Category: Eye Candy

Happy Texas Independence Day!

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I may be in Florida, but I’m still a Texan. It’s my home (you’ll remember home is where your mom is), so of COURSE I’m celebrating Texas Independence Day. Did you know we are the only state that’s allowed to fly our flag at the same height as the U.S. flag because we were a sovereign nation? (I mean technically California was independent too, but since they never formed a functional provisional government, they aren’t as cool as us).

Here’s a little Texas Independence love from my Alma Mater:

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and a great arrangement of Texas Our Texas.

 

Until Next Time,

-RachelAnn

Because we are all typing more than talking now

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I just found these new punctuation marks on college humor. Not only are most of them absolutely necessary to typed conversation (i.e. EVERY text message, most gchats, and numerous emails) They are also well designed for their individual purposes. Below are my favorites, but you can see the rest over here at College Humor, as well as download the font to start using them right away. Now if I could just get these loaded onto my phone!

 

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H&M gets a new look

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I think you’ll all remember H&M Rel Estate’s logo that I worked on a few months back. So, now you can get excited for their new identity system! I’ve been working with them on a presentation folder, letterhead, envelope, and business card, so I thought it’d be a great time to show you all what we’ve got!

First, the letterhead:

H&M letterhead

The website that H&M had built around the same time as I was finishing their logo had this really great dark wood grain as a background, so I incorporated that with the green gradient we were already using in the logo. I also gave them the stripe theme to convey their forward momentum as the company evolves and grows, but also as they help their clients move forward on selling and buying properties. Above you see the front on the left, and the back on the right.

Secondly, the envelope:

H&M envelope

H&M envelope 2

At the top is the envelope unfolded so you can see how the stripes fold all the way around, and the bottom is just the front of the envelope. Each piece has the opportunity to bear one of the three logos. This one will first be printed with the commercial real estate logo that you see on the letterhead above.

Next we have the presentation folder:

H&M folder

Again, going with the wood grain background and stripes. This one will be printed with the construction services logo first. Here it’s all unfolded, so the front is on the right, the back is on the left, and the inside pockets with the logo and contact info are at the bottom and upside down.

Lastly, we have the business card:

H&M business card

This one will actually be a hard plastic card, rather than the traditional cardstock, and will have either raised plastic, or spot UV  over the logo to make it stand out more against the wood grain background. I think this will especially memorable as it’ll have a totally different tactile experience from your typical business card.

So that’s H&M’s new identity system. What do you think? Leave your comments below!

Until Next Time,

-RachelAnn

We Are Go For Launch: MustangPCRepair.com

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Hi All!

You may remember me discussing my involvement with a PC Repair start up in San Antonio. Well we have launched the new website, worked out a logo, and I’m now in the process of getting them some business cards printed. This is the first time I’ve been able to really build up marketing materials for a company all by myself from the ground up. Of course I’ve made logos, business cards, and other collateral for my full time jobs, and other clients in the past (in fact I’m workin on a new identity system for H&M Real Estate now, and re-designed Ameraguard’s corporate identity a couple of years ago), but this is the first one that I have gotten to start from scratch on. SO, ladies and gentleman – I present to you Mustang PC Repair. Check out their logo below, and go peruse the website (which I wrote all the copy for and set up through wordpress.)

 

mustang pc repair

Your (constructive) comments are welcome. Tell me if you love it, tell me if you hate it (but tell me why). I’m excited to hear your thoughts.

 

Until Next Time,

-RachelAnn

New American

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Everyone’s talking about it, so let’s dive in – American Airlines has left behind the iconic Vignelli logo for an entirely new look. Check out their launch site for the video on what’s different (skip to like 2:30 for the good stuff). And then look at what we have here:

New Graphic Eagle

aa graphic

 

Full plane and new tail art

aa plane full

 

Better look at the wordmark

AAlivery

 

Overall I think it’s a nice re-design. It feels modern, and I guess if they had to update it (though I really think the Vignelli logo could and should have stuck around longer) it’s a great new look. However, I will say – that tail is garish. You’re already called American Airlines, no need to paint the flag everywhere. I really do suggest browsing the website above and watching the video, as it looks like they are instituting tons of other updates to the look of their signage, website, etc.

 

So what do you think? Did they need an update? Did they nail it? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Until Next Time,

-RachelAnn

Update from the 210

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Below is what I tried to post earlier from my phone. Obviously, there were some hiccups, so here’s what I tried to say:

The drive to Texas was mostly uneventful, but we did have some interesting bouts of fog. You can see pictures of the great journey on instagram. Since we got in it’s been a whirlwind of family, friends, food and fun. And we aren’t done yet 🙂

In other news, I’m posting from my phone because my laptop now refuses to stay on if I open the internet. Hooray! Luckily I’m not dependent on that laptop after buying my desktop, but I am out of luck this trip. So, if you’d like to stay up to date on the comings and goings in Texas, instagram will have to be the source.

Any way, hope you all are happy and well this holiday season, and maybe thinking about your new years resolutions already. I know I am. Merry Christmas, happy holidays!

Since then Mr. RAD and I have been gifted with a new laptop, so my silly 2006 macbook pro can stay in its sleeve and think about what it’s done, while I tell you what’s happened since Christmas eve.

Christmas eve was good times, we spent time with the family, had a hilarious night of white elephant and desserts after church, and then spent the rest of the evening playing dominoes at my parents’ house with my brother and sister in law. Christmas was also great, and I got an especially lovely gift from Mr. RAD – the rose gold watch I have been pining over on Pinterest. It’s slightly different than that one, but pretty close.

Since then it’s pretty much been hanging out with people we haven’t seen in over a year, and trying to decide what to do for new year’s here in SA. Suggestions are welcome 🙂 We should be headed back to the Sunshine State just after New Year’s so check back then for more design work and updates on RachelAnnDesign.com and such.

Until next time,
-RachelAnn

 

P.S. Way to make it though the 13th baktun everyone! The Mayan calendar may not have predicted the end of the world, but their art and body paint certainly is beautiful.

maya

 

Google Analytics – AKA Am I Crazy?

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I feel like I’ve been to every forum post about how to get Google Analytics to fix the “Tracking Not Installed” bug for my Cargo Collective Site, including the Cargo Collective help page. I have re-installed the tracking code more times than I can count, yet my GA page still tells me “Tracking Not Installed”. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, but I can tell you it was quite the surprise to open up Google Analytics this morning, see a still flat line and lots of zero’s staring me in the face when I KNOW people went to my site yesterday from this very blog.

So I got suspicious, sure enough the tracking code was MIA on the site. Like I said I tried installing it in multiple locations on the site, nothing as of yet. I suppose I could wait the 24 hours it says it may need, but I can’t understand how it hasn’t at least changed to tell me it’s pulling data. I know it’s updated and checked for the code multiple times since I started messing with it.

Anyone with suggestions will receive a bright shining smile from me. Please help if you can!

In other news, I’m going to be taking my real camera with me to Texas so as to take some real photos again. It has been FOREVER since I have taken photos for real, but shooting my little DIY projects yesterday was actually kind of fun. So, I hope ot be posting some fun photos from the road here very soon. We are leaving for Mr. RAD’s grandparent’s house tomorrow (they are just up the road a few hours in central Florida). We’ll stay there over night, and then head toward TX on Sunday. It’s going to be interesting with the tortoise and dog in the car together. Expect photos of that 🙂 But to tide you over until that happy occasion here is a site I plan on seeing very soon, if not from this vantage point.

downtown

Until Next Time,

-RachelAnn