BeachBlog in NYC

I attended a Public Relations Society of America conference in NYC Tuesday, talking on the subject of blogs, podcasts and other types of social media. Yes, we talked about the Topaz Partners blog, podcast and other cool stuff the Topaz folks are doing on the web, but of course, I worked in a plug for the Blue Shutters BeachBlog. It actually was relavant to the conversation -- we talked about how easy it was to launch a blog. And how effective it can be in bringing together a community. It's still too early to talk about community-building, but launching this blog was a cinch -- and we're convinced it'll contribute to the growing buzz around the Blue Shutters. In fact, a number of conference attendees planned to check this out -- hope they do, and hope they stick with us as we add podcasts, video blogs, webcams and other social media techniques to spread the word about the cool things happening here at this inn by the beach.

A Father's Work is Never Done

Our new website is up as of a few hours ago, and I hope others agree that it does just what we set out to do...showcase our views of Good Harbor Beach and the unique character of our guest rooms. Since February we've worked day and night, weekdays and weekends, inside the Blue Shutters and out. As we approach the big Feast of St. Peter weekend (June 27) we're ready for guests in nearly all of our rooms -- just this weekend, we made great progress with our two twin apartments -- Port and Starboard -- which feature a separate bedroom, a full kitchen, a spacious living/dining area and very nice views from a back porch. We also played host to a four different groups -- including a couple from Connecticut who brought our first toddler (Victoria, who took a liking to "Grandma Mary" Sapienza) and a group of recent college grads who did some late night partying on Good Harbor Beach. All this, plus a weekend-long Father's Day celebration which included dinner at the Franklin Cafe, a lobster feast on the back deck and an emotional Mass at St. Anthony's Chapel on Eastern Point. A big thank you to Tina, Mike, Jamie, Haley and Christian (and wives Patty and Ann Marie) for making the Dads feel special. After the work winded down, we ended the night -- just an hour or so ago -- with drinks and conversation with our neighbors Tony and Pat Bertolino.

Blue Shutters Blog Sets Sail

I've been thinking of launching a blog for the inn my wife Patty and I, together with our friends Ed and Ann Marie Comer, took over earlier this year. But since February, we've been busy painting rooms, sanding floors, cleaning toilets and moving furniture. And in recent weeks, booking guests! We did find the time to launch a Blue Shutters Beachside website, and we pulled together a brochure. We've also spread the word to family and friends (many who pitched in with all the work these past few months), and we reached out to our neighbors in Gloucester. The Cape Ann Chamber has been very helpful, arranging for our inn to be included on the website they set up for visitors. But not until today has the Blue Shutters ventured into the blogosphere. Going forward, we'll share updates on happenings at the inn (we'll soon be opening four new rooms), and we'll be looking for comments from guests and friends. We'd love to hear what you think -- come see for yourself.