Book Review: About Face: The Secrets of Emotionally Effective Advertising

Now, I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that this is the sort of book I read all the time. Yes, I am interested in advertising ( I am drawn to commercials, like, I may be the only person on the planet who doesn't fast forward through them when I've recorded a show, well, except for American Idol, but that's another story for another day), and yes, sales is now my career (Hello RSR role! yep that's me!), but this book would be helpful in any light. It teaches you facial cues, and how to grab someone's attention.

"ABOUT FACE: THE SECRETS OF EMOTIONALLY EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING reveals new keys to success, covering how modern ads can target emotions using data from eye tracking and facial coding to analyze consumer response. Ten rules for such emotionally effective strategies pinpoint techniques and powerful results from high-impact emotion-driven marketing."

- From Midwest Book Review

So usually while I skim the fiction section, I do occasionally put on the smart girl glasses and dork it out. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in marketing/advertising, or is thinking of opening a business or promoting a product. Or if you just like to read about 21st centry marketing. There is a lot of "well, duh" moments in the book, but I like how they back it up with examples to make it easy for us people who would much rather be reading the latest Candace Bushnell book to understand what is going on. Even if you want to just pretend that you're a smart kid, this is a good book to start that act!

Wednesday Ramblings

• Publix has candy 3 for $10. Why is it that I can't stop buying gummi bears and circus peanuts? I don't know.
• I hate the gym.
  I learned a new step today in the rumba, and I can't quite figure it out. For some reason, my hips don't swivel like they should.
• I have a precancerous mole that has to be surgically removed next Wednesday. I am scared (and therefore have stopped going to the tanning bed, sad).
• Learning HTML is hard.
• Sarah Palin even thinking about running for president scares me.
• I have a hair appointment on March 26th. I'm so bringing the blonde back.

(oh yeah baby...geek it out. I love you blonde hair!!)

I borrowed this Rambling Wednesdays from http://missjulieu.blogspot.com/. Check out her blog! I think it is such a good idea!! It's a nice way to get personal on the blog, but not, you know, too personal. I'm trying to bring some kind of order to this blog thing, and at some point would actually like to turn it into a book

Happy Mardi Gras!!: Homemade Beignets (sort of)

So it's Mardi Gras! If you are Catholic and into Lent, then it actually means something to you, but Mardi Gras to me = beads, beignets, bloody mary's, and king cake. ( I am Christian, just not of the Catholic variety, therefore don't give up anything for Lent). A while ago, Bennett went to New Orleans for an audit, and I asked, since he couldn't bring the real things home from Cafe Du Monde, I asked for the next best thing, the mix!!

On Sunday, we woke up and decided that we might want to put this stuff to use, seeing as how it "expires" (um, not throwing this stuff away after July) soon. So here is what we got. (See how I snuck in Day 79? I'm so sneaky!)

Hello Beignet mix hiding behind my oh-so-stylish green Crate & Barrell bowl!

Follow directions exactly on back. You will use a TON of flour, so don't be too weirded out if the mixture is less than doughy.

Once you submit to knowing that there is going to be a mess, the better off. Granted I'm sure most people actually have a rolling pin (umm, we used an old wine bottle), but there will still be a big flour mess. Don't be stingy on the flour. You will need this A. so it doesn't stick to your hands, and B. Stick to whatever you're rolling the dough out onto.

Throw them in the oil. I let Bennett do this, because I probably would have killed myself.

Throw some powdered sugar on those bad boys and eat them!! Look at those beauties! They don't look exactly like the box, but they are still delicious.

So get your booties to New Orleans, try the real thing, and then grab a box to take home and try to make them yourself!