Our First Trip to McDonalds

Today my daughter and I are going to a birthday part at McDonalds. While she's never been there, we did pass one the other day and she commented, "we don't eat there, we go out for Indian". Now that had me laugh for two reasons: We don't go out for Indian very often, and second, because she then followed it with "we eat healthy". Now, she calls the baked chicken she eats "chicken nuggets" which I am sure in infringing on copyright laws, and last week we went to Weiner Circle for cheese fries. So while I'd like to think that we've managed to go this far without it, I am sure today is opening Pandora's box. And once it's open, you can never close it.

Is 40 middle aged or just the beginning?

Lately I seem to know a lot of people in their 40's who seem tired. Not physically tired, but just mentally done. And with the prospect of a couple more decades of work ahead of us (and maybe then some), it seems that people no longer look at their current professions as something they're going to be doing the rest of their lives. Last year my husband went back to school, and went from sales to being a massage therapist. I know art directors who have no desire to return to their job after having kids. The days of the gold watch seem to be over, and as the economy gets worse (did we need the government to tell us we're in a recession?) it seems that more people are not only looking for new ways to earn a living, but looking for ways that are a 180 from what they studied in collage. I know in my own industry, it seems that there's been a shift from understanding design to being able to program. Are we seeing a shift into going from a generation of consumerism to one that is looking for what will keep us happy? Maybe only from the tough times can we really appreciate what we have. Maybe it will no longer be about the car you drive, but about how much time you spend doing something that makes you happy. Because no one ever looked back on their lives and wished they worked more.

In Fine Spirits

My husband and I discovered the best wine bar in the city. In Andersonille there's a place that when we can get a sitter we love to go. It's intimate, but not overly romantic. You can hear lively conversation, and they serve more boutique spirits than you're run of the mill. The bartenders always know their stuff. I went their with some girlfriends for the big 40, and on our way to a party this weekend we stopped in for a cocktail. Cheers to In Fine Spirits.

It only looks expensive

I've received incredible feedback on my business cards. Now, I'm going to share something with you. They cost me $40 to produce. Now, that's just the printing. Since I'm a designer, I don't charge myself for design work. But people are always looking at them, and thinking, they must have cost a lot to produce. But the reality is, I love The Paper Source. They're a constant place for inspiration and new techniques. Now, a few years ago I did our holiday card using wax seals, and while the end result was beautiful, it was a little time consuming and the wax didn't always go the way I wanted. But for my own cards, I found a punch. I printed the cards, leaving space for the mark. Yes, I have to do each one by hand, but for the cost (and the minimal amount of time) I am very happy with them.

More wired than I ever believed I would be

I have a blackberry. I got it for work. Then I made fun of my husband being on Facebook, and sure enough, I'm addicted. I've connected with people from 20 and 30 years ago. I love yelp, because the reviews are better and more real than anything a professional reviewer could tell me. Call me a product of the times, but I have a number of clients who have blogs. So now I have one. Do I have anything interesting to say? You be the judge. I do know that as a person who works for themselves, my day to day contact with the outside world is different than what it used to be. But now I feel like the world is even more connected. I miss going to work and wearing high heels. No one notices your shoes when you work for yourself. Well, actually my four year old does. But as I find that as much of a connection that I have through the internet, nothing replaces the contact you get from real people. Maybe that's why Starbucks is always busy. And maybe that's why I'm returning to sending out real letters. Because as easy as it is to send out an electronic card, nothing is as personal as something you do yourself.

Click here to read Winterizing: our first Newsletter

I just sent out my first newsletter. And as much as I love print, I sent this one out electronically. For two reasons: One it's cost effective. Two: Did I mention it's cost effective? And while I sit in my office designing a hand assembled holiday card, there are some things that just make sense. As it turns out, it was a case of the cobblers kid's having no shoes, or however that goes. I know shoes were involved. While I have time to do this for clients, working on your own marketing is another story. If you want to read it, I posted it on my website at www.winterandconstruction.com

What happened to Lucky Magazine?

I love Lucky. I remember when it first came out. They did something radical. They didn't use famous people on their covers. They showed wearable clothes and boutiques that made me want to go out to shop. The people they dressed had that cool urban feel. Like they didn't spend a ton of time getting ready, yet looked effortless chic. Something I admire the french woman for. But that's for another discussion. Today I just wondered what happened to that magazine. While I still love the features and some of the clothes, it seems like every other top is over $200.00. Don't get me started on the shoes.

Then I thought, well maybe since I'm a mom, I've gotten a little more practical in my shopping habits. But then they came out with a magazine called Cookie, for the Stylish Parent. Hey, that's me! Or I thought so. Turns out, Marc Jacobs has a line for the little one. I can get my four year old a zippered hoodie for $395. And while I would love to dress my daughter in cashmere, as well as myself and my husband, it remind me of this summer when I went to a design conference. No regular name tag badges there. We had to put something that no one knew about us. I put My Name is: Susan, and I'm good at making cheap clothes look expensive. After all, there's nothing wrong with the Gap.

Colors from a child

As a designer I am keenly aware of color. Funny from a person who only used to wear black. But that was my 30's. Now in my 40's I seem to have "lightened up." So I thought it was interesting that my four year old daughter wanted tomato soup, tomatoes, and ketchup for lunch the other day. It seemed rather odd, (and boring) but since she's normally an adventurous eater, save for the hot dog requests we got every other day, I gave in.

Office Space

Recently I had the pleasure of having a home organizer come to my office. It's a very satisfying feeling working with someone who wants you to succeed. After that, it took me about two months to find the perfect furniture, art and accessories to set up my office. Now that it's all here, I love coming to work everyday and having a space that reflects myself personally as well as professionally. After years of working in a variety of environments, from cubes to lofts, I finally found the perfect space. And no-one to complain how warm I like it!