HEB Grocery to Sell Whataburger Products

ALERT! ALERT!

Coming Summer 2013 to an HEB near you! A new product line will hit the market. It already has a loyal fan base, with people counting down the days until its launch. Up until this point, these products have been offered free to consumers. Now people cannot wait to pay money to place this product in their pantry.

What is this product, you ask?

A line of KETCHUPS and MUSTARD for Whataburger.

Yes, that's right -- condiments from Whataburger! The online community can't seem to get enough of the news, announced yesterday by both of the San Antonio, Texas based companies. Regional grocery store chain, HEB, will begin to sell the line of condiments and Whatafries, a potato-chip version of the Whataburger french fry to customers this summer.

I know there are others who are far more excited about this news than I. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled and will definitely be buying some of all 3 condiments (Fancy Ketchup, Spicy Ketchup, and Original Mustard). I am just not one of the incredible diehard Whataburger loyalists who think this fast-food joint makes the best burgers known to man (coughIN&OUTBURGERcough).

This partnership makes so much strategic sense. Both companies have diehard loyalists. Both companies are based in San Antonio. Both primarily only operate in Texas. HEB is known for promoting local brands and products. Whataburger is known for accommodating their customers' wishes by bringing back popular seasonal items. I could go on and on.

It is my belief that both companies will benefit from this partnership. HEB will continue to build a relationship with their shoppers by showing how they understand their customer and find innovative ways to fill their needs. Whataburger will continue to foster brand loyalty within their regional market and potentially gain awareness in new markets. In addition, Whataburger could be one of the first successful entrants in the fast-food to grocery crossover business. Of course, it helps that Whataburger has developed a differential product in its spicy ketchup, but that aside, other businesses might try to piggy-back off Whataburger's success. Time will tell.

Regardless, I am thrilled for this unique partnership. I eagerly await the summer launch! Count me in for some fries and ketchup come summertime!

Social Media & The American Spirit

This past week has been hell for a lot of people. Lives altered. Innocence lost. 2 cities broken and changed forever. As the people of West, TX and Boston, Mass. pick up the pieces and try to make sense of the catastrophes to hit their communities, I have been making note of the ways in which our country has evolved into a more caring, unified, compassionate, genuinely GOOD society since our innocence was shattered on September 11, 2001.

I have never been more proud of our great United States as I have been this past week. Our sense of community, the "your brother is my brother" mentality, the outpouring of generosity from complete and total strangers to the victims of these two horrific events has been nothing short of extraordinary. To me, this is the purest symbolism representing everything that is wonderful about America. Sure, we have a cut-throat, dog-eat-dog mentality in business, and sure we have probably more than our fair share of violence, but holy crackers -- when someone impedes on our ability to join in celebration with people who are accomplishing one of the biggest milestones in their life, an event where there is so much joy and triumph over struggle, we as a nation really shine.

Social media is a wonderful tool to help develop a sense of community with those who are hundreds or thousands of miles apart. Through the internet and social media platforms, I was able to check on a family friend who was running the marathon, able to connect with a friend who lived in West (who as it turned out, lost everything but their lives), able to participate in the relief efforts for West, able to donate to The One Fund Boston, and most impactful of all, be in mourning with everyone else across the country. It is paramount that in times of grief and sorrow people have a sense of community around them to help them cope through things that just do not and probably will never make sense.

I was riveted for an entire week, glued to anything with a screen hoping for positive news developments in both disasters. On Thursday, when video was released of the suspects, it spread like a wildfire over cracking ground. Within a few hours, hundreds of millions of people across the nation suddenly had a watchful eye out for 2 very dangerous men. When the dramatic events started to unfold on the campus of MIT later that night, social media once again proved critical. Suddenly people were streaming police scanners over Ustream (which is by the way something that I don't agree with, but I won't get on my soapbox right now. We would be here a while), live blogging the events from their homes just mere feet away from the activity,  and tweeting/retweeting any nugget of information to keep their neighbors, whether literally or figuratively, safe from harm.

Social media is a powerful tool. People complain about privacy and about raising an overly-egotistical generation. What is so often overlooked is the good that social media can create. I currently reside in College Station and am a current and former student of Texas A&M University. Aggieland Outfitters, an A&M spirit store, led a joint effort of local businesses and student organizations to collect a donation of items to send to West, TX. The alert was sent out a few short hours after the explosion online, via texts, and through local news outlets. The following morning, the organizations began taking donations from local students and residents. Here is a link to an Aggie's experience being a part of the traveling caravan from College Station to West on Thursday evening (24 hours after the explosion). Below is an excerpt of his testimony. It is one of the many reasons that no terrorist, no hateful organization, and no amount of fear will ever shake my faith in humanity.

"In a joint effort orchestrated by over 15 local businesses with Aggieland Outfitters as the lead, 3 student organizations, 200 plus aggie volunteers, and countless generous donators, we delivered approximately 226,500 pounds (Over 113 Tons-equal to the weight of Boeing 757) of supplies in two 53’ Semi-trailers, two 35’ Trailers, three 15’ moving vans, one RV, one moving trailer, and convoy of personal vehicles. We also delivered over $15,000 in cash donations to the town leaders. You want to know the most amazing part? We had delivered all this within 24 hours of the accident. There is no other way to classify this extraordinary effort other than to just say “There’s a spirit can ne’er be told.” -Cameron Salome ‘07

I pray that this world becomes more peaceful and that terrorists seek to exist. Will that be reality? --Probably not. But I feel safe and content knowing one simple thing: The generosity and support in response to events such as Boston and West show why we will always win in the end.

Dove: Real Beauty Sketches

The "Real Beauty" campaign that the company launched in the early 2000's was a truly groundbreaking piece of marketing. Never before had such a global company made such a bold statement regarding body image, beauty, the trend towards "magazine beauty," and the damage that these negative thoughts are having on the female mind today. Full-figured women were shown in their underwear, smiling and confident in their skin. Other women were shown on billboards across the country with a simple question. Is she "oversized" or "outstanding?" The ad was even somewhat interactive (which was rare back then). Passersby could vote by calling a phone number dove had provided. The entire campaign was a smashing success and has won almost every award given in advertising today.

Welp. Dove is at it again, y'all. Here is the new Dove ad - Real Beauty Sketches - shown below. If you haven't seen it, I highly, HIGHLY recommend it. Go. Watch it below, and then we can analyze it together.

Insane right? Insane in how genius that marketing is. Insane in how true that experience is with women describing their beauty. Just... insanely awesome basically.

Here lies the true genius behind Dove's marketing:
Dove has been able to position themselves as the company that genuinely cares for you as a person. Sure, they make products that they want you to buy. The products are supposed to make you look prettier, and that's great. But what Dove has been able to achieve with the consumer is enormously more profitable than buying a bottle or two of lotion every couple of months. Dove has earned the customer's trust. Women trust Dove with their most precious assets -- their confidence and self-worth. Through ads like the one shown above, women are beginning to feel more empowered, stronger emotionally, and more confident expressing the fact that we are all uniquely beautiful. We are not  "magazine beautiful" nor should we strive to be. Magazine beauty only happens in a magazine. I mean,  have you seen Kim Kardashian without makeup? Doesn't look the same! And that's just it. Its not the same. Its not reality. Dove has managed to release non-traditional advertising and have it be incredibly successful. I understand that a good chunk of the reason that this advertising methods can be so successful is because it is so unique in marketing today. Not many other companies are advertising with heavier women (although it is beginning to not be as taboo to do so), so Dove has been able to maintain a first-mover advantage in that respect.

Do I think that other companies will start to market with fuller-figured women to play off of Dove's success? Yes. Do I think that it will become a new norm? I do not. I think that as a society, marketing with thin, photoshopped women is something that will not change, at least in my lifetime. I can only hope that more companies start marketing towards our self-esteem and self-worth.

Be the change you wish to see in the world.
-Ghandi

Internet Diary Ep.1

I receive daily emails from both Groupon and Livingsocial that always flood my inbox with mostly meaningless offers for cheap deals I would never need nor want. However, I have yet to unsubscribe from these annoying e-blasts because occasionally, I find something that I actually buy. Recently, I found one such offer on Groupon. I found an iPad case that came from a reputable brand in a variety of colors for $7.99. That's a steal!! I bought the case, received it in the mail a couple of weeks later, and thus far have been completely satisfied with my purchase.

My purchase experience really got me thinking about these discount sites and their subsequent marketing strategy. My concerns with these discount sites are two-fold.

1. Increasingly often, I find deals promoted on these websites from companies whom, after further investigation, seem very sketchy to say the least. The company's website looks like it was built in the middle 1990s.... The price is too dirt cheap.... The reviews for the company are horrendous... The list could go on and on. I wonder how the discount retailer's (Groupon, Livingsocial) brand perception will change in the future if they continue promoting less than average businesses.
2. I understand that their whole concept is based around a daily changing buffet of offers, some better than others. I understand that these businesses feel the need to communicate these new offers to their subscribers.... But the overwhelming amount of emails that subscribers of these sites are subject to is ridiculous! On more than one occasion, I have been so fed up with these relentless emails, that I have seriously considered hitting the "unsubscribe" button at the bottom of those emails. These companies need to learn to balance their emails to customers. An annoyed customer is not a profitable one.

Groupon has been in some financial trouble lately. The stock price has taken a big hit from the high mountain on which it once was on. In 2010,  Google was attempting to purchase Groupon, but Groupon refused the deal then. I wonder who is laughing now?

Mountain Man Brewing Co.

In 2006, Mountain Man Brewing Company, a family owned brewing company in West Virginia, was struggling to grow its business while staying true to its brand identity. Mountain Man was viewed as the tough man's beer. It had a very strong brand presence in its local/regional market, even being known as  "West Virginia's Beer." A typical Mountain Man customer was an older, rough, gritty, man's man, coal miner of a guy. He appreciated that his beer, the one he always drank, fit his personality and lifestyle.

With the younger son of the founder taking over MMBC from his father, he brought new ideas for how to grow the family business.

New Idea-- Introduce a new version of their signature beer, Mountain Man Light.

Pros

• gain share in on-premise locations where there are higher numbers of younger & female drinkers (not typically MM's strong customer segment)
• opportunity to attract the youthful & female segment with the "light" product description
• light beer (as a segment) is experiencing growth
• build on strength of brand & domestic packaging
• start building the MMBC brand loyalty at a much younger age (most beginning drinkers prefer lighter beers and then transition to darker beers over time)

Cons

• risk dilution of the brand
• risk alienating your current loyal customer base with the introduction of something that could be deemed threatening to their brand identification
• potential cannibalization (5%-20%) of light beer sales could come at the expense of the sales of their key lager
• expenses, start up costs, production costs
• risk of successfully acquiring the younger customer base and their willingness to accept the new MM image
• younger drinkers typically go for mass market brands

Overall, I think that there is more benefit to introducing the light beer vs not changing anything about the company at all. Companies must adapt and change with the times or they risk fading into oblivion. Not all products can stand the test of time. Although the West Virginia market is strong in its MMBC loyalty, the company can work on expanding its footprint outside the coal mining towns of the Appalachian Mountains by introducing a newer, lighter brew to the market.

The Google Store

I read this interesting article on Mashable today that really got me thinking about a company that we all interact with multiple times a day. Google. (In fact, I realized now that I actually used Google to google information about Google. It is now so big, its a noun AND a verb. Crazy.)

The Big News: Google is planning on opening several retail brick and mortar stores later this year.
*shocked face*

First impression--- "Wow, Google. Do you have to copy everything that Apple does? Are you always this late to the party? Get some new unique ideas." (I pre-warned you of my Apple loyalty in a previous post)

Impression after thinking logically and using the marketing side of my brain--- "With the recent launch of the Google Chromebook and the upcoming release of Google Glass, launching a chain of retail stores in which the customer can physically interact and experience the product for themselves actually sounds like a pretty logical, smart move."

Why did Apple launch its own line of stores? Many reasons I'm sure can be thought of, but the list definitely includes having complete control of the product from production to final sale, enhancing customer understanding of the product features/benefits, and creating an unique experience for customers that increases brand loyalty. I think for many of the same reasons, Google is now interested in launching a line of stores of their own.

Google is no longer just a search engine. With its recent acquisitions of YouTube, Blogger, Picasa, and Android, Google is building a company based on much more than simply search. Google is building an entire web experience for consumers. They own their own OS, are launching their own tech gadgets, and have money to spend. Why wouldn't they open a store of their own?

While the features and functionality of the Chromebook are not drastically different than a regular laptop, keeping the learning curve rather minimal, the same will not be true of the the yet-to-be-released Google Glass. Google Glass will require significant customer-to-associate interaction in showing the consumer the features of the new product and how to properly wear and operate the glasses. As you can see from the video below, there are a lot of interesting features rumored to be in these glasses. (Granted, this video was uploaded by Google almost a year ago as a mock-up of what Glass could be like. Who knows if features like these will actually be a part of the product. Sure would be sick though!)



I will be interested to see what more comes of this potential Google store news in the coming months. For Google to branch out of the virtual world and enter the tangible one will be a bold move. I'm not sure how well two main products (Glass and Chromebook) can support a chain of retail stores, but I suppose Google could sell products that they are affiliated with as well such as cell phones and tablets, assuming they get the proper permissions from the manufacturers. If Google can strike those selling agreements, I think Google will be launching itself into an entirely new and financially profitable chapter of its story.

Brand Obsession: Apple

For anyone that knows me, they know that I am a serious Apple junkie. I own about every major Apple product that is produced. Some say that Apple lovers form a cult (just like some misinformed people call being an Aggie the same as being brainwashed by a cult-- but I digress). I say that Apple is more efficient, innovative, simple, and sexy than Microsoft. Yes, Apple is sexy. It's hot. It's the company every is talking about, because you either love it or you hate it, and you can't wait to tell others which camp you reside in.

Recently as a part of my Marketing Strategy class, I had to look strategically at Apple, Inc; the entire corporation from smartphones to music to applications to computers. With the passing of Steve Jobs, the genius who made Apple into the mecca it is today, a new CEO takes over brining new opinions, new styles of management, and new ideas on how best to move forward as a company. A lot has been made of Tim Cook, especially in comparison to Steve Jobs (which personally, I don't think is anywhere near being fair, but its a natural tendency). But what about just as Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, Inc? No before or after, just the present. What can he do to continue Apple's rapid growth?

Several ideas were presented in our class discussion of things that Tim Cook should focus on in his tenure at the top of Apple. IP protection, market share, technology advancements, and international marketing were all topics brought forward as potential areas in need of improvement by Mr. Cook. I will go into the two that I agree with the strongest.

Focus #1: IP Protection

In the HBR article that our class read for this discussion, it mentioned that Tim Cook has stated that he won't be as aggressive as Jobs was in pursuing IP infringements. In my opinion, that is a huge mistake. Now, I understand that Jobs was actually criticized for how obsessed he was with suing people for every last dollar they were worth if they messed with Apple IP. I'm not saying I completely condone that approach either. What I will say is that what Jobs did in protecting Apple's creative concepts and ideas obviously worked and garnered the company a huge amount of competitive advantage in several different areas of the technology market. Technological advantage over its competitors is one of Apple's main lifebloods of its organization. Without strong IP protection, Apple's high price point can easily be undercut by competing manufacturers willing to sell for a lower cost and take a lower profit margin.

I suppose I'm more concerned regarding his comments on IP simply because of the fear of the unknown. I suppose this particular focus is just a more "wait and see"just how laisse-faire Cook actually plans on being regarding IP protection. I'll be very interested to see the developments in the next few years and how things change (or don't change).

Focus #2: Technology Advancements

One thing that does worry me a bit as a loyal consumer of Apple products is how many Windows based Android devices are coming out with features that are cooler and more innovative than Apple offers. One of the main successes of Apple has been its flawless iOS system for all of its mobile devices. The iOS is tightly controlled by Apple and offers little room for personalization when compared to a Windows or Android device (unless of course, you were to jailbreak your Apple product).

For a long while, Apple was on top of the heap when it came to cutting-edge technology, but with the recent surge of the Anrdroid platform, Apple no longer can simply rest on their laurels sitting comfortably ahead of the pack in the smartphone/tablet marketplace. With Steve Jobs, you always felt there was a constant presence of innovation at the company and that the next big thing was right around the corner. With Tim Cook in charge, I don't really know what to think yet. Is he capable of creating the level of innovation that Apple has become known for? Is his team of designers up the challenge to take over the bulk of the design role, a role that up until the day of his passing was heavily influenced by Jobs?

One thing is for sure, Apple must find a way to bring their technology back onto par with Windows and the Android OS or else they will lose share in the only product segment within the company in which they still have a distinct and hearty advantage.

Junkie Status

Finally, just as an aside I thought I would prove just how much of an Apple junkie I actually am. I've listed out all the Apple products I own. I am married to iOS and will never be seen buying an android product (mainly because hello, I need my color-coordinated iCal synched wirelessly across all my devices or else I am a lost soul with a schedule).--

• Black MacBook (2006 model) -- planning on selling it... and taking offers ;)
• MacBook Pro (2012 model) 
• iMac 21.5" (2011 model)
• Apple TV (3rd generation)
• iPad 1 32GB ---sold it.
• iPad Retina 32GB white
• iPhone 3GS 16GB white
• iPhone 4S 16GB black

Brand Obsession: IKEA

As many of you know, I am now in graduate school working toward a Master of Science in marketing degree. As a part of furthering my knowledge in the world of marketing and strategy, I am going to start incorporating marketing/business related thoughts, tidbits, and articles into this blog. I think it will help me think critically and better flesh out my thoughts and ideas about what is going on in the business world today.

First up:

Harvard Business Review (HBR) case study: "IKEA Invades America"

-I recently read this case for a marketing strategy course that I'm taking this semester. Written in 2004, it provides a unique snapshot of IKEA during a very important and pivotal time in the company. During this time, IKEA was still fairly new to the United States but looking to grow rapidly if the market accepted the unique IKEA product style.

Here are a few things that I gathered while reading the case:

• IKEA has always been known for their simplistic design of furniture. What I didn't realize before reading the case was that this mindset of simplicity permeates throughout the company, from idea conception through design and all the way to delivery to the end consumer. IKEA has developed a product/price matrix that is used during development of all products. The product must fit into one of four styles: Scandinavian (sleek wood), Modern (minimalist), Country (neo-traditional), and Young Swede (bare bones). Additionally, it needs to be categorized into a low, medium, or high price point. If what IKEA comes up with can't be sold 30-50% lower than the price benchmark in that category amongst IKEA competitors, then in most cases, the product development stops there. It is a very streamlined and efficient way to organize the product development process while making sure that new product additions enhance the overall company portfolio.
• When the case was written in 2004, there was only 1 store in the Asian market. Since then, the number of stores in China and Japan have exploded and the Asian market seems pretty saturated with the number of IKEA stores currently operating. I spoke with a friend, Candace, in class about IKEA in the Asian market as she grew up in China and is very familiar with the culture (Candace is an American, just so we're clear ;). She mentioned that in China, going to IKEA is something fun to do with your friends. It is not the same grand purchasing adventure that Americans have when they travel to an IKEA. Candace said IKEA, while boasting of quality furniture at affordable pricing, is still priced too high for most Chinese to buy from on a regular basis. Sure, people will buy the small household, trinkety items, but the large pieces of furniture are a much harder sell over there. She thinks there is still work to be done in that aspect of better meeting the Chinese market expectations of the brand.

(The map shown above is from 2007, but it's the most recent one that I could find. 

It shows a more updated total of stores in various countries all around the world.)

• When looking at the map for other untapped markets that IKEA could pursue, there was one country that stood out for its dense population, fast product adoption rate, and increased willingness to accept Western-influenced products. INDIA. It's so obvious! Why hasn't IKEA entered the Indian market place yet?! Now I'm sure there are all kinds of red tape and government interference that I know nothing about, but taking all of that aside for a moment and looking at the situation with a purist viewpoint, it seems like a prime market for IKEA. So what do I do when faced with a question that makes no sense to me? I google it. Obviously. And what do you know?! A recent Forbes article that mentions how IKEA just struck a deal to invest $1.9 billion to build 25 stores in India over the next decade or so. The first won't open for another three years but the groundwork has been laid. IKEA will have to tailor its stores to meet Indian government guidelines, such as IKEA won't be allowed to have their signature cafes inside the stores because it violates the FDI policy on food retailing. IKEA has always been fairly rigid it will not change its brand to fit into new markets. If the customers within the new market do not accept the Scandinavian influenced company, design, food, and overall experience, then IKEA views it is not a good market for the company. For IKEA to agree to not include its signature cafes in the new set of stores in India is, I think, a very big move for the company and says a lot about the lengths they are willing to go to get a foothold in the Indian market. Only time will tell how this will all play out for IKEA and what other concessions the company may have to end up making to tailor to the Indian market. This will be interesting to watch over the coming years to see just how true to the brand IKEA remains.
• A last little thought on the subject of potential country expansion for IKEA --Latin America & South America-- Why hasn't IKEA gone there yet? Certain large cities in not unlike Rio de Janiero, Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Lima certainly have a diverse enough population to garner an IKEA following. These cities are just teeming with young people who are modern, minimalists, and who need organization for small living spaces. I believe that the majority of the Latin/Hispanic population has been left out of IKEA's markets (with the exception of Spain and Portugal where IKEA has numerous stores). Is there a reason behind this exclusion? Are there characteristics about the Latin consumer that deter them from IKEA-style products? These are questions that I don't have the knowledge to answer but are worth a look for IKEA if they want to reach a virtually untapped market.

My own personal thoughts on IKEA

I LOVE THIS STORE. Yes, that was in all-caps. I LOVE IT. I mean, I'm a girl and I love shopping, so there's that. But IKEA is so much more than just shopping. It's an interactive, enthralling experience that can't really be compared to any other store in the market today. The ability to visualize each individual room, the ideas that are generated from seeing items placed together that wouldn't ordinarly be, the sleek, modern style that mirrors where I'm at in my life right now, the affordable changeability of patterns, colors, and styles in the furniture industry (an industry primarily known for its product longevity and hefty expense on one's finances). ...I could go on and on. I love this store. Assembling the products is kind of a hassle, I admit (although it helps having a solid man in your life who you ever so lovingly ask for his assistance ;) but the reward from knowing you made those 5 slabs of wood into an desk or bookcase or whatever, that's powerful. Is it lame to say to IKEA empowers people? I believe it does to an extent. IKEA empowers people to think creatively when designing a room. IKEA empowers people to think differently about furniture and what it means to our lives. IKEA empowers people to be their own masters of creation, from picking to loading to assembling. IKEA is a powerful company that has developed a strong group of loyal followers, myself included (obviously!) that has ample room to grow, should the company desire that expansion.

(oh, and here is a little snapshot into one of my most recent IKEA hauls with 

my sister at the IKEA in Frisco, TX. Did I mention I love IKEA?..)

So Much Life, So Little Blogging

For everyone who started following my blog last year when I was in the midst of my DIY/Pinterest bonanza, I'm sure you were all thoroughly impressed by my one DIY project entry. Oh yes, well it was a stunning table remodel after all ;) But in typical me fashion, I failed to blog about any more of the lovely creations I made during my year after undergrad. Those posts are coming... in due time. Getcha popcorn ready... or whatever. 

For all who started following my blog because I told you how I planned to blog my entire Israel trip last Easter, this is me finally owning up and saying "I'm sorry!" Sorry for promising wonderful, insightful entries regarding my time in the Holy Land. Sorry (again) for promising I'd get around to writing all about my trip right after I got home. --- Obviously, we see where those promises got us.

I will write an Israel entry... 

...and I'm going to do it this evening. Nothing like wine, some music, and time with my inner thoughts to wrap up a hectic school week. 

-AJM

Israel Update

Ok so I'm really sorry to everyone who I told to follow my blog... and here it is over halfway into my Israel trip and I haven't created even one post. SORRY! :( If you could see how long our days have been and how much we've tried to cram into every day, you'd probably be more understanding. But, I promise I will eventually blog about everything... it just might be after I'm back stateside and have a reliable internet connection. 

But, for those who seriously are looking forward to my upcoming novel-length blogs (and obviously everyone is), here is a quick summary list of things I have seen and done in Israel so far:
 -flew first class over to Israel (seriously, there are no words)
-bet shamesh (where david and goliath are said to have had their famed battle)
-sailed on the mediterranean sea
-visited jerusalem
-walked the via delarosa (the walk that jesus walked while carrying the cross)
-been on the mount of olives (amazing pictures of Jerusalem from there)
-saw the Garden of Gethsemane (beautiful, amazing- where Jesus prayed to God for strength and asked if there was another way ... other than being crucified.)
-attended Easter morning sunrise service at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem
-entered into the West Bank
-visited the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and saw where Jesus was born
-been on top of Mount Madasa
-walked across "no-mans land" into the country of Jordan from Israel
-stayed in Aqaba, Jordan
-visited Petra in Jordan (ancient city magnificently built into the walls of a canyon)
-swam in the Red Sea
-got a serious sunburn
-saw Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia all at one time
-got kissed by a camel
-drank camel's milk
-rode a donkey
-ran someone over with that donkey
-got my bag searched by Israeli border patrol (I felt like they were going to arrest me)
-visited Eilat, Israel and went to the underwater observatory
-FLOATED in the Dead Sea (once in a lifetime experience, there is nothing like it)
-drove through countless Israeli checkpoints on the roads

whew. ok. I know I forgot some stuff, and I'm sure once I pull out all my pictures and brochures and stuff I'll have more places to talk about. I will be talking about each thing in more detail once I actually blog all this for real. This is just a quick blog to let you know I'm having a great time and will be writing more soon!

 Teaser photo.. (more to come)

From Goodwill to BEAUTIFUL!

Alright, it has been a LONG LONG time since my first post. Basically the only excuse: life got in the way. You know with all the graduating college, the moving to a different city, the job searching... all those small, minor, minuscule things.


So this is a post that I should have written a while back (in June) when I actually did this project. Earlier this year, I started heavily reading DIY blogs. I was inspired. All these beautiful crafts and pieces of furniture that people had a gift for making absolutely beautiful. I knew... that was me. I could do that just like all those other women out there. I could go to goodwill and find a dresser for $10 and make it seem fresh out of a Pottery Barn catalogue. I could turn a rustic, broken antique mirror into a sophisticated and classy note board. I could refrain from buying expensive decor from Pier One and Ashley. I could and I freaking should because I am fresh out of college, no job as of yet, a boyfriend and roommate who is still in school, and a precious baby, Sadie, who is the light of both our lives to provide clothes and food for. Why yes, Sadie is a dog. :) But it doesn't mean that she is any less needy than an actual child would be, just let me tell you!


Anyways, back to saving money. Ensue trip to local goodwill store to see if I could make any good finds. And what do you know but I find these 3 beauties for $12 each.

How often do you find 3 matching end tables in pretty good condition at a resale shop?! I definitely couldn't give you any kind of guesstimate, but I'm betting its not too often. I knew I didn't need 3. Hell, I didn't even know if I had room for two of them in the new apartment we were about to move into. But I definitely bought all three, because someday I will have that dream house large enough to hold three end tables. Yes, its one of my many dreams. ;)

I was really inspired at the time by many posts on Better After that showed stained wooden tops of tables with white painted body and legs. LOVE! So I gathered up advice from the blog-o-sphere on what brands to buy, what stains to get, how to strip, etc etc. Mind you, this was my first time ever to do something like this, and by golly I was going to be an independent woman and do it alone. No help from the dad or the boyfriend needed here! [Ok, well maybe a little advice now and then helped ;)]

After (several) trips to Lowe's to get everything I needed, I started my adventure in the scorching Texas summer. I believe that most of the days that I worked on this project the temperature outside was in the ballpark of 105-110. I wish I was kidding. No need for a workout that day, I'll tell you that much. I'm pretty sure I sweated out my entire body weight working on these tables.

Honestly, the hardest part was stripping the tables of the previous finish. I researched several ways to strip the finish, but I ultimately went with a spray on stripper from Minwax (I think, honestly its been so long since I did this I can't remember for sure). It was so hot outside that I think it made the stripping way harder than it should have been, and it was drying like CRAZY fast. Im pretty sure it's not supposed to look all blotchy like this, but I made it work.

So moving on, I then had to cover the top with a cheap, plastic drop cloth, tape it and turn the table over onto its face. Then I was able to prime the upper part of the body that was green and get it ready for some fresh new paint. I used Klitz primer for obvious reasons as it seems to be the universal choice among DIY-ers. I also primed all the legs after I had unscrewed them from the table.

By this point, I was so incredibly sweaty and tired, I threw in the towel for day one. The next time I started back up on this little project, I was going to get to enjoy the fun part: PAINTING! Honestly, I was very underwhelmed by the spray paint selection at most stores in N/E Tarrant county. Lowe's and Home Depot's selections were abysmal considering they are a home improvement store. I was told to check out Wal-Mart for their selection of Krylon, but um, my Wally World definitely doesn't carry Krylon or have any kind of selection to ride home about. Anyways, I settled on Rustoleum's Antique White that I found at an Ace Hardware and was ultimately pretty pleased with it.

At this point I was getting pretty excited because this had turned into a really lengthy process and finally I was seeing some progress as to what my final project might look like. 

Next up, staining! I bought Minwax's Red Mahogany stain. I was scared it was going to have too much of a reddish tint, but thankfully it didn't

Apply on, Wipe off, Apply on, Wipe off. Apply on, Wipe off.

Let dry for 24 hours and VIOLA!

I had a little trouble with the finish completely soaking into the wood. I'm not sure if I didn't strip or sand the top enough, but I'll be sure to work a little harder at it next time. 

But I'd have to say, for a first project. I'm mighty proud of my 3 little goodwill end tables! Hope you like them too.

I'm linking up to a few sites that gave me the inspiration for this endeavor:

Camera Dilemma

So being a college grad here in a few short months I basically have little to no money (shocker!). And all the money that I find myself accumulating in these next few months and years to come will mostly head straight from my pocket to the bank.


So therefore what I am currently fantasizing about will most likely have to wait a while. 


THIS LOVELY, WONDERFUL, AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL SPECIMEN OF A CAMERA:

THE NIKON D3100 14.2MP DLSR W/ 18-55MM VR LENS

OR:

THE CANON EOS REBEL T1i 15.1 MP DSLR W/ EF-S 18-55MM IS LENS

Aren't they just jaw-droppingly stunning?! I know I would take some equally stunning pictures of my own with them. But since I currently own a working Point & Shoot Sony CyberShot, the desire for a new camera isn't outweighing the financial toll it would take to afford one. Did I mention that these are both in the $650-800 range.... AT WAL-MART, aka. the cheapest place on the planet. I hate Wal-Mart, but love them at the same time. No one can beat their prices and being like every other American in this economy, money and price are the most important factors almost all of the time.

..But I definitely have a new staple on all of my birthday and Christmas wishlists for the next several years. :)

Smiles,

Amanda

Goodbye Europe, HELLO TEXAS!

After my nice little nap I was able to squeeze in overnight, we then loaded the coaches to airport at 3am. It’s hard on your body to get up at be active at 3am after only sleeping like three hours. I heard a lot people mention that they didn’t feel good simply because of a weird sleeping schedule. We attempted to load all of the luggage onto the coaches, but these coaches were smaller and therefore about 25 whole bags wouldn’t fit in them. This caused us to have to wait nearly another hour on a trailer that would attach to the back of our coach. As soon as we finally left the hotel, I was fast asleep on the silent coach.

The drive to the Zurich airport wasn’t more than about 45 minutes so we arrived a little after 5am, when the airport check-in opened. It seems to me that European airports are quite inefficient when it comes to managing lines. Either that or we overwhelm them with 80 of us at one time, haha. When I tried to check my two bags, the lady working the check-in counter told me I had a special kind of ticket (different from everyone else’s) and that I would only be allowed to check one bag. After I began to tell her there is no way that could possibly be right and I started raising a slight fuss, Dr. Dan stepped in to save the day! He informed the lady that he is the travel agent responsible for this group’s booking, and that there is no way that my ticket could have that kind of restriction because it is an international flight. She still persisted and continued to argue with him, and then Dr. Dan informed her that we didn’t even book this flight in particular. I was re-booked by British Airways just last week to accommodate my former travel plans that were affected by the current BA strike. Then she began to understand and made a few more phone calls and allowed me to check my second duffel bag. I still had to pay a heavy bag fee of 50 Swiss Francs because one of my checked bags was 5 kilos over the max weight limit.

By this time it was nearly 6:10am, and boarding for our flight was supposed to close at 6:20am. I rushed myself through security, onto the tram, through the terminal, and to the gate only to discover that they hadn’t started boarding the plane at all. Turns out British Airways ended up delaying our flight by nearly 30 minutes because of the slow check-in procedures outside of security. Even after I checked my bag, there was still at least 15 people from our trip in line behind me waiting to check-in and get their boarding passes.

The plane finally took off for what was about a 1.5-2 hour flight to London. We landed and had to go through security again upon entering Terminal 5 at Heathrow. Once we were inside, it was AMAZING! Terminal 5 at Heathrow is by far the coolest airport I have ever been to! There are mini-Harrods, great shopping, and wonderful restaurants. Since it was only 9 am London time I wasn’t in the mood for heavy food, so I just grabbed a ready-made sandwich at Pret a Manger for old times sake. As tempting as it was, I only ate half while we were waiting for our flight, and saved the other half for what would prove to be a tasty meal during the 10-hour flight back to Houston. Our flight was delayed (again), this time due to the strike and the fact that they couldn’t scrounge up enough crew members to work our flight. (awesome... --sarcasm included).

I was so excited to finally take off and know that the next time we land I’ll be back in the great state of Texas. The flight was long, but not nearly as long as the flight to London seemed. The difference was that I slept nearly 4 hours on this flight and barely any on the first one. When we finally landed and the pilot said “Welcome to Houston,” I found it amusing how nearly our entire study abroad group applauded and cheered at what was simply a routine landing just because we were all so excited to be back in Texas. I couldn’t stop smiling when I was deplaning, but that smile faded fast however when we saw just how long the line at immigration was. After waiting for over 30 minutes in a sea of around 300 people, we were processed and I was able to get my luggage. After a quick run through at customs, I walked through the big double doors of IAH’s Terminal E and into Brad’s arms and I was home. I had a wonderful journey on this trip. I learned so much about culture, people, life, and myself. It’s an experience that I’m so very grateful for, but nothing beats home sweet home! ☺


oh ps: this is a picture from the plane's individual tv units that i took during the flight. In route to Houston, Europeans have no other description for humid houston than "HOT". haha, most all of us found a good amount of amusement out of that.

Last Day In Europe!

So strange. This morning was my last time to wake up and know I was going to be exploring a European city on this trip. Truthfully though, I’m very ready to come back home. This trip has been a wonderful life experience, but nothing beats lying in the arms of the one that I love simply just watching TV.

We didn’t even have to leave the hotel for our last two business meetings this morning. Bucherer Retail was first. Besides the room being exceptionally hot and stuffy, the presentation wasn’t half bad. I had already gone there to buy my Swiss Army knives yesterday, so I felt a little extra connection to the store. After a small break, Johnson & Johnson was next. That presentation however was exceptionally boring. I felt like the speaker was all over the place and it was hard to stay focused on him during his presentation.

After both presentations were finished, Dr. Mac and Dr. Dan had some last minute debriefing instructions for us before we were released for our last day in Europe. For lunch, a large group of study abroaders went across the Chapel Bridge to Mr. Pickwick’s Pub and had some pub food. I heard all the food there was good, so I was excited to get a really good cheeseburger. Unfortunately, there was some kind of weird sauce on my burger and the cheese had a weird kick to it. I barely ate half of my burger if that and didn’t order any fries to save money. I also haven’t ordered an alcoholic drink since France I think, solely for the reason of conserving money.

We left Mr. Pickwick’s Pub, took some pictures by the Chapel Bridge, watched the wild swans swim around, and then headed off to do some last minute errands around Lucerne before we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the dessert cruise. I bought an assortment of Swiss Chocolate at Bucherer while other people bought more Longchamp bags, more Swiss Army knives, and even a few nice Swiss watches.

One last thing on our to-do list in Lucerne was to walk to the giant lion monument carved into the side of a stone wall. It was so much larger and more detailed than I was envisioning it to be. We took a few pictures, and Callen, CJ, Kinsey, and I all tossed coins into the pond in front of the monument after we made wishes. I don’t really know if it was a ritual or not, but there were some coins in the bottom of the pond, so we figure why not?! Wishing on an ancient lion can’t hurt!

CJ, Kinsey, and I all walked back to the hotel to shower and get all done up for the final group event of the trip, the dessert dinner cruise on Lake Lucerne. Kinsey was wonderful and curled several of the girls hair (including mine). It looked fabulous! After weeks of not trying to get overly done up for a night out, it was nice to feel pretty and see how gorgeous everyone else looked as well!

The cruise was SO MUCH FUN! We had a private boat rented out just for our study abroad group. The first two rounds of drinks were free, so white wine was my beverage of choice! It was delicious! From the moment we all stepped onto the boat it was just a non-stop photo session. We sang the war hymn, whooped!, laughed, hugged, and just had a great night reflecting on all of the memories we made throughout the past month and the friends that will come back with us to A&M. The view of the shoreline was unmatched and the sunset in particular was sublime! I was sad to see such an amazing night end. It was tied with the Austrian dinner as being the most enjoyable evening activity that we did on the entire trip.




Sadly though, the night had to end. We walked back to the hotel at around 10:30pm, and having already packed my bags completely during the afternoon, I was able to go straight to bed by about 11 o’clock. I was one of the lucky few that actually was able to squeeze in a few hours of sleep before we had to load the coaches for the airport in the middle of the night. I set my alarm for 2:15am, so I could be downstairs at around 2:50am to board the coach. Naptime for me!

A Day In The Swiss Alps!

I have been looking forward to today’s activity for the entire trip! We were going to go up the Swiss Alps to the top of Mt. Titlus and do some fun activities in the snow… in the middle of June! SO fun! After much debate about who would ride with Gee on the coach and who would volunteer to take the train (slightly more expensive, yet I volunteered), we left this morning around 8:00am. It was about an hour’s train ride out to the town of Engelberg where we then walked for another 10-15 minutes to the Mt. Titlus base lift. We met up with the bus crew and got our group tickets from Gee. He secured us a great discount! Gee is the best!

We then started our journey up the mountain. Imagine: its nearly 80 degrees at the base of the mountain. Yet, in just a few short minutes, we would be walking, playing in, and touching snow! The series of 3 sets of lifts took nearly an hour to navigate, especially when factoring in the INSANE lines from all of the Indian and Chinese tour groups. Apparently, Mt. Titlus is actually quite the popular tourist attraction… unfortunately for us. Seriously, there was probably nearly 500 Indians and 300-400 Chinese people. The Chinese people weren’t too annoying except that they were just in the way a lot. The Indian people however were a different story entirely! I swear to you I have never been more riled up and angry at a particular culture in my entire life! In Indian culture, it is not normal to stand in a line for things… no, really, they don’t… at all. All day long, I got pushed around, shoved, and cut in front of by the entire Indian population on the mountain. I was FURIOUS! We finally had enough as a group and started getting verbally angry at the line cutters. When we have been waiting in line for 20-30 minutes, and someone waltzes all the way up to the front and weasels their way in (and then it happens over and over), it gets really old really fast. We started calling out the line cutters and telling them to get to the back of the line. They would act confused, then say, “Oh, well we’re going the same place so just let us go in front of you.” UMMMMMM…. NO! I DO NOT THINK SO. BACK OF THE LINE! We may have come off as rude American tourists today, but I didn’t even care anymore. We had had enough! Just because we are polite, courteous, and orderly doesn’t mean you can walk all over us. It doesn’t work like that. It is customary that when one travels, they adhere to the cultural norms of the place they are traveling to. In Westernized countries, that includes learning the kindergarten skill of standing in a line and waiting your own turn! Let’s just say after today, I have absolutely ZERO interest to travel to India and experience their culture. UGH! I’m still fuming about the whole situation!

Anyways, back to the journal entry. We rode another lift down to the glacier park, otherwise known as the playtime area. There was an option to go tubing or sled down a hill using many different snow toys and sleds. It was all so much fun, but so crowded once again. The snow was quite slushy considering the temperature was somewhere in the 40’s, so it managed to find its way up my jeans and into my shoes. By the time we left the mountain, my jeans and shoes were soaked. Good thing I won’t have to wear them much more on the trip!




After going back to the top, eating my lunch that I had packed from breakfast (and by doing so saved at least 20 Francs), Sydney, Laura, Laura, Brittany, and I headed the hour back down to the base of the mountain back to Engelberg. We caught the train and rode it back to Luzern. We got back around 4pm, changed clothes, and met back down in the lobby to head over to Bucherer and buy our Swiss Army knives! I was so excited to do this, because I had been looking forward to getting this gift for a good majority of the trip. I bought a Spartan Lite style Swiss Army knife for Brad and Super Tinker style knives for Dad and Grandpa. I also decided to get a small pink one just for me. It was only 16 Francs so I figured why not?! The best part… I was able to get all of them engraved with the names of each recipient for free! I’m really excited about giving this gift, and I hope all the guys really enjoy them!

After shopping, we headed back near the hotel and grabbed a slice of New York pizza for dinner. It was only 7 Francs! But then the coke that I bought was another 4 Francs. Ugh. Everything over here is ridiculously overpriced. I can’t wait to come back to the USA and buy a $1 Dr. Pepper from McDonalds or Sonic or wherever. This trip has really made me appreciate so many things that I took for granted back in America.

Dinner complete, a few of us girls hung out and talked and then we all parted way, showered, packed up our bags, and went to bed. Tomorrow morning we are having our last two business presentations (yay!) in the hotel conference room! We don’t even have to leave to go anywhere! One more full day in Europe!

4 Countries In One Day!

Today we left Munich in the morning and drove two hours to Fussen, Germany to Neuschwanstein, otherwise known as the castle of King Ludwig. This is actually the castle that Disney modeled its Sleeping Beauty castle after. I don’t think any of us were prepared for the hike that we had in store for us though. We parked at the base of a hill and had to walk up a very steep incline for nearly half an hour to even access the castle. It was HARD! I felt lame because older people were doing this as well, but didn’t seem to breathing as heavily as we were. Although, I’m pretty sure we were going at a much faster pace than recommended because we got to the top in only about 25 minutes when the map told us it should take 45.

The view was incredible! The German countryside with lakes and the German Alps in the background was breathtaking. I knew it would only be a tune up for Switzerland which I have heard to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world. We had time to kill once we got to the base of the castle, so we ate our packed lunches from the Holiday Inn breakfast (they did not appreciate us doing that by the way. They told us this morning that if they saw anymore of us doing that they would call the cops on us for stealing. I don’t know but I’m pretty sure the police in Munich have bigger problems to deal with like the massive “Free Gaza” rally that we saw on our bike ride yesterday. I’m just saying…).

Anyways, after we took a lot of pictures and hiked even further to a bridge suspended over a canyon for the best view of Neuschwanstein, it was time for our scheduled tour time. The tour was relatively short to others we had experienced on this trip (only about 30 minutes), but it was still nice to see the inside of this famed castle. King Ludwig was an interesting man with his obsession over Richard Wagner and Swan Lake. What is even stranger though is the circumstances regarding his death. It’s still one of Bavaria’s (the region in Germany) biggest unsolved cases.

It was surprisingly hot even at the top of the hill the castle is perched upon, so I grabbed some ice cream for the walk down to our waiting coach. It completely hit the spot… cold and refreshing! After waiting for about another hour for people to finish up their visits, we finally were able to depart Fussen for Lucerne (Luzern), Switzerland.

On the way, we drove through a small sliver of Austria and then we entered Liechtenstein, a sovereign country in its own right but a principality of Switzerland. We stopped here for about half an hour so we could add another country to our checklist for this trip. I bought 2 postcards and perused the Swiss Army Knife collection available. There are so many choices to pick from, and I want to get individual kinds for Brad, my dad, and my grandpa. I was also able to get money exchanged from both Euros and Pounds which we aren’t using anymore. As of Liechtenstein, we have officially changed over to the Swiss Franc for the remainder of the trip!

Then we entered Switzerland! It had been a beautiful day and drive thus far, but Switzerland was the icing on the cake. Driving through the Swiss Alps, with the jagged rock faces and staggered cliffs, it was absolutely breathtaking at some points! I didn’t sleep during this part of the bus ride like I normally tend to do. I was simply staring at the window and snapping pictures when I had a good opportunity.

We arrived in Lucerne a little later than on our planned schedule at about 7:30pm. We quickly checked into the Best Western Hotel Flora that is situated right on the lake/river that splits the town in two basically. From what I have seen of the city so far, it looks so cute! I can’t wait to do a little bit of exploring Monday after our business presentations are finished. After we had our presentations and orientation meeting for Lucerne, we quickly raced across the street to get to the Burger King before it closed at 10. We got there at 9:50! It was a late dinner, but the worst part was the price. My combo meal that I ordered (which would be the size equivalent of a medium/regular combo in the States) was 12.50 Swiss Francs! OH MY GOD! ☹ We were warned that this was the most expensive stop on the trip, and they weren’t kidding! Thank goodness we’re only here about two days, or I wouldn’t have any money left to spend (I don’t really even at this point, but that’s beside the point, haha).

After skyping with my family and showering, I headed off to bed. Tomorrow morning is going to come extremely early, seeing as I have to meet downstairs in the lobby at 7:30 to catch a train to Engleberg. We are going to Mt. Titlus tomorrow to see the sights and play in the snow! I’ve been looking forward to this all trip so hopefully it lives up to my expectations!