Two Word Curse Pt. 2

The popularity of the first 'two word curse' post has made me realize there's a lot more two-word crappy things out there! Here are some:

• genital herpes
• overtime loss (Sorry Princeton and North Dakota)
• wisdom teeth
• morning after
• nuclear warfare
• parking meters
• fire crotch
• love handles
• NATTY ICE

Got anymore to add?... I should start thinking about good things (i.e. free money, muffin tops, warm weather).

My Poster's in the PSFK Conference!

So you know how once in a billion years, all the stars align and things just go right? Well as of last night things just couldn't get better, BU made it to the FROZEN FOUR and I just found out a poster I designed for the PSFK Conference was chosen as a finalist!

Here's my poster I call "PSFK Vacay (like Vacation)":

My poster is featured on the PSFK website, and I get to go to the conference this Thursday in NYC!!! The contest was judged by Artist Matt W. Moore who does crazy, geometric inspired graphics he likes to call "vectorfunk".  You can go to his site to see his work, but here's a taste of his awesomeness:

It is a coincidence that I used line forms in my poster, because I had no idea Matt W. Moore was judging.  I was trying to play off the idea of the conference of being an allusive vacation; observing my poster, you see the dominant, rigid 'PSFK' name but also see a beach scene... I kind of just went with it, never doubted the idea.

I have to thank Larissa for telling me about this competition.  She's been helping PSFK with several projects and organizing the conference. I don't know if me being chosen has anything to do with the fact that we're friends, BUT I DON'T CARE, I GET TO GO!

It's always exciting and inspiring to meet creative leaders or people who are passionate about what they do.  Check out the line-up of speakers... I can hardly contain the advertising/creative nerd in meeeeeeee. 

BU v. Ohio State - NCAA Hockey Northeast Regional

So I purchased $82 tickets for this weekend's NCAA Northeast Regional in New Hampshire, and I don't regret it.  BU beat Ohio State 8-3 last night to move on to play UNH today for a spot in this year's Frozen Four, while EVERY OTHER NUMBER ONE SEED--Michigan, Denver and Notre Dame--lost in the first round (a weekend of upsets).

Our first goal came with 11:11 (my favorite number) left in the period:

The Dog Pound, BU's student section, has been known to be rowdy, enthusiastic and very outspoken and we're proud of that; however, there are a few people who really give The Dog Pound a bad rap, by bad-mouthing and disrespecting opposing fans and EVEN our own fans.

It's a shame that a few have to ruin the experience for us all...

But I'm not going to let some tool bags get in the way of tonight's game.  Catch all the action on ESPN U at 5:30 pm.    

*Update: I forgot to mention how annoying the McDonalds stickers lined along the plexiglass near the goalie is.  What does fast food have to do with hockey? 

'Observe and Report' Street Team

Promoters for Seth Rogen's new movie Observe and Report found me with a G+T in hand at White Horse Tavern out west of BU's campus.  The promoters gave out FREE halogram posters and 'Conway Police Trainee' T-shirts and took pictures of people with the shirts on.  Looks like they're starting a photo gallery for some online marketing campaign?  We'll see in time.  

I thought the trailer for the movie was below par (I kept thinking of Mall Cop), but I'm a huge fan of Seth Rogen and funny woman ANNA FARIS (if you haven't seen The House Bunny, SEE IT).

For now, I'm happy sleeping in my comfy FREE 'CONWAY POLICE TRAINEE' tee.  Watch Observe and Report April 10th!

Raging Alcoholics

So someone punched a hole in the wall right outside my apartment.  I live in StuVi, Floor 4, and I don't appreciate dumb, drunk shenanigans like hole-punching.

Not to be sexist, but I assume a pretty big guy did this.  He punched two holes in our hallway. B&G covered up the other one... whoever did this: So not cool.

Google Suffers, the Apocalypse is Coming

You know you've made it big when you're mentioned twice in the movie Twilight, and by this, I'm talking about Google. It's the one and only search engine, as far as America is concerned.

I'm not usually a huge endorser of large corporations, but Google truly is GOD. Think about it... how else would a pacific northwest teenager find out her crush is a vampire?!? We don't 'Yahoo!' searches or 'AOL' them... we google. Googled. Googling.

Besides a simple search bar, Google has changed our lives with:

• Google Earth - We've all zoomed in on our houses or secretly stalked others...
  
• Google Analytics - I'm hoping you are a unique visitor, please return :)
  
• Google Maps - What's MapQuest?
  
• Gmail, GChat - Best way to communicate in class or at work, I swear I'm checking my email!
  

It's nothing but a G-thang... but now, our dear God Google is laying off about 200 employees globally in their sales and marketing departments.

WHAT? Google is trimming the fat also? The recession truly is ruthless, it knows no boundaries. And this time it's gone to far, vampires and humans alike must unite to fight this evil force we call economic recession...

Personal Plug #6 - Click Snack Logo

For my Design in Communications class we had to design a Logo and Micromark for one of three things: 

1. A Social Networking Site (boo, who wants another one of these anyways)
2. An Online Snack Delivery Service (!!! Totally up my alley), OR
3. A College Intramural Sports Team (boring)

So, in Zeny fashion, I chose the one with food.  The specs were to use TWO ink colors and to include the company name and tagline.  Here's what I created:

I created the cute donut, lollipop, popcorn and cheesecake with Adobe Illustrator's pen tool. Took me a while to get a hang of it, but I have a feeling me and Mr. Pen Tool are going to be best friends. I also like the giddyup typeface because it looks like twizzlers.

Below is the Click Snack micromark... just in case Apple decides to create an app where snacks come shooting out of your iPhone upon command. 

Personal Plug #5 - Coca Cola "Stay Classic" Campaign

Lately, I'm starting to see a progression in my creative work. I make choices that push my work to be better and can differentiate between what's good and bad design. HOWEVER...

Looking back on the work I've done the last three years, I realize most of it is crap. But aside from amateur design, I don't think I give myself enough credit on some of my past ideas.

The below was done two years ago during my Sophomore year:

Example #1 - Coca-Cola "Stay Classic" Video
MY DIRECTORIAL DEBUT. Everything about it is cheesy--music, transitions (iMovie!) and typeface. The best part about making this video is that I convinced my friends to dance in Boston winter without music. Amazingly, somehow their dancing matched the music.

Thank you Marisa, Nina, Gabs and Megan for letting me use you as guinea pigs.

Example #2 - Coca-Cola 'Stay Classic' Website
This is the first website I have ever designed (let alone use Dreamweaver), and it follows the video's concept of 'Stay Classic'. Considering my lack of web design experience, I'm pretty proud of the social networking aspect, interactivity and intuitiveness of the site.
Everyone has gotta start somewhere.

OMFG, Bluefly you are too damn good.

Being an advertising enthusiast, I can spot product placement as quickly and easily as breathing. It's always been a problem, because I can never actually concentrate on the show and instead think to myself: Jenny Humphrey are you really coincidently surfing the Bluefly website on my favorite show 'Gossip Girl' and really suggesting to buy your brother Dan Humphrey new clothes from the website. 

BLUEFLY you sneaky bastard... how much did you pay to partner with the show OR actually how much amazing free clothes are you giving the show?

Gossip Girl + Bluefly = match made in heaven for every UES wannabe.  Barneys and Bergdorfs watch out because there's another 'B' in town.

The most genius part of Bluefly's road to dominance is its online initiative.  Bluefly has changed its site to feature it's GOSSIP GIRL-CENTRIC theme... where you can shop your favorite character's clothes:

And OMFG, now all of us girls can dress our boyfriends like the one and only CHUCK BASS:

Sweater vests, pastel polos, and quilted plaids... I am happy to see the hipster-i'm-growing-my-beard-out-like-jesus look fade away.

Until tomorrow...

xoxo,

Zeny

The Two Word Curse

As I am filling out my "loan interview" form for my Federal Student Loans, I came to the realization that ALL BAD THINGS COME IN TWO WORDS. Let me show you:

• Student Loans
  
• Job Search
  
• Weight Gain
  
• Teenage Pregnancy
  
• Lost Keys
  
• Chapped lips
  
• Godzilla Night (for those who know)
  
• Child Molester
• BOSTON COLLEGE (I go to BU)
  

What are two words that you can't stand to hear?

Hockey East Champs!

BU is on a roll, winning every single tournament and championship this season thus far. The Hockey East championship game was low scoring, BU 1-0, and was all about penalty kills.
The Dog Pound was on crack... everytime we had to sing "Ole" during a penalty, I swear the fans were singing at supersonic ludicrious speed. Basically, it sounded like this "oleoleoleoleoleoleoleoleoel...". But I guess cracked out singing helps because we got ourselves another HOCKEY EAST TITLE.
Celebratory drinks at T's Pub (call it what it is, it's always going to be T's Pub).
Penalty magnet and always game, #18 Brandon Yip
BU Hockey Alum Kevin Kielt, #21 J-Lo (Jason Lawrence) and Hobey Baker candidate #33 Colin Wilson.
Jaeger bombs with the Co-Captain and Hobey candidate #97 Matt Gilroy.
My fav underclassmen #13 Nick Bonino and #11 Zach Cohen.
Always calm, Goalie Kieran Millan.

The Most Magical 44 Seconds Ever

BU beats BC, 3-2, to advance to the Hockey East Championship game Saturday against UMass Lowell (boy am I glad Northeastern lost to Lowell). However, this victory came at a painful price...

• BU was scoreless the first two periods
• My favorite player Brandon Yip was ejected out of the game for hitting from behind (Yip is asian, the ref is racist)
• BC scored first...

THEN, miraculously in the last period, #11 Zach Cohen scores BU's first goal, and in the next 44 seconds two more goals are scored (Strait, Wilson)!

Holy crap, it was frickin amazing. Before BU fans could finish boo-ing BC's goalie Muse, we would score again, and then before the announcer could finish up formal recognition of the second goal, we scored again. The garden finally sounded like the way it should be: EARTH-SHAKING LOUD.

I have come to learn that a true BU hockey game is never easy on its fans, frustration always precedes elation, and victory feels amazing. Can't wait for Saturday's championship game... Go Terriers!

Five Things I am Crazy For & One Thing I'm Not

1. Horizontal Scrolling
Check out Modular People's website. It's a stylish example of how to use horizontal scrolling and has lots of cool content - band profiles, magazine, music news, etc.

2. Girl Scout Cookies
It's girl scout cookie season!! Bring on the Samoas and Thin Mints
3. Hockey East Tournament
BU plays BC in the semifinals at the TD Banknorth Garden tonight... enough said.
4. SPRING
Today's the first day of spring, which means I can wear less clothes! Time to shave those legs.
5. Anticipation for Marathon Monday
Marathon Monday is on 4/20 this year, I know it's in a month, but I am already excited! Must build up tolerance until then.
I am not crazy about...
Countdowns to Graduation or Senior Portraits. There's 50ish something days until my life is over... people stop counting! I look like a baffoon in my senior portrait... it's unlawful for me to take pictures.

Restaurant Week Boston: Top of the Hub

Restaurant Week(s) is here in Boston from March 15-20 and 22-27, and it is my last chance to eat at the Top of the Hub (52nd-and-top floor of the Prudential Center) in Back Bay for cheap! Three-course lunch is $20.09 and dinner is $33.09. You can find participating restaurants, menus and make reservations at The Boston Restaurant Week Site.

I chose lunch, because the lunch and dinner menus were very similar, and I save 13 bucks per person, meaning I can order an extra appetizer! My inner-fatty is happy.

My lunch at Top of the Hub:

• Extra Appetizer: Reuben Egg Rolls (Ordered on the side) - SO GOOD and worth the $12/15
• Appetizer: Rocket Arugula Salad
• Entree: Spice Crusted Salmon w/ Shrimp Orzo & Asparagus
• Dessert: Creme Brulee

Sean had:

• Soup of the Day, Braised Beef Short Ribs (REALLY GOOD) and Honey Yogurt Mousse

*Note about pictures: My inner-fatty couldn't wait, so all the food have bites in them.

I totally recommend going to Top of the Hub for restaurant week... especially if you like to dress up. I left the restaurant feeling full and satisified and NOT BROKE!

Twitter.Me.Crazy.

I've known about Twitter since last summer and have avoided it at all cost. Until the presidential elections when CNN was using this dreaded thing (still baffled). Then starting two months ago, it's all I hear in my apartment and in class: "Do you have twitter?", "I just tweeted", blah blah blah blah...

Twitter is definitely a marketing/advertising industry thing. EVERYONE HAS ONE. C'mon person who is reading my blog, why haven't you signed up for one?? Has your college education not taught you the importance of brevity (140 characters biatch), because I'm in COM and was trained to summarize Abraham Lincoln's life in three words: Top Hat, awesome.

Or, maybe you haven't signed up for Twitter because the burden of updating your facebook friends and tweeters about your life is so overwhelming that you STOP LIVING.

Here is why I will never be a true twitter fan:

• I do not own (or want) a smartphone (Crackberries, MePhones) - It was only last August that I gave up my Nokia Brick. I like being disconnected to the internet at times.
• TinyURLs scare me - a link I posted ended up being: http://tinyurl.com/cugsum... it kept looking like 'cumcum' to me. How do we know that people aren't posting sick pictures on twitter??
• Tweet sounds like Teet - and I don't like to be called a nipple.
  

There's a hilarious video about Twitter on Current.com, I can't seem to embed it into the post, but if you have a minute YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS (*update: fixed it). Hilarious. Ironically, I heard about this video on Twitter through Federated_Media.

There are some redeeming qualities about Twitter. I follow adagencylayoffs and can find out how screwed I am post-graduation through its real-time coverage of people being let go daily, hourly, minutely...

Has anyone tried drunk tweeting before? This maybe an all-time low and first for me.

I Love New York (Magazine)

I spent Spring Break in the one city I can't seem to get my mind off: New York.  I also somehow broke my 'not-spending money' streak by purchasing New York Stories: Landmark Writing from Four Decades of New York Magazine and Tucker Max's I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (I won't bother talking about this douche bag) at Virgin in Union Square.

I was first drawn to buy the book because of how much I like New York magazine.  It was this summer at Digitas New York that I was introduced to the culturally rich and intelligently written New York.  They cover everything I like: fashion, art, gossip; and cover things I don't really care about in a manner that I will like it: politics.  

As a media intern, I was fortunate enough to meet with nymag.com's General Manager Michael Silberman and Online Account Director Jock Agorastos.  They were very personable gentlemen in pretty suits.

I started reading New York Stories and realized my admiration for the magazine is even more than I knew.  New York founder Clay Felker seemed to have led an amazing, influential life, and Tom Wolfe's Foreword and the book's introduction seem to strike a cord with how I felt about the city and journalism:

• "...Felker had the insight one afternoon that The New Yorker is 'so...BORING!'" (p.xxxv)
• "...a Missouri boy's [Felker] wide-eyed obsession with New York as the Rome, the Paris, the London of the twentieth century, the capital of the world... the radiant City of Ambition." (p.xxix)
• "Personality was central to his understanding of the world--personality and conflict were, for him, the two essential ingredients of great journalism." (p.xxxv-xxxvi)

BU's road to Frozen Four continues... Hockey East Tourney Next!

After breaking its 17-game winning streak by losing to Maine 6-3 last night, BU wins the Hockey East quarterfinal series at Agganis Arena tonight (final score 6-2)!  The terriers will go on to play Boston College (boo) Friday in the Hockey East semifinals at the TD Banknorth Garden.  

Above: Our very own Sasquash.

Tonight was my LAST official home game at Agganis Arena as a BU student.  No more dramatic opening videos ('ARE YOU READY?'), no more sweet potato fries (as of two years ago), no more crab cake sliders, no more sneaking people into the Dog Pound and most of all no more EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTERS.

It's been a memorable four years as a BU hockey fan... Johnny Curry, 3 Beanpot Titles, away games, Red Hot Hockey at MSG.  I'm hoping this year will be the most memorable.

See you at the Garden for Hockey East Tournament this weekend!

Personal Plug #4 - Lifesavers Gummies Ad

For Design in Com class, we had to create a one-off for a candy brand.  The specs were pretty specific: full-page image, logo and email and a three word headline (which I broke the rule).

I couldn't find a bubble typeface that I liked so I hand drew the headline.  It's a simple ad and could maybe use a little more color.  

Spring Break NYC (Part III): Dumpster Diving

Day 3 Seems like everyone I haven't seen in a long time was in NYC, so I took advantage of it and met up with old friends. Thursday night was reunion of the Coca-Cola NSACers (team members of an ad competition) with Ilana and Larissa, my London sidekick and roomie. The night sort of went like this:

• 6:30 pm Started off with 2-for-1 drinks at UWS bar Bourbon St. Tame, mostly old people, and I remember seeing a baby crawl across the pool table... tame.
  
• The four gin and tonics kick in when I remember I need to buy a CRUMBS cupcake for Stephanie, the girl I am staying with in Williamsburg. Ilana uses her JCC (Jewish Community Card) and saves me like 10 cents. I am very excited over this... G+T have definitely kicked in.
• On the walk to Ilana's car, Larissa finds the Moosewood Cookbook in someone's trash pile, she takes the book claiming it to be awesome (and it is).
  
• Ilana drives us (!) across town through Central Park (!!!!!) that way she can park her car at her UES apt so we can take the subway to another bar.
• 8:30 pm I miss hockey and insist on watching the Bruins game... go to a nearby bar (more old people), we leave... head to Turtle Bay.
• Turtle Bay is packed with bro-looking Bros (i.e. iBankers and lawyers). We stay downstairs because we have no use for $25 open bar upstairs or $5 dancing upstairs. There is hockey on TV downstairs. We stay and I sip a yummy whiskey sour:

Awkward Male Encounter #2:
Male in his late 20s, maybe even early 30s, he looked too old to be there. "You like hockey?"
Zeny "I LOVE HOCKEY. Terriers baby."
Male "Oh yea? I played hockey with Brian Boyle and Matt Greene." Ewww... I stick my finger down my throat in disgust of him mentioning two BC players I despise. What the hell is this guy thinking? I want to ignore him, but how does he know these people?
Male "Ok, well I also played with Kenny Roche." I highly doubt that this guy even knows how to lace skates... but I'll give 'Kenny Roche' to him... Roche was one hell of a BU forward. I am bored and just want to watch the rest of the rangers game in peace. This male realizes I hate him because I hate BC and introduces me to his male friend Peter, while he turns to Larissa.

Awkward Male Encounter #3:
Peter "I'm a Harvard Law Grad. Where do you go to school?" He is old, and I don't care.
Zeny "Boston University. I wanted to go to Harvard."
Peter "Oh yea?"
Zeny "Do you like Hockey?" I don't really give him time to answer, "Because our hockey team is better than yours." I leave him to watch the last four minutes of the Rangers game and to talk to Ilana... Peter creeps up to Larissa. Thank god for that girl.

• I am glad that I know how to be socially awkward. Ilana is craving Pinkberry. I cry about how I really want Chicken and Rice (Halal Food stand on 51st & 6th ave... i think). We ensue on a Harold & Kumar-esque mission to get these foods.
• 11:00 pm - Pinkberry is not far... Ilana is satisfied, I am not. I WANT CHICKEN & RICE (this I scream on the street).
  
• Larissa on the other hand is more interested in digging in people's trash. We pass by H&M where there's a four foot high pile of bags of shoes, clothes, accessories, swimwear. It was all crap, but for some reason, we thought we struck gold. I grab a box and we throw all sorts of crap in it, heels, tights, bracelets, corsets, thongs, etc.
  
• I YELL I WANT CHICKEN & RICE again, so we decide to carry our box of crap to Chicken & Rice stand.
• 11:45 pm We get to Chicken and Rice stand, and I stand in a long line I expected to exist (this place is amazing!). Two old guys in front of me from the midwest tell me that they just arrived in the city and this is their first stop. They ask me if it's worth it. I SAY YES. They ask me what to get... I tell them what I get: Combination with lamb. $6. They get it, they love it, and we are all happy.
• Larissa plopped her box of stolen H&M trash on a marble ledge and starts sorting. We must have looked homeless because a homeless guy came over and started serenading us with a rap.
• We all tell him we have no money. I tell him he is eloquent.
  
• Half my chicken and rice was gone in two minutes and I decide its time to go home, so Larissa and I carry the box together down to the subway station. Right in front of Radio City Hall... the box tears and all our crap ends up on the street. I yell, "We need to sort through this now."
• We are sitting on the sidewalk digging through a box of stuff that is cut up, shoes are mix matched and I give up. Larissa, my hero, doesn't and uses an existing garbage bag to hold all the stuff.
• Estimated time 12:30 am A petty car driver asks us if we need a ride. We say we have no money. He still insists and ask us where we are going. 96th, says Ilana... he realizes that its about 40 blocks away and takes back his offer.

We ended up back at Ilana's... I slept on the sofa and woke up at 6:30 to watch the sunrise and her amazing view.
Photo recap: