Organized Artistry is on Pinterest!

Do you love social media? Are you also a visual person? Then unless you've been living under a rock, you know about Pinterest.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Pinterest (according to their website) "is a 'virtual pinboard.' Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web."

I first noticed it when a few of my organizing colleagues began posting their Pinterest boards on their Facebook Pages. It looked interesting so I checked it out and was immediately hooked (it can be very addictive)! I'm a visual person with an art background--I find it to be a great way to collect and share ideas with others.

You have to request an invite to 'join' (which could take a few days or a few weeks) or ask someone already on Pinterest to give you an invite (that's what I did). Once you're 'in' you can start creating boards of topics that interest you and 'pinning photos and videos to them.

Tip: Load the 'Pin it' bookmarklet to your browser--it allows you to 'pin' any photo/video from the web to your Pinterest boards.

I have a bunch of boards on the topic of organizing and I've created a few on the topic of weddings related to my book and the manuscript I'm working on. If you look in the right column of this blog you'll see a button that says 'Follow me on Pinterest.' Click to follow me but if you'd like, first take a quick glance at my boards...

Organized Artistry's Organizing Boards
Organizing Product I've Blogged About
Helpful Organizing Books
My Favorite Organizing Products
Organizing on the Cheap
Kitchen Organizing
Quick Organizing Tips
Get Ready for Spring Cleaning!
YOUR Favorite Organizing Products

Organized Artistry's Wedding Boards
Organize for WeddingPlanning
Stylish Wedding Thank You Notes

Then there's my board called 'OMG--So Cute!' There's a lot of cute stuff on Pinterest--can't be about business ALL the time, ya know...

To learn more about Pinterest, here are a few articles that will be helpful to beginners:

Beginner's Guide to Pinterest Basics

Pinterest: A Beginner's Guide to the Hot New Social Network

Pinterest Tips--A Tutorial Guide for Beginners

Happy pinning! Anyone need an invite?

Wedding Thank You Note Book Sale

Got a bride-to-be on your holiday shopping list? I am hosting a 25% off sale Black Friday through Cyber Monday on Payvment--the Shopping Mall on Facebook.

My book, 7 Steps to an Organized Wedding Thank You Note is usually listed for $8.95 but with a 25% discount it comes to $6.71--and there's FREE SHIPPING, too!

It makes a great stocking stuffer and is very lightweight if your bride friend/relative lives halfway across the country!

7 Steps to an Organized Wedding Thank You Note--don't let a bride walk down the aisle without it!

The Organized Bride

Brides, I apologize.

I haven't written a post about organizing a wedding since before the summer. I know many of you have returned from your honeymoon and are settling into married life (and writing all your thank you notes). I promise, I won't let you down again.

I have found a website for you to check out and for those of you who live near Frederick, Maryland--you can hop right over to...

The Organized Bride (I love the name!)

According to their website,

"The Organized Bride is a one-stop shop for invitations for all occasions, favors, attendant gifts and ceremony and reception essentials."

Looks like they have a beautiful store!

But if you don't live near the brick and mortar store, they have an online shop where you can purchase a myriad of products for your ceremony and reception.

I've discussed in the past how important it is to be an organized bride. Apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks so...

Be an Organized Bride--It's in the Details...

Have you ever had a dream that you forgot your veil at home on your wedding day? Or that you put all of your invitations in the mailbox without stamping them first?

Then you must be a bride-to-be.

No need to wake up in a cold sweat anymore. I have an amazing list for you...

A bride-to-be in North Carolina, has compiled a list of 20 wedding details you don't want to forget. I thought it was a pretty impressive list considering she's not even married yet. My personal favorite is:

#15 Photographer's guidelines - It helps a photographer to have a list of photos that are high priority.

I couldn't agree more. You don't want to get your proofs back and see that your photographer has taken a bunch of pictures of your boss and her husband while your grandmother is only in two shots.

Read her list and breathe a sigh of relief. She's done all the work for ya. And I'm more than happy to pass on the information and help make your wedding planning more organized and less stressful.

Royal Wedding Thank You Notes

Did you watch the Royal Wedding? The bride was breathtaking, the ceremony was majestic and the whole country (and the world) celebrated.

In reading a bit about the day, I learned that there would be 650 people attending the reception. I almost fell out of my chair! How many thank you notes is this new Princess going to have to write? Did she have a bridal shower, too? (Can't you just see the Queen and Camilla playing Bridal Bingo?)

If I knew where to mail it, I'd send her a copy of my quick-reference guide: 7 Steps to an Organized Wedding Thank You Note. If anyone needs it--it's her! Then I thought--not only do I not know their address, I have no idea what their last name is. William goes by 'William Prince of Wales.' What is Kate's new last name?

Well--it seems as if the Royal family doesn't use last names. But, according to an article in the Huffington Post, in the case of marriage, William's last name is Mountbatten-Windsor and that will be Kate's, too when they are not going by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

So since I am unable to mail her a copy of my book, I'll offer some wedding thank you note organizing tips in the hopes that Kate will one day be surfing the web for thank you note writing ideas and happen upon this blog of a commoner.

OK, Kate. Read carefully...

• Create a Royal Spreadsheet for tracking gifts. Remember to include a column for writing the date your thank you note was put in the mail.

• Use Royal Scrap Paper to jot down ideas before writing your thank you note message. This will save you from making mistakes on your very expensive note cards

• Pace yourself. Write 3-5 thank you notes a day and then meet William at the pub.

• Get William involved. Send him to the post office for 'Love' stamps after work. Have him lick the envelopes at the pub. Once the media finds out, every British bride will be after their husbands to be just like yours.

I wish you the best of luck. If you need me, I'll take a break from polishing my tiara...

I'm a Guest Blogger!

The most popular months for weddings are coming up soon! So, by now, you're deluged with tons of engagement gifts and bridal shower presents. Don't panic! Check out my latest guest blog post at DepositAGift.com called, 'Say Thank You the Organized Way.'

I offer brides and grooms a few thank you note writing organizing tips to help keep stress levels at a minimum. These tips can be used for anyone with a ton of people to thank--new parents, new graduates, etc.

Keep it organized and you'll be keeping the task under control!

#2 Organizing Principle for Brides:Break it Down!

When was the last time you planned a party for tens or hundreds of people? Never? We'll--you're not alone. In fact, you're one of thousands of brides and grooms who are putting together their dream day without any past experience.

If you're overwhelmed with the thought of being in charge of all the planning for your wedding, then you need to utilize an important organizing principle: BREAK IT DOWN

What do I mean by BREAK IT DOWN? Any large task, such as planning a wedding has many components to it and many players--vendors, family, friends, retail stores, etc. Juggling all of the people and tasks associated with a wedding can be mind-blowing and send the most organized bride into fetal position. 'Breaking down' an overwhelming task enables the brain to 'chunk' information in small, easier to manage bits.

Don't have a breakdown! Follow these steps for 'breaking it down:'

List your tasks
Either on paper or on your computer, list all of your vendors and the tasks associated with them (phone calls, emails, face-to-face meetings, fittings, etc.)

Create a timeline/schedule
There are many bridal websites and magazines that offer wedding planning timelines. Compare them and apply the information to your own wedding needs.

Prioritize
Take your task list and your timeline and determine what tasks need to be done first and what can wait a month or two or until a few weeks before your wedding day.

Delegate (1st organizing principle)
Look at your task list. Determine which tasks you must be in charge of and which others can help you accomplish.

Cross it off
When the task is completed, cross it off your list. It's a great way to show you're one step closer to your goal and your big day.

#1 Organizing Principle for Brides: Delegate!

Brides and grooms--planning and executing a wedding of any size is a challenge. Doing it by yourself--is close to impossible. Please--don't even try it.

In order to avoid the multiple stresses of wedding planning, consider utilizing the #1 organizing principle for those heading down the aisle--DELEGATE.

Delegating tasks helps you to focus on what's most important to you. Having people assist you with tasks you don't wish to do or don't do very well frees up time for you to concentrate on the big/important components of your special day.

A few examples:

What to delegate:

Trips to the post office

Addressing invitations

Creation of welcome bags for out-of-towners

What to do yourself:

Try on and purchase gown

All contact with wedding vendors

Honeymoon planning

Family and friends are oftentimes more than happy to help with your wedding planning. Asking them to pick up stamps or put ribbons on wedding favors enables them to feel included in 'the big day' while you cross small yet time-consuming tasks off your to-do list and focus on what's most important to you. It's a win-win situation. 

What wedding-related task will YOU delegate?

Love Stamps

It's Valentine's Day! Love is in the air--especially for brides and grooms.

Spend time together today doing something fun and romantic. Snuggle over a chocolate fondue pot, take a romantic stroll together, but don't worry about going to the post office for your nuptial-needs. Turn to the US Postal Service website to order 'Love' stamps for your invites and response cards--a real time saver!

Scroll down to see choices such as 'Purple Pansies,' Wedding Rings,' and 'King and Queen of Hearts.'

Coming soon to Stamps.com: Wedding Roses

Win a Copy of my Thank You Note Book!

Exciting news! The Wedding Yentas have just reviewed my book, 7 Steps to an Organized Wedding Thank You Note and I'm giving away a copy in their Thursday Thrills Giveaway.

If you are a bride-to-be or know someone getting married, click here, leave a comment with your greatest thank you note writing trick or pet peeve and be registered to win. Giveaway ends Sunday, February 6th at 11:59pm PST.

I'm a Guest Blogger!

February may be National Weddings Month but January has been Guest Blogger Month for me. To end the month, I am guest blogging about getting organized for wedding planning at TheWeddingYentas.com.

It may sound like the creators of The Wedding Yentas are a bunch of ladies who are eighty years old and live in Miami, but instead, they are two young women--one a wedding photographer, the other a Jewish bride who saw a need and created a space where tradition mixes with hip and current trends.

If you know a Jewish bride, send them to the Wedding Yentas. Tell 'em Tevya and Golda sent you...

National Weddings Month - Free Shipping!

February is National Wedding Month--it's right around the corner! In honor of the occasion, I will be offering free shipping on my book, 7 Steps to an Organized Wedding Thank You Note.

To take advantage of this offer, go to the Organized Artistry website and click on 'Brides and Grooms.' Print out the order form and in the box that says, 'Add Shipping and Handling' write code: NWM2011. 

FREE SHIPPING! A great way to save money on your wedding. It adds up quickly, doesn't it?

Know someone getting married? 7 Steps to an Organized Wedding Thank You Note will make the life of any bride or groom easier with it's 7-step system for writing well organized and heartfelt thank you notes (You want to get one of those in your mailbox--don't ya?).

All orders must be postmarked by February 28th.

Don't delay! February is the shortest month of the year...

Coming Soon--National Weddings Month

With Valentine's Day right in the middle of the month, February is the perfect choice for National Weddings Month. Love is in the air. It's the perfect time to start hammering out a plan to make your wedding day special.

If you live in a place that's usually covered in snow at this time of year, settle in with a cup of hot cocoa and flip through those bridal magazines, do your online research and make your phone calls. When the weather warms up, you'll want to be outside with your fiancee!

For tips on organizing all the paperwork you'll gather for your wedding read my article, "Get Organized for Wedding Planning."

In honor of National Weddings Month, my February blog posts will be aimed at offering ideas, helpful hints, and organizing products to those about to walk down the aisle. So, if you know someone getting engaged or married soon, let them know that help is just a few blog posts away!

I'm a Guest Blogger!

January is 'Get Organized Month' but for me personally, it has become 'Guest Blogging Month!'

Through a connection made on LinkedIn, I am guest blogging at the blog of Professional Organizer Milena Borges called 'There is Always Room.' My topic: 'Getting Organized for Wedding Planning: The Wedding Binder.'

Know anyone who just got engaged or who is in the middle of planning their wedding? Share the blog's link with them. You'll be helping some very busy brides and grooms organize one of the most important events of their lives...

I'm a Guest Blogger!

I'm very excited to announce that today, I am guest blogging at DepositaGift.com--a great way to ring in the new year for my business. Dana Ostomel, the Founder of Deposit a Gift, offers her blog's readers an interesting and informative array of posts written by her and guest bloggers. I am honored to be among them. My post is aimed at brides and grooms and it is called, "Planning Your Wedding? Get Organized!"

Deposit a Gift is a cash gift registry service created to simplify and modernize gift giving. Know any brides or grooms to-be? Share the above links with them. After the wedding, they'll thank you for much more than your generous gift...