Twenty-two Revisions

I joined a bone marrow registry

2012-01-22T18:15:00.002-05:00

Everyone that know me knows I have a bucket list and I'm constantly adding to it. It's mostly travel destinations or childhood dreams or crazy experiences. Typical stuff. But, a few months ago I added 'join a bone marrow registry' to my bucket list. I know it doesn't sound exciting and sexy as "running with the bulls" or as dramatic as "save a life"... Although ultimately, I could save a life

My first 5k run!

2012-01-13T17:50:00.001-05:00

And, I predict it might also be my last… God help me. I have never jogged a day in my life. I don't work out. I don't play any sports. Hell, I don't even eat properly. Some can attest that my favourite food for breakfast is a bag of potato chips. (Potato chips is a food group right?) And, up until about 3 hours ago I didn't even own a pair of running shoes. But, I do have one thing going for

Get ready Peterborough: Winterlicious 2012 hits downtown!!

2012-01-09T20:52:00.001-05:00

Winter is upon us… well, sort of. For most, it's the time of year when the post-holiday blues set in. But for me it's time to start planning my ReFrame Film Festival movie schedule! Haha - Can you imagine my excitement when I heard the shops and restaurants downtown were going to start an annual Winterlicious event too? (Yes, you heard it here first!) Great films, great food and great prices…

My New Year's Day painting

2012-01-01T19:55:00.001-05:00

Algonquin Park Acrylic on canvas, approx. 38" x 30"

New Year's Eve Traditions

2011-12-31T20:34:00.003-05:00

While everyone celebrates New Year's Eve in their own way, there seems to be a common theme. It's a time for setting things straight. Some people show this by doing a thorough housecleaning, returning borrowed objects, deleting Facebook friends, setting resolutions or patching up quarrels. In many cultures, people jump into the sea or a local body of water – literally washing away the past and

Hey, this is my 100th blog post!! (insert confetti here)

2011-12-30T22:22:00.000-05:00

So, here it is. Post 100. A long time coming, and finally here. Thank you to all who’ve stopped by and read Twenty-Two Revisions these last… ummm, two and half years. Thanks even more to those who have taken the time to post some comments along the way. It is greatly appreciated. Post 101 won’t be too far off!

The ReFrame Film Festival... there's an app for that!!

2011-12-30T11:05:00.000-05:00

Launched December 18, 2011, the Reframe2012 app is like having the Reframe Peterborough International Film Festival in the palm of your hand! With schedules, films and event listings (alphabetically and by category), venue maps, ticket information and more, you can plan your time at the 2012 Reframe film festival with ease. Yes, I copied that from our app description :) Our clients are always

2012 poster design - ReFrame International Film Festival

2011-12-30T00:34:00.001-05:00

Last year the ReFrame poster design blog was ranked as my sixth most viewed posting... So, I thought I better follow it up again this year! And, I do so with great pride. This stunning poster was created by our newest designer Joe. He impressed us with a few amazing designs – ultimately Krista and the ReFrame team made the final decision – but, everyone knows I'm a sucker for anything retro.

Art Director Wanted

2011-07-18T17:04:00.001-04:00

It’s not that easy finding a great Art Director combined with an equally great designer, who also happens to be equally talented in both digital and traditional advertising and design. If you think you are that person, here’s a list of “must have's” that ought to get you an interview: • Must have 5 plus years experience on a creative team in an agency or design studio • Must have a strong

Leviathan

2011-06-18T22:25:00.001-04:00

Le Grand Palais, Paris, France Inspiration can come in many forms. It could be a beautiful painting, the written word or even a funny YouTube video. This spring, inspiration came to me in the form of the ‘Leviathan’. What’s that you ask? Well, let me tell you. A few months ago a co-worker and friend, Mark, posted a Facebook link to this year’s Monumenta. For those of you who don’t know (and I

The bar is now open!

2011-06-17T21:32:00.002-04:00

The bar at the newly renovated Market Hall that is... Affectionately named the "BrandHealth Bar" in recognition of a generous $40,000 donation from the partners at BrandHealth - Paul, Chris and Mike. Officially christened Thursday evening, BrandHealth staffers were hosted by Karen August, Market Hall General Manager, and her team to a private cocktail party and tour. We were impressed to see

Kyle's review on the new Color app

2011-04-07T20:12:00.001-04:00

“Color Labs in California recently released a Smartphone app that will work with both iPhone and Android phones. With the goal to change the face of social networking, Color has a lot on its plate however it has also had an incredible amount of investments put towards it. With a reported $41 million start up cost and the extra measure of covering all the windows, Color has already established

A word from Kyle, our BH high school intern

2011-04-04T22:59:00.000-04:00

"My name is Kyle Kelly and I recently started a co-op placement with BrandHealth. I was recently accepted to Humber College for the Applied Bachelor of Arts: Creative Advertising Degree program. I saw that BrandHealth could offer me opportunities that I would not have with a regular school program which is why I applied for a placement. When I began my placement I had quite high expectations

we nede A proof reeder.

2011-03-30T18:23:00.001-04:00

This is our latest billboard on the 115, heading towards Peterborough. The ideal candidate will have experience working in an advertising agency, marketing department or public relations firm. You must possess excellent writing and grammatical skills. Experience in Healthcare and the ability to proof and edit in English and French is an asset. If you are ready to work

Another BH thank you lunch? You betcha

2011-03-11T15:17:00.001-05:00

I know I compliment everyone every chance I get, for the work that you do here at BrandHealth, but there is so much more that we – your managers - and the partners are thankful for that isn’t printed, programmed, proofed or presented. (Ooohhhh, I think I feel a list coming on...) 3 things that BHers do that we are thankful for Thank you for all your sacrifices. Taking personal time away

My personal infographic

2011-03-10T19:52:00.000-05:00

Create your own info graphics http://www.ionz.com.br/index.html They built an info graph that is a simplified map of my personality and represents my relation in the universe of people that have also participated. Answer nine questions and ionz will create your own Personal Infograph, showing how you compare to everyone else who has also answered the questions. You can then personalize your

'Are you happy?' infographic

2011-03-10T19:46:00.000-05:00

Could finding happiness be this easy??? In an infographic it is!

Agency-related infographics

2011-03-10T19:44:00.000-05:00

Some concepts need an infographic to communicate it's point. I found a couple agency-related infographics that may come in very handy with clients :)

Information is beautiful

2011-03-10T19:36:00.000-05:00

Information, especially complex information, can be overwhelming and often not communicated if presented incorrectly. Infographics is the art of taking complex information organizing it and designing it to be understood quickly, clearly and aesthetically. If you don’t know anything about infographics I will introduce you to some great examples I’ve found online. In fact, I’ve

Mmmm... pancakes!

2011-03-08T11:32:00.006-05:00

Whether you observe Lent or not, what better day to whip up a batch of yummy pancakes than, well, Pancake Tuesday? Pancakes make for a great morning. And, it’s a good sign when you don’t blow a fuse! I think BrandHealth should start everyday like this. All you can eat pancakes with your choice of apple compote, fresh fruit, real maple syrup, fake syrup and whip cream. Thank you to Mark for

Baking my way through advertising

2011-03-06T13:36:00.001-05:00

My dreams of opening a bakery/flower shop may have to wait. I don't have any plans to quit my advertising job anytime soon. But, I love to bake. What's a girl to do? Hmmm, perhaps I can bake for the people I work for? Spending my Sunday, well at least an hour, making apple compote for our Pancake Tuesday staff breakfast. I've never made this before. I hope it tastes as good as it looks!! The

A snazzy little package design

2011-03-04T22:30:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I noticed these great little package wrappers that were designed for one of our clients. We don't often get a chance to work on package design at BrandHealth, so it was nice to see this opportunity come across Graeme's desk. It's simplicity, typography and bold use of colour is beautiful. Graeme - I can tell you have an inner package designer dying to get out! Great job and

Augmented reality...okay, this is a little scary, but kinda cool.

2011-02-27T21:17:00.000-05:00

To anyone over 35, anything to do with social media is a little scary. Hey, we grew up in the era of landline telephones (not the mobile ones, kids) and televisions with bunny ears (not these flat screen things that hang on the wall). Remember the days when everyone was a little concerned about using a ‘microwave’ and when you were asked for an address it was for a house

Run Paul Run!

2011-02-27T14:11:00.003-05:00

Everyone at work knows Paul Hickey has been training for his first half marathon run. Well, today is the day! Here's a pic of Paul that Chris forwarded to me. I'm guessing he's probably at the halfway mark? Looking good! He makes it look easy. Almost makes me want to run one too... who am I kiddin? lol... Thought I would post it for those of us who couldn't attend. I'm sure we'll get the full

Graeme's thinking behind the Rink of Ribbons Fundraiser logo

2011-02-26T11:59:00.004-05:00

A few blogs ago Paul wrote about Graeme's amazing Rink of Ribbons graphics and the jersey that his wife Kris won at the event's auction. On Friday, Paul on behalf of Kris, presented Graeme with the winning jersey. This was the second year that the Canadian Cancer Society partnered with the Peterborough Petes for their fundraising efforts. You might remember the very successful 2010 Pink in the

Business Card Design: The art of saying hello

2011-02-21T21:10:00.001-05:00

Traditionally, business cards have been designed by graphic designers or art directors. These days everyone is taking business card design into their own hands. As a result, I’m seeing a real trend towards breaking out of the rectangular 2” x 3.5” business card mold. Designers are pushing the boundaries creating uniquely shaped cards – rounded corners, asymmetrical shapes, square-cut and

Business cards with a vintage twist

2011-02-21T21:04:00.009-05:00

There is something about vintage elements and fonts that attract my eye. As I was searching for business card examples for my other blog http://tiny.cc/18frv I came across these little gems. Vintage themed business cards. They just seem so down to earth and approachable. Maybe it’s the home-made impression that touches me emotionally. I feel like a lot of time and hard work have gone into them

The candy jar

2011-02-14T09:00:00.005-05:00

At work, I have a candy jar sitting on my desk. It started two years ago, when my best friend Christine sent me a care package on Valentine’s Day. It was this candy jar filled with cinnamon hearts. She knew how much I loved cinnamon hearts and every year since I have kept the tradition alive. But, one cannot live on cinnamon hearts alone. Nooo. The jar has seen caramels, lollipops, Big Turks,

Welcome Dolph to the BrandHealth team!

2011-02-13T10:01:00.001-05:00

It is with great pleasure that BrandHealth announces a new team member to our Production department. Starting this week, Dolph Loeb will be our full-time Production Manager working closely with Tracey, and reporting to myself. He comes to us with 20 years of industry and agency experience having worked in various production roles, he brings a wealth of knowledge to our company. His career

We are definitely animal lovers at BrandHealth

2011-02-10T10:25:00.001-05:00

BrandHealth makes donations every year to many worthwhile causes in the community. But in this blog, I want to share with you one particular donation that we’ve made to the Milo Fund. A number of years ago, a special fund was created in the name of Milo, a dog that had been seriously injured and required life-saving surgery. This fund was generated to help homeless animals arriving with

Answer to the river crossing puzzle

2011-02-09T11:37:00.001-05:00

The original question is here... http://brandhealthacd.blogspot.com/2011/02/river-crossing-puzzle.html Randi, just reminded me to post this answer. So here is it... First you take the goat over leaving the wolf and the cabbage behind. You travel back and get the wolf. When you drop the wolf off you take the goat back with you. Drop the goat off and pick up the cabbage and take the cabbage to

Upgrading to the new Pantone Plus system - Yes or no?

2011-02-09T11:01:00.000-05:00

The other day a client sent through an email regarding the new Pantone Plus system that was released May of last year. The timing was perfect as I’m in the midst of upgrading our systems and was looking into it. There hasn’t been much talk and I haven’t been convinced about upgrading. I thought I would post my response to her and I welcome any feedback or information if you

3 things I’ve learned from watching Paul Hickey present

2011-02-08T12:30:00.004-05:00

Paul speaking to his hand drawn presentation at BH Unplugged 2010. Very appropriate and engaging. Paul Hickey is a partner and President of BrandHealth. He has played an important role in establishing a voice for the company through his blogging and presentations. His presentations – whether it’s a staff presentation or client presentation – are particularly impactful and unforgettable. If

What was your favourite?

2011-02-07T10:45:00.003-05:00

Some may know the Super Bowl for the game of football. I know it for being the hottest night for commercials. I'm not going to get into any Super Bowl talk, but here are some numbers around the commercials played last night. Apparently, there were 76 national television ads. Twenty-six of those ads were for cars (19) or car-related products (7) like Cars.com and Carfax, easily outdistancing

A river crossing puzzle

2011-02-06T10:43:00.001-05:00

You return from the market, where you've bought a goat, a cabbage and a wolf. On the way home you must cross a river. Your boat is small and won’t fit more than one of your purchases. You cannot leave the goat alone with the cabbage (because the goat would eat it), nor can you leave the goat alone with the wolf (because the goat would be eaten). How can you get everything to the other side?

Inspirational package design

2011-02-05T17:54:00.003-05:00

I posted a kitschy package design blog. I apologize. I don’t know what I was thinking... To make up for that visual abuse to your aesthetic senses, I have uploaded some package designs that I find inspirational or ‘eye candy’ as Randi would call it. I call them delicious, but wait a minute... I've never seen these products on the shelf, anywhere. I must be shopping at the wrong stores. Enjoy!

Kitschy packaging design... Just for fun

2011-02-04T20:38:00.000-05:00

I don’t know if these products are any good. I haven’t tried them. They are probably as kitschy as these package designs are. They caught my attention because it seems like a lot of effort has been put into them OR clearly, I have a soft spot for fun, kitschy design. And, yes I will buy things for the packaging and not the product. So, when I saw these pampering products that

The Answer to Einstein's riddle

2011-01-31T20:48:00.002-05:00

My writing is so messy. Row titles from top to bottom: colour (of the house), nationality, pets, beverage and smokes. The original question is here... http://brandhealthacd.blogspot.com/2011/01/einsteins-riddle.html To get the answer I created a chart, five across and five down and then started to fill in the boxes. Basically, you had to figure out where everyone else lived and what they

The knead to create

2011-01-30T16:47:00.004-05:00

First on our menu, homemade mini cinnamon buns drizzled with icing In another life, my friend Christine and I would be the owners of a quaint café/bakery/flower shop called Buns & Roses®. I would only make delicate sweet buns and she would sell petite, fragrant bunches of roses tied with a ribbon. This morning I thought I had better practice...

Einstein's Riddle

2011-01-30T09:34:00.001-05:00

Einstein wrote the following riddle. He said that 98% of the world could not solve it. Ummm, I solved it. I think he was trying to psych people out. It's not all that hard if you are logical and are very patient. Give it a try: There are 5 houses in 5 different colors in a row. In each house lives a person with a different nationality. The 5 owners drink a certain type of beverage, smoke a

When Brush Script was considered... Cool?

2011-01-29T18:19:00.010-05:00

How I hate Brush Script. The sight of it makes me cringe! I could never imagine an application to which Brush Script would be acceptable. For the good of mankind, I’ve been known to delete Brush Script from font servers as to maintain the integrity of an agency’s font collection. But, to my amazement today, I came across these vintage hat boxes. In all it’s glory, there it was... Brush Script.

Deanna's favourite font

2011-01-27T21:03:00.001-05:00

"My favourite font would have to be Gill Sans. It's clean and versatile, which makes it an easy go-to font that looks good with just about anything. Another favourite of mine is Century Schoolbook, especially in italic. It's probably the first font I think to use whenever I'm designing anything for myself. There's something so elegant about it, it's hard to resist!" – Deanna

For font dorks... like me.

2011-01-26T23:26:00.000-05:00

I wish I could say that I’ve mastered the art of combining typefaces but... I can’t. I believe combining fonts is an intuitive process which every designer approaches in their own way. My only rule is to keep it simple. I often like to limit my font usage in a piece to two or three at the most. I know! Sometimes impossible when there are soooo many amazing typefaces out there.

My top 3 picks for script fonts

2011-01-25T22:36:00.000-05:00

My top 3 picks for serif fonts

2011-01-25T22:29:00.002-05:00

Brioni | Designer: Nikola Djurek | Get the font: http://www.typotheque.com/fonts/brioni Expo Serif | Designer: Mark Jamra | Get the font: http://www.typeculture.com/foundry/font_collection/font.php?ID=FNT09 Lineare Serif | Designer: Eduardo Tunni | Get the font: http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/tipo/lineare/

My top 3 picks for sans serif fonts

2011-01-25T22:24:00.001-05:00

"Helvetica is like the Beatles"

2011-01-25T22:15:00.000-05:00

"I remember having drunken conversations with my college buddies one night about our favorite fonts basically boring the non-designer girlfriends and boyfriends to death forcing them to find a 9mm with one bullet in the chamber. But us designers got right in the mix of it all and tried to persuade others into what we thought was our favorite fonts. My eastern European friends were all about

A week of typography

2011-01-25T11:19:00.001-05:00

This week of blogging is going to be about Typography. I’ll be honest, if you are a non-designer this won’t mean much to you. If you are a designer and love typography as much as I do... Then, this week will be typornographic. Today I found this fun iPhone app called The Font Game. This game will test your ability to name typefaces. Think you know your Helvetica from your Arial? Then give

Try the Stroop Test: better than coffee to wake the brain

2011-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Stroop Test is a psychological task of your mental vitality and flexibility. Quick! Say aloud as fast as you can what colour you see in every word, NOT the word you read, just the colour. It’s a lot more challenging than it might seem. If you want to time yourself, check out this link. The first test will ask you to read the words. The second test will ask you to say

Chronicles of riding

2011-01-22T19:52:00.008-05:00

January 17, 2009 - My very first lesson on Dallas. It's okay, you can laugh. January 22, 2011 - Two years later, me and Beau. A little over two years ago today, I started horseback riding lessons. I remember it well. It was –20C (today was a balmy -15C). My coach was Stephanie and my horse was Dallas. Some consider him a pony I think because of his height (just over 14 hands). At the time

I love gifts

2011-01-21T17:31:00.002-05:00

Today Spencer came into my office with a beautifully printed black t-shirt from Krista English at Reframe. It was a show of appreciation for all the work we've done for them this year. I was so thrilled, I proudly wore it all afternoon around the office... and received many compliments too! Sadly, Krista informed me that the t-shirts were made for the volunteer committee and filmmakers only and

Best lunch in the world!

2011-01-21T13:19:00.002-05:00

I have a little problem. I like to take pictures of food. So, every once in a while you're gonna see what I'm eating. Today it's a chicken pita wrap with a Greek salad from Favourite Greek on George! Thank you Chris!

The BrandHealth pool table finds a new home

2011-01-21T09:38:00.006-05:00

On behalf of the BrandHealth Management Team, it's my pleasure to announce that our pool table is finding a new home in our community today. As you may or may not be aware, Chris (CFO, partner of BrandHealth) is involved with the Fairhaven Foundation board here in Peterborough. In October 2010, the board was approached by the Fairhaven Residents Committee with a wish list. High on the list

Chris' favourite iPhone app

2011-01-20T17:05:00.005-05:00

"Dragon Dictation Two Thumbs Ups! For iPhone users with big thumbs who haven’t mastered the keypad on their iPhones. Tracy, our Executive Assistant to the President and Val Silva, Cognosit, were quick to point out this ‘handy’ voice recognition app. Makes texting on the go easy....check it out. ITS A FREE APP!" - Chris White, CFO and BrandHealth Partner My two cents...Chris was so pumped

How to make friends and impress Creative Directors

2011-01-20T12:01:00.000-05:00

The job search for creative positions these days is challenging. There are a lot of talented people looking for work and very few jobs. If you do get an interview you will want to make the best impression possible. My sense is - schools are not preparing students enough for the interviewing process. Yes, they guide students with their portfolios but do they teach them how to

Brilliant online portfolio

2011-01-19T14:38:00.002-05:00

Here's a designer every Creative Director wants to hire. This designer/illustrator created a single-page website for his portfolio. It's informative, concise and his work is inspiring. He shows off his unique style, background and personality with ease - showcasing over 30 pieces (6 years of work)... usually I would say that is way too many pieces but it was an absolute joy to view each one.

Wish I had thought of this...

2011-01-19T11:26:00.001-05:00

I ran across this incredible single-page website that made me go 'wow'. It was so inspiring I wish I had thought of it. It has a crazy interactive navigation that is simple, intuitive and addictive. Beautiful balance of information and type treatment. And a clever non-rotating menu solution. His portfolio is great too. Check it out http://www.jlern.com/

How to get an interview

2011-01-18T09:07:00.001-05:00

If you’ve applied for a creative position at BrandHealth and haven’t heard back, please do not take it personally, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t talented or that we don’t respect your skills. It’s probably because your style or skill set might not fit with what we’re looking for at the moment. If you are thinking about applying to BrandHealth please do! We are always on the look out for GOOD

Welcome Mark to the BrandHealth team!

2011-01-17T15:19:00.000-05:00

Mark has been freelancing for us for some time now. But, today I am happy to announce that he is officially a full-time Bher! Mark brings to our team a vast set of skills: photography, web development, flash programming, video and sound. He is most proud of his photography and film making skills... and his two daughters! Mark graduated with Honours from Ryerson Polytechnic

What's your favourite iPhone app?

2011-01-15T21:20:00.007-05:00

That’s the email I sent out to the studio this morning. The response was great. I have a few favourite apps myself and a few apps that I can’t do without. Facebook, of course, so handy to update your status, comment and review the News Feed. Although, the feature to chat with friends is available, I haven’t been successful in doing so. IBooks – the intention was to use it as an eReader but

Ainsy’s favourite iPhone app

2011-01-15T21:17:00.006-05:00

“Lately it's been scrabble. Even kate steals my phone to play it. Hipstamatic is my fab photo app. And facebook is one I check all the time. I was super addicted to Angry Birds a while back ,but I went to some group meetings and I'm not so much anymore.” - Paul, BrandHealth Designer/Illustrator My two cents... I was so addicted to Scrabble on Facebook a couple years ago. (Yes, I was a

Mark’s favourite iPhone app

2011-01-15T21:15:00.004-05:00

“Ok... This weeks faves: PCAM for photography Facebook Stanza for ereading Hipstamatic/ Classic Pan/ Tilt Shift Gen for using built in camera Dropbox Tango for vid chat ThumbJam for playing music” - Mark, BrandHealth Multi-media Production Artist My two cents... I've checked most of these apps Mark. Except for the PCAM app. It looked pretty technical for the professional photographer and at

Spenny’s favourite iPhone app

2011-01-15T21:14:00.004-05:00

“I'm with ainsy on scrabble. We've had a few games going on in the past week while paul has been away and im sure we would both agree it's been a very important factor in his recovery from the big accident. But one app I couldn't live without would be the google app. It has unbelievable voice recognition software that let's you speak exactly what you want to search. Awesome for when you don't

A fishing brain teaser

2011-01-14T21:02:00.000-05:00

Two mothers and two daughters were fishing. They managed to catch one big fish, one small fish, and one fat fish. Since only three fish were caught, how is it possible that they each took home a fish?

New name and logo design for The Trent Community Sport & Recreation Centre

2011-01-11T09:34:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to share with you a recent rebranding initiative from BrandHealth. Those of you living in the Peterborough area may be seeing a teaser campaign - green billboards around town promoting The Trent Community Sport & Recreation Centre. Well, a lot of work and brainstorming went into that and it started off with a renaming exercise and logo design. With the building expansion

10 ways to tell Graeme congratulations

2011-01-10T08:44:00.000-05:00

There are so many different achievements in life that people are proud of. They are proud of their marriage, birth of a child, new home. They are proud of a new job or a promotion - one of the favourite parts of my job is giving out promotions and recently, it was my pleasure to offer a well-deserving promotion to someone on our creative team - Graeme. I know everyone at

The end of another day

2011-01-09T17:42:00.041-05:00

Another Sunday comes to a close. While a lot of people were taking advantage of the beautiful winter conditions today, my husband was inside... getting ready for his first day of school. Yes, at the age of forty-something, my husband has decided to go back to school. Since our move to the Peterborough area in 2008, Jim has had the most difficult time adjusting. One of his major adjustments was

C is for cookie

2011-01-09T14:59:00.000-05:00

I must be feeling better because I baked today. It's the quickest and simplest cookie recipe in the world. Ingredients 3/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup icing sugar 1/2 cup cornstarch 1 cup all-purpose flour Preheat the oven to 300 F. Sift together icing sugar, cornstarch, and flour. With a wooden spoon blend in butter until a smooth dough forms. Drop cookies by spoonfuls

Lake Chemong is officially... frozen!

2011-01-08T20:26:00.002-05:00

Numerous tire tracks across the lake is my first clue that the lake is safe to cross. I don't know how people know when it's safe but I'll still give it a few more weeks before testing it out myself. Today was a beautiful sunny day. The temperature was -6C and the winds mild. In the distance I can see a couple people ice fishing. I say, time to break out the ice skates. Call me crazy but I love

Just a random brain teaser

2011-01-08T20:05:00.000-05:00

If five people can sew five dresses in five days... How many people can sew fifty dresses in fifty days?

3 things I learned about hockey

2011-01-07T13:13:00.005-05:00

I have lived in Canada for thirty-odd years now but I don’t know that much about hockey... Who am I kiddin. I know nothing about hockey. But Wednesday night’s Junior’s Gold Medal game was of particular interest to me because Lisa’s brother was playing on the Canadian team. That’s Lisa in the pic with her husband Dan talking to Chris and Mike (photo taken by Paul Hickey - a different Paul from

This is Paul. This is Paul's cast.

2011-01-07T11:54:00.002-05:00

Paul is our very talented illustrator/designer here at BrandHealth. A couple nights ago at 3 a.m., as I was sending out my 'not-going-to-be-in-the-office-because-I'm-sick' email, I received an email from Paul that he was in the hospital with a hairline fracture to his fibula. Now, the BrandHealth studio is no stranger to designers being injured. There was my head injury from falling off a

Photoshop tennis anyone?

2011-01-06T11:24:00.001-05:00

I'm feeling a little sick today. I think it started after the Team Canada loss last night but then it got progressively worse. So, I'm home, in bed and bored... In between feverish delusions, I thought I would share with you some of the fun studio culture around BrandHealth. One game we like to play is Photoshop tennis. You might know it as Photoshop battle or Photoshop Pong. No? Well... It’s

Look who got their braces off!!

2011-01-05T16:18:00.001-05:00

Fresh out of college. New job. Now what.

2011-01-04T12:24:00.001-05:00

Today I welcomed a new co-op student to our BrandHealth studio. She arrived on time and I gave her a tour around the office to introduce her to everyone. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in her head. So many new people, in a completely new environment, eager to learn, excited and nervous to put her skills to work... It made me think about what I was like at my first design job out

2011 poster design - ReFrame International Film Festival

2011-01-03T10:28:00.000-05:00

BrandHealth started designing posters for the ReFrame Film Festival in 2008. The poster selected this year was created by our talented Spencer. It’s a simple but dramatic layout that will certainly draw attention. I was particularly impressed with his organization of an incredible amount of copy. Great job Spenny! I can appreciate how busy you were with client jobs but you

A winter hack

2011-01-02T23:08:00.000-05:00

Two years ago I did something out of the ordinary. I picked up the phone and signed myself up for horseback riding lessons. I had never been on a horse before but I took this on as a challenge to myself. I think my family and friends thought I was crazy. Six months earlier I had left a great job, family and friends to start a new life at a new job with new people in a new

What do you do for exercise?

2011-01-02T10:50:00.002-05:00

I know this time of year when all the turkey dinners and holiday desserts are sitting on the hips, everyone’s starting to think “gym membership”. But, what I really want to know is – what do you do to exercise your brain? Do you do anything at all? Why do I ask? As a consumer and being in the business of knowing the consumer, I am constantly aware of the massive changes in communications

2010 was a great year

2011-01-01T12:18:00.007-05:00

I’m sad to see it go. Thought I would do a quick pictorial review of 2010 as I say goodbye and welcome 2011. In no particular order, here’s a baker dozen of hilites...

1. Ice fishing

2011-01-01T12:18:00.006-05:00

Okay, let’s start off with ice fishing... In 2010, I came to the conclusion that I’m NOT athletic. I know that might come to a surprise to a lot of you. (You know who you are.) But, what I did realize was that I’m more a curious, outdoorsy person than athletic-type and ice fishing has been one of those little items on my bucket list. When Mike and Mary Ann came to visit last year, we took them

2. BH5

2011-01-01T12:16:00.002-05:00

The BH5 party was a definite hilite! It was a party not to be forgotten. More pics can be seen at http://www.brandhealth.ca/ under our gallery.

3. Fox hunting

2011-01-01T12:15:00.002-05:00

I don’t know much about this sport but I sure would like to learn. I was lucky enough to photograph this hunt in the spring and I hope to possibly ride in one... one day. But, I don’t think it will be this year.

4. The MarketForce reunion

2011-01-01T12:14:00.002-05:00

It’s always great to see old friends and coworkers. We shared stories and laughs. Thank you Sherri for making this happen. I hope everyone stays in touch next year!

5. Another year of successful photoshoots

2011-01-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

At BrandHealth we live for photoshoots. This was a big 4 day shoot last year that resulted in amazing shots. Thank you Mark and Lisa. Hopefully, we will work with you again in 2011. And, thank you to everyone involved with all of our photoshoots this year!

6. New York City with the partners and Christine

2011-01-01T12:11:00.000-05:00

I always look forward to our annual off-site manager’s meeting, where we discuss BrandHealth’s future goals, plans and dreams. Last year we went to New York City. I can’t get enough of this place. I just want to bottle it and bring it back. Some sub-hilites there... Horseback riding in Central Park and meeting the Naked Cowboy. I wonder where we will go this year... Chicago

7. Horseback riding

2011-01-01T12:06:00.000-05:00

I kept up my horseback riding last year and look forward to continuing this year. Psst... I think I’m finally getting the hang of it.

8. My beautiful nieces, Taylor and Kennedy, come for a visit

2011-01-01T12:02:00.000-05:00

It was a week of picnics, canoeing, swimming at the beach, trail rides, go carting and sightseeing. Good times. As another year goes by they won’t want to spend time with Auntie Sacha as much, but I can only hope I will always be their friend... matter how old they are.

9. My friend Christine

2011-01-01T11:57:00.000-05:00

She has been a great friend over the years but my hilite last year was visiting her in Montreal to attend Repercussion’s Theatre-in-the-Park’s performance of Romeo & Juliet. It was magical. Her husband, Paul, was in the play and he was brilliant. I look forward to Macbeth this year and... Our trip to Paris! The count down begins. Cheers!

10. The one that didn't get away

2011-01-01T11:54:00.000-05:00

My nephew Tyler came to visit and caught the biggest big mouth bass I have ever seen! I wonder if anyone will beat his record this year.

11. Employer of the Year

2011-01-01T11:53:00.000-05:00

It was a proud moment to be a part of this amazing team and to win this award. How are we going to beat that?

12. Good people who get it

2011-01-01T11:51:00.000-05:00

I was sad to see good people leave BrandHealth this year. But, a new team is developing. Welcome. What an exciting year we have ahead of us!!

13. One more year with my dad being cancer-free

2011-01-01T11:48:00.000-05:00

The self-portrait challenge

2010-12-31T20:51:00.000-05:00

How did you spend the last day of 2010? In our household we decided to hold a self-portrait challenge. Pick your canvas, your paint, your brushes... And paint! We gave each other 2 hours. Here are the results. Happy New Year!

I think I’m a Bibliophile...

2010-12-30T23:35:00.000-05:00

Before you call 911, a Bibliophile is someone who loves to read, admire and collect books. Yee-ah, not as naughty as it sounds. And, not to be confused with bibliomania which is the obsessive-compulsive disorder involving the excessive accumulation and hoarding of books. I’ve seen that show “Hoarders” and I am NOT a hoarder. In fact, I only have a small collection of books

My Turkey Leftover Experience

2010-12-30T21:16:00.007-05:00

A creative outlet for me is cooking and baking. It’s like a game for me to come up with something creative to do with leftovers. My grandfather who was an amazing chef and baker told me at a very young age that you have to cook by feel. He taught me to use my senses of touch, taste and smell. My mom who is also an incredible cook, taught me to cook by sight. That not only must the food taste

Looking for medical stock images?

2009-10-16T15:44:00.000-04:00

I found these links and thought my blog would be a good place to store them... http://www.sciencepicturecompany.com/ (RF/RM – ill/Anim)Excellent choice of medical RM images and RF animations http://www.medicalrf.com(RF – ill)Excellent choice of medical RF images http://www.3d4medical.com(RM – ill)Excellent choice of 3D medical RF images MedicImage UK(RM – PH/VID)Excellent choice of medical RM

What Motivates you?

2009-10-01T07:21:00.003-04:00

I found this quiz very interesting... Motivation is the force that draws you to move toward something. It can come from a desire or a curiosity within you or can be from an external force urging you on. In either case, you make the decision to seize or to skip a chance to learn. Motivation styles vary for different situations and topics but nonetheless, you draw on them all the time, especially

Identity Inspiration

2009-09-30T20:04:00.008-04:00

Here’s a great site for logo inspiration...http://logopond.com/ You will find over 58,000 logos on this site and they will all inspire you! What makes these logos so fantabulous? Well, if I remember correctly from art school... Basic elements that make a good logo Here are a few elements that can be seen in every great logo: The first on my list and the one I work the most on is... it’s

Your PowerPoint file size has spiraled out of control and you can't figure out why?

2009-09-21T13:59:00.006-04:00

After consulting Steve Rindsberg, Microsoft MVP and co-creator of PPTools, I have learned a few tips and tricks to keep your PPT file sizes manageable. We're quickly going to look at why it happens, how you can fix it, and what you can do to prevent it from happening again. For all the PowerPoint shows that we create most of our file weight is coming from the images that we import and how we

I've got logo design on my mind...

2009-09-17T02:29:00.001-04:00

The world is running rampant with logos. For inspiration I usually hit the web for some visual cues. Today as I was ‘researching’, my mind automatically started to classify the logos I saw into groups or logo types and I thought I would share. Everyone is familiar with your basic wordmark logo. These logos use unique typographical treatments to communicate the brand’s message or positioning.