Vale Design : Freelance Package Design & Branding

Pepsi has done it again

Packaging. In general, I just love it. It can make or break a brand. Apparently, it is breaking Tropicana! PepsiCo, who is responsible for the new weird Pepsi logo, is also responsible for the New Tropicana look. Consumer response...they HATE it! They are writing in all over the internet about how much they dislike it. I just heard a segment about this specific packaging this morning on CNN. Now that is impressive when we are talking about packaging over on CNN, but I feel slightly bad for the designers that created the new look. They worked hard and the Creative Directors let it out and now, 35 million dollars in a new ad campaign later, the company has decided to bring the original design back. That is the power of the consumer. You can see before and after pictures compliments of THE DIELINE.

On a side note, everyone around me seems to be sick. To those people, if you need anything, let me know! I would recommend Alka Seltzer Cold medicine [love the bubbles of the tablets], Vitamin C in either the form of orange juice [maybe Tropicana!] or tomato juice, and some rest. The husband is catching a cold from one of the many airports or stale air airplanes he was in and dealing with some jetlag.

CHEERS

Love this

Quote from the book, The Shack

Growth means change and

change involves risk, stepping

from the known to the unknown.

- Author Unknown

Pure Genius

When I was in college, some strange things happened to me. Two friends that I met through my years at Purdue ended up marrying two of my guy friends from back home! I met each of these ladies separately and had absolutely nothing to do with them meeting their significant others. I could not be happier though!

One of these ladies was in my major, Visual Communications Design, and let's just say that she is a "hot shot." God blessed her with a bit more creativity and talent then the rest of us. Her work has always been amazing to me and I respect her very much. As an added bonus, she is about the nicest person you could hope to meet! I am so excited to share her updated website with you!

She currently lives in Minneapolis with her super sweet husband and runs a company named Gaddere. She specializes in invitations for all occasions. I was lucky enough to have her design the twins 30th birthday party invitation [which is in her portfolio section]. You are probably asking yourself why a graphic designer would have another graphic designer do invitations for her? Once you visit her site, you will understand. She has such an eye for detail and typography and I am so proud of her that I want to share her talents with all of you. Please enjoy and if you are in need of the perfect invitation, drop her a line. Believe me, you will not be disappointed!

CHEERS

Connections

Today has been a great day of connections. I had a nice lunch with AS and then came home and started updating some business connections. I am only 31, but all of a sudden I feel old when it comes to all the ways you can connect and network through the internet. Sometimes it is challenging for me to just jump in and do it, but I am working on not being anonymous today. As a result, I have received some very nice emails from long lost friends and colleagues. I will always prefer a face-to-face, but this can almost be as good!

CHEERS

PS Don't forget the Money Summit tonight on CNN with Ali Velshi.

Are you superstitious?

For some interesting facts about this day, click here.

Things I love

In keeping with the mood, here are some things I heart at the moment:

• the husband
• being his wife 
• knowing I am someone's everything 
• knowing only the secrets that the two of us talk about 
• knowing I am so understood that I do not even need to say a word to him 
• family [grandparents] and friends 
• my peeps in Minneapolis 
• the Shiba dog - especially watching her sleep 
• graphic design 
• learning new design tips & tricks 
• moleskin journals 
• Giada cookbooks 
• knowing my best friend is in Hawaii & I can visit anytime 
• helping others through writing or design work 
• Turner Classic movies - Norma Shearer, Ginger Rogers, Joseph Cotton 
• NCIS 
• Grey's Anatomy 
• Saving Grace - if it ever comes back 
• my Crackberry 
• my IronMan watch 
• my Gap jeans 
• red velvet cupcakes from RunnersWorld (love!) or red velvet cupcakes from Baked
• any sweet treat 
• Chicago - urban, being anonymous
• Paris - urban, chic, culture, history, romance 
• Hawaii - romance, sunsets, and scenery to DIE for
• Miami - where I run away from home 
• beaches and sunshine  
• when my mom plays with my hair 
• my parents house at Christmas - fires and hot chocolate  
• the "candle" my brother and I try to steal from their house every year at Christmas 
• the pine smell in the house after you bring in a real Christmas tree 
• homemade M&M cookies
• antiques
• antique shopping with my mom 
• making mosaics 
• talking "movie speak" with my brother - Uncle Buck, Ghostbusters 1 & 2, the Great Outdoors [you bastard! I think he said go faster!], and Scrooge
• my idea of what Rome will be like 
• my idea of what London will be like
• sushi rolls 
• chinese food - my comfort food 
• bloody marys, well, anything with vodka in it! 
• laughing so hard at vulgar Katt Williams that it hurts to breathe!
• a totally crossed off to-do-list 
• watching my mom and aunt laugh so hard they cry...yet silently [gets me going everytime!] 
• staying in bed all day in pjs, under the electric blanket, watching movies, reading a good book 
• the first snow when it comes late at night  
• the feeling right after doing something terrifying - wish I could bottle that adrenaline  

  

[love the smirk on my grandmother's face. she was quite mischievous]

CHEERS

Happiness and Hearts was had by all!

I had such a great time yesterday at the book launch party of my friend Fresh Picked Whimsy. AS and I went and we took her 2 girls with us. It was an amazing party with movies, popcorn, balloon heart flowers and some super sweets to snack on. The book looked beautiful and the message and illustrations were lovely. It was so cool to finally see it in hardcover! If you have little ones, this is a wonderfully fun book for them! We are both so very proud of our illustrator friend. She is an amazing human being and she has been a part of this amazing experience and we KNOW that there are only more amazing things in her future! Congratulations friend! I know someone with a book in the Library of Congress...

 

AS, the girls and I spent most of the afternoon together, shopping and lunching. Her little girls are sweet and a great time was had by all! She helped me pick out this beautiful baker's rack that makes my kitchen even more complete. She has such an eye. She also gave me some "hang things on the walls" homework. I have a phobia. Weird I know, but she is helping me work on it. The house is certainly coming along!

Tomorrow is the husband phone interview. We are leaving this one up to God. He has NEVER steered us wrong. He knows how we feel and what we would like to happen, but we also know it is up to Him and not us. Please any well wishes to the universe would be much appreciated. We love our home here, all of our new friends, and our family.

To my relative in China, who I know is reading this, I hope you had a great time at the market. Take some pictures and do not forget to bring back something little for yourself. Oh, good news, the snow is gone and there is warm weather on the way!

CHEERS