So it all comes down to one week.  One week from today my son leaves for Boston College. Needless to say I’m thrilled beyond belief, but now wonder what lies ahead in my new emptynestdom. No more calling him asking what time he’s going to be home, or if he’s going to be home for dinner. Those calls will be replaced with frantic calls to my shrink asking for an appointment to treat separation anxiety.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m really not that overly connected to my son. (Can someone hand me a pair of scissors to cut the apron strings?) I’m just a very proud mom who is going to terribly miss her little prince. As the baby of our family, he is the center of our universe. The core.  From stewing over whether or not he would get accepted into the preschool of our choice, to testing for private elementary school, where jumping on one foot was a prerequisite (don’t ask me why…never once was he tested for his jumping abilities in First Grade) to the grand finale, the college application process, I’ve stressed myself out. But then, the big award…the acceptance letter into Boston College! OMG!! I will never forget that day.

So now, after several trips to Bed Bath and Beyond, The Container Store, PB Teen, and being on a first named basis with the Fed Ex and UPS man, I’m just about ready for the big send off. Did I mention I’m a little OCD? I bought his bedding, then decided to change it. And the sheets and pillowcases were monogrammed! I’m not a frustrated interior designer; I just wanted to make sure he knew those were his sheets when he was at the Laundromat.  Do you think that the fact they were orange sheets were enough of a reminder to him that those were HIS sheets? I seriously doubt that many other Ivy Leaguers would be showcasing orange sheets. He decided to keep the sheets, after I now have REdecorated his ‘not yet moved into dorm room’ and is planning on wearing them to a Toga party. I seriously doubt anyone else will be wearing an orange sheet, unless I have a clone out there that has the same propensity to make poor decisions on bedding and dorm decorating. Thank God I did. Good ole white sheets are going to be just fine.

So thankfully, I spared him of any embarrassment. Or at least I thought I did.  All that went out the window when he came home to find the new license plate on my car, BC MOM.

Humor me, son. Gone are the bumper stickers, “I’m a proud mom of a student who attends…” and of AYSO stickers. Now are the days of a flag proudly waving the BC logo in front of our home and my personalized license plates shouting to the world I AM A PROUD MOM OF A BC STUDENT!

Whether your kids are entering preschool, testing for elementary school, or preparing to leave for college, being a Mom is a great thing.  Being a PROUD MOM is every better!

Sandy Keedy, President and Creative Director

Pinterest draws millions of visitors each week, so it was just a matter of time before companies hopped on board to promote their brand on this visually captivating social media site.  The bottom line is that Pinterest is driving enough traffic for retailers to take notice and as a result, they have started to develop ecommerce strategies specifically geared for this audience.  Consider this — Pinterest currently generates more referral traffic than YouTube, Google+, and LinkedIn combined.  It also offers the unique benefit of providing data on consumer personalization and product sharing that is substantially more targeted than on other sites.  This information is too impressive to ignore and savvy businesses that realize the marketing potential of Pinterest are implementing creative campaigns to promote contests and woo customers on the image-sharing platform.

For instance, across the pond, European travelers tried their luck with the “Pinterest Lottery” contest launched by British Midland International, where the airline posted pictures showing its logos from five cities where they fly and encouraged users to re-pin them.  Each week the company randomly chose a number and the pinners were entered in a lottery to win free flights to that destination.  But when all is said and done, does this new trend have potential for companies down the road?  If they can deliver clever, fun promotions that engage participants, give them the chance to personalize and also win great prizes, Pinterest might very well ascend to the pinnacle of social media marketing before we know it.

Sandy Keedy, President and Creative Director

Using objects as a symbol to evoke emotion was the creative direction we took for this particular Ainsley Park print ad.  We wanted to highlight the benefits of its desirable location, so we used three very simple images that would resonate with prospective buyers.  A shopping bag (promoting retail at a popular shopping center nearby), an apple (representing the award-winning schools that are close in proximity) and a pair of jogging shoes (alluding to its onsite recreation and walking trails).  I loved how this ad used such a simple approach to convey so much more depth.  I personally had a lot of fun on this project…and the client loved it too, which made it especially gratifying for me as a designer.

Lori Takahashi, Sr. Art Director