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Not Your Average Gal

Not Your Average Gal

Copywriter. Content Creator. Constant Sassypants.

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Archives for October 2012

How to be creative and cheap on Halloween!

October 31, 2012 By Caroline Peterson

 

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Halloween!  It’s my favorite holiday.  Yes, it’s a holiday.  It’s way better than any awkward political discussion during Thanksgiving.

This year, since we’ve moved and are still working on somewhat of a social life, we don’t have any Halloween parties to go to or costume contests to enter. <insert sad face>  But I told My Main Squeeze I didn’t care if I sat on the couch in my costume eating chips and salsa…dressing up for Halloween was going to happen.

Problem is…Medical school is expensive.  Not pulling in the income I once did sure hits the wallet too.

To remain in budget, we talked and decided we needed to choose between carving pumpkins or creating costumes.

It was a tough Halloween discussion  ya’ll.  

But in the end, I decided that pumpkin seeds will come and go…but photos last forever!

May I present to you our $1.00 The Price is Right costumes:

Yeah.  You read it right. I created that puppy for $1.00!  One dollar.  Uno dollar-o.  …or something.

With my infinite Halloween knowledge, I discovered this wonderful site:  Coolest Homemade Costumes.  A couple years ago I remember seeing a hilarious costume on there for The Price is Right contestant. I’m not sure this is the same exact picture but you get the idea:

So cool!  Well done! I knew that this year considering our time crunch, lack of social gatherings and lack of funds, I should make this costume too!  I just needed to take a different route than the Showcase Showdown in the above picture to save some $. Which is why I decided to just do the “Come on dooowwwwn, you’re the next contestant on the Price is Right!” part.

So how did I make it for $1.00?  EASY!

Things you’ll need:

1 poster board

Yellow and green construction paper

Scissors

Glue

Black marker

Yarn

Duct tape

I had everything else besides the poster at home, as most crafty nerds do.  So I only needed to buy the poster board – which was 2 for $1.  So I have an extra poster laying around here…  Maybe I’ll make a costume with it for the Bax-man!

Then again, maybe not…

Cut the poster board in half and use the separate pieces for each contestant.  Cut out your green backgrounds, yellow numbers and yellow name tags.  Glue all the necessary pieces.  Duct tape the yarn on the back the poster and use it to put the nametag on your shirt too.  Write out your names.  Grab you Main Squeeze away from the medical school books.  Direct him to look super excited.  Set the timer on the camera and Wah-lah!  

Happy Halloween!

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: cheap, costume, Halloween, on a budget, The Price is Right

What inspires you?

October 24, 2012 By Caroline Peterson

It happens to all of us.  During our monotonous days and endless to do lists – our minds begin to wander.  We daydream of places we want to go or things that make us laugh. It happens.  And thank God it does!  Can you imagine our boring our lives would be without inspiration?  It keeps us going.

Lately, I’ve found inspiration in my (new) Florida surroundings. It’s still hard and often surreal to think that I live here…and that it’s October!

There’s no way it’s October…

It got me thinking about the things that inspire me.  I ran through inspirational figures to small everyday moments that left me smiling and humbled.

Buuuuuut basically, it all boiled down to the only thing I find inspirational on a Monday morning:

Don’t judge.

I could fill this post with the little things to the more poignant things that inspire me. But I want to hear from you!

What inspires you?

Filed Under: Musings, Soapbox Tagged With: Florida, inspiration, inspirational, Michigan, Starbucks

Friday Funny: Hilarious Commercials

October 19, 2012 By Caroline Peterson

I used to email my friends and family a Friday Funny newsletter that contained jokes or links to funny articles and videos.  Social Media sort of ruined that because they most likely had already seen or read the funny already.  See, there are disadvantages to social media – it totally ruins my stand up routine!

So, I thought I would bring back the Friday Funny and incorporate it here!

This week, let’s take a look at hilarious commercials.  Each commercial is only 30 seconds, so smiling won’t take up too much of your time!  And smiling is always worth it.  Smiling is my favorite.

Geico’s “Happier than…” campaign:

“I’m gonna stand up to her.”  “No you’re not.”  “I know.”

“Does your cauliflower have a big carbon footprint?”  “Melooooons!”

Well done, Geico. Simple.  Brilliant.  Hilarious.

BMW:

“Mummy, what is neu-ter-ing?”

 The Eagelman:

Okay, this one is unintentionally funny.  If you lived in the Chicago area during the early 90’s you surely remember this Eagleman commercial. (My pops lived in Chicago, that’s why I know this one.) It’s a classic.

“I’ve got something for yoouuuuuuu.”

Tell me what some of your favorite commercials are!  Also, if you have any ideas or funnies (is that a word…?) you want to send me for future Friday Funnies (there’s that words again…) just send them to my email here:

email

Happy Friday!

 

Filed Under: Funny, Musings, Soapbox

Social Media: Companies That Get It

October 15, 2012 By Caroline Peterson

Remember when our parents warned us about the evils of social networking?  It’s the downward spiral of society!  Soon we won’t know how to maintain a relationship outside of a computer!  They had major concerns.  Albeit, some were legitimate.  Perhaps you should take down that picture of you bonging a beer at a frat party, friend…?  But mostly, people were concerned because they didn’t understand it fully.  There’s so much fear in the unknown.

But now…  Whew.  Now go to any job board and you’ll see plenty of job openings requesting people who know the ins and out of social media.  Even the good ol’ boy companies are finally getting it.  They can actually see purpose-driven results in posting a blog, maintaining a Facebook account and engaging their customers on Twitter.  Heck, even my future in-law sent me an email telling me about this fancy thing called: LinkedIn!  It was really quite sweet.

So how does your company make a lasting impression (for better or worse) on your customers and thus, help your bottom line?  Simple:  acknowledge them!

The following is a very brief list of how great, clued-in companies use social media to their benefit.

1.  Be present.

It’s pretty simple.  If I don’t know your company exists, then I won’t be visiting your store, viewing your television show, buying your product, etc.  This means more than being able to Google and find your phone number.  The business mainstay for years has been that word of mouth is the best way to bring in customers.  Consider social networking your new word of mouth! Whether you like it or not a vast majority of people would rather point and click than search and pick up a phone.  People want to see your product and read about your company – it leaves less room for misinterpretation.  That means your details need to be readily available on your website, Twitter or Facebook.  If I have to pick up a phone to figure out what your hours are, I will very quickly forget about your business and choose a similar one who my friend liked on Facebook.  See how that new word of mouth thing works?

2.  You followed us?  Thanks!

I recently moved to Florida and have used Twitter and Facebook to find different fun activities I can do while exploring my new area.  After learning that Ft. Lauderdale was the “Venice of America” (who knew?) I heard about these wonderful things called water taxis.  I hit the Google box.  Discovered Ft. Lauderdale Water Taxi.  Followed them on Twitter.  Received this nice message in my inbox:

Boom.  That was easy.  Was it most likely an auto-bot response? Yeah.  But it was nice to be recognized for following them.  Clearly, it left me with enough of an impression that I think of them anytime someone visits us and wants to explore the “Venice of America”.  Hook.  Line.  Sinker.  You got me as a customer now.

3. Taking 2 seconds to discover your customer will benefit both of you.

Before we moved, I began following @visitlauderdale so I could find out about fun events in our area.  The brilliant social media guru who runs that account saw they had a new follower (me).  Took 2 seconds to look at my profile and see my recent tweets.  Saw from my profile that I was vegan-ish.  (Really big emphasis on the ish…) Saw from recent tweets that I was moving to Florida.  They then tweeted me and told me about a great vegetarian/vegan restaurant in the area I should try out when I move to town.

 

 

↓↑

 

Cross promotion.

Do you see how that works, folks? I am now a paying customer and follower to both.  That extra 2 seconds = costumer loyalty. Brilliant.

4. Respond. Respond. Respond.

Sure, you’re busy.  Everyone is.  But if a customer calls you to either complain or compliment your company, do you simply remain quiet on your end of the line?  Of course not!  (And if you do, your business surely won’t last during this knee-jerk reaction of online complainers.)  The same goes for social media!

I have a deep love for Bloody Mary’s.  And they love me.  While living in Detroit, I discovered the amazing, local McClure’s Bloody Mary mix.  I must have talked about it a lot because when I moved, a dear friend and her husband gave us a CASE of McClures.  If you think I’m joking, check out what happened next.

I tweeted McClures and told them how we considered this new case of Bloody Mary’s precious cargo on our way down to Florida.  They saw and loved it so much they responded with many re-tweets and even posted it on their Facebook page.

 

Look ma’, I’m famous!  They even re-posted one of my blogs they enjoyed months later to their own page!

A few of my friends took notice and guess what?  McClure’s just gained a bigger customer base.  And I’ve very quickly become a conosuier of Bloody Mary mix — I pretty much complain about the taste of anything else but McClure’s mix.

Speaking of complaining, while My Main Squeeze has threatened many times to create a Twitter account simply to complain about services (empty threats get you nowhere, my dear) that is the perfect opportunity for a company to turn around a bad situation.

I fly a lot.  And I’m really hoping those miles come in handy when we get married overseas next summer… Delta is my go-to airline mostly because that’s who I’ve racked up the most points with and their hubs are in Detroit and Minneapolis, both cities that I have family located.  When it became apparent that my grandmother’s health was quickly declining, I bought a last minute plane ticket so I could see her and share her last birthday with her.  The ticket was so last minute that I didn’t have a seat assignment.  All of us regular business travelers know what that means…overbooked. <wah. waaaaaaaah.>  I know your trickery, Delta and I’m not going to put up with it!

So did what any normal, passive aggressive person would do.  I took to Twitter.

A (social media) agent responded within the day asking for my Flight and Confirmation #’s.  I gave him/her both and quickly had a response that I was all set.

I don’t know if the agent had the means to get me a seat or check to see if the flight was, in fact, full.  But needless to say, I got to the airport, had a seat and got to celebrate my grandmother’s last birthday with her. This act did not go unrecognized.  I thanked Delta on Twitter to make sure my followers saw and I now go to their website first before booking through major travel websites.

Somebody simply responded to me.  That’s it.  They may not have even touched the magical “get Caroline a seat” button.  But they responded.  Half the battle, my friends.

5. Talk about social media!

Engage your clientele by telling them you have a blog, Facebook  or Twitter account.  Seriously.  It can be that easy.  Being present (go back to #1) is key to this step.  In your newsletter, direct them to your Twitter account and you’ve built yourself a great, dynamic customer base.  Especially if you offer free products by simply asking people to “Like” your page on Facebook…  Thanks Target!

Core3Solutions provides tons of updates about social media trends via Twitter and Facebook.  The irony isn’t lost on me…   Here’s a great blog about maintaining your social media presence in minutes a day: http://core3solutions.com/web/blog/online-marketing/social-media-marketing-in-minutes-a-day/  Constantly talking about social media creates the notion that it’s necessary for your company to be involved in the social media machine (and it is!) and gives your customers a chance to see that you actually are!

 

So aside from the pictures you’ve posted after winning the Jello wrestling championship years ago, social media can be a huge advantage to you.  Be sure you stay on top of its ever-changing ways and you’ll be doing you and your customers a great service.  If you have any questions about increasing your web presence, use my contact form to ask me and/or give me your best suggestions in the handy-dandy comments section below!

Just remember, Twitter’s very own tagline is quite simple: Find out what’s happening, right now, with the people and organizations you care about.  

Do you want to be a part of that? 

Psst…the answer should be yes.

 

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: blog, blogging, Core3Solutions, Delta, Facebook, Florida, Ft. Lauderdale, McClure's, networking, social media, social networking, twitter

Halloween Candy Corn Decorations

October 13, 2012 By Caroline Peterson

Anyone who knows me, knows I love Halloween.  Some may even say I <heart> it.  That’s about as far as you’ll get me using teenage internet lingo for the day…  I mean, I even convinced My Main Squeeze to dress up as a Garden Gnome for Halloween a few years ago.  THAT’S how much I <heart> Halloween.  He’s so good to me.


Uh oh.  I did the <heart> thing again.

So last Halloween, when I saw how easy this project was, I immediately headed to Joann Fabrics and scooped up the few materials I would need to put my own spin on the project.  This is a very easy project and even kid friendly. (If they are old enough to use a glue gun…no lawsuits here!)

How to make Halloween Candy Corn Decorations

This is what you’ll need:

Styrofoam or foam cones

Yarn

Hot glue gun

Start at the base of the cone and work your way up with the varying yarn colors.  Use the glue gun at the start and end of each new color of yarn by holding it down until you can’t feel the tip of your finger anymore.  Jokes.  Just hold it as long as it needs to stay down on it’s own.  Shouldn’t take long because, you know, you’re using glue.  You can also use the glue sparingly in between sections as you feel you need it.  Be careful using too much hot glue.  For 1) OUCH! and 2) you can melt the foam if you use too much in one place.  When you get to the top of the cone (if it is a flat-topped cone), just swirl the yarn around in a flat circle so it covers the top completely.

That’s it.

No, seriously.

People think I’ve spent sooooooooo much time on making these when they see them.  And while I may lead them to believe it takes hours and Martha Stewart talent.  It doesn’t.

If you do this project, I would love to know or any of your Halloween projects for that matter! Let me know if you have any questions!

Happy Halloween!

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: costumes, crafts, decorations, DIY, Halloween, Joann Fabrics

How to make a headboard on the cheap!

October 4, 2012 By Caroline Peterson

My Main Squeeze encouraged me to blog about all the projects I’ve completed around the places we’ve lived.  I mean, my blog is named: Caroline Made This!  I just never really thought much about it because it is truly a hobby; something to do while watching The Real Housewives or The Jersey Shore.

What?

Who said that?

I’ve found some amazingly talented men and women through Pinterest and the project I completed below was indeed inspired by a pin I found when I searched for “how to make a headboard” for our new bedroom.  I used the information I discovered while researching instructions and decided to combine information and  head out on my own to create what ended up being a super easy, super cheap headboard!

My favorite phrases!  Super cheap.  Super easy.  Just like me!  Wait.  Forget that last part…

How to Make a Headboard

 This is all you’ll need:

Plywood

Batting

Fabric

Staples and one of them fancy staple guns (Say it with a Southern accent…)

Wall mount(s) (This, obviously, depends on if you use the studs in the wall and how heavy your plywood is. Be sure to check how much weight the wall mounts can carry.)

Screws or nails

 

The size of your headboard depends on how large your bed is and how high you want it to sit.  So measure it out and be sure to do it WITH your bed already made because your comforter and pillows do add some “bulk” to the bed.  Use those measurements for your fabric and batting, but add a few (3-5) inches to give yourself enough extra that enables you to staple it to the plywood.

Next, head to Home Depot.  Look completely lost and walk aimlessly around the aisles for 45 minutes.  Oh wait, that’s just me.   We had the plywood cut in 2 equal dimensions so we could fit it in the car.  Depending on the size of your vehicle, you may have to do it as well.  I’ll show you how I adjusted cutting it into 2 separate pieces below:

Buy enough brackets and screw them to the back of the plywood so that you feel both bracketed pieces are now one sturdy piece. We bought three brackets and it was very sturdy.  Now that you have all of your materials and the wood cut to the dimensions you need, lay the batting on the ground and place the plywood on top.  Now staple to your heart’s content.  No, really.  You can’t really go wrong here!  Just make sure you used the same type of “fold” on both sides of your headboard so you don’t have a lopsided edge.

Next, place your fabric on the ground and lay the plywood (that has the batting already stapled on it) on top.  Staple away again!  Do you see a pattern here?  Speaking of patterns…

Notice the pattern I chose?  While I LOVE it, I was quite lucky that the lines turned out even.  Lucky or talented…take your pick.  Be sure to choose a fabric that has a design that will not be ruined if it’s not stapled evenly.

Admire your work:

Now, find a stud.  A stud in the WALL, people.  Hang that wall mount where you want or need it depending on where the wall stud is.  Put in the screws to the back of your plywood, adjust the wire and hang it!  So glad we had the Bax-man to supervise the project…

 

There are many techniques you can use to hang your headboard.  I didn’t take many pictures of this portion because a lot can depend on how heavy the plywood is.  After looking through other tutorials, I thought this was the best technique and it worked for us.  But use your discretion and adjust how you need it to hang based on what tools you have and the placement on the wall.

Be flexible, people. 🙂

     

And that’s it!

I must be sure to give credit where credit is due: Thank you Thrifty Decor Chick and Design Sponge for your great blogs and inspiration.  Be sure to visit them to see the great headboards they’ve created!  Plus you can follow my finished projects on Pinterest!

Follow Me on Pinterest

What do you think?  Share your thoughts on any projects you’ve done or if you have any suggestions!

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: crafting, crafts, DIY, headboard, Home Depot, home projects

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