Lifestyle & Aesthetic

I listened to Karen O the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Discography and these are the songs I added to my playlist

By |2024-01-05T17:51:48-05:00January 5, 2024|Graphic & Print Design, Lifestyle & Aesthetic|

I've always grabbed singles from Karen O, lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs — with "Zero" as one of my all-time favorite songs. But, I'd never played through all of her music until this roundup. I was pleasantly surprised by the consistency of her sound. It's raw without feeling chaotic. She sings about dark and light topics, often simultaneously. The topics may be moody but, the beats are easy to play in the car. In an interview with Loud and Quiet, Karen O discussed her solo album Crush Songs — giving insight into her style and process. “I was [...]

Dreaming New Dreams

By |2023-09-23T15:35:29-04:00September 30, 2023|Lifestyle & Aesthetic|

There's a way that we should write. It starts with an outline. With an outline, it's easy to decide on the point of the thing you're writing. I recently had a birthday (36). It's not a particular round and important number for a birthday. I made myself a little promise, one of those head-on-pillow, sleepy-yet-ambitious promises, to write more. This is silly, I tell myself. I write constantly. I write all day every day. I write for a living. Most of it is what you would call "copy". Strictly work. I take on the voices and brand guides quite well. [...]

An Unfiltered Life

By |2023-07-29T18:50:38-04:00September 29, 2023|Lifestyle & Aesthetic|

In these essays, I challenge myself to write dangerously — focused on the ideas and feelings at the time. I set them aside, for publishing later. So, the events detailed in the essays do not always correlate with the date they are released on my website.  I just participated in an event with my extended family and my parent's friends. People who have known me my whole life (and about whom I am generally neutral). At least, I actively engage with them in neutral ways. Maybe we disagree on politics or lead different lifestyles but, I generally don't interact with [...]

I’m Betting on Marsala for Fall (Pantone Color of the Year from 2015)

By |2023-09-23T15:35:03-04:00September 25, 2023|Graphic & Print Design, Lifestyle & Aesthetic|

Call it the Meg Ryan effect. Or perhaps it was Rachel from Friends? Streaming episodes of the short-lived My So Called Life?  We've been warming up to richer, chocolately tones for several seasons. Each fall, the variations become a little redder — recalling the lipsticks of my youth. At the same time, desert tones are with us for the long haul, as vintage styles and thrifty buying habits resurrect muted tones of decades past. From a color theory perspective, red and brown have somewhat opposite meanings. In combination, a reddish-brown creates tension and mystery — while also feeling grounded. Marsala [...]

Autumn Color Ideas for Web Design Projects

By |2023-09-17T17:27:58-04:00September 17, 2023|Lifestyle & Aesthetic|

Something about autumn has a touch of nostalgia or maybe it's anemoia. Each falling leaf and each chilly morning, awakens a different energy. Perhaps it's just the behavioral pattern of "back to school" ingrained in me over 12 years of childhood. Maybe it's just the movement of the sun a little further away and more dangerous. Autumn Color Ideas for Web Design Projects When I create these color roundups, I use hex codes because I tend to work most in web design. That's the core of the work I do with my Lynchburg advertising group. If you’re designing in Canva [...]

Aster Flower Meaning

By |2023-06-27T12:08:52-04:00September 1, 2023|Lifestyle & Aesthetic|

I was delighted to find that my birth month flower came in one of my favorite colors. The aster flower meaning is mostly associated with charm, wisdom and named after the star goddess Astrea. Asters are native to Eurasia and North America. Their name comes from the Greek word for star because of the petal's shape. They are a composite flower - growing in clusters at the top of a stem. Historically, they were used as medicinal herbs for treating headaches, colds, hangovers, and epilepsy as well as decongestants for the lungs. Myths + Stories The ancient Greeks used to [...]

Would You Really Go Back If You Could?

By |2023-07-29T18:24:25-04:00August 29, 2023|Lifestyle & Aesthetic|

In these essays, I challenge myself to write dangerously — focused on the ideas and feelings at the time. I set them aside, for publishing later. So, the events detailed in the essays do not always correlate with the date they are released on my website.  I’ve been thinking about time travel. My renewed interest began when I read Before the Coffee Gets Cold By Toshikazu Kawaguchi. The story hit me at a particular time, a season of inventorying and evaluating my life.  Before the Coffee Gets Cold Overview From the opening lines, the story roots the fantasy and science [...]

I was surprised to learn the meaning behind gladiolus flowers

By |2023-06-27T10:52:13-04:00August 1, 2023|Lifestyle & Aesthetic|

I have a recreational interest in word meanings and grow particularly excited when the etymology is on-the-nose. Learning about the Gladiolus flower meaning gave me that thrill. The flowers grow from a spike-shaped stem. The word "gladiolus" is related to latin and greek words that mean "sword" — think "gladiator". I've read that they were used in ancient celebrations for warriors as spike-shapes in the floral displays. Through this association, the flower has become associated with honor and remembrance. It's a memorial flower with meaning related to strength of character, faithfulness, sincerity, and integrity. The History of the Gladiolus In [...]

All the Instagram-Unfriendly Things We Ate this Summer

By |2023-07-29T18:12:33-04:00July 29, 2023|Lifestyle & Aesthetic|

This summer, my husband traveled with the Army Reserve — like he has most summers. (For those who say AT is only supposed to be 2 weeks, I can't recall such a summer since he joined.) When he told me the schedule, I marked it on our shared Outlook calendar and began planning. Most of my son's and I's life is already arranged around my husband's time away. I have childcare in place while I work and a play area set up beside my desk for emergency edits. I have family members with keys in case my five-year-old accidentally locks [...]

Introducing The Shop Shop

By |2024-05-15T10:01:34-04:00July 10, 2023|Lifestyle & Aesthetic|

This post is for anyone who needs help with their store. Whether you're selling online, through events, or in a brick-and-mortar location, our Lynchburg Marketing Agency can help. What is The Shop Shop? In short, The Shop Shop is a Lynchburg Marketing Agency for makers, estores, and retailers. I'm Danielle Verderame, and this is my agency. The Shop Shop turns things up a notch for me. This agency focuses my 15-year marketing career and 5-year freelance business (Verderame, LLC) into a boutique agency. And it’s all focused on retail. I’ve brought together a small team that specializes in marketing services [...]

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