Even though my iPhone lets me check my email, receive sms, and talk to people, I still love it when someone leaves me a physical message. In this posting, I’ll introduce you to some decorative, fun and decidedly modern ways of leaving messages.

Write it on the Chandelier

Ingo Maurer’s Zettel’z 6 chandelier has been on my wish list for a long time. Why anyone haven’t bought it for me yet is a true mystery (hint, hint..). This wonderful chandelier includes 40 printed and 40 blank sheets of rice paper. In other words: you can dress this light fixture with your favorite poems, love letters, pencil drawings, etc. What a wonderful way to leave a message to your honey!

Write it on the Wall

A $1200 chandelier is of course not the only way to leave a message in your home. Chalkboard stickers are somewhat cheaper and can look great in your home office, your kitchen, a playroom, or in the hallway. They come in lots of different shapes and colors, and can definitely be decorative as well as useful.

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When I walked into my first job interview in the Information Technology field six years ago, I got a few funny looks, I laugh now when I think about it, but back then it wasn’t too funny. Just to give you a visual image: think Legally Blonde, but with way less pink, and substitute law school with technology. It’s an industry myth that tech geeks just don’t care about fashion; they don’t care about carbs; they don’t obsess over fashion blogs; and they definitely don’t show up to work with great hair, the latest accessories, and a bedazzled version of the latest cell phone. I quickly changed my style for future interviews; maybe it was a little sneaky on my part, because the minute I landed a supervisory role, I went right back to my personal style, which includes an eyebrow arch and nail appointment every Monday at lunch.

After coming home from St Louis around Thanksgiving of last year, I decided that I had had enough of the whole theory that fashion and technology don’t mix. Why are women in technology afraid to show that they obsess over fashion? From experience, it’s just too stressful to hide your true self, not to mention just plain stupid. I decided that I would pave the way for a new kind of woman, the Tech Geek Fashionista (TGF) by starting my own blog, The Technology Starlet, and proving that my audience, readers like me, should be taken seriously. This was supposed to be a great hobby, but then something weird happened. After a month of emailing and networking, people in the industry and readers started to respond. They did want to know what cell phone a fashion addict would choose, how to customize their laptop, and what web application would help them shop online and find their inner TGF.

So, from one TGF to another, I hope you stay tuned in as I promise to deliver information, reviews, and my personal obsession on the latest gadgets, the coolest laptops, and the best of the mobile world, from a TGF’s perspective (of course), right here on the Tastemaker Diaries. I hope you remember that your laptop, your mobile phone, your desktop, and your cute bags and covers should represent your style. Below are a few definitions that describe a TGF and I encourage you to ask yourself, what makes you one?

Tech:(tĕk ) n. A technician or abbreviation for technology or technical work

Geek: (gēk ) n. A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.

Fashionista: (fa-shə-‘nēs-tə ) n. designer, promoter, or follower of the latest fashions

Tech Geek Fashionista: (tĕk gēk fa-shə-‘nēs-tə) n. A designer, promoter, or follower of the latest fashion who is accomplished and single minded in technical pursuits and is known for being a socialite.