Impressions - August/September 2011 - (Page 4)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS DECORATED APPAREL GROUP Hanging With Real People ere’s the thing: I’m 45 years old and I can’t act my age when it comes to reality TV. I’ve been obsessed with it for way too long and ﬁnd myself glued to shows featuring vapid people with no insight to share with me. But I can’t be stopped. My family just doesn’t understand my intrigue. The minute I get the tube to myself, I’m hooked on the mindless and ridiculous entertainment I get from these shows — even my dog leaves the room. I can watch hours of marathons, from to “Khloe and Lamar” to “Say Yes to the Dress” to “Jersey Shore.” The problem with my newfound TV friends is that they aren’t nearly as engaged in my life as I am in theirs. Odds are I won’t be trying on a couture ball gown-style dress at an upscale Manhattan wedding boutique anytime soon. Nor will I be chatting up Khloe Kardashian at an uber-cool bistro at The Grove in L.A. this weekend. And I don’t have seven friends to share a Shore house with next summer. No, these virtual friends don’t seem to have time for me. Rather than remain crushed by reminders of not getting picked for kickball, I’ve turned my attention to another obsession — social media. The hours I used to spend with my fake TV friends are now put to much better use with Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Now this is a reality that gives back. During the past several months, I’ve immersed myself in “following,” “liking,” and “linking” and, in doing so, have found a plethora of new apparel decorators to share Impressions’ insight with, as well as hear their stories of challenges or success. I’ve made new friends (real ones) and have discovered great stories of innovative embellishing techniques, rewarding jobs decorators have done for their customers and successful business techniques. It’s also an ideal platform to share our editorial content and ISS updates; we’re always Facebooking, Tweeting or Linking In tips, trends and technique articles that will help you further your business’ success. And the best part is that our social network friends are engaged in this industry and make us part of their lives just as much as we make them part of ours. If you’re new to the social media world, check out Deborah Sexton’s article, “Boost Your Business with Social Media Marketing” (p. 40) to get a basic grasp of what works and how you can use the various social media sites to your advantage. We’ve placed examples of the Impressions Facebook and Twitter pages in the article, along with QR codes to help you quickly access our pages from your mobile device. Or, go to Facebook to “like” Impressions, follow @impressionsmags on Twitter (scan the QR code below to go to our Twitter page) or connect with the Impressions Magazine Network on LinkedIn. Join us and be a part of the social media revolution. It’s a win-win for all of us and I’m thrilled to be spending my time hanging with real people. My family thanks you too — even the dog! EDITORIAL OFFICE 1145 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 355 Alpharetta, GA 30009 (770) 569-1540, (800) 241-9034; Fax: (770) 569-5105 EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF MARCIA DERRYBERRY • (770) 291-5574 MDERRYBERRY@IMPRESSIONSMAG.COM SENIOR EDITOR JAMAR LASTER • (770) 291-5578 JLASTER@IMPRESSIONSMAG.COM CONTRIBUTING WEB EDITOR SARAH GODDARD EDITORIAL INTERN SAM CALVERT CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DANE CLEMENT, MELANIE COAKLEY, DEBORAH JONES, KEVIN KELLY, GREG KITSON, ED LEVY, JAMES ORTOLANI VICE PRESIDENT/CONTENT DOUG HOPE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT JOE RANDALL ART ART DIRECTOR WENDI VAN ELDIK • (770) 291-5520 WENDI.VANELDIK@NIELSEN.COM ADVERTISING ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER LAURIE GONZ • (813) 366-2877 LAURIE.GONZ@NIELSEN.COM ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE JEANINE MORGAN • (813) 366-2876 JEANINE.MORGAN@NIELSEN.COM SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE — CLASSIFIEDS DIANE KENNEDY • (770) 291-5519 DIANE.KENNEDY@NIELSEN.COM PRODUCTION PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NAN MCDOWELL • (770) 291-5480 NAN.MCDOWELL@NIELSEN.COM PRODUCTION MANAGER TERRI HILL • (770) 291-5481 TERRI.HILL@NIELSEN.COM h CUSTOMER SERVICE BACK ISSUES • (800) 697-8859 SUBSCRIPTIONS • (800) 697-8859 NIMP@OMEDA.COM FOR REPRINTS RAY TRYNOVICH, THE YGS GROUP • (800) 290-5460 X148 IMPRESSIONS@THEYGSGROUP.COM LIST RENTAL LIST RENTAL PRODUCT MANAGER BART PICCIRILLO • (848) 731-2768 BART.PICCIRILLO@ERAEPD.COM SCAN THE CODE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE! EDITOR IN CHIEF To comment on this editorial or to express your views on other matters, address your e-mail to mderryberry@impressionsmag.com. 4 Impressions >> August/September 2011 A Division of Nielsen impressionsmag.com http://www.impressionsmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - August/September 2011

Impressions - August/september 2011
Contents
First Impressions
From the Show Director
FYI
Sharpen Your Skills With ISS
Product Gallery
Fleece Fuses Fashion and Function
Hot Looks for Cool Weather
The Beauty of Bling
Boost Your Business With Social Media Marketing if You’re Not Employing
Online Directory
Tech Tips
Technique
Design & Digitizing
Production
Graphics & Design
For Screen Printers Only
How To Maximize Digital Direct-To-Garment Production
Business to Business
Classifieds
Ad Index

Impressions - August/September 2011