Slight Appearance Update

Good morning all,

I’ve been wanting to try a new blog look for a while — pardon the theme and layout changes while I work on that. There is not a way to do it behind the scenes and not publicize it. I realize this is not exciting work for some. But if you like talking blog design, layout, such things, I’d love to ask you a few questions, and to hear your answers.

What do you think of the Preservation in Pink logos? The former banner logo? The small logo? Both have been around for years. I’ve always liked them, but maybe a fresh look is good? Bloggers and others, when is the appropriate time to update a logo?

banner logo (formerly on top of the blog)

small logo – used for social media and business cards.

Small changes right now: social media links / email / etc can be found via buttons on the button of the home page. Scroll down. And some of the sidebar widgets have been moved to the bottom footer areas.

Everything else should be the same for the now. Thanks for your patience and thoughts!

Happy Monday!

– Kaitlin

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New Media for Preservationists: STELLER

As preservationists, as people, sharing stories, photographs, and memories is an important part of how we communicate, commemorate, and connect. We seek to reach family members, friends, colleagues, strangers, and more. Living in the digital (or internet) age, we have so many options for sharing: blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email, cloud streaming, digital publications – it’s endless, really, and incredibly exciting. There is always something new right around the corner.

The newest story/photo sharing app is called STELLER. In a nutshell, you create mini-books with photos, text, and videos and then share them with the world. It reminds me of Instagram, but in a more published feeling. And the best part of this is that viewers do not need the app. You can send your story link to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, email or a text message. (Right now, this app is only available for Apple devices, so you can only make a STELLER story with the app on your Apple device. Hopefully that changes soon.)

My introduction to STELLER is entirely credited to Raina (@rainaregan on Twitter or @raiosunshine on Instagram). We love to talk social media and preservation and cats, and started to discuss the potential does an app like this hold for historic preservation?

A picture is worth 1,000 words, so they say; seeing is believing and understanding the words of preservation. An app that shares photographs is fun and connects people to one another socially, professionally, near and far. What can STELLER do? Education guides, travel guides, themes, marketing, just to name a few. Or, on a personal level, it can create memory books and offer stories and collections of a trip, an event, a day. Since it’s a brand new app, we’re just experimenting with it.

My first STELLER story is a collection of Vermont winter photos. Click here or on the image below.

And check out Raina’s first story about Indiana Courthouses. (She’s also one of the best Instagrammers out there, so follow her @raiosunshine.)

What do you think? Are you on STELLER? Is this just another social media photo fad, or do you see its potential? 

Seeking Advice for Blog Hosting & Moving!

Dear Readers,

Preservation in Pink is getting older and ready to leave the nest of wordpress.com to a self hosted wordpress.org. However, it’s a big, scary move when its been on wordpress.com for almost seven years. I turn to all of you who speak the language of blogs, hosting, website, etc. Can you recommend a host? A method for moving your entire blog? Any cautionary tales or other advice? What to expect? I’ve researched this process, and while it seems easy enough my biggest fear remains: moving the blog and losing everything!

Your help and suggestions are much appreciated!

Cheers, Kaitlin

PiP is soon to be under construction. Watch for falling concrete!

Spring Cleaning Tips

Does spring cleaning overflow into your digital life? Maybe you’re tired of so many emails, notifications, junk mail, any mail…just stuff. Have you looked at how to manage all of those blog posts and other updates? Want to mange the Preservation in Pink updates you receive and how?

How to receive Preservation in Pink updates:

• Twitter @presinpink

• Subscribe in Feedly or another news aggregator service. Feedly is a great way to get all of your blogs in one place. You can click the RSS button on the sidebar to choose one.

• Email subscriptions to posts and/or comments. On the sidebar it will say “Follow this blog” or “You are following.” Click “manage” to see the blogs you follow on WordPress. Then click on the blog name to change how often you receive emails and to turn on/off comments (see below). Easy!

How to change your subscriptions.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Blog Update: A Series Page

A Preservation in Pink blog update: now when you visit the site there is a new page for better blog organization. Visit the “Series” page (click on the top menu) and you’ll be able to browse through the past and present series featured on Preservation in Pink, from Preservation ABCs to Preservation Basics and more.

Hopefully readers find this useful. It’s all part of the 2013 goal to make PiP more searchable and accessible, and to share the many topics discussed over the years. More improvements are on the way. Thanks for reading!

So Long 2012, Welcome 2013

Here we are at the end of 2012. I hope it’s been a great one for you. Just as we all take a look at ourselves at the end of the year to see how we’ve grown and changed, I like to do the same for PiP in order to prepare for the upcoming year. So here I go: what a year it’s been for Preservation in Pink. Highlights have included:

• A re-post feature on Preservation Nation about being a historic preservationist
• Participating in the Pacifico Preservation Adventure series with the National Trust
• Presenting at the Vermont Historic Preservation & Downtown Conference
• Being Freshly Pressed on WordPress
• A re-post on The Bridgehunter’s Chronicles
• and watching the PiP community grow with new readers, new friends, and new ideas.  The average views per day increased to almost 400, up from 230 in 2011. Wow!

Friends, you bring conversation, inspiration and lessons. Thank you! Need a quick overview of what PiP is all about? Read on. This year Preservation in Pink introduced a few new series and continued a few older series including:

• Preservation ABCs
• House Hopping
• Preservation Pop Quiz
• Sense of Place (define, measure, improving)
• Preservation Grammar (continued from 2011)
• Abandoned Vermont (continued from 2011)
• Preservation Photos (continued since 2009)
• Flamingo-grams (an Instagram outlet – @presinpink)

Aside from series, the posts this year often focused on looking at the environment around us, learning to read the environment, learning to interpret the importance of everyday sights in our communities. Topics included (click these links to read the original posts):

• Street observations
• Parking lots and spaces
• Trash cans & recycling bins
• Streetlights
• Sidewalks & Curbs
• Wayfinding signage
• Pedestrian malls
• Bad signage
• Parklets
• Parkways

Posts ventured beyond the streetscape to more abstract thoughts and/or random conversations about architecture, memories, and preservation thoughts. Here are just a few (click these links too):

• How to Photograph a Bridge
• The Un-covered Bridge
• Preservation Guilt: HGTV
• I am a Historic Preservationist
• Digital Calendars & Paper Planners
• Your Written Record
• “Ugly” Architecture & Brutalism
• Big Box Stores & Preservation Tools
• Memories & Songs
• Summer Days

Looking to 2013: what is in store? The series above will continue, two new mini-series will be introduced in January, and others will develop throughout the year. Bigger goals include cleaning up the blog pages, moving the blog platform, and working to improve the reach of Preservation in Pink while remaining true to the mission and current readers. Ideas, suggestions, conversations are always welcomed and encouraged. The success, growth, and reach of PiP is a testament to all of you and your interest in historic preservation. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You bring so much joy to this preservation loving gal.

What would you like to see on Preservation in Pink? What are your goals for 2013? What do you want to accomplish in preservation? What would you like to learn?

So long, farewell, 2012. Welcome 2013. Cheers to everyone and best wishes for an absolutely wonderful year, full of happiness, success and love.

Thanksgiving Flamingo-grams

Hoping everyone had a lovely extended weekend. Count your blessings year round. Here are some of mine from the weekend.

You can follow Preservation in Pink happenings through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr — the sources for photographs and images if it’s not a blog post day. All of these are linked to each other (so the images should be found at each source) can be found on the sidebar of the main blog page. And every so often I’ll round up the images for a Flamingo-grams post on the blog. You’ll notice that not every photograph is directly historic preservation – some includes family, travel, baking, pets, just bits and pieces from my sense of place and environment. If you have links to share, please do.

And Happy 21st Birthday to my youngest sister, Erin!

Preservation in Pink on Instagram

You might be aware that Preservation in Pink can be followed on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and now Instagram. It’s a lot to keep up with, but all are linked (and I apologize for the duplicate posts on all of the social media sites, as I have not figured out otherwise). Instagram is most easily followed on a smartphone, but you can get the links through Twitter and Facebook when they are posted. What is Instagram? Basically, it’s a photo sharing app through which you can add effects to photos, geotag them if you choose, add captions and share them with your followers. It’s fun and free.

I like Instagram for images that may not require an entire post, when sharing a quick photograph fits the bill. Sometimes I’ll add additional clues to the pop quizzes on Instagram. Again, those appear on Facebook and Twitter because all are linked, so you’re not missing out if you don’t use Instagram.

Preservation in Pink can be found on Instagram as “presinpink” with pictures of buildings, flamingos, books, road trips, antiques, family, playgrounds, sisters, etc. Here are just some of the recent Instagram photos from the world of PiP.

Main Street Middle School, Montpelier, VT

 

Do you have an Instagram account? Is it building, place, preservation or flamingo related? Let me know!

p.s. speaking of pop quizzes: there are a few still waiting on answers. I haven’t forgotten!

Vermont Historic Preservation & Downtown Conference 2012

Friday June 8 was the much anticipated Vermont Historic Preservation & Downtown Conference, held in Wilmington, VT. Wilmington was one of the Vermont towns most damaged from the flooding of Tropical Storm Irene on August 28, 2011, and the theme of the conference “Resiliency” fit Wilmington perfectly. Wilmington is a beautiful Vermont village, filled with an array of historic architecture, concrete bridges, local retail, eateries and lodging among residential, civic and religious buildings.

Wilmington: Where Amazing Happens. Seen at morning registration.

Luckily, the day was graced with beautiful Vermont weather: blue skies, white clouds, warm sunshine and green mountains in the background. The morning began with registration followed by the welcome, keynote speaker and preservation awards in Memorial Hall. How wonderful it is to see so many preservation-loving people in one place and to hear inspiring stories. The keynote speaker, Stuart Comstock-Gay of the Vermont Community Foundation, gave an excellent speech, acknowledging the hard work that has defined Vermonters (particularly since Irene), but also the fact that we have to keep going and keep up our motivation and momentum. Before the afternoon sessions began, everyone broke for lunch and enjoyed the local places in town.

Preservation in Pink (Flamingos): How Historic Preservation Relates to You, was slotted in the first afternoon session, 1:30-2:30, and held in the St. Mary’s in the Mountains Episcopal Church. My attention throughout the conference was focused on this presentation and not taking photographs, which is my explanation for the lack of images. (Sorry!)

Preservation in Pink set up in the church!

Opening slide for Preservation in Pink (Flamingos)

To all who attended the PiP session, thank you! I had the best time presenting, sharing the Preservation in Pink story with you and talking about how historic preservation and our built environment relate to each other. How nice it was to meet readers and those new to Preservation in Pink. This was the debut of PiP outside of the blog and newsletter, and I couldn’t have hoped for a better experience. I hope the attendees enjoyed themselves as well. And thank you for laughing when I unknowingly said “preaching to the choir.” I did not plan it! Of course, thank you to the Preservation Trust of Vermont for inviting me to speak.

During the presentation. Photo sent by reader and Vermont author Beth Kanell. Thank you Beth!

The conference continued with a second round of afternoon sessions and then an afternoon barbecue held at North Star Bowl on Route 100. This locally owned business suffered greatly from the flood, but with a dedicated community behind it, recovered and rebuilt. Wilmington is full of inspiring people, from residents to business owners to second home-owners. They have come a long way since the August flooding, but still have a long way to go. If you are traveling on Route 9 or Route 100, stop in for a visit. Hope to see you next year!

Happy 5th Birthday Preservation in Pink!

Preservation in Pink turned five years old on May 28. Five years ago was the debut of the very first (short) newsletter and this blog address served only as a placeholder for newsletter issues throughout its first year.

The newsletter ran for six issues, while this blog continued to develop and grow, starting as a regular blog in spring of 2008. The early blog days began with oral history anecdotes, field school lessons and subjects that I found to be preservation inspiration. As it turns out, once I started writing, I couldn’t stop! From community related issues to roadside America to national preservation concerns, landscape, transportation, historic architecture, graduate school, all things flamingo and coffee, these 900+ posts have been near and far.

Although PiP has evolved over the years, it remains true to the original purpose: to encourage communication between preservationists and non-preservationists, to keep us all inspired and enthusiastic, and to explain the benefits and relevance of the field to everyone.

To see the growth in Preservation in Pink is humbling and inspiring, quite frankly. To know that more and more people are reading about preservation and making the connection from one field to another says to me that we are all making a difference and people are becoming more aware and in touch with their built environment, communities, and heritage.

Perhaps understandably so, it is hard to remember my preservation life before Preservation in Pink or a time when most people I know did not associate me with every flamingo they saw. Without being too sentimental, Preservation in Pink has always been and continues to be a true joy in my life. When a post resonates with a reader (a preservationist or not) and that person can make a connection to the field, it warms my whole heart.

Thank you readers, longtime and new, regular or passersby, for your support, interest, conversations and comments, emails, word-of-mouth publicity and of course, for the flamingo links and photos. You are a wonderful bunch (dare I say flock?), and I learn from you constantly.

Just some of the Preservation in Pink flamingos.

Happy Birthday to Preservation in Pink!

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Some of My Favorite Posts Over the Years, New and Old

Grandma’s Pyrex Mixing Bowls (April 2012)

You Do Not Have to be a Historic Preservationist (March 2012)

How to Photograph a Bridge (February 2012)

Anatomy of Preservation Guilt: HGTV (January 2012)

I Am A Historic Preservationist (January 2012)

Preservation Grammar: Historic v. Historical (December 2011)

If Someone Offered Free Vinyl Siding (October 2011)

The Upside of Interstates (May 2011)

Preservation Basics – Series (April 2011)

I Wear A Hard Hat (January 2011)

My Ode to Derby (January 2011)

My Road to Preservation (September 2010)

Vermont in Pictures (August 2010)

A Response to “How to Turn Young Adults into Preservationists” (July 2010)

Gold in Them Thar Hills: Part Three (June 2010)

More of Carl’s (June 2010)

The Kitten Who Studied Architectural History (December 2009)

Landmarks Shaping Me (December 2009)

Right Place at the Right Time (July 2009)

Why They Don’t Let Me Outside (February 2009)

Interstates, Rest Stops, Service Roads, Old Asphalt, and Coffee (January 2009)

The Time Warp Effect of Home (December 2008)

Concrete v. Asphalt (December 2008)

Five Stages of Small-Town Preservation Induced Grief (August 2008)

Why Do All Preservationists Love Flamingos? (August 2008)

Old Memories, New Memories: The Evolution of My Favorite Place (July 2008)

South Carolina Road Trip (July 2008)

My Ode to Oral History (May 2008)

Nebraska Schoolhouse (October 2007)