1. Western Caribbean Cruise

    December 26, 2006

    Finally, here are some photos of the cruise Marisha & I took with her grandparents over the Christmas break.


    The Carnival Glory (behind the fantasy), docked in Cozumel, Mexico.


    The food was absolutely delicious!


    And the scenery on the ship was great!


    The water in Cozumel is a very bright blue & extremely clear.


    And don’t forget to take in the sights in the city.


    In Costa Maya, Mexico, we decided to take a trip to the jungle.


    And look at some of the Mayan Ruins.


    This is one of the masks that can be found at Kohunlich Ruins.


    A forewarning, this trip takes two hours by bus, but it’s well worth it!


    Next we went to Nassau, and visited Atlantis.


    I loved the Aquarium they have in there.


    And so did everyone else!


  2. The Year in Review

    It’s been a real interesting year for me this year.

    First off, I’d say the biggest event in my life was meeting Marisha on a trip to South America back in the spring. It took a lot of effort to win her over, but it was well worth it. Thanks for everything sweetie!

    So where to start. Let’s see, it’s been a busy year with the traveling. As mentioned, for Spring Break this year I took a trip with the honors society at Valencia Community College to South America. We visited Buenos Aires in Argentina, Iguazu Falls on the border between Argentina & Brazil, and finally Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. After this, Marisha & I along with Jen & Jorge took a long weekend to Key West to relax and have fun snorkeling & partying. Then, at the end of the summer, Marisha & I took a trip to South Carolina for my annual family reunion. Then, a quick weekend retreat to Cumberland Island, which was a little more than we bargained for. And finally, we topped off the year with a Western Caribbean cruise, courtesy of her grandparents for her graduation. So, it’s been a real fun year for both of us.

    On the Independent design-side of my life I’ve had a very busy year. I re-designed the website for Limbach Facility Services in the middle of the year. Also, we launched an all new safety campaign and worked on several new collateral pieces for their on going efforts. Also, I did several interesting projects for Cryobanks International including brochures, posters & business cards. Dunkelberger Engineering finally launched its website, a project several years in the making. Finally, I launched a blog for myself.

    On the photography-side of my life, things have been a little slower. I got a lot of wonderful travel photos, and I’ve done a few small projects, but nothing major to report. I have a few big ideas happening, so hopefully they will come to fruition soon. Also, I plan on pushing the photography services a little more this year.

    And that’s about it in a nutshell. I hope everyone else had a wonderful year, and I wish the best for next year!


  3. Saturday is the day!

    December 15, 2006

    Saturday is the day I leave for a week long cruise to the Western Caribbean on board the Carnival Glory. I’m really excited to get moving, but I have a ton of things left on the to do list before I go. It’s been an interesting few weeks with finals, Christmas shopping, and tying up all the lose ends with the independent designing. I am definitely ready for a week of peace and quiet. Be sure to check back for some nice photos, and have a wonderful holiday everyone!


  4. The Problem is in the Power

    December 13, 2006

    For anyone working with computers, we all know how important uptime is to us. And we have all had the frustration at one point or another when the power goes off and we lose everything. Of course, a battery back-up can help mitigate this problem, and should be considered essential for every computer user. Of course, this assumes that the back-up will work.

    For those who have older battery backup units, you might want to test it to make sure it still works. Pull the plug. See what happens. I dare you! In C.T. Hsu’s office, we had several blackouts, and it was painfully obvious how many units didn’t work like they were suppose to. Thankfully, there are things you can do before you lose everything.

    1. If you have a battery back-up, check it. Make sure it works. Shutdown your computer, plug in a light and pull the plug. The light should stay on. If it does, plug everything back into the unit and pull the plug again to test it under full load. Hopefully it still works.
    2. For those with older battery back-up systems, you might want to seriously consider replacing the battery or the entire system. Much like all the electronic equipment we own, there is only a small lifespan for these items before they loose efficiency. Plus, the prices have fallen dramatically over the past few years.
    3. Finally, as everyone else says, back up your data. I can’t stress this enough. Computers can be very sensitive to power outages, as well as brown-outs. Keeping back ups of all your important data will add another layer of protection to your information.

    One final note. For those replacing a battery or replacing an entire unit, please recycle. These systems are made of extremely hazardous materials, and should not be sent to the local landfill. Instead, check out APC and their Trade-Ups program.


  5. Today’s my day to shine

    December 12, 2006

    YEP, That’s right. Today I’m being featured on Designers Who Blog.


  6. Limbach “Green” Brochure

    December 8, 2006

    Here’s an interesting project I just finished for Limbach Facility Services. It’s a brochure for how they are handling “sustainable design” through their methods and actions. This has become a very popular topic over the past few years, as more and more buildings are LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. The brochure measures 10 inches square and is printed on recycled paper.


  7. The Art of Appreciation

    December 6, 2006

    The other day at CT Hsu’s office, the office received on of the neatest holiday boxes I have seen. So, I had to post this for all to see. It’s a penguin with three candy-filled gift boxes. After a little searching on the internet I found a similar item at both the Art of Appreciation and the Swiss Colony. If you’re looking for an easy gift idea for a client, this might be something interesting to consider.


  8. Vintage Posters

    For those who’ve been looking for the perfect item to decorate their place (besides one of my photos), here are a few resources for vintage posters. Personally, I’ve always loved the look of an old poster in a room/studio.

    www.dpvintageposters.com

    www.chisholm-poster.com

    www.internationalposter.com

    www.walterfilm.com

    www.la-belle-epoque.com