Pinterest is one of my favorite (and most used) social media tools. It shouldn't surprise you that I can spend hours (OMG, really?!) scrolling through boards and adding pins to my feed. As someone who spent years organizing inspiration folders on her desktop and many hours before that clipping magazines, it's become invaluable to my creative process! I may or may not boast upwards of 10k images spread over carefully curated boards... It's a problem.

I'm obviously a visually driven person and I'm also someone who's building her brand. The need to catalog inspiration and represent myself in a graphic way lead me to use Pinterest for a bunch of different purposes. All of these techniques can be used to make your business/blog better too!

+ working with clients / collaborators

One of the most important ways that I use Pinterest is by creating project-specific boards that correlate with things I'm currently working on. The introduction of the secret board earlier this year totally changed the way I was pinning! For example, right now I have four active secret boards... 2 upcoming shoot concepts that require a ton of inspo (my editorial team can add images to it too!), 1 client styling board where we can both get a sense of each others' visions & 1 board full of sources for a future blog post. The thing I love most about using Pinterest as a planning tool is, instead of explaining my vision for something, I can show the people I'm working with.

+ sharing your work

Another great use for Pinterest is as a platform for getting exposure for your work. Whether you're a blogger, a retailer or a general maker, who couldn't benefit from a few more pairs of eyes on your creations!? Since pinners are prone to repin visually appealing images (portrait style does better vs. landscape, brighter & cleaner reigns supreme, etc.) keep your target audience in mind when shooting/creating graphics.

+  creating a cohesive brand

My favorite part of my Pinterest account is that it's a visual representation of Chelsea & The City. While it's fun to pin a little fitspo, add a few easy recipes for dinner with the fam and bookmark DIYs to try, if you're using Pinterest for your business or blog I suggest sticking to a general theme. I'm careful to only pin images that illustrate the lifestyle I envision for my brand and for my readers. If you're a designer or retailer, I suggest pinning work from other designers that inspire you, color stories you're attracted to and/or ideas you'd like to explore within your brand.

p.s. Whatever you do, remember that Pinterest is a fun, innovative tool that can expand your audience quickly! Check out your most frequently repinned photos to get an idea of what your followers would like to see more of.

Check out my Pinterest adventures here!

Summer is officially here (even though we've been feeling the heat for ages...) and I'm hoping to make the most of it. With a little help from this Summer edit, we can conquer the season and soak up the sun before Autumn comes to call.

wear// Summer is a time for little thought and maximum utility. I'm forgetting the fussier pieces in my wardrobe and creating a Summer "uniform" of maxi dresses (this one is at the top of my list), distressed shorts and totes roomy enough to stash our farmer's market goodies.

make // I've been itching to finally start crafting a few things for our home and really get to work on some watercolor prints for my shop (that will open soon enough, I promise!). Summer days, that are just too warm to venture out, are perfect for creating beautiful things inside.

eat // There's something about the heat that makes it impossible to enjoy heavy meals. Once the temperature starts to rise I crave light dishes like salad, light Summer pasta and tons of fruit. Pineapple (aside from being a serious style trend right now) is always my go-to for breakfast (with granola and Greek yogurt), lunch and dinner (in a stir fry).

visit // Summer was made for adventure! We've got all sorts of trips (the zoo, the beach, a few museums and nearby cities...) planned for the next few months.

freshen up // I've caught the re-arranging bug. When the seasons change I always start wanting to switch things up in our home. Since Summer is all about light and airy shades, I'm craving more white in our little place. Hopefully I'll be able to convince Mr. Jackson to freshen up our bedding.

images via pinterest & tumblr

It's been a while since I've shared my favorite songs of the moment but Summer definitely needs its own soundtrack. I like to think that this playlist is perfect for driving on warm Summer nights with the windows rolled down! Follow me on Spotify (if you fancy) and listen to this playlist here.