Working Girl

I worked at a friend's studio a couple of days this week, and it always throws me off course when I have to leave the house for work. It always amazes me that:

A) People do this ALL THE TIME. And

B) I used to be one of those people (seriously, you guys. How on earth did I used to be so pulled together?? OK, not SO pulled together, but enough that my kids and I got where we needed to be, with what we needed for the day--I'm talking to you, LUNCH--and ON TIME).

Monday might've been the longest day, ever, followed by Tuesday, and then Thursday. Monday there was snow in the forecast, and it was almost like I didn't live in New England, and people were panicking unnecessarily. Case in point: all after school activities were cancelled a half hour before school got out. Oh, and it wasn't snowing at this point, nor was it forecast to start snowing until, oh, 6:00. But whatever, schools. Cancel activities, not like it's going to affect me...

HA.

Yeah, so Monday my middle daughter has math tutoring (after school. Which qualifies as an after school activity. I know, who knew?), and I had arranged for a neighbor to pick up the intern, so I could stay at the office a little later than the norm. I got the text, laughed--literally out loud--at the sheer stupidity of canceling for snow that isn't supposed to start falling for another 4 hours, and kept on working.

Yep, I kept right on working, because my child is going to after school activities disguised as tutoring. It was only 15 minutes later--when my friend texted me asking if I could grab her kids (because I am admitting on the internet I did NOT figure this out on my own)--that I quickly shut down and made the 15 minute drive home in just 8 minutes.

Did I mention that oh, I also sprained my finger over the weekend, and wanted to get to the doctor to make sure it was just a sprain (because OMG sprained fingers hurt)? AND Monday was the one day (ONE DAY) that my middle daughter could make candles for a class project, because Tuesday they were making candle holders. Can you imagine a greater injustice than being in 4th grade and having a candle holder but no homemade candle to put in it? Fortunately, the candle making happened at someone else's house, or that might've just sent me spiraling out of control.

We had take out for dinner Monday night, followed shortly by a slight breakdown on my end. I think I went to bed around 9:30, just to get up and do it all over again on Tuesday.

Just stuff I see that I like: 3.15.13

Well hey there! I know, it's been a while (I was on a roll, too!). The good news is that it's been a while for a good reason: busy, busy, busy! These past 2 weeks, I've designed, approved, and had 2 stationery suites on press (you'll see them next week, I swear!), designed a website, project-managed another site that's currently with the developer, and designed both Word and Powerpoint templates (which on their own could've taken me 2 weeks. I mean, have you ever tried to make ANYTHING look good in a Microsoft program? It's like the programs are designed on purpose to make things look BAD). Seriously, head. Spinning.

Seen + noted the past 2 weeks (yeah, sorry about last week):

Funniest Home Wifi Network Names: Yup, Mattio's parents definitely need theirs to be renamed to Dad, use this one.

Usually internet comments are literally the worst of the worst. Literally. But this little blurb, about dictionaries are sanctioning the use of the word literally (see what I did there?), has some gems in the comments section. Well played, New York commenters.

What Coke Contains is a bit of a long read, but interesting--it's like a written How It's Made.

LOLZ: Every Fucking Website. A Third Goddamned Header, so true. 

LOLZ: The Soprano Diaries.

The 2012 Feltron Annual Report. If you've never seen one of these, they're really a thing of beauty. Imagine making an annual report for each year of your life. Crazy, right?

Cool: Graffiti Artists Spray Paint a Church Fresco. It wasn't graffiti, though--a priest hired the artists. Pretty cool story, really cool outcome. 

The Great Gatsby, NES-style. I mean, why not?

Instagram of the week:

Late last week we had some snow, so Saturday we took advantage. It melted pretty much 24 hours later (but not on the mountain, WHEW), and ended up being close to 50 degrees all last weekend, so it was great spring skiing weather. Hoping to repeat that tomorrow.

Here's hoping your weekend is springy, too!

This girl is on FIYAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRE

While I thought that the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy wasn't as great as the first, I am still beside myself excited about the Catching Fire movie (which comes out in November. NOVEMBER, people). 

To ramp up excitement (I mean, really; NOVEMBER), Capitol Couture is releasing a new Capitol portrait a day via their Instagram.

I have to say that I really like them. I loved (loved, loved, LOVED) the original Hunger Games portrait posters--maybe because it was the first look at all of the characters, but I'd also like to think that they're pretty badass design-wise, too.

I like this current crop because they're SO different than the originals. Kudos, movie studio: I'm excited.

Just stuff I see that I like: 3.1.13

Not a lot of action on the ole blog this week, and I'm sorry for that. I can't even say that I was crazy busy with one big project--just lots of little things. Good news: more stationery files released to printer, and not one, but TWO websites released to developers. That coupled with an awesome logo presentation this morning can keep a girl on her toes.


Seen + noted this week:

If you're all caught up on Downton, you might want to check out a Working Draft for the First Episode of Downton Abbey, Season 4. First, I'm pretty sure this "John Kenny" guy is really Julian Fellows. Second, OHMYGOD that's funny.

If you haven't seen Jennifer Lawrence's post-Oscar win press conference, it's totally adorable (When questioned about her falling up the stairs to accept her award: "What do you mean what happened? Look at my dress. I tried to walk up stairs in this dress, that's what happened.")

Photographer Chris Buck's Isn't series: ordinary people who look like celebrities. In the 90s, people told me I looked like Winona Ryder--but I'm pretty sure most girls in the 90s looked like her--or at least aspired to.

I don't think I could ever be a tattoo artist, because WHAT IF YOU MESS UP? Fortunately, a Turkish tattoo shop came up with a good test to see if tattooing is really for you.

So Jason Kottke and I have something in common:

Because who has two thumbs, disposable income, an interest in excellent films, and is not subscribing to Hulu Plus because it seems like too much money and too much effort? This spoiled idiot right here.

Oh, also, free movies on Hulu.

I'll leave you with this wonderful story of a gay couple, an abandoned baby, and a judge who had a hunch. Goosebumps.

Instagram of the week:

The intern has always loved climbing into our laundry baskets, and don't think because she's 5 now, age is stopping her. She climbed in one over the weekend, playing on her iPod, proclaiming she was bored. I wish I were 5, and my biggest problems were being amused outside of sitting in a laundry basket.

In exciting news, today is the teenager's birthday! She's 18. Yup, 18. Wanna feel old? She was born in 1995. 1995 was 18 years ago. I'll just wait while that settles in.

Seriously, she's a pretty awesome 18 year old (can I say kid? Yeah, I can still say kid). This weekend we're celebrating with pizza, more pizza, cake, and skiing. I can't think of a better way to ring in 18 (other than voting, but, you know, November and all...)

Hope you're celebrating something fun this weekend, too! 

Derek Jeter's pants

Mattio and I love to watch those How It's made shows--when you buy a pair of running shoes, or a lawnmower, or, I don't know, Christmas ornaments, you don't really think about how many people it takes to make that one object.

The same is true for baseball uniforms; I would love to spend the day in this factory, watching Derek Jeter's pants get made.



Of course this clip immediately reminded me of George Costanza: "Cotton BREATHES."

Just stuff I see that I like: 2.22.13

I had a crazy week last week, so I really could've used some downtime. Fortunately Monday was a holiday and Zoesmom was off, so we shopped until we dropped. Actually, I could've used a recovery day from all that shopping, but I think that might be borderline ridiculous. Work-wise, I handed off files to my super awesome developer, got these super cool envelopes for a client (can't wait to show you that whole stationery suite once it comes in from the printer), sent out more stationery to be approved, and right now I'm gearing up for a web design kick off next week. Now I definitely need some downtime, and fortunately the Berkshires will provide that to me tomorrow.

Seen + noted this week:

...And this is why the internet is awesome: somebody bought the domain for Guy Fieri's Times Square restaurant, and published a fake menu. I'd like to shake this guy's hand (fake menu guy, not Fieri guy).

This Google Glass thing could be pretty cool. Especially when I'm on my bike and there's like, a thousand pictures I want to take but ohmygod I am not going to stop because what's the point of riding if I'm stopping every thirty seconds to Instagram?

What happens when you give up your cell phone, social media, AND email? This guy didn't go as crazy as one might think.

I'm not sure this is the Worst Logo Ever (caution: you most likely will have a seizure), but the article does contain sound design advice (especially coming from a non-designer): If you are ever thinking of designing an app, or a website, or literally anything, make sure it doesn't look like someone welded 3D glasses to your face and them bombarded you with gamma rays.

I leveraged this article to socialize it on my blog. Or, I used crazy jargon to tell you about the crazy jargon article. Drink the Kool-Aid, kids, and due diligence.

I think Jason Kottke hits the nail on the head when he says that he could watch this compilation of goats yelling like people once a day for the rest of his life.

Instagram of the week:

3 feet of snow doesn't take as long as you think to melt; but you know, it is 3 feet, so there's still plenty left to sled on. And that's just what we did this past Saturday. I'm not sure who had more fun: the kids or the adults. Hope you're having fun this weekend, no matter what you're doing!

Official calligrapher? Sign me up!

You guys, did you know there is an official White House Calligrapher? Like, that's a real job; to hand letter invitations and certificates FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.

I know, I couldn't believe it either. But it's a real thing, and here's a little C-SPAN video to show you a little more about the White House Graphics and Calligraphy Office (I mean, really. The White House Graphics and Calligraphy Office? How did I not know about this?)

The Graphics and Calligraphy Office (GCO) is a unit of the Social Office at the White House, the official residence of the President of the United States. Located in the East Wing, the Graphics and Calligraphy Office coordinates and produces all non-political social invitations, place cards, presidential proclamations, letters patent, military commissions, and official greetings.

I want to work at the GCO. Can you even imagine? "Good morning Mr. President. Can you just approve this presidential proclamation, and I'll have those invitations for you to look at tomorrow?"

Alright, I know that's not really how it works. But I've been watching a lot of the West Wing lately, so that's how I'm imagining it goes. Oh, and by the way, we are of course walking down a hall while I am handing off said files to the president, because everyone in the White House walks and talks. And then Josh Lyman comes by and interrupts us with some witty banter, and... oh, alright. Focus.

Seriously, you guys, carpel tunnel aside (OHMYGOD, THE CARPEL TUNNEL), how awesome would that be: "Today we're working on place cards for the Queen's dinner. Just hand lettering Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge right now..."

Awesome. I'm planning a tour right now, as I type. Because I so want to meet these people (especially the guy who's worked there 27 years. 27 YEARS AND HIS HAND HASN'T FALLEN OFF DUE TO CARPEL TUNNEL) and spend a day in the GCO. Who's coming with me?

Just stuff I see that I like: 2.15.13

This past weekend's epic snowstorm brought us the February break that Fairfield Public Schools had taken out of the calendar this year. Seriously, the kids were off Friday, Monday and Tuesday; the intern was home sick on Wednesday (seriously. Five days she had to be sick, and she chooses the first day back to school), back to school Thursday, and they're off again for a teacher development day today, and President's day on Monday. So, the bright side of all this parent/child bonding (said through clenched teeth) was sledding! Movies (No, we didn't watch Lazy Sunday, but come on, can you really say Chronicles of Narnia without thinking of it?)! Books! And maybe a little too much time on their iPods so I could get something done. Because when you work from home, you really don't get snow days, do you?

Seen + noted this week:

Loving this new campaign from Expedia using airport codes from luggage tags to send a message. Clever.

And while we're on the subject of travel, here's AirBnB's annual report. I love the stories that it tells.

Because I'm a type nerd.

About a month ago, I was called for jury duty, and man, was I stressed about being chosen to serve. I wish that I had read this beautifully written article about an acquaintance's experience being called for jury duty before I had to go. Not only is it so eloquent, but it really puts things in perspective.

Instagram of the week:

I'm not going to bore you with snowstorm pics. If you live around here, you're still living it. Instead, how cool is this? This is Mattio's great-grandmother's passport. Unfortunately, his grandmother passed away this past week; one of his relatives brought this to the luncheon after the funeral. This was his grandmother's mother. I hope his grandmother was a well-behaved child, because something tells me you do NOT want to be on the wrong side of this woman.Weekend plans, anyone? We are--FINALLY--taking advantage of the snow and going skiing, and then since it's a long weekend, and Monday is a holiday, and there are sales to be taken advantage of, Zoesmom and I have some plans to do serious damage at Kate Spade. I mean, unless you are Mattio reading this, and if so then we are just going to window shop.Happy weekend!

Opt out

I am so annoyed by the existence of the phone book. Seriously. Who is still using this antiquated mode of getting in touch with someone?

Yesterday I needed a snow plow. I didn't dig out the phone book, I searched online for someone who could dig me out of my driveway. To tell you the truth, it wouldn't even occur to me to look in a phone book. At all.

And yet it keeps getting delivered to my house, and I keep piling them up in the mudroom (because in some sick twist of fate, the recycling company will not accept them; and I have too much environmental guilt to flat out throw them away). I know I can bring them down to the phone company to be recycled, but OH. MY. GOD. Talk about unnecessary steps to get rid of something I never wanted in the first place.

Enter the National Yellow Pages Consumer Choice and Opt Out Site. Register with them, and you can choose which phone books you don't want to receive (ALL OF THEM). No joke, we were registered to get FOUR phone books. Four. It's mind boggling that these companies are still in business, and in business so much that there are four phone books in my area.

I've gone and unchecked every box--no more phone book piles in my mudroom!

Watch this

Current state:



Seriously, you guys. If you're not in New England, I can't even begin to describe the amount of snow--here in Fairfield we got 35 inches. THIRTY FIVE INCHES. The majority of the snow fell Friday into Saturday, and as of Monday morning we are still not completely dug out.

It's insane.