It’s A Nice Day For A, White Dining

Thank the lord for social media. If it weren’t for CHIRP Radio‘s tweet early this week, I would have surely missed out on this. I wouldn’t have been in the kitchen on Wednesday night cooking up a storm. And I wouldn’t have been planning my day around “table and chair rental” releases.

Twenty-five years ago, Paris started Dîner en Blanc–a flash mob, white, dinner party. You bring it all. From food and dishware to tables and linens. All white. And you yourself are dressed head to toe in white. You sign up for a night of good friends, good food and good dancing at a city spot. Now, the organization boasts 24 international cities for this pop-up event. While Chicago had a similar event last year, this is the city’s first event in accordance with this group.

At 7 o’clock tonight, we’ll meet up with our “row” at a designated spot and begin the trek to an unknown location for this event. We’ll get to the destination, set up our eating area and wave our white napkins in the air for the event to begin.

New York City had their party a few days ago. And per this CNN video, 3,500 people made the list with 30,000 left on the wait list. It’s a party everyone wants a seat to.

The images speak for themselves (sparklers?!) and I for one, cannot wait. Heading over with some friends and even a long lost pal from Student Council Camp we both attended in Colorado during high school.

C’est bien!

Photos from Dîner en Blanc-New York, Paris and Montreal Facebook pages

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Still Flippin’

I tweet like crazy. I blog (obviously). I keep Facebook up-to-date. I get excited about the new possibilities about social media campaigns.

And I own a flip phone. Or rather, I don’t own a flip phone, I refuse to use anything but a flip phone. I realize it dates me. It’s clunky (yea, it’s not even a Razor). And I’m sure my friends, and Mom, are probably tired of me calling them to look up an address because I’m lost and can’t remember where I’m supposed to go (they have become my Google Maps). But I still have no desire to power off my flip.

I’ve been throwing around a bunch of excuses over the years: It holds a great charge! If I lose it, my life’s not over! I get great service! But I’ve finally figured out the real reason I haven’t.

After reading Why I Refuse to Use a Smartphone on The Grindstone, I have finally learned that I don’t want one because I like my life and work balance. I check my work email far too much outside of the green/orange walls. But I do it on a computer. If I’m away from my place all day and you’re sending me emails, I’m not responding.

And it’s awesome.

It’s awesome to only have people calling you or texting you. And that’s it. It’s awesome to carry a phone that has limited capabilities ensuring I don’t spend my days with my head pointed down staring at a screen. And it’s awesome to see people’s faces and hear their comments upon finding out I still flip.

Sometimes I do feel like I’m missing out with the apps and what not, but then I think about how much I enjoy life by experiencing it, soaking it in, reading books on the way to work and not constantly freaking out that I left my phone at home.

The 1990s can keep calling, I’m not giving it up.