Things that Shouldn't Happen in Real Life

On my way home from work Friday night, I decided to do a little shopping. As I stepped out of my car in the TJ Maxx parking lot, my left foot was positioned on something other than pavement, causing it to slip slightly. Not so much as to cause a fall, but enough to make me look down to see what I'd stepped on...a banana peel!

Unveiling P-52, The PSSISTK

Early this year we set out to produce a comprehensive training program that would be guided enough for sales and management novices, produce new challenges for the seasoned veteran, allow for coaching opportunities for involved managers, but be flexible enough to be self-paced. 24 lessons—workbooks, videos, and guidance for program leaders. All to be produced by one project manager/head writer/editor/director, 3 contributing writers, 1 videographer/editor, and 1 graphic designer/proofreader/editor/production artist—all balancing this key project with other projects and hectic travel schedules.

My role began with the design concept—actually several design concepts, partly due to changing the name of the program a couple of times before settling on The Professional Selling System—In-Store Training Kit. We tested a couple of the lessons with our members stores back in February (?) to make sure we were on the right track. It's hard to remember when exactly that was, but what I do remember is that we were calling it something different and had 2 solid design concepts that are miles away from where we ended up!

By July I was wondering how we'd ever get it all done. The solidified design concept needed to be applied to 24 lessons, 3 dvds, 3 leader's guides, and packaging. I spent a lot of time communicating with vendors, getting quotes, changing specs, and finding the best packaging solution. I spent many, many days furiosly laying out the contents of the 24 lessons, and a leader's guide for each. I also spent significant time searching for and editing images and proofreading lessons. As content and design were approved I transitioned my files into print-ready pdfs and sending them off to print. It seemed like it would never end and got to the point where I just wanted it done, off my desk, out of my sight. Anyone who saw me in late September and early October can attest to the stress written on my face. Print proofs came in for my review and approval. Changes were made. Specs were verified. Finally in mid October the final files were uploaded to the printing company's ftp server. I breathed a sigh of relief and took the next day off.

As we started to receive printed samples, we were able to see the fruits of our labor. We're proud of the work and like "the kit" a whole lot more now that it's done than we did in the late days of it's production. Early reports from some of our member stores is that they're loving it. It's cool to know that people are using something I designed rather than tossing it in the trash or letting it sit on a shelf.

What the Photo?

One of the lesser joys of design is searching for photos for posters, workbooks, brochures, powerpoints, etc. The perfect photo can be elusive, and searching for the perfect photo, incredibly annoying. My search usually follows a three-step process.

• Imagine the perfect photo for the context


• Type in a list of keywords that might bring up that perfect photo


• Throw out all preconceived ideas of what you're looking for and work with what you've got.

Last week, during a discussion about a giant banner, someone said, "I've got the perfect image—A campfire, with 4 marshmallows on sticks, roasting over the fire. We can superimpose the four logos on each of the marshmallows!"

"Great," I said, "find me that image and I'll make it happen. Oh and it needs to be high res, large enough for me to scale up to giant banner sized, and free of any copyright." We've since changed direction.

We subscribe to two different stock photo sites that more or less fit our needs, but we're limited to what we can find by creative keyword searches. The good old google image search doesn't work in a professional context for many reasons. Often we end up adjusting our needs based on what's available, or what's available sparks a different idea. In the end, only the final design is seen and no one knows the turmoil of the search.

Keywords are funny things. What you may think is the perfect keyword may not bring up what you're expecting. I once typed in "Confused" and got this:

The keywords listed were: overhead, thoughtful, scratching, ethnic, posing, young, perplexed, language, man, asian.

Confused? Yes!

The Worst Ways to Wake Up

The "What Time is It???"
You suddenly realize you've been sleeping soundly, without the interruption of an alarm. Is it before the alarm, or did you and the alarm have some sort of missed connection? Why is the sun streaming in? Chances are you should be at work already or, best case scenario, leaving for work right this second.

The "What Day is It?"
This happens to me a lot, usually on Fridays. When I wake up asking this question, the answer never ends up being Saturday. It happened today, a Wednesday; so disappointing.

Ahhhh!! Leg Cramp!
A gentle slumber is interrupted by being daggered in the calf. You go from unconscious to sitting up straight or standing beside your bed, silently screaming. In a hotel room in Groton, CT about 6am, my mom exclaimed "you're up early!" apparently not noticing my whimpering as I tried to stretch out the muscle that was waging a terror attack on my peaceful existence.

"Let's have some fun this beat is sick..."
Calf cramps are horrible, but waking up to Lady Gaga is like more like being stabbed in the temple. I have a bad habit of setting the alarm to Kiss 108—Matty in the Morning makes me laugh. I may as well play Russian Roulette with a full chamber. I once awoke to the Jonas Brothers and knocked my alarm on the floor trying to shut it off as quickly as possible...this hasty snooze emergency sometimes leads to the "what time is it."

In order to reflect, must you first flect? hmm...

August 20th: I'm feeling reflective. And I'm not even wearing my sequined mini-skirt. Ok, I don't own a sequined mini-skirt—nor should I. Today, in and of itself, bears no real significance, but it points to 2 significant events. I officially moved to the greater Boston area (Somerville to start out, and 6 moves later I'm in Nashua, NH) 8 years ago. 8 years! Aaaaannnnd in just a month, I'll be celebrating 30 mostly-wonderful years of life. Both of those numbers are somewhat unbelievable to me. I keep finding myself drifting into memory lane—and sometimes the next lane on the highway while driving and reminiscing at the same time—and thinking about what's happened in my 20s, and where these last 8 years have taken me. I have to say I never saw most of it coming.

I moved to Boston with a rough plan to find a job and eventually get married, and beyond that there wasn't much of a plan. I'm not much of a planner. :) Thankfully, God had bigger, better plans for me. "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans for wellfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope." (Jer. 29:11) When half of my rough plan crumbled, (and the job half wasn't really worth sticking around for) I found myself questioning why I was here and if I should stay. I'd been attending Grace Chapel on and off for maybe 6 months. One night, after attending a service, I knew without a doubt that I needed to stay, and that I needed to be at Grace. It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me at the time, but I stayed and began a whole new life.

That was early 2003 and I was 23. Friends of mine are moving back to Boston after 3 years away. They've described it as "coming home," although neither of them are from this area. I know exactly how they feel. 6 and a half years after deciding to stay, this really is my home. Life has happened here. My 20s have been years of growth, building relationships, and learning who I am and who I was created to be—I grew up in Ohio, but I really grew up here.

More shocking to me than the events and circumstances I've experienced, is the transition from who I was to who I am. I sometimes still describe myself as shy or quiet. My close friends think that's ridiculous because they've seen differently. And then there are those who don't know me well, but have seen me stand up in front of a group of 100+ to deliver announcements about the goings on of our young adult ministry, joking and making a fool of myself all the while; they'll probably never believe the shy/quiet story. I'm a lot stronger than I ever believed I was and a lot more confident than I ever thought I had a right to be. Some of that is age, some experience, and a LOT of it is confidence in the Lord and relying on His strength.

I thought turning 30 might be hard; I'd heard it often is. Such a milestone causes you to pause and take stock of your life, thinking about where you are and where you should be. Our society (and Christians are definitely not the exception here) sends the message that I should probably be married, maybe having children, and if not the family life, I should be well on my way to a successful, powerful career. Society can stick it. Jesus never followed what society expected and He's not about to start now, with my life. I've learned that God doesn't follow my timeline and and His plans always work out a lot better than mine, eventually. He's surprised me and blessed me in inumerable ways—pretty remarkable considering I love surprises, but have a record of being very difficult to surprise—and He's not done yet. I'm thankful for my 30 years, especially the last 8. I'm thankful for change, and growth, and hope, which are real and tangible (and not just buzzwords for a political campaign). I'm thankful that I can now use being 30 to talk myself into things...I've found myself thinking "oh come on, you're 30!" when I' m feeling a little shy or hesitant. haha! I'm thankful for what the next 8 and 30 years will bring.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Mat. 6:25-34)

sketchy sketchy

I'm pretty attached to my computer, and I don't draw as much as I should. Sometimes though, I have to get a doodle out.


And then sometimes it's nice to see if I can still put the pencil to the paper and make it look like something.

Unseasonably Cool

At the checkout, the cashier asked me, "stocking up on Christmas presents?" A little confused, I replied, "Um, no. Well, one is a present but not for Christmas. I don't really do Christmas shopping this early. Maybe uhh... I should..."

That evening, wrapped in my new "Snuzzle, The Blanket With Sleeves" (just like the popular "Snuggie"), knitting a scarf, drinking hot cocoa, and roasting chestnuts over an open fire, it occurred to me that it was July 1st. Buying Christmas presents in July seems strange to me, but buying a blanket for immediate use in July may be more strange.

I confess that I've been intrigued by "Snuggie" for a long time. I looked into buying a couple as Christmas gifts because I have a couple of friends who are always cold. I was dissapointed that the buy one get one free offer would not allow me to buy different colored snuggies and there was $7 shipping charge on each. I also found the "Slanket," a higher quality option with a wider variety of colors, but way more expensive, so I gave up the search for a sleeved blanket. When I randomly started receiving Snuggie emails I was convinced that Snuggie was stalking me. I was afraid that one morning I would walk out my front door and a Snuggie would be standing there waiting for me.

Needles to say, when I walked by the "Snuzzles" in the Christmas Tree Shop on that cool, rainy July day, the array of colors at only $7.99 each was like a dream fulfilled. Patience had paid off. "Don't you just love a bargain?®" Unseasonable temperatures were no longer a disappointment, but an opportunity to try out my new cool weather companion.

It seems now that July may have finally arrived in the way that we're accustomed to—with warmth and sunshine. However, should a cold front come rushing in, my Snuzzle is nearby, ready to be called into action.