Carrier Studios | Design & Web Development

USA KICKED ASS

June 23rd, 2010

Ok, so those of you who know me understand that I am not that big of a sports person. I think it’s pretty ridiculous to have sports video games, to really emotionally attach yourself to a team so much you cause strife (i.e. bar fights), and to put sports above all other things within your life.

I will never date anyone who likes American football. It’s my personal code.

But I am dating someone who likes soccer. A lot. He’s been playing it since he was 5. Since we started dating I’ve been to 95% of his games. I started understanding what was going on, the rules, the players. I could see how all his friends interacted on the field and could make suggestions. I even got to the point where I started passing the ball with Brian (and did a rainbow!).

So this world cup business. I knew some of players going in since Brian made me watch. I never thought I would care, though.

But the US is farther than it’s gotten before. I wanna see if we can take it all the way. I think we can at least get through one more round. I’m wearing my jersey for good luck. I had mini heart attacks each time the US got to the goal and couldn’t finish.

Soccer, if anything, is making a sports fan out of me. I think it’s because I love the US so much, that I want to see it succeed in international arenas. I don’t care if other people bash this country. We are always building. We will always push forward. We will look back onto our past with great regards for the future. This is America, and our soccer team is doing their best to portray that.

So, my friends, I will bolt out of work today and go drink whiskey – for Donovan, for Altidore, and for the rest of American soccer fans. GO USA!

My reaction to Donovan's goal - watching espn3.com

Tags: soccer, usa, world cup
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The artist’s dilema

June 22nd, 2010

I wish I had time to be an artist.

To really sit down and observe the nature of things around me, complete with writing whole thoughts and notes about them in a journal. I want this instead of rushing through projects because of time constraints, not all of them being really developed and thought-out. I want to take a concept through multiple levels of development and watch it grow from my original idea.

I want to sit down and draw something for four to five hours on end and not even finish it. I want to keep my brain exercised.

But in my job where all it is is RUSH RUSH RUSH – get these website updates done – get logo thrown in for mom & pop store – I can’t catch a break. I come home completely mentally exhausted. Not only did I expend all my creative energy on figuring out how to finish all these challenges within the day, I spent all my daily energy keeping my emotions tied up and not reacting to my coworkers petulance. I can’t even rise to find myself holding a pencil. When I have I don’t even know what I should draw or create.

I last did a painting of my own accord two years ago. TWO. Even in college I didn’t feel this lack of creating. I was doing it for classes, yes, but it still fulfilled my need to create imagery and a story with my hands.

I am not encountering the nurturing aspect of art. It’s not helping me soothe my soul. I never realized how much I needed it in my life until I didn’t have it. I guess that’s the way with a lot of things. My art – visual, performing, music - was so prevalent at all stages of my growing up that it seemed as natural to me as breathing would. I never thought choosing a profession in which I get to use these tools would end up stifling my inner voice. But I can’t see me doing any other profession. I think I just need a work atmosphere that encourages growth, nerdiness, and happiness.

I will be alone most of this weekend, so hopefully I can attempt to rejuvenate myself. I’m going to schedule specific events during the day. I’m not just going to clean the house. I’m determined to clean my soul.

Tags: artist, drawing, lament, time
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A small amount of appreciation goes a long way

June 21st, 2010

Ok, so I had to come in on a Saturday (FUN) to do some software training. I’m using Wordpress as a CMS on a client’s site, along with Google calendar, Paypal, etc. and she needed to know how to use the stuff. It had to happen eventually. I was a little pissed because my boss scheduled it for this date without me being aware until my client sent me a confirmation email.

The office building was kind enough to actually turn off the air conditioning in 100 degree weather. Needless to say, we were all sweaty in the end. Amazing.

So let me tell you a little bit about this client. There’s an independent consultant that works with my boss on one of our larger clients. This consultant’s daughter, Erin, has a severely autistic child. He’s only 2.5 years old and has far-gone developmental issues. There’s therapy out there for him, and it’s been successful, but it’s so expensive. So Erin wanted to create a website and blog to promote the autistic community in Nashville and attempt to gather donations for her son’s therapy. She has a goal of the amount of money she wants to raise and then expand it into a full-blown nonprofit.

At the end of the session, she told me that I had earned at least a t-shirt, and she and her husband wanted to take me out to dinner. We added each other on facebook, and hopefully I can continue to be involved in her life.

Sweatiness abound with awesome t-shirt

She’s really cool. We got along well. The best part was, though, that she and Marla (the consultant’s secretary who also came) couldn’t stop telling me that I was awesome, and a genius, and so precious for doing this website for them. Erin even said, “You have single-handedly saved my child’s life. I could not have done this on my own.” I nearly cried. I have a big heart (when you can see it), and knowing I’ve made just the slightest bit of difference was astounding. All I did was make a logo and a website, but I am making her dreams come true. It’s pretty emotionally wracking.

She accidentally sent everyone to the test site, so I had to go ahead and make it live. There’s still stuff I need do to it, but all the basic content is there. She already added about 15 blog entries, haha.

Make sure to check out the site: autismvillage.com. Try donating, too! But really, this one small little appreciation will save me for the next month. I want to make people happy, but it’s hard when I’m not happy at work. Trying reaaaal hard to be the shepherd, Ringo.

Tags: appreciation, autism
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Designing Shit Web banner ads

June 16th, 2010

Designing a set of three of them is no fun. Designing them with pretty much every detail picked out for you? Less so. Here are the parameters:

Three sizes – 120×240, 468×60, 300×250 pixels
Three colors – The client’s maroon and tan colors, and a BRIGHT ASS yellow as a color to “pop”
Same copy on all three – Logo, “Huge Sale Ends Saturday,” and “Click to see sale items”
Needs to be able to span all seasons and sales as this will run through end of the year
Logo is a very very long horizontal text with a very very tall element right next to it. Basically a resizing nightmare. Can’t really be less than 250 pixels wide and be readable.
Rip off a Kroger ad from the same site we’ll be advertising on’s wave element

Wtf am I supposed to do with this? Boss asked me to come with another color to add to the palette. Can’t be done. Not unless they want a bright purple (and I know the traditional client will NOT). I feel like I just shat all over my screen in photoshop and printed it out. She’s going to get frustrated with me because I didn’t do a good design. I can usually be creative under x amount of parameters. I can build it to certain sizes. I can work with colors to maintain branding consistencies. But creating timeless banner ads? Does that even make sense?

I don’t understand what the point of having a designer who doesn’t design, just becomes the person to create your vision. Sometimes my boss has good ideas; sometimes she doesn’t and she should listen to me when I present alternatives. It’s not like I don’t think I do a good job selling things. I have tons of BS practice up my sleeve. I think that she just doesn’t like and respect me. But c’est la vie. I’ll start working on my logo in the background…

Tags: design, stupid, work shit
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Finger exhaustion

June 9th, 2010

Just did the fastest coding of my life. Email newsletter, photo gallery, microsite layout, press release, home pages – can fingers get tired from typing so quickly?

All within 2 hours and about 5 rounds of edits.

Tags: coding, drinking, web
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Facebook account – for work use?

June 4th, 2010

I came into work this morning, checked my email, and found this monstrosity:

hey alison -

can you go on FB as yourself and post this comment under this post (see attached)

Hey Beer Hunter – Which beers will be featured?

thx

I had to curb my emotional reaction because I think my dislike for my boss has been seeping out more and more. It’s mainly her ethics, or lack thereof. Anyway, I wrote to her that I was not comfortable doing this. This is my personal facebook account completely removed from my work life. Yes, I have my boss as a friend on facebook – under a limited profile. I keep all my privacy settings on friends only, do not allow public search, and only allow a few questionable content pictures of me up. This is my precaution. I do not want everyone know how I drunk I got, nor anyone thinking I’m not connected through the world.

But, what irks me more is that she gave me obviously cheesy marketing copy to place on there. It might be different if I got to post what I thought, but no – strategically placed fakeness. This just comes across to me as tacky and tasteless. In case future employers go cavorting through my comments, I don’t want them to see that I’ve done such a schmutzy thing. This is my reputation. I want the words coming out of my mouth and emails my words.

In the world of online advertising, is it okay to keep your personal accounts out of it? It might be different if it was a job assigned to me when I first came on, and I had to decide on the job on my willingness to do this. But out of the blue like this? I dunno. What do you all think?

I guess this proves that I’m not a pure marketer – and I’m glad I never will be. I prefer to have some principles left intact.

Tags: facebook, personal ethics, work
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To make myself stop beating myself up…

June 2nd, 2010

I’m going to start a new schedule in exercising. I’ve lost quite a bit of the weight I wanted to lose. Now it’s in for the long haul.

M-F ~ 6:00am – run for 30 minutes in barefoot runners
T, TR ~ conditioning class from 8pm – 9pm with taiji group
S ~ strength conditioning for 45 minutes in the morning
SU ~ rest

Goal weight: 137lbs
Current weight: I think 155lbs?

Eating gluten-free, high fructose corn syrup-free (except for alcohol mixers).

Alcohol only on weekends (and maybe Monday nights because that’s my busiest day at the office).

I bought myself some new barefoot runners. They have made my legs hurt like shit. I haven’t been able to run since, but I could tell that I was running better and had better endurance. Makes me happy. I didn’t get Vibram 5 fingers, because 1.) just because everyone’s wearing ‘em doesn’t mean I should 2.) I can’t wear things with toes on account of some 3rd degree burns on my toes 3.) $80 seems a lot to pay for shoes that will last 4-5 months. So, I bought some Speedo beach runners that were really flexible at Dick’s. Only 20 bucks and will probably last the same amount of time as the V’s. I checked out the Nike Frees and adizeros they had, but those soles were still way to thick for me.

So yeah. Let’s hope I can stick to this plan. I’d like to lose some weight before the martial arts tournament in Baltimore.

Tags: exercise, lose weight, running
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