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

Advertisement

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!

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!

 ————————

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)

Freshly Pressed!

If you are a reader and/or user of wordpress.com blogs, you might know that the main page features a collection of blogs each day in a section known as “Freshly Pressed.” I’ll admit that I wondered from time to time if PiP would ever be on that page. To my surprise, Preservation in Pink was chosen as one of the freshly pressed blogs for April 25, 2012, with the post “Measuring Sense of Place” highlighted.

I’m flattered and honored for Preservation in Pink to be chosen;  this is an important milestone for PiP. Thank you new visitors and readers who took some time to browse through the archives or to comment on the Measuring Sense of Place post. The comments on the post are from around the world and it is exciting to read what people believe and how they define or questions sense of place. If you’re curious, now would be the time to jump into the conversation.

One of the best things about blogging is learning from others and discovering new blogs. It’s interesting and an education to converse about a subject with people from different professions and areas of study, and still understand what each other means. In other words, it’s a good reminder as to how small the world is and how much we are all intertwined.

I hope that you’ll find reason to return to Preservation in Pink, whether because you love preservation, community discussions, flamingos, roadside America, coffee, history, historic architecture, transportation, or anything that connects to/from preservation.

Check back later today for new posts.

Summer 2010 Internships

One of the most common pieces of advice I’ve heard lately for internships is to record your daily activities, to document as you go. Otherwise, you will forget. Like those road trip pictures from three years ago you were going to label and never did — where was that particular “middle of nowhere” shot? — well, sort of like that, but you know what I mean.  Most of all, it’s practical. Whether you have an internship report requirement or whether you want to make sure you can identify your new skills, records are important.

Of course, a fun way to document highlights of your internship is through a blog. Share with classmates, friends, family, and fellow preservationists what your day-t0-day internship is like.  If you have an internship blog, let me know so PiP readers can read about it. Or consider guest posting your experiences like Lauren McMillan’s summer 2009 archaeology field school posts or Nicholas Bogosian’s monthly preservation trades posts. Either way, I’m sure a lot of people would love to hear about it. Think about it, ask me about it, let me know.

Readers, if you have a preservation blog that isn’t linked here, comment below — share the wealth of blogs and spread the word. The more people who read about preservation and learn what others are doing, the better!