Yea or nay--I'm going with nay

Last night, I got to see small town bureaucracy at work, firsthand. First of all, let me just say that--sweet Mother of God--it takes an awfully long time to get one thing done!

Last night was our town's Representative Town Meeting (RTM), and I wanted to go because A) I was invited, and B) they were discussing the town budget, of which the school budget falls into--with 2 children in public schools, and one on her way, I kind of have a vested interest.

Well, the first item on the agenda was not the town budget. It was a $2+ million dollar something or other (hey, it was a long meeting, and there were an awful lot of numbers involved. Bear with me here) that involved funding to update bathrooms at an elementary school, update a cafeteria at another elementary school, and paving, among (many, many, many) other things. Oh yeah, funding for a girl's softball field was lumped in there as well.

So, first things first: they opened the floor up for member comments. The final RTM comment was by a rep who felt this issue should be delayed until their next meeting (so she could gather more information). Problem was, things like asphalt paving, and school issues are time sensitive, and really can't wait another month. So, let's have some member comment on waiting.

Comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment.

OK, now let's have some public comment on waiting.

Comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment.

Now, we vote. Oh wait, it sounds too close; let's do a roll call vote. What's that? The roll call vote is too close? Ya know what? We should have a caucus about this. Cue all 50+ RTM members leaving the room to talk about it. 10 minutes later, they're back, voting again.

Lucky for us--I think--they voted not to wait. So let's talk about issue #1 of issue #1 (remember, it's bathrooms, cafeteria, paving, a bunch of other stuff, and softball fields). Since there were many young softball players at the meeting, and we're already an hour into a meeting that started at 8pm, that was issue #1 (of issue #1--are you following?).

RTM comments: Comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment (these are our reps making an argument for or against the proposed $400,000 field).

Public comment: Comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment x about 30. No kidding--people are really either vehemently for, or opposed to this field.

RTM comments about the public comments: Comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment, comment. The last comment actually ended with a poem the rep wrote while the public was making comments. Are you kidding me??!

OK, let's vote. Oh wait, let's do a roll call vote again. Permission to allocate $400,000 for a girl's softball field denied, 30-19.

Next issue: asphalt (issue #2 of issue #1).

OK, by now it's 10:30. It took 2.5 hours to go over this one issue. Now I'm pretty sure that people are not as passionate about paving as they are about softball, but I wasn't leaving that up to chance. I got up and left. And glad that I did--because according to sources, the whole shabang ended at 2AM.

So that's it; that's my foray into small town politics. I have no idea what happened with the town budget, I just hope that my being there (along with many, many other parents and educators) had an impact. Lord knows this meeting had an impact on me.

OMG--how cute is this?

Via Swiss Miss, a new take on making a baby:



Adorable!

Happy Earth Day!

Here in Fairfield, we actually have an Earth Day Festival that takes place a few weeks after the actual, official Earth Day. I am on the festival's committee, and have been spending a lot of time recently putting together a guidebook of exhibitors, as well as "green" tips, recipes, and articles. Actually, I think it's rather appropriate that today is the day that the files are going to the printer.

In our little guidebook, there's a bunch of little factoids dispersed throughout. In honor of Earth Day, I thought I would share some with you. Many thanks to the talented Lauren Bove, who pulled all of this information together for me:

If the U.S. average miles per gallon of all automobiles was brought to 35 mpg, it would reduce global warming pollution and save more than 1.1 million barrels of oil each day or half of what the U.S. currently imports from the Persian Gulf.

Honda was rated the cleanest automaker by the biennial Automaker Rankings report from the Union of Concerned Scientists as of 8/27/08.

Chrysler was rated the dirtiest by the same agency.

Recycling saves energy: Creating a new aluminum can from scratch takes 95% more energy than making a can from recycled aluminum.

Energy Star notes that in the average home, 40% of all electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. Across the US, this equals the annual output of 17 power plants.

Swapping 16 incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) saves emissions equivalent to taking a car off the road for a year.

Americans use about 385 million gallons of gasoline every day, which means more than a gallon of gasoline every day for every man, woman and child.

If every household in the United States replaced just one package of virgin fiber napkins with 100% recycled ones, we could save 1 million trees. (NRDC)

Since 1980, the earth has experienced 19 of its 20 hottest years on record, with 2005 and 1998 tied for the hottest and 2002 and 2003 coming in second and third. (NRDC)

The polar ice cap is now melting at the alarming rate of 9% per decade. NASA has reported Arctic ice thickness has almost halved since the 1960s.

Paper products are bleached to make them whiter and brighter. The chlorine used in many bleaching processes contributes to the formation of harmful chemicals that wind up in our air and water and are highly toxic to people and fish. (NRDC)

About one-sixth of the wood delivered to a construction site is never used. Instead, it's hauled to the landfill as wood waste scraps. (NRDC)

Half of the forests that originally covered 48% of the Earth's land surface are gone. Only 1/5th of the Earth's original forests remain pristine and undisturbed. (NRDC)

55% of our trash goes to landfills, 14% is burned, and 31% is recycled. (Energy Information Administration)

The U.S. uses nearly $1 million worth of energy every minute. (Energy Information Administration)

The removable roof rack on a car can reduce fuel economy by as much as 5%, states the EPA.

The National Recycling Coalition reports that recycling supports 1.1 million jobs in the U.S. (Energy Information Administration)

The average American generates 4.5 pounds of trash every day, which is almost twice the amount of trash the average American produced daily in 1960. (Energy Information Administration)

Some of these facts are just plain scary. I hope you join me in celebrating Earth Day today, by adopting some small changes to your everyday life that will hopefully, in the long run, make a difference. And if you're in or around Fairfield, CT on 5/9, stop by Fairfield Warde High School and join Fairfield's Earth Day Celebration!

Damn, those pants are square!

This commercial never ceases to make me smile, for many reasons. First of all, it's Baby Got Back. Whether you like the song or not, it should always, always put a smile on your face. Second? "Damn, those pants are square." Third, finally, is the end: Sir Mix a Lot sitting on the couch saying, "Booty is booty."

Brilliant. And a perfect Friday late afternoon pick me up.

Launched!

So... if you're one of my five regular readers, you may have noticed a gap in posts. Yeah... sorry about that. This little thing called work kept me pretty busy. The good news? I have something to show for it!

First up, Healing Barsanti, launched just last week:



The interior design firm Healing Barsanti also operates 2 retail stores (HB Home, one in Westport, and one in Greenwich), they wanted a site to combine the retail aspect, along with their incredibly gorgeous interiors. Mission accomplished!

Second--just launched today--Greenwich Dance Studio. Kate Truesdell needed a site that was going to work with her growing studio. The black background adds quite a dramatic flair, no?



So, sorry for the lack of recent posts... I'm going to have lots more to share in the next few weeks--as a matter of fact, I think I might just be kissing sleep and my weekends goodbye... I'm certainly not complaining (not in this economy!), but ya know... sleep is good.

With a last name like Valentino...

...it's almost as though Eleanor feels has to live up to her lineage. What wasn't captured was just how enthusiastically she was stuffing her face.





Oh, yeah... these last two pics? Yeah, she's actually mopping up extra sauce with her bread. I'm not quite sure if she was sucking up to my inlaws, or what; but if that was her goal, she succeeded.

Twitter madness

Last week I was approached by my pal Dave of ConnCreatives, and asked if I wanted my Twitter feeds to appear on the site. Uhhh.... yes? Problem is, some of my tweets were kind of personal; ya know, stuff about the kids (what? I can't help it that they say and do totally adorable and funny things!), life, ski weekends... stuff like that. Since this site is a creative one, Dave suggested opening a different twitter account and keeping it more business related.

So I did. Problem is, my old Twitter handle was traciedesigns; which is the name of my business. Of course I want that name to be associated with my business. So here's what I did: I changed my old, "personal" account to tracietoo. My shiny new "business" account is traciedesigns.

So we'll see how it goes... I really like Twitter, a lot, so I don't foresee a problem with having 2 accounts... for now (See? This is what happens when I attend social media events... I become a social media monster!). The site is now up and running, check it out here. I think it'll be pretty cool. In the meantime, feel free to follow both accounts... I'm interesting like that.

Type Wednesday

This morning I went looking for another gorgeous font to post today (before all hell broke loose--you don't want to know) and naturally I came up empty (sometimes a good font just has to find you, I guess).

However, the Periodic Table of Typefaces just landed in my inbox, courtesy of The Type Studio... so on we go, with this week's theme of fonts and type.



Hint: click anywhere on the image to zoom in. Click again to zoom back out. If I was in any mood whatsoever to talk about technology, I'd say yipee! But I've had my fair share technical issues today (I'm good for a while, actually)--referenced above: all hell breaking loose.

Type Tuesday

I feel like I am being spoon-fed gorgeous type this week... and you know what? I don't mind one bit. Today's beauty comes via the MyFonts blog (thanks to Jeff Fisher, via Twitter); ladies and gents, meet Memoriam:



Just a little FYI: any type that's described as "big, sexy, high-contrast curves" I am pretty much guaranteed to love. Yum, yum.

Monday morning fonts

Last night I was reading the Times Magazine, and, as usual, I stopped at William Safire's On Language. Truth be told, I usually skim the column (it's like, about words, and stuff), but I'm always interested to see the opening typographical treatment. This week's--by Daren Newman--was no disappointment:



So there you have it. Some pretty type to start off your week. You're welcome.

Just one hour

Make a statement about global warming and turn out your lights tomorrow night at 8:30! From the Earth Hour website:

World Wildlife Fund is asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions.

Our lights will be out tomorrow night--I hope yours will be as well!

Hanging with my creative peeps

I made this mental note to start blogging more... and then I get bogged down with work. I'm sorry I've temporarily fallen out of the blogosphere--I'm certainly not complaining about the work at all (quite the contrary, I'm happy to have it!), but it does take away from time I can devote to the blog.

The good news is, hopefully soon I'll have a fresh new crop of work to show off!

In the meantime, I did have some downtime last night, and made my way up to New Haven to hang out with some of other AIGA | CT peeps (including my pals from Elements, and my new friend Dave from ConnCreatives, among others) in an AIGA sponsored event, XTown (there was a simultaneous event up in Hartford for the northern half of the state). It was nice to get out, let loose, and mingle with other creatives. There's photographic evidence over at Elements--and by photographic, I mean, "Hold very still, my iphone doesn't have a flash." Hee hee.

Snapple: Hey, what the--?

I have to confess, it's been quite some time since I last enjoyed a Snapple. Any time I'm at faced with a decision that involves Snapple and something else, I almost always go for the something else (usually water--and not the flavored stuff, either).

But today, while picking up lunch at the corner sandwich shop, Snapple caught my eye: their packaging is completely different! Their logo is completely different! And, a little internet research later, it turns out that the ingredients are different, and therefore, the taste is different!



According to the dieline:

Snapple, the original new-age beverage, is undergoing the most significant makeover in its 37-year history...

“We want to ensure Snapple continues to be the Best Stuff on Earth,” said Bryan Mazur, vice president of marketing for Snapple. “These changes to the formula and packaging come with one goal in mind: deliver the same great product, just make it even better.”

... Snapple will retain its clever and light-hearted brand personality, but with a more premium, mature execution. Gone will be the old logo and packaging, replaced with a sleeker bottle and label design that speaks to its new formula.

I haven't heard much chatter about this, but then again--while the change is drastic for Snapple--it's not like they're pulling a Tropicana... or are they?

Upon first glance, the new bottle and label definitely evoke a feeling of happiness--it's much brighter and cleaner than the older packaging:



I can't say I'm really crazy about the logo, but it does fit in nicely with the new packaging--although I do think one of the things that stood out on the old packaging was the logo. I can't say anything for the taste, but anything that gets rid of the high-fructose corn syrup, and adds real sugar in it's place has got to taste better--right?

For nostalgia, here's an image of the Snapple packaging from the early 90s (because you know you drank it back then):



AND, for your viewing pleasure, an old Wendy the Snapple Lady commercial (because you know you loved these spots):



(PS How cute is that little kid's laugh?)

More fabulous color inspiration...

...this time from Tori Burch. Behold, the blues:



Oh fashion, how I heart you.

(Oh, and by the way? Hellooooooo, shoes!)

Spring into color

The weather is starting to be a little less harsh (50 degrees? I'll take it!). The crocuses have popped up, and I'm even starting to see the very beginnings of tulips starting to break through the dirt. And yesterday? I went skiing--sans jacket.

All of these things mean that spring is very well on it's way (hurray!). And what better way to welcome the new season with a gorgeous color palette--not unlike the one sent by J. Crew this morning:



Mmmmmmmm... Just what the doctor ordered for spring.

Message for John Mayer

OK, John... Here's the thing: I know you're running around with that Aniston chick, and--quite frankly--good for you! She's very pretty, talented, has a killer body, and is quite successful at her craft. Not to mention I'm sure she is a very lovely person. However--and maybe I'm wrong--she doesn't come across as the type (Ha ha! No pun intended) of person who's head over heels about fonts. Seriously? I really can't see her getting all giddy about "the world's most beautiful and feminine script font." I mean, has she even heard of Burgues Script?

See, John, this is what I think might have gone down: you share with her that you're not quite satisfied with the font on your blog; she nods her head in agreement, clearly distracted by something like, oh, I don't know, pilates or something (She's got to do it like, 18 hours a day to maintain her shape, right?). "Uh-huh, honey, sure... whatever you think," she says.

Now, had you had this conversation with me--I would have been all. over. that. "OMG!" I would have cried, "I am SO not digging that font either! I know a couple of GORGEOUS scripts that would work so. much. better! Let's go check out Veer--if we spend enough, we might be able to score the KERN sweatshirt as well!"

See the difference? I get a little excited about fonts; clearly you do as well. We should talk some more about this--perhaps someplace not as public as our blogs. Call me!

xo, Tracie

Isn't she lovely?

Last year, almost around this time, I began working on a very, very cool package design project for a client (yes, regular readers, it's the gluten free cookies--again). I was fortunate enough to work with Silver Creative in Norwalk, who actually did the hard work of speccing (is that even a word? It doesn't look like it when you type it out) the packaging--I got the cool job of designing it.

Long story short, I did a TON of research for this. I was buying cookies left and right (never mind eating them--and gaining about 5 pounds in the process); grocery shopping took forever because each new aisle brought a slew of new package potential. And forget about Whole Foods--the client's target demographic--I pretty much set up camp there. But the one place I didn't go, and I wish I had known about it then, was Lovely Package.





Mmmmmm... lovely is right. Gorgeous, gorgeous design--I'm definitely going to keep checking back on this site. Oh, and the pretty awesome sidebar? No weight gain involved!

(Thanks David Airey, via Twitter)

Unleash your inner Pollock (without the mess)

Ashlee discovered Jackson Pollock in elementary school; ever since then, she's been after me to recreate one of his paintings. My excuse was, once the weather gets warm, you can do it in the yard. Well, warm weather came and went, and she (and I) forgot all about it. But every once in a while, she'll be reminded of just how cool it would be to drip paint on a canvas; and on those occasions my answer is always the same: In the warmer weather, in the backyard.

Well now she doesn't have to wait. Discovered via a friend's status on Facebook, you can now unleash your inner abstract artist--very neatly, I might add:



Madeline and I made this one tonight--and, might I add, she (and I) just thought it was the. coolest. thing. ever. Go here to make your own--just drag your mouse across the screen, click to change colors.

And no having to wash the paint off your hands (or carpet!).

President Obama likes helping the economy, logos

When Obama was running for president, his campaign logo was one of the most different campaign logos in history. It was very graphic, and very well executed.

Now, as part of his stimulus package, the president has another logo:



According to the article, this logo will be stamped onto the projects funded by the stimulus package:

“We’re also making it easier for Americans to see what projects are being funded with their money as part of our recovery. So in the weeks to come, the signs denoting these projects are going to bear the new emblem of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” Obama said. “These emblems are symbols of our commitment to you, the American people -- a commitment to investing your tax dollars wisely, to put Americans to work doing the work that needs to be done. So when you see them on projects that your tax dollars made possible, let it be a reminder that our government -- your government -- is doing its part to put the economy back on the road of recovery.”

Designed by Chicago-based (duh) Mode Project, I have to say that I really like it--it's graphic, and yet, gets the message across. Well done. I'm not so crazy about the accompanying TIGER logo, but they can't all be winners, can they?

Saved by a meme

Sick kids are finally better (thank goodness!), so of course there was a snow day today. Thank goodness for Marcy and her meme...

What are your middle names?
Lynn and Richard. I'm not too sure where Lynn came from, but Mattio's named after his grandfather (first name) and father (middle name). Incidentally, one of his brothers is named after his father as well. His other brother was not named after anyone (that I know of--my mother in law is one of 11 after all), and his sister was named after his grandmother. I think it's safe to say that family names are a big tradition in his family.

How long have you been together?
We just passed the 12 year mark! The traditional 12 year gift is silk or linen. The modern gift is pearls. I didn't get either, but--quite frankly--that's just fine by me.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
We met at a Super Bowl get together (I don't say party, because that would make it sound as though other people were there; it was Mattio, our hosts--his friend and the friend's girlfriend--my friend and me.

Who asked whom out?
He got my number through my friend, and asked me out. It was like, a million years after our Super Bowl meeting, though (Actually, I believe it was two weeks. But the running joke is that the time in between us meeting and his calling gets longer every time it comes up). Our first date, by the way, was a disaster. Yet here we are, 12 years later...

How old are you?
33/35. He was actually born a year before me, but his birthday is at the way beginning of the year, and mine is at the end. So for 10 months out of the year, he's 2 years older.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
We probably see our siblings about the same--maybe once a month, if that.

Which situation is hardest on you as a couple?
I think the fact that Mattio commutes is rough--I don't see him nearly as often as I would like to. But I think the most stressful aspect of our marriage is money; he's a saver and I'm a spender. We've both come around--A LOT, but it's still a sticking point.

Did you go to the same school?
No.

Are you from the same home town?
No. I was born and raised in Fairfield; he hails from Wallingford. Growing up in Fairfield, Wallingford meant one thing to me, and one thing only: the Oakdale theater. When I found out he was from Wallingford, that was the first thing I asked: "Isn't that where the Oakdale is?" I had no idea where Wallingford was, save for that theater.

Who is smarter?
I firmly believe that Mattio is way more book smart. I, however, am the street brains of this operation.

Nah, just kidding. I think that there are some things that Mattio is smart about, like computers, and boy stuff. And there are some things that I am smart about, like shoes and sales.

Who is the most sensitive?
By far and away, me.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Mattio and I are very much alike in that we like food, and we are unafraid to try new things and restaurants. Our standby is Quattro Pazzi in Fairfield. Good bar, great food.

Where is the furthest you have traveled together as a couple?
Unfortunately, we have not traveled much together, nevermind very far. I think our honeymoon in South Carolina is about the furthest we've gone together. One day we will make it to our intended honeymoon, in Tuscany.

Who has the craziest exes?
I know very, very little about Mattio's exes (which, quite frankly, is just fine by me). But even if I did, mine would still end up the craziest of the bunch.

Who has the worst temper?
I think that all depends on what we are mad about. I stomp my feet and slam doors and throw things if I am just. that. mad. So yeah, I guess that would be me, then. Nevermind!

Who does the most cooking?
Because I work at home, I am the reluctant chef in our family. But he is a way better cook--if we ate his food all the time I would have to spend the rest of the day working it off at the gym. It's so worth it, though.

Who is the most stubborn?
I think this title is best won by our children, who really have the two most stubborn parents around. Apparently, the stubborn gene just pushed the rest out of the way to become the most dominant gene. EVER.

Who hogs the bed most?
He would say me. And you know what? He'd be right. I am drawn to the middle of the bed like a moth to a flame.

Who does the laundry?
If it's football season, Mattio. The rest of the year I do it during the week, he helps out on the weekends.

Who’s better with the computer?
Remember the first question? About Mattio's middle name? I lied above--it's really computer nerd. But I say that with love.

Who drives when you are together?
He does the majority of driving (nothing puts me to sleep faster than being a passenger in a moving car), but every once in a while--especially if he's unsure of where we're going--I'll drive. His inner compass--how shall I say this politely?--is broken.