Don't worry, I'm still alive!

I know it's been quite a while since I last posted, but I've decided to get a little time in today, and prove that I'm still alive and kicking. In fact it's been so long that you might wonder why I have a blog? I sometimes wonder too, but hey, who doesn't? I kidd! The reason I have a blog about the internet is to explore the ways my current, connected lifestyle influences me, and document the things I find along the way.

So, what have I been working on? Well, I've been working something VERY internet specific, my personal design website! Actually, this blog is linked to the site. YAY! Right?

I should note that there are still a few things to finish, the major ones being; the jewelry site is a placeholder while I finish it's development, as is the contact page, but these should be up and running within the next week. At least, if all goes as planned. Maybe my true Christmas present will be finally finishing the site. It just feels like there is still a lot of details to clear up.

Well, instead of writing a ton about it let's just go take a look at the new, live website...
(click the picture below to be redirected)

The Symphony of Science

The Symphony of Science 'A Glorious Dawn'

Today's post will be short and sweet. I just felt that since this blog is about the things I find on the internet and the way I use the internet day to day, I should share one of my favorite web-finds: The Symphony of Science. This is an entire series of remixed interviews with some of the most brilliant minds of our day. Each one is intelligent and catchy. By far my favorite find to date! Enjoy and make sure to check out both the videos on youtube and The Symphony of Science website too!

Job hunting the modern way

As a freelance graphic designer, I'm constantly on the search for new jobs. While I have a handful of clients that return to me regularly with design needs, I'm new to the design world and I've slowly been getting my bearings and one of the first thing I learned is that it's a lot of work.

Sure I check monster. com and other such search engines, but often times I find that these major job search sites are flooded which resumes and applicants. How many times have you responded to a job posting, and received a generic response email, telling you that they are overwhelmed with responses and they will only respond to those they will consider? While I'm sure that in our current economy it's true that these companies are being flooded with applications, these generic responses make you feel like there's no hope.

The bottom line is I'd rather feel like one in a million, than one of a million. It's because of that feeling that I go beyond the craigslist.com job ads and the elance.com bidding process to find my clients. That's not to say that I don't apply for those jobs, in fact I do, but with a high level of unemployment I don't hold my breathe. Instead, I keep on looking, and trying new and different techniques to branch out into new job opportunities.

So far I've explained to you that I don't think these generic large scale resume sites are the answer to my problem, even though I do participate in them. So, what is it I do then? The first thing I do is directly contact the companies I'm interested in working with, even if they do not have any jobs posted. Most importantly, I cater each resume and every cover letter specifically to the company I'm interested in working with. The bottom line is, I want to stand out, and so I strive to be original, and be what the company is looking for, and on occasion it works! When it does, I find that the jobs landed this way are more rewarding then the ones to which 700 other people have applied.

business card comp, Sense Salon. InDesign and hand cut. 

The second thing I do is make comps. There are multiple reasons for making comps, even if the potential client doesn't use them. Of course, the first reason is to get a job. When I see a design need and I have a good idea for it I'll make a comp. I then present it to the potential client and in many cases they are blown away and agree to use the design. Commonly, I find that the client is flattered by your ingenuity and even if the comp is what they had in mind, you've shown that you are a go-getter that works above and beyond and that alone will get you a job. Even if the client doesn't hire you, at least you got some practice and made something. Everything we make as designers is practice, and we get better with each design.

With all of this said, keep in mind that the design world never stops, and even if you don't have a job, neither should you! Happy job hunting!

I think we're all a little creepy...

So, I'm sure we are all guilty of it, I know I am, but I still think it's a bit creepy...what is it? Simply put, it is surfing the internet, but more specifically, it's mining people's photos for interesting images/products. With all of the social networking and photo-sharing sites out there, image availability is overwhelming.

While I think it's creepy how easily we can view images of other people's life, I do admit to taking part in this practice regularly. Be it a personal moment, an everyday situation, or a compromising position, the whole world is privy to your images. Of course, there are ways to protect yourself and your images, but when you are trying (or already have) emerged into the world of photography or design you want to get your images out there.

It was through social network and image mining, that my three new, favorite finds came to my attention. All of this started the other night when my boyfriend called me over to his computer to show me a picture he'd found in a mess of "car shoot weekend" photos on a friend's facebook. Anyway the image is of a young lady in a bikini on a boat, and the reason my boyfriend was showing it too me was because he thought I'd like the bikini– and he's RIGHT! I love the bikini!!!

So, I started looking for it. I started to google every combination of words the I could think of to describe the bikini, but alas I could not find it (if anyone out there happens to know where I can find this bikini, please let me know). While I didn't find the suit, I'm still hopefully that I will, and, along the way, I found two other cool things.

At one point I was searching "pixel bikini" in Google images and I found the most amazing couch. EVER. This couch is serious business.

It is designed by Cristian Zuzunaga, and is a part of a whole series of different pixelated furniture, fabric, and art. I just love it, but then a part of me looks at it and wonders where it will stand ten years from now; classic, almost like Burberry, of tacky, like too much animal print? Anyway, at the moment, I love it. Have I said that?

So, while prowling the internet for the important information about the above mentioned couch,  I kept finding references to The Cool Hunter. After finding the source of the couch, I decided to peruse The Cool Hunter and see what all the fuss is about. It only took seconds for me to understand why so many people love this blog! Amazing site! The Cool Hunter has official become my second followed blog!

Well, that's all for now! More soon. Thanks for reading!

adventures in(ternet) cooking

One of my favorite things about the internet is the wonderful myriad of recipes. The problem is there are countless recipes out there for each dish you are interested in making. So how do you choose? And how do you know which recipes will make even your pickiest family members happy (and full)?

Well, there are a few ways I decide on which recipe I use. The first way I decide is by going to trusted sites. While there are a lot of hidden gems out there, I've found that the recipes my picky boyfriend likes the best come from sites where people can review the recipes. My favorite sites for recipes are as follow:

http://allrecipes.com/

http://www.recipe.com/

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/index.html

The second way I decide on a recipe is through the reviews, because from what I can tell, everyone has someone picky they are trying to feed, and when a recipe pleases the majority of reviewers, it's likely to please the majority of eaters. So, if a recipe has very few bad reviews, you can assume that there have been many happy mouths. Furthermore, as I'm sure we all know, the unhappy reviewers tend to have the loudest voice. Finally, you can learn a lot from the reading the reviews. Many reviewers will explain tricks they used to modify the recipe to please other tastes or just plain improve upon it.

There is one last was I find recipes on the internet, and that is through blogs. I find that while I find some impressive, and very good recipes through this method, I also, find more recipes that don't go over well with my pickiest palates. I find that this is because blogs are subjective, as are tastes. Also, without the large audiences providing reviews, there is less information available about who will enjoy the recipes. Despite this, I still have my favorite cooking blogs:

http://www.101cookbooks.com/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

http://www.doriegreenspan.com/recipes/

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/recipes/

http://nutritiontokitchen.com/

Well, with that said I'm off to find something yummy to make for dinner!

The internet is my oyster

Over the past decade our society has become a computer-assisted, internet-savvy culture. While many people have their reservations about whether or not this advancement is progress, it is undeniable that each and everyone of us has been touched by internet. In fact, it has been brought to my attention that I use the internet multiple times a day. Whether it is to look up ideas for a website design, a recipe for dinner, or a how to for a d.i.y. project, my go-to resource for most of my information these days comes from the internet.

While I grew up in a generation that still played The Oregon Trail on a computer with a green monitor and text based programs. I feel I have adapted well to the quickly developing internet world, and I have decided to begin this blog to document my internet adventures. Every yummy (or not so yummy) meal, project, or definition, I look up I am going to try to document here, because the internet is my oyster....