postaday

Clever Halloween…and tasty pumpkin…

Posted by

4

So for some random reason today I got inspired to dress up for Halloween. I think the last time I dressed up for Halloween was at LEAST ten years ago. However, I cannot decide what I should dress up as. Of course I want to do something unique and original, but I am not sure what. Maybe I should just shave my head and go as Sinead O’Connor. Ha. Not really that original though. I want to do something clever, but somehow I think I have maybe waited to close to Halloween to be able to pull off clever.

So I WELCOME your ideas. Please share your ideas and comments below.

I was in a meeting yesterday and I kept having a craving for pumpkin. Something happens to me at the beginning of October when the leaves start to change colors and crisply fall to the ground. There is a noise of crunching leaves as you walk, a smell in the air, sometimes of fires in fireplaces or just the crispness of autumn. In Portland, there is still the fresh greenness, mixed with the colors, and of course the rain. With all that color and smell, I think of everything tasting of pumpkin. Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bread, squash soup. Yum. I know I wrote about cranberry sauce the other day, but for me that just goes with Thanksgiving. Things with pumpkin I usually want to eat from October through January. Usually when I can no longer order a pumpkin spice latte, I know fall is over and winter has officially begun.

Just finished the loaf of pumpkin bread I made. Time for my next pumpkin recipe.

Happy weekend to you!

“How would you like your Graphic Design?”

Posted by

1

Recently, I wrote a blog about “The Rule of Two-Thirds.” Last week at work someone shared the below image with me. I love it, because it is visual and it visually goes a bit deeper than The Rule of Two-Thirds. You might have to click on the image to see some of the areas that are in smaller font. It looks like it was originally designed by Colin Harmon, but the link does not work on his site, so I found it on this website for infographics.

How would you like your graphic design?

I like: the fast + great = you get what you pay for. Fast + free = trash. Fast + cheap + great = Impossible Utopia. Fast + cheap = Dipped in ugly sauce with haste and carelessness.

It is a great visual as well as conversation for individuals that ask for marketing or design services and they want it right now, or they want it cheaply. It is a great way to show clients what they will get in return for what they are willing to pay or put forth for your services.

I also think that while this infographic is titled: “How would you like your graphic design?” this infographic could be altered for many different situations.

Enjoy!

Sometimes it is better from the can…

Posted by

4

Fall is here. It is raining like we just set foot on Noah’s ark. Not sure when it will stop. So far it has not bothered me too much, as there is so much going on in my life right now, that I do not have time to think about the rain! What the rain has brought though is the leaves changing color and they are beginning to fall to the ground. That also means pumpkin time. I absolutely love the fall, mostly for the colors outside, the crisp air, and the food. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes, squash soups, yum, yum, and YUM! I made some pumpkin bread over the weekend and it make me think about food I only have once a year.

Sometimes when we start doing things a certain way, that it becomes a habit. It is ours, and even as much as others try to get us to do things differently, we stick to our ways. What I am speaking of is: CANNED CRANBERRY SAUCE.

I am strange. I like canned cranberries at Thanksgiving. I know, I know, it is weird. It means there is an imprint of a can on the jellied gross looking cranberries. But see, some things just make you feel nostalgic. When I was young I had issues with textures. Yes, for those of you who know me now, you know that I still do. But, I have grown up a bit. I have a much wider range of food interests and I am much more open-minded than I ever have been before. Yet. Yes, there is a yet. I still like canned cranberries. While it is a bit gross, the taste is what I like best. It has a smooth texture, without all these chunky cranberries. Do not get me started on whether it is good for you or not. I could not care less. I just look forward to Thanksgiving that is a month away, so I can have cold canned cranberries, with warm, buttery mashed potatoes, and the rest of that yummy Thanksgiving dinner goodness.

ah yes, canned cranberries…

What random food do you enjoy that might look kind of gross?

 

Random, coherent, middle of the night ramblings

Posted by

3

Saturday night I woke up in the middle of the night and made a note of the thoughts that were in my head. When I woke up Sunday morning, this is what the notepad said:

“Think about the past. Strategize about the future. Live in the present.”

Wow. I wish I had more great moments like that when I am awake. Since I feel it is a great idea, I googled it to see if anyone else had that quote, and did not find anything. So maybe I have my first “quote.” Feel free to share.

I have been thinking a lot about who I am, what I believe in, what my mission in life is, and what I stand for. Not only have I been thinking about it, but I have been processing how I might eloquently put it all into words. A few weeks ago, I was doing an activity with my team at work and I had an ah ha moment. You know the kind. If you were on Oprah she might say she got goose bumps. It was a moment of clarity for me. I am not going to share just yet (yes you’ll have to be patient a little longer). I would like to sand the rough edges off my little mission statement. It is not yet ready for consumption.

Do you have your own mission statement? Just a few sentences you can share with others that tells them a lot about you. What are you passionate about, what pisses you off, what motivates you? Once I am done with the sand paper, I will share it here. I would love to hear from others about what steps they have taken to put together their own mission statement.

The laughing driver…and one angry passenger

Posted by

2

On Saturday, Chris and I were in Portland driving down a fairly busy street. We had the right of way, and were cruising along, when a car that was at a cross street decided they were going to try to cross the street and gunned it. I am fairly sure that the woman driving did not see us. Chris slammed on the brakes, and laid on the horn and they came inches from hitting us.

We drove on. I turned back to look at the car that almost hit us. Partly because I was pissed beyond belief, and partly because I wanted to make eye contact with the driver. At that moment, all I could think about was the fact that they would have slammed into us right at the driver side door. Right into Chris. So I had reason to be livid. When I looked back, the woman driving the car was LAUGHING. I wanted to have Chris cross over three lanes, turn right immediately, and find them. (That would be my father’s anger coming out of me). I wanted them to know that my heart was jumping out of my body, that everything in our backseat was on the floor or under our front seats due to how hard Chris had to brake.

Turning and looking at the driver all happened in a matter of five seconds. Yet, for the rest of the day, the woman laughing is what kept coming back into my thoughts. Why would she have been laughing? Was she nervous that she almost crashed into us? Was she too into her conversation that she did not even care that she almost caused an accident? Was she mocking me looking back at her with a scowl on my face?

Chris is precious cargo to me. Food for thought. Watch the road when driving. We all have precious cargo inside.