Beiber took to his Instagram to rant about [blah blah blah] . . . ".  I laughed (because I know it all now, remember) and said "Yeah.  But he ranted with a picture."  Dew then said "Oh, so he wrote it down and took a picture of it". . .   

You see, you can teach old dogs new tricks.  It just takes a while - baby steps and a lot of unlearning in order to learn.   

Follow us on instagram, LOL.  EarthWorksGallery.  No spaces.  No @ sign.   Hashtag us if you want.  Maybe next month, a contest.  We'll see.  

PL&BB-

Penni

Swix Pix - The Hot New Thing

A picture is worth a thousand words . . . (author unknown)

A picture is worth a thousand words, and now you can create them (the words!) with pictures here at EarthWorks.  Lori and Swix Pix joined the team recently  (referred by our valued customer and collector, Cheryl).  The first sale came within hours of setting up the display.  We LOVE when that happens.

Lori travels alot, and in her travels she looks for things in nature and objects around her that are shaped in letters.  She takes a photo, and there you have it.  Frames aare on hand to accomodate words or names from 3 to 11 letters, and with hundreds of photos in color and black and white are here to choose from.

I say this is THE mother's day gift to give this year.  Along with a nice bit of bling.  And a card.  And a journal.  And a painting.  And the place to get them all is EarthWorks! 

Come and spell your favorite word, or the name of your favorite person!

PL&BB-

Penni

Head West, Young Man (and woman)! Or: Mom & Pop Move to Lovettsville

Do not plant your dreams in the field of indecision, where nothing ever grows but the weeds of "what-if."  ~Dodinsky

Well, that's quite true isn't it?  And Lord knows that Dewey & I don't linger long when a question begins with "What if . . . ?".  We brainstorm and beat eachother's brains with our points of view.  

Finally, then, we lay our opinions out as though they were two maps to the same location.   And the spots that agree are our decision.  For those of you who have witnessed Dew & I resolve a "what if" scenario this way, from the type of cookies to serve at an event or the way a piece hangs on a wall it is quite the ride sometimes!  (But that's a digression to another topic for another day, which will be "What happens when two A-types come together in love and in business")

As many know, Dew & I have spent the last year or making our home in Western Loudoun.  We hoped we would love it, and we do.  It's spacious and quiet, and pleasing to the eye.   Naturally, then was born the question "What if EarthWorks were relocated to Western Loudoun?".  The decision is a result of a long study of facts and emotions and fears.  In the end, we decided that emotions and fears would be checked at the door.  Facts won the day, and we believe it to be a wise decision (both business and personally) to move the store to Lovettsville, VA.  

And I just heard that - a collective "What?  Did she say Lovettsville?".  Why yes, I did.  Wineries, antiques, artsy-folk, the best of Loudoun with a market into Southern Maryland and even West-By-God-Virginia!  Mayfest, Arbor Day, Movies on the Green, Oktoberfest and so much more brings folks to Lovettsville, and it is bringing us there as well!

We now call home the historic Potterfield House  - over 1800 square feet in 8 spacious rooms will make a superb back drop for the beautiful things we and our artisans bring folks.  And you know your spot is cool when it has it's own "Cat's Meow" (and ours does!!)

Here's how it will go:

Last day open in Leesburg, VA -            04/13/13
First day of open in Lovettsville, VA  - 04/20/13

I'll be posting pictures of our progress for the next few weeks so you can keep up with the excitement of paint drying!  And who ever laid bets that Dewey would actually paint the walls the colors we "agreed" on loses.  Not a single room or color is as agreed.  But, as you know (and so do I) he was right.  It's looking awesome!

Peace, Love & A Salmon Colored Wall -

Penni