Christina Tierney

It's Official!

I’ve got it all wrapped up…the quilt for the World Quilt Show – Florida that is.  And I’ve got the entry ready to go.  I’ll be mailing it tomorrow.  I had to finish up the last few hand embellishments…but I’m pleased with all the little touches.  I’m hoping I’ll be accepted just to “show” the quilt.  I’ve never done anything like this before, but you know…Nothing Ventured…right?  Keep your fingers crossed…we just never know. 

Detail Shot...Hardest Block!

My Milestone Quilt Entry 2010

First Step - A Quilt Top

When you’re trying to get healthy and running is your plan, experts say pick a race and train for it.  Nothing huge, a 5K can get you motivated to train everyday.  I’ve done exactly that.  And I have to say it’s inspired me to reach each milestone…literally.

I’ve known full well the chances of me winning the race or even honorable mention are slim – okay – actually there is no chance.     But I’ve done it anyway, simply because I feel great having that much confidence in my decision and willingness to go through with it.

So tonight I have a similar feeling, only this time, it has nothing to do with running.  Not unless you consider the trips back and forth to Sunshine Sewing Company and JoAnns the last 7 months a marathon.  I know – enough with the suspense what am I talking about.

Tonight I decided I would enter my very first “ever” quilt into the World Quilt Show – Florida.  I had no idea these shows/conventions even existed until last year.  A part of me – the naysayer – is trying to figure out how I think my work could be show worthy. But for me, this feels an awful lot like the “running” thing.  Give myself something to train for, something to inspire me onward to the next challenge.

My Inspiration

I shared last night that I was “tricked” into going to a Quilt Show and walked out “born again.”  I’m not being dramatic or funny, I’m being honest.  I had just been through one the roughest experiences of my life personally and my family was reeling from my dear Brother’s illness and passing.  I felt like a zombie.  I could NOT move myself to run or practice yoga.  I was glued to the couch in a fog just managing to get through a days work.  The grief I’ve felt has been beyond description.  I was getting to a point where I’d had enough and was really struggling to care.  The Quilt Show last year gave me just enough of a push out of the sadness to feel something positive.

When we followed up our day at the show with my first trip to Sunshine Sewing Company I stumbled upon a “Jelly Roll” Pattern Quilt Book.  There it was…a design that spoke to me.  I “HAD” to make that quilt.  Never mind that I only had a vague understanding of how you did this.   The book I speak of is Strip Lovers by Suzanne McNeill.  The design is called Friends & Flowers.  The concept of Jelly Rolls, fabric strips intrigued me.  I could immediately see how a quilt could be something more than the “blocks” repeated over and over again.  This was similar to the ideas I’d seen, the work of so many inspiring women and men.  I’ve shared the pic above from when I just finished the “quilt-top.”  Talk about giddy and proud of myself.  I’ve since added some embellishments, like applique flowers, birds, hand crewel stitching.  I’ve had it “long-arm” machine quilted with a butterfly pattern.  I picked out each and every fabric, I did not buy a kit.  The binding is done, it’s in the black pin dot.  I’ll share another picture of the completed peice once I get my pics ready for the entry.  I have until September 23, 2010.  I’m going to do this!  I have zero expectations.

I have something interesting to note here.  I’ve been told that each quilt is given a name by the quilter.  I know that this quilt was inspired by and for the most part the design came from the book I bought.  But I could not “name” the quilt Friends & Flowers, that’s the design pattern.  I’ve decided to name this quilt My Milestone because that’s what this represents for me.  It’s hard to describe, but this isn’t just a compilation of fabric strips, threads, buttons or batting.  This is my broken heart, my grief poured out into hope and joy.

So recently I’ve been “gettin” the red-eye from all my late night addiction issues. Hold on…don’t get all freaked out and plan the intervention. Not unless you’re really concerned that an addiction to fabric is tragic.

I’m talking about my new obsession with Quilting. Yes…I said Quilting. And I know what you’re thinking. You’re envisioning a group of gray haired ladies all gathered around or better yet hunched over an old fashioned quilting frame. These ladies of refinement and classic southern charm (Barbara Bush immediately comes to my mind) must be sewing each stitch by hand going blind, crippling themselves with arthritis as they go. Don’t feel bad for thinking this…I did too. I immediately cringed when my Mother suggested I attend a Quilt Show.

So in November of last year, as I was dragged (gently but yes dragged) to the Palm Beach County Convention center.  I decided I would keep an open mind. And besides…how bad could it be? I mean it was just a few hours and we’d be out of there. That is if I could whine enough to my Mother and friend Karen how “bored” I was.

Ha!… I’d been had…I was stolen away to a transforming magic fairy land.  Okay…maybe that’s a bit much, but it was intense.  First we walked through aisles of some of the most amazing fabric and machine vendors.  Patterns, stripes, threads, ideas…my head was spinning…the buzzing sound was either the hum of dozens of Long Arm Quilting machines being demonstrated or I was getting ready to swoon.  I think it was a little of both.

Pat Kumicich out of Naples FL. Freedom Is Not Free. War and the woman left behind.

And then…we walked down a magic corridor where I was thrust into a traveling hand crafted Artist Studio.  I literally mean “ARTIST!”  I mean it with the utmost respect and admiration.  I was immediately humbled by the talent and skill on display.  I took over 100 photographs that day and posted many to my Facebook account via my iPhone.  I felt like I HAD to let the world know this amazing group of talented artisans existed.  It’s really funny to me, since I’ve known about traditional quilting having grown up with my Mom.  The Amish quilts she’s purchased on her vacations to Pennsylvania Dutch Country and her personal passion for the craft have been on display in the home I grew up in for years.

But what’s so fantastic about what I experienced, was how far the “Quilting” scene had come since I was a snot nosed teenager in the 80′s.  These quilts were funky and cool!  Bright mind blowing colors.  Creativity that was whimsical, fantastical, somber, emotive.

ICandy made by Robbi Joy Eklow

I wound up spending the entire day…and only till around 5pm or so, did we walk out together.  I was personally wiped out…but not from walking around begrudgingly all day.  I was emotionally spent from all the magnificence I got to experience.  I had never really understood how deep a passion for something could go.  I didn’t understand how inspiring this craft could be.

I purchased a few items.  A pattern or two…a sewing machine cart, some fabric.  However, I had no idea what I was really walking out with.  I was bestowed the gift of renewal.  My passion for art, and creativity had been revived.  I’ve been cutting fabric, sewing, stitching, batting, drawing, designing, ever since I left that day.  I’ve been going late into the evening on week nights after I’ve finished a full agenda on the “day job.”  I’ll close myself up for the entire weekend and whip out lap quilts, bags,  baby quilts for friends, a quilt topper for a wedding gift for another.  I have never been happier.  I’m reconnecting, regenerating, re-energized!

Thank You Mom!  Thank You Karen!  Thank You Thread of Life Quilters!  I love you all!

This is actually a Thread Painted Landscape by Nancy Prince. It's called Life in Holly Ridge.

P.s. If you notice the sites a changing…it’s cause it is.  I’m adding a basic shopping cart feature.  Might someday look to a custom design, etc.  But for now, this will do.  I’m starting to run out of room in my little apartment with all the Midnight Creations coming out of my heart, head and hands.  If you like something, and want to purchase…by all means do.  I won’t be taking special orders, and every peice is one of a kind.

P.s.s.  I’m hoping to find a way to purchase my own Long Arm Quilting setup.  This is a mighty tall order for me, especially since how much something like that costs.  Please think of the purchases you make as a donation to my new obsession for this craft.   Honest…It’s not enabling at all.  

Mousecar Parade - Beep Beep!

What a day!  It was tremendous fun!  In addition to being honored as a Brand Ambassador for the day, and getting to ride in the Truly Nolen Mousecar, I got to meet some amazing people.  I genuinely enjoyed my day sharing smiles and some laughs along the way.

Our day began with our orientation in the Mousecar Headquarters.  All 10 contestants were introduced to their Drivers.  I was releaved that I would have a driver…seeing how I would never be able to share the days events while Tweeting/Facebook/or Texting while driving! 

I had the pleasure of riding with Rafael Rodriguez.  Rafael is an amazing gentleman with a true entrepreneurial spirit!  It’s clear that he’s passionate about the work he does.  You can follow him on Twitter @rrodriguez1967.  After our day in the parade…I could tell he saw the power of Twitter, and other Social Media channels, like Facebook and LinkedIn.

As we were on our way to I95, I took the opportunity to Vlog (Video Blog) about the trip, and to get to know Rafael and Truly Nolen a little better.  The video is longer than 3 minutes…but I do believe it’s worth sitting through all “6.”

When I get a chance to ride around town  in “the” Truly Nolen Mouse Car, and with a totally cool Twitter Peep no less…I jump at the chance and say “Hell Yeah!”

Be sure to keep your eyes open for @FloridaFrecks, and myself @TwittGoddess as we tool around town in our way cool Truly Nolen Mouse Car, in the #MousecarParade.  We’ll be a part of a very cool pack of MouseCarTeers!

• @amandastewart
• @vicequeenmaria
• @miamishines
• @abachinminuet
• @jarrett23
• @pizzafusion
• @fsutoby

I’m trying to keep up with all the crew…and may have missed a few…forgive me if I did.  If you’re in the parade…comment below and let us all know who you are.

We’ll be tweeting from the route…and I’m going to upload video footage of our silliness during the day…if I can.  If I’m too busy having fun…I’ll post the days events afterward.  Keep your eyes open – you don’t want to miss this! 

Talent Community or Data Base?

I was consulting with a client the other day and she asked me what my thoughts were on building out and promoting “Talent Communities.”  This question made me sincerely pause.  And the first question I asked in reply was…”what’s a Talent Community?’  Clearly I have no problem with seeming slow and dimwitted.  I had no idea what she was referring to.  Was she referring to:

• The company’s Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Database?
• The existing employee population and the strength of their current Employee Referral Program?
• Potential candidate engagement opportunities on Soc Nets like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace, Ning, etc.?
• The employee alumnus…those who either retired or moved onto opportunities with other employers?
• The Diverse Employee-and dare I say we’re all diverse?

Turns out the client was referring to “Relationship Marketing Databases.”  She’d had a potential vendor-partner visit with her and explain the value of remaining engaged with those potential candidates, whether they be experienced, college, alumnus…all diverse of course.   The concept was really novel, since the database would be embedded into a Careers Web solution with the goal of collecting email addresses with specified areas of interest.  The potential candidate would be “prompted” to enter their information and become a member of this Talent Community.  With this data captured the appropriate “marketing” communication could be directed to the new member of the Talent Community.

"We'll Take Over The World"

BRAIN SPASM – if I become a member of this community (which is a closed database by the way) how do I actually consider this a community?  How do I interact and build relationships that are genuine and authentic…aren’t I actually just an email address and a name delivered to an automated e-mail distribution tool? This is the thought that has invaded my mind while listening patiently to my client’s enthusiastic narration.

I nodded my head when my client was done and then I stated….Ah…you’re referring to Relationship Marketing (RLM) and the building out of candidate databases, then remaining engaged through targeted communication whether analog (print) or digital means.  Sure I think  RLM is a very important part of your over-all strategy…but I personally would not call it a community.

I began to further uncover the big vision for this clients “Social Web Engagement Strategy” and a multi-faceted approach began to take shape…there was genuine excitement.

And then I shared a few thoughts around the idea that perhaps we could think of the recruitment of candidates as “Employee Tribe Management” as opposed to Employer Brand Management.

Yes…I’d be referring to Seth Godin’s book “Tribes…We Need You To Lead Us.”   Seth’s Blog post January 30, 2008, offers a very profound observation.. about the need for people to connect to a tribe.  Here let Seth explain…it’s much better coming from him.

Tribe management is a whole different way of looking at the world.

It starts with permission, the understanding that the real asset most organizations can build isn’t an amorphous brand but is in fact the privilege of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who want to get them.

It adds to that the fact that what people really want is the ability to connect to each other, not to companies. So the permission is used to build a tribe, to build people who want to hear from the company because it helps them connect, it helps them find each other, it gives them a story to tell and something to talk about.

This is the good stuff…and I want more of my HR clients to think outside of the RLM database box.  It’ll be a tough challenge to gain buy-in from corporate compliance around this concept for some…but whether they get it or not it won’t matter.  The Tribes have already spoken.  Look at how many corporate recruitment focused Facebook Fan pages Twitter accounts, (Tweeps)  have cropped up in the last 6 months.  Some of the best examples  are of course Sodexo Careers, Past Present and Future Facebook Fan Page, Discover Careers Facebook Fan Page, @acareerathca HCA Twitter feed, and the list continues to grow.

Now the next challenge encountered is how do we begin to craft an over-all Social Web Engagement Strategy.  I’ve said this many times…first… “LISTEN.”  Before jumping into the social web stream…we’ve got to take a step back evaluate an over-all online presence (audit the noise) and determine if any IRL (In Real Life) reputation fragments have made their way to web conversations.

Once auditing the noise is complete…we can really build out robust, interesting, engaging villages, or colonies for tribe members to congregate.

I caution my clients and perhaps those who stumble upon my musings – don’t be seduced by those who offer “turn-key” Employee Tribe Management solutions.  The social web is NOT a turn-key experience.  Real people…real candidates want an authentic vision into your organization…to get to know more than just your location, last years 10K, the cool video testimonials.  The potential members of your tribe want a chance to visit your talent tribe community…walk around, ask what’s the weather like over there from people who live with that weather.

I know the thought of this is really frightening from a compliance perspective…and HR is definitely kin to corporate legal.  But no matter what…these tribes will be established whether you like it, support it, endorse it or ignore it.

I don’t want to appear to play favorites…but I am so excited to have gotten a few moments with Kevin Wheeler, Founder and Chairman, Future of Talent Institute. His presentation/break-out session, “What Will 2010 Bring” on Thursday night, was standing room only. He painted a VERY realistic picture of the challenges facing organizations with talent recruitment in the coming year.

I asked Kevin to share the top 2 challenges he’d hoped everyone took away from his presentation.

It’s a great interview…enjoy!

Had to share the updated version of this video.  I presented the original to clients about 2 years ago.  You can imagine the responses we got from the data shared.

Enjoy!

Social Media Club PBC Chapter

Well…We Did It!  We launched our first Social Media Club Palm Beach County Chapter Meeting.  We we’re fortunate enough to have founder Chris Heuer,  leading a round-table discussion without the table.   The primary topic of conversation focused on “Social Media @ A Cross-Roads.”

I think the biggest concern for many of us who “practice” in this field is the proliferation of the “Social Media Expert.”  I’m completely committed to “Practicing Safe Social Media” …and as a paid Social Media  Consultant since 2007 I worry about people being taken advantage of.  Especially those who are currently suffering from recent lay-offs and learning the job search has forever changed.

In the coming months Social Media Club Palm Beach County will continue to grow and educate the community.  We’re looking for volunteers to help take our budding chapter to the next level.  If you’re interested in joining and getting involved you can stop by the Facebook Group Page (we’re working on our website) as well as follow us on Twitter, @SMCPBC.

Chris Heuer

I was super excited to have the opportunity to interview Chris after our meeting.  We stopped by Authentic Brooklyn Pizza, in Boca Raton, FL off Palmetto Park Road. Of course recommended by @Lapp…the www.WorstPizza.com KING.  Not a surprise…the food was AMAZING!  Thanks Craig…we know we can always count on you for the right place to hang out as well as a PHENOM venue for our first meeting.  While Craig Arganoff may be the Pizza King by day…he’s a principle in a very cool little company called VOIS…a Social Network dedicated to local Project Outsourcing…be sure to check them out.

So without any further delay…hope you enjoy the interview…and hope to see you at an upcoming meeting!  And don’t forget…”If You Get It…Share It! 

Okay…I’m late…I’m late getting a Wordcamp Miami 2010 recap onto the Blog.  It’s funny that it’s taken me so long because I had been sooo looking forward to the day.  I’m a self professed WordPress Geek…and love connecting with others who share similar passions.

Photosource: Alex Designs

And you might ask…what is WordPress? Well, it’s an opensource blog publishing platform…only truly…so much more. More and more sites are being built using WordPress.

One of the best presenters of the day Shayne Sanderson discussed using WordPress CMS to power e commerce sites. So it’s not just about your personal journal log…it’s about business.  And it might be big business…especially if you generate substantial revenue with your site.

Below you’ll find presentations I felt were of real value to me. I’ve also shared links to sites to help those interested in WordPress for the first time.

WordCamp is the name given to a series of community sponsored blogging events centered on discussions relating to the WordPress blogging platform. These events are organized, paid for, and attended by local blogging communities completely independent of official WordPress control and without affiliation with Automattic, the parent company behind WordPress.

The first WordCamp was held in San Francisco in 2006, and each subsequent year has brought growth in the number of events and cities in which it is organized.

Source: Wikipedia 2/2010

Oh…one last thought…if you’ve been thinking about attending a Wordcamp near you…but not quite sure what to expect. Don’t worry…it’s completely worth the time and cost. Ticket prices vary depending on the local venue and community organizing the event.  The Miami WordPress community put on a really great day. Our cost was under $50 and lunch was provided.  So get out there and find an event…connect with some great WordPress geeks…you’ll be glad you did.

Free WordPress Blog

What Is WordPress

5 Things Bloggers Need to Know

I’m going to focus on Search Engine Optimization in the next few weeks.  I’ll be sharing educational resources no one should be without.  You’ll also see a post or two on Career Web Site focused “content”…seeing how that’s where I spend most of my days.

So for my first SEO Post, I wanted to share the site SEOMoz.org, especially their Whiteboard Friday Series. This explains clearly and concisely what Google’s been doing over the last 18 months and how Search will be changing overall.  Totally worth stopping and watching all the way through.

I thought I’d also share the Google Video he references as well. Explains Google Buzz…in case you don’t get it. Have to say that from an overall relevant content sharing perspective Google Buzz is superior to Twitter. Only issue I’ve had…has been with the mobile app. Most of my updating happens away from the traditional desk tether…so if they fix the Buzz Mobile App…I’ll be hooked.