ch-ch-ch-changes

Big things are in the mix.

Around this time in 2004, I met a boy. He walked me home. 

A year later, we started dating. 

A year after that, we agreed that we wanted to move in together.

A year after that, I had changed jobs and the timing wasn't right.

Two years after that, it's finally happening.

Nearly four years to the day after we met, I'm moving in with my best friend. 

I can't wait.

More info, and big life changes, coming soon.

today i like...

Despite all its troubles, journalism is ultimately a romantic field to enter. Telling stories for a living, playing with words, picking out type — separated from the annoyances of every day work, all are hella more interesting and fun than most job requirements.

So, that said, the romantic in me can't resist anything writer or typography themed because, c'mon, I'm a writer.

1) Memo Notebook mug, $12.95 from Fishs Eddy.
2) Type coasters, set in one of my favorites — Baskerville. $45 at Veer.
3) "N" Alphabet mug, also from Fishs Eddy.
4) Ampersand faux cufflinks. Genius design that works on both regular and French cuffs. $49, also at Veer.

And finally...

These are some special projects (with the exception of the normal old lifestyle page I wanted to squeeze in there).

A) Thanksgiving recipes from local chefs
B) A poster for a local farm team
C) The cover of the 2008 Bridal tab. I still need to save the cover of the 2009 one.

More design

These are some of my favorite A1s from the past year.

A) Michelle Obama and Jill Biden visit the area.

B) Residents fight or support construction of wind farm

C) Teachers receive these amazing grants that they can spend on basically anything

D) A story about preventing farm runoff from seeping into the rivers

E) A normal A1, but with lots of awesome art.

How I fill my days

It's been over a year since I posted pages, basically since I started designing, so I thought it was time to show ya'll what I've been doing in the interim. These are some of my favorite lifestyles and homes pages (which are my all-time favorite to do). Tomorrow, I'll post some A1 fronts.

A) A Homes story about decorating your home with branches and berries from your yard.

B) A wire story about the popular spices for 2008.

C) A wire story about fancy luggage. I didn't have much in the way of art, so I decided to whip together something that I thought would look like a children's book, in a good way.

D) A wire story about good old Lincoln. Thought I would go for presidential.

E) A story about our cartoonist's 20th year on the job. 

tragic sadness

It's one thing to mourn my industry from the inside, but entirely different when it affects my own reading.

Domino Magazine, a shelter mag from Conde Nast, will cease publishing in March, which is tragic, seriously. It was literally my favorite magazine for the past four years and now I'm wondering if I can get the back issues that I missed, because this magazine is truly that useful. I constantly flip through old issues looking for ideas.

It's rare you find a magazine you can grow with, but as my tastes have changed (along with my living circumstances), Domino has been a constant source of inspiration.

I am completely bummed about this.

new careers all over!

In the spirit of my previous post (which by the way, please vote so that I know what to do. Right now it's 50/50 to become a teacher or wedding planner!), we need to find a new career for Sean.

poll by twiigs.com

When I grow up

I think we all are aware that the journalism industry is struggling. I think it's prudent to come up with some back-up plans, but I'm feeling very torn and divided about what to do with myself and I certainly don't want to waste any time/money/life becoming trained in something I ultimately may not want to do.

SO! Here is my poll, open to the public:

poll by twiigs.com

forget-me-nots

I was on the Virginia Press Association web site today and thought I'd dig up my award comments before they get lost to the Internets. It's good to hang on to compliments for rainy days, isn't it?

For a business story:
"Lester pulls the readers in with great anecdotal leads and then keeps them with detailed business info. She also is excellent at providing context for her stories -- providing a local example of a national story."

For features portfolio:
"Lester is the kind of writer who makes a newspaper fun to read -- breezy, upbeat, often outright funny but never silly. Her vignettes of the life and times of Harrisonburg read almost like something out of Lake Wobegone."

how nice. stuff like that makes me miss writing. But I will say, I also dug up the comments from our general design make-up award this year and it said, "Good A1s, especially on Dec. 9." TOTALLY one I designed. hehehe.

I needed that after the last few weeks of utter chaos.