Coffee

I thought from my years of working at Starbucks I would share a few common mistakes people make with coffee.

• "I want the strongest coffee you have!" Ok, do you want the strongest in flavor or in caffeine? People don't realize that the darker roasts are stronger in flavor yet have less caffeine because the bean has to roast longer to get that stronger flavor which also releases more of the caffeine. So, if you want a stronger caffeine coffee get the lighter breakfast blends but if you want stronger flavor get the dark roast!
• Cappuccino vs Latte. In a nutshell, a cappuccino has more foamed milk while the latte has far less. So it does bother me when creamers are called "Vanilla Cappuccino" flavored or something because it literally cannot be like that!
• The sizes. The story behind the short, tall, grande, venti and trenta goes like this. The short was the small and the tall was the large in the 1970s when Starbucks began. As time went on people wanted a larger size so the grande, meaning large, was born. Then... the same story goes, people wanted a even larger size so the venti, meaning 20 for 20 ounces, came. The trenta, meaning 30 for 30 ounces, was created for the biggest coffee of them all.

UCO B.A. Pubic Relations Spring 2012

After taking a few years off of school, I am finally graduating with my B.A. in Public Relations from UCO! I will be going for my masters in only a month or so but I wanted to celebrate the fact that I got my B.A. To express my excitement I had my best friend use her fancy camera and take my photo for my announcements. We work well together because I can boss her around and she knows my good angle! Has anyone else taken photos for college graduation?

Grandpa and squirrels

As Grandpa and I sat in the dining room and looked at the backyard that had three squirrels running by the pond, he said, "we are gonna have to go squirrel hunting!" "Uh, you eat squirrel," I asked. "Yep, I used to hunt them," said Grandpa. "But Grandpa, squirrels are so cute!" "Yep, I used to fry them like chicken." ...silence... "Squirrel gravy is is good too."

Almost done with school...

Wow. I am almost done with school. I thought this could best be expressed by a photo of how I feel in my  "Blogging for Journalists" class at UCO. Enjoy, I look like a cartoon character.

Why I love YouTube videos...

Every once and a while an excellent YouTube video comes along. Sweet Brown is full of great quotes AND she is from Oklahoma! That is what made it even better for me, this was OUR local news. Awesome.

Thunder up!

I went to the Thunder game tonight with my stepmom Susan, my biological dad Harry and brother Tyler. It's fun to go with someone who actually loves the game, which Harry and Tyler do. Susan and I were there more for the experience... and to watch the two boys go crazy!

Gifts on my birthday

Yesterday was my birthday. While I did not do anything on my actual birthday, I do feel the love. Last weekend my family took me out to a Japanese Steakhouse which was amazingly delicious and entertaining. My internship surprised me by cooking me lunch, getting me a cake, flowers and a cat card! I don't know what was the best part, the cake or the cat card?! I have a thing for corny cat photos and/or cards.

A blog worthy of reading...

Joyous Joys is the blog I have chosen to follow, read and love for my "Blogging for Journalists" class.

In a nutshell, this blog is written by a joyous woman who lives in New York City and writes of her favorite things of the day in the most professional way.

How I came across this blog was a result of networking! I reached out to my public relations mentor, Sam Sims, here in Okla. and asked him if he knew of any PR professionals in N.Y. who I could take to coffee, aka networking, when I visit in May. He gave me a few names, and I connected with a person who gave me Kate Forster's name.  We have spoken on the phone a few times and she has both helped and inspired me with the PR world.  Shortly after taking the next big step in our PR connection and befriending her on Facebook, I noticed she had a blog.

Her blog looks, sounds, and if blogs could smell, smells of joy.  Her layout is clean, professional and fun to read. She uses all the blog tricks: photos, tags and conversational topics. She does not make any money off of this nor does she want to. Once you get paid you have a pressure to write more with more restricting topics, so she prefers to have this as her fun, personal yet professional blog.

The only thing I saw as a weakness is how enthusiastic she is on her posts yet does not get many responses. I would suggest she follow blogs similar to hers and make the effort to comment on theirs so that in return, they will comment on hers. "If you scratch my back..." type philosophy.

I have learned you can be professional while still being yourself when writing on a blog. In the communications field it is all about being genuine and "Joyous Joys" does just that. I realized both her blog and mine are being used to not only express who we are and what we think for the sake of being human, but for the sake of a potential job! Our blog is a additional resume piece and a bold statement of who we are. So, if you are going to use your blog for professional use, make it one you love... make it your own "Joyous Joys!"

The weather...

It is times like these that I wish I was better at science. A few questions... because we had a mild winter does that mean we will have a hotter summer or will the summer take a lesson from winter and continue the laid back attitude to create a mild summer?

One thing I do know is that a mild winter means less bugs were killed... which means a possible surplus this summer. Everyone has been warned!

I'll take a winter over bugs ANY day.

Art

I have been drawing and painting since I was very young. I would say I enjoy the Impressionist art the most. I used to do watercolor but now I mostly do charcoal or pastels (easier to clean up) and dabble with acrylic paints. I don't do it as often as I would like. Does anyone else paint or draw? Any suggestions?

Watercolor I did in 5th grade.



Charcoal drawing I did in 2009.

Charcoal drawing I gave to my sister in 2009.

Pencil sketch I did in 2011.

Pastel drawing I did of my porcelain doll in 2010.

Acrylic painting I did from The Catcher in the Rye story in 2004.

Pastel drawing I did in 2011.

My outer space spray paint art in 2011.

About this time last year, I was in Wales...

This time last year, I was in Wales with UCO. It was such a great opportunity to go abroad and do PR work. I was able to create a brochure for the non-profit organization, Discovery.

What I miss about Wales: fish and chips; the smell of the Atlantic Ocean; the crisp, cool weather; the accents; the rolling green hills; the awesome tiny sports cars; the dragon flag.

What I do not miss about Wales: black pudding.

What do you read for fun?

When it comes to reading for fun, what do you read? I tend to read more than one book at a time. I'm currently reading Cats Cradle (I am loving this book so far), and Grapes of Wrath (It's been a goal of mine to read this one for a while, I love the use of language and I feel like I'm in the Dust Bowl). I was reading Atlas Shrugged but halfway through I got distracted. I enjoyed The Fountainhead a bit more. When I have more downtime I cannot wait to be able to return to my first love, reading.

Food with Grandpa

Ever wonder what it is like to live with a 84-year-old man? I think I can best express what it is like through food.

Recently my Grandpa made me lunch. It included a fried bratwurst, a bag of roasted peanuts and a cup of coffee.

When we dined out, he took me to the Golden Corral at 4 p.m. for dinner, "To beat the rush!" It is such an experience to be done with dinner by 4:40 p.m., I suggest you try it at least once.

Grandpa makes a good chicken 'n dumplings, however one time he decided to be creative with it. He used chicken wings, so picking at the bones in my soup was a fun surprise!

Overall, I love living with my Grandpa... even if our food tastes differ. 

Milo, the cat

My sister has a persian cat named Milo. J'adore cats but alas, I am allergic. So, my sister lives in Houston and texts me photos of Milo, which I enjoy. I may not be able to pet him or ever own a cat but I can enjoy excellent cat photos. I thought I would share a few. Do you have any pets or share pet photos?

He's a model.

The wasps and Dr. Clark

A 2nd wasp came into our class. Dr. Clark won, 2-0.

UCO professors care.

J'aime à apprendre

Dave Rhea came and spoke to my blogging class yesterday. Mr. Rhea works for The Journal Record as the social media blogger. I love The Journal Record Blog Hub because you can read various Oklahoma professionals blog about their opinions (this provides excellent reading for a hopeful business professional like me).

He said to be a good blogger you must:

• Love to learn- The passion to learn must be evident and expressed in a clear manner on your blog and in life.
• Wear many hats- The ability to do multiple things well is a trait needed in today's social media jobs.
• Be yourself- Express your thoughts and opinions on your blog but keep in mind the job you want. For example, it would not be a good idea to be vocal on your political or religious views if you hope to go into a corporate job but it would be acceptable if you were going into an artistic field. 

Learn it. Love it.

UCO's "An Hour for an Hour"

Did you know that UCO held its College of Liberal Arts scholarship luncheon, An Hour for an Hour, on Feb. 23, 2012? It's true, and I was able to participate in raising over $18,000 in scholarships for UCO students.

This scholarship luncheon had alumni, faculty and friends to Central for a one-hour event to raise funds for Liberal Arts student scholarships. Guests were asked to underwrite a credit hour of undergraduate tuition which is currently $139.20 to create scholarships for the fall 2012.

 "This event allows Liberal Arts students to share their stories of the impact scholarship have made in their lives," said Pamela Washington, Ph.D. dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

Three students were chosen to give their story to over 185 guests and in addition one student was placed at each of the 21 tables... I was a student chosen to sit at a table with 6 guests. I gave my short story, or as I like to call it, my "elevator speech." If you have not  practiced your short, "all about me", pitch, I suggest you do!

Networking... raising scholarship funds... free lunch... "An Hour for an Hour" was an awesome experience and I hope to be able to donate once I'm an alumni.

"What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?" --Winston Churchill.

Magnet fun

In the Art Plaza district of OKC I came across a cute store that has a lot of fun items that are created locally. I even bought something. A Star Wars magnet! Judge if you wish, but my refrigerator will look great and perhaps even have the force... of awesomeness.

A statement of LOVE

I first liked you when I was in High School, you're always there to lift me up, you make me more aware of life, and I'm sorry I tried to break it off a few times... ♥Coffee♥ aka love of my life.

 Here's to my second big cup today!

National Katerina Day!

Today is my little sister, Katerina's, birthday! She is 19-years-old and I am so proud of her. Not to mention how much I miss her.

To have a best friend who is also your sister, does it get any better?

Blogging connects people

My sister took a picture of our Mommy reading my blog all the way in Houston! :) The internet and phones keep people connected, as do blogs.

T.V. taught me there'd be days like this...

People often say Friday the 13th was unlucky... I say Monday the 13th was my personal worst.

Yesterday I did my internship at the capital, completed my story, and I got into my car at 5 p.m. to discover some car problems. I am a stubborn woman, so I tried to make it work. After an hour of sitting in my car in the freezing cold, I cried and called my Stepmom. She called a mechanic and at one point had both him and me on the phone... with both of us talking to her at once. It's funnier the more I think about it.

After we discovered it could just be the battery we also discovered that neither of us knew how to jump a car and everyone I knew that could help was at school or work. After being in my car, in the snowy/ice surroundings for an hour and 45 minutes, she picked me up with my poor 7-year-old brother with bronchitis in the back seat. I warmed up and we ate some prime fast food.

After Harry, my biological father, got off work, he met us at the fast food joint. I joined him and before we could jump my car he needed to go back to work because he forgot his murse (man + purse = murse). So we had to go to Moore to get the keys and the security code to his work. Ah, but someone should of told Harry to press "End" after the code, so the alarms went off with only the two of us there after hours. At this point all I could do is laugh.

After 15 minutes and surprisingly no police, we took off for Harry to grab a burger. I saw a trash can on my side of the road so I asked Harry to slow down and I rolled down my window. I threw my cup, it spun, I hit it again and... I missed. So I littered on  top of everything else that had happened *sigh*.

"Yes, I have jumper cables in my trunk!", I repeatedly told Harry. Once we reached my car at the capital we discovered that I ...uh... did not have them after all. SO, off to the Wal-Mart by Penn Square Mall.

With fresh new jumper cables in hand, we finally jumped my car; except that it still wouldn't work! So we just needed to remove the battery and have it tested tomorrow... oh, but we didn't have tools.

Luckily by 11 p.m. my best friend, Elaine, was free and was able to drive to us with tools. So by midnight, I was finally done for the day.

Today, the day of love... my car works! Long story short, a new battery equals my car works again!

Best Valentine's Day gift, ol' Pearl works now!

Grandpa is 84 years young today!

Today is my Grandpa's birthday. Yesterday he received his first birthday card... and so my story begins.

Grandpa skimmed his card and said, "...it won't open!" I advised him to actually read the front cover, then to read the back of the card. He decided for the benefit of us both to read the beginning of the card aloud, "This birthday card can only be opened by the perfect brother..." and flipped the card over to read "You mean you actually tried to open it?"

Without missing a beat, he retried to open the card. He surprised me as he grunted, "Don't tell me I can't open a card!" and ripped the glued card open!

He put the card on the table with the envelope on top and turned to me and said, "See? That's how I always do it. Stand the card up for everyone to see!" and walked away, leaving me speechless.

May I be as feisty when I turn 84, happy birthday Grandpa! 

Super Bowl 2012, who will you cheer for?

At first glance one may think I'm a huge sports fan (insert sarcasm), however, even I get excited over the Super Bowl! My reasons for excitement are more for the food, commercials and company but "to each their own."

So... if you aren't a major sports person, but you are going to a Super Bowl party, what team do you decide on? My reasons for my choice may surprise you.

Giants vs. Patriots. You can google stats or ask your nearest sports fan on their opinion but I like to make my own decisions based on fun reasons. I chose the Giants and the reasons why are simple.

What I have heard on NPR is that the Giants are the underdog. I love the classic underdog! I consider it the classic American dream, so I am all about it.

The Giants are from New York. I know I have never been to New York but one of my best friends lives in NYC and I will be visiting her in May. While the New England Patriots are from... New England?! 

My main reason, to be perfectly honest, is my fondness of the childhood film, Little Giants. Yes, it is as simple as that. I have no connection to the Patriots besides being patriotic.

Go Giants! 

Blog... success or fail? You decide.

"Don’t think you are, know you are. Stop trying to hit me and hit me!" -Morpheus, The Matrix


For my blogging class we have been asked to search the vast online world for an article on blogging tips. I found "5 Pop Culture Quotes for a Memorable Blog".


The quote above explains how the concept of "faking it until making it" does not apply to the world of blogging. 


Blogging is most successful when it is 

• transparent 
• engaging
• discussion-oriented
• honest
• interesting

As Morpheus once said... "there's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path." I know what to do, therefore, I need to do it... action beyond thought.

Pinterest has won me over!

I avoided joining Pinterest for some time but after having all my friends and family tell me to join, I decided, why not?

Pinterest is the best thing for anyone getting married, having a baby or a Martha Stewart wanna-be. I am divorced, no babies in sight and don't do crafts as often as I used to.

What Pinterest has done for me is to inspire me to cook healthier, lose weight/tone, and start running. I was surprised how many awesome food recipes are on there and work out ideas! My friend Rachael wants me to do the Memorial half marathon this April with her and after seeing a simple 4-week running plan on Pinterest, I figured, why not? 

I've been on Pinterest for a few days and I already bought a blender to make healthy fruit/veggie smoothies for breakfast and started running.

Here is week 1 of my 4 week running plan, I did the 1st today and survived:

	Warm-up Walk	Run-Walk Plan	Cool-down Walk	Total Duration
1st	10 min	1 min run, 1 min walk (5x)	10 min	30 min
2nd	10 min	1 min run, 1 min walk (7x)	5 min	29 min
3rd	10 min	2 min run, 1 min walk (5x)	5 min	30 min
4th	5 min	2 min run, 1 min walk (7x)	4 min	30 min

Tomorrow morning, I will make my first Spinach Smoothie:

• 1 sliced frozen banana
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1/2 cup low-fat organic yogurt
• 1 cup low-fat almond milk
• Fill it to the top with spinach leaves

Blend and ta-da!

Pinterest provides an outlet for anyone and everyone. If you seek it, Pinterest probably has it. Assuming the smoothie goes well, it is safe to say... j'adore pinterest !

What I learned about blogging...

For my class assignment I am going to reflect on what I learned from an article entitled, "State of the Blogosphere 2011."

This article breaks down all the blogs over 2011 and tells who blogs, why they blog, and what they blog about... pretty much everything you need to know.

One could drown in the sea of pie graphs but the section that stood out to me the most was the breakdown of the blogging dos and don'ts.

The over all message was about being active with your blogging (responding to people, good or bad) and turning any response to a positive one. This reminded me of basics taught in my public relations classes. Engaging your audience, being genuine and responsive is what makes a successful blog.

The success of a blog can be determined by how you feel about it/what you gain emotionally or financially. I hope to connect with people, learn something, amuse someone and maybe even turn a slight profit one day.

First blog, here goes nothing!

I believe the first blog should set the tone and expectation of what is to come. So, here we go!

Today I attended my first Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) meeting at the Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum. The guest speaker was Cynthia Reid, the VP of Marketing for the Oklahoma City Chamber. She spoke about Oklahoma and how she did research/launched a successful campaign targeting the states on the west coast to consider moving here.

She mentioned how in the media, Oklahoma is known for bad weather and ignorant people. Oklahoma's problem is that we are too humble about our proud state! We need to take the example from the proud state of Texas. Everyone knows of Texas and people do not mind moving there. Why let Texas be the only state that people know of? We need to promote and discuss Oklahoma in a positive light!

The way I hope to contribute to this cause is to make sure that when I mention occurrences of life, to be able to really explain it in such a way that people outside of Oklahoma can understand the love that is here.

• Oklahoma is the biggest, small town. This is my favorite aspect of Oklahoma! Behind the accents are kind, genuine voices. People actually care about you and are unafraid to help a stranger. That is so rare these days!

• Oklahoma is the best kept secret. We might not be the Austin TX artists or musicians, but our local art and music scene has grown and continues to grow. You can enjoy the art and music scene of the Plaza District and the Paseo Arts District, the exotic foods of the Asian District and the downtown night-life of Bricktown. All of these are noteworthy places to explore.

• Oklahoma is growing. How many cities can say they are currently building the cities tallest skyscraper, moving a major highway to allow for more growth, maintaining a steady housing market, making national family-friendly ratings like when CNBC listed Edmond OK as No. 1 on its list of 10 Perfect Suburbs and enjoying a new basketball stadium for a newly bought, successful NBA team?

I have lived all over the world and continue to travel as often as I can and I can honestly say every time I had the option to move back to Oklahoma, I did. If you are here, be proud of it and explore Oklahoma, there is so much to learn and see! If you aren't from here, consider visiting. We have a lot to offer. If you're a business, consider Oklahoma the perfect place that is centrally located and continuously growing!

Explore OKC's digital magazine, VELOCITY.

I would like to end with my favorite quote regarding Oklahoma... "Well, I've never been to heaven
but I've been to Oklahoma."-- Three Dog Night.