Here are a couple of print ads created for Vivian’s Muse, a popular boudoir photography studio in Austin. I do a lot of work with Julia; these particular ads were created for Austin Fit Magazine (second ad was part of a holiday campaign).
… and an invite for her first event at her new Rainey Street studio.
I’ve just started writing for the re-vamped Austin.com web site, and I’m jazzed! Check out my inaugural post, out today about tomorrow’s Zilker Park KiteFest. And look for a whole lot more, coming your way soon…
Last year I helped LibreDigital, a leader in the digital reader industry, rework some of their web content to better communicate their message. A few of the pages I wrote are included below (click the pic to enlarge); check out the company’s web site for information about what they do.
I struggle all the time with how much I should share here about my humor blog. It’s potty-mouthed, obnoxious and often very opinionated… not exactly the most professional body of work one can present on what’s essentially a resume site. But at the same time, I’m proud of it. It represents a lot of time and effort spent on my part, and it’s told in a voice I’ve worked hard to cultivate over time.
I go back and forth on it all the time, because not everyone will agree with the opinions I share there or the ways in which I share them. But today? Today I have no hesitation about sharing this post. Because this one is all about the numbers — and numbers are something everyone can agree on.
My Feelings About Election 2012, In Cat Pictures
The day after the Presidential Election was over, I published this post. Within an hour, it had gone viral. The traffic started pouring in from Facebook, and links spread all over Twitter and message boards across the Internet. It’s been tweeted no less than 50 times (including a share from Battlestar Gallactica star Tricia Helfer). I have no idea how many times it’s been shared on Facebook but I can guarantee it’s a lot more than 50.
In 3 1/2 days the post has brought more than 20,000 unique visitors to the site, and it continues to spread. To give you some perspective, the most page views I’d had in one day before this had been about 450, and that was nearly three years ago. In the three days after the Cats in Pictures post went live, I’ve averaged 6,300 page views per day.
Basically, it’s gone gangbusters.
Whether you voted for Obama or Romney, whether you agree with my political opinions or not — you have to admit, the numbers are good. And that’s why I’m okay with sharing it here. So — enjoy!
(Be warned, though — this is pretty much the only “safe for work” post you’ll find on this blog. So if you’re easily offended or faint of heart, you might not want to bother.)
Today you can check out my latest piece for CultureMap, about a roadside attraction called Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo. There were a few edits to my original text, but overall I’m happy with the piece and still super glad to be doing work with CultureMap. It was also featured as the Editor’s Pick!
They used stock photos for the article, but here are a few took on the trip, too. Enjoy!
Sam and Sophia with a zebra
Making friends with piglets
Written June 28, 2012
Howard Jones: A Little Too Moody at the Moody
I’ve always liked Howard Jones. He’s not the love of my life or anything (Simon le Bon’s the lucky recipient of that honor), but songs like “What is Love” and “No One is to Blame” helped provide a lovely backdrop to my 80s-era childhood, and I’ve always thought Jones’ insightful lyrics and catchy synthpop melodies were some of the best to come out of that time. Besides, his youthful look and signature spiky blonde hair made him adorable, and for a starry-eyed tween in the 80s, adorable went a long way.
So when the chance came around to see him live at the Moody Theater for Austin City Limits Live, I jumped at it. Ticket prices were reasonable and the venue’s a perfectly intimate setting, so it seemed like a no-brainer. With a couple of girlfriends in tow I arrived last night, ready to rock.
Well, okay, not so much rock as sway. It IS Howard Jones, after all.
The usual sense of anticipation set over me as the Welsh singer entered accompanied by only two band members – one taking his seat behind an electronic drum set, the other manning a musical control panel. As Jones and his signature hair (now gray but still spiky) took their place behind the center stage synthesizers, I felt a few goosebumps and leaned in a bit.
But, here’s the thing. This wasn’t your typical 80s retro show, where the headliner covers all the major hits with a few duds and (and maybe some covers) sprinkled in, then exits stage. Instead, Jones performed every song – every song – from the two albums that made him a star in the 80s and as it turns out, a large percentage of the audience (myself included) had no memory of most of them. Add to this the fact that both albums (1984’s Human’s Lib and the 1985 follow-up Dream Into Action) were decidedly moody and introspective to begin with, and you’ve got yourself a pretty low energy show overall. There were a few exclamation points when the trio rolled around to crowd-pleasers like “Things Can Only Get Better” and “Like to Get to Know You Well,” but for the most part this was a show of commas and semicolons. Not a lot of oomph.
To be fair, I don’t think the show was really designed for oomph. With minimal equipment on stage, static players and a backdrop display of streaming graphics that I swear were stolen from my 1996 Windows screen saver, this show was never meant to keep people on their feet. Jones’ running commentary between songs was often reflective and sweet, and after a fairly long break between sets, the second half’s more upbeat songs of Human’s Lib did offer a badly needed boost in energy. And with the encore performance of the super catchy “New Song,” it all ended on a definite high note.
Still, I felt a small tinge of sadness as my girlfriends and I left the theater. Jones still sounds just as good as he ever did, and if you listen to his critically acclaimed 2009 album Ordinary Heroes you’ll find that his songwriting skills haven’t suffered over time, either. The decision to play two older albums in entirety, excluding his newer material completely, left me feeling a little lackluster about the experience. It felt a little like a missed opportunity.
But, hey. Last night was a chance to see an 80s icon perform some of his biggest hits, and I’m still super glad I went. I remain a proud Howard Jones fan, and if he comes to town again I’ll gladly give it another go. Besides, as Jones himself would tell you – from here, things can only get better.
I’ve recently joined the ranks of contributors at CultureMap Austin, a daily digital magazine that publishes news, reviews and other content that’s centered around Austin and its surrounding areas.
My first piece was published a few weeks ago… a quick list of old school, kid-friendly Austin fun spots the whole family can enjoy.
Another piece about New Braunfels “staycations” will be published later this week, and several more are on the front burner. So stay tuned!
One of my best friends from high school is now kicking ass and taking names as the front woman of a popular band in town called Guilty Pleasures. It’s a balls-out, all-girl rock band that covers everything from Benatar to the White Stripes, with lots of legs and attitude. (They put on a tremendous live show; don’t pass up ANY chance to see them.)
They recently landed a big gig at the House of Blues in Houston, and needed a poster or two to promote the event. My friend knew I could find my way around Photoshop pretty well, so she asked me to help out. I came up with a bunch of templates, she picked her favorite and we made a few tweaks.
Even though she didn’t use all the drafts I sent her, I still really liked some of them, so I’m sharing them here. I absolutely love doing design work and will soon add this to my menu of services… until then, though — enjoy!
Warhol Lips
Smoky Glam
Rocky Horror
Hendrix
When I’m pressed for time and just can’t get the creative juices flowing, I often depend on my 5-year-old son Sam to write my content for me. He’s brilliant, hilarious and clearly a chip off the old block. Here’s a post we “co-wrote” this weekend for the grand finale of Funny Not Slutty’s 80s Week:
5-Year Olds Just Don’t Get the 80s
I’ve touched on this in other parts of the site, but wanted to offer a direct link to the book my work was featured in late last year. Adoro Publishing’s humor anthology My Funny Valentine: America’s Most Hilarious Writers Take On Love, Romance, Humor and Other Complications was released in December of 2011 and featured a piece I wrote for my column at FunnyNotSlutty.com. The post was titled “5 Things I Will Not Be Doing to Please my Man this Valentine’s Day” and can still be read, with accompanying pictures, on the site.
To buy a copy of the book, visit its page on Amazon.
For a while last year, I played around with the idea of running a local mom-review kind of blog, which I called Kidding Around Austin. I kept up with it for a few months, doing reviews of local spots for family fun, and I really loved it but then freelance work started pouring in and it ended up on the back burner.
I couldn’t bring myself to kill the blog altogether; just really loved doing those little reviews and I always thought maybe I’d give it another go. Now, I think I’m ready.
Before I resurrect it, I wanted to share a few of its past reviews here. Really had fun with this last year, and I’m looking forward to starting it up again!!
(Keep in mind, this is a personal review blog and language will be salty — it’s just how I roll, y’all.)
A couple of months ago I was asked to write a press release announcing Funny Not Slutty’s newly redesigned web site. The site was created by and for women in comedy; I’ve written a semi-regular column for them since 2009. Super proud to be associated with the group, and I was glad to help when they needed a press release to promote the launch of their new look.
Also, here’s a look at past columns I’ve written for the site. This is pure comedy, folks — obnoxious and potty-mouthed, so be warned!
I often do work for an online deals site called Juice in the City. This is a popular Groupon-like site that targets moms in a number of markets across the country, and I’m extremely proud to be associated with them. My work for Juice consists of writing marketing copy for the deals they run; a few examples are included below.
I recently collaborated with my friends at Mosaic Media and the Color Factory on the script for this promotional video/ad for a company that designs industrial automated shelving and other space-saving solutions for offices and warehouses.
