Poptastic

I'm so thankful to live in a city filled with a vibrant culture and arts scene. There really is a widespread appreciation for great art in this city. From architecture, to Andy Warhol, to the giant rubber duck, Pittsburgh has been an epicenter of the arts, especially in recent years. When my friend MZ came to town, I wanted her to have a full-blown Burgh experience so we headed to the Heinz History Center. While there, we were able to see the Poptastic exhibit by Burton Morris. I had seen his art many times before without realizing that he is from the 'Burgh! It was great to see his bold yet whimsical work up close. 

Byham Theater

As an early Christmas gift, GC surprised me with tickets to see A Christmas Carol at the Byham Theater. It was my first trip to the venue and I loved dressing up and venturing downtown to see the show. The theater was a charming blend of old meets new and the performance was equally admirable.

Glitter Grad

I "capped" off my undergraduate career at Virginia Tech this past weekend and donned a glitter-painted cap. It was a hit, and my Instagram was even retweeted by the Virginia Tech Twitter account! It was bold, but I went for it. When in doubt, choose glitter!

 

With the loads of leftover Martha Stewart glitter paint, I decided to paint wooden frames for my sweet friends. I tried to pick patterns and colors to suit the personalities and pulled it off with the help of Frog painting tape. 

Styled Spirit

From the beginning, I realized that I wanted to utilize my love of writing in whatever career path I chose. When I landed in marketing, copywriting became a possible path, and my internship at BD&E really helped me to dive right in. This semester, my marketing communications course, led by VT's resident advertising guru, Donna Wertalik, was tasked with creating an integrated campaign for Belk. I loved having the opportunity to create every step of a campaign and I was even able to put my copywriting skills to work. 

After getting to know the Belk brand by exploring the store and hosting an event, we decided to emphasize collegiate colors to tell a story. With the help of the local Belk store and my generous friends BM, PD and MJ, we had a photo shoot to launch the Styled Spirit campaign. It was a joy to photograph my great friends in Lane Stadium and to see our ideas come to life. Our hard work paid off with a third place finish in the collegiate competition.

We strategically chose maroon and orange merchandise to appeal to Virgnia Tech students. This shot was used as an example of how Belk could showcase merchandise on Pinterest.

Print Campaign:

Under the Green Umbrella

At the beginning of the semester, I made a game time decision to add another marketing elective. I enrolled in Donna Wertalik's Social Media Marketing class on the last possible day to add courses and have been a social media junkie ever since. My world is now filled with brands, social analytics, tastemakers and emerging platforms.

 Part of the course involves teaming up with a local business to execute a social media marketing strategy. My group was paired with Under the Green Umbrella (UTGU) and we got to work bringing the brand to life in the social sphere. Under the mantra "Let the Love Grow," Under the Green Umbrella sells wholesome, natural and unique foods at local area farmer's markets. From cranberry pumpkin muffins, to sweet tart pumpkin apple cider, to poblano pepper pesto, UTGU's  founder, Tracie, is always dreaming up new treats. Aside from her kitchen prowess, her brand is centered around her buy-local lifestyle and her two young boys.

Throughout the project we redesigned her website and crafted content to emphasize her family and lifestyle. I served as the team's resident blogger, writer and twitter-enthusiast, and had a blast working with Tracie and her family.

Here is an except from the blog - see the full post here.

Fall Wedding

GC and I attended the fabulous fall wedding of our good friends J + K. The two Pitt alumni had a gorgeous ceremony in the Phipps Conservatory outdoor garden with a perfect view of the Cathedral of Learning. A festive, pumpkin-filled reception followed shortly afterwards at the Mansion at Maple Heights in Shadyside.

I usually visit Phipps during the holidays, so I was thrilled to learn that guests were able to tour the conservatory before heading to the reception.

K is a talented artist and spent hours crafting the decor for the reception. I applaud her patience and creativity! The chalkboard signs were incredible and I loved the centerpieces.

The duo picked Warm Apple Cider as their signature drink and even had a pumpkin-cake, how fitting! Congrats to J + K !

Welcome to the South

Blacksburg, Virginia may not be the first city that comes to mind when you think of "the south." I certainly didn't realize that I would experience such cultural differences when I decided to attend Virginia Tech University. But since it is my last semester in Blacksburg, I decided to soak up all of the southern charms that this town and my best, most southern, friends have to offer.

Football is the fall semester and tailgating and turkey legs comprise every home game Saturday. I attended the Homecoming game and started jumping to Enter Sandman as my Hokies took the field.



My good friend CB invited us to her house on Smith Mountain Lake for a good ol' southern escape. A High Point, NC native, CB insists she's from the "deep south." During the trip I experienced my first ever low country boil and withstood various jabs about being "a northerner."

Three words: Flatfooting in Floyd. Every Friday night, the Country Store in Floyd, VA opens its doors to locals and tourists alike for an evening of old-fashioned soda, modern-day-priced "penny candy," a blue grass band and flatfooting. An Appalachian take on clogging, Flatfooting is a type of folk dance that originated in the region as early as the the 18th Century. Experts and amateurs alike took to the old wooden floors of the country store to get their flatfoot on. I was even roped into a square dance number. I am definitely not in Pennsylvania anymore.

Fall Digs

For my last semester in Blacksburg, I moved into "The Penthouse," a glorious ranch filled with five girls, a husky named Mako, and a boxer-pittbull named Roxy. Chaos, ensued. But I was able to make my small little sublet space my own, if only for a few months.

I just love eclectic accessories. This tea cup was a gift hand delivered all the way from China, after a friend's recent trip.