Could Pinterest join in the trend of social networking?

Happy Friday! Dan Wells writing, I hope this note finds you well and in good spirits!

Today, my FOX 19 Morning News blog is targeted to all of you lovely ladies out there. The reason? My wife can't stop talking about this new website (well it's new to her) called Pinterest. SHE LOVES IT....so with that said I thought I'd share all the excitement and website background!

A fashionable outfit for fall? Pin it. A recipe for sweet potato cupcakes with toasted marshmallow frosting? Pin it. A tutorial on how to make decorative pillows? Pin it.

The virtual pin-board website, Pinterest, has grown exceedingly in popularity within the last few months.

Created by Palo Alto, Calif. residents Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra and Yashwanth Nelapati, the design of the website began in December 2009, and its introduction to the public was ignited in March 2010 as an invitation-only website.

With the sole purpose of finding and collecting pictures that interest individuals, Pinterest allows users to create boards associated with different categories, whether it's cooking recipes, fashion, photography, or interior design and provides pictures users can then "pin" into the different boards they have created.

Could Pinterest join in the trend of social networking? Yes, it can. Users are able to tag their Pinterest "friends" or "followers" in pictures that may interest them. But it is mainly used to find ideas that appeal to individual personalities.

Pinterest gives users a plethora of ideas. Whether you want to branch out and try a new ethnic-cuisine recipe or if you are feeling crafty and want to learn how to make a braided-scarf, Pinterest allows you to collect ideas you may want to try in the future.

So when you see something that peaks your interest, just "pin it". It is as simple as that.

Have a good weekend!
Dan Wells

The Evergreen State

A wide open field, sailboats gliding on sparkling blue water, and mountains from every angle. Sounds like a postcard, but in fact… it was my backyard growing up!

Good morning , and happy Thursday!

Katy here, and today I’m blogging about one of my favorite places, western Washington!
Actually I grew up about two hours north of Seattle on an island in the Puget Sound called Whidbey Island. It’s the longest island in the contiguous United States. (School drilled that one in our heads in our Washington history lesson!) The only way off and on the island is by bridge, or ferry boat. You may have seen Deception Pass bridge before, Hollywood has used it a few times for films set in the Puget Sound. Our family was stationed at NAS Whidbey, in the town of Oak Harbor. It’s there that my dad flew EA-6B Prowlers.

To me, this was an awesome place to grow up. My brother and I loved to play on the beach (not the sandy kind, the rocky, drift wood kind). We’d make forts out of driftwood and rocks, and be down there from low tide to high tide. But one of our favorite things to do was to take ferry rides to Seattle. We’d usually see lions, fish, and sometimes whales swimming around in the Puget Sound. Weather I remember was always a little cool, and the clouds would hang around a lot.
Still, it was an awesome place to grow up, and it’s one of many places I’ll always call home!

My Hero

The little girl looked to be about 8 or 9 years old, and she was choking. No one knew what to do, but then he appeared. The tall, blue eyed State Trooper walked with purpose through the crowd and put his arms around the girl, and the next thing we knew, out flew the piece of food. Startled, then embarrassed, the little girl ran and quickly disappeared into the throngs of fair goers. It was okay. She was okay.

Sheila here.
That State Trooper was my husband. At the time, he was my boyfriend, and that happened at the West Virginia State Fair. It floored me to see him save that little girl's life. It's Ric's birthday today, so I am blogging about him.

It wasn't the first brave thing I ever saw Ric do. One time we were driving through rural Pennsylvania and stopped at a diner to get something to drink. When we got out of the car, a runaway pickup truck came barreling through the parking lot, and went right into the road. Ric ran for it, jumped into the truck, and steered it safely back into the lot before someone got hurt. It was a little like watching a super hero!

Another time, we were at a cookout with friends, and our hosts had placed some lighted tiki torches around the yard. One of them wasn't anchored very well in the ground, and it fell, spewing the fluid inside all over several people's legs. While most of us stood there gaping, Ric and an EMT who was there sprang into action, rolling the victims on the ground and putting out the fire. One woman's legs were completely in flames, and her husband was waving a rug over her, which only fanned the fire. Ric was able to get the fire out, and a short time later she was in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. It was one of the scariest things I've ever seen, but my husband didn't give a second thought to responding and helping while the rest of us were simply in shock at what we were seeing.

Ric has been the target of gunfire by criminals and after we were married, someone, the State Police never found out who, rigged his cruiser to explode. Lucky for me and my kids, the person did a shoddy job of it. Some angel must have also made it necessary for Ric to take the car in for maintenance, and the mechanics found the device. We had surveillance video on our house for months after that, but the person was never caught.

Ric also helped save the life of a woman in the county where he led a State Police detachment when he convinced her to leave her abusive husband. I remember how much he talked about that woman when the Troopers kept getting calls to their home for domestic issues, how concerned he was about that woman. I don't know exactly what he said which gave her the courage to leave, but I am so proud that he made a difference in her life because he simply took the time and cared.

But here are even bigger reasons why my husband is my hero. He's my hero because of the type of husband and father he is. I don't know anyone who loves his kids more. I've seen his sadness the first time he spotted Kasey kissing a boy and when Katie was "too big" to hold his hand. And I've watched him light up with pride at Kari's nursing school graduation and the first time Eric hit a baseball.

People in love like to say their significant others "saved" their lives. Not me. Instead, Ric really has MADE my life. When we started dating, it was pretty early in my broadcasting career, and he taught me a lot, having been in broadcasting and public speaking for a lot of years himself. He indulged me on one of our first dates by going to an opera (he fell asleep)! And he still does things I know wouldn't be at the top of his priority list. He supports my career, he gave me these four fantastic kids, and he makes me laugh. He's not a guy who writes lovey-dovey poems or brings home flowers, but he does laundry, makes sure our home is in good repair, and he sends me emails when I'm at work, telling me I'm hot. I'll take that guy any day over the hopeless romantic. I'd take him for my life again and again, and the best thing of all is knowing that he'd take me again too. Happy Birthday, Ric!

Grocery Store Downtown?

I was walking downtown last week and stepped into Mayberry Foodstuffs.

It is downtown's newest grocery store.

I know most people hate grocery shopping. I don't. I enjoy shopping for food. In fact, I'm at the grocery store everyday. It is crazy I know.

Those living or working downtown have a new grocery option. Mayberry Foodstuffs was started by Josh Campbell who also has Mayberry's restaurant downtown. He calls it an urban grocery store and it is located on 7th Street near Main.

I loved it in the store. There's fresh baked bread and handmade deli sandwiches.

For a very small store, there's a large selection. Even fresh produce. It seems like the perfect place to visit before you head home from a busy day at the office. Whether you need a sandwich for lunch or be inspired for dinner, Mayberry foodstuffs may have to be on your radar.

The Countdown Is On...

Ahh!! One month to go until the wedding! That’s 4 weeks, 30 days! Good morning, happy Thursday! Katy here, and It’s crunch time! I’m starting to feel the pressure of bringing everything together. Thank goodness I planned ahead for most of it, so it shouldn’t be too bad, but now’s the time to bring everything that I’ve planned over the past several months. Figuring out the timing of the day will be tricky, but I’m confident that everything that will work out. It’s been nice having a great group at the station to talk about wedding stuff. Especially Tracey and Sheila. They’ve been great to go to for advice, or to talk to about my latest wedding planning adventure. I’ve been so focused on the wedding, that now I more excited for the honeymoon in Key West, FL! It’ll be nice to relax for a few days after the wedding on the sunny island. Can’t believe the time is almost here! But most of all, I can’t wait to get married to my best friend.

Alone With The Help

I spent some time this week alone with The Help.

Sheila here.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett is one of my favorite books of all time. (My number one is To Kill A Mockingbird, in case you're wondering.) So I had been looking forward to the movie adaption of the best seller. I was a little worried that it might not be as good as the book, but it was. There were a few elements which the movie left out, but producers didn't change the storyline or the message, so I still give it an A.

IMDB'S description of the plot: "Set in Mississippi during the 1960's, Skeeter is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends' lives -- and a Mississippi town -- upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent, white southern families." It's heart wrenching, funny, thought provoking, and deeply moving. I hope Viola Davis, who plays Abilene, is nominated for an Oscar.

Here's another thing that gets an A in my book. Spending some time alone. Don't get me wrong -- I love being with my kids and my husband more than anything. And fun time with girlfriends is not to be missed. I like my time at work too-- lots of friends there. But being alone is a gift.

It's funny to see my daughter Katie being so much like me when it comes to alone time. She could do without it. When I was a teenager, I could too. If I wasn't running to a play practice, going to a football game, or having a girlfriend over to spend the night, I wasn't happy. It was no fun being alone.

In college and early in my adult life, I was much the same. It was all about my gang of friends, most of whom were in radio and TV, then my boyfriend-fiance-husband, Ric, then my baby girl.

Now that I've been a mother and wife for awhile, I realize how important it is to have alone time. And I find that I am pretty good company. Before I started working with Rob I never would've gone to a movie by myself. Now I relish it. I've only done it a few times! Last winter, I couldn't get anyone to go with me to see The King's Speech, so I finally went by myself. It was a total escape! My girlfriend Jessica asked me to go with a group to see The Help awhile back, but then Ric caught a bug, and I got busy......you get the picture. So I found a window Sunday afternoon, and I went by myself. I laughed at the funny scenes, and I cried at the end, and you know what? I felt recharged! And I even read all of the credits because I didn't want to walk out of the movie theater all teary eyed by myself! Perhaps I also wanted to enjoy those last few moments alone.

Finally! BOSTON

I had something exciting happen to me last week.

Hey everyone. Rob here, and I got into the Boston Marathon.

Could not be more excited. I've been trying to get into Boston for years now.

I qualified twice before thinking, it would be no big deal qualifying again. It was. I did qualify for Boston last fall during the Columbus Marathon. However, registration closed in one day and I was shut out. Usually it takes a few months. Disappointed again.

However, next year on April 16th I will join the more than 20,000 other runners for 26.2 miles.

Boston is the Super Bowl of marathons. It is the only U.s. marathon with qualifying time standards.

The course is also tough. Runners dread "Heartbreak Hill" which begins at mile 16. The crowd support will help. Depending on the weather as many as 500,000 people turn out to cheer on the runners. The marathon runs on Patriot's Day a holiday in Boston. The Red Sox play and Wellesley College located at mile 13 cancels classes for the day, so students can cheer on runners.

I think it is going to be a once in a lifetime experience, and will start training soon.

Now, I need to find a hotel room that won't break the bank. The Westin closes to the finish line is charging $799 a night. "Uh No!"