I have found a new hobby. It has taken over my internet activity and literally changed my life. It sounds crazy and a bit over-dramatic to say that a website has changed my life, but it has.

Here is the low-down. You know how you keep bookmarking sites you want come back to or pictures you really like. Then when you go back to see your bookmark, you can’t figure out which bookmark is which. And then you end up with a huge list of bookmarks that do nothing.

Or that cork board with hundreds of pictures pinned to it just in case you might need them one day. Nut you can’t even think to sort all of those pictures rendering them essentially useless.

Well, no more! Pinterest is the new social-networking site on the block and it has taken the internet by storm. The invite-only site solves your bookmarking problem. Combine your cork board with the inspiring images and your online bookmarking and you have Pinterest.

First you snag yourself an invite. Thankfully, a friend should be able to score you an invite. Creating a profile is simple and less invasive than Facebook- you online need a name, profile picture and you can start pinning.

Before you can pin, you should install the Pinterest toolbar. This will sit at the top of your browser. When you are on a webpage that you would like to pin, click the pin it button. A page will pop up with the images on that page (assuming there is more than one, and there usually is). You select your favorite image and it will save that pin.

You first create a pin (which is essentially like pinning up a favorite photo on your cork board or bookmarking something). You then put your pins on different boards in an attempt to organize them by category. Popular categories include food, travel, fashion and crafts. But the sky is the limit. You could have a board dedicated to a light switch if you wanted. It is your pin board.

Your pins are organized in an attractive array of images that are easily sortable. If you want to revisit the original site, click on the image and your browser will take you to the link.

Then the social networking part comes in. You can follow other people’s pins and they can follow yours. This is different than Facebook, where you have to accept someone to be your friend. Anyone can follow anyone on Pinterest. If you like an image, hover over it and a few buttons will appear: like and repin. If you want the image to be pinned on one of your boards, click repin. If you just like it, click like.

When you log into Pinterest, you will land on the “homepage” which shows the recent pins of those you follow.

Sound complicated? Explore the site. You will quickly learn the ins and outs of the site and it will ultimately suck you in, guaranteed.