Post Promo

> I wish I could say I've just enjoyed the longest holiday break ever known to man...however the time was spent doing something much less exciting...I had surgery at the beginning of December, and spent the holidays recovering. It's taken me much longer to be able to return to work than I had hoped, but I'm finally back.

> Just before my surgery, I mailed out my annual holiday promotion (and yes, the timing was intentional!) I've never been so on-the-ball for the holidays. I don't plan on an annual surgery, but I did like having everything done so far ahead of time!

> I sent these to my clients, vendors, and contacts, as well as family and friends who are interested in what I do. And I made sure to have extras so I can give them out to new business contacts throughout the coming year (minus the holiday greeting portion of it).

> I really had a hard time deciding if I wanted to use the pun or not...was it unprofessional...silly...witty...you never know how it's going to come off, but I got enough positive feedback about doing it that I went with it. Hopefully it's more clever than cheesy.

> If you didn't get any encourage-mints and would like them, just subscribe to my (usually) monthly email newsletter (a couple months behind for the above reason), or like me on Facebook, then email me your mailing address. If you already do both and didn't receive one, email me to let me know, and include your address.

Promo Prep

> Is it that time of year again already? The piles assembly line in my studio says yes! I've got a bag full of blank padded envelopes, a box with finished, labeled envelopes, a stack of trimmed cards, with a bigger stack of cards still needing to be trimmed, and two boxes emitting a sweet minty, fresh aroma (wintergreen, of course).

> As much work as there is in putting all the pieces together—from trying to figure out what the gift will be, then designing all the individual components, then labeling and assembling all of them, and don't even get me started on the post office...(although I have figured out a pretty good way to lessen that negative impact)—it's definitely a labor of love. 

> Here's a sneak peek of part of this year's promotion. And stay tuned...in a couple weeks, I'll share pics of the finished gift.

Wanting to do Everything

> I've read from countless sources, that if a designer's prices are acceptable to everyone who asks for a proposal, they're not charging enough. Logically, I'm sure that's true. But I hate it! I design because I love it. Because designing is a part of what makes me feel like myself. If I was doing it just for the money, I'd be working more than full-time hours at an ad agency, trying for promotions and higher pay regardless of how much (or little) I enjoyed my work.

> I hate that feeling when I learn I'm outside of a potential client's budget. Especially if I really like the sound of the project. I want to say, "Oh, I'm sorry the price is higher than you expected. Tell me what your budget is and I'll make it work out."

> I've heard about a cafe in Salt Lake that doesn't have a typical menu. Each day, the chef/owner just creates what he wants to, and serves it to the customers, who are asked to pay what they feel the meal is worth. The friend who told me about the place said it was good food, so, kind of a neat idea, huh? Hopefully people are generous, but aren't there also plenty of people who would pay less just because they could?  

> It makes me wonder, could a design business work using this kind of pricing system? Would it start to devalue what I do? Or would it simply allow me to create whatever I want and feel good about it regardless of what I'm paid. Kind of an interesting thought.

Church Tourist

> Another batch of photos from my New York trip, featuring places of worship (the first photo is obviously not a church, but as we rode past on a bus tour, I was at first intrigued by the type that ran across the side of the building, then took a photo because I loved what it said. 

> Our first day, as we were coming from Rockefeller Center to catch the train back to our hotel, we saw St. Patrick's Cathedral. Have you ever seen it? In a word: wow! Even my husband (who's not much of a shutterbug) was dying to go over and take photos. However, because I had smartly charged my camera's battery the night before, then ever-so smartly left the battery in the charger, I told him we couldn't see it just then because I wouldn't be able to take any pictures. I'd spent all day cursing myself for my mistake, and knew my phone wouldn't be able to take the pictures I'd want. Thank goodness he's a good sport—we skipped it and went back later with a fully charged battery IN my camera.

> In our wanderings over the next couple days, I came across several other churches, and while not as ornate, they were gorgeous and inspiring as well.

St. Patrick's Cathedral. There was scaffolding around the front
so it's not as great a shot as I'd like to have taken. I couldn't
get the whole thing or get closer without the construction

Love the organ

Love the stars that were intentionally designed from the intersecting ceiling trim

Everything about this place makes you look upward.
Do you get a sense of how high the ceiling is?

Such beautiful and ornate detail—everywhere

Another church—can't remember where
I love the iron window trim

Another one...

...and another...wow...love the wood door on this one 

Inspired by...Design Seeds

 > In my work, I'm constantly looking for color combinations that are new, fresh, interesting, and sometimes—depending on the project—unexpected.

> I love turning to Design Seeds when I need color ideas. The blog creator, Jessica Colaluca, pulls color swatches from stunning photographs, creating a wonderful variety of color palettes that I love to wander through (I'd love to REALLY wander through the scene in this photo).

> Even when I don't have a project that needs color options, I waste spend a lot of time browsing the pretty colors and photos.

Bridges of New York

> The next batch of selected photos from my New York trip are of bridges. We went on a 3-hour cruise (not to be confused with Gilligan's 3-hour "tour") around the island of Manhattan (I know, I just dated myself). 

> I've always loved and been fascinated by bridges, so I had a lot of fun photographing them as we approached and went under each of them.

> I must note that while I tried to keep track and remember which bridge was which so I could properly label my photos, it didn't take long before I knew there was no hope of that. But I easily consoled myself when the tour guide told us near the end of the trip that we had gone under 20 bridges! 

> I don't have photos of all of 20, but I have a multiples of a few of my favorites—hope you enjoy my photos of these wonderful structures. We especially enjoyed a closer look of the Brooklyn Bridge (the last 3 pics). We took the subway to Brooklyn and walked back to Manhattan across it and took photos as we made our back. What a great walk!

See the little red lighthouse at the base of the bridge in the above two photos?
(sorry, my watermark covers it on one pic). Because it's the subject of a 1942 children's book, a large group of fans were able to keep it from being dismantled by getting it
listed as a New York City Landmark (read more).

This bridge was one of my favorites with the brick and multiple arches,
but I'm bugged it's not better cared for...there's litter, pollution build-up, spilled paint,
graffiti, and junk dumped around it...still, it's an awesome bridge.

Manhattan: Ornate Appeal

> My husband works for PepsiCo, and was recently the recipient of the award they give to their top salespeople (I'm tooting his horn for him). They flew us to NYC and treated us to several days of amazing food, and experiences we'd never have been able to have on our own. It was absolutely wonderful. We stayed for 2 extra days on our own in addition to the days they hosted, and we loved exploring this awesome city.

> I was inspired by so many things, and as I sorted my photos, I decided to categorize them rather than just post everything randomly.

> Following are photos of how much ornamentation there is—everywhere. I love the historic architecture, and between the mix of old and new, it's a visual feast. For once, my husband didn't have to indulge my inner-amateur-photographer completely, because he was taking tons of photos too! [Gotta apologize for the blown-out sky in some of the photos. If I knew more about anything other than the auto feature on my camera I might be able to adjust for a bright but overcast sky...I did admit I'm an amateur, right?]

> Hope you enjoy these. Future posts will include churches, bridges, the 9-11 memorial, and more.

my cute husband Gene (and don't you love the added detail on the exterior of the tunnel?)