Just because, my life, social media Natasha Chiam Just because, my life, social media Natasha Chiam

A good day

Today I got up early. Got the kids ready, got myself ready, walked the dog, made myself a smoothie and was out the door by 8:00AM. I know what you are thinking... Dry run for school next week right?

Wrong.

Today, for the first time in MONTHS, I made it to an #SMBYEG (Social Media Breakfast Edmonton) meeting!

My lovely sister-in-law had the morning off and offered to take the kids for breakfast and I gladly took her up on her offer.

Some of you may be asking, what on earth is #SMBYEG and what exactly do you do there?

In a nutshell...

SMBYEG houses an open environment to share today’s best and worst examples of social media, as practiced by individuals, industries and organizations in Edmonton and around the world. Guest speakers share their experience and expertise of social media use, followed by an opportunity to network with a community of like-minded individuals.

Basically, a bunch of awesome local folks get together once a month to share ideas and experiences, to heckle the host (I love you @hedgehodge) and to meet up with a lot of other social media geeks and freaks that are doing a lot of great things in social media in our city and in our world!

I hadn't realized how much I missed these events and missed seeing all of these fine people in real life until I walked into that room this morning. I seriously got a head rush from it all! The new home of #SMBYEG is the fabulous Startup Edmonton venue in the refurbished Mercer Building and is yet another reason to be excited about these events (and did I mention the coffee and treats from Roast Coffee House + Wine Bar... soooo GOOD)!

AND...

To top off my incredible morning, not only did I get to see so many of Edmonton's local social media scene, I also got to hang out with this particular little social media darling!

Photo courtesy of @luzzara, baby courtesy of @JenBanksYEG

And then the kids and I had a play date with some new neighbourhood and school friends, we all had dinner with the family and then I came home and had the most riveting Twitter conversation ever!

It really was a VERY, good day!

Cheers to you all,

Natasha~

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And thus ends my posts for the Summer Blog Challenge. I *almost* made it! 

This is Post #30.

I am taking the long weekend off to mull over some things and will be back to the keyboard next week.

 

 

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Just because, Lists, social media Natasha Chiam Just because, Lists, social media Natasha Chiam

Just ask the Tweety-box!

There are days when I really do turn to Twitter to make decisions.  {Please tell me I am not the only one who does this!} Today was one of those days.

I was in Chapter's with the kids, picking up a last minute birthday present and a much needed soy latte at the attached Starbuck's and I decided that I wanted a new book as well. Yes, I still read and purchase actual books. I like the feel and smell of words on real paper. And finishing that last page in a book feels like an accomplishment to me, and maybe especially so now that I don't do as much novel reading as I used to pre-children!

So I sent out this tweet. (Please excuse the typo!)

And the Twitterverse answered!

I now have the following list of books recommended by people I like, whose opinions I trust and whom I follow on Twitter!

It's like the Ultimate Book Club!

And since a few of you may want in on these suggestions, I thought I would post them all in one place.

1. Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

2. The Fault of our Stars by John Green

3. Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart

4. Tiny Beautiful Things  by Cheryl Strayed

5. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn  {This is the one I decided on for today. Thank you @CoffeewithJulie for being the first to respond to my tweet!}

6. The Alienist by Caleb Carr

5. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (I have tried this one before and couldn't do it, I may just have to give it a go again.)

6. Life of Pi  by Yann Martel (Same as above and since I do like to read books BEFORE I see movie remakes of them, I'll try this again too.)

7. The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman (My second choice today and I think I may go back for it.)

8. And a great suggestion for the kids, True Story, from local writer Marty Chan. This really is a great book (we already have it!) and I highly recommend it as a gift or just to add to your kid's book collection!

Thank you to all who responded and gave me their book suggestions. It seems that along with doing this Summer Blog Challenge, I know have a little Summer Reading Challenge to do as well! And this list does not include the book that I have to read for next week for my ACTUAL book club. (PS-Does anyone have an extra copy of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander lying around? It has been a few years and I may need a bit of a refresher course on Jamie and Claire!

Anywho.... I am off to start Gone Girl before I hit the hay.

Happy Reading Everyone!

Natasha~

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This is Day 14 of the Summer Blog Challenge and I am giving you even more things to read! Sheesh!

You know the drill, visit the others doing this crazee thing called writing and follow along....

Zita at The Dulock Diaries.

Meaghan at MagzD Life

April at This Mom’s Got Something to Say

Aramelle at One Wheeler’s World

 Jessica at 2plus2X2

and Liam at In the Now

 

 

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Just because, my life Natasha Chiam Just because, my life Natasha Chiam

My {much needed} hormone fix... a room full of Incredible Women and one Baby.

I am not going to lie folks. It has been a rough couple of days for me.

I have been "capital G" grouchy!

Just ask my kids. (Poor babies!)

And not just grouchy. I have been irrationally irritable, I have had absolutely NO patience for anything or anyone and I am grinding my teeth almost to the point of lock-jaw.

And I am bloated.

It was this last thing that tipped me off as to what the heck is wrong with me....

I am totally PMS'ing!

Now you maybe wondering why this is making the cut as a blog topic, but to be honest, this realization kind of shocked me. You see, I am not, nor have I ever been a very pre-menstrual kind of gal. No cramps, no crazy moods, no nothing (don't hate me)! And with my current form of birth control (Mirena) I rarely even get a visit from dear Aunt Flo.

So what is a girl to do to get out of this PMS funk??

Why drink some red raspberry tea and then get out of the house and into a room full of amazing women of course!

Which is exactly what I did.

Tonight I attended the first Social Circlet event in Edmonton. This local networking event was arranged by the lovely ladies of Bibagogo and was a great opportunity to meet with a lot of great businesses and business women (and a few men) that I have up until now only "met" online. The setting was perfect, the food and wine was great (props to my girl Amanda from D'lish Wine Bar for the amazing Truffle Mac & Cheese and Leah from The Art of Macaroons for the spectacularly sweet, melt in your mouth macaroons) and the company I was in was simply fantastic.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQRtjt9OqcE&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

A room full of women making it on their own terms, doing what they love and living their passions is a powerful drug and it was just what I needed tonight.

Well, that and some smooshy cuddles from Maureen from Tangible Moments almost two week old daughter!! I love me some new baby pheromones and a sweet little oxytocin fix!!

Thank you so much everyone!

Natasha~

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Summer Blog Challenge posts for August 25, 2011

 

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humour, Just because Natasha Chiam humour, Just because Natasha Chiam

I am kinda PISSED...

What the Freakin' Firetruck is wrong with Hollywood?? Is there not an original idea floating around anywhere in La La Land these days!!

I just heard that Ridley Scott is planning to revisit and remake the world of "Blade Runner". 

This is the icing on the shit cake that includes the overly cheesy Kenny Ortega announcing (and then shamelessly plugging away on So You Think You Can Dance) the remake of "Dirty Dancing".

What is wrong with these people? Why can they just leave the classics alone and let them BE CLASSICS! Especially the classics that they made in the first place!

Blade Runner and Dirty Dancing are two of my favourite movies of all time. The mere thought of someone other than Patrick Swayze playing Johnny is unfathomable to me. And can someone please explain to me who on earth they can get to embody the anguish and yearned-for human existence and memory that was Rutger Hauer's portrayal of the replicant Roy Batty?

And while I am ranting about this, can any of you comic book geeks out there please explain to me why all the super hero movies need to be "re-booted" every few years? The Hulk, Spiderman, Superman and now even Batman? And these are just the so-called 'good ones'....

Maybe I am just a purist. I like things to stay the way they were originally made. I want new generations to appreciate what came before them and see the value and talent and awesomeness that was. I want my kids to watch Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and Back to the Future when they are old enough and know how cool they are in their originality. I want them to appreciate original art and a good movie....

...or a completely cheesy one too!!

Damn it people, NOBODY puts Baby in a corner!

And by "Baby" I mean Jennifer Grey, before the nose job!!

N~

 

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Summer Blog Challenge posts for August 22, 2011

 

 

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iPhoneography, Just because Natasha Chiam iPhoneography, Just because Natasha Chiam

Me and my camera getting to know each other better.

I have a fabulous new friend.  Her name is Linda Patterson of Timeless Edge Photography and she is great!  Not only does she take amazing pictures (have you seen my new avatar?), she is my new photography mentor.  She is also the kind of photographer who makes photo shoots fun, never goes for the canned shot and truly loves what she does.  And she gets goosebumps when she gets "THE" shot! Every time I am with her, she gives me little bits of advice and tips about how to improve my picture taking.  Like did you know that you can use a tissue over your flash to give that diffused light look?  Or how about the "S-curve"? That oh-so-flattering way that movie actresses and supermodels always stand when getting pictures taken on the red carpet.  Or the one that has made the biggest difference for me is placement of your subject in the picture. Never in the middle, always in the upper or lower corners of your view frame.

So that being said, here is a sampling of my 'work' lately behind the camera.  A few nature shots in my mom's garden and a couple of shots of my little muses.  What do you think?

Say cheese, Natasha~

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