Enough with the introductions,  I will now share personal highlights from the first day with you.  Friday June 21, 2013.

As soon as I stepped through the door inspiration filled me, The first exhibit that caught my eye was a fireplace, as you can see from my first tweet of the day.

Some people might argue that modern homes are “too cold” if this is an issue, you obviously do not have a Spark Modern Fire.  Built directly into a wall, these fireplaces serve a dual function of looking awesome and warming your home.

Speaking of warming…  The women working the Spark exhibit pointed at a bench across the way and casually demanded I sit in it.   Obediently, I soon discovered the Helios Lounge, by Galanter & Jones, has a surprise inside.

Heat!  The bench instantly warms you, all of  you. Like that relaxing feeling of sitting in a jacuzzi -but without ruining your hair and makeup!  Or that satisfying sip of hot cocoa -but without burning your tongue! Or that intimate touch of a warm message after a long day -but you don’t have to unrobe and pay lots of money!

I could go on, but you get the point. The chair is warm, and it warms you in the most comforting way.  Do not be mislead by its appearance of an old bathtub, it does come in other colors. The comfort factor is also a given, you could ask why there are no seat cushions, but then again you would never ask why a Jacuzzis does not have seat cushions.  If you are still not sold, remember Holly Go Lightly had a bathtub sofa and she is more fabulous than any of us combined.

My next stop was at the fountain of faucets, by BRIZO.

This exhibit drew me in with their magnificent chandelier, but I lingered because I was so impressed with the new Touch Clean Technology.  You might recognize this TV commercial by Delta Faucets, a sister company to Brizo.

The touch technology truly works, making cooking for the fab at heart all the more sensational.  Speaking of fab, is this booth not screaming it? Bravo Brizo, if I were an exhibit judge (which there should have been) you would have placed.

The last part of my day consisted of several seminars for designers of all trades and places in life.  I chose to sit through the Business of Design, where guest speakers like the talented interior designer Kerrie Kelly  discussed how new technology has led to changes in the industry.

Kerrie’s 30 minute seminar was very amusing.  I loved it because I’m on board with this new technology. However, many of the designers who are not as familiar with these changes seemed uneasy and nervous.  It is true, social media platforms can be time-consuming and very intimidating!  The common question being “who has time to update all of these platforms all of the time AND get their own business done!”

I will spell out a few helpful points for you now (for more tips look forward to How to Keep Up To Date Online, coming soon)

Quick Tips for sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, …

• It is better to NOT have an account than an account that is NOT up to date
• Start with 1 or 2 accounts, add more when you are ready
• A post only takes a few seconds once you learn how
• Post throughout the day, as you work.  A 2 minute posting-break every hour or so is worth the trouble
• Your audience loves to hear from you behind the scenes.  This is why they choose to follow you!
• The wider your audience – the more exposure you have – the more business you will get.

Kerrie Kelly mentioned a few of the pointers listed above, she also reminded us that another great way to grow business is to promote each other virtually!  I have hyper-linked to the companies mentioned above for your convenience, and because I admired their work and want them to benefit from my interest.  Links and mentions are a free form of advertising.  Just like “retweeting” on Twitter, “sharing” on Facebook, or “repinning” on Pinterest.  All of these actions help you express your thoughts, as well as promote the thoughts of the original source. Sharing is caring.

This concludes Day 1 for me, you probably have no interest in my amazing 3 course dinner at the ROCK’n Fish Restaurant consisting of jambalaya, creme brûlée, and Raspberry Martinis with friends I ran into from the Oregon ASID Chapter… or how my car died while I was driving into LA the day before and I never made it to a special private gathering but instead my best friend who lives in Westwood saved me and we spent the evening in Little Tokyo exploring a miniature clay village brought to you by Urs Fischer at the MOCA. Or How I drove my Mother’s car back into Compton to sell my recent-piece of junk for $300. No, I don’t want to trouble you with these inconveniences that speckle my life. But I will add that without downs we couldn’t have ups.  I’ve been through a lot of misfortunate events this past year, but I remind myself that these mishaps are only temporarily slowing me down.  In the grand scheme of things I am thankful for my health, supporting friends and family, and the ability to see light at the end of tunnels.  I wouldn’t have traded this weekend for anything else, although having a car would be nice…. But that is why I aim to stay positive, the little things will solve themselves.

If you would prefer play-by-plays of my chaotic life (built in with blasts of inspiration), I recommend you follow me on Twitter @itsa_Lisa. I guarantee not to bore.