Introducing…

The first (and way overdue) blog post from “Joie De ‘Vieve”!

This day has been a day in the making for quite some time. I have been talking about writing a blog for months. And months. And months. As a PR/social media junkie, I really should have started one a LONG LONG time ago. I hang my head. But what can I say, I was nervous. I’m still a little nervous because, deep down, like many of you, I care about what other people think. I value their opinions. But rising above the nerves is my excitement. I’m sitting here in my element as I type, mind racing, ready to share my thoughts with you.

When I began telling people that I was going to start a blog I was amazed at the amount of support I got. That support is really what jump-started me to get a move on. I went to Barnes & Noble, picked up a book on starting a blog (yes I’m a nerd) and here I am. The name, “Joie De ‘Vieve”, is perhaps one of my favorite parts about my blog. Naming your blog is no joke people. My mother always told me, “Before you’ve said your first word, you’ve made your first impression.” The name of my blog is the first thing people will see when they stop by for a visit. I wanted it to be fun, outgoing and a little quirky – just like me. So, knowing that two heads are better than one, I asked for help. I received so many fabulous suggestions but this one, from @robknapp, jumped out at me immediately. I was a French minor in college so the play on words from the phrase “Joie de Vie” had me at hello. For those that aren’t so French savvy, “Joie de Vie” literally translates to “the joy of life”. Being that I’m a glass half-full girl, a positive polly if you will, “Joie De ‘Vieve” could not be more perfect. Thanks Rob!

For the most part, I want this blog to capture and reflect the things that I love to do the most. I love to write. I love to entertain people. And I love to make new friends. I have yet to pinpoint a central theme, so I think I am going to let that evolve naturally on its own. That being said, I also don’t want this blog to become a haphazard string of thoughts. There needs to be organization if I want it to be successful.

I already know of several categories that I will contribute to almost everyday, if not every week. The first is “Daily Ramblings”. These will be posts on things that I’ve heard or seen, people that I’ve met, experiences that I’ve had or thoughts that I would just like to get down on “paper.” This may sound a little mundane but I can assure you that nothing normal ever happens to me. I can’t explain why, that’s just the way that my life works. Just trust me on this, “Daily Ramblings” will be entertaining.

A personal favorite, is the “Spotted at Starbucks” category. I don’t want to give too much away (you have to leave your audience wanting more) but I will tell you this: I spend a lot of time at Starbucks. I am currently unemployed so, to prevent cabin fever, I got to my local Starbucks to do freelance work and people watch. If you follow me on Twitter, you know what lies in store for this amazing category. If you don’t follow me on Twitter or haven’t heard my stories before, here is a little disclaimer. I am not making any of this up. I am reporting true-hard facts and would take pictures if I could.

The “Food Friday” category was my wonderful, amazing and truly talented sister’s idea (follow her on Twitter: @caleighjooste). Our family loves to cook and both my sister and I participate in dinner club’s which have unique and “think outside of the box” themes. Each Friday (well hopefully each Friday) myself, or a celebrity guest blogger, will post a new recipe. Pictures will be a must, disaster’s won’t be shunned (we learn from our mistakes) and recipes will be shared with all. It is perfect timing because tonight  my girlfriends and I will be feasting on our Italian favorites a la “A Night in Venice” at our monthly dinner club. Stay tuned for recipes and pictures!

The last category is “Why I Love Social Media.” I am not joking when I tell you that I love, absolutely love, everything about social media. As I already mentioned, I am unemployed (hint, hint!) and it is my goal to have social media play a large part in my next career. I have met so many incredible people in Charlotte, NC that I never would have otherwise met if it hadn’t been for Twitter or social networking events. Charlotte has an incredible social media community. If you live here, like social media and aren’t involved, get on it! Seriously. Right now. But I digress. This category will be a little more intellectual than the “Spotted in Starbucks” category because here I will share tools that I’ve learned, thoughts on articles that I’ve read, and, most importantly, celebrity guest posts from social media folk (if you are interested in posting, I’d love to have you as a celebrity guest so shoot me a tweet!).

Ok, so I know this was a little on the long side and if you’re still with me, THANK YOU! Really, thank you. Your support and attention means the world. I will try not to make future posts this long, but if I slip up, and it will probably happen, know that it’s because I really loved the topic.

All I ask of you now is that you provide your thoughts, suggestions and hopefully words of praise with me. I want these posts to spark conversations. I want to get to know you and hey, maybe you’ll meet someone new on my blog. Time for me to sign off – I have a tiramisu to make.