Don't judge me.

By the looks of this picture, one would think I am moving back to Virginia. All my belongings—every single thing that was in my apartment—are stuffed into Vera Bradley duffles and laundry baskets, and I am grinning that stupid grin because I am thinking 'Bon Voyage!'

Well, these are not all my belongs. In fact, this is probably not even half. Those three duffles—one on each shoulder, one under my chin, and two baskets are full of dirty garments. YES, I let my dirty laundry get out-of-control. And just when you thought I wouldn't do the unthinkable, these are ONLY what's unshrinkable. YEP, I still have a nice pile of (what I call) high-maintenance clothes. They cannot be washed in hot water and they certainly cannot be tossed in the dryer. This includes skinny jeans, already-too-tight spandex and crop-top prone tank tops.

The only reason I am smiling in this picture (taken by my tolerant boyfriend, Richard) is because I was about to pack up my car and drive to Flamingo Cleaners where they so graciously wash, dry and fold your clothes. And so, my dirty garments are in the hands of a not-so-cheap laundromat (totally worth the money and time), because—did I mention?— I don't have a washer and dryer in my tiny matchbox. Nor do I have a dishwasher. But we'll save that for another day.

Hot Roddy (still) in the Nets

It was summer of 2006 and I had just finished my freshman year of college at The University of Alabama. I spent much of my summer vacations in my hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia because I rarely get to see my family—which is why I wouldn’t think twice about waking up at 5 a.m. with my Dad on Father’s Day to travel to his Charm City Lacrosse Tournament. a.) what kind of daughter would I be if I didn’t? b.) How many people can say their dad still plays on a competitive lacrosse team at age 56?

That Father’s Day turned out to be a great one. Beautiful summer weather, meeting the other families, and best of all —his team won the tournament. To this day, my dad will tell you my coming along was the best Father’s Day gift he could have asked for, but the truth is, having him as my Dad is the greatest gift that I am fortunate to have everyday.

I speak for the rest of my family when I say I look up to my Dad in so many ways. One of these ways is through this commitment to lacrosse. My Dad played at The University of Virginia and has continued to devote much of his time to the sport. Lacrosse is not just a sport to him, it is a passion. If he is not traveling with his own team of guys that, like him, wish lacrosse were their day job, he is coaching. For as long as I can remember, my Dad has goalie-coached my high school’s boys lacrosse team. On weekends he coaches individual lessons to beginning and collegiate-level goalies and every summer he helps run a clinic for young kids—all free of charge. Sure, he could make some great, extra cash from doing all of this, but he simply enjoys coaching, working out and continuing to play so much that making money off it is of no importance.

There is a sports article from 2005 taped on my Dad’s bathroom mirror about a Redskins’ lineman, Ray Brown who, at that time was entering his 20th football season. At 42, he was viewed with ‘extraordinary longevity’ and one that ‘time never caught up to’. This Ray Brown fella has served as my dad’s inspiration and made my family and our friends understand why he does what he does.

And so—we let him, and we understand, and we appreciate when he gets into lacrosse mode. In fact, this past weekend he was in Ft. Lauderdale playing for Team Harley Davidson, having a blast with all his lacrosse buddies—some lawyers, some brokers, some other grown-man professions. And like that summer day in 2006, my dad’s team won, and though I couldn’t wake up at 5 a.m. to cheer him on, I still woke up knowing I am very lucky to have him.
Happy early Father’s Day, Hot Rod!

p.s. Can I have some $ ?

My Pride and Joy

About two Christmases ago, my dad got my mom a Kuerig. This fancy, single-cup maker is a true treat to all coffee, tea and hot chocolate lovers. No hassle, no mess, no time. Perfect for homes, offices, parties and more, the Keurig caters to individual preference. Just put in your pod, fill the water compartment, place your mug, press the buttom and... VOILA! An instant, hot beverage.

When visiting home, the Keurig at my parent's house is what gets me out of bed in the morning, what picks me up in the afternoon and what relaxes me after dinners. It excites me to go to the pod tree and pick the one kind I want. My love for Keurig Coffee makers you are realizing was finally acknowledged when my parents bought me my own Keurig this past Christmas.

How is it doing, you might ask? My Keurig sits in my little apartment kitchen alongside a mug of Splenda packets, creamer and THESE:

Thanks to my parents I now have 108 pods! The variety of kinds for Keurigs is endless, but I've got chai latte, hot cocoa, donut shop coffee, butter toffee, french vanilla, hazelnut, black tea, some decafs and more.

I strongly recommend this awesome product, and I know others do, too. A couple testimonies:

"I was recently introduced to the Keurig by my badass girlfriend and I just can't get enough. The hot cocoa is my favorite, followed by butter toffee coffee. The different pod flavors are as smooth as my mornings run, now that I have this convenient coffee maker."- Richard

"My wife used to try and trick me by making a pot of DECAF coffee and telling me it was regular. She said it made me too wirey, especially if I was having my usual 9 cups a day. Now that I got her a Keurig I can make whatever I want! If I want Emeril's Extra Bold, then I can have Extra Bold. BAM!"- Rodney

Whatever reason you want, wherever you want it, the Keurig is the bomb. Get yours today.

The Burpee Challenge

"All right, guys, I'm headed to the gym to start my boring new years resolution of working out," I said to my co-workers yesterday.

"You should do burpees," Ryan said. "Those will really get you in shape."
"What the heck is a burpee?" I asked.

THIS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MGljX4bbps

I have always been a tread-mill kind of girl. Plug in the headphones, hit play and I'm like Forrest Gump. I have to sweat and feel tired in order to know I've successfully worked out. Strangely, I love the feeling of being sore (comfortably sore) the next day. It's so rewarding.

Per Ryan's testimony, a bunch-a-burpees also works. And so, he introduced me to the Burpee Challenge—working up from 1 burpee/day to 100 burpees/day (after 100 days.) Make sense?According to RugbyRugby.com, this can be explained as such:

The 100 Burpee Challenge is one of the most excruciating fitness tests in existence. Every single muscle in the body is worked to an extreme degree and you will not only be wearing out every muscle that you have, but you will also hammer your heart and lungs worse than you would have ever thought possible without taking a single step in any direction.

Source: http://guide.rugbyrugby.com/Rugby%20Sections/Fitness/100%20Burpee%20Challenge.asp

YIKES!

JK, that doesn't scare me. The burpee challenge is so on and I am ready for a change from the dread mill.

Yesterday, I did my first burpee, right on the floor of our office. I already feel skinnier.

And so... July 11th marked DAY 1 of my burpee challenge. I'll keep you posted.

Burp ya later!

A Good Read.

For a little while now, I have been a contributing writer for Advertising Age, an online trade publication. Specifically, I write posts for the Gen Next blog, a division of the Talent Works section. I highly recommend bookmarking Ad Age/Gen Next blog, as it is not just for those in advertising. It features articles about all sorts of companies, consumers and everyday useful knowledge. The editors that keep Ad Age afloat are simply gifted in their research and writing abilities. I feel privileged to be featured on this site.

The Gen Next blog is especially helpful for people my age, or at least in my shoes. Driven undergrads, recent graduates and young professionals are the focus of the Gen Next articles. Writers such as Adrienne Waldo, Ioana Filipand Alex Kniess write on topics such as "Take on as many opportunities as you can handle," "Make a job of pursuing a hobby," and "The 5 most valuable things I did in college..."

I could go on and on about this blog, but it is a Monday and I am at work! SO—I'll leave you with a particular comment that was made in response to my article that people should get super creative when searching for an internship.


From Kaz747 in Austrailia:
Source: http://adage.com/gennext/post?article_id=141387#comments

"A great example of creativity is a young woman who works in the advertising industry here in Perth (Western Australia). She identified where she wanted to work, had her photograph taken outside the building, then sent the photo with a personalised letter to the Managing Director saying how she could see herself being part of the xxxx team. Worked a treat - she was invited in for an interview - got the internship and was later employed full time by the company."

The Journey Home

As many know, a huge and unexpected snowstorm hit the east coast. The amount of snowfall was unexpected and made for many flight delays, over-bookings, cancelations and frustrated holiday travelers. One of those travelers was me. My original flight from Birmingham to my hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia was intended to depart Friday evening. That did not happen, nor did the four flights I booked in the next two days. Thankfully, the storm finally let up and got me home for the holidays Monday morning.

Oddly enough, it was this event that urged me to remember my job search right out of college. Like the snowstorm, the search to land a job was seemingly never-ending. I was constantly hearing, ‘we’re not hiring young professionals at this time.’ Being turned away again was so discouraging, especially when I was eager to work and felt I had the resume to prove I was a strong candidate. I imagine with the recent December graduations, there are many who feel this way. And so I offer my 3 A’s of advice that can be recycled at each graduation go-around:

Awareness: By now you know how hard it is to land a job right out of college, so there’s no need to get you off your high horse. You’ve seen earlier grads struggle to find a full-time job and you’ve heard the talk (and had enough!)

Attitude: But don’t hang your head. Be positive and confident that you will find some sort of work, and probably where you least expect it. Let that excite you! (This is the workin’ world. Free coffee and Ghirardelli chocolates from a client make your day.)

Action: You are not too good for anything, even if you do have a college degree. So you’re not getting that job you want right away, look to something else. Consider it a learning period and a stepping-stone into the job you really want. (i.e. try sales, general marketing position, internship.) It will likely turn into something full-time or be short-lived because of a better offer that you found from being proactive.

Personal story: After trying countless times elsewhere I had kind of accepted the fact that my twentieth ‘informational interview’ would give me nothing more than appreciated time and advice, then send me on my way. But, the right timing and effort I’d made got me the job I have now.

Trying to land a first job is like trying to fly home in the midst of a snowstorm. It is extremely frustrating I know. And while the journey home can take you some odd places, in the end you will get there.

Cool.

Where do you work? People ask. When I get this question I feel so proud to not only utter the reputable company, but to explain what industry I am in. There is not a day at work in which I don't think 'ad agencies are really cool.'

Might sound nerdy, but there is no harm in loving your work... and I know I am fortunate. I When I first started at Scout Branding, I knew I was joining a team of creatives who thrive off forward and innovative thinking. They are a

lways producing awesome work in often cool ways . Those who have been working in the ad industry often don't realize that their day-to-day work is impressive, exciting, interesting and is never monotonous. Each day brings something new and unexpected.

I wrote a post a while back talking about my first experience at a commercial shoot, and now I'd like to share one of my more recent "something cool."

My boyfriend, Carter.

Just kidding. But for a client, I oversaw the growth of ten trays of wheat grass to be the centerpiece of their booth at a local festival. In recognition of my oh-so-hard work I got my own personalized photo of HGTV's Carter Oosterhouse (sponsor of natural gas.) Proud I am letting it sit on my desk right next to my personalized note from Project Runway's Shirin Askari. So what if they are considered D-List? I still think it's cool.

Be sure to check out the video we shot of Shirin promoting Mannington Commercial's tx:style design challenge!