Are You Open To Business?

While walking around High Point Furniture Market exploring all of the buildings of design, I noticed this space. . .



While many spaces are open and encouraging visitors to step inside - this particular set up struck me and made me wonder if they really wanted the traffic.

One if the two narrow openings were blocked by a salesperson sitting at a table chatting with another person and a full trash can was front and center and distracted from the amazing items they had.

I stopped and peered inside, loving what I saw, but sadly I did not go in (I had goodie bags that would not allow comfortable navigation of their space).

This experience made me think of what I may have that could be blocking my business entrance.

As we all grow and change, both personally and professionally, sometimes it's the simplest of actions that can make all the difference in our success.

Now, if you'll excuse me - I need to clear a path and take out the trash.

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Recipe: Sweet Potato Mash

By now y'all know I love to cook. This was a recipe I tried recently that even has my "I don't eat sweet potatoes" husband asking me to make it. Seriously!

I was informed that this recipe will definitely be on our holiday menu's!

If you are looking for more great recipes like this one, be sure to pick up your own copy of The Quick Recipe Cookbook by White Cap Books. It has become one of my favorites for quick and healthy family meals.


Sweet Potato Mash

Prep :: 15 minutes
Cooking :: 20 minutes
Serves :: 4

:: ingredients ::

1lb 8oz sweet potatoes, chopped
3 tablesspoons butter (or if you live in the south, the whole damn stick!)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons soy sauce
fresh cilantro sprigs to garnish

:: directions ::

Boil water and add salt and sweet potatoes. Cook until tender (about 15 minutes)

Melt butter in frying pan and add garlic and ginger. Reduce to low and cook for a minute or so.

Mash sweet potatoes (I prefer using the wire hand masher) and add garlic/ginger mix, cilantro and soy sauce.

Put in your favorite bowl and serve hot with a few fresh cilantro springs on top!

Voila!

What is your favorite cook book?

Spilled Milk

“A true friend sees the good in everything, and brings out the best in the worst of things.” - Sasha Azevedo

As I was reading over CityChiconaFarm's post Soooo Done! this morning over coffee, (full disclosure : client of Experience Farm) I was struck by how a heartfelt story about spilled milk could bring people together from across the country as if we were all sitting at the kitchen table lamenting together over all of those "Soooo Done!" moments we've all have had and finding solutions to life's little curve balls together.

Each day I am grateful for the blogs posts people write and I am lucky enough to discover. It's the fact that they have taken the time to share an experience that inspires me, encourages me to comment and keeps me to keep coming back to my own keyboard. (Thanks Sherry, you are a great inspiration to me!)

Personally, I don't want to be a 'Blog Vomit' machine - only posting dry work related stories. Though they are helpful and have their place . . . I really believe that finding and following our passion, is the key to our online success. . . warts and all. So it looks like my personal blog will continue to feature my adventures in food, furniture, travel, my listy aspirations, and my own 'lookie at what I did' posts. I want people to know that each day I am learning about the value of social media and where to add my voice.

What posts have you read that have inspired you to write?

What motivates you to leave a comment on a blog post you've read?

TECHiquette : Cell Phones and Book Stores

I'm no Emily Post, but when it comes to cell phones . . . well, I have to admit I am a little bit more than disappointed at the lack of civility in Book Stores.

It seems that over the years cell phone etiquette has become virtually non existent (if it even existed at all).

Seriously, next time you are in a book store . . . take a look around at how many people are having conversations on their phone.

Now, I know that many will say, "It's my phone and my conversation, I'll do what ever I damn well please." . . . and that may be the case but, do you really want perfect strangers knowing where little Jenny goes to school? Or how about where you go grocery shopping and the fact that your husband will be out of town for the next few weeks? Sometimes talking on your cell phone in public spaces is no different than sharing your private information on a billboard.

Here are a few of my TECHiquette: Cell Phone tips for those I've recently encountered . . . .

Hey cute little hipster chic . . . Do I really need to hear every detail about you confronting your boyfriend for cheating with your sister? Nah, didn't think so.

And is it really necessary, dear freshman frat boy, to talk 3-4 times louder than normal when you stand next to me in the sci-fi section and plan that "wicked cool" party that is sure to attract "plenty of skirt"? Dude WTF?

Hey you, yes you, who wanders from isle to isle, never really looking for any one particular book but spreads the "I'm so important" one sided conversation around the store like a smothering wet blanket . . . do you really need attention that bad?

To the guy who had his speaker volume turned up SO LOUD that everyone in a two block radius just learned that you . . . well, let's just say - good luck with that. . . Next time, you may way to head outside to take that call. Pretty sure the girl you just gave your number to isn't going to be calling you anytime soon.

I really do wish that there were telephones booths like the K6 Kiosk . . . even though pay phones are a thing of the past . . . private conversations aren't.


What conversations have you over heard (and wish you didn't?)

What TECHiquette rules do you practice?

Sweet Treats : Popcorn Cupcakes

I found a great link on Reddit the other day where NoJoDeL shared a picture of their popcorn cupcakes inspired from this post on Duhlicious. I also found an older popcorn cupcake recipe post from '08 on Food.com that gave credit to Family Fun Magazine for original inspiration.

Not one to shy away from a foodie challenge, I downloaded the Popcorn Cupcake Wrapper Template from the kind folks at Duhlicious and was off to the store with my helpful husband for the ingredients. Be warned that this little project is a sticky labor of love. . .

What I used :

• yellow cake mix or devils food cake mix (for those who don't have the time to make this delicious mix from scratch)
• mini marshmallows
• vanilla frosting
• yellow McCormick food coloring
• sterile scissors
• x-acto knife
  
• white card stock paper
• printer
• pastry bag / tip

What inspired you to try a new recipe?

Handmade Gifts

One of my favorite times of year is fall.

I love the warmth of handmade gifts and always have a project to work on!

This is a scarf I just finished for a young family member. . .





What do you love to make and give away?

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Personal Branding Popular In Job Search - My Interview with WXII

Had a great interview with Bill O'Neil of WXII today about Personal Branding. . . . Perfect timing after the fab article in Piedmont Parent *and my recent presentation to PT CREW on the same topic!

What I really loved, . . . was sharing the Personal Branding success of Experience Farm Client Robin Bodwin! SO HAPPY about her being cast in the pilot episode of “Small Town Big Wedding” even happier that she is able to work for herself doing what she loves!

Here's the segment from today's interview . . .

Personal Branding Popular In Job Search - Video - WXII The Triad

So how are you building your personal brand?

The Power of Thank You

In any given week there are dozens of hand written thank you cards that cross my desk.

It's a habit I picked up from my Mother and to this day I have a weakness for nice pens and stationary.

There is something special about opening your mailbox and finding a hand written letter. You can never replace that feeling with an email. There is emotion in your writing that a computer simply can't duplicate.

When was the last time you received a hand written thank you note?

Do you make time each week to thank those people who touch your life?


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Old Book Marks

Yesterday my husband took me to Nice Price Books in Carborro, NC for the first time.

Both of us are bibliophiles and LOVE adding to our collection and I have to say I can't wait to go back! They have an amazingly diverse and well organized collection in what used to be an old church in the 40's.

I'm a firm believer that the right books always find me. I rarely go to a second hand book store looking for anything in particular. I enjoy taking my time in each section until I come across a book that seems to scream "take me home".

Often it's not only the book, but the book mark that seals the deal. - My most recent find was a Dale Carnegie classic : How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (4th printing 1948).

The book mark that Discovered folded neatly on page 144 is an old full page Esquire cartoon that reads: ". . . so you see, Mr. Carnegie, my problem now is to get him to stop living and start worrying again"




What book marks do you leave behind?

What book marks have you discovered and still use?

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Time to Unwind

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." -Sydney J. Harris



Often the last thing we make time for in our busy schedules is time for ourselves.

Time alone to rest and reflect are vital to our ability to give back to others.

Do you make time for yourself each week to recharge?

What activities do you look forward to that help you relax?

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