Hello, Goodbye and Birthday Wishes

Sweet Tooth Wednesday

July 18th must be a fairly popular birthday date. Both my Kennesaw roommate and co-worker Julie celebrated their birthdays today. There is nothing like cupcakes and cookies to make any day amazing. Happy birthday you two!
--
Half way mark of the week, and plenty of work to go around. Much of today was simply spent on completing the PRSA Phoenix Award submission for Nick. Tomorrow is his last day, so he really needed me to stay on top of all submission pieces. Three bound notebooks, 300 sheets of paper, a cup of coffee, and 2 bathroom breaks later I completed the submission books. All that remains is to add supporting press materials (i.e. press release, infographic, media pitches, etc.) and a summary of the entire PR effort put forth during the campaign. Nick is tying up loose ends at the High, so he may turn the remaining assignments over to me for completion. I wouldn't mind because the busy work makes the day fly by.

While I was working on these submission binders, one of the interns (Shevonne) looked at my desk and made the following comment: "Your desk makes it look like you actually do work." Aw. Well, thanks Shevonne. I am glad that after seven weeks it finally looks like I am doing something productive. Actually it was nice to hear that comment, because my efforts obviously weren't being overlooked.

Even though I am a simple intern, it does not mean I won't be missed. Today during our communication meeting the entire team couldn't believe that mine and Megan’s last week is coming up. We can't get enough of our team, so the two of us are staying on board to help with Culture Shock on Saturday night. One of our co-workers, Ashlee, was very sad to discover she will not be in town on our last day. Sitting in that meeting really made me feel like my time here wasn't a waste nor was I invisible to my co-workers. But don't worry, all the sappiness was soaked up with the cake petites from Highland Bakery for Julie's birthday. Sadness soon turned into gluttony and a hankering sweet tooth.

At the end of every communication meeting, a question is asked for all to answer. This week our newest addition -Kristen the Director of Public Relations- was put in the spotlight to choose a question. What would your answer have been?

If you could have any band/singer (dead or alive) play a private concert in your backyard for you and your friends, who would it be?

Project. Project.

oh, and one more project.

Everything is in full gear, and possibly even overdrive. I was swamped with work all day! The first hour was very chill and relaxing as I looked through magazines for clips. Then I think every one's caffeine intake kicked in. I was busy doing my own personal projects and didn't talk to Megan for much of the day. The two of us have been assigned different projects these past few days. I do miss being around Megan all day, but it's nice to have full ownership of a project.

Julie had me use Adobe Photoshop (my second nature) to create photos with credit lines. Basically, the High has rights to our exhibit's photos. There is a jewelry collection being exhibited later in the year, and we have images for each piece of jewelry. These images can be used for the High's website, for an internal log of exhibit works, and also for journalists or media outlets. With each photo comes an explanation (credit line) of what is being viewed. Unfortunately, the credit lines are not initially attached to the photos. My job was to crop/scale the pictures down to an appropriate size, as well as to add the appropriate credit line to each photo. Although the project took under an hour to complete, it was nice to be back on Photoshop. The Photoshop tools I used for this project I am not too familiar with. I was able to learn a few new tricks in the wonderful world of Adobe. I love little things like that.

Nick is still keeping tabs on me regarding the Talladega Murals hit list for the PRSA award. He is back in the office (for two days until he finishes his time with the High) and met with me to discuss a few things he needed. I have already compiled a list of all the hits and now I have to make copies of all the clips in order to create a submission book. I am actually making three of these books: one for PRSA, one for another competition with IBC, and one for the High itself. With only a few articles left to copy, these books are going to be a great representation of the media this exhibition received within the past year!

Ellie gave me a new project concerning the Summer Single Mingle (Aug. 23). This event includes one drink, admission to the galleries, and an icebreaker game. Ellie recruited me to help design the icebreaker game for all (supposedly) 500 singles to participate in. We already have a concept, but Ellie has asked me to expand the idea, as well as to create challenges, icebreaker questions, and the rules for the 'winners circle' -that's right, High Museum swag.

I took a break and toured the exhibits looking for inspiration for the game. I enjoyed my solitary time in the exhibit. For such a gloomy day, the High was packed with patrons. There were people down every hallway. With all the visitors I was given a chance to see how patrons interact with the works, paintings, sculptures, etc. Some came in groups, others with their families, and some in solitude like me. It's interesting how museums promote solitude and silence, while embracing the discussion of art <--something to think about.

Hours flew by today. Maybe that is something the Museum does to its visitors. After three hours you don't realize that you have been wandering in an alternate world, yet sure enough you have just seen 12,000 works of art (and that doesn't include the special exhibitions). Just another reason why I will miss this internship. Eight more days....and counting.

A cup of tea....

 and a spoonful of modernism

As Mondays are a slow day in the real world, some things simply aren't better in the intern world either. Today drug on all day. It's not that it was a boring day, but it sure wasn't jam packed with anything special. However, one exciting thing about today was the High welcomed their newest member, Kristen, as the Director of Public Relations. Kristen will essentially be my boss for the next two weeks, and I am happy to have her as a pr professional guide. Even if I can only bother her for 10 work days, that's more than I have been able to all summer. Wednesday is our communication meeting and I will have more time with Kristen, but until then I will simply wander to her cubicle as the hours pass.

As Kristen is getting settled into her new position, I have been continuing to finish the media clips. We had logged all the clips --so we thought. As Kristen's new desk was being cleared off from the previous employee, additional clips wound up on my desk. I am not saying that some people are hoarders, but there were two magazines in the pile that dated back to 1983 and 1987! I'm sorry, what?! I was totally blown away with the fact that these magazines were still hanging around. What troopers. The articles were based on the architecture of the High Museum. I read through blurps of the articles and its funny how some things never change: modernism. Even though we are in the new millennium, the High is still recognized by its unique and modern architecture. Back in 1983, guess what is was being recognized for. Yup, its modern architecture and style. As was said in a previous communication meeting: not only does the High Museum display art, the building is art in and of itself.

As a break from media clips, Megan and I were sent out to distribute fliers for an upcoming event on community boards around the area. The fliers are to promote the High's Summer Single Mingle on August 23. We wandered to Starbucks and a few other business parks to drop off fliers and spread the word. Directly after running this errand I had a networking meeting with Kris, the vice-president of an event planning company. This chit chat over tea was nothing more than a chance for me to have more insight about the communication field. And let me tell you that Kris was definitely insightful. We talked about opportunities and different industries that teach valuable work lessons, ways of approaching employers, and she even shed some positive light on different companies I am looking into. After talking with Kris I was motivated more than ever to continue job searching. Now that I have an entire list of different industries to research, I can't wait to see what possibilities are available.

Sometimes it takes nothing more than a cup of Vespucci's sweat tea and a new friend to help shine light on what your future can hold. A friendly smile and sincere interest can cause people to open up and share their ideas and thoughts. Everyone should give that a try once and a while -you never know how it will motivate you.

Free Friday

Christmas in July

What an amazing Friday and weekend I had. Work on Friday was equivalent to an intern-Christmas. I was able to sleep in a bit and met all the interns at the Conservation Lab outside of Doraville, GA. The Conservation Lab caters to the High, as well as private vendors and owners. The High has been a happy client on the Lab for quite some time now, and it's no wonder! During the tour I was able to see works of art in all processes of conservation. They primarily work on paintings and objects, and have interesting stories for each work of art. Some pieces of work are from Hayhouse in Macon, the High, Brenau University, and private owners. Conservation is an interesting career path that begins with an undergrad in art history or chemistry, and ends with many years of apprenticeship. With such a unique purpose, the Conservation Lab was a great tour to view. Upon leaving the lab, we picked up Art Conservator magazines -one which highlights the lab's conservation work on the High's current Rising Up: Hale Woodruff's Murals from Talladega College exhibit.

                                            

After leaving the Conservation Lab, we all headed back to the High for our Lunch & Learn with the Group Sales division. This team's cubicles are right by mine, and they are entertaining to listen to everyday. They constantly have something to say, and they say it just loud enough for me to hear and enjoy at all times. Their presentation was great and we all walked away with some swag. After lunch, Megan and I finally arrived at our desks (at 1:30 p.m.) to start work, and we found little Mexican trinkets from our Director of Marketing, Jen. Jen left for New Mexico for a business trip and brought everyone back a Mexican chocolate bar and a Muñequita Quitapensa (translates to Worry Doll). A letter inside explained her purpose: "Tell her you sorrow, put her under your pillow, sleep peacefully, on the day, your sorrow would have gone away." It was so sweet of Jen to remember me and Megan, and the trinkets were very much appreciated! By the end of my short work day, I had my hands full of presents and goodies to take home. What a great way to end the work week.

  

  

My Friday ended with a dinner with a lucky guy, Paul. He took me to Trackside Grill in downtown Kennesaw. The food was amazing and the company was even better -train and all. Come to find out the restaurant isn't called Trackside Grill for nothing. It seemed as though time was told by the passing of trains right outside the window. If you are into southern American cuisine -and trains- keep Trackside Grill in mind. After dinner we hung out and enjoyed the rest of the rainy night. Eight hours later, I let the poor guy head home after hours of my boring chit chat. What a champ he was for sticking with me all night.

After a great Friday, I was left with a weekend full of music and more gifts. A family friend was starring as Annie in the Johns Creek Players production of the ever-loved musical Annie. McKenna did an amazing job as Annie, and has a voice to die for. For being fairly new to the theatre scene, McKenna has a bright future ahead of her. For loving musicals so much, it has been roughly a year since seeing a Broadway show and I was starting to have withdrawals. This play came at a perfect time and I was able to get my musical fix.

                                                  

To finish off my weekend, I received a belated (but awesome) graduation present: a Keurig coffee maker. Thanks to the Eurek family, I will now be able to enjoy a nice individual-sized coffee cup every morning to start me on the right foot. Thanks for my present!!

.

Print Making & African Art

On Wednesdays we craft.

I love arts and crafts. Ask my mom and dad and they will tell you that I could spend countless hours in Michael's, AC&Moore, Hobby Lobby, and anywhere the like. I especially like big projects. If it involves paint, fabrics, a staple gun, and furniture....hit me up. Nothing stops me from crafting. Once I began an upholstery project the day  I had my wisdom teeth removed. Did I regret it? Yes, the next day my mouth was in pain from the jolting of the staple gun. Did I love the finish project? Heck yes I did. My old Loose Lucy tapestry looked amazing as wall decoration in my apartment! All of this being said, I couldn't believe it when our intern Lunch and Learn turned into a crafting session. Our Lunch and Learn was with the Education department and they had us experience the world of prints. Beside the fact the Education Department is made up of an amazing group of ladies, they won me over with crafts. Using a linoleum-ish material, some doo-dads, and some black paint goop we were all able to create our own works of art!

After sketching your pattern, you carve it out with the doo-dad.

After the carving, you cover the pattern with paint goop and press onto a canvas.

I enjoyed this project and some of the girls were mentioning how you could easily use different colored paint goop to create original curtains, pillows and fabric. What a great idea to bring a little bit of your creativity into your living space. Thanks for the keepsake, Education Department.

This project was a great preset to our tour of the African Art exhibit with the original African Art curator at the High. Although her thoughts were running rampant, you could easily recognize her passion for her job. She became the first African Art curator at the High back in 2001. She knows all the pieces like the back of her hand, and was given the opportunity to design every aspect of the exhibit --which she takes great pride in. The African Art exhibit space is very small in comparison to the High's total square footage. Another down side about this exhibit is its location within the Museum. It is on the bottom floor and usually overlooked by Museum-goers. Whenever I visited the Museum back in May I never even knew the lower exhibit space existed. Fortunately, I was able to attend this private curatorial tour and learned some fascinating facts about African culture and their arts.

The African Art curatorial tour and Lunch and Learn were a random, yet pleasant, surprise in my schedule this week. As these events typically occur on Fridays, my sense of time was slightly thrown off. Not only did today feel like a Friday, due to our intern shenanigans, but my whole department was out of the office. Two members are on vacation, one is currently working remotely, one is in New Mexico on a business trip with the Senior Director of Marketing, and another left early for a doctor's appointment. That simply left me, Megan and Ellie to cover for the Marketing Department. Everything was extremely quiet and laid-back. I don't know what we're going to do next week when everybody is back in the swing of things. It'll definitely be a wake up call.

Although many were out of the office, it actually left Megan and me with more projects to cover. Even though our team steps out of the office does not mean the world of marketing goes on vacation as well. Today we finished logging 95% of all media clips for the High and are currently waiting on Office Max to hook us up with our order request. We also had a chance to hand deliver the remaining promotional coupons to South City Kitchen and Empire State South (and mail the other restaurants). That project has officially been marked off the list! Now we are on to the next mailing project -which we saw sitting neatly on our desks when we checked out for the day. Although it stinks to have our whole department MIA this week, it has given Megan and me a chance to take on higher responsibilities. Higher-priority projects are being handed over and we take them with eager hands!
--
Today surprised me. A good surprise, that is. I realized that partaking in an internship program is the best opportunity I could have been given. I was never against the idea, but I also never thought it was anything spectacular. Well, today I changed my mind 100%. During the Lunch and Learn, our intern leader Oshun sat at my table and talked to us about life, jobs, education, and the awful Southern heat! Oshun has been awesome since day one of interning, but today she really shined in my eyes. She served as an individual worthy of being a role model. Funny thing is, she works with many senior citizens with the docent program at the High. I know for a fact that every one of those docents, even 40 years her senior, look up to Oshun. Her friendliness, knowledge, life style, and understanding personality make her an amazing addition to the Education Department at the High. They made the best decision when asking her on board.

If you think I am the only one who loves being involved in an internship program, think again. Just read what my best friend Megan said about her internship at the advertising agency 22 Squared. It isn't always about the perks, the money or the benefits. Sometimes it is about the camaraderie and what you make of it.

*Read Megan's 22 Squared blog entry on the company's website.

Alarms are overrated

... and so is traffic

Facebook. This lovely site caught my attention for a bit today at work. Sadly, I do not know what I was looking at, because for three solid minutes I was staring blankly at the computer screen - 100% zoned out. It wasn't until I was tapped on the shoulder that I was brought back to reality and realized that my mind had taken a mid-day nap. I have no clue why my mind was tired. It's not like I slept in until 8:17 a.m. I mean, who needs to actually leave for work on time and get there when expected? Why not throw in some inconsistency?

Today was one of those days. It was one of those days where nothing could catch me off guard. For someone who needs to leave their apartment at 8 a.m. to be at work on time, why not throw a monkey wrench in the situation and not wake up until 8:17 a.m. NBD. Let's just say that my first few words did not go to the tune of a CMT Top Country Countdown music video. Ten minutes later I was dressed, coffee in hand and headed out the door. I thought: maybe everyone left early for work today and it'll be a breeze to Midtown. Yea --no. Traffic was as horrible as always, but something was off. After 30 minutes I thought I had driven at least 10 miles. One exit later, I realized I was mistaken and had in fact driven five measly miles in 30 minutes. I didn't understand the unusual hold-up until I got to the Marietta exit: car wreck. The car wreck resulted in two fire trucks, a tow truck, an abandoned tire, two totaled vehicles and an intense traffic merge. The far two left lanes had been affected by the wreck and everyone had to merge into the remaining three lanes of I-75 S to avoid the ordeal. After I passed the wreck, it was smooth sailing all the way to the Museum.

So first, the morning accident. Then, as a bookend to my day, the entire HMA staff received an email stating the Atlanta City Police Department had suggested a lock down in our area due to a suspicious package found around 15th and

16th street

on Peachtree. For those who might not know, those roads surround the High. I remained at work until it was 'decent' to leave the premises and headed home with everyone else who had been held up. Having these two events happen in one day would have allowed another ludicrous event to happen and leave me to not even bat an eyelash.

 Apart from all these exciting events, my work day was nothing out of the ordinary. Thank goodness, I mean, a girl can only handle so much craziness in one day. Megan and I are coming to the end of a few assignments. We had been searching for Atlanta community e-calendars to post different High events throughout the year: Summer Single Mingle, Jazz Nights, Celebrate the South with a Summer Wine Tasting.

Now that we have a decent list of e-calendars, Megan and I went ahead and posted each of the events on to relevant sites --which is more time consuming than it sounds. In addition to the e-calendars, we put a nice dent in the on-going media clip project. We put such a large dent that we quickly ran out of the pre-ordered 400 protective sheets, and we went ahead and placed an order for 600 more. Call us crazy...

Even though I am constantly on Microsoft Excel and researching websites on line for different reasons, that doesn't mean I completely tune out the cubicle chatter around me. Here is a list of things I overhear:

·         Magic Mike is ...wow. They should just keep dancing and not try to introduce a story line.

·         Channing Tatum is a hottie, but Ryan Gosling still remains the #1 man of a fellow co-worker.

·         TTFN = ta ta for now. (I knew this, but our Assistant Marketing Manager did not. Learn new things everyday).

·         Last week, back in 1946, the bikini was introduced. Men, you're welcome.

·         True Bloods is the tv series half my department watches with Netflix.

·         Ringo performed in Atlanta this past weekend.

·         Justin Bieber has some solid tracks on his new album. (questionable)

·         The High should get a slip 'n slide.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring. By the look of things it's going to be a good one.

Free Friday

Summer School

 Instead of a normal blog entry, I decided to share one of my assignments for my internship course. We have a total of three assignments throughout the summer and this particular one concentrates on what I have experienced, the pros and cons, and any helpful tips to those searching for internships next year.

Basically, this is my view on my internship at the High. Enjoy!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

I am halfway through my internship at the High Museum of Art, but I feel as though I have already grasped all the skills and traits my internship has in store for me.

What I experienced:

-I know that the projects I am assigned are appreciated; however, there is no instant gratification because everything is planned for 2013. It gets a little frustrating to have minimal authority and to simply perform basic intern assignments.

-I have also experienced that working in a cubicle setting there is a chance to meet those around you, but more of an opportunity to hide from chatter and to get actual work done.

What I liked and disliked:

-I like working in Midtown Atlanta and being around mini cultural hubs.

-Because the High utilizes an official intern program, there are 18 other interns running around the office. The benefit of so many interns is that my department has two interns assigned to them. The two of us are able to collaborate on assignments, and it’s just nice to have someone experiencing the same thing to be one cubicle over. Along with having another intern to experience things with, I have enjoyed spending time with all the interns as we have weekly curatorial tours and Lunch and Learns through the internship program. The program is very well organized and beneficial. Fridays are always a highlight of the week, apart from the obvious.

-Most of all, I enjoy working in the world of art! I have grown a high fascination for art as a whole.

-There are some things I have not thoroughly enjoyed with interning at the High. Of course, these flaws are out of the High’s hands, but I have to pay a daily fee in the parking garage. As a matter of fact, the price just recently increased from $3 a day to $5 a day. It’s not a terribly high increase, but when working for a total of two months you really begin to remember you’re working an unpaid internship.

-The other unfortunate thing is I have not been able to display all my skills throughout the internship. I do not have the chance to try design or event organization, so I am afraid my super advisors haven’t seen my full potential.

-As the PR intern I was excited to work under the Director of Public Relations; however, the communication department is currently lacking this position. Because of this I feel as though I may be missing out on projects and learning skills because I do not have a specific supervisor in my field. (Don’t get my wrong, my current advisor is great. I just wish it was more PR-related than marketing-related).

Pros/Cons:

Pros –there are other interns to relate with, working in Midtown Atlanta, interning for a reputable and well-known institution.

Cons­ –cubicle life is hard to get familiar with, pay to park, not many creative hands-on projects, typically not a “hire after” opportunity.

Skills needed:

You will need to be somewhat familiar with Microsoft Excel –I have literally used it since day one. Also, you need to have time management skills. You may be assigned 4 projects within a week, all with different priority settings. Be sure you can manage your time and a lot an acceptable amount of time to general projects, while keeping a close eye on high priority projects.

What should you do to acquire a good internship:

Don’t be afraid to apply to an opportunity. You may hear that everybody is applying, or that it is a very competitive internship with a hefty application process. You may even have family, friends or faculty suggest looking for another option. Apply anyways. I went up against 140 other applicants. Sure I was nervous, but I was selected, and that helped instill faith in myself and my work.

Wake Up Call...

...It's work at the door.

Heading to another work day was no fun, especially when the 4th was relaxing and a great time with friends. Hilary and I drove around Atlanta looking at potential apartments for August. We wandered around Midtown, Piedmont, and Virginia Highlands. We were awed by the adorable houses all around us. Granted, two college grads can't afford the houses we saw, but we could always make believe, right? While in Virginia Highlands we had some time to spare before the Braves game so we walked through some little shops around town. Afterward we headed to Mary Mac's Tearoom in Midtown to grab a Southern dinner (what's more American than that?). Mary Mac's was delicious and my kind of food: sweet tea, pot likker, macaroni, mashed potatoes, salad, dumplin's, green beans, you name it they had it!

To end the night we headed to Turner field to watch the all-American sport. Although the Braves lost the series to the Chicago Cubs, we still enjoyed our time. We ran into some sorority sisters, along with other friends from school and we all loved on our great country together. We even got to see amazing fireworks after the baseball game.

The 4th of July: Baseball, beer, American flag shirt, fireworks, delicious food = perfection. GO USA.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Being back at work began with a rough start. I finally woke up at 7:50 a.m., which came way too soon (or way too late since I leave at 8 a.m.). After throwing on a dress and grabbing my lunch I headed out the door and managed to make it to work in no time. I even got the last spot on the top floor. The one pro about my morning? At least I knew I wouldn't misplace my car again.

Although today was the day back after the 4th I was excited to be in Midtown. One of my best friends from high school (who then went to GC with me) was in the area and wanted to meet for lunch. Keri and I met at TAP Gastro Pub and we were able to catch up on everything from weddings to babies, from high school friends to college to careers. Getting to have a little taste of home was a nice surprise for me. We are hoping to meet again next week for lunch, and for that I can only hope.

After lunch the day flew by until about 3 p.m. Every time I looked at the clock it always said 3 p.m. Five minutes later, I swear it still read 3 p.m. Time was crawling by and I had nothing to keep me going/awake. I told Megan that I was contemplating taking a cat nap under my cubicle. Had I had a blanket and pillow I don't think I could've been stopped. I finally gave in and visited our vending machine for a little pick-me-up. Once I had some sugar to assist with the remaining two hours, the work day finally finished and I headed home for some relaxation. Well, I actually ended up having dinner at my friend Morgan's place. It was nice to have a little chef treat me to a meal! Yay for a delicious steak dinner mixed with a How I Met Your Mother marathon.

I am finally back home and getting some much needed sleep in a short bit. I have been looking forward to tonight to watch USA's Suits tv series before heading to bed. There is nothing better then getting situated and all psyched for a show...unless it does not air. I assume the 4th caused a halt to the new tv listings, but I was not a happy camper. The same thing happened on Monday with ABC Family's Bunheads. This girl can't catch a break. Thankfully next week will be back to normal, and I can't wait to indulge in some tv shows.

Tuesday: the New Friday

A short week split in half

Having a holiday in the middle of the work week really throws off one's schedule. At 5 p.m. this afternoon I was all packed up and ready to enjoy a weekend of relaxing by the pool and sleeping. Then it hit me -it's only Tuesday and this holiday is nothing more than a tease. Yes, I do have a day off work, but it's not the weekend. Sure enough, after enjoying my one day off I shall return back to work for two additional days. Not only is the holiday a tease this week, but especially next week when I have work for five consecutive days. It's going to be a rough one.

With the fact of this week being shortened, thanks to the 4th of July, it by no means meant my work load was shortened. If anything it was hyped up and ready to roll. After having a seemingly unproductive Monday it was time to kick it into high gear. I arrived at work at 8:30 a.m. and began to send personal emails to help start my morning on a productive track. Three emails and one facebook-twitter-and-pinterest log in later I was ready to start work right at 9 a.m.

My first and main project for the day (as well as Thursday's) is to compile all the hits for Talladega. The High uses programs whose purpose is to filter out client mentions and articles; however, all things convenient surely have their downfalls. It is my turn to act as the filter and try my hands at being a search engine. I spent a better part of the day researching articles and I have made a decent dent in the project. I am hoping that as the week continues I will quickly find the remaining articles and hopefully reach the 100 mark.

On top of logging Talladega Murals' hits I have also been completing the High's promotion with metro-Atlanta restaurants of southern cuisine. Megan and I were able to visit the Design department and get a sneak peak into the world of Macs, Photoshop, and Indesign (a world that I am infatuated with). We picked up the coupons and made two trips to nearby participating restaurants: Empire State South and South City Kitchen. Both of these restaurants were beautiful and had the aroma of amazing southern food with a surrounding upscale air. I hope to visit these restaurants, along with the others. As southern food being a guilty pleasure of mine I am sure to be pleasantly satisfied.

It was nice for me and Megan to get out of the office and run the coupons to Empire State South and South City Kitchen, but there was one thing I would have changed: mother nature. Lordy, it was so hot outside. Not that I need to remind anyone that it's hot (photos of dashboards on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest remind us enough). However, walking a mile, dressed in business clothes, at 3 p.m. in the dead heat of 100 degrees is not ideal -ever! On top of that my lovely Nine West flats were not cooperating and made the mile even longer and less bearable. Any-who, we made it to the restaurants and back in one piece -I am sure the pit stop at the Clothing Warehouse didn't hurt either. What can we say, but that girls love clothes (and these two girls love vintage clothes).

After our one and a half hour trip around midtown to search for restaurants, in the heat (may I remind you one last time), we only had 30 minutes left to our day. We made mailing labels for the remaining restaurants and finished up last minute details with on-going projects. One more time I would like to explain my frustration with printing labels. Something that seems easy and quickly overlooked, mailing labels are a pain to create. We spent a better part of an hour today working on the labels, and in the end we wrote them long hand. Sometimes a computer and printer just can't beat a hand and the mightier pen.

It is now Tuesday night and only hours from my fun celebration plans! I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Fourth of July. Enjoy time with family, friends and loved ones, but more importantly do not forget why we celebrate.

Sometimes isn't what we received, but rather what we gave.

Monday Schmonday

Busy bee with no honey

That statement is incorrect and seems impossible; yet, it surely applied to my Monday.

For being the first work day of the week, Mondays have been treating me so well. Today's eight hours flew by and left me wondering where time had gone. Before I knew it Megan was grabbing me for lunch, and we were already half way done with our work day. Time was of the essence, and mine was short-spoken. I believe the day passed quickly because I was kept busy with projects left and right. That being said, today's brevity continues to baffle me. Although I was busy with projects and assignments, my day resulted in zero productivity. I did not complete a project, and at that rate, I barely started my new projects. I think I pysically lost time, and those lost hours will haunt me on Friday when I am ready to head home.

I mentioned I was handed new projects, so I will explain them a bit. I am very excited about each of these assignments, which makes no sense as to why I barely put a dent in their productivity. Anyways, one of the projects is to continue working with Pinterest and to develop a report on the statistics and analytics. The tricky thing about this report is that Pinterest, given its newness, does not have a solid dashboard for this type of research. There are many beta softwares out, along with starting-up dashboards (Pinerly, Pinreach, PinPuff, Pintics and others). The High currently uses Pinreach.com, but with so many potential analytic tools, who knows which the best platform to use is. Once I decide on the best program to utilize, I will compare the High's analytics with those of other top U.S. museums -Getty, the Met, MoMA, Art Institute of Chicago, etc. This project will be helpful in giving me a fuller knowledge of Pinterest as an up-coming social media platform. Many sites and reviews claim it to be beyond its years when compared to Facebook and Twitter's timeline, but only time (and Pinterest reports) will tell.

Apart from the Pinterest report, I am also helping Nick, our public relations specialist, on entering the High into a PRSA competition. We will be entering the Talladega College Hale Woodruff murals into the competition under a few entries and have our fingers crossed for the best results. I will be contributing mostly by perfecting the exhibit's media clips (which I can now do with my eyes closed). Entering the High into the PRSA competition is an act that is tedious, but produces a fruitful ending.

Because my day was filled with many positives, I have no clue as to why my productivity level was low. Perhaps it was because I was shocked over my commute this morning: 30 minutes flat. For a trip that typically takes 45-50 morning minutes (and an hour of evening minutes), I was floored to make it in 30 minutes --including my trip home. Some claim it’s because 4th of July traffic is traveling out of Atlanta. I say it is because I made a wish at 11:11 p.m. last night and it came true. Don't rain on my parade, people! Whether you believe in my wishing-on-time superstition or the 4th of July fact (myth*), I was happy to save time and gas on my commute to work this morning.

May the week’s traffic be light...and ever in your favor.

Free Friday

Atlanta and Athens for the Win

Friday involved a private tour of the Decorative Arts & Design exhibit at the museum. All interns were led by one of the lead curators throughout the entire High campus. The Deco & Design works are sprawled out and dabble into other collections: folk art, African art, modern/contemporary, and American art. I learned the Deco & Design exhibit is one of the most expansive collections at the museum, as it stretches from dates1640 to the millennium. It's definitely an exhibit that will capture centuries-worth of your attention.

After the tour we all headed to our Lunch and Learn with the Exhibition department. This department does not have an assigned intern; yet, after learning about their duties and roles, many of the interns agreed that we would have loved the opportunity to work with this particular department. Before our lunch we went on a "behind the scenes" tour of the museum. We rode the freight elevator down to the basement and saw where they made custom-built packaging cases, an exhibition design room, along with the backs of galleries, where we learned how the floor plan can mold to each specific exhibit. I enjoyed the design room most. Michael Shapiro, the High's director, prefers to see physical models of the future exhibits. Therefore, I was able to see the potential space for the 2013 Frida & Diego exhibition (the exhibit I have been researching all summer). It was fascinating to see the art works I have been studying hanging up on the musuem's figurative walls, knowing that in six months they will soon be available for all to enjoy.

As all fun and game ended and I headed back to my cubicle for a few more hours. I was able to create another Pinterest board, Paws and Parr's Photo Contest. Martin Parr is a commissioned contemporary photographer in, the current MoMA exhibition, Picturing the South. One of his pictures involves Doguroo – a full-service dog care facility on Northside Drive in Atlanta. To engage with the High's followers on social media, there was a doggie photo contest open to the public. Check out all the cute pooches, including the winner Scout!

After work I headed to the Braves game for fun with friends and the soon-to-be brothers of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Georgia College. To get to Turner Field (and avoid the $20 parking fee of my last trip) I took MARTA for the first time -alone. Having a MARTA station directly across from the High is convenient and saved me time and money. I made it to the field in one piece and met my Little (Hayley), my Great Gran Little (Niki), and another sister Jhadelys, along with 60 other friends from school. Although the Braves didn't pull out a W on Friday against the Washington Nationals, it was nice to be out and socialize with friends.

This past week was extremely busy and I was exhausted after Monday, but had to stick it out until I could sleep in this weekend. After a lazy Saturday afternoon I headed to Athens for some much needed time with my cousin Natasha. Our big plans of hitting the town turned into Margaritas at Fuzzy's and a Kevin Hart stand-up comedy DVD. It was the best decision to stay in. So many laughs and good times could not have been beat by anything downtown could offer.

I am still relaxing and recuperating from my busy week, but I am ready to start back up tomorrow at the High. It has officially been a month since I have been interning, and I have come away with many memories and some new skills and lessons learned.

Hope all had a great weekend!

Two Birds

One itty-bitty stone

After missing another day of blogging I have some catching up to do. So two birds (days) and only one stone (entry).

Both Wednesday and today were days of non-stop projects. Many of our recent projects are time commitments and high priority.  Megan and I have been pushing the pedal to the metal, in hopes of completing the assignments with fliying colors, and within the given time frame.

Ellie, HMA's Marketing Specialist, handed us a new project concerning a promotional idea that will tie in local southern restaurants and the High's current "Picturing the South" exhibit. As the intern, my job was to contact each of the listed restaurants and talk to the manager. I essentially had to sell them the idea of partnering with the High for the up-coming promotional campaign. This project has been drawn out over the past two days and will surely continue on to Friday, if not the beginning of next week. I never realized how many up-scale Southern restaurants are located in Atlanta. One thing I did realize was how amazing their food looked. Southern food, being my all time comfort food, was not what my eyes nor stomache wanted to see before my PB&J lunch. Torture.

I also have been busy with updating the clip books, but more importantly assembling the top clips for our clients. For example, a top priority client at the moment is Talladega College's Hale Woodruff Murals (Rising Up). We are currently the first museum on the  murals travel, and the college would appreciate a PDF of all the top hits their murals have received while being displayed at the High. Something that sounds as easy as "1,2,3, scan" can never go as planned. Finally, Megan and I were able to complete the Talladega presentation, as well as a presentation for the exhibit Modern by Design.

As interns we have been fairly busy and on our toes this week with incoming projects. If we are busy, surely our full-time team is constantly researching, developing and executing projects, as well. To help ease tension and stress during communication meetings, our team ends the discussion by asking a simple question that everyone must answer. The question this week was:

What is your favorite game show?

There were answers such as Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, The Dating Game, Family Fued, Supermarket Sweep, and Wipeout. My personal answers were flops, because the two shows I mentioned were greeted with puzzling eyes! My first answer was Lingo, a word based game similar to the dice game Boggle. By the way, my cousin Maria and I would kick anyone's butt at Lingo. We should have been on that show! I thought it was a fairly well-known show on GSN, but apparently I was mistaken. Then to make up for that fail of an answer I decided on picking a 70's game show. I assumed that my older teammates would recall this show, because anytime I mention it around my own friends they look at me like I am crazy. Turns out, that the "you're crazy" reaction is not strictly a Millenium resonse. It is also a Gen X response, as well. My second answer was Card Sharks. Come on! How has no one heard of this game. People obviously hadn't because I still received baffled looks However, it was nice to have off-the-record conversation with my team. It lets everyone relax and get to know each other a little better.

This week has been interesting. The days have passed quickly, but the week itself is strolling on. I am incredibly ready for the weekend in order to catch up on some rest, family time, and good memories in Athens. But until then I have to make it through tomorrow (and a Braves game). Go Bravos!

Avril Lavigne Kind of Day

SK8ER GIRL

There is nothing quite like a work day where very little desk work takes place. Today was surely one of those days. From field trips, lunches out, and a scavenger hunt in the museum who says work can't be fun?

The beginning of the day was like all the rest -research. Once 11:30 rolled around it was goodbye Frida & Diego and hello skateboards. Wait, what? Yup. Megan and I joined two other team members for a little field trip across Peachtree Street to MODA (Museum of Design Atlanta) to view their Hang It or Skate It  skateboard exhibit. Despite growing up across from a skateboard park (shout out to Woody's Ramp and Rails), I have never shown an interest in this hobby, but this exhibit highlighted something besides the act of skateboarding. The concept behind the exhibit was that skateboards are nothing more than art...on wheels. One of the earliest skateboards in the exhibit was from the 70s and it showed how graphics and styles have changed over the decades. The front of the exhibit had an explanation of the concept:

Because skateboards can have such intricate designs,

boarders want to show them off by doing cool tricks.

It only takes a few heel kicks, nose dips, and blow outs

until the artwork has been scratched up and ruined.

So the big question is: Hang It or Skate It?

          

  


"Someone once told me: You are only young once, but you're immature forever. I took it as a compliment."

  

MODA was a great 'field trip' and gave Megan and I a chance to hang out with our team members outside of the High's white walls. We ended the field trip with a trip to Vespucci's for an Italian lunch. Even though we only had an hour together, we learned so much about our team members. They talked about their career life and how they got where they ended up at the High. They even shed some light on job searching and gave some worthy advice. This lunch really was a time for us to hang out and bond over similarities and to grow stronger within our differences.

After lunch Megan and I got to end our day walking through the new exhibits at the High (Picturing New York and Picturing the South). We were doing more than simply admiring the works and photographs, we actually had an assignment to complete. In the beginning of August, the High will be hosting a Tweet Up for High visitors to partake in. The Tweet Up is essentially a scavenger hunt through the exhibits where patrons participate through Twitter and receive prizes for accomplishing each scavenger search. Megan and I had the job of developing the scavenger concepts. We came up with great material and even had the chance to enjoy the photographs. The photos are beautiful and capture each "you guys" and "yalls" perfectly.

As sad as it might sound, that is all my Tuesday consisted of. I definitely cannot complain about the unique tasks of my days here at the High. After completing my mid-term evaluation for GCSU, I realized that I have had amazing opportunities and learning experiences here at the High. To think there is still one more month of this!

Frida & Diego

Research: 9 to 5

I did nothing more today than research the infamous Mexican couple Frida and Diego. I have mentioned this research project at the beginning of my blogging adventure. This particular project is an on going assignment through the summer. However, for some reason I was sucked into their artistic and politically tyrant world for eight hours straight -and there was no complaining on my behalf. I sat in on lectures at the High concerning the Frida and Diego, but now I have moved onto solitary research. My personal hype over Diego, and especially Frida, has only begun.

Using over 30 sources, I have learned an incredible amount of information on the private and public lives of the star couple. For both artists to be so incredibly outspoken with their political views, it’s a wonder how they found time to paint. I suppose their answer was to combine the two worlds: art and politics. Frida, in particular, has caught my attention. In the 90s Frida became the revolutionary icon for feminism. Obviously. This woman had a thriving life after being diagnosed with polio at age six, being involved in a life-threatening car wreck which should have ended her life, along with many doubts toward her artistic ability. Finally, Friday was able to step outside of Diego's 300 pound shadow and find a light of her own. She has painted around 145 works, with over one third resulting in self portraits. With roughly 40 surgeries throughout her life, Frida was the person she knew best and she decided to use herself as a muse. From her iconic unibrow and dark mustache, Frida was able to portray a side a beauty that embodied the concept of individuality at its finest. Frida, you were one amazing woman.

Even though my Monday consisted of non-stop research, my day flew. It's nice to have something as engaging as Frida and Diego to make an eight hour work day seem like a play date. I actually ended my evening with a play date! I met a sorority sister, Hilary, for coffee to discuss our plans for the future. There is nothing like catching up with a best friend and discussing our future, especially when they plan to coincide.

Here's to a great Monday and hopes to an eventful Tuesday.

Free Friday

Awesome Weekend

WOW. My weekend was amazing and everything but ordinary. I have been on the go since Friday at 8 a.m. and haven't stopped until....well, right now.

Everything started with a private tour of the American art collection at the High. After previously touring the museum, I had already seen the American art exhibit. However, I had never listened to it. Having the chance to have a private tour truly does open your eyes to the talent and beauty of the art work. Like I have said in previous posts, being given the background of the art enhances its true beauty one hundred percent. Seeing how the curators grouped works and displayed then 'salon style' was interesting. I love the salon style of similar works, because it helps tie the entire message and theme together. We only had enough time to be given a tour of the 18th - early 19th century, but I learned lots. Many of the art works had gone through transformations from the European style painting to a more patriotic/landscape/rustic/country vibe. At this time there were also many portraits executed. I normally just saw a portrait for what it was: a painting. Throughout the tour I realized how talented these artists were, and the time and patience it took for them to simply paint a bust, nonetheless a full pose plus background. America, you are fascinating now as you were then.

After the exhibit, all interns were catered Vespucci's pizza because we had a Luunch and Learn with the museum's director Michael Shapiro. Sadly, Shapiro was caught with a time conflict, and had to reschedule. The High didn't leave us in the dark; however, and arranged for us to meet Shapiro's great friend and colleague Philip Verre, COO, High Museum of Art. Philip was a great substitute and blew us away with his awesome job as COO. He has traveled to numerous countries in search of art collections to display at the High. Along the way he has made great connections, met wonderful people and has had the experiences of a lifetime.

My Friday ended with a great night at the Georgia Aquarium for a monthly event, Science on Tap. Morgan and I attended the event and enjoyed wine and a lecture by Joel Kostka, a microbiologist researcher and Georgia Tech professor. It was a great way to unwind, be educated and enjoy a different atmosphere.

Friday night gradually evolved into Saturday which meant the original bat mobile (shown at the Mall of Georiga) and the Atlanta Beer Fest. To me, the bat mobile means nothing, but to the four boys I was with --it meant the world. Apparently it meant the world to all the other present googley-eyeres and drooly-droolers, too. The bat mobile was the start of my 'bro day' with the boys. This lead to the most amazing time at the Atlanta Beer Festival at the Masquerade in downtown Atlanta

First off, the Masquerade is a run-down building from the outside and should possibly be avoided at all cost. However, behind its facade is where all the magic happens. Walking in there are food trucks, some vendors, bands and of course BEER. Taps and taps of beer to be correct. Seen as a beer tasting event, you could positively find a new (if not 5) favorite beer. Here are some of the beers I tasted, just to name a few:

Fox Barrel Pale Ale
Fox Barrel Apple Cider

Fox Barrel Blackberries Pear

Magic Hat Circus Boy
Laughing Skull
Koppaberg Pear
Koppaberg Pale Ale
plus a few more here and there where the names were lost....

The beer festival was a great day/night out with friends to enjoy the great (hot) weather, bands, beer and socializing. Running into old friends and making new ones was the theme of the night. Our whole group had a great time, and I am glad the boys let me tag along this time around. Maybe if I am lucky I will get to attend the Winter Beer Festival with them. Here are only a few pictures from the event.

To finish off the weekend, I attended the Georgia Bridal Show at the Gwinnet Center. No one in our group was getting married, but the expo didn't need to know that. Six signatures, seven emails, four swag bags and 12 brochures later, the 'bride', 'maid of honor' and 'mother of the bride' were exhausted. We did enjoyed the free samples of cake and flowers that were available at the show, along with the other vendor's goodies. The exposition ended with a greatly entertaining fashion show to exhibit David's Bridal and Men's Warehouse's attire for any wedding style. The fashion show was an hour of music, dancing, laughing, and gorgeous gowns and tuxes. The show was definitely a great ending to the bridal show, and was a great time for the three of us girls to enjoy a day out.

Now the work week starts up tomorrow, and this is when I wish the weekend was one extra day long. Curse you fun weekends for spoiling me.

Need caffeine....

Need caffeine now

One day early and Megan and I completed part one of our festival research project. We gathered roughly 75 summer festivals (June-September) in Georgia, plus 10 or so in neighboring "drive cities" (Knoxville, Chatanooga, Birmingham, Greenville). It feels wonderful to complete a project, especially when it is ready before schedule! I also found a last minute festival worthy of attending: Woodstock Art & Wine Festival .

Today was a tough day. Everything was fine during the drive to work and clocking in, and then....the cubicle. Once I sat down in my comfy chair, my cubicle was beckoning me to sleep behind his protective walls. After about an hour and a half of sleep deprivation, I succumbed to walking to Starbucks for a $5 coffee. That iced skinny caramel machiato was 100% worth it! After a few sips, my research was easier, more interesting, and lead to productive findings. Oh, the wonders of caffeine. Not exactly great for you, but lord knows it will kick your butt until you are awake! Apparently I am not the only person whose butt needs coffee during the first half of the workday. There was 15 other people with the same caffeine withdrawal, and they all happened to have made it inside the Starbucks' door a second before meI. It took a whopping 30 minutes to get to Starbucks, pay five dollars, and get back to my desk. Regardless of the hassle, I was so happy to have my coffee!

Once the caffeine set in, it was lunch time before I even knew it. Today Megan and I ventured out to Colony Square. I had the ever-loved bimbimbop at Jaffa Cafe. The bimbimbop is a plate of brown rice, chicken or tofu, eggs, cucumbers, sprouts, lettuce, and your choice of spicy or tzatziki sauce. Mix everything like a salad and you have a delicious lunch which is a special meal served only three times a week. Note: if a restaurant serves a particular dish only a few days out of the week --get it! Note: if everyone else in line, on those specified days, orders the bimbimbop --get it! It was a delicious treat for the week.

With only a few hours left in the day, I started back on the media clips and began to digitally log them. The pile gets smaller and smaller everyday, and it is nice to see how many times the High is mentioned in various publications and medias outlets! I had a stack of 20 AJC newspapers to look through and that was a project in-and-of itself. All the articles are not clearly marked (i.e. picture of a featured artist/work, have the High mentioned in the title), and can be as simple as a two liner about "what to do this week" along with 20 other suggestions. My hands were black from handling those newspaper, but thankfully I had anti-bacterial at my desk. And for that, I am sorry to everyone who sits near me. I apologize for the smell of concentrated alcohol you smelt every 5 minutes.

Tomorrow and this weekend should be a fun and interesting time! A little heads up: Michael Shapiro (the High's director), fishies, beer, friends and more beer. Weeeee.

Humpday

Festival Throwdown

1st floor, baby. Of the parking garage that is. I suppose the parking gods heard my complaining yesterday and sent me an IOU. I got a parking spot on the first floor of the parking garage, so there was no need for a daily reminder this time. Thank you parking gods. I owe you one next time.

Another cubicle-endearing day was today. I sat in my cubicle for eight straight hours staring at the screen. That can't be healthy. I ended up eating lunch at my desk so I could simply look at crafts on Pinterest for an hour. I'm a girl...it's fine. I am actually not one for Pinterest. I have an account, of course, but I have never spent more than 5 hours on the site total. Since I am using this social media outlet for the museum, I decided to wonder through some craft ideas. Let me tell you how many crafts I saw that I wanted to do right then and there at my cubicle -TOO MANY! I love crafting in the first place. I especially like refurnishing tables, shelves, bookcases and other crafts that require some elbow grease. Because I will be looking for somewhere to live in the near future, what better place to get ideas than Pinterest?

Speaking of Pinterest....what a great segue to mention my completed Pinterest project. Check out the High's Pinterest page and see the two new boards I added! I was going to push this projet until later in the week, but I decided I might as well make myself useful if I was going to be on Pinterest already. So yay for completing another project!

I am also wrapping up my research project on festivals in Georgia and nearby "drive cities." I stated in a previous post I would mention any cool festivals coming up, so here it is as promised:

• June 23 Atlanta Summer Beer Fest
• June 30 The Revival of Vintage
• July 14 Atlanta Street Food Festival
• July 19 -22 Atlanta Summer Arts Festival
• Sept 21 -22 Music Midtown

Check out all of these festivals and think of stopping by. I am sure they all will be a great time. I am personally going to the first two for sure! I am so excited and I will more than likely head out to the other events as well. It's the summertime (as today was the summer solstice) and we need to be outside enjoying the sunshine! There is no better way than with some handmade jewelry, a candy apple and your sunglasses on.

To end my day I received great news that one of my sorority sisters, Sararose, was offered a teaching job in Macon. I ended the night by celebrating with her and her family. I am so excited for her and the new changes this will bring. She is going to be a special education teacher and I know she will excel at it, without a doubt. Love you SR and congrats!

Tour de Parking Garage

Marco. Polo.

After work all I wanted to do was plug in my phone and jam to Pandora during my rush-hour ride home. Is that too much to ask? Apparently. The parking garage decided to hide my car for a solid 10 minutes and laughed as I walked all five floors without luck of finding my car. After the humiliation of all my co-workers seeing mey on every floor as they head to the exit, I finally found my car on the fourth level --which was the original floor I started searching, might I add. That parking garage has it in for me, I swear. That is surely not the first time I have felt like a lost child in Disney World. Only this time there are no fun rides to distract me nor keep me entertained. Finally finding my car was a humiliating relief. I simply sat in the driver's seat getting everything set: phone charging, Pandora station playing, my parking ticket in hand, credit card ready to be charged. As I got to the top floor I was in line with 10 other cars waiting to leave work. Once I got to the gate, the girl working and I had a giggle over the stupidity a long work day brings upon others. Silly people, the gate arm doesn't rise willingly. It's called monayyy.

To accompany this long afternoon, I had an equally long morning. The American Red Cross was visiting HMA and offered appointment times to employees. I signed up to give blood and was actually very excited. I haven't given blood in a while, and now was my chance to A.) do a good deed and B. ) get away from my cubicle for an hour. In the past I have had problems with my iron levels, and have been turned away numerous times for being anemic. To offset this common occurrence I woke up an hour early and treated myself to an IHOP breakfast. After ordering I was stoked to give blood. Who wouldn't be excited to have an excuse to eat a delicious breakfast of pancakes topped with bananas, bacon, scrambled eggs and chocolate milk?

Breakfast was absolutely amazing and helped me stay focused during my work day (I guess those mini-wheats are speaking the truth). After lunch I headed to Hill Auditorium to do my good deed of the day. That was another wild goose chase. I honestly do not know the lay of the land at the Woodruff Arts Center. That being said, I walked around for 15 minutes attempting to find the American Red Cross. I eventually found the room and was able to successfully give blood. Yay for saving the lives of nine babies! I will say I was getting nervous while waiting, though. Right as I arrived three ladies had previously passed out/were feeling flushed from giving blood. Some claim the cause was the slightly warm room and the lack of breakfast the ladies had eaten. Regardless, I was starting to psyche myself out. I held it together and pumped that little stress ball like my life depended on it. After an hour of waiting, freaking out, and filling up one bag of blood I was a proud blood donor. Now I know that "I make a difference."

After giving blood, I entered the office just in time for a communication meeting. Our department met and discussed potential ads and marketing concepts offered by a highly revered ATL/NYC ad agency. This was the same agency our department met with earlier this summer to discuss the idea of the High's newest campaign. It was cool to see the proposed advertisements that had been influenced by our inputs and ideas. Even though we were presented these ads, they are by no means the final draft. There are still things to be edited, deleted and ideas that have room to grow.The ads are going to be great and the marketing placements and concepts will hopefully catch the eyes of those interested in seeing the High's soon-to-be exhibit. Sitting in on these meetings helps me feel like a true component to my team. I have a chance to be face-to-face with each member and to make suggestions and comments that will respectfully be considered and heard.

Everyday I work my way up an incline of how great my internship is. There are no drastic dips or hills, rather everything is consistently improving. The one thing that isn't? That daggum parking garage. From now on I am going to have to leave myself a note on my phone as a reminder. How embarrassing. I am already losing my memory at the young age of 22. Oy vey.

Project Overload

Time Pressing Day

It's the start of my third week and things were off to a decent start --as decent of a start any Monday can be. It obviously couldn't be too bad of a day because I listened to my Bossy CD on the way to work. Hollerrrrr. But seriously, the day ended up being a great day. A long day. But a great day.

The first half of my morning consisted of researching the Frida & Diego exhibit and facts about the two artists, as a couple and individuals. I am making a PowerPoint on these two famous Mexican artists, and I am currently on slide 100. Yea, there are lots to say about these two revolutionary painters. I have been enjoying the research, however. Seeing how these individuals' lives influenced their paintings, and vice-versa is remarkable. After concentrating on Frida Kahlo I discovered her famous house, La Casa Azul, in Mexico City. I would really like to visit this little house, which is now a museum commemorating Frida and Diego's life together. One particular site I found stated that there are clothes, easels, paintings, everyday materials and scenes to where you feel as if the couple recently left the house to run errands. It sounds like a sight to see.
 

It was not until after lunch that all the projects started to flow. The due date for the general hit list of the Museum of Modern Art partnership has been moved up to tomorrow and I have to be sure that all articles are accounted for digitally and physically. That part is surely under control and now the task is in another department's hands. Phew. However, directly after the MoMA general hit list, a member of our team approached me with new fliers for a film showing in July. I had to create labels and send the direct mailing packets out by mid-afternoon. This task is not a feat by any means, unless your Word document doesn't want to line up with the sticker sheet. Then there is a problem, and boy was it a frustrating one. After five attempts, I finally ended up with 70 direct mailing packets, ready to be sent via snail mail.


Halfway through labeling the above direct mailing packets, I was asked to create two new boards for the High's Pinterest page. Thankfully this project is not a time pressing matter and can be pushed to the end of the week, possibly the beginning of next. I do enjoy utilizing the newest social media platform, Pinterest. Discovering ways to have Pinterest benefit a museum isn't the easiest and it definitely requires a sense of creativity and individuality. Keep an eye out for HMA's newest Pinterest boards later on this week. Don't worry, I won't let you forget.

The reason for pushing back the Pinterest project is because Megan and I were asked to research (research is becoming a top word in this blog) festivals in Georgia with a decent attendance rate. And let me inform you, there are not just a handful of festivals. No, no, no. There are multiple festivals all throughout Georgia, particularly during summer when there is more free time to be spent outside. I'll begin this research process bright and early tomorrow morning. BUT one exciting festival I already discovered was the Hot Ait Balloon Festival in Summerville, Ga., this coming weekend. If Summerville wasn't all the way on the Alabama border, I would definitely be attending. Come on. HOT. AIR. BALLOONS. No more needs to be said. That simply sounds like an amazing time. I'll be sure to inform you guys of any additional crazy festivals in Georgia this summer, I am sure the state of peaches won't let us down.

The seven hour work day flew by today, all due to the many assigned projects, but I was happy to finally get home. I found the perfect Monday regime to kick off the Monday blues: a late evening run, a delicious seafood dinner and a few glasses of Moscato. 5 out of 5 doctors approve this lifestyle -I can only imagine! To top everything off, I received a special email from my parents. The email had two attachments from a dear friend (and roommate) of mine, Kaleigh. Kaleigh is off studying abroad in Montepulciano, Italy, and having the time of her life. She mailed me a post card of the beautifully colored city of Burano. Thanks for the card, love! It looks absolutely gorgeous.