Creatively Growing

Our Save the Date

2011-07-14T12:53:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! It's been a while. Months, really. I've decided to blog about our wedding, engagement, invitations, etc. before moving on to what's currently going on in our Trotter family world, which is a lot! So, without further anticipation, let's get a move on with our fun Save the Date.

Jeff and I had discussed sending out paper STDs (I know, but it's getting annoying to type 'save the date'...STD it is) and we determined it'd be more affordable, more personal and more fun to make a video! Cue my bestie's husband, Jake Wright. He's a smart video guy with tons of knowledge and creativity.

I cut up tons of confetti (see the remains here?) and grabbed our fan and went nuts. Millie and Mabel (our awesome pups) were out of control - they were eating confetti and flailing around our old rent house like they had eaten 2lbs of crack. It was hilarious.

Jeff and I wanted to share the vibe that "Hey guys, this wedding is going to be a massive party!" by the video alone. Of course, our regular wedding invitations would convey this as well, but this video would be the first thing our friends and family would see to announce our big day. Now, enjoy this little jewel. I'm so proud with how it turned out - Jake did a stellar job and we're stoked we were able to play with confetti for a day. (PS - I wish confetti was thrown around me after a great day...it makes me so happy!)

Emily & Jeff - Save the Date from Jacob Wright on Vimeo.

So, there you have it. The first piece to our fun little wedding puzzle. Hooray!

Thoughtfulness.

2011-04-10T22:42:00.000-05:00

Thoughtfulness for others, generosity, modesty, and self-respect are the qualities which make a real gentleman or lady. -Thomas H. Huxley

As the wedding quickly approaches (41 days!), I find it quite appropriate to write about thoughtfulness. Not just thoughtfulness for Jeff and I focusing on our upcoming nuptials, vows and commitment, but thoughtfulness on behalf of other people in our lives. Jeff and I are fortunate to have amazing, kind friends and family surrounding us leading to the most important event of our existence. People who selflessly give up part of their Saturday or Sunday, who write kind words in cards, who throw us wedding showers, who spend hours making something beautiful for our home, who offer advice to a long and happy marriage. It's hard to put into words how much it means to me when someone will give up their evening or afternoon to watch me rip into wrapping paper. (I've been on the other side watching the bride...it's ok...I know it's boring!) When I look back at the showers our friends and "families"* threw us, I get teary-eyed and completely enamored with how thoughtful these folks are. These families are who will lift us up when we have our struggles. They will remind us of the vows we took on our wedding day. They will also remind us how incredibly perfect we are for each other. They will watch us raise our own family. They will be our community, our sounding board, our hope. It's overwhelming the impact they will have on our marriage, and it's something Jeff and I can't live without.

*We have many families outside our biologicals. The OSU tailgate family, the Muskogee Golf family, the Eufaula Lake family, the best friend family, etc. These people have had influence on us beyond what we can even appreciate. We love our families with our whole hearts.

I'll be honest. When Jeff and I began the wedding planning last summer, we were almost completely set on having a teeny, tiny ceremony in my parent's backyard. We wanted a very intimate ceremony, and let's face it, I'm an emotional wreck, so I thought it best to limit the witnesses. Bridesmaids, groomsmen and immediate family only. This was the deal. We had it worked out. And then something happened. We began to make our list - "Well, we can't forget them, oh, or the so-and-so's...they have to be there!" and so on and so on. We started to realize all the impact our friends and family-friends had on us growing up. I'm not saying we just invited our whole dang hometowns, no...we invited the people we knew would support us and our vows. We invited those who have watched us grow into the adults we are, who have grown up with us and who will cheer us on with happy hearts. These families of ours mean more to me now than I've ever realized. It's funny how one little wedding can completely turn your heart into mush and overwhelming love. We are definitely feeling the warmth and we couldn't be happier!

This day will be the absolute pinnacle of my life, and I appreciate the thoughtfulness of all who have given me a hug, written me marriage advice, helped with wedding crafts, watched me try on dresses, listened to me talk about my dress, come to a shower, offered a kind word and offered to help. It shows your heart and that is something I will always, always remember you for.

Letterpress! Pressing Letters!

2011-02-25T23:20:00.002-06:00

It’s 10:47 on a Friday night and we’re not out on the town, not at a concert, not at a basketball game…we’re doing something MUCH more exciting. (Well, I’m doing something more exciting…Jeff is watching the Thunder get their butts whooped.) This is like wiggle around for 3 days exciting.

I have sent in a beautiful file to a wonderful company called Boxcar Press. This file will be made into a letterpress plate, which will get shipped back to me on Tuesday. I’ll be able to hand-make our very own letterpress wedding invitations! Oh gosh, this is going to be neat.

(This is letterpress via OhHappyDay! – the design is pressed deep into thick, cotton paper, leaving a crisp, beautiful image. Ah, it’s so pretty.)

I’ll give you some background on why this process and product are so important to me – I am a very tactile person. I love getting/giving hugs, I love massages, my love language is touch, I feel my way through the store as I shop for clothes, I enjoy textured things, etc. Well, my sister, being the awesome lady she is, got me a littleDIY letterpress machine for Christmas 2010. I haven’t letterpressed anything too important so far…basically been practicing on scrap paper until I can get to our wedding invites. Since I don’t have too much experience, don’t judge too hard if your invitation has little imperfections. Consider them proof that I’m learning a new craft and someday I can make you neat stationery.

I won’t give any hints on the design because I want you to be surprised when you get your piece of mail, but know this…our wedding invitations are going to be really sweet, different, touchy, pretty and perfect for our shindig in May. I’m really excited to see them! Like, wiggle around excited! :)

Future.

2011-01-19T16:00:00.000-06:00

Went to my second PRSA OKC chapter meeting this afternoon and got pretty inspired to make (pardon me) shit happen at work. I'll be completely honest, after New Year's, I haven't been the most motivated, compelled or even excited to get to work in the mornings. I would much rather scuff around the house in my robe, drinking a tasty hot tea. I'm too young to be this boring.

I think a good jolt of energy will come next Monday, when we're finally housed in our original location - a cool, old fire station. Back in June, our offices got completely ruined by a crazy flood. Crazy as in helicopter-people-rescues-crazy. The flood day, the day of despair and tragedy for the Arts Council, was my first day of work. Talk about a bad omen, huh? "Turn baaaack!" "Do not enterrrrr!" Haha, I just imagine little ghosts flying around the old building yelling at me.

Here's a gorgeous photo of some flooded nastiness.

So, back to this coming Monday. We're moving into a freshly-renovated office space with all new Ikea furniture, great lighting, polished concrete floors, new paint, etc. It might be just what I need to shake me up a bit so I don't get too far-removed from the duties of my job. I really do enjoy it here - great folks, great events, even greater hours. I'll be happy to have a 'new' home.

Wedding Design Struggle

2011-01-12T22:48:00.000-06:00

Out of everything involved in planning the coolest wedding in the world, the absolute hardest task for me is determining how to design our save the dates/invites/stationery. Surprised? Yeah, me too. I've done plenty of wedding designs for friends, colleagues and even strangers. I have about fifteen thousand ideas floating around in my head, but for some reason, I'm having a difficult time harnessing my thoughts and cranking out a great wedding suite. Trust me, I am frustrated beyond my ends. I even (gasp!) thought about asking a friend to do them so I'd quit racking my brain. I think this comment from one of my design pals made me even more nervous! (It honestly made me laugh/relax a bit...thank you, Jeff Clark.)

I had zero tough time figuring out my flowers, cake, dress (OK, maybe a little bit of searching!), the date, etc, etc, etc. Finally, Mr. Level-Headed-Trotter said, "Em, whatever you make will be great. You just need to sit down and actually get the save the dates done. Then we'll work on the invitations." Deal.

I've ordered our paper and envelopes, and, pat on our backs, they're made of 100% recycled materials. Green is good, folks. Then tonight I decided we needed a cute little return address stamp, which will be used long after the wedding is over. And, friends, it's so much more affordable to order a stamp (think of all the fun colors!) than to print your return address on your envelopes. The latter costs more because your print house has to run them through a special press - the cost could probably start at $55, maybe more. Anyway, I love stamps and here's where I ordered ours. I got 2 and my total was about $24. Boom.

We're also giving away little treats at the end of the evening in sweet little bags, so we thought stamping on those could be neat, too. While I won't show you the save the date design just yet, I will show you our two little stamps. Simple, clean, yes. At least my hamster wheel is turning...we'll see how it all turns out! (Turns? Get it??? Oh, nevermind.)

Kids.

2010-12-02T12:01:00.000-06:00

No, I'm not prego, nor will I be for many years. (Calm down, mom.) This post is about kids in weddings. I love watching kids in other people's weddings - they trip, they dance around, the kick things, they yell, they get paid to stand still. It's hilarious to watch these little humans go nuts after putting on a cute and tiny outfit. They're sent down the aisle with such freedom..."No one is holding my hand, OH MY GOSH I'm going to sprint now! Then drop-kick this pillow! Then probably scream a little bit! YES!" It is great.

Another darling thing about kids in weddings is this:

VIA Style Me Pretty

Those dresses are absolutely gorgeous. What sweet little kids. EVEN BETTER, you can have the kids in your wedding dress according to your wedding venue. For example, my sister, Kelly, got married in sunny Mexico. What better ring bearer to have than a pirate? Yes. A pirate walked down her aisle...sword attached. It was genius and really special. Everyone laughed. What a hoot.

Jeff and I had considered having kiddos in the wedding. They could wear little Ray Bans and be rock 'n roll - a nod to our venue, the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. We're just not sure if we'll do it - yes, we have some really cool kids in our lives (cousins' babies!) and yes, they'd be awesomely cool. Just one of those little decisions that is in the back of my mind! Anyone have any thoughts???

iPhone

2010-11-29T19:37:00.000-06:00

Anyone know if there is a blog app for the iPhone? I'd like to update this thing right on my phone.

Dude Rings.

2010-10-22T15:50:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been exploring the fun possibilities for kickass rings for Jeff. He gets a little circle of trust. Can't wait to give it to him.

Anyway, Jeff's in construction. He builds things. He gets dirty. His hands are man-hands with either paint, blood, glue or dust on them...always. He doesn't need/want anything fancy.

But look what I found today. This might be the most perfect ring for him. It's made of concrete. Yes, concrete. That says "man ring" all over it.

Best Sounds.

2010-10-08T12:10:00.000-05:00

One of my all-time favorite songs. Ryan Adams does a marvelous job covering Alice in Chains...that steel guitar just kills it. Ah, I could melt every time I hear this. Love it.

Engagement Photos

2010-10-04T11:08:00.001-05:00

First off, I have the best sister and bro-in-law ever. Really, ever. Kelly and Carl gave the coolest, most thoughtful wedding gift to us the day we got engaged. Jeff and I were floored when they told us they'd set us up with Chris Humphrey to shoot some engagement photos! Jeff and I weren't really planning on doing these since we're on a budget. It was such a sweet, darling surprise to us! So thankful for them!

So, the day finally arrived (after being reschedule due to sunscreen-inflicted rash...yeah, that was fun) for us to take the engagement pictures. Jeff got some new costumes, I did my hair and, let's be honest, we looked good. We were psyched and ready to get shot.

We decided it would be special if we went somewhere with meaning, somewhere with neat backgrounds and somewhere outdoors. So, we decided it'd be great to shoot at Jeff's grandparent's land east of Edmond. With our boots on, we wandered in fields, got mosquito bites, climbed on trucks and had a blast. I'm really happy with the outcome - Chris did a great job and I can't wait to get a few of these puppies printed and hung in our little casa.

Here's just a little taste. More to come later!

Not about the wedding.

2010-08-17T13:33:00.000-05:00

I know, basically all that's on my brain right now is the wedding, but I also have LOTS going on in other departments. My professional life, for example, is wonderful. I'm enjoying my job with the arts council and I'm getting to do some wicked good freelancing work. I'm LOVING it.

I just met with my (second) cousin, Mallory McCormick to discuss her future business venture - Fit to Be Bride, a personal training business that gets brides in shape for their big day. We're working on a trade deal where they'll shape me up (hello, testimonials!) and I'll design their business suite, logo, etc. I'm eager to get this on the ground since I've done more wedding suites than business identity work. It'll be a very welcomed change of pace.

One thing I enjoy when meeting with a client is to discuss what they think their business should "feel" like. For example, I ask the question "If your business were a ______, it would be..." Insert the word "animal," "song," "character from Arrested Development" and you've got a great idea of the vibe the business is going for. Let the business owner really steep on this idea. They'll start understanding that designing an identity isn't all about the fonts and colors...it's about what feel they're trying to convey. It's a fun little exercise I use often...even for the wedding! :)

Blah.

2010-08-03T12:24:00.001-05:00

This blog needs a redesign. I'm thinking about options.

Date.

2010-07-27T13:14:00.000-05:00

As far as planning a wedding goes, I have little to no experience. If anything, I 'assisted' my sister with her Mexican beach wedding by offering my opinion on whether they should move the wedding indoors to avoid certain rainy weather. I gave my advice, "Keep it on the beach," she did and things were peachy keen. Not a rain drop.

So, there is my wedding planning background. Sure, I design invitations, programs, save the dates, etc., but no clue on planning. Thus, I'm presented with a challenge: plan the coolest wedding for Jeff + Emily. The Grob-Trotter wedding. Make it epic, unique and insanely special.

With the assistance of my creative genius mother, we have a few things nailed down. All of which I'm THRILLED about. First, our date. May 21, 2011. It's not too soon, not too far away, and it's in spring (my request). I'll be swamped at my new job all of March + April while we plan + execute the Festival of the Arts...it's huge and I'm told I'll be a little busy. No need to throw wedding stuff in the middle of that, so late-May won the battle of the months. Plus, the wedding is the weekend before Labor Day. Extra vacation day for the honeymoon? Yes, please.

Second thing I'm pee-my-pants happy about is that we booked the fabulous Sarah Rhoads + her hubby to shoot the gig. If you're not familiar with her work, do some jaw-dropping on her blog. She's an Orange Peel friend of mine, and she's the best in the biz. Can't believe we've got her booked!

Thirdly, we wanted our wedding/reception venue to be very personal to us, something funky and with an awesome vibe. We found it. Jeff + I are getting married with our favorite Okies at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in Muskogee! It's an old, rickety train depot with exposed brick walls, green cargo load-in doors and a hardwood floor that has seen many years of wear and tear. It's perfect and I can't wait to transform it.

So, there you have it. Three things down, about a million to go! Jeff has his little list going too - find us a killer band, do some woodcutting and drilling for centerpieces, get a ~~costume~~ suit, etc. It's gonna be a DIY wedding with lots of personality. I'll be sure to share my adventures on here from here on out. I can't wait to marry this guy!

Moving!

2010-06-08T16:53:00.003-05:00

And even more news comes down the pipe. Three days after Jeff proposed I was offered a job in Oklahoma City! I had applied and interviewed for a gig with the Arts Council of Oklahoma City...and I got it. It's working out, baby!

Oh, and I'll be the communications director. Director. Crazy!

My last day at the BOK Center is this Friday. It certainly is bittersweet, and let me tell ya, it was a tough decision to leave. I cried. A lot. But, I know in my heart that the OKC thing worked out insanely perfect for a reason. I'll certainly miss it here...all the action, all the coworkers, all the awesome shows.

But, it's time for me to take my new knowledge/experiences and trek on to the new job. I'm nervous and excited all at once...just one big ball of "AH!" but in a good way. If you work in OKC, please, let's do lunch! I'm eager to find my new favorite lunch spots. :)

Now, life, no more news, OK??? I think I've reached my quota for this year.

Sparkly.

2010-06-02T09:20:00.007-05:00

I am soooooooo happy to blog that Jeff and I got engaged last Sunday!!!!! (I give 5 exclamation points there because the usual 3 won't do for this news.) Here's about how it went down. A few things to know: we bought a scooter a few weeks back. It was around 12:30am Sunday, May 23. I had a headache and was wearing my pajamas. Jeff kept asking why I didn't want to go out. Headaches aren't the most fun accessory when going out, Jeff. Our dogs were being so loud and 'fighting' all around the apartment. Basically, I never saw this conversation coming...

J: We need to get you something to wear while you're riding the Vespa.
M: Like a costume?!? Ha ha!
J: .....or a ring.
M: *in complete shock* *crying* *laughing at the conversation* *trying super hard to concentrate on everything amazing Jeff was saying*

Of course, this is the only part of the conversation I can remember besides him asking me to marry him. I've heard this from many people, "I had NO clue what he said, but he asked me!" Therefore, I was realllllly trying to concentrate on the poor kid who was pouring his heart out to me. At least I tried!

J: Will you marry me?
M: OF COURSE! *more crying/laughing*
J: Well, will you look at the ring already?
M: *more complete shock at how freakin' awesome this ring is*

So, there it is! I'm engaged to my sweetie pie! Jeff is the shaggy-haired kid I had a crush on freshman year, thanks to our mutual friend Clark, who introduced us back then at OSU. That was 7 years ago, people. 7 years. I always said that Jeff was the nicest guy I ever met at OSU...and now he's gone and topped his niceness. We rekindled our friendship our senior year, and Jeff pursued me again. This time included taking me on dates!

We decided to make it work while I was in graduate school for 2 years in Austin, and we've made it work the past year while I lived in Tulsa with him down the road in OKC. I'm almost positive we've mastered the art of communication...good communication, and with that, we can survive anything. I'm thrilled that he'll be my hubby!!! We're going to have a great, happy, laid-back wedding with our favorite people in the world.

I am so blessed to have Jeff in my life. The nicest, hottest, most talented builder, creative, loving guy. I love this man and I'm so beyond happy that we're going to be a family. Is he awesome? He's pretty awesome.

Here's the "Ring of Power," as Jeff calls it. :)

Big.

2010-05-20T16:06:00.003-05:00

Big changes in the office lately! Casey, our marketing director, has resigned and taken a position with Red Light Entertainment, a freaking awesome artist management company. Don't worry, they manage Dave Matthews. I told Casey she HAS to stalk him a little for me. :) Here is the fantastic moment Dave and I held hands. Man, I'm jealous of Casey's new job!

Anyway, our department has gotten to move on up, so I got my first promotion yesterday. I'm super excited and really happy for what I've gotten to accomplish in my first year of working. I feel extremely blessed to have landed this gig...I worked my tail off getting in this industry, and I'll continue to work hard to prove myself. It's so fun to get validation that I'm doing a good job! I celebrated last night with a cheeseburger and Twix candy bar. I know, I party so hard.

This job definitely has its ups and downs, not to mention all the crazy people I've met/worked with. It's honestly a love/hate relationship most days. I hate the weekend and evening work, but I LOVE watching people enjoy a stellar concert. I love being around music everyday. I love saying that I got the chance to meet some of the brightest in the industry - musicians, managers, marketers and promoters alike. We'll see what the next step brings, but for now, I'm pretty happy.

Stains.

2010-03-30T13:14:00.002-05:00

I'm looking back at my blog history and noticed that I post a lot of dog things. Well, let's keep with the trend. Here's another:

I love the crazy stare-eyes that Stains has! So funny!

Ludacris.

2010-03-22T17:18:00.002-05:00

Sometimes we have shows at work. This weekend we had the Black Eyed Peas, LMFAO and Ludacris. Yes, the Ludacris. Takes me back to high school growing up in the Gee.

Sometimes at work I also have some spare moments to crudely Photoshop faces in fun pictures. For example, did you know that I'm actually one of Ludacris' backup dancers??? Yes, you can see me there on the right. It's OK to let your jealousy show...I know I would be jealous if I knew one of my friends was Luda's hot spandex-clad dancer.

"Breakin the rules, I shake fools while I'm takin a cruise."

Website.

2010-03-18T15:25:00.003-05:00

So, I'm in the process of redesigning my website. I'm wanting to focus more on my wedding design work, rather than weddings, portfolio work (which isn't even up to date!), band work, etc. I want to get in my niche and nestle in. Also, I'm going to start screen printing again...it's been about 8 months since I last printed anything and I'm starting to regret ignoring that craft. Anyone need any cute stationery or wedding stuff? I'm going to bust out the screens tonight when I get off work and I need a project!

So, without further blabbing, here is my website holding-I'm-getting-redesigned page. I like it. I might stick with this theme.

And you can see it on my website link here. Change is coming soon!

Save.

2010-03-16T14:45:00.004-05:00

I've been working on a wedding suite for a past customer of mine (I did her graduation announcements a while ago). I gave her 6 save the date designs that I was in love with - this being one of my favorites of all time. Anyone getting married on a mountain and need to hire a stationery designer?

My bride ended up choosing something a little more classic, but still fun and unique. I'll post more on that later. Adios.

Dogs.

2010-03-03T16:35:00.004-06:00

I have such a soft spot in my heart for the dog. The dog is a wonderful, cuddly, crazy, drooly, special creature and I'm a happy owner. Also, I've always said that the Pedigree "Dogs Rule." spots are some of my very favorites. Well, this proves my point once again. Enjoy.

Ignored.

2010-02-12T14:57:00.003-06:00

Well, in case you live under a rock or don't know what the Internet is, Google Buzz has just launched. A few thoughts: 1. Facebook already kills me (enough with the updates already! And, Farmville? Ugh.), 2. Twitter is great for informative tidbits and short thought bursts - I'm happy I do it, and, 3. Google Buzz - just another thing to keep me 'busy.'

So. What is this all about? I've completely neglected to form paragraphs, to form stories, to form anything longer than 140 characters. Tragedy, if you ask me. I apologize to my former English teachers, especially my grandma, who taught English for many years.

In my frustrations with the brevity of the aforementioned social networks, I'm going to try and write more thoughts, more paragraphs, on my blog here. This thing needs attention, an update and more words. Keep an eye out.

Teeny update.

2009-08-31T11:53:00.003-05:00

Well, hi blog. It certainly has been a long time since I posted last, however this will definitely be a short one. I'm needing to change my blog title (not in school anymore!), redesign it and talk about my new little world up here in Oklahoma. I've been at the jobby for 2.5 months and I'm still enjoying it, so that's great! :) I've got a sweet little apartment for Mabel and me. I'm excited for OSU football season. Jeff and I are fantastic. I'm LOVING the extra time with the fam. Etc.

I'll get on here and spend a little more loving time, including a facelift for the old design/pics. I've got LOTS to show you - including some design work I've done for the BOK Center. Cough, cough, I designed a back cover ad for Billboard magazine, cough.

Peace.

Job!

2009-05-17T17:42:00.002-05:00

Where I landed a job doing interactive + online marketing - so excited!!! I'll be moving to Tulsa after graduation and starting the job after Kelly's wedding. I'm thrilled for the next chapter to begin!

However, I'll definitely miss ATX...this city has a big chunk of my heart and I'll look forward to many visits and weekend getaways. More to come later.

On other news, I finished my portfolio Thursday, had critique Friday and am officially done with my graduate school work. So, now I'm a Master. Yes. Master Grober. Graduation is this coming Saturday - the whole family is coming down, so I'm ready to celebrate the finale of my college career. My website will be updated soon with my new work - I'm really proud of my portfolio - like, really proud. :)

And I've been sleeping a TON lately! I'm completely loving it! Now, all I need is a 4 hour long massage and I'll be set. Love you all!

Momma.

2009-05-10T14:52:00.002-05:00

Happy mother's day to a wonderful woman who has really put up with me.

First, I was 2 weeks late being born - due on New Year's. I guess I liked it all snuggly in there. Then, I shoved random things up my nose and had to go to the doctor to get them removed. Then I pouted like no one's business, with home videos to prove it. My bottom lip was basically dragging the ground. Sigh. Then I went through my JNCO/chains/thrift store shirt/silver Dr. Marten phase. That was interesting. I crowd surfed at a concert + my mom got upset. I rebelled, I got into trouble + I'm sure I helped put a few grey hairs on my folk's heads.

So, thank you momma - you let me figure things out for myself + you encouraged my creativity all through my life. Whether that meant pink and/or purple hair or silver sequins on my mustard yellow backpack straps, I appreciate it. You're a wonderful woman + I hope to someday learn how to choose my battles as well as you did. I look up to you so much + I'm so glad you raised me the way you did. I love you so much, you are the world to me. Happy momma's day - iloveyoumommy.

Update.

2009-05-07T22:37:00.002-05:00

No, I don't have a job.
Yes, I'm looking.
I graduate in 16 days!!!
My critique is going to be GREAT!
I'm enjoying my final days as a college kid.
I wish I had saved money to travel after I graduate, especially with this economy crap.
I'm really proud + happy with my campaigns.
I've been a little stressed, so my cuticles are destroyed.
My dog is in Oklahoma with Jeff + I miss her. I miss Jeff too.
I've started writing my 9 + 4s differently.
I'm starting to be OK with the fact of taking a little break after graduation. (21 years of school will do that.)
I started Twittering. My thoughts? Eh.
Today was my final class of my college career.
I'm tired.

Time to get back to work on a Wolf Chili campaign. Love you, miss you.

Mmm.

2009-04-26T19:12:00.003-05:00

The next step in getting a job...

Nice to meat you.

A poster.

2009-04-20T22:17:00.003-05:00

There's a conference this Friday at UT all about the future of advertising and what exactly that entails (or what we think it entails.) It's called AdWakening and it has some big names coming to speak. Greg Andersen is the managing director from BBH NYC, Liz Ross is an agency CEO in-waiting from Chicago, and Bob Garfield is a columnist for Advertising Age and a co-host for NPR's "On the Media." The list goes on and on. So, needless to say, this conference is a pretty big deal!

I'm on the creative team for this and was in charge with a partner to come up with a poster design. Here she is. I'm happy with it! And if you're around Austin this Friday, come on over to AdWakening - it'll be quite an interesting day!

TV Excellence.

2009-04-15T21:11:00.003-05:00

So, in case you missed it, tonight was the premier of The Cougar on TV Land. Yes. An older woman in a sea of twenty-something boys...I mean, "men." Take a look below to read some of the most memorable quotes from tonight's episode. And yes, I'm a little ashamed I watched this.

"Ladies, feast your eyes on Stacey, the cougar!"
"This is actually my first cougar experience."
"You look way too old to be a cougar. Whoa, whoa, whoa, way to young to be a cougar."
"I'm a pool boy, but at the end of this I want to be your pool man."
"Hi, I'm Brad aka 'The Bear.' See? Cougars and bears getting along great?"
"Excuse me. Are you the cougar I'm looking for?"
"I wore as much color as possible so I can stand out in this jungle."
"Even though she is a cougar, she has a kitten side to her."
"I'm after some intimate knowledge of the cougar."
"I feel like eve in a garden of forbidden fruit."
"I am the first guy to see the cougar den."

And my personal favorite...
"You're under arrest. You stole my heart and you have the right to remain delicious."

And another.

2009-04-15T10:43:00.002-05:00

This one's for Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears. My favorite song of theirs? Sugarfoot. Go listen and enjoy.

Heartless.

2009-04-14T14:02:00.006-05:00

Here's a little watercolor thing I did yesterday for the Heartless Bastards, one of the bands I helped manage at C3. This is for my secret thing - I'll hopefully have news soon! :)

Excite.

2009-04-12T21:32:00.002-05:00

Exciting things are happening this week. Keep your fingers crossed and I'll let you in on my secrets sometime soon.

Oh, and 41 days until graduation. Partyyy!

Teeth.

2009-03-31T10:13:00.002-05:00

I always seem to get infatuated with clever business card design - I found this via Trend Insights and fell in love. Very clever work...I would probably call this guy to fix my teeth - or I'd call the design agency to give them a round of applause. I love it.

Hmm.

2009-03-29T17:50:00.003-05:00

Scary. Exciting. At the same time.

Proud momma.

2009-03-25T17:11:00.003-05:00

Today could have been a disaster.

Mabel, my sweet, sweet Westie, is crate-trained and stays in her little "apartment" while I'm off at work or school. Well, today I decided to test her ability to be a good girl and let her stay in my room...outside her crate. So, before I left for work I gave her a peanut butter-filled Kong toy (by the way, the best invention EVER), put her in her crate without locking the door and left my apartment with crossed fingers.

I came home a few hours later with lots of apprehension and anxiety that my room would be reminiscent of Hurricane Ike leftovers - torn-down window blinds, accidents on the floor, chewed up bedding, etc, etc, etc.

I slowly opened my bedroom door to be greeted by my little buddy. I said hello and paced around searching for something ripped, chewed, peed-on, destroyed, but to my surprise Mabel was the perfect little roommate! I am so proud of her - I've called her grandparents (mom and dad) to tell them the great news. She got a ton of treats, lots of pets and is now chewing on a big 'ol ceegar (aka cigar aka rawhide). I'm so proud of my little lady! Maybe this is a new step in trust for us. At least I'm not stepping IN something...

Yay, Mabel!

Handiwork.

2009-03-11T13:02:00.008-05:00

I've decided to add some spice to my normal, usually-daunting midterms, which let me add that I haven't had an actual midterm paper or test in the longest time...it's odd that I'm ending my college career with one. Anyway, for my artist and venue management class (mmm...I love it) I've been given three questions to answer. The final question is about different types of marketing - I've written my paper and designed it well (with Helvetica typefaces), but it needed a little something extra.

I've been getting really interested in hand-drawn type, thanks to my art directors seminar. I guess that when you see a product packaging with hand-drawn type, you feel a little closer to that product. Like that product is a little more human - a bit more handled and warm. I've also been immersing myself with Hand Job, a book on type design. (Hint, friends and family - this would make an excellent Christmas pressie!) I've even begun to design my graduation announcements, which I'm pretty sure will be sent to about 5 people. But I'm going to hand-draw the whole thing, scan it in and hopefully screenprint em. We'll see how that goes later on.

Also, for my art directors seminar we were given a title and asked to draw or comp our own interpretation of what that would look like as a font. Some folks were given "Lovey Dovey," "Critter Hill," and "Pack It In." My font was named "Mania Two." Here's what I came up with...

I basically took inspiration from a font I had downloaded and resketched it with my calligraphy pen and ink, being sure to add my own taste and flair to the project. I made the font much more active and wired. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out - it makes me feel pretty manic, so I guess it's doing its job. I'm wanting to branch off and make a few more fonts, just for fun. Anyone have a weird title for me to work on? I'll draw it up and post it on the blog when I finish - OK, go.

Zoom!

2009-03-10T18:00:00.003-05:00

In a recent conversation with one of my best friends from college, Danielle and I were discussing how fast the past two years have gone. And I say,

"Time has flown by like a hawk. Like a hawk with a jetpack."

Spring.

2009-03-09T23:14:00.002-05:00

When the word spring comes to mind, what pops into your head? Baby birds? Allergies? Tornadoes? Tulips? Basketball?

Yes. And I'll add my favorite word to the mix: break. It's true, the final spring break of my life is now upon me. In 4 short days I'll be free of papers, ads, lab proctoring, studying, reading, and so on. (But I'll be honest - I have a lot of campaigns to work on since my midterm review for P3 is the Friday after SB09. Bummer.)

What am I doing for the big break? Ah, lots of fun stuff: I'll be attending a wedding shower for my sister thrown by some Muskogee family friends. I'm going to a stock-their-bar party for my sister and her fiance, Carl, thrown by her best friends. I'm throwing my sister her personal shower and bachelorette party in Tulsa with all her best friends coming. I'm also meeting with the marketing director for the new BOK Center in Tulsa, the director of the Spirit Bank Event Center in Tulsa, and hopefully a few folks in the Oklahoma City area.

I'll be busy, but at least I'll have a little break before the last few weeks of my time in college...ever. So, happy spring break 2009, everyone! Even if you don't get a break, take some time out of your workweek to enjoy the beautiful weather, the pretty flowers or the plethora of basketball on tv. And one final note, GO POKES!

WEBSITE!!!

2009-03-03T13:35:00.002-06:00

Hey blog friends! Today is a great day. Not only is it gorgeous outside down here in Austin, TX, but I've finally launched my website - www.emilygrober.com. Celebrate!!!

On it you'll find my advertising work, wedding designs and concert admats for all to see! As most of you know I'm about to graduate from the University of Texas in eleven short weeks (yeow!), so I'm on the job hunt with a pretty sharp sword. If you know of anyone hiring in the advertising, marketing, concert promotions, or design areas, feel completely free to forward my site. I'd really appreciate it!!!

Thanks for all the love and support, and if you're one of my brides on the site, thank you for trusting me to help add some design to your big day! Let me know when you get pregnant and need baby announcements! :)

Thanks to Cal Findeiss for programming the site - it's wonderful and I love it like I love cake!
Please let me know if you're having trouble with the site and I'll fix it up.

Yay, and happy Tuesday!!!

www.emilygrober.com

Older?

2009-03-02T14:10:00.001-06:00

I guess you could say I had some interesting realizations recently.

I had an extremely heavy backpack. Inside was my MacBook Pro, it's powercord, mouse, two 200+ page books, my calendar and a spiral notebook. Not to mention the 80 pens and markers I have rattling around in there. This backpack was carted all over campus, giving my shoulders a tough day. The weight of this thing was becoming so daunting and painful I just had to sit, so I found myself on some stairs in front of a dinosaur museum on campus and got frustrated. I realized that I was just tired of school. Tired of my heavy backpack. Tired of projects taking up my evenings and weekends. Tired of it.

And yes, I've gotten the "Oh, no, you'll miss school so much when you leave," and yes, I think I would have absolutely missed school...if I had been done after only 4 years at Oklahoma State. But since I'm a kid who has had 6 years of straight college, I feel that my time has come to contribute to the working world. I've put in the time and effort to developing a comprehensive knowledge of both public relations and advertising - now is the time to put my brain to use in a challenging, new way. And I'm excited.

Since my backpack day I've filed for graduation, which passed - hooray! I also filed my taxes for the first time, which was a very interesting experience that included many phone calls to my dad for uncertain questions.

So, do all these events mean I'm getting older? Or more mature? Wiser?!?? It's tough to think that soon I'll be sitting in job (big-girl job) interviews rattling off my knowledge on the subject of advertising, music promotion, design, marketing, public relations, or screen printing. :) Soon I'll have my hands on a paycheck that doesn't require piggy bank backup. Soon I'll be an adult. Gasp!

Or will I soon realize that I should have applied to get my Ph.D?

iWant.

2009-02-15T22:18:00.003-06:00

Reason #1 for wanting an iPhone:

When leaving a message for someone with an iPhone, you don't have to listen to some lady give you instructions on how to leave a voice message.

Reason #2 for wanting an iPhone:

A new app called "Kern." Typography lovers, get excited. This app is like a Tetris game where a word with one letter vacant drops from the top of the screen. At the bottom is the missing letter waiting to be aligned with the falling word. You lose points depending on how off your Kerning is. Amazing.

But let me remind you - I drop things. Thus, I should probably never own an iPhone. :(

Excellence.

2009-02-13T14:34:00.003-06:00

So, I've been exploring new design blogs lately and here are few darling finds...I wish I had the money to buy these! So cute...

I'd give this to my sister, Kelly, the sushi lady.

Aren't these glasses amazing???

I'm glad I found Hello Bauldoff, a great design inspiration blog. :)

Bauer.

2009-02-10T14:54:00.001-06:00

24 stresses me out more than school.

Purple pain.

2009-02-03T12:20:00.010-06:00

Today for my art direction class we explored logo redesign where we took a preexisting logo and amped it up, or we could take two logos and mash them up. I chose the latter route. Here's what I mashed...

+

=

Prints!

2009-02-01T16:07:00.003-06:00

I enjoy exploring new ways to do artsy things, so this past semester I got the wild idea to try my hand at screenprinting. After many frustrated evenings of burning screens, not having good water pressure to wash my screens and many other bumps in the road, I got the hang of it. I must thank my man Mondo at Jerry's Art-A-Rama for laughing at me for burning so many screens - he explained I was exposing my screen for too long (10 minutes) instead of 3 minutes. Yes. 3 minutes. I ruined a few screens, but at least I'm on the right page now! Thank goodness!

Here I am making my sister's wedding invitations...

A little closer...

As soon as my sister has mailed out the invitations I'll post the final product on here so you can see the work I did. So much fun! And if you're getting married and want a new style of invitation, e-mail me and we'll work something out! emilygrober@gmail.com.

Other exciting news: My website should be up and running by Tuesday! I'm so excited for the big launch! Woo!

Time for the Super, I mean, Puppy Bowl! Byeee

New Campaigns.

2009-01-28T22:35:00.004-06:00

My last trek as a portfolio student has begun and there is no time for lagging. I've been thrust into two different campaigns already - my portfolio 3 product is Janie & Jack, a children's clothing store, and my art direction product is Long's Horseradish...mmm. The Long's campaign is for the One Show College Design Competition, which is a big deal to win, so good luck to my partner, Allyson, and me. We're redesigning the product packaging...take a look at their current packaging.

Looks kinda like a paint jar, huh? Mmm! The good thing is is that we have plenty of options on our designs - I won't post them on here until we submit them to the competition, otherwise some other students may steal our ideas. Seriously.

As for my artist and venue management course - it's true love. We're having speakers come in (many from C3), so I'll be learning a lot from that. I'm also thinking my professor could be a good resource for possible jobs, so that's an added benefit! I'm the only graduate student in that course, so I'm going to update my other blog after each speaker visits. Should be good!

Back to designing, folks! Byeeeee!

My Site.

2009-01-12T23:23:00.002-06:00

Here's a little preview of my Web site homepage - what do you think?

Once the designing is done and my friend Cal does his HTML magic I'll have a killer site for all my goodies! I'm excited! I'll let you know when www.emilygrober.com is up and running! Until then, I'll give you little tastes here and there! :)

New Year, New Things.

2009-01-12T18:02:00.002-06:00

Well, happy 2009 to you all! 2008 was great, but this year brings a lot of new things. For example...

1. I graduate with a master's degree from Texas. Whoa.
2. My sister and Carl get married in Mexico on June 13. So excited!
3. I'll start a job somewhere - Tulsa? OKC? Italy???
4. Mabel turns 1. I turn 24...in two days. "Half way to 48!" says my mom.
5. I'll be a maid of honor, throwing the most amazing bachelorette party and personal shower.
6. I'll say goodbye to homework. :)

So, I'm really excited to begin this year and start some new chapters in my life. I'm especially happy I got to start the new year with my best friends - Stacy, Jaryn and Jeff. It was quite a NYE celebration! I'll have photos to post once I get back to my apartment next week. It's always nice to start the new year with people you love and adore.

I just realized...when I graduate from UT I'll have to start a new blog. It won't be grad school madness any longer...it'll be real life madness. Hmm...that's crazy to think about...

Apologies for the choppy sentences. My brain is warming back up for my final semester.

Finale!

2008-12-11T20:54:00.002-06:00

Semester three down, one more to go!!! I had my final critique this morning/afternoon and am glad it's over. I'll post pictures of my table soon, but for now I need sleep. Yay!

El Nino.

2008-12-09T23:38:00.004-06:00

This afternoon in Austin - 81 degrees.
Now at 11:20 pm - big, fat SNOWFLAKES!!!

Here is a photo I took of a car at my apartment getting a nice little coat of snow!

And I'd like to think this is God's little present to me for finishing all my ads today. Or El Nino's gift. Either way, it rocks.

Lists.

2008-12-07T19:17:00.003-06:00

DONE

AGC presidential duties.
C3 internship.
Independent study.
Balsam Hill Christmas tree ads.
Wild Eyes ads.
Veggie Wash ads.
Goodwill non-traditional ads.

NOT DONE

Theories paper.
Goodwill ads.
Wild Eyes non-traditional ads.
Mounting and cutting all ads.
Christmas shopping.

I'm going to treat myself to a new album to psych me up for these final few days - any recommendations? I need something good and upbeat that I can party to. (Party = make ads.)

Owlie.

2008-12-01T22:05:00.008-06:00

Ames, my partner for Balsam Hill artificial Christmas trees, and I are looking for pine tree dwellers to put in an ad. I'm searching for owls and will now post an entry on all the crazy owls I found.

Scary Eye Owl.

David Bowie Owl.

David Bowie Owl in Flight.

Crazy Whitey Owl.

Crazy Ear Owl.

Crazy Puffy Owl.

OK, bye!

AGC Finale.

2008-12-01T21:29:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow is my final day as AGC President for elections are tomorrow night. I must say that I'm pretty excited for the new group to get in and take over - that means more free time for me! Hooray! But it's been a fun year and I'm ready to have one less thing on my plate. Yay AGC, I'll miss you!

Wild.

2008-11-24T11:34:00.002-06:00

Not only is the final part of my semester wild, but it's wild that my partner Kelley and I have finally got our campaign for our first product green-lighted. Yes, our Wild Eyes campaign is finally a go! Great success!

Here's a sneaky peak at one of our shots - this is the "Ice Fire" contact lens. I'm going to actually shoot this during the Turkey break - probably using my sister as my hand model, so the final rendering will be different. Plus, I've gotta make that lens look much better. But Kelley and I are sharing the photoshop responsibilities and it's a great partnership - high five to us. A big beer will be had once critique is over. Yes!

Senior Picture.

2008-11-17T13:22:00.002-06:00

So, I'm convinced my dog is just the most darling little thing ever. A few points...

1. She uses her pee bell. It's hanging on my door and she'll ring it when she has to go outside to pee or poop. Amazing.
2. She cuddles with me.
3. She gets on her perch on the back of my couch and gives me the one-eye when she's trying to sleep and I'm being too loud.
4. She does her tricks so well - minus the "come" command. Hmm.
5. She loves to swim more than any dog I've met before so I sneak her into my apartment pool every so often.
6. She has a nighttime ritual of chewing on her purple. Her purple is this stuffed dog/elephant-looking thing. It's purple. Duh.
7. She poses for her senior pictures like this...

"Grammar."

2008-11-11T22:24:00.004-06:00

If you're a close friend of mine, you know how anal I am about grammar and punctuation. I'd like to give thanks to my experience as a TA for an AP Style course at Oklahoma State. I'll often correct friends and family on little pet peeves of mine - either verbally or just in my brain. The biggest one? Anxious = experience worry, unease or nervousness. Eager = wanting to do or have something very much. Anxious = bad. Eager = good.

Well, to my enjoyment I've run across a fabulous blog about quotation marks being put in the wrong places. I've added this to my Google Reader so I can get a laugh daily with the awful placements. Now, I pass on the goodness to you...especially you, Grandma. You are my proper English inspiration.

"Enjoy."

http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/

One of my favorites, except these quotation marks may actually be necessary.

Also, the first rule we learned in portfolio was NO PUNS. They're easy, simple and bad. However, this rule doesn't stop most advertisers or businesses from going straight to the pun. Here's a blog alllll about puns - the name is That's Punny. I'm happy I found this. I'm thinking this could be inspiration for a post - God knows I see an advertising pun every freakin' day. Here's one of my favorites from the blog...

Turkey.

2008-11-10T12:12:00.002-06:00

Countdown: 17 teeny days until my annual Turkey Coma. I'm ready, folks.

Photoshop.

2008-11-06T11:27:00.004-06:00

Will you take a close look at this photo? Oh geez, what the hell?!

I have major problems with the way women are photoshopped to have teeny, unrealistic waists, thighs, faces, whatever, but this is just ridiculous. Does the company not have an editor who checks things before they go out the door? Thanks to my new favorite blog, Photoshop Disasters...

My favorite comment? "No disaster here. The model just used too much cellulite cream."

Mabel's Dance.

2008-11-04T11:37:00.001-06:00

I got some inspiration from my friend Erin to teach Mabel this new trick. Enjoy!

The Final Push.

2008-11-02T16:58:00.002-06:00

This past week was crazy. Lots of ads to do and even more theory research to do. Have I shared my research topic yet? I'm looking into weight loss programs and how these programs can more effectively target the female African American subculture...meaning, African American women, and men too, have more open ideas on what it means to be "attractive" and "thin." This culture doesn't want to be stick thin, like many Caucasian women tend to strive toward, so they are sometimes a little more overweight - and this is all right. This overweightness (that's not a word....) isn't looked down upon - instead you're seen as being "healthy" and not starving yourself to be a stick. So, how can weight loss programs keep this frame of thinking while developing advertising? Jenny Craig, the company I've been focusing on, has started this new focus with a campaign with Queen Latifah as a new spokesperson. Her message is to be "happy with your size" and to decide what's "healthy to you." Quite a new approach in the ad world. Mostly you'll hear "lose weight!" or "be thin!" I enjoy the change of pace - maybe JC has cracked the code on this subculture's way of thinking and, in turn, could grab more viewers and purchasers. Sweet.

So, ya, that's what I've been researching and thinking about. More on this later when I get feedback from my professor. Hopefully it's good feedback.

Friday was my midterm review for Portfolio 2, where I turned in the final concepts for my first two products: Wild Eyes Contacts and Veggie Wash. Tiffany, my Veggie partner, and I have a solid campaign and we're feeling really good about it. We're actually teaming up with a Radio, TV and Film student who will film our three TV spots for us - great for our portfolio and his as well. We're also working on some non-traditional ideas for grocery carts and handle wipes. I'll post those later. But for the Wild Eyes, my partner, Kelley, and I are finally getting the ball rolling on a good idea. I don't know if our executions for the midterm are where they need to be (probably not) but at least we have a thought of what we're going to do! That's a huge relief. I didn't think it was going to come to us until December when critique was 23 hours away...haha...oh man, that's the worst. But I'm really glad all this is over because now I can breathe and enjoy the nice weather outside. And drink cider. And play with little Mabel girl. So, I'm excited for this.

Oh, something very Martha of me - I've redesigned my resume and created an Excel spreadsheet to help me keep my possible job contacts organized. I've sent my resume out to a few folks in Denver, just in case Tulsa, OKC, or Austin don't happen. Oh yeah, I'm looking for jobs back in Oklahoma. I've got this strange pull to go back and share my learnings with my homestate. I'm not really sure if this is what I'm supposed to be doing, but so far it feels pretty good. I'm just nervous I'll get there and realize I'm not ready to be back home. This is my only hitch. Am I supposed to be back or am I supposed to keep my wings spread for a bit longer? Are there more interesting job prospects there or here in Austin or somewhere unthought of? What about C3? That place is so amazing. Are my contacts better in Oklahoma? Probably. Are there inspiring places to visit that will keep my creative mind churning? I hope. What if I get there and it's not what I hoped? (See? Sometimes I overanalyze my world.) But I try to keep the faith that it'll ALL work out. All of it. I also keep the idea that I looooove my family more than anything and I want to see them much more often. All 4 grandparents healthy as heck are reason enough to be back - I want to hang with them as much as I can. And my folks...they're excited for me and will support me with whatever path I take, but I know damn well that they'd love to have me back. And I don't mind that. And that I love my sister, who's about to be a married woman, and I think that we can meet up for dinners and brunch on Sunday mornings. And I miss Jeff more than...more than...anything. I'm ready to be back in the same freakin' zip code as him. And Millie. These things keep my wandering mind excited about this Oklahoma possibility. But I'm still nervous. And I just cried a bit.

Um...

2008-10-29T18:30:00.003-05:00

So, here I am in the creative lab at UT doing some research for my first product, Wild Eyes Contacts. Kelley, my partner, and I are having a tough time trying to figure out what direction we want to go in before our midterm review on Friday. Yikes. So, I'm going all over the Internet trying to find inspiration, weirdness, anything to give me a hint on what to do. I start searching creepy things on the Guinness Book of World Records, which is too much fun, and I found something that took my interest right away. Gurning. Prepare to be amazed and enthralled.

There is an annual Gurning competition - here are a few of my favorite photos from the Web. According to Wikipedia, a gurn is a "distorted facial expression, and a verb to describe the action. A typical gurn might involve projecting the lower jaw as far forward and up as possible, and covering the upper lip with the lower lip."

Voting?

2008-10-23T11:53:00.001-05:00

Here's something amazing momma sent me...

GO VOTE!!!

The winner...

2008-10-21T16:10:00.003-05:00

Earlier, I posted all sorts of costumes for Miss Mabel to be for Halloweenie. Well, I recently got a package from Momma. And the winner is........

The Mermaid!!!

Mabel girl likes wearing the mermaid - and I like it even more. She's so funny! Wooooo wooo woooooo!

Long time.

2008-10-21T16:07:00.002-05:00

Well! I've been a busy gal - school is going well, the social life is fine, Mabel is precious, and C3 is still kickin. Mainly, the reason why I haven't been on this blog is because I'm working mainly on my blog for music promotion - you can check it out here. :) Feel free to comment about anything I'm typing over there. Party on, Wayne.

Mabel on YouTube.

2008-10-06T11:12:00.001-05:00

I put Mabel girl on YouTube! Check out her tricky tricks! Success!

P2

2008-09-22T12:36:00.002-05:00

Here is what I'm working on so far for my P2 class.

Small Durable - Wild Eyes Contacts
Service/Retail - Goodwill

I haven't figured out my other two products, but soon I'll work on it! I'm really excited about both products so far - the Wild Eyes campaign is going well so far! My partner, Kelley, and I are enjoying the challenges of making the product's ads more surprising and unsuspected. We'll see (heh) how it goes.

Halloweenie!

2008-09-18T11:20:00.005-05:00

So, I'm starting to consider what Mabel will be for Halloween, and boy have I found some awesome costumes from Target. I bought Herbie, Kelly's cat, a nice lobster costume last year - he looks adorable in it. So adorable, in fact, that he's on the Web site www.stuffonmycat.com. Here is his nice debut...

Anyway, back to Mabel Mabel Kitchen Table. Here are some ideas for the year...what do you think she should be??? A mermaid? Jurassic Bark? A dragon? Or Wonder Woman?

And in honor of Smudge, mom and dad's pup, here's a nice costume. Smudge got skunked a few days ago...maybe if she wore this she'd be friends with the skunks instead of targets!

Independent Study.

2008-09-16T10:09:00.003-05:00

So, school is going well so far! I'm in full swing with my portfolio 2 class - my partner and I are working on a campaign for Wild Eyes contacts...we're pretty excited about the unique opportunities with the product! My theories class is pretty neat, too - I'm learning a lot about...you guessed it...theory!

Also, I'm now going with my independent study I wrote about a while ago. Here's the blog link if you're interested in checking it out!

I'll have a much better update soon. Over and out.

Buddy!

2008-09-09T12:25:00.004-05:00

Check out the new addition to my life! Mabel Grober - adopted Sept. 2.

Africa.

2008-08-24T21:58:00.004-05:00

Here is a "good luck" post to a very dear friend of mine, Robert Thomas Quiring. Roberto is going to Kenya on Tuesday to live for a year while participating in the YAV (Young Adult Volunteer) program and will be working for a non-profit while he learns about the lives of African people. He has a blog and will be keeping us all updated on his happenings - if you want to check it out, go here. I got to snag him up for lunch today and we had a great time catching up and chatting about everything that he's about to encounter, and I must say that he's about to embark on such a journey that will definitely change his life.

So, Robert, good luck in Kenya and be sure to keep me updated on everything that greets you! See ya in a year!

In case you have yet to have the fabulous opportunity to meet RTQ, here are a few token shots of him...enjoy! And Roberto, don't forget to do the Lion King for me!

Newbs.

2008-08-18T18:01:00.003-05:00

This week marks the beginning of the new grad student's careers at UT! This morning we had orientation in the ACL studio, but now they're all ours! AGC (the Advertising Graduate Council I'm president of) has planned all sorts of f-u-n for the new cats. Take a looksie!

Colorado?

2008-08-11T10:13:00.003-05:00

So, for the post-graduation living situation it's very possible I'll be in one of two very exciting cities: either Austin or Denver. And I couldn't be more excited!

Now all I need is to find a place in Denver like my internship - C3 Presents - and I'll be set on a great time. Anyone know anything great up there?

Independent study.

2008-07-21T10:27:00.003-05:00

I've been thinking about this coming semester and what I'm to do with my schedule. So far I'm enrolled to take Portfolio 2 and Theories. I obviously need another course, but I've been struggling with what to take and why. Until...

Today I talked with a good friend, Krystha, who just graduated from the program and who has a killer internship with an agency in NYC. We spoke about independent studies (she did one) and options for me - and she helped me come up with the idea of doing a study on the promotions and advertising that go into musicians - what works? What doesn't? What's a waste? And I think I'm gonna run with it. I've asked a favorite professor to be my guidance through this possibly eye-opening experience, so I hope she agrees! Do I want to mainly focus on MySpace music garbage, festival promotions, advertising at concerts, etc? Any ideas???

Plus, what a deal to be interning with C3 Presents - I could get some excellent interviews with management, musicians, etc. about what they deem worthy of advertising. My study would be in the format of a blog or video blog through YouTube shorts - something more creative than a paper. (But let's be honest - I LOVE writing papers more than any human, thanks G-ma!)

So, that's what I'm thinking...I have a LOT of details to nail down, but so far I really like where this could end up. I could even do some ACL references and research. Love? I think so!

Robot Love.

2008-07-18T14:25:00.004-05:00

An interesting article about the future of product promotion in movies...

Here the author talks about how the movie Wall-E subtly places Apple products throughout the movie (a brief iPod sighting, the sound of an Apple computer booting up when Wall-E is charged.) Rather than shoving products in the faces of movie goers, is this the way of the future?

Side note - Wall-E is darling and thought-provoking. If you haven't seen it yet, go.

Farm!

2008-07-16T23:39:00.003-05:00

I got to spend time at Jeff's family farm in Illinois for the 4th of July holiday - check out the photo fun!!!

Boone Pickens.

2008-07-09T11:48:00.002-05:00

Congrats to oilman T. Boone Pickens for a successful launch of his new wind energy plan to reduce the U.S.'s dependency on oil. What an amazing and humble man to realize that we need a new alternative to oil - his baby.

Here's a USA Today article about the Plan.

Here's the Web site for the Plan.

And here's my standing ovation for Pickens. Thank you for thrusting this issue upon our nation and our soon-to-be president.

Question.

2008-07-01T10:50:00.002-05:00

If I didn't question my journey in life on a daily basis I'd start wondering if I were becoming static and unaware of my surroundings molding me without my consent.

New things.

2008-06-25T10:34:00.007-05:00

I figured it's about time for an update on my life in the ATX. Lately I've been getting up to work at the Observatory from 9:30-12:30 then heading to beautiful downtown to intern with C3 Presents from 1-6. It's been a real trip, honestly, to be working in such a great place - the folks there are wonderful, creative and driven. The downfall: I'm an intern. It'll be nice (yes, I'm actually saying and admitting this) to have a job someday where I don't come home to homework, projects, tests, portfolio madness, etc. However, this does not discount my love for school - I still enjoy every living second of my studies. It'll just be nice someday, that's all.

So, at C3 I'm working in the management department, working on the indie side of things. I'm helping manage Ben Kweller, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Sparklehorse, Heartless Bastards and finally, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. I help with tour marketing, designing ad mats (the posters you see up for shows), finding flights for BK, thinking of new ways to market our guys, designing merch, which has become my favorite task as of the past day or so. I also did Milwaukee's vinyl layout. The artwork is from their album, but I arranged it on the vinyl layout and added credits and other important things. Fun! Here's a shirt I did for Milwaukee (with inspiration from a friend, Demus):

It's been really fun being at C3 and I hope I can still help out this coming school semester, since I'm only taking 9 hours (yes, that's still full-time) and TAing. I think I can do it because I love having a full plate - I'm way more productive that way.

Ben Kweller is releasing his new album "Changing Horses" soon, and let me say that I love it! It's quite different from his old stuff, but the new phase/change/face is great. To those of you who are fans, prepare yourselves. It's great. The rough edits cd my boss gave me makes me giddy.

On to other news. My seeester, Kelly Andrea Grober, is ENGAGED!!! I got to travel back to Oklahoma this past week to be there after the big engagement. Carl asked her at their new house and brought her to the restaurant where we were waiting - Kel had NO idea we were there. Mom and I were "in Dallas shopping" for the weekend...muahaha! So, to say the least she was so happy and surprised to see us there to celebrate! The ring is gorgeous - three fancy diamonds, two of which are from Carl's g-ma and great g-ma...very, very special. Now we get to plan a wedding and I get to design the invites, programs, etc. I'm ready! Cheers, Kel and Carlo! And a word to Carl - our family is nuts, so prepare yourself for some craziness. On the contrary, we are full of love, support, and all sorts of other good things to counter-balance the weird side. Welcome to the fam!

Tonight my buddies and I are going to the Blues on the Green at Zilker Park. This is a summer show that happens every other Wednesday in the summer where the Parks Foundation brings in a different artist to play for free out at Zilker...two weeks ago we say Asleep at the Wheel, which was DARLING! We had a great time, but tonight will be great because we're going to have a little picnic with chicken, side dishes, beers, etc. I'm excited to hang outdoors down here...in the evenings it's just sublime.

I'm still working on wedding things for lady friends of mine. Lindsay Zuck let me do her invites a while ago and I had the pleasure of making her wedding programs, and if I may say so, turned out so charming! I'm still working on a Web site to post all my work so brides can check out what I'm capable of. By the end of summer I'm hoping it'll be up and running - we'll see! Here's Zucky's program:

OK, back to life! Happy Hump Day, everyone!

Jesus Frequency.

2008-06-16T11:17:00.003-05:00

So, every once in a while a little something will come along and make my day (week, even) so enjoyable that I can't stand to not share it with everyone who reads. This letter came to my work at the McDonald Observatory, addressed to my boss, Rebecca, the editor of StarDate magazine and press officer for the McD Observatory. Allow me to replicate the beautifully-crafted letter, minus the yellow legal pad paper:

Dear Rebecca, Editor,

My name is Vernon H. I am an amateur scientific researcher. I would like to write an article titled; Light Travel Is Here!!!

I have taken Einstein's theory of light travel and applied it to practical usage. I am broadcasting to planets with inhabited life through my radio show, The Jesus Frequency.

I would like to explain how it works in an article to your readers. Please respond to my address below.

War.

2008-06-12T09:59:00.002-05:00

McCain launched his national post-primary cable ad campaign today. What do you think?

Non-green.

2008-06-09T09:55:00.004-05:00

A big two-thumbs-down to Oklahoma for being the least "green" state in the U.S. And an even bigger two-thumbs-down for Sen. Tom Coburn for his quote on global warming. Classy. Click here for the article.

Showbiz Pizza!

2008-06-04T12:11:00.002-05:00

Maybe the best video I've seen in a while...hilarious!!!

Ugh.

2008-06-03T14:45:00.001-05:00

Dentists are masochists.

Summer!

2008-05-29T10:17:00.003-05:00

Well, well, well! It has been a long time since I've been around, but you know how grad school can go. Here's a quick synopsis: my ad critique went well and I get to move on to P2! Yee haw! I got another great GPA this semester. I got a scholarship. I got a TA position (holla!) After critique I cruised back home and was in a best bud's wedding. Stacy was absolutely gorgeous and we had a blast at her barn reception! I loved it all! I got to spend LOTS of time with my hilarious family and my main squeeze. The Grober women took a cooking class in Tulsa...tons of fun! Jeff and I spent Memorial Day weekend at Lake Eufaula and I loved every second of it...I sure do like that cat.

Now, on to more summery things...

I've begun my internship with C3 and I'm loving it already! I'm helping manage Black Joe Lewis, Heartless Bastards, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Sparklehorse and Ben Kweller. It's really interesting seeing what all a manager does, so I'm learning a lot, and I'm getting to show my boss what I'm made of: hard work ethic, brains and Martha Stewart. Ha! But I want to learn more about the festival planning/marketing/designing side, so I'm hoping I can hop around the office to take it all in.

I joined a gym (where my friend Rebecca goes) so we can be each other's workout buddy. I'm going to take classes so I can get back into shape. It's not a healthy lifestyle to sit around and read about ad stuff or to work on a computer making ads. So, a gym will get me back in the game!

Some things I'll do this summer:
1. Make mom and dad a Grober logo/monogram
2. Workout 3-4 times a week
3. See Dave Matthews (for the 7th time)
4. Lake it up
5. Read a non-ad book - Franny and Zooey is sitting on my shelf looking at me
6. Make a Web site (we'll see if this really happens...)
7. Get more brides as clients (I do wedding invites/programs/anything design)
8. Watch So You Think You Can Dance - yes!
9. Visit friends
10. Sit at the pool
11. Catch up on all the Rolling Stones I've not been able to read
12. Enjoy my last summer - I almost cried when I typed that

OK, I'm off to start the fun! Go team!

Ads!!!

2008-05-06T18:30:00.005-05:00

Well, I just finished drawing, painting, editing, tracing, coloring, blending, sizing, printing, mounting and cutting my ads. Woooo weeeee! I've been working on these concepts all semester and they've finally come together. I spent the past 5 days in the creative lab on campus and here's my non-traditional campaign for Nature's Way prenatal vitamins. These can be posted at gynecologist's offices and in other places where pregnant women may be. I'll post more ads later when I finish downsizing them.

Update.

2008-04-20T19:48:00.002-05:00

Here's the scoop on the happenings lately. Well, after I went to Oklahoma I realized that I wasn't 100 percent thrilled about the moving out of Austin, going to Nashville for the summer deal. I was so excited for the opportunity, obviously, but I couldn't get over the fact that I wasn't 100 percent into it. I thought about it, got some good advice to keep all my options open, including those in Austin. So, I got an interview with Megan at C3 Presents in the talent management area. Some of my favorite acts they manage are Ben Kweller, Blues Traveler and the Eli Young Band.

Well, I got the internship! This could very well be a step in my path that will hopefully lead to a career in this industry. When Megan asked me what I wanted to get out of the internship, I very earnestly said, "a job." That was quite a leap for me in my Peter Pan don't-wanna-grow-up world. I gave myself a little pat on the back for that one. I think my mom would too. Megan said that I'll be able to get my hands on a lot and that I'll be able to cruise around the office and learn as much as I can from the folks there.

I'll now be in Austin for the summer, hoping that I'll have some visits from friends and family! Lake Travis is only about a 30 minute drive away, so Jeff might bring his boat down for some most excellent lake days! I'm really happy with the decision I made to stay and intern with C3 and I hope I learn more than I can imagine...it's a good thing. It's a damn good thing.

Oklahoma.

2008-04-16T10:50:00.008-05:00

I got to go back to Oklahoma this past weekend for a great friend's wedding. First, my Pawpaw picked me up at the airport and I got to catch up with him and his life after the furniture business. He just sold his land to the highway department and has already sold everything in his store. It'll be sad to see Beeline go - Kelly and I spent many days there jumping from mattress to mattress while mom and dad shopped for furniture. Then, Kelly and I had lunch at Utica Square, my favorite part in Tulsa, and we got to catch each other up on what's new. It's so much better to have face-to-face conversations with people...it's just more personal! And I certainly miss my sister. She's my favorite person I know. And the coolest. Always. Later on, Mom, Dad, Kelly, Mamaw, Pawpaw, Jeff and I had a very lovely dinner at a sweet little Italian restaurant. It's always fun being with the family...I sure do miss it often. Mom and Dad are busy building their new home, which I'm thrilled to see the finished product! They've worked hard for 30ish years to finally build their dream home and I couldn't be happier. It'll be a great nest to come back to.

After dinner Jeff took me back to his house in Oklahoma City (so cute!) and I got to see his family, and especially his dad's new Porsche. Yeow! The next day we left for my friend, Megan's, wedding. It was most excellent catching up with all my beautiful pledge sisters...and we can just say that I got pretty nostalgic with all my buddies, learning about their lives post-college and getting to share my life with them. It was me, Jeff, Jaryn (one of my best gals) and Grady (one of my best guys.) The four of us drove from Oklahoma City to Mangum, a little town where there are rattlesnake rodeos. No kidding!
View Larger Map

After the beautiful wedding, we invited all our friends to our hotel room for more beer and chatting. I think we finally hit the hay around 4 a.m. The next day we slowly woke up and drove to Snyder, where Grady has his family farm. Hearing Grady talk about how much he loves and misses his folks was just precious, but not as precious as his folks themselves. We got freshly-baked cookies and got to hear all about the new baby lambs! His parents are just great people. Great Oklahoma people. We left and drove back to OKC, dropping Jaryn off to meet her family for the grandma's "37th" birthday. I got to see Jar's dad, who is just so kind and welcoming. I loved the whole weekend, needless to say. It was damn hard getting on that plane to come back to school. Damn hard.

Now I've been thinking about Oklahoma folks in general. If you fell on a ski slope, an Oklahoman would stop to make sure you were OK, as Jar's dad would say. If a flat tire were keeping you on the side of the road, an Oklahoman would stop to help. If you are sitting at a restaurant, walking down the street, or doing anything, for that matter, an Oklahoman would say, "Howdy, how ya doin'?" These little things are just charming and it's what makes my home and my heart in that great state. I miss it always, and I'm always looking for a reason to go back, visit and be reminded of how heart-achingly awesome Oklahoma is. I will surely return someday, but for now I can sit back and admire how I learned to be a nice and friendly person from where I was born and raised.

Here are some photos of my dear friends at the wedding...

The World.

2008-04-15T09:25:00.000-05:00

Here is a great commercial for The Discovery Channel...I love the whole thing. Enjoy!

Grant application.

2008-04-10T11:11:00.004-05:00

I'm turning in my grant application today! I'm turning in...

Resume
Letter of intent
Budget breakdown
Internship summary
Letter from internship
Letter from faculty sponsor
Transcript
Application form

Since this is a music internship grant, I decided to use an old record sleeve that my mom brought me from her collection. What do you think? I find out in one week if I get an interview. Fingers crossed, folks.

Update!

2008-04-06T22:18:00.002-05:00

I have accepted the internship in Nashville! I'm thrilled! But now I have a few more things to do...

My grant application is due this Friday, April 11. I must have my housing all arranged and all my expenses figured out. The application packet will be pretty big, so I'll be perfecting it all week. I will hopefully get an interview the following Friday and then I'll find out if I get the grant on April 21. So, things are going fast, but I work faster, so it's all good.

Just keep your fingers crossed for the interview. Yea!

Internship.

2008-04-01T11:16:00.002-05:00

Update:

I have an offer to intern in Nashville for the summer! I also heard from the City Parks Foundation in NYC, but I'm not sure if it's enough of a music thing. I'm looking into it, though! :)

My grant application is due April 11, so I have two weeks to figure this stuff out: including housing, transportation, intern place. I have to have all the costs estimated in my grant application so I can receive proper funding. Ah! This is nuts! I'm just glad things are happening.

I still have three other major things to hear about: two groups of scholarships I applied for and the TA position I applied for. So, at least I have an internship possibility! Twenty-five percent of my major things ain't bad! :)

Guns N' Roses N' Dr. Pepper

2008-03-26T14:07:00.005-05:00

Amazing, Dr. Pepper. Amazing...(I'm clapping my hands as I think this.)

Here's the deal. If Axl Rose, the frontman for Guns N' Roses, releases the GNR album Chinese Democracy in 2008 Dr. Pepper will give everyone in the U.S. a free drink. Easy, right? NO!

Chinese Democracy has "been in the works" for 15 years, my friends. Fifteen freaking years!

Dr. Pepper has set up a blog so we can read any headlines about the singer's progress on the album. Visit their site here.

One of my favorite entries so far...

"We are on the verge of economic collapse, the housing market is beyond repair and rock n' roll has been taken over by wannabe singers and musicals about high schoolers. Never before in the history of time has the world needed a savior as badly as we do now. That savior is Guns N Roses.

To encourage Axl to save our world, we will satiate the thirst of every American if he delivers the album this year...Check out the official release here.

Do you believe in Axl? You better, better..."

Also,

2008-03-25T21:59:00.001-05:00

Have I mentioned that my Radio Flyer red wagon campaign is my most favorite thing in my college world right now? It is. If I had a scanner I would scan my roughs so you could view the beauty. I'm happy!

Ballers.

2008-03-23T16:07:00.004-05:00

AGC participated in a double-elimination March Madness dodgeball tourney on Saturday!!! We sponsored two teams at $50 each. The registration fee went to a philanthropy that will feed and clothe children in India. Needless to say, I was thrilled to have our organization participate in this great cause. Plus, who wouldn't want to play dodgeball!??

We had two teams...BADvertising 1 and 2. We both lost our first game, won the next two and lost our fourth. Then we decided that the BADvertising teams should play each other! And yes, I am sore today.

We had a lot of fun out there and I'm glad we're doing activities that are for a good cause! Go AGC BADvertising!

Boo.

2008-03-22T00:48:00.002-05:00

I definitely just found out tonight that Express Jet, my favorite airline ever, is canceling their service from Oklahoma City AND Tulsa to Austin. Boo to them.

(Is this my first "rant" post??? Kind of lame, I know.)

Hunting.

2008-03-20T11:27:00.003-05:00

So, I'm looking for an internship for the summer. I would love to work for a festival promotions company, like C3 here in Austin. I found Superfly, based in NYC, and they're looking really good! They put on Bonnaroo, Vegoose and Jazzfest. I sent over my resume and cover letter Monday and I'm calling the intern coordinator today to check in!

Also, I talked with Chris Carrington, a buddy from OSU and the Orange Peel executive director from when I was the marketing director, and he's looking around LA for some contacts for me! Goldenvoice puts on the Coachella festival and I'd love to intern there, so I'm crossing my fingers for a name and phone number I can call!

I found who puts on Rothbury, a killer fest in Michigan. The company is based in Boulder, CO, so I wouldn't be able to get funding from the grant people. (The internship has to be in Nashville, Miami, Atlanta, NYC or LA.)

Ah, I feel a little frantic trying to get this done. The grant application is due April 11, so I must have my internship before then! Good luck to me.

Hippies.

2008-03-17T10:26:00.003-05:00

WOW! So, Langerado was AMAZING! Jeff and I really had an excellent adventure down in the Everglades. If you'd like to view the Web album I made, click here. You'll find a bunch of crazy hippies, great bands and the usual fabulous stuff you see at a four-day music festival. Ah, I love it.

Here I am, so excited to be at a show!

On another note, I just sent my resume and cover letter to Superfly Presents for a summer internship. They put on Vegoose, Jazzfest and Bonnaroo...needless to say, I hope I can get there and show them that I kick ass with music industry promotions. Ah, the dream!

Voting Day.

2008-03-04T11:31:00.001-06:00

Happy voting, Texas. Let's see who comes out on top with this very important issue...

God bless The Onion.

Animal.

2008-03-04T11:17:00.001-06:00

I like how Animal Planet used footage and beautiful, high res photos to portray its cast. I'm happy with this commercial because of the presentation.

One more day until I leave for Langerado! Woo!

AGC

2008-03-03T00:13:00.002-06:00

Here is the second installment of the Advertising Graduate Council video announcements! Enjoy.