Projects here, there and everywhere.

Keeping busy keeps me happy and right now I am busy. There are a couple projects I am working on that I am super proud of. Here's a short update on a couple of them.

Betsy took this, I stole it from her Facebook.

At the agency, Betsy and I are working on a commercial for our client. That commercial is in production this week so you know I can't share much information about it. The producer and director were a great fit for this project and I can't wait to get everything wrapped up.

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With all the things I like to get myself into, I also like to keep a life on the side. This past weekend, I ran in The Color Run. SO MUCH FUN! It's a 5K where every 1K you go through color zones where you are plummeted with this colored powder similar to flour. So, you start the race clean with a white shirt and end a colorful mess. After you finish the run, every 15 minutes, they have a powder toss where everyone throws the powder in the air, resulting in the photo above.

If you can sign up for this I highly recommend it!!

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My personal project, The Tomboy Project, has been slow on the backers, though it is gaining ground as far as women wanting to get involved. This project is growing and becoming something that when finished, will probably blossom into something I can't even imagine at this moment. If you don't know what the project is check it out on kickstarter here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1029556983/the-tomboy-project

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As I am typing this, Leroy is snoring on the couch next to me. He has been a true blessing in my life, reminding me of what really matters in life and being such a great stress reliever. We are planning on running the Run. Walk. Wag. 5K9 and I've been googling training programs on how to get him ready for 3.1 miles.

He is so tired after 1.5 miles right now, so hopefully in about a month I can get him up to the 3 miles. If not, we will just do the 1 mile fun run. He can handle that without a problem.

Are you planning on running this with your dog? Let me know and post a picture of your dog below!!

The power of the pencil

Skull by Alan Robinson

In a world of computers, a simple pencil sketch won out. The reason? The idea was bad ass. That and with a pencil you strip away all the fluff, all the bullshit and there lying on a piece of paper is an idea as naked as you on the day you were born.

It's something all the pros did before us, haven't you ever seen Bewitched? Darren always had tear sheets and the client never expected something to be perfectly vectorized during the conceptualization stage. That is how it should be today. The computer is a tool you use to produce things. If you aren't in the production stage, TURN IT OFF.

What you say? You need to use it to do research? Why can't research be doing things? exploring? traveling? reading a real book? I believe spending time on the Internet to do research is spending time looking at things that other people have already done. Go do something yourself. In fact why are you even reading this?

The Tomboy Project

If you haven't heard of kickstarter it is a platform for creatives to raise money and complete a project. You submit your idea to them and they either approve or deny your idea. If you get approved, as the Tomboy project did, you then get to set up your project and try to raise the funds.

This platform is an all or nothing thing. It keeps it simple, you raise the money, you get it. You don't raise the money and you get nothing. Easy enough right? Well there is a lot more that goes into getting your project ready for launch. First, you have to figure out what in the world you want to do. 

Second, plan all of it out detail by detail and then figure out how much you are going to need. This was the scary part for me. When I realized how much it would cost to complete this project, my heart sank a little. I really wondered if people would donate that amount of money and then I just continued to work on the details of my project. The more I researched and developed the more I fell in love with this idea. I know that if I believe in me, I will be able to raise the $65,000 it will take me to document stories of tomboys across the country. 

I believe in this project because it is important for women, young ladies, and little girls to know there are a lot of tomboys out there and it is okay to be one. They grow up with a better body image, more self confidence and better relationships. If you are interested in learning more about my project and to help fund it, please visit: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1029556983/the-tomboy-project

Please back the project by choosing your reward level and clicking on the green back this project button!

Working from home

Telecommuting is becoming a necessity in today's culture. Not only because gas prices are rising and it's extremely hard to carpool but because no one wants to be stuf in a beige world for 8+ hours a day.

I found this article about a woman who decorates home offices, you can read the article HERE, I thought it was interesting because she is helping change the way people function in society. Until a meteor knocks a satellite out of orbit we are going to continue to fight for our freedom from this 9-5 life people created during the 50's.

For me working at home relieves so much stress. It allows me to be in an environment that I can make noise in, make a mess in, and not feel limited by four walls. It also allows me to actually get more accomplished. Think about how much time you waste sitting on the freeway because everyone has to be at work at 9 or everyone is allowed to leave their cube at 5. Why does everyone in the world have to be on the same schedule? It makes absolutely no sense.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when you do work from home, the assholes who need to be confined to an office think you aren't doing anything. When in fact it is the complete opposite.

Also, why do people prefer to sit under florescent lighting all day when there is this big bright burning star in the sky for 12 hours a day that actually provides nutrients to help your body thrive. Again, I don't get it.

Working from home offers flexibility with children. I don't have any, but think about how many latch key kids there are. Working from home allows you to manage your work so you can pick up your children and be part of their lives. No one ever wished they could work more on their death bed.

Some of the pros about working at home:

• Work all day in your sweatpants - This goes back to being comfortable. I see the account side dressed all fancy everyday and they just email clients and talk to them on the phone. You can't tell me they wouldn't be able to do the same thing at home in their sweats.
• Ability to work outside - Going back to the big burning star in the sky. It is good for you. Go get some Vitamin D to help build up your immunity. 
• There are webcams on every laptop allowing for video conferences - Hello skype or ichat or any other program that let's you see people you are talking to. It's just like being in the room with them, without actually having to be in the same room with them. Also, think about all the money you will save on pants. 
• Ability to pick the type of desk chair you want to sit in all day - Or not sit in all day. Sometimes I work at the kitchen counter and stand. It's important to be in an environment that you feel comfortable and safe. There is always someone at any job that just won't allow you to get thing done. Being at home you can at least limit their interference in your daily life. 
• Home cooked lunches - Think about how much healthier our country could be if people actually made food for themselves instead of trying to shove fast food down their throats just to make it back to the office in the thirty minutes they are allotted to relax and get food. 
• Companies save money on utilities - People leave lights on, they waste paper, they waste coffee. By allowing them to work from home, I guarantee they will waste less of everything. 
• Save gas - This is another hippie reason but truly it's good for the environment. I travel 50 miles to and from work on a daily basis. Instead of traveling south to downtown, I would rather travel north 10 miles and be at the lake. 

Some of the cons: 

• You have to make space in your home for an office - It might take a little while to figure out where you do actually work best to get things accomplished. This is one of those things that is like a con but is really a pro because it will force you to venture out and try new things. 
• Work surrounds you all the time, making it harder to create a work/life balance - This is something a lot of people do not know how to do. You need to make sure when you aren't accomplishing anything in front of the screen you go do something else for a bit. 
• Hiring people who can't handle the freedom - Again, you need a special type of person who knows how to handle the freedom. As much freedom as it is it is also a lot of responsibility. 

There are definitely adjustments that people/companies have to make when deciding to allow telecommuting. It could be as easy as every Monday people can telecommute. No one likes Mondays anyway. Or allow people to pick their days, rotate switch things around. Contrary to popular belief change is good people. 

Do you know of some other pros and cons of the telecommuting world? Or do you have your own home office? Leave me a comment or photo! 

Internet Blackout

They are calling it Hollywood vs. Silicon Valley. SOPA is causing some interesting havoc around the internet today. Many companies are blacking out their sites, some completely unusable letting people and congress know that we should stop piracy but not censor the internet.

And honestly, I don't think I should have to pay to watch an episode of Parenthood that aired two years ago. You people are already rich, let us poor people enjoy some freaking Nick at Nite style TV.   

Out of all of this, not just SOPA but occupy wall street/the world, it has turned people back to shopping local and supporting the little guy. I can't express the excitement of the shop indie movement this past holiday season. Let's keep that trend going. Shop local and indie year round, get people back on their feet and people back to work. It's what this country was built on . . . we did it once, we can do it again.

I have decided to black out Bruonis' Facebook page in support of not supporting SOPA or PIPA.

Here are some of the sites that have either partially or fully blacked out.

Happy New Year!

Photo by Taylor Lord - Click to see her website.

I spent my New Year in Austin, Texas at a good friend's wedding. I was not allowed to bring a date and that seriously made things so much easier! I was able to focus on me and what I wanted to do. Also, I was able to meet a great group of people (also single) that I would have never met if I had been forced to find a plus one.

I had the privilege of designing all of the paper products for the wedding such as the menu, the program, the I SPY and the thank you. They turned out beautifully and I will post them once I get back in to Arizona.

I think about all the things I have done since grad school and all of the people I have met. I highly recommend graduate school. The networking and opportunities I have had . . . I can't express the gratitude I have.

Anyway, back to the wedding. It was obviously a New Year theme with a fun vintage New York twist. Sometimes I feel like Jennifer Lopez in the Wedding Planner. I love weddings so much and all the planning that goes into them, though I don't know if I ever see myself getting married.

One thing I loved about the wedding was the jewelry. The bride's mother, Molly, made the most BEAUTIFUL jewelry for the bridal party. Everyone was asking where they could get it and I think we are going to have to set up an Etsy account for her.

At the reception, I loved the wedding photographs of the parents and the grandparents were next to the cake. It showcased the generations so tastefully. It also got the grandparents and parents thinking about their wedding days and all the great memories they have had through the years.

Over all this was an amazing wedding and probably the best New Years I have ever had. Bravo Vogel . . . I mean Mrs. Mitchell.

Update 15 January 2012

Please visit Taylor Lord's BLOG to see the images from the wedding.