13. Mind Maps

Mind maps are a great creative technique because it allows your ideas to flow without a filter. You start with one main word, then think if five or so words relating to the one main words. From there, you come up with words that relate to one of the five ideas. Mind maps give other people an invite to see the way your brain works and the way that your thoughts are processed.

  

12. Riveting Reveal

As this coming Thursday rapidly approaches (the night of Big Little Reveal), I have been racking my brain for a cute/funny costume for me and my soon-to-be little. At first I thought about being Sully and Boo from Monster Inc. (I would be Boo of course in hope of embarrassing my little as sully). Then I thought about being Cruella Deville and a Dalmatian but then I realized that to be Cruella i would have to wear a wig all night and I do not want to do that. Then I thought about being a Lion and a ringleader but sadly someone had already claimed that costume. Then I thought about being Little Red Riding Hood and my little being the Big Bag Wolf but I remember someone did that last year and I wanted to do something original. Then it came down to my two final ideas: lifeguard and shark or magician and bunny. In the end I chose magician and bunny because at big little reveal we go rollerskating and I figure that a onesie bunny costume would be easier for my little to skate in that a full body shark costume.

11. Discovering Dallas

Dallas Bucket List...

When I finally get a car at SMU, I am going to explore Dallas like crazy. I will drive anywhere from Uptown to Downtown and even to Forth Worth and Austin. I already have a bucket list of places I want to go in Dallas. I want to go to the Aquarium. I heard it is fantastic. I want to go to the Arboretum in the fall and see the carriage and walls made out of pumpkins. I want to explore the art museums and art district. I want to play ping pong and mini golf and eat at the restaurant and food trucks in Klyde Warren Park. I want to spend more afternoons at the Rustic and stick around for live musical performances. I want to go to Katy Trail Ice House. I want to find and try new restaurants because there are millions of good restaurants in Dallas. I also want to do one of those booze bikes where a group of friends can sit in a circle at a table and pedal and one person steers and you are on a huge bike and you can drink beer while pedaling. Last but not least, I want to go to the Pet Store that every girl and their mom has been to that lets you play with their puppies for hours on hours. Undoubtedly this list will grow and grow and i cannot wait to explore it all.

10. Love Limitations

I found the Embrace the Shake video truly inspiring. A similar scenario happened to my best friend's mom. She was a cartoon artist for a magazine. One day she decided to get a back massage because she was hunched over all the time while drawing. During her massage somehow a nerve got damaged, leaving her hands permanently shaky. I sent this video to my best friend to show her mom because her mom stopped drawing all together. I hope this video inspires her as much as it inspired me, and that she will start looking for ways around her limitations and start to draw again.

9. Bubbly Blake

If I could be one person, it would be... Blake Lively:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjePVorYoHQ

Not only is she beautiful, but she is intelligent.
Not only is she a famous actress, but she is a new mother.
Not only does she have amazing style, but she never bought maturity clothes (except maturity jeans) and continued to were stilettos.
Not only is she a great cook, but she has a signature Sprinkles cupcake, S'more.
Not only does she have a smokin' hot husband Ryan Reynolds, but now she has a beautiful baby daughter.
Not only does she have an amazing Vogue interview, but every girl wants to be her because she is perfection and we are taught that perfection does not exist.

8. Obvious Obsessions

My 5 Current Obsessions:

1. Beyoncé, because she rules the world
2. CATS (I do not understand people who don't like cats.)
3. French Bull Dogs, so ugly that they're adorable
4. leather jackets (give me the badass vibe that I sadly cannot portray on my own)
5. sunglasses (help with the aftermath of going out last night)

7. Best Bud(weiser)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAsjRRMMg_Q

2015 Budweiser Super Bowl Commercial "Lost Dog"

This ad works. This commercial appeals to both men and women. Beer is mainly advertised for the men, who are the Super Bowl's largest audience. The hot man in the ad appeals to the women being forced to watch the Super Bowl. And finally the puppy appeals to everyone, and if for some strange reason the puppy does not appeal to you, than there is something definitely wrong with you. Who doesn't love little golden clumsy puppies. 

It was effective because dogs are a man's best friend and the ad is portraying that Budweiser beer should also be mans best friend. This ad also used the #BestBuds which is a creative way to get more attention and advertising for the Budweiser campaign. This is i believe the second year that they have done the #BestBuds campaign. 

The music is also really effective is setting the mood. The music picks up when the story goes from sad to hopeful and happy. This ad tells a compelling story that stirs up several strong emotions, happiness from seeing an adorable puppy, fear and suspense when the puppy is faced by the wolf, sadness when the puppy is lost, and last but not least joy and love when the horses support and save the puppy and the puppy is reunited with its owner.