budcozy blog

Changes coming soon

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:25:00 +0000

I'm working away on revamping my blogs and design portfolio... eager to finally have everything in one place at missjenny.com. I've been buried in work for so long that it's been tough to find the time, but I've decided excuses no more!

I also recently relocated to Vancouver, BC and would love to meet fellow designers and developers in the area. My dog Lucy would love to meet other dogs too... so folks with dogs are an added plus!

Is Twitter Valuable?

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:03:00 +0000

A marathon status feed on Facebook.. debating whether Twitter has value.

All names have been changed to twitter names... convoluted, yes. but it sort of makes sense. Bold is my emphasis for key points.

It started with this status:
"Sorel is waiting for the Facebook changes backlash to explode like it always does.”

@sorel 9:34am March 10
Personally, I like the changes, and am looking forward to the homepage changes too. But it is going to take some time for people to adjust. These changes are BIG, and, I think, necessary.

@pattyfab at 9:45am March 10
The only changes I see so far are the tabs on the home page, which I like too (altho I wish you could customize them even further).

But yeah, inevitably whenever there is change - even for the better - people will gripe. I heard these changes are to bring FB more in line with Bebo and allow you to have one password that links Twitter, Flickr, all the others.

@sorel at 9:47am March 10
The big changes are to fan pages (so far). what you should be seeing is fan pages showing up in your newsfeed, as if they were your friends. the main 2 profiles I am seeing right now are Facebook and NY Times.

@sorel at 9:48am March 10
Check out any fan page, and you will see that it looks like a personal profile page. (They are now called Public Profiles.)

@pattyfab at 9:48am March 10
Ah. I don't have a lot of fan pages.

@sorel at 9:52am March 10
Actually you have over 50! :) But I think they are mostly ones that won't do a lot of talking.

Julie at 9:54am March 10
so that's why Barack Obama's status keeps showing up!

@sorel at 9:55am March 10
exactly!

@sorel at 9:58am March 10
On Twitter, people are used to seeing brands & organizations in their stream -- because they chose to put them there. This makes FB feel more like Twitter, but it will be a big adjustment for people. It looks like they are putting the tools in place to make it manageable, but it is still a big change. (Can you tell I think about this a lot?)

@pattyfab at 10:03am March 10
Someone has to!

I am still not sold on Twitter. Not one bit. But people love it.

@sorel at 10:04am March 10
I love searching it, but don't feel much need to tweet myself. It has been good for California Academy of Sciences, however. (For which I am the official Twitterer.)

@pattyfab at 10:06am March 10
I have basically stopped tweeting and haven't really messed around with search. To me it's the apogee of the short attention span. 140 characters is no room for content, it's just sound bites and headlines, and no opportunity for meaningful dialogue. If FB can capture what is best about Twitter and avoid the extreme shallowness, then that's great.

@sorel at 10:08am March 10
Agreed.

For the Academy, it is an awesome way to listen in on public conversation. And even provide some customer service. Beyond that? I pull a lot of links out and find some interesting content. So not the tweets themselves, but what they point to.

What is better here is that other people are seeing this conversation and can easily contribute.

@pattyfab at 10:10am March 10
The links part of Twitter is good, I've found some cool stuff there. The "my headcold has now migrated into my sinuses" stuff is what I can live without. Like anything else it's how people use it.

Harriet at 10:33am March 10
I find myself immediately asking for "less about". I love the NY Times, but don't want to see it all day in my news feed. And some others too. If the less about works, then I'm happy.

@missjennyjenny at 11:38am March 10
just my 2 cents re:twitter.. what i like is that it is an extended network of people/things that i do not necessarily have (or want) on FB. Who/what i follow on twitter is different than my FB network of friends, and has become indispensable in it's own way. There is some overlap, but I honestly need both. Plus, my FB behavior is totally different than my twitter behavior. I have twitter hooked up to my FB status but that is more of a side benefit.. not the core use. This is all so interesting!

@sorel at 2:56pm March 10
What if you could segment your Facebook feed? Could it then fill the role that Twitter does? Just curious!

@missjennyjenny at 3:20pm March 10
I'm may not quite understand your question (so do set me straight if you need to) but I think the issue comes down to a core behavior difference between the two: fb = approved/known/safe network of friends/family/collegues/groups/etc. accessed through a variety of media that can be archived independent of any time line... where twitter allows access to a running stream of text content outside any self controlled/approved network. They seem very different to me, not sure how to combine. FB is a closed system, like AOL? Twitter is open like the internet or a tool like a browser? Hmm, not totally sure of the right metaphor. Does that make any sense? ;)

@sorel at 3:25pm March 10
One of the things facebook seems to be looking at is giving people the option to make some content fully public. In other words, anyone at all can see it: Essentially creating another twitter stream, but possibly richer since it might include images/videos/etc.

So what if that were possible, and yet by switching channels on your home page, you could still have your private facebook experience too?

I could be wrong, but I think this is where it is headed.

@sorel at 3:26pm March 10
it would of course take some seriously easy-to-use privacy controls.

@missjennyjenny at 4:14pm March 10
Yes, that could be what's ahead. Would be huge for FB to move the momentum of Twitter onto FB. They weren't able to buy them, so build it.

@pattyfab at 7:59pm March 10
I guess I just see Twitter as completely superficial, not having much content at all. I hadn't considered the private/public paradigm. There ARE privacy controls on Twitter. I don't link my stati (plural of status??). So for me they are separate too but more as in FB I like and participate in, Twitter I check in once or twice a day and scratch my head and wonder where's the beef.

@missjennyjenny at 8:03pm March 10
i've heard that from many people.. not sure why some people love it and others don't. something i'm sure both fb and twitter are trying to figure out. have you spent any time using twitter search summize, especially during an event?

@pattyfab at 8:09pm March 10
I keep hearing the search feature is good but I can't really imagine what I would search for in 140 character sound bites.

What really turned me off Twitter recently was one friend who was at some sort of "virtual" conference and tweeted like every 10 minutes with hash tags and the like, totally filling up my feed, and I thought, honestly, don't you have anything better to do? Maybe he didn't.

When friends ask me why I'm on FB and what I get out of it, I have no problem coming up with reasons. The same question of Twitter and I really have no answer except that I feel like I *should* or I'm missing out. I certainly have nothing of interest or import to contribute to the twitterverse.

@sorel at 8:09pm March 10
That's the part I love about it. As @calacademy, I run TweetDeck, with like 10 panels. 3 or 4 are various searches for academy keywords, one is dedicated to other institutions we follow, and one is mostly social media folks we follow. That's when I start to find interesting things. And the signal to noise ratio is pretty high given the number of professionals I follow -- not TOO many posts about lunch.

@sorel at 8:16pm March 10
go to search.twitter.com and type in something that interests you, say "book design" -- you might find resources or who knows what. Also, on the side of the page, you will see "trending topics" -- that tells you what is hot right this minute. (Right now, American Idol and SXSW.)

@pattyfab at 8:23pm March 10
Well I guess one of the problems is I don't see a "search" function anywhere on the page. Or am I retarded?

@missjennyjenny at 8:29pm March 10
ack, no.. don't be hard on yourself ;) A lot of this is not entirely user friendly (yet). Go to this link, I did a summize.com search for "book design"... kind of like a google keyword search but just a search of all the tweets that contain "book design", then scroll through and see if anything looks interesting.. follow links, read about people, see their websites listed in their bios.. just go with the flow! see you in an hour! http://search.twitter.com/search?q=book+design

@pattyfab at 8:33pm March 10
An hour? Sorry... I'm just missing something.

@pattyfab at 8:34pm March 10
It's frustrating because I was one of the early adopters, among my crowd, of Twitter, and have lost interest just as it gains real momentum. I don't think I ever really got it tho. All power to the rest of y'all.

@sorel at 9:12am March 11
I am surprised that even the search leaves you cold. Of course it is most interesting when you are looking for something that you actually need to find information about.

@pattyfab at 10:50am March 11
I didn't find any info on "book design" by looking at that link. A lot of noise but no signal. Just a bunch of @replies and stuff. I guess my fundamental issue is that - other than posting links, which can be useful - I don't see a lot of room for actual content in 140 characters. I can see the value, say, for a type foundry which can announce a new release. But for someone like me who has nothing to promote particularly, it feels like spitting in the ocean.

Sorry to sound like a curmudgeon, but I did give it the college try. I'm not one of those cranky folks who dismisses social networking out of hand without even checking it out (like a lot of our mutual friends...).

@pattyfab at 11:00am March 11
@twecipe looks cool tho.

@sorel at 11:07am March 11
here, try one more search: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=typography

i found a bunch of possibly interesting typography links from one quick search. You are right that there is a lot of noise, no question. It's best use is for timely things (like the election, or the release of a new iPod). You also have to have a need or desire to know what people are chattering about, and that may not apply to you! :)

haven't twied twecipe yet! need to.

@pattyfab at 11:12am March 11
You're sweet. And not the only person trying to convince me to like Twitter.

As regards Typography, I already frequent a typography site and follow a lot of foundries on Twitter. I still can't get past the "I'm working on my typography final paper" in the search.

I had a technical question and posted it on both twitter and FB. Twitter - nada. Facebook I got several ways to solve it. Part of that might be the relative sizes of my networks. But... you follow too much on twitter and they start dropping off the home page b4 you even get to read them.

@sorel at 11:22am March 11
But did you see the tshirt that said "YO, THAT KERN IS TIGHT!"

Truth is, I use the search function professionally for the most part. The best way to listen in on the crowd.

I agree with you in many ways about actually using Twitter, and find it interesting that Jenny gets such value from it day-to-day! I am trying to understand that more. (Thanks Jenny for explaining!)

@pattyfab at 11:26am March 11
Yes, thanks Jenny. And I understand, I found myself defending FB to a tableful of nonbelievers last night (Amy Seplin, Sue, Emily & Steve, etc etc).

Twitter manages to tap into two zeitgeists right now, both of which I find troubling. One is the short attention span and the other is oversharing. I'd like to see it move more into the professional sphere but maybe I just need to limit who I follow.

@pattyfab at 11:27am March 11
But for example, David Pogue. I thought "now there's the kind of tweet I will want to read" but no... his tweets are fairly insipid.

@sorel at 11:31am March 11
ah yes, the nonbelievers. They will catch up someday. I firmly believe social networking will become a fundamental aspect of the internet. Eventually anyway.

@sorel at 11:32am March 11
and agreed about the oversharing short attention span problem.

@missjennyjenny at 12:20pm March 11
You need to follow people who offer interesting/valuable tweets according to what *you* feel is interesting/valuable. Whether that turns out to be something insipid or not is up to you. Whether that ends up being people you know or not depends on whether people you know are interesting *on twitter*. Don't follow someone if you don't like what they are tweeting, simple as that. Build a quality follow list - follow someone for 10 min, or not. whatever. If you can't find anyone interesting then you're not really looking. If you don't want to spend the time to *look*, then don't. Attract *interesting* people by adding value to the community by offering *interesting* tweets for people to find *you*. Give a reason for someone to follow you. No one told me how to do this, it all feels natural to me. Insipid content, oversharing, and short attention spans are not unique to twitter or facebook...

@missjennyjenny at 12:21pm March 11
And just because something is communicated in X number of characters does not in itself dictate value.

@missjennyjenny at 12:24pm March 11
i don't even know why i'm defending all this. i'm not trying to change anyone's mind, you like what you like or not. i guess it's just so obvious to me that i'm surprised i have to explain it.

@pattyfab at 12:25pm March 11
And that's funny because it isn't obvious to me. Different strokes I guess. I'm just not convinced - yet - that Twitter rewards that sort of investment.

@missjennyjenny at 12:36pm March 11
exactly. twitter has rewarded my investment, easily, from the start. i guess it's just not for you if you've given it a try and haven't found any value, and don't want to invest any more time in it because you are certain it's not worth the time (and you are entitled to feel that way). that seems all really clear. what is not clear is why you care? does it bother you that other people do find value in it when you don't? should it bother me that you don't find value in it?

@missjennyjenny at 12:36pm March 11
ok, and now i have to work!!

@pattyfab at 12:47pm March 11
It bothers me because I feel like I'm missing something I guess.

@missjennyjenny at 12:56pm March 11
it doesn't bother me that i'm missing out on skiing in fresh powder.. i don't like skiing.

@pattyfab at 1:15pm March 11
LOL. Skiing I get! But I'm happy not to scuba dive.

As an independent designer I think it's important that I be plugged in, at least to some extent. Since I don't have an office water cooler to hang around. Which is why I keep trying to engage with Twitter.

@sorel at 1:19pm March 11
There is actually a blog post out there about how Twitter is the water cooler of the work-at-home set. Not for me, yet, either.

@missjennyjenny at 1:24pm March 11
are either of you interested in a couple follow suggestions? or are you done? i'm not even sure what interests me would interest you.. but i'm happy to share.

@pattyfab at 1:29pm March 11
Share away. I'm totally interested. I'll follow you, Jenny!

@sorel at 1:42pm March 11
btw, you are both designers, if that helps! And I'm always willing to check out suggestions.

@missjennyjenny at 1:59pm March 11
well, i hope i'm not too insipid for you. I do tweet about my dog sometimes. you've been warned ;)
missjennyjenny

here are some that I find consistently good, although some do have a regional slant - not sure where you are located Patricia:
laughingsquid
stephenanderson
freerangestudio
inspiring (i contribute here)
Earth911
lizstrauss
ilovetypography
ekai

@sorel at 2:02pm March 11
Also on Fridays, there is a #followfriday meme. You can use the search page to see who people are recommending to follow. Can be a bit broad, however. Back to that needle in the haystack problem.

@pattyfab at 8:16pm March 11
I had dinner with my brother tonight who works in the technosphere and asked him what his co-workers think of Twitter. He said they are pretty divided on it, some are totally hooked and think it's great and some aren't sold on it at all.

I guess I should check out Tweetdeck, isn't that the way to organize it?

@pattyfab at 8:17pm March 11
And thanks for the follow suggestions Jenny!

@sorel at 8:18pm March 11
It does help a lot especially if you follow a lot of people. You can have panels for searches or for groups of people that you set up.

@pattyfab at 8:42pm March 11
But... what is tweetdeck and where do I find it?

@sorel at 8:49pm March 11
www.tweetdeck.com :)

@sorel at 8:50pm March 11
it might be more than you need right now, but I kind of love it.

@missjennyjenny at 11:21pm March 11
Sorel, here's a screen shot of the new FB homepage. Are they rolling it out to certain users first? That seems to ring a bell for me, something I saw a while back about opting in as an early user or what that something else? http://www.flickr.com/photos/afightingfaith/3348658296/sizes/o/

@missjennyjenny at 11:38pm March 11
Patricia, if you set your twitter feed as private than no body other than who you've approved can see any of your tweets (obviously). Totally fine if you want to be private, but realize it prohibits you from any organic exposure. This also means your tweets won't show up in any search results and the general community won't know you exist – and isn't the general community who you may want to get to know and vice versa? You can still block individual accounts if someone is offensive/spammy. If you tweet out for advice "any one know of a good bank in vancouver" then *only* the people you've approved can see that and reply. The whole beauty to me is I may not know the person who has the advice I'm seeking – but my tweet can be found by someone who does. Also, if I am following someone, they may be more likely to follow me back if they can see my profile & my other tweets – sort of see if i'm interesting, or not.

@sorel at 6:27am March 12
There was a notice yesterday that they are rolling out the new home page as of last night. Everyone should have it within the next few days. I have already seen the "don't change Facebook" responses!

@pattyfab at 7:15am March 12
There will always be grumblers about the new Facebook no matter how good or bad it is. People hate change. I'll reserve judgment until I've lived with it. I thought I wouldn't like the last change but I can barely remember the original design now.

Jenny - yeah I guess I have privacy concerns. Is that unfounded? I keep my FB page locked up pretty tight too.

@missjennyjenny at 9:24am March 12
P - if you have privacy concerns, then by all means you need to be safe. I take the stance that I only tweet content that I feel comfortable being public. I don't have that many followers - so I can look at each one as they follow me to decide if I want to block them or not. I have blocked several followers... ones that only follow women or are clearly spam. I don't tweet my phone number or address or "i'm at starbucks on 4th & Main" – while Shaq does (that's his deal). Twitter, my blog, LinkedIn and my website are public.. I have enabled some privacy settings on specific content on FB and flickr because I behave more personal in those environments (mostly personal photos - or cc in regards to Flickr).

@pattyfab at 10:11am March 12
Now I see you are blocking spammers. That seems to be a good reason to keep the privacy controls on...

But I do see your point. If I don't fully commit to the Twitterverse, then I will probably never truly reap its rewards. A lot of things are like that.

@sorel at 10:18am March 12
And you still have control over the privacy. I get an email every time someone follows me, so it is easy to check them and block immediately if I want. For @calacademy which has 900+ followers, I wouldn't bother. For me, it's an easy option.

Twitter is kind of like talking to people in a public place (bar, restaurant, park, etc.). You never know who might overhear you. So just know that and go with it.

@pattyfab at 11:10am March 12
I just read a tweet from a friend: "Involved in an intense twitter debate with mostly non-twitters (i.e., major skeptics) on my friend's facebook wall."

Be interesting to read what they're saying.

@sorel at 11:32am March 12
indeed! see now if these convos were public like Twitter, we could. :)

@missjennyjenny at 11:41am March 12
P - blocking *individual* spammers/creeps one at a time is not the same as locking down your entire account. In regards to understanding tweetdeck or twitter search or learning about any twitter behavior/tool/functionality/etc is in itself *exploratory*. If someone said to me, try "twitter blah" and I didn't know what it was, i'd google it & twitter search for it, take the initiative on my own to flail around & figure it out, as that is the *nature* of it. Twitter didn't start out with rules or guidelines or a how to.. people are deciding for themselves how they use it and are building tools themselves to add to it. I wouldn't find out about half this stuff unless I clicked on those gray links below each tweet that list what twitter tool was used. In regards to 140 char, think of it as hooks to content. Google results are brief, why do you want more than 140? Is 300 enough? 1000? Re: tuning out the noise applies to everything. Why apply that rule just to twitter?

@missjennyjenny at 11:43am March 12
by the way: I've been asked to share this conversation on my blog. Any objections? I'd be happy to remove your names. Just seems like this would be helpful for others to see.. sort of like P's other comment about this conversation happening on another wall (I'm sure it's happening all over right now).

@pattyfab at 11:43am March 12
if it were twitter it wouldn't be a real conversation tho.

@missjennyjenny at 11:48am March 12
P - that's were I must point out that you are wrong. On Facebook *no one* else can see this other than Sorel's network (maybe ours too, I'm not sure since this is on her status thread - but regardless it's finite). On twitter I can link to anything.. any conversatation, any url, any link. Just not one on FB because it is *closed*. For the internet as a whole, this conversation doesn't exist.

@pattyfab at 11:48am March 12
I don't mind if you share it. Can you call me PattyFab instead of using my full name? Or is that difficult to do?

@pattyfab at 11:49am March 12
I guess I have so far failed to see what I call "conversation" happening on Twitter. That may be a function of my not using it properly. But I think it's also a function of the interface and the limited character count.

@sorel Denholtz at 11:52am March 12
not on twitter. but facebook behaving like twitter? (open to public, real-time) now that's perhaps another story.

@pattyfab at 11:52am March 12
The rule doesn't apply only to Twitter (noise). But I feel, as I said earlier, that the absence of anything OTHER than the 140-character sound-bite, encourages a superficiality that is maybe what I call noise.

Maybe tweetdeck or tweetree will help me organize my threads and group my follows and make some sense of it in order to find some actual content. I'm not averse to it, I just have not found it rewarding in the way that this conversation is.

@sorel at 11:53am March 12
whoops, slips! I was responding to Patty's comment about it not being a real convo.

@sorel at 11:54am March 12
I am ok with sharing. May want to share all or part myself IF i can find the time.

@pattyfab at 11:54am March 12
(PattyFab is my tweet)

@sorel at 11:56am March 12
I just received this compliment on Twitter today: @calacademy I love that you took my "what have you learned" Q? so seriously and thought about it. Twitter doesn't always have to be fast.

Seemed sort of relevant to this convo.

@sorel at 11:57am March 12
yes, listing us as @sorel and @pattyfab would be appropriate, I think.

@pattyfab at 12:00pm March 12
I have asked my friend if there is a way she can share her convo. She said she'd be interested to read ours too. Is there a way to do that? Plus I need to run out.

- - -

Sorel is also posting this thread.

My "Lucy Sez" CafePress store... for fun

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:25:00 +0000

For fun, I created a CafePress store called Lucy Sez.. with things my dog (Lucy) and I say to each other.

The new and exciting thing is.. the company I work for (Sellit.com) just partnered with CafePress to offer shopkeepers the ability to post their CafePress stores across the web. This means as a shopkeeper I can post my CafePress store into my blog, my myspace page, any website, and even let my friends and fans do the same. I don't need people to only come to my CafePress store url anymore, my store can be out there all over the internet where people already are congregating. All you have to do is click the "Share" button to post my store, it's sort of like sharing a YouTube video.

EG 2008

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 03:55:00 +0000

Snapshots from the EG self portrait photo booth: Tan Le and Marvin Minsky, Olivia-Eric-Gus-Shelly, Richard Saul Wurman, Teller, Kev and Coley, Michael Hawley, Mr. and Mrs. Wozniak, Mr. and Mrs. Lovins.

Conference highlights: Woods Hole footage, Miru Kim, Joshua Bell, David Pogue, Marc Patcher, David Binder, Emotiv Systems.

Details to follow. Brains are processing.

Budcozy Holiday Gift Specials!

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:28:00 +0000

Order by Dec 10 on Budcozy.com
• Buy 3, get 1 free
• Free shipping on orders over $30

Why give Budcozy?

It's a unique and affordable gift:
A great stocking stuffer or gift for hard-to-buy-for friends,
family, guys, and work pals. Only $15 each.

It solves an everyday problem:
Keeps your earbuds from tangling without all the winding.

Made from sustainable fabrics:
Bamboo, hemp, organic cotton and upcycled fabrics are
better for the environment.

Handmade in San Francisco:
Buying handmade and local is good for everyone. Avoid
chain stores. Support indie crafters and small biz.

Please help spread the word, pass this special along!

www.budcozy.com

Office of the President-Elect: Change.gov

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 03:04:00 +0000

Photo by David Katz/Obama for America, flickr

What a week. I'm still stunned, relieved, grateful, proud. Yay, Obama!

Of the many things on the agenda, the new site Change.gov lists:

The Obama-Biden comprehensive New Energy for America plan will:

Provide short-term relief to American families facing pain at the pump
Help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.
Within 10 years save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined.
Put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars -- cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon -- on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America.
Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.
Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.

Please visit Change.gov! It's a comprehensive and thoughtful site about news, events, and annoucements during this Presidential Transition Project.

Eco Gift for Guys

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:13:00 +0000

I came across this poster yesterday and it reminded me of a good eco-friendly gadgety guy gift, the energy usage meter "Kill-A-Watt".

Cozy Bird-Dictator Palaces

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:24:00 +0000

Mussolini’s Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana

“Super Kingdom is an art installation with a difference: each of the pieces on show in King’s Wood, near Ashford in Kent, is a fully-functioning animal house. They just happen to be based on a selection of infamous dictators’ palaces…” read more at Creativereview.co.uk

Looks like the knitted art from a previous post! - Tree Cozy.

Budcozy Retail Location!

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:39:00 +0000

I'm trying a new venue for Budcozy... Ceiba Records and Fashion on Haight Street in San Francisco. Ceiba is an eclectic boutique of independent designers with styles that range from steam punk to wood nymph, and whatever falls in between. I have a hard time walking out empty handed.

Ceiba Records
1364 Haight St
(between Central Ave & Masonic Ave)

Yelp Reviews: Ceiba
Yelp Reviews: Budcozy

Green Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:30:00 +0000

Holidays are near. Starting my search for some unique green gifts.

Botanical Paperworks
Paper gifts that have seeds embeded, you can plant and grow.

Sigg Water bottles
SIGG bottles exceed FDA requirements and have been thoroughly tested to ensure 0.0% leaching – so they are 100% safe.

Cowgirl Creamery
Organic cheese in Point Reyes Station, CA.

Earbud Art

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:45:00 +0000

Very fun! Done by Saatchi & Saatchi for Walkman.

The 1000 True Fan Theory

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:19:00 +0000

Since my mom is my one True Fan and my dog doesn't have a credit card, I've only got 999 fans to go. Gotta figure out my plan. If any independent merchants are reading... what's your plan?

Kevin Kelly explains his ‘1000 True Fan’ theory:

The long tail is famously good news for two classes of people; a few lucky aggregators, such as Amazon and Netflix, and 6 billion consumers. Of those two, I think consumers earn the greater reward from the wealth hidden in infinite niches.
But the long tail is a decidedly mixed blessing for creators. Individual artists, producers, inventors and makers are overlooked in the equation. The long tail does not raise the sales of creators much, but it does add massive competition and endless downward pressure on prices. Unless artists become a large aggregator of other artist's works, the long tail offers no path out of the quiet doldrums of minuscule sales.
Other than aim for a blockbuster hit, what can an artist do to escape the long tail?
One solution is to find 1,000 True Fans. While some artists have discovered this path without calling it that, I think it is worth trying to formalize. The gist of 1,000 True Fans can be stated simply:
A creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author - in other words, anyone producing works of art - needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living ...
Read the full article here.

Online Marketing & Selling Tips

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:26:00 +0000

I've been keeping my eye out for online resources about marketing that can help someone like myself (a small independent online merchant). I've been blogging here about my product and the things that interest me as a small business and artist/crafter. I've got a Budcozy Yelp page, Twitter, Facebook, Etsy and my Budcozy store. I will be launching my Cartfly store in the fall (disclaimer: I work for Cartfly). There is a ton of buzz going around about what is next for ecommerce... and as soon as I can, I'll be writing about what Cartfly has cooking under the lid.

Here's The Viral Garden's Top 5 Marketing & Social Media Blogs:

1 - Seth's Blog
2 - CopyBlogger
3 - Chris Brogan
4 - Search Engine Guide
5 - Logic + Emotion

Go to The Viral Garden for the whole list of 25...

I want to be in green gift guides!

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:21:00 +0000

Would love to get Budcozy in upcoming gift guides. Green gift guides would be especially great. Any advice, leads, contacts or suggestion would be appreciated!

I've had my eye on these and am eager for contacts:

Yahoo! Green Holiday Gift Guide

Treehugger: Buy Green

Etsy: Gift Guides: Environmentally Friendly

Splendora

Design*Sponge: gift guide: eco-friendly

iLounge: All things iPod, iPhone, iTunes

Mighty Goods: Shopping Blog

Branch: Sustainable Design Living

Green Tips for Small Business, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:12:00 +0000

To wrap up last weeks Green Tips Part 1.... today is Part 2 with Green flair.

“Greening your office can also mean saving some cash. Part 2 of Being A Green Small Business: Your Office and Supplies.”

Budcozy @ SF Indie Mart Stree Fair Today

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:47:00 +0000

Green Tips for Small Business

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:53:00 +0000

Photo by Pete Ashton

One of my goals with launching Budcozy has been to establish some eco-friendly business practices early on. My day job also involves managing and writing a blog geared towards independant merchants and small businesses. Check out my post on The Cartfly Blog:

“Branching out on your own and starting a small business can be an opportunity to establish some green business practices. Online info is endless and can be overwhelming to sort through but Cartfly is here to help! Part 1 is about your shipping resources and marketing materials.

Whether you work from your kitchen table on the weekends or have a dedicated office space with a staff, here are some tips to get you started.”
read full post here

Back Up Plan

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:07:00 +0000

Both my sewing machines are down. Not good. I went to Stitch Lounge over the weekend to get further along with 2 limited edition Budcozys for the SF Indie Mart this coming Sunday. First off, Stitch is great. Friendly, helpful, mellow. Plus they pointed me to Apparel City to get my machines serviced. So, my tips for the week:

1) Stitch Lounge
• Hourly machine rental on site (call ahead)
• A variety of newbie sewing classes
• Nice mellow crowd

2) Apparel City
• Open early at 8:30am
• New machines for sale
• Machine servicing, at $55/hr

Neighborly

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:04:00 +0000

Palm Frond Sculpture Bus Stop, artist unknown, 2008.

This is a little story about 3 random neighbors in Noe Valley that don't know really each other. Neighbor #1 is a woman who has lived in her Noe Valley home for forever. Let's just say 40 years. The first time Blizz (neighbor #2) met her, she was trying to drag a gigantic palm frond that had landed in her driveway to the gutter. He noticed a tiny frail woman struggling with a giant heavy thing, so he helped. He's cute that way. She was very grateful and chatty. She hated that Palm tree, always dropping it's gigantic fronds in her way. She cursed an ex-husband who had sold that property out from under her, which resulted in new owners planting that tree. After their chat, he dragged it home and used the table saw to cut it down to fit in the bin. Last week Blizz found another frond blocking the sidewalk near Neighbor #1's house so he pulled it aside and out of the way. It was smaller but he still didn't want to drag it all the way home. Today, while on a dog walk I came across the results of unknown Neighbor #3.

My Fellow Cozys

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:24:00 +0000

Thought I'd take a look-see for other cozys out there.

Cozy Dog Drive In

The Cozy Dog Drive In in Springfield, Illinois is the home of the one and only Cozy Dog. The Cozy Dog is a delicious hot dog on a stick that is found nation-wide at many county and state fairs.

Cozy Cruiser

Cozy Cruiser is an RV manufacturer specializing in fun and comfort for the adventurous and outdoor-loving person. Our camping “teardrop” trailers are the perfect solution for the weekend mountaineer, camper, hiker, hunter, or fisherman.

Cozy Beehive Blog
Cross pollinating velo buzz and served a little chilled

Cozy // Comfort Music Radio

Tree Cozy by Carol Hummel

Budcozy on Etsy

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:14:00 +0000

Taking Etsy for spin this morning. Curious if I can get any traction in their busy marketplace. The Geekery Category isn't as saturated as others, so I'm hoping this works in my advantage.

I've had my Etsy MissJenny shop since 2006 when I was painting. Dusted it off today with Budcozy. The site has evolved so much in the last 2 years. The user experience for adding products and store information is really tight. Really nice to use a tool that is really usable. Definitely lots to learn from their progress.

Found their Etsy Mini, but not finding it very useful. I definitely have my own thoughts on what they should do here ;)

Hands Free California with Budcozy

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:33:00 +0000

The day is arriving (tomorrow) that California drivers need to use their cell phones hands free. In comes my shameless plug, those of us with iPhones and earbud headsets can keep those pesky wires tangle free and ready for hands free action with... Budcozy. Seriously folks, it’s a great little accessory that solves an every day problem. Last thing we need is a bunch of drivers distracted by tangled earbud headsets. Sure there are other options available, but budcozy is stylish and cute. Case in point, overheard at an office: guy #1 “Why are you wearing that in here?” guy #2 “it’s my bluetooth headset, duh” guy#1 “dude, take that ridiculous shit off. please.”

More info on this law here at the SF Examiner: Put your cell phone down and drive — or face the penalties.

And reference back to a previous post that our nations top brain surgeons don’t put their cell phones up to their ears and use wire headsets instead...

Budcozy at Mission Indie-Mart, July 27

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:15:00 +0000

I'm very excited for budcozy’s first craft fair, the Mission Indie-Mart.

“The Mission Indie-Mart is a bi-monthly marketplace that has quickly grown from an underground backyard shopping party into a popular monthly event featuring a tantalizing combination of shopping, music, and food. This event showcases truly independent local designers, offering everything from one of a kind fashions and reconstructed vintage to offbeat crafts, handmade jewelry and fun antiques. Enjoy cheap beer, hot plates, local DJs and the cream of the crop of SF’s indie designer scene.”

It’s a big step for me. Lots to figure out in the next few weeks. Success today at Daniel’s Display on Market. Miranda gave me the scoop on Daniel’s when I asked about her hat display. Each step along the way with this new business is such a learning experience. Paula also threw me a great tip on a new local production company. Will definitely be checking them out, if the fair goes well. At the very least it will be a fun day with bbq, drinks and djs.

Will post more deets when it gets closer to July 27.

Effects of Composting

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:03:00 +0000

image from sfrecycling.com

We shifted our garbage-ing habits a few months back, and the effects have been really surprising. D noticed a blurb in some newsletter or newspaper that SF is encouraging folks to take advantage of the green bin for kitchen scraps and some food soiled packaging. We took their cue on a couple tips and combined with recycling, our regular garbage bag has been reduced to barely anything. SF now has an abundance of new dirt and has started a dirt program where everyone can get get a bucket of new dirt for their yards. It makes me feel like I’m back in little San Carlos circa 1975. It’s a nice feeling that a big city like SF can have small a town vibe.

The best tip I have to share is regarding storing your scraps. Use milk cartons, cereal boxes, and take out boxes to store your kitchen scraps. There is no need to buy composting bags. You’ll find you have plenty of containers on hand. And it makes perfect sense, don’t go buy more stuff just to hold your scraps that eventually goes into a bin anyway. That’s backwards. Just use what you have. We’ve got a pile of boxes under the sink waiting for their big moment.

At some point I’d like to take this even further. This personal composting bin handles pet waste. With Lucy and Depot we have plenty of that. For now we’re using biodegradable bags for both dog walks and cat box. I can't believe I used to mummify all that crap, literally, in regular plastic bags. What was I thinking?

SF Heatwave Strategy: 7 Steps

noreply@blogger.com (missjenny) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:40:00 +0000

1) Ride Bikes
Avoid your car, it's evil. Get an early start and get your lazy-ass on your bike and slow the pace down. Buy a cold drink and sit on some steps. Look at the cracks. Talk about how your drink doesn't have high fructose corn syrup and how that's nice. Take a picture.

2) Look At Stuff
Pay 5 bucks to meander along exotic plants and butterflies. Talk to the gardener who is plucking slugs and snails. Bliz: I see you have some friends there. Gardner: Mmm, lunch.

3) Sit On The Edge
Just keep riding until you've reached the edge of the continent. Climb onto the wall and observe Ocean Beach as if it's really a summer beach with people, coolers, kites and dogs. Eat a cookie.

Don't take any more pictures for the rest of the day, leave phone alone.

4) Have A Mission
Need smoothie, must find. Arrive at Fillmore and Lower Haight to complete mission. Be excited that cup is made from biodegradable cornstarch. Remember to visit that Green Cafe Network website, that one we saw on that show. They're cool.

5) Commandeer Best SF Bench With A View
No sunny day should pass without a visit to Dolores Park. Be shocked to find that top-primo bench open. Check out cool haircuts.

6) Suffer The Uphill Ride Home
This basically sucks. Lay on the couch afterwards.

7) Realize Dinner Opportunities
It's early and everyone is still drinking at the beaches and parks. No one is thinking about dinner. Get yourself to that not-so-secret sushi spot that is always too busy, to find it not busy. Sit. Eat. Discuss day.