Where to even start?

The last time I posted to my blog I was still a student at SUU, struggling through the swamp of homework and drowning in the anxiety that is a final semester of my baccalaureate career. Well, good news sports fans! I passed with flying colors and am officially a graduate, even if I don't have the classic photo of me in a black flowing robe with a pointed cap on my head, shaking hands with the President of the University. That will all come in due time, May-ish.
However, life doesn't stop getting interesting for this girl! Just to give you a fun time-line of my life the last two weeks, let's start with Friday of last week. I officially had my last final on Thursday and Friday I drove to SLC for interviews. I was there Friday and then came back for the weekend. Monday I was back up again for interviews, meeting up with old mission comrades and preparing for Tuesday's interviews.
Tuesday came and left with a LOT of running around, but also having the greatest opportunity of my professional career (more details to follow) Wednesday I was offered the perfect position for me and promptly went on a mad search for housing (seeing as how I start on Friday of this week). So in one week ALL of this happened :)
I couldn't be happier.
So, who is the lucky company to have acquired me? DaVinci Virtual! I had a phone interview over Thanksgiving, interview on Friday in person and then a call back for Tuesday. At the 3rd interview, they offered me a position better suited for me and I accepted it Wednesday morning. I'm so excited to start working with them! The company is legit, fantastic and growing like crazy. I'm very lucky.
But isn't that how it goes? You work like everything depends on you and pray like everything depends on God and look what happens! Tutto a posto. :) Everything lands in its place.

Vegas Baby!

This post is dedicated to my very first Vegas trip. Sure I'm a senior and this was WAY overdue, but I wouldn't have chosen my first time to have happened any other way.

The trip was for a missionary farewell! My dearest friend Hillary Ashman has been called to serve in the Rome, Italy mission. Naturally, I'm completely excited for her to go! Sure, it's not Milan, but if I had to choose a second place winner for best mission in the world, I would choose Rome :).

Hillary drove down in her trusty beetle bug, named Heimlich, and we spent Saturday, Sunday, Monday and the wee hours of Tuesday having a blast!

The pictures posted are just a fraction of the ones we actually took. I used my super handy cell phone to snap these priceless images. I had always wanted to see an Elvis impersonator in

real life. Super feathery show girls? They were

just icing on the cake!

By far my very favorite part was the Belagio water show. The first song was "time to say goodbye" and was sung in Italian. How perfect is that? My obsession with everything Italian is still alive and thriving even though it's been nearly 7 months since I last stepped foot in that blessed country. Don't judge me if I cried a little during the show, you probably would have too!

While in Vegas, I learned something about human nature. As I walked the strip with my friends, I observed the people around me and realized that most of them had no fear of anything. Maybe it's just the peculiar atmosphere of Vegas that prompts this fearlessness or maybe it's because that is how you are supposed to act in Vegas. People walking around with gigantic drinks in their hands, major public displays of affection and to top it off, the feeling of "anything goes because we're in Vegas baby!"

The trip wasn't like I expected it to be, but it was fun all the same. The strip is a carnival...that's the best term for it. There is everything and more available and for those like me who go to see the sights and spend our money at H&M or Sephora, it's a great experience.

SUU in the Fall

For all of its brutal winters and sweltering summers, southern Utah really makes up for everything in the Fall.

I took this picture today while getting out of class and honestly, the changing leaves just breath taking. Walking around campus brings back fond memories of crisp apple cider from Roper's barn and getting ready to go trick-or-treating with my family.

It's amazing how such the simple, organic occurrence of colors changing on trees and the air gaining more chill can bring back so many feelings and memories of growing up. This makes me reflect on where I've been in October's past. Last year, it was Milan, Italy. The one before that it was Provo, Utah and the 3 before that were spent in Cedar City, Utah. Going any further back would take me to Fillmore and all the football games spent shivering under a blanket while watching the Millard Eagles score yet another touch down.

Where were you? Do you remember what made this time of year special for you? Was it the joy of watching your kids getting free candy and thinking trick-or-treating was the greatest invention man ever created? Or was it spent worrying sick over your midterms and wondering how in the world you're ever going to make rent that month. Whatever it is, tell me about it. October is a spectacular month and by far one of my very favorites. So, pour yourself some spiced cider, sit back and reminisce over your October's past and start typing.

Chivalry is not dead

The question has been raised recently if chivalry is dead. Is the gentleman still among us or has he vacated the premises due to fear of feminist rioters? Chivalry was once thought of as a natural way of life and now it seems that it has been shunned and viewed as demeaning.
I am here to make the argument that not only is chivalry alive and well, it's also highly desired!
As I walk on campus, I usually see people talking on their cell phones or blocking out everything around them with their iPods, but even with all these distractions, not a day goes by that some very nice man opens the door for me. This usually happens more than once and always by different men.
I feel like I don't have words adequate to state how wonderful this makes me feel. It's so simple! Opening a door for a complete stranger? Who even thinks that this would make an impact on somebodies day? Well let me tell you, it's fabulous and I'm forever grateful for the men who politely do common acts of kindness with no thought of reward or recognition in return. Thank you men of Southern Utah University. You are truly fantastic.

Dessert Night!

Every Sunday is officially Dessert Night at my house. This all started when I moved to Provo in May and learned how very social everyone is up there! My best friend Hillary was the queen of the social scene and lucky for me, some of her royal skills rubbed off!

This book, 101 Gourmet Cookies for Everyone, is by Wendy Paul. You may have noticed that I did a book trailer for this very book earlier this year. Well, it's a fantastic book and has so far been a huge hit! Thanks Wendy!



The night's bakers were myself, Mickey and Fletcher. This lovely lady to the right is Mickey, observing a teeny-tiny cookie! In all honesty, it was a misplaced dollop, but all the same was super cute and super tiny!

Fletcher was all smiles as we learned from the master cookie maker Wendy Paul! Honestly, who couldn't be happy making chocolate chip cookies?



The dough was just right and so very tasty. We may have put a few extra chocolate chips in, but I think it turned out pretty good! The first picture only shows a few cookies, but that was all that were left over! The cookies were a hit and dessert night continues. I'm not sure what it will be next time. Any ideas? I'm up for baking just about anything as long as I get a good recipe!

We are at midterms ladies and gentlemen!

Wow, what a semester it has been so far! Full of studying, party organizing and surprises of course.

My classes are going great. So far I've been a writing fiend for my Technical Writing class. Somehow, my professor has managed to turn a potentially tedious and boring class into something marvelous. Everything is relevant to the students and our projects are graded on a very professional basis. I love her! She has been a great influence for my final capstone project.

The capstone project? 20-25 pages of pure, glorious research and top notch writing. I've chosen a the Theory of Uncertainty-Reduction. Unsure of what that could be all about? No worries, I'll post a summary of it later when I get it all written.

Those are only two of my 18 credit classes, but one of the most beneficial classes is Advertising. It's also one of my very favorites! The professors at SUU are different than most professors. My classes are small and very intimate. For example, my advertising professor asked that we call him Ben. Simple and easy. He actually remembers my name and those of my fellow classmates when we run into each other on campus. It's not just him either, ALL of my professors do that. I like SUU. It's very personable and well, excellent education.

Ok, enough of the free advertisement for the university! What I really wanted to talk about was our latest and greatest ad campaign! It's a hypothetical ad for wite-out and had to be incorporated into a social media. While I'd love nothing more than to post it right now, it has yet to be graded...so I'm going to hold off until there is no possible chance of someone using our idea! Sorry!

Anyway, in other news, I'm involved in the yoga club on campus, the guitar club and I've started up a dessert night every Sunday at my house where I try out delicious recipes. Next on my list, get a calling! Goodness! It's harder than you'd think apparently!

All in all, life is good!

Kayla

End of an internship, not an adventure.

As many of you may know, my interning days at Cedar Fort Inc. are over. Sad, I know, but I enjoyed every minute of my internship! Sheralyn is fantastic and a great mentor.
However, now I'm in my last semester at SUU (Southern Utah University) and am learning even more about the fabulous world of publishing! Sure, it now comes in the form of advertising, writing, theory and management classes, but none the less is will be of great use to you I'm sure. Who wouldn't want to be constantly learning and improving without paying the fees of college? So, vicariously, you will be following me through the next couple of months as I make my way through 18 credits of pure, focused communication classes. It will be an adventure...will I survive? That is the question.

Lights! Camera! Action! Project: Stalk Lake City casting call!

Since I had such a fun time making the casting call for Rhea, I decided to make one for the 4 other main characters in the book "Welcome to Stalk Lake City" by Sheralyn Pratt. Kathryn, Ben, Andy and Ty are so fantastic and trying to find people who could even come close to portraying them was no easy task. I hope you all love it and get even more excited for the 2nd installment in the Rhea Jensen Series!

Lights! Camera! Action! Project: 101 Gourmet Cookies for Everyone!

This is the video made with the official photos in the book "101 Cookies for Everyone". This video is by far my very favorite thus far and was fun to make.



What do you think? Ready for a cookie? I am. Wendy Paul! Cedar Fort Office asap with some cookie magic!!

The Lights! Camera! Action! Project: Rhea Jensen casting call

As many of you may know, I'm mildly obsessed with "The Rhea Jensen Series" by Sheralyn Pratt. Yes, maybe you're thinking that I'm an intern and it's my obligation to say that all the books that Cedar Fort publishes are the best, that's not true for me. I just so happened to land a fantastic internship where there is genuine talent and excellent publications.
I was given the excellent assignment to create a casting call for who I thought should land the lead role for Rhea Jensen herself. It not only helps me picture her, but it will help you too. So, here it is!




What do you think? Is this what you think Rhea looks like? My vote is hands down for Missy. She won my vote after Stick It. Love that girl! Anyway, tell me what you think.

Lights! Camera! Action! Project: 101 Gourmet Cookies for Everyone final video.

This is the final video for the Wendy Paul gourmet cookie photo shoot. It's been through many a redraft and the critics were incredibly helpful! In the end, I think this is the perfect version and I couldn't be happier with it. Any thoughts from you?

The Lights! Camera! Action! Project: CFI at BEA New York.

My instructions for this video were "make it fun". Sheralyn Pratt was my camera woman as she and others at CFI embarked on a fantastic trip to New York City to take our books to the world! So, as inspiration, I turned to one of my favorite movies "Stick It" and created a video with Fall Out Boy as the "fun" element. What better way to put the fun into a convention than Fall Out Boy's Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year?!



If you aren't rocking out by now, my goodness you are hopeless!

The Lights! Camera! Action! Project: Dizzy Fantastic

This second video I made was for the "Dizzy Fantastic and Her Flying Bicycle" by Andy Hueller. Admittedly, this isn't my most proud moment in video making, but it is a work in progress and we are working on a new script.



This book is cute and deserves a video that really portrays the story the way it deserves. This isn't it yet, but it is a start.

The Lights! Camera! Action! Project

This entry is dedicated to videos and the magic they possess. This video was made for the incredible and delectable cookbook "Table for One" by Camille Funk. This woman is a genius. I couldn't get my hands on this book fast enough and it seemed the perfect book for a first video project.



Here is a little background information on me when it comes to making videos. I am a Broadcasting major at SUU and was an anchorperson for SUTV news for 2 semesters. While doing this I planned, shot and edited my own news packages. Nothing fancy, nothing special, strictly news. So, making fun and exciting videos is mostly out of my area of expertise, but with incredible support from Sheralyn Pratt and my unconquerable desire to own the publishing market, I have started the "Light! Camera! Action!" project. The desired outcome? Videos that you want to watch over and over again.
Your comments are especially welcome and your critics priceless. So enjoy!

Honesty

So, I tried getting into the last book I was working on reading, but honestly, I just couldn't. Sorry if you were holding your breath while I attempted to finish it. It didn't keep my attention at all. Maybe it's just not my style or maybe there are so many other INCREDIBLE books out there to read!

Example: The Diet Rebel's Cookbook: Eating Clean and Green.

At first glance, I thought "oh great, another book to tell me I can eat whatever I want and never gain an inch because of blah blah blah". However, this clever, witty and all-around fabulous cook book is so much more! I have always wanted to find that perfect book to teach me how to eat healthy and the added benefits of doing so without turning me into a rabbit or a tofu-only-girl.
The Diet Rebel's Cookbook gives you facts, tried and true techniques and the research made user-friendly. The recipes are good for a student/intern like me with a limited budget (not limited imagination) who wants to make something incredible and not just hit up Taco-Bell every night. While in all honesty, the lack of pictures is disappointing for a visual learner like me, the content more than makes up for it! So far, I adore this book and get excited to look for organic products and start feeling even more fantastic.

So, if you are wanting to get back on track soul, body and diet or are just looking for some added elements to make your already healthy life-style a little more exciting, this is the perfect book for you.

Currently reading....

I am currently engrossed in "The Savvy Author's Guide To Book Publicity". I should be finished relatively soon and when I do I will be posting a review to let you know if it's really worth your time to check it out. I hope you all like the music! I'm a music fan and work my best with tunes.

Cheers!

Kayla the Intern

Website Do's and Don'ts

Everyone likes an amazing website. Something simple, but eye-catchy. Something user friendly, but still high-tech. Being online isn’t really an option anymore, it’s a must. That is why my focus this past week has been websites. I’m Kayla the Intern, and today’s post is all about what you need to do to make your website is not only effective, but awesome!

When I received this assignment I was told to just jump from one website to the next and only stop if I liked it. If I stayed, I was instructed to write down why. If I left, I noted why, so now I have a pretty inclusive list of what makes the winners beat out the losers online.

The winning websites had a couple things in common: videos, color schemes and fun extras.

First off, videos

They don’t need to be big productions. In fact, one of my favorites was on Mr. James Patterson’s site. Http://www.jamespatterson.com/index.php

He has great elements to his website. His picture is there in plain sight, full of personality, but not overbearing. The video starts right off the bat and it’s just him, talking about his book with some background sound. Genius! He has his books on the side with information and plus there are prizes involved! His website has a main color that again, isn’t overbearing and it makes all the other white on his page work. Another great feature? The tabs to move around his website are all at the top. (Ex. Books, Community, About James, etc.) They are always at the top, easy to spot and easy to use. This is important because no matter how cool you think it is to have your tabs on the side or bottom, or anywhere else (one had them on a tree like structure) it’s never as good as the classic bar-across-the-top. The more obvious to use it is, the more likely people will stay.

Which leads into my next example of what NOT to do: http://www.hevanet.com/sharan/levendeur/index.html

Sure it has the books, the background isn’t entirely plain white, but there are no movies, no pictures of the author, no easy tabs (in case you couldn’t find them either, they are at the tippy top) and the layout is no fun at all.

Up next: Color Schemes

Color is essential. I’ve done a little background searching on what colors signify and from my blog you will see I chose to do it in green. I did that because green is perfect for a “green intern” like myself! However, depending on your style of writing and your preference of how you want to be seen, be careful about what colors you use. It’s worth your while to check out what colors go together and which ones don’t, so I am including a fun site to help you.

Http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/color/a/symbolism.htm

Love at First Sight

While bouncing along in my website search, I found a site I just fell in love with. It is for a photography book and the colors she chose were perfect in my opinion. Http://www.tracyraver.com/index2.php

The tabs are easy to spot and use, the slideshows are instant and the music fits what she does.

But for you bloggers, here is one for you!

Http://www.wendypaulcreations.com/

Wendy Paul has a beautiful header, good borders and colored text on a white background all of which matches. She has videos, recipes and all the important things on the same side one right after the other. Definite A+.

I’ll Pass, Thank You

With every up there is a down, so let’s give you the example of what NOT to do: http://www.unknowncountry.com/

Keep in mind that not everything done was wrong, just that over all it’s boring. There’s nothing eye catching and while it seems simple enough to use, I didn’t want to because it looked unprofessional and not worth my time. Harsh? Probably, but remember how cool those other websites were?

And then for the bloggers:

http://www.stinalindenblatt.com/

Colors and pictures are essential, but making them too bold hurts the viewers eyes. That’s why I quickly left this one, even when I was really attracted to the title. It was way too dark and dramatic.

Last but certainly not least: Fun extras!!

Who doesn’t love getting something for nothing? Or at least relatively little work? I can’t think of anybody who wouldn’t jump at the chance of a free book, water bottle or discount coupon for simply filling out a rating system or opinion poll!

With Andy Andrews’ site, I was all about the discounts. There are packages, discounts and news all from the author.

Http://www.andyandrews.com/

Awkward Can Be Good?

Check out the “Awkward Family Photos” book. While the content is a little on the strange and humiliating side, this site made me laugh and got me interested in the book! They have contests, prizes and at the same time are advertising movies.

Http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

The losers on this topic were pretty easy to spot, they had no contests of polls or extras of any sort. So if you want to win, just add a fun extra. Simple as that!

Kayla’s Conclusion:

1. Videos are fun and a must.

2. Study up on colors and make them non only eye pleasing, but eye catching.

3. Make your site fun! Add in a contest, special deal or opinion poll.

4. Have fun with this! Creating is your life and passion so start helping others want to explore what you've worked so hard to make.

I hope that you not only learned something that will help you, but that now you are now opening a new window to start putting knowledge into action!

Coming up soon: Websites do's and don'ts

Hey you busy authors! I have good news. My current assignment is making a compilation of the do's and don'ts of your websites. Websites are SUPER important and so easily botched. So, stay tuned for this weekend!