Zombies

Zombies are a popular subject these days. After all, many people are preparing for the impending zombie apocalypse we've been hearing about for years. Those who don't believe it's coming are laughing off all the warnings. Both sides are having zombie parties.

Before you laugh, consider this: the CDC recommends being prepared for a zombie apocalypse. Why? It's simple. "If you're ready for a zombie apocalypse, then you're ready for any emergency."

As you might expect, a lot of Pinterest users maintain pinboards to help them prepare for a zombie apocalypse and other emergencies. A few users also see the fun and humorous side of things; they have boards about zombie parties, zombie balls, and the like.

I have a small but growing board dedicated to the zombie apocalypse. Other users have larger boards with a considerable amount of helpful information. Here are just a few:

Mestisa Cathryne - Zombie Apocalypse

~ Gigi ~ - ~ Zombie Apocalypse ~

Chella's Common Cents - Emergency Prep

Jed Smith - Zombie Apocalypse

Andrew Ward - Zombie Apocalypse

St. Jason Jeansonne - Zombie Apocalypse

Ainakea - Emergency Prepare

Nicki Under - For the Zombie Apocalypse

Austin Brooks - Zombie Apocalypse

WVfrugalmama - Emergency Preparedness

Yard

Every year, as the weather begins to get warmer, most people spend more time outdoors. Those with yards especially seem to enjoy being outside.

If you enjoy spending time in the yard, you'll find plenty of ideas and inspiration on Pinterest, where members pin images to help them set up the perfect space for outdoor living. These images can be useful for landscaping the front or back, designing and decorating a patio or deck, setting up a play area for the kids, and much more.

Yard-related pinboards are very popular. On these boards, you'll find terrific collections of images about gardening, landscaping, and making the most of your yard. Here are just a few of the many pinboards dedicated to yards and outdoor living:

Julie Petersen - Yard Ideas

Sheila Balch - Yard Art

Heather Sams - Garden & Yard

Leslie Gee - Back Yard/Yard

Samantha Knollhoff - In the Yard

Kim Taylor Whitehead - Landscaping

Barbara Evans - gardening

Laura Lefko - Gardening, Gardening, Gardening

Cheri T. - Outdoor Living Sanctuary

Michelene - Play Yard Ideas

Stephanie Wolford - Kids: Yard

Tanya Busch - my dream yard for kids

Xocolātl

The word chocolate is generally believed to be derived from the Nahuatl word xocolātl, a bitter drink made from cocoa beans. There is some disagreement over whether this is the true origin of the word, but there's no doubt that xocolātl has come to stand for chocolate.

Chocolate comes in many forms; its sweetness, texture, and usage vary greatly, which probably explains why it appeals to people with drastically different tastes.

Pinterest users are no different from the rest of the population; many of them love chocolate. They love to pin images of chocolate and try new recipes. Here are a few of the pinboards dedicated to chocolate:

Pat Howard - Chocoholic

Sandra Clukey - Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!

Kay Gilbert - Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate!

Whitney Oviatt - Chocolate chocolate chocolate...

Doodlekins Cartoon Families - Food: Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate!

Bonnie Merchant - CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE

Writing

The popularity of writing has increased tremendously over the last few years, thanks to the internet. If you're a writer, you're sure to find support, advice, ideas, inspiration, and much more in the online writing community.

One place to find a large community of writers is Pinterest. Many of its members are writers who are interested in various types and aspects of writing. Because writing is such an important part of their lives, they often maintain writing-related pinboards that focus on one of the following:

- writing inspiration
- the writing life
- writing for specific genres
- writing tips
- grammar
- how to teach writing/composition

Here are just a few of the pinboards dedicated to writing:

Tiffany Brown - Inspiration for writing

Breebers T - Writing Necessities

Kathryn Barker - Write, write, write.....

Virginia Allain - Memoir Writing

Julie Schroeder - Writing

Annie Roland - The Art of Letter Writing

Stephanie Abney - Writing Tips

Sandy Thomason - Fantastic Writing Ideas

Dilly Ward - Write Right

Elisa Koranda - Grammar/Writing

Videos

Did you know there are videos on Pinterest? In August 2011, the Pinterest team added the ability to pin videos from YouTube. Earlier this month, videos from Vimeo also became possible. Although no other sources are specifically mentioned, I've noticed videos pinned from many other websites.

Videos have a separate category that brings up all recent video pins. It's also helpful to search for board titles containing the word "videos," although most users don't have boards specifically for videos.

There are many types of videos available on Pinterest. I've come across pins of music videos--which are possibly the majority--as well as animals, activism, humor, and more. The videos are embedded, which means you can watch them without leaving Pinterest.

Here are a few of the pinboards containing videos:

Gerardo Cantu - Must See Videos

Jen Jen - Videos

Liz Paonessa - Favorite Videos

Michelle Wood-Capolino - Videos

Gretchen Devero - Childhood Nostalgia

Unread

Imagine how you'd feel if you finally managed to read everything on your reading list. Wouldn't that be amazing?

The reality is that no matter how good it would feel, it wouldn't last long. Those of us who keep lists of books we want to read tend to be voracious readers. We might read one from the list and then find a dozen more to add.

Ideas for reading lists come from bookstores, libraries, reviews, and websites such as Pinterest, where members have pinboards dedicated to books. The boards include recommendations, unread books they own, and wish lists.

My Recommended Reading pinboard is a small assortment of books I enjoyed. I tried to include an interesting variety so that there would be something for everyone. Obviously, the board is nowhere near complete. I should probably also make a board for books I want to read, but I haven't gotten around to that yet.

Recommended Reading is just one of many pinboards devoted to books and reading. Here are a few more:

Darcy Whiteford - Books, Read, Unread

Courtney Spriggs - Books Read & Unread

nicole s. - reading list

persephone sunset moonstone - books to be read

Sarah Rychart - To Be Read

Tips

Do you wish you could clean the house in less time? Prep several meals at once? Stretch shoes that are too small?

We could all use some tips and helpful hints from time to time to make our lives just a little bit--or maybe even a lot--easier. Whether you're interested in information about cleaning, exercising, decorating, or something completely different, you're sure to find some great tips on Pinterest.

When people discover great tips that help them save time and use less effort while providing a better result, they love to share them with others. Pinterest users especially enjoy paying it forward; many of them have pinboards dedicated to tips, helpful hints, and other useful information. Some of these tips have been known for a long time but can be forgotten until they start making the rounds on Pinterest; others are new ways to improve our lives.

While not every tip is right for everyone, you're sure to find some fantastic ways to make your life easier. To get you started, here are a pinboards dedicated to tips and helpful hints:

Tara Rowley - Helpful tips & good ideas

Jana B - Helpful Tips

Sharon - Tips... Tips... Tips

Marcy Boatman - Tips tips tips

Krystle Fletcher - Helpful, Helpful, Helpful

Savannah Criddle - Helpful Hints

Style

We all have certain styles we tend to appreciate more than we do others. On Pinterest, it's possible to show off our style preferences, discover new products that fit perfectly into our sense of style, and find ways to branch out. Pinterest's style categories include Women's Apparel, Men's Apparel, Home Decor, and Hair & Beauty.

Many people enjoy pinning images of their own personal style. Often, their boards include products they already own and use regularly; others depict a wish list of items that match their style. Some Pinterest members have several style-related boards with each depicting a different aspect, such as clothes or decorating; others have one board that covers them all. Here are a few pinboards dedicated to personal style:

Joy Varnell - My Style

Joel Johnston - My Style

C Hipke - My Style and For the Home

Michelle Smith - Style Style Style!

Stephanie Duffney - My Style-Goth

Kylie Harbin - My Style: Hair, Makeup, Clothes

Elizabeth Geisen - My Style - Hair & Makeup

Retro

Retro. The mere word evokes memories of products and styles from the past. By association, it also brings to mind memories of our younger days: games, television, food, and much more.

Most people enjoy reminiscing about the past. Sometimes, these memories are amusing. (I can't believe I wore that!) Sometimes, they're frustrating. (Why don't they make those anymore?) No matter how they make us feel, our memories are part of us.

Many Pinterest users have pinboards dedicated to memories of the past. Most often, they depict happy memories of childhood toys, favorite foods, and the like. Pins showing images of the past trigger our own memories, which come flooding back. Maybe you'll see a pin of an older version of Monopoly and think, That's a newer version than the one we had! Then, you'll find yourself searching for a picture of the one you remember playing.

Here are just a few of the great pinboards where you can find retro images:

Kirsten Ugalde - Retro Vibe

littlespace - Retrograde

Melanie Leavey - Not too old to remember the past

Diane Monger - Memory Lane and When my kids were small

Mindy Golding - Remember? Remember!

Karen Porter - RETRO

Kayla Epting - Childhood memories

Quotes

People love quotes. They enjoy reading them, thinking about them, and repeating them.

Quotes are popular because they strike a chord within us. We hear or read them and recognize the truth they contain, even if it hurts to admit it to ourselves.

Quotes can be helpful, inspirational, comforting, admonishing, cautionary, and so much more. They can come from the written or spoken word; common themes include love, life, faith, and loss.

Many Pinterest users have boards dedicated to quotes. Some even have several quote-related boards with specific themes. Here are just a few:

Susan Burdett - Quotes

Erin Jo - Words I Know Are True

Kasanda Vaenuku - Quotes Quotes Quotes

Missoula Public Library - Quotes about Reading

Heather Hanney - Words To Live By

Chris Smith - Quotes, Quotes Quotes, and Quotes Quotes Quotes Quotes

Products

Most people have favorite products that they tend to buy frequently. Many of them are Pinterest users who enjoy pinning images of their favorites. In addition, products even have their own category.

There are advantages to pinning images of products. These images, along with some information about the products, can spark interest from people who haven't tried them. It's also possible that the manufacturers will notice the show of support, which can't hurt, especially if your favorites tend to be discontinued.

In addition to pinboards of favorite products, other possibilities include:
- favorite discontinued products
- products made locally
- products you wish were available in your area
- essential items for a hobby, new home, new pet, etc.
- products you liked until they were "improved"
- products you'd like to try
- gift ideas
- products you're selling

I recently made a Favorite Products pinboard to showcase some of my favorites. Here are just a few of the many other boards featuring products:

Karen Lagee - Favorite Products

Kylee Wood - Products I Love

deb c. - products i heart

Siv Ottem - products i miss

Haute Hands - My Products

Leah Fung - Crazy about office supplies

Organization

Do you long to get organized but feel overwhelmed, with no idea where to start? Maybe you're already pretty organized but have a trouble spot or two.

No matter how organized you are--or aren't--there are plenty of ideas out there that you haven't thought of, and they just might be better solutions than what you're already doing.

If you want to get your home, office space, or life organized but can't seem to get a handle on the clutter, Pinterest can help. In fact, many users enjoy pinning images of great ideas for organizing various areas of the home and office.

These are just a few of the Pinterest members who have pinboards with fantastic ideas for getting organized:

Collin K - organization ideas

Lori Bolin - Organization=Heaven

Mel C - Office, Workspace

lefa - buckets bins and tins

Bobbie Eakes - Home Organization and Closet

Jodie Parrish - Organization

Anna Hamilton - Office Organization

Meghan McMullen - Organization

Emily Schoemehl Beck - office organization

News

Welcome to the second half of the alphabet! This year's theme for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge is things you're likely to see on Pinterest. For each letter, I've been highlighting a subject and giving a few follow recommendations.

Although Pinterest isn't the best source for important breaking news, there are some users who enjoy pinning images that link to news stories. The topics and sources vary; the best way to find news pins is to search for boards with the word "news" in the title.

A more roundabout way to find news-related pins is to think of a news source you're interested in and then find out who has pins from that source. The way to find a source is to type http://pinterest.com/source/ and then add a domain name followed by a slash. You can also start with this link to the Weather Channel as a source and then substitute your preferred source.

With most topics, it would be beneficial to search on the word itself, but in this case, results would probably reveal far too many pins that have nothing to do with what you're actually trying to find.

Here are a few Pinterest users who have news-related boards:

Official Lady Haven Magallanes - In the NEWS

Techno Spunky - News

Brenda Moxon - Newsworthy

Eryl Shields - Breaking News

Moon

There's just something about the moon, especially when it's full. Is there anyone who doesn't gaze at it from time to time?

Universe Today, MoonConnection, and National Geographic News have a great deal of information about the moon. MoonConnection also has some cool lunar calendars.

Here are a few interesting facts about the moon:

1. Earth's inhabitants always see the same side of the moon.

2. The surface area of the moon is approximately 14,658,000 square miles.

3. The moon is drifting away from Earth by approximately 4 centimeters per year.

4. The surface gravity on the moon is one-sixth that of Earth, which makes everything weigh much less on the moon despite having the same mass.

5. Many people believe that gazing at the moon improves their eyesight.

Pinterest users frequently pin images of the moon. Some are photos, while others are beautiful works of art. If you're interested in images of the moon, check out these boards:

K e l l y - Moon Me
Shaun Vanclief - THE MOON
Emmalola - moon moon moon
Lynda Dysktra - moon magic
Bev Missing - moon

I place moon images on my Nature's Beauty board.

Lavender

Lavender plants are beautiful, the fields are stunning, and the scent is incomparable. Just gazing at a photo of a lavender field can be almost as relaxing as the aroma itself.

There's more to lavender than just outer beauty; it's an interesting plant with many beneficial uses. Here are a few facts about this wonderful plant, courtesy of Harvest Moon Farms Lavender and Flower Guide:

1. Lavender is made up of 80 to 90 percent water.

2. Lavender flowers are not harvested until the plant's second or third year.

3. The timing of the harvest depends on the intended use, such as sachets, essential oil, or something else.

4. Lavender has many uses in herbal medicine, including treatment for headaches and insomnia.

5. Not all varieties have purple flowers. In addition to purple, flowers can be pink, yellow, white, or green.

Pinterest users love to pin images of lavender. I put mine on my Nature's Beauty board, but many users have boards dedicated to this plant. Here are a few:

Nancy Kathleen - Lavender Lavender Lavender
Linda Price - Lavender
Dina Wiggins Whitehead - Lavender
Vickie Brown - Lavender
Linda Cooper - Lavender Farm

Kitties

Earlier in the A to Z Challenge, I wrote about how images of dogs are very popular on Pinterest. The same is true of images of cats.

As with dogs, photos of cats are hard to resist. This isn't limited to domestic cats, either; there are many images of feline wildlife such as lions, tigers, and cougars.

When I'm pinning or repinning an image of a cat, I have to decide which pinboard is most appropriate. Most of them are on my Cute Animals board, while others are at Posters and Quotes and Animal Welfare.

Many users pin images of cats, so if you're a cat lover, here are a few recommendations:

Veronica Frontz - Cats, Cats and More Cats
Zjanette Culinette - Cats
frances - dame de chats
Dandy Al - Kitty-Kats
Cate - Kittens. Inspired by Kittens
Julia Sweitzer - We Are Siamese

Jobs

If you're looking for a new job, have you checked for job listings on Pinterest?

The popularity of social networking has resulted in many companies advertising their products on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest--but that's not all they do. Some actively recruit new employees.

A quick Pinterest search on "jobs" yielded mixed results. Many of the boards merely had titles containing the word "jobs" and weren't relevant to my search. However, I did notice several recruiters, as well as some pinboards about jobs in specific areas. Although many seemed to be placeholders that didn't have any pins yet, some did.

Finding the right job pinboards will take time and involve some trial and error. Here are a few of the results I found:

Terry's Sourcing & Recruiting Talent
Pyramid Consulting Group's Human Resources Jobs
Camile Growmowski's Jobs and Recruiting Skills
Vincent de Meerleer's Jobs in Belgium (only 1 pin so far)

I didn't delve very far down the page, but it seems that Pinterest may be another source for job leads or at least up-to-date news about the job market, interview skills, and other relevant information.

Even if you're not seeking employment, there are other possibilities for job-related pinboards. You could dedicate boards to positions you've held, your dream jobs, interview skills, and job openings in your area.

Iceland

Iceland seems to be a popular subject on Pinterest. This is undoubtedly due to its stunning geography and, of course, the Northern Lights mentioned earlier in the challenge. Here are a few interesting facts about Iceland:

1. In the summer, Iceland has almost 24 hours of sunlight. In the winter, it's rare for inhabitants to see the sun at all.

2. Icelandic children start learning both Danish and English at the age of eleven.

3. Some sources indicate that there are no dialects in the Icelandic language, but that isn't quite true; there are a few dialects.

4. Vatnajökull Glacier is the largest glacier in Europe.

5. The city Keflavík is pronounced Keblavik. This is because of the Icelandic language rule stating that the letter "F" sounds like a "B" when followed by an "L."

I've pinned many images of Iceland on my Nature's Beauty pinboard. In addition, I've found many boards dedicated to the country. Here are a few of them:

Design & Things - Photogenic Iceland

Endless Forms Most Beautiful - Iceland

Katherine Lumb - Reasons to Visit Iceland

---
If you love animals, please visit another of my "I" posts, Incomprehensible: 350+ Dogs in Need. Thank you!

Holidays

Pinterest is a fantastic source for holiday ideas. Users love to pin images of holiday food, decorations, traditions, and more.

Ainakea has several "Holiday Helpers" boards, including boards for Christmas, Valentine's Day, and birthdays and other special days.

Halloween boards include Crystal Daniel's Halloweeeen!, Julie Telken's Halloween! Ghosts, Goblins and Candy, and Keri Manning's Halloween/Día de los Muertos Food and Crafts.

These are just a few of the holiday pinboards on Pinterest. Many users dedicate boards to specific holidays, while others have one holiday-themed board where they put all relevant images. The best way to find users and boards to follow is to use the search function on Pinterest.

Gaudí

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was an architect who was born in 1852 in Catalonia (English spelling), which is in northeastern Spain. Gaudís work, most of which is in Barcelona, is fascinating.

Here are a few facts about Gaudí:

1. His first name is often incorrectly written as Antonio. In his native language, it's Antoni.
2. Gaudí was the subject of a concept album by the Alan Parsons Project.
3. He never completed his masterpiece, La Iglesia de la Sagrada Familia (Church of the Holy Family). It's still under construction.
4. Gaudí died 3 days after having been hit by a tram at the age of 73.

My pins of Gaudí's work are on Interesting Structures. I also found a cake made to look like his Casa Batlló.

Sheren Ceylon has a Gaudí board, Hanne Way has a board dedicated to Barcelona, and Alena Izotova has a pinboard for Catalunya.

You can also do a Pinterest search on his name to find more pins of his work.

Fitness

Those interested in fitness are in good company on Pinterest. Many members enjoy pinning fitness-related images and networking to give and receive support and encouragement. Types of images include inspiration, goals, workout plans, and more.

I don't currently have a fitness-related pinboard, but I should. It's on my list of future boards that I haven't gotten around to adding yet (and have no idea when that will happen).

Here are a few follow recommendations for those interested in fitness on Pinterest:

Abbie Swanson's Abbie Swanson Working Out and Eating Right
C Hipke's Healthy fun
Cindy Forrester's Fitness
Donna Renkel's Keep MOVING!
Janelle Hitz's Fitness

Entertainment

Many Pinterest users enjoy pinning images of their favorite stars, recording artists, movies, music, and television shows. So far, I've been putting all those on My Music and My TV.

Several actors, musicians, filmmakers, and others in the entertainment industry have Pinterest accounts. Here are just a few:

Ashley Benson
Bobbie Eakes
Martha Stewart
Darkrider Studios
RJ Wattenhofer

You can find many more through The Daily Dot, which has a pinboard of Celebrities on Pinterest.

Doggies

Pinterest is a fantastic source of photos of just about everything. Many of the pins are of dogs.

I've never been able to resist a picture of a cute dog. In fact, I probably pin more images of dogs than anything else. Most of them are on my Cute Animals board. Some of them are on Animal Welfare, and a few are even at Posters and Quotes.

I can't even begin to name all the terrific people who pin and repin images of dogs. Here are just a few recommendations:

Animal Rescues
Dogster & Catster
Donna Renkel
FeeFee, RN
WebVet

Cakes

Photos of cakes are among the most common images I see on Pinterest. Many of them link back to the recipe or decorating instructions, while others are simply beautiful images that can be used as decorating inspiration--or a good reason to rush out to the bakery.

Cake decorators are incredibly talented. On Pinterest alone, I've seen cakes made to look like such things as asparagus, castles, and Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors. I've also seen cakes with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Nightmare Before Christmas, steampunk, and zombie themes, to name just a few. This is in addition to the many photos of gorgeous wedding cakes with more traditional themes. I shouldn't leave out the cupcakes: teacups, babies, owls, and so much more!

For beautiful images of cakes, I recommend following Lenita's cakes pinboard and Stacie Vaughan's Yummy Desserts board. I've been pinning cakes and other baked goods on Cool Creations.

Bats

Look at those faces! Bats, including these white-winged vampire bats, are the subject of many myths and misconceptions that unjustly give them a bad reputation. Here are a few facts about bats:

1. Despite the phrase blind as a bat, bats aren't blind at all. Many species do have small eyes, but they can see.

2. Bats are mammals belonging to the order Chiroptera, which means "hand-wing." They are not rodents.

3. Bats don't attack people. They see humans as predators and therefore avoid them.

4. Vampire bats don't suck blood. They do, however, bite a sleeping animal and then lick its blood. This doesn't harm the animal at all.

5. Some species are in danger of becoming extinct due to White Nose Syndrome, which causes white fungus to grow on their noses and wings during hibernation.

6. Bats are critical to ecosystems worldwide. Organizations such as Bat Conservation International, Bat World Sanctuary, and the Organization for Bat Conservation help bats all over the world.

Since I like bats, I enjoy pinning images of them on Pinterest. Whenever I see one, I have to repin it or at least "like" it so that I can pin it later.

I've also gone out and found a few good bat photos that I didn't see there. I have one of a baby bat that's absolutely adorable.

I probably pin most bat photos on my Nature's Beauty pinboard, but the baby bat was an obvious choice for Cute Animals.

Doing a search of Pinterest, I found that there are many images of bat cupcakes and crafts for Halloween.

Aurora

Displays of aurora have always fascinated me, which is why I was happy to discover that there are so many images of them on Pinterest. Here are a few facts about these colorful lights in the sky:

1. The term aurora borealis refers to the Northern Lights. It is used when the display is in the northern hemisphere.

2. When these colorful lights are visible in the southern hemisphere (Southern Lights), they're known as aurora australis.

3. The most common colors in aurora displays are pink and pale green.

4. Aurora is Latin for dawn. These beautiful light displays were named for Aurora, the goddess of the dawn.

5. Displays of aurora have been the subject of many legends and superstitions, including the belief that they were spirits.

6. Aurora occurs when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the earth's atmosphere.

I've been pinning and repinning these images on my Nature's Beauty board. I get many of them from Dan Ashbach, who has a pinboard dedicated to them.

For more information about the lights, visit the Northern Lights Space and Science Centre.

Image: Aurora borealis above Bear Lake, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Credit: Senior Airman Joshua Strang, USAF.