I've started a little online business. It's something I've been working on for the past couple week and finally I'm ready to go live. It's a little virtual bakeshop (with very real, non-virtual cakes) on Etsy.com.

Labels: Administrative, career, cooking, food, life decisions, Nerdiness, New York

Hey Chickadees...

Yes, I mean you. So I need a little help.

"A little help from US," You say. "After you've all but ignored us in favor of that *other* blog...humph. The nerve!"

I know, I know. But this could be BIG. And you might get something out of it too...

"Well...if there is something in it for US...whaddaya want?"

So you know that *other* blog... The food one?

"Ugh...yes. What about it?"

So I wrote this recipe, for a pretty incredible chocolate hazelnut torte. I mean, incredible! Simultaneously rich and airy, and completely flourless although nobody believes it when they try it. I mean...it's like PERFECT. Anyway, I wrote this recipe and posted about it, and next thing you know, someone nominated it for a prize!

A chocolatey prize. A trip, to a chocolate festival, in Napa...where I get to drink wine and taste chocolate and spend the entire day doing decadent chocalatey things...How great is that?!

"Pretty great, but what's it have to do with us?"

Well...you could come too. Maybe. Wouldn't that be nice?

"Hmmm...keep talking..."

Well this contest that I told you about. It's run by this website called Culinate, and for me to win, I first have to be voted into the top ten by my blog readers. (That's you). The cool thing is, just by entering and voting, you automatically get two chances to win TOO. See, they're not just sending a blogger. They're sendinga blogger AND a reader. And you can bring a date! So you and your date and me and my date and we all get to eat chocolate and drink wine and roam around Napa for three days and two nights on someone else's dime. Are you up for it?

"Maaaybe...what do I have to do?"

It's easy! You just click on this link and register. It takes two minutes. Then vote for my blog (Always Order Dessert). And that's it.

Then cross your fingers... If you want to help more, you can tell all your friend and their friends and your hairdresser and that cute guy across the hall that you've been trying get the courage to talk to. Him too. Tell him, and if you're lucky, maybe he can be your date.

Are you in?

"No promises...but why don't you give me that link again?"

OK, it's: http://www.culinate.com/chocolate/standings?blogURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alwaysorderdessert.com%2F Or just click on this:

Labels: Administrative, blogging, cooking

As many of you already know, I recently started a second blog that deals solely with food, cooking, and my experiences at culinary school. I just finished the design of the new blog and I'm completely crazy about it. In fact, I'm so crazy about it that when I link back here, I kind of feel a little bored with the look of this site.

I made a couple tweaks over the weekend (widened the posting area and increased the header size), but I'm wondering if perhaps it's time for a more complete makeover.

This is where you come in. I would love for you to weigh in on the decision. Please let me know what you think of this site design, the header, the colors, layout, etc. Tell me if there is anything you find complicated when you visit or that you would like to see. If you love it as is and don't want any changes, well then tell me that too.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

Labels: Administrative

I finally scrubbed that (blog) spot out of my address...

Now with a new, (slightly) shorter URL: http://www.sentfrommydelldesktop.com/


*Please update your bookmarks & links!

Labels: Administrative, blogging

I realize that things have been far too quiet around these parts, but I promise to be back soon to report on the latest excting development in my life. This development being the primary reason why I haven't had any time to blog lately...

In the meantime, please check out this link. As a fan of all things digital (and edible), I keep finding myself completely enthralled by this site. It's a total rabbit hole, though, so don't say that I didn't warn you...

Also, the next NY Bloggers Meetup is this Wednesday night. This time I'm switching things up by convening in the East Village and as before, all NY bloggers and blog afficionados are welcome. Click the Meetup button on the left sidebar to join or learn more details.

I definitely encourage all of you to come out as the first meetup was a blast and I'm happy to report that the group has more than doubled since last month. The first meeting brought out a bunch of very cool area bloggers [and one very clever bespectacled stalker ;)] and I expect this one to be the same--if not better.

See you there...

Labels: Administrative, blogging

I recently started a blogger Meetup group for NY area bloggers. (Cuz I'm cool like that.)Our first meeting is next Wednesday and I encourage all of you to come check it out. We're meeting at a very cute spot in the West Village. For more details or to join the group, click the "Meetup" button on the left.

I hope to see some of you there!

Labels: Administrative, blogging

Two of my very best girls, BFF Vanessa and BFF Moe, have recently entered the blogosphere.

BFF Vanessa is a relative novice when it comes to blogging and has only managed to get a couple entries up there. I'm hoping that this link and the inevitable deluge of hits will motivate her to keep it up. Check out her thoughts over at Pink Lady.

Now it's a bit misleading when I say that BFF Moe is new to the blogosphere, as she has been blogging for several years now. This fellow Jersey girl is actually the one that got me started way back in 2001 with my first blog: "Nandita's Scribbles." The service we used shut down sometime in 2003, and she and I lost hundreds and hundreds of entries. She started up again on MySpace, but recently transferred over to Blogger on my urging. Her stuff is good. I'm talking damn good... And those of you who want to find out more about me should definitely check out her archives as she has the charmingly annoying habit of revealing way too much about my personal affairs in her entries: The Garden State of Euphoria

I'm also planning on adding a separate roll of DC Blogger links. I've mentioned before that DC has an incredible blogging community. There are so many great writers and I definitely want to give props to those that I read and enjoy on a regular basis.

[note to self: did I really just use the phrase "give props"?]


Administrative sidenote:
I know that I've been a bit remiss about posting over the last week. Things have been very busy lately, but know that I have a couple good posts simmering and will serve them up shortly. Also, I've arranged to have a very special guest blogger submit an entry about the kick-ass J5 show we attended on Monday night. I'm posting this here so that he'll feel compelled to get it done--and if he doesn't, I expect you all to shower him with public vitriol...

Labels: Administrative, friends

I'd like to take a moment to welcome my old friend Yousef to the blogosphere. One of my best friends from high school, he is a great writer who is never afraid of controversy. I'm proud to say that I was his first editor when he was on my newspaper staff at the Paladin Press (a fine publication of Paramus Catholic High School). Sadly, his spelling hasn't improved much since...(just kidding--ok, not really kidding, seriously, dude, it's called spellcheck...) but his content is stellar.

Good luck with the blog, Yousef!

Labels: Administrative, blogging, friends

I've been working on designing a new layout for the blog and will be testing a few of these out over the coming days. I may fall in love with the first one I come up with (most likely not) or it may take me a few tries (most likely yes), but either way I wanted to account for the upcoming costume changes.

Oh and feedback on the options would be most appreciated...

Labels: Administrative

Friends and loved ones (because I really only love some of my friends) have expressed concern that a blog that focuses solely on BlackBerrys and Dell desktops is destined to have a short or, at the very least, uninteresting life. I'd like to take a moment to address these concerns.

First, despite the title, my first post actually wasn't supposed to be about wireless handheld devices or the country's most popular desktop computer brand -- it was about the people that use them. If you didn't get that, then you probably won't get anything I write and should explore another site (pretty safe to say you're also one of the aforementioned friends that I don't love).

Second, for those of you who keep asking me "well then, what's this blog about?" I just want you to know that I can't answer that. Much like Benjamin Disraeli (wiki him if you don't know him because he will come up again later), I don't like definitions. I find them limiting. And, ok, I didn't really think this through. I just came up with what (I think) is a clever title and went with it. Maybe I'll get bored with this in a week. Maybe I'll still be posting this time next year. So let's just all relax and see what happens.

Deal?

Labels: Administrative