So, I’ve been slowly taking up a new hobby: Antiquing. I’ve always had a fancy for older things, especially bottles, banks, paintings, and other nick knacks. My collection isn’t very large, because I’m pretty picky about what I will allow in my house, especially if it’s going to fit within my everyday decor. I absolutely love older things. There’s just something special about how products were made in the 1920’s through the 50’s. Sure, this was the time of mass production via assembly lines in the U.S., but at least these products were made in the U.S.A. Our grandparents made these things, as did our grandmom’s while our grandfathers were off fighting WWII. I was happily able to find a few items while yard sailing with my girlfriend this morning. Today I scored:

- An old 1955-1959 glass Clorox bottle. I was a little disappointed when I came back and realized that the cork at the top wasn’t suppose to be there. This made it look a lot older then 1950. There should really be a cap on the top because there is a small screw indentation instead of it being smooth at the lip. (no biggie… it’s still a great find!)

- An amber liquor bottle. The emboss reads “vina undurraga Chile, M.R.” I researched the name and found this to be a very old wine maker in Chile, but I can’t determine the age of this bottle. The very bottom of the bottle says “13 66″ not sure what that means.

- A “Postum Cereal - Instant Postum” tin. This one was one of my best finds. This tin was produced circa early 1920’s, and this design was the earlier version of another design. Postum is the same company as “Post” cereal, but Postum ended up changing their name to “General Foods Corporation” in 1929. The tin is a little old and weathered, but it still has some of the Postum beverage within it. Which is a plus.

The last item is an old stamp and letter weigher. Unfortunattely, I didn’t find this one today…it’s actually my grandpop’s. I’m still trying to determine the age on that one.
All and all, I think I did really well today! Sure, what I found wasn’t Degas or anything, but it’s a start!

Do you believe that employee loyalty still exists in today's work environment? How loyal are you as an employee to your company or boss?
Submitted by Jessmiloo.

Yes, I do. But it really does depend on if you make those employees friends or just employees, or if you are a good open minded business owner. Throughout the years I have had a few interesting jobs where I can compare and contrast this subject.

One of my many jobs during college was with a jewelery store. The owners there treated me like I was family sometimes, but they also were stern when they needed to be. They were in their 60's-70's so they ran their business the old school way. To this day, I will still visit them when I travel home just to say hello and to keep up with them. It's been 5 years since I stopped working there, but I still care about those people. I guess you can say that I'm still loyal to them.

Another job down the road that I had was with a design firm. I was very loyal to that company as well, but their firm was a much bigger place then the little jewelery shop. They had some micro management issues, and the owner didn't let the designers really "design". We would design some initial ideas for a project, but they would hardly ever be used. The design firm owner would almost always use his own sketches for the final design, and then little people would just design it and make it work. He acted like he was open to suggestions and ideas, but it always ended up being his idea that we would show the client. This attitude in turn made alot of the employees look for another job. To this day, not one designer will stay in that firm for longer then they can stand....all of this is because of the business owner. I personally think that designers can work anywhere, but we need to be able to be creative. We need to be able to use our talents to be at our best. When you have your talent taken away, you in turn have a disgruntled, unloyal employee. 

The same will happen if your boss becomes your "friend" on the job. I had another job where I worked as a designer and an assistant for a business. I had alot of fun there and was very loyal the first year or so, but then I started seeing how my boss really was to other people. He lied to his employees and clients. He fired employees after snooping into their personal lives, and he was over emotional on the job. It was like riding the soap opra express when I worked for that company. We had to be a employee and a friend with the boss, but there were no signs pointing where to stop. Any job like that will make anyone leave, or it will give the boss a reason to kick you out... 

In my personal opinion, you can have employee loyalty at ANY job, but it really does boil down to how the business is ran, and if the employee feels comfortable working in that enviroment. Let's face it, when you're stuck in an enviroment for more then 8 hours a day, woldn't you want the best?

When I tell people I meet that I'm a Graphic Designer, More times then not I get this confused look from the person I am talking to. Below is a great vid about what a graphic designer does for a living. Design is not just pretty pictures. A lot of it involves research, thought and great communication skills. 

note: I did not write this, but I totally agree with what it has to say. The author posted this on craigslist.com, and it was taken down shortly thereafter.

The Post
------------------------
Every day, there are more and more Craigs List posts seeking “artists” for everything from auto graphics to comic books to corporate logo designs. More people are finding themselves in need of some form of illustrative service.

But what they’re NOT doing, unfortunately, is realizing how rare someone with these particular talents can be.

To those who are “seeking artists”, let me ask you; How many people do you know, personally, with the talent and skill to perform the services you need? A dozen? Five? One? …none?

More than likely, you don’t know any. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be posting on craigslist to find them.

And this is not really a surprise.

In this country, there are almost twice as many neurosurgeons as there are professional illustrators. There are eleven times as many certified mechanics. There are SEVENTY times as many people in the IT field.

So, given that they are less rare, and therefore less in demand, would it make sense to ask your mechanic to work on your car for free? Would you look him in the eye, with a straight face, and tell him that his compensation would be the ability to have his work shown to others as you drive down the street?

Would you offer a neurosurgeon the “opportunity” to add your name to his resume as payment for removing that pesky tumor? (Maybe you could offer him “a few bucks” for “materials”. What a deal!)

Would you be able to seriously even CONSIDER offering your web hosting service the chance to have people see their work, by viewing your website, as their payment for hosting you?

If you answered “yes” to ANY of the above, you’re obviously insane. If you answered “no”, then kudos to you for living in the real world.

But then tell me… why would you think it is okay to live out the same, delusional, ridiculous fantasy when seeking someone whose abilities are even less in supply than these folks?

Graphic artists, illustrators, painters, etc., are skilled tradesmen. As such, to consider them as, or deal with them as, anything less than professionals fully deserving of your respect is both insulting and a bad reflection on you as a sane, reasonable person. In short, it makes you look like a twit.

A few things you need to know;

1. It is not a “great opportunity” for an artist to have his work seen on your car/’zine/website/bedroom wall, etc. It IS a “great opportunity” for YOU to have their work there.

2. It is not clever to seek a “student” or “beginner” in an attempt to get work for free. It’s ignorant and insulting. They may be “students”, but that does not mean they don’t deserve to be paid for their hard work. You were a “student” once, too. Would you have taken that job at McDonalds with no pay, because you were learning essential job skills for the real world? Yes, your proposition it JUST as stupid.

3. The chance to have their name on something that is going to be seen by other people, whether it’s one or one million, is NOT a valid enticement. Neither is the right to add that work to their “portfolio”. They get to do those things ANYWAY, after being paid as they should. It’s not compensation. It’s their right, and it’s a given.

4. Stop thinking that you’re giving them some great chance to work. Once they skip over your silly ad, as they should, the next ad is usually for someone who lives in the real world, and as such, will pay them. There are far more jobs needing these skills than there are people who possess these skills.

5. Students DO need “experience”. But they do NOT need to get it by giving their work away. In fact, this does not even offer them the experience they need. Anyone who will not/can not pay them is obviously the type of person or business they should be ashamed to have on their resume anyway. Do you think professional contractors list the “experience” they got while nailing down a loose step at their grandmother’s house when they were seventeen?

If you your company or gig was worth listing as desired experience, it would be able to pay for the services it received. The only experience they will get doing free work for you is a lesson learned in what kinds of scrubs they should not lower themselves to deal with.

6. (This one is FOR the artists out there, please pay attention.) Some will ask you to “submit work for consideration”. They may even be posing as some sort of “contest”. These are almost always scams. They will take the work submitted by many artists seeking to win the “contest”, or be “chosen” for the gig, and find what they like most. They will then usually have someone who works for them, or someone who works incredibly cheap because they have no originality or talent of their own, reproduce that same work, or even just make slight modifications to it, and claim it as their own. You will NOT be paid, you will NOT win the contest. The only people who win, here, are the underhanded folks who run these ads. This is speculative, or “spec”, work. It’s risky at best, and a complete scam at worst. I urge you to avoid it, completely. For more information on this subject, please visit www.no-spec.com.

So to artists/designers/illustrators looking for work, do everyone a favor, ESPECIALLY yourselves, and avoid people who do not intend to pay you. Whether they are “spec” gigs, or just some guy who wants a free mural on his living room walls. They need you. You do NOT need them.

And for those who are looking for someone to do work for free… please wake up and join the real world. The only thing you’re accomplishing is to insult those with the skills you need. Get a clue.

It's sad but it's sooo true. Ironically, I was out looking for graphic design bids last night and came across a job that sounded just like above. The client said that the pay would be advertising on their website that you'll create for them. How can anyone fall for that? A website design is like a $5K job! 

If you could dream about anything tonight, what would it be?

FLYING.

Girl jumping

I don't know why, but I love my flying dreams. I think I have them maybe a few times a year, but their always the most memorable ones. It’s so funny how I fly in these dreams too. It normally involves me using my legs and arms like a frog to make my self go higher into the sky. When I’m flying, I love to soar high above roof tops as well as touch the top of trees and clouds. Sometimes I find a nook in one of those tree branches way high up and rest there. These dreams are the most peaceful ones. If it were ever possible for a human to fly using their own body, then this is how I wish it would feel….

2 weeks ago Matt and I visited Pennsylvania to see family and friends. The first half of the vacation we spent in Johnstown, PA for Matt's friend's wedding. It was sort of ironic to be in that area once again. I have been to Bedford (a town over from Johnston) several times throughout the years with friends and with Matt. The first time I was there it was for a ghost hunting outing with some friends. We stayed 3 times at the Jean Bonnet BB.   Matt and I also use to meet up there because it was a nice half way point between PA and OH when we were both living in separate states. Back then we noticed that the locals were kind of "off". Sort of nosey and snotty I guess, but we just thought that it was Bedford.

Johnston and Somerset was the same way unfortunately. The area was BEAUTIFUL, but the locals were horrendous.

Matt had problems with a meter maid giving him a ticket when his car was only in the spot for 1 second while he ran inside for change at the tuxedo place. When he came out, a maid was standing there writing him a ticket. After much deliberation, she didn't budge on the ticket. Matt even asked her to feel the top of the car’s exhaust pipe to help prove that he just pulled up. She refused to touch the car. That same day Kelly, Lauren and I were on a hunt to get all "prettied" up for the wedding the next day. A day that started in excitement ended abruptly in bewilderment. We all were ignored when we went to find somewhere to get our hair and nails done. We then spent 3 hours looking for a hair dresser, only to be turned away and ignored in several of the shops. One shop only had 2 people in it, and they told us they were "too busy" and we would have to come back around 7pm. Another shop didn’t acknowledge us when we were standing at the front desk for 10 minutes. The hair dressers were only 5 feet away from where we were standing in clear view. We did end up finding a nice little shop to get out nails done, but it took a long time to find it.

Even though all of that occurred, there were a few people and business owners that went above all means to be the nicest people I have ever met. (Even more then down here in southern hospitality central) If you ever visit Johnston or Somerset, you have to stay at the Quill Haven Bed and Breakfast. www.quillhaven.com

The owner, Carol, was friendly, loving, hospitable, funny and her presence made us feel like she was family. During your stay there she'll cook home made cookies for you in the evenings, you get a complimentary glass of wine and all of the free soda and stories you could ever want. Oh, and I can't forget her breakfasts. THEIR.TO.DIE.FOR. This was our second time spending a weekend at the Quill, and it was better then the first time. She's made us lifelong clients.

Another place that had nice service and management was The Inn @ Georgian place. www.theinnatgeorgianplace.com

The food was outstanding, and the ambiance was breathtaking. The view from the back deck was something that you would see out of a movie.

One manager even told us the whole history of the mansion and the ghostly visits of Mr. D.B. Zimmerman, a local coal and cattle baron, for whom the house was built for in 1915. I sat there in amusement over the ghost stories, while my other half rolled his eyes. A hobby that both of us do not share obviously. 

So, what’s the moral of this blog?

Well, the fact that we all could see that the majority of the people in the town had attitudes or lack of hospitality was freighting. Usually, only one person would notice something like this, but it was noticeable to everyone in the wedding party. This to all of us was kind of weird. We walked into a town that emanates "hometown hospitality" but the majority of the people were the total opposite. It was like Johnstown, Somerset and Bedford were originally inhabited by people from New York City, or worse, France.

What is your definition of home?

Home is anything that makes you feel warm and cozy and loved. I feel the most at home with my husband and my cat here in our beautiful home, whereas years ago home was where my paternal family lived. Isn't it funny how time can change everything?

4 years ago after I moved away I would be so home sick for my dad, friends and sisters so much so that I couldn't function. I didn't feel like making friends, and I was depressed.

But now?

Now I like to "visit" my family and am truly happy to be living this wonderful adventurous life with my husband. I couldn't have asked for anything better. I hope that everyone feels the same way as I do abut their lives. It's the greatest feeling in the world. 

Earth Day

I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
Each blade of grass,
Each honey tree,
Each bit of mud,
And stick and stone
Is blood and muscle,
Skin and bone.

And just as I
Need every bit
Of me to make
My body fit,
So Earth needs
Grass and stone and tree
And things that grow here
Naturally.

That's why we
Celebrate this day.
That's why across
The world we say:
As long as life,
As dear, as free,
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.

~Jane Yolen

Yep...in Ohio.

I was awakened @ 5:40 this morning to a 20 minute shaking of my bed and tattering of the pictures on my walls. Nothing huge, but enough to make a girl scared!!

The Earth quake is said to have started on the Madrid fault, and it hit Illinois this morning @ 4:45am with a 5.2 magnitude. I'm guessing it must have took a long time for the after effect to hit Dayton, because it was 5:40am when I looked at the clock.

So, now I can finally say that I have experienced an earth quake. ((WhooHoo...))

It was actually not as scarry as having to endue Hurricane Charlie in Orlando Florida in 04", or having to endure a really bad thunderstrom or noreaster. Let's just hope that that was my last taste of an earthquake for a very long time.

"What would you like to do more of?"

my books

I'd like to have a more productive role in building my graphic design business. I have all of these fancy books that tell me what I should be doing and learning as a new creative business woman, but do I read them?
No.
I need to go back to school to learn Flash, Java and I need to catch up on my web design skills. But no....I'd rather surf the net, go on myspace or read a girly magazine in my spare time.