Sonya's blog

Have you ever noticed when you travel that everyone else seems to have a suitcase just like yours? They all look like giant black boxes coming off the conveyor belts. Some of us tie colorful ribbon to the handle or use a bright-colored luggage tag. I have done both, only to find myself trying to remember the color of the ribbon. And then there was this one time when the contact card from my luggage tag went missing altogether! I figured it must have fallen out somewhere in transit. ...read more

As you may have gathered from my bio, I am the self-proclaimed organization guru of the group. To my credit, I have taken numerous personality tests that reveal I am innately detail-oriented and organized. I have found over the years that one way to keep New Year’s resolutions (and organize my time) is to use a weekly or monthly schedule.

For example, last year I committed to becoming more active and signed up for a series of running classes. With each class, I received a monthly schedule with my running and strength training assignments detailed by day. I put this up on my refrigerator so that it was front and center – serving as a daily reminder of what I needed to do. By the time I finished the 18 weeks of training, I reduced my run time per mile by four minutes and was able to run for longer distances. ...read more

It’s finally here! After all the decorating, planning, shopping, gift wrapping, etc., the big day has finally arrived. Instead of offering up another project idea, the Out of Office Blog Team would like to take this time to wish you all a wonderful day filled with holiday cheer, yummy foods, and quality time spent with family and friends.

I am certainly looking forward to my family’s annual tradition of watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy all day long. We started this practice three or four years ago with the first two movies and eventually added the third. Sadly, I always have questions about the storyline and my sister finds this to be completely annoying. Fun times!

Whatever your holiday tradition may be, I hope this day brings you peace, love and joy.

I am a parent in the unconventional sense. My child is a feisty and fun white and dark gray (almost black) rat terrier fittingly named Oreo. And like most pet owners I know, I can’t imagine life without him. Neither can my parents…who take care of him when I’m traveling for work or just because they want their only “grandchild” to visit. So in my search for some last-minute stocking stuffer ideas, I decided to create them a small Oreo-themed 2010 calendar so they could see his smiling snout even when Oreo’s home with me! ...read more

I hear the term “personal branding” a lot these days – it seems that it’s become one of those dreaded corporate buzzwords.  But it’s actually very important to establishing a business and forging relationships.

Presentation is one of the most important elements of personal branding. Start by determining what you want to represent to others and then live that brand in everything you do and say. The good news is that online resources are making it easier than ever to market yourself or your small business in the same way corporations have been marketing themselves for years.

Here are some tips to creating and maintaining your personal brand: ...read more

Throwing a holiday party this year? Well I wish I had the time, as I love hosting parties with a personal touch. One idea I’ve loved since I first saw it comes from my friend Robyn. I was at her wedding in Seattle earlier this year, where she had the place cards in the photo above. I loved how elegant the dark metallic frames were, coupled with the detailed scrollwork around the names. I wanted to share with you all in case Robyn’s creativity sparks some ideas for your upcoming events!

If you want to make them or something similar, here are some pointers. You can pick up the frames (2”x3”) at a local party store. The name cards can be easily designed using word processing software and free clip art, and printed out on standard card stock. And if you wanted to carry this design across other event stationery – like invitations, menu cards, buffet cards, hostess gifts, and more – it’s as simple as using the matching graphic, font and color scheme in all the materials. ...read more