Happy April!

This month, I am sharing my favorite “Internet Geek” outfit I wore to the Blogalicious Tech Summit held on April 18 at Microsoft’s offices in Washington, DC. Check out the red blazer I purchased from Dress Barn. I used my monthly coupon to get it ($35)! I love the staff at the stores on Connecticut Avenue in DC and in Crystal City, Virginia. They always help me find great petite sweater dresses, “Michelle Obama” sleeveless dresses, colorful blazers, and jackets.

My black top and pants are from Ann Taylor Loft on Dupont Circle in DC. I was able to buy the top during the Loft’s recent t-shirt and top sale (4 tops for $40 = $10 each … was able to replace last year’s tops too).

During the fall and winter, I fell in love with the Loft’s skinny petite pants. So I used my coupons and stalked the Dupont Circle and Chinatown stores for several pairs of pants. I wear them with my ballerina flats, wedge shoes, and kitten heel pumps. They can be worn all year too.

What are you wearing this spring?

Happy March! Happy 2013!

Last year, I decided to change the focus of my Tumblr blog so that I could share my adventures as a lifestylista in love with art galleries, boutiques, businesses, cafes, creative communities, cultural events, films, museums, music, and neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. The new name of the blog is Ananda@16thandU: Lifestylista in Love with DC. Today, I am sharing my first post. 

I love eating, playing, and shopping in D.C. neighborhooods. Last week, I ate, played, and celebrated the first day of March 2013 with a margarita night at Judy’s Bar & Restaurant, an authentic Mexican and Salvadoran restaurant that has been around for more than 20 years in the U Street and Columbia Heights neighborhoods. I discovered Judy’s while attending the DC Comedy Writers’ Group event during Social Media Week DC. Click here to read my blog post about the event.

Here’s why I am Judy’s fan. The bartender and staff are very friendly. It’s not too crowded. The food is yummy and affordable. The margaritas are the real deal — delish, just the right amount of salt, and a generous size glass. They remind me of the ones I used to drink while in college and law school. 

When you are in DC, make sure you spend some time at Judy’s, 2214 14th Street, NW (a few blocks from the U Street/Cardozo Metro on the Green Line). Be sure to LIKE Judy’s Bar & Restaurant on Facebook. 

Before I close this short post, I have to give you the 411 on my cute ensemble. Let’s start with my jean jacket and dress. They are from Dress Barn (Crystal City, VA location has a great selection of petite clothing —- great for short women like me!). Thank goodness for Dress Barn coupons! I got them for a steal. The jean jacket was purchased in Spring 2012. I got the dress in February. The belt is from Target (2009 —- yep that long ago). The silver square-shaped bangles came from Violet’s Boutique in Adams Morgan (got them in 2012). I am a HUGE Violet fan! 

How did you celebrate the first weekend of March?

What’s your favorite place to hang out in your neighborhood?

Enjoy March!

Ananda@16thandU

NOTE: Photo taken by Sharon Malachi a/k/a Butterfly LP, my stylist

Happy Holidays!

Guess what I am doing today? Relaunching my blog as Ananda@16thandU: Lifestylista in Love with DC.

Why Am I Relaunching My Blog?

For more than 20 years, I have been a resident of the historic U Street neighborhood in Washington, DC. During this period of time, U Street has nurtured my expression and growth as an artist, author, coach, yoga teacher, and innerpreneur. While I was writing Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online (2013), I had a chance to reflect on how much I adore DC neighborhoods and the roles they have played in my novel, Love’s Troubadours: Karma – Book One, and my creative memoir, That Which Awakens Me. That’s when I realized how much I wanted to express my passion for living in DC. My passion turned into a full blown blog idea after I attended Fashion Night Out DC in my Adams Morgan and U Street neighborhoods with my digital sister Brea Ellis, founder of What I Wore: tip to toe blog in September.

What Will My Blog Feature?

It will feature audio recordings, photos, reflections, stories, and videos that document my #EatShopPlay adventures in DC neighborhoods such as Adams Morgan, Capitol Hill, Cleveland Park, Columbia Heights, Dupont Circle, Friendship Heights, Logan Circle, Mount Pleasant, Petworth, Shaw, Tenleytown, and U Street. Some will discuss how I take a part of my DC neighborhoods with me when I travel to other cities.  A few will include memories from my DC experiences over the past 20+ years.

What Is A Lifestylista?

A Lifestylista is a woman who lives her life as a work of art; expresses it through her passion for beauty, entertaining, fashion, food, home décor, personal style, and travel; and inspires others to live their lives as works of art.

What’s Next?

Come back in March to read my blog.

Enjoy your New Year!

Blessings,

Ananda@16thandU

Hi All,

It’s that time again. Gotta take a digital diet break in order to finish my Digital Sisterhood book. This blog will be very quiet during the rest of August, most of September, and some of October. I will come back at the end of September, and in early October to post about my Blogalicious 2012 conference experiences and the DigitalUndivided.com #FOCUS100 symposium. I should be back in full force by November and definitely by December (for Digital Sisterhood Month).

PS: I am speaking during the Blog Community Jam Session at the Blogalicious Weekend Conference on September 28.

Hi All,

Join me as I take a walk down BlogHer memory lane. It starts in 2006 and ends with the recent conference held on August 2-4 in New York City. First, don’t laugh at what I am about to share. It’s so retro for 2012!

The first time I heard about BlogHer was on Myspace in 2006. Yes, I was actively involved with Myspace from 2006 to 2009 give or take … before Cinchcast, Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, and YouTube got the best of me!. One of my Myspace friends (forgive me for not remembering who) posted a link about the BlogHer community and conference. My Internet geek curiosity drew me in and forced me to click on the link. What I discovered was a budding community of women bloggers that reminded me of the women I hung out with on iVillages in the 1990s and NiaOnline.com and Netnoir.com’s Women’s Channel in the early 2000s. To be honest, I made that one visit and did not return until two years later.

Click here to read the full recap.

On August 2, I joined over 5,000 women and a few good men at the Hilton New York in New York City to celebrate and experience the BlogHer community and economy!

Since returning to my home in Washington, D.C., I have:

• Reflected and journaled about my experiences and lessons learned during the conference (was able to write in my journal thanks to the time I had on my Bolt Bus ride home to D.C. and my daily subway rides to and from work).
• Prepared several blog recaps (posted a few on my blog) that I will be using in chapters for my forthcoming book, Digital Sisterhood: Fierce Living Online for 25 Years.
• Talked to my book editor, parents, team of business advisors, and a few friends about lessons learned from the conference.
• Posted my photos of the moments I cherished most and shared them on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Twitter, and my blog.
• Reached out and connected with new and old blogging friends via Twitter (especially on #DigitalSisterhood Wednesday), Facebook, email, and text messages on my best friend, my HTC EVO smartphone.
• Read and was inspired by many recap blog posts and tweets written by conference attendees.
• Begun to map out the follow up work I need to do between now and the end of 2013 (yes next year) to enhance my talents and skills, expand my thought leadership, deepen my connection and engagement within my own network and the online/offline communities that support me, and further develop my revenue generating streams as an author, artist, blogger, coach, speaker, workshop facilitator, yoga teacher, and Reiki practitioner (what a mouthful!).
• Mailed thank you cards to some of the BlogHer team members and people I did not have a chance to meet or deliver a card to (the southern belle debutante and sorority girl inside of me is compelled to write thank you cards …. my mother is responsible for this behavior).
• Organized my small stash of swag with plans to give some of it away as gifts to family and friends (adoring my favorite swag … the Martha Stewart orange journal …. What can I say? The writer in me loves journals and the Martha Stewart brand!).

On Friday morning (last week), I woke up with a deep sense of gratitude for all of the things the BlogHer team and community have done and continue to do. I reflected on how I am a direct beneficiary of their efforts. I remembered the impact their efforts have had on me since my first BlogHer conference in 2009 and the conferences I attended in 2010 and 2011. I smiled at how much I have been able to dream and do as a result of the lessons learned, skills developed, connections I have made, and speaking opportunities I have had. So I wrote an email to BlogHer co-founders Elisa Camahort Page, Lisa Stone, and Jory des Jardins, and members of their amazing team, Polly Pagenhart, Shannon Carroll, Maria Niles, Lori Luna, Amelia Elsbee, and others that was filled with sweet words of gratitude and thanksgiving.

My email talked about how much I value what the BlogHer team does to build and nurture its ever-growing and evolving community, conference, and economy (just love that I can say BlogHer economy … I need a t-shirt to wear in D.C.). I acknowledged how hard it is for them to build a movement, community, business, and economy. I reminded them that because they invest in me I invest in them, and we are ONE! I sprinkled in some of my flowery words and phrases to make them smile and touch their hearts too!

Now I am writing this blog post to say thank you to everyone connected to BlogHer. That means YOU … my fellow attendees, conference volunteers, online community members, speakers, sponsors, vendors, brands, companies, and organizations. Together, we are a movement of passionate and powerful people. May we each recognize, affirm, value, and express our contributions in ways that support our highest and greatest good as individuals, communities, businesses, brands, companies, and organizations!

With deep gratitude and blessings,

Ananda, your digital sister

During the BlogHer 12’ conference, I had the privilege of moderating a fantastic Podcasting 101 panel discussion with my brilliant co-panelists Deborah Shane and Jasmin Singer. These ladies were INCREDIBLE! They shared from their hearts and gave the audience lots of great information and feedback. Special thanks Deborah and Jasmin for making the panel a success!

Deborah, Jasmin, and I met during the Speakers’ Orientation and recorded a podcast preview of what we planned to share the day before our session. Click here to listen to the Cinchcast podcast.

I opened the panel discussion with a brief introduction on podcasting that included a definition and reasons why people use podcasts and Internet radio shows. See below.

1) Definition

Podcasting represents a type of digital media that allows you to create audio content, organize it into an episodic series of audio files that can be subscribed to and downloaded through web syndication or streamed online to a computer, lap top, netbook, tablet, or mobile device when it is convenient to the listener.

2) Key Podcasting Points

Podcasting is used to:

• Generate conversations through storytelling, sharing information, and interviewing others.
• Create, curate, and market content.
• Advocate and promote causes and campaigns that promote social change, social good, social justice, and other issues.
• Build and engage community.
• Market and promote events, products, and services.
• Develop thought leadership expertise and speaking skills.
• Gather research and document best practices.

I asked the attendees several questions to determine their level of interest and skills. See below.

• How many people host a podcast or radio show?
• How many people want to launch a podcast or radio show?
• How many people listen to podcasts or radio shows?

After the audience responded with a show of hands for each question, Deborah, Jasmin, and I shared how and why we started podcasting and hosting Internet radio shows. We also gave podcasting and Internet radio show tips and explained the benefits of podcasting and hosting Internet radio shows. Click on the links below to read my blog posts that feature podcasting tips and benefits and to view the Podcsting 101 Pinterest (lots of great resources).

• Podcasting Tips
• Podcasting Benefits
• Podcasting 101 Pinterest Board

Deborah gave a talk on branding and marketing podcasts and Internet radio shows.

Click here to read the full recap.

Hi All,

This week I am sharing my #BlogHer12 conference recaps that I posted last week on my Author Ananda Leeke blog.  Check out my recap #1 below.

BlogHer was a great conference filled with many powerful moments. The best and most powerful moment I had was watching BlogHer co-founders Lisa Stone and Elisa Camahort Page kickoff the conference by introducing President Barack Obama to the BlogHer attendees in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton New York. As I sat with my digital sister Tracey Friley of One Brown Girl watching President Obama’s live video address, I thought about the many reasons I adore BlogHer and President Obama! Guess what? The reasons are too many to name in this blog post. So I will leave you with a few photo collages I made with my smartphone’s Photogrid app and a link to the video of President Obama’s BlogHer 12 address: www.blogher.com/watch-now-president-obamas-video-address-blogher-12. Watch it when you get a chance! He rocked BlogHer!