Want To Chat With Me Real-Time? A Invitation To Skype With Me...

Do you Skype?

If you'd asked me that a few months ago I would have probably replied "I beg your pardon!"

I get it now.

And it's great.

WAY better than Twitter.

Sorry Twitter-lovers...

I won't go there again, about all my reasons why I just don't get Twitter...

When my daughter was in China, we Skyped quite a bit and it was just like chatting with her here!

Basically, it's like texting -- but via computer. You sign up, create contacts with your friends/family (they have to be on Skype, too) and anytime you're online and they are online, you can chat them up -- even video chat with a friend or loved one across the country or across the world!

And it's FREE!

I just love it. You can Skype via your iPod Touch or your iPhone, too. It's just way cool and I'm so glad I added it to my communications options.

For a while now, my hubby has been pestering me to post my Skype info and an "invitation" to my blog readers to Skype me anytime you find me online (which is like... ALWAYS....).

Up until now, I haven't been totally on board with the idea, thinking "why in the world would someone want to Skype with me when they can read the blog or look at the shop online??"

He has a point -- again ...

(Yes, honey -- oh how you are always right...)

Say you're shopping on The Beautiful Life.com and want to know a detail about something or want to talk to "a human" about exactly how a candle smells before you buy it ... well, there I am, usually always online -- why not ask the owner?

If I'm online (and 9 times out of 10 I will be) and you have a quick question -- why not ask me right then and there?

Even if you don't have a question, but you just want to say "hi" -- go for it! :)

So... if you have a Skype account (and if you don't, you should!) Skype me sometime!

If I'm available, I'd love to say hi!

Now.... there's one little thing I want to make clear right off the bat, though, regarding this whole Skype thing....

I.

DO.

NOT.

VIDEO.

CHAT.

EVER.

Well, for now anyway...

I am painfully shy about cameras and don't even talk about video cameras!

So, that neat little feature on Skype where you can video chat??

Don't even bother pressing the "Call" button and ringing me up... ;)

I'm just saying...

I mean talk about the pressure, ladies!!

Think about it!

We'd ALWAYS have to make sure our hair was perfect, makeup and lipstick on, cute outfit picked out...

Oh the pressure! ;)

My hubby has visions of me video-Skyping with all my customers and blogging friends, even has visions of me launching a whole series of video "spots" showing the new products in the store and giving little demos of them all as they arrive here on site...

I guess kind of like "The Beautiful Life TV"...

Yeah....

Because it doesn't matter that it took every ounce of courage for me to snap these pics of me in my dining room:

Me, testing out how to snap a picture of myself while holding the camera off enough out of view...

Me, finally remembering to also SMILE while snapping the pic...

He always says things like

"You know that fancy Danish magazine -- whatever it's called -- (Jeanne d'Arc Livng, hon...) -- well, you should be videoing yourself holding up a copy of it, showing it to your blog friends. None of this just putting-pictures-up-on-your-blog stuff... you need to video yourself showing them the actual magazine!"

or

"You know those giant French bottle drying racks you have?? You need to be showing those on video so people can get an idea of how big they are in person! And you could demonstrate all the different ways you can use the rack for displaying mugs and for other things!"

or

"When you get new aprons in stock, you should be modeling them and wearing them on the videos so everyone can see how they fit and how great they look! Same goes for all the jewelry and handbags!"

The guy has some great ideas, girls --

if only:

#1) I had the time to implement them all,

and

#2) I had the guts for some of them -- like the videos...

So, for now or until somehow I overcome my camera-shyness, wanna chat with me during the day or even the evening?

(because truth-be-told, I never seem to stop working...)

Just keep in mind that I am on the east coast,

so if you're in Cali or Seattle and you're looking for me at 11PM or midnight YOUR time,

well... I do try and get some sleep...

:)

Well, If you don't have a Skype account and want to join the masses -- or just join me....

Click over to the SKYPE website

and download the software, create a screen name and password and in just a minute or two we can be chatting online!!

We'd have to accept each other's invite to be each other's "contact" first, but after that -- easy street!

Chat-o-rama!

Skype-heaven!

Okay, my Skype screen name is (and this was really creative on my part...) -- you ready? --

TheBeautifulLife.com

Wow. Can you imagine the amount of time I put into coming up with that??

I amaze myself sometimes... ;)

I just created my biz screen name a few minutes ago (I've had my personal one for a few months now, but I think I'll keep that screen name to myself....).

Come on -- I'd love it if YOU were my first contact added!! :)

It could be fun -- I hope you'll join me!

If you have any trouble getting started, let me know and I'll try to help you -- but trust me.... If I can do it.... YOU can do it. Truly.

;)

~Ruth~