Welcome to the new TiramisuForBreakfast.com! As you can see, we got a little website revamp. I would love your help as I work to update this new page with examples of my work and testimonials.
If we’ve worked together in the past in any capacity (student/teacher/client/coworker) I would be so grateful for your feedback and input as I plan for 2018! If you have a moment, please share your thoughts here.
As always, please let me know if there’s ever anything I can do for you.
Richmond Magazine just released their December issue and for the first time, I had the chance to contribute. Look for the Winter White style section on page 83.
CLIENT NEWS
Sonabank P.O.W.E.R. began a campaign highlighting retailers in their footprint and followed with the launch of a holiday gift guide (if you’re a P.O.W.E.R. member, add your business’s gift ideas here)
VCU Brandcenter students created holiday window magic at shops along Libbie, Grove and Patterson avenues.
READ | LISTEN | WATCH | LEARN
MASHABLE: Facebook tests tagging system as it figures out what to show you from random pages
“Perhaps Facebook is just now rolling out tagging as a way to improve its system’s capabilities for combing the vast amount of content posted on Facebook every day and delivering of-interest stuff to users.”
KAREN MCGRANE: Content & Context: Content Strategy for a Mobile World
“It doesn’t matter if you think that any one platforms or device is going to be the next big thing, because humanity’s desire for new devices and platforms has not yet been sated. There will be a next big thing. There will be a new platform, a new place to publish content. The organizations that will succeed are the ones who stop thinking about how they publish to any one platform and instead, change their entire publishing mindset to embrace the idea of publishing to any platform, any device, equally. That will require the true separation of content from form.”
ADWEEK: Why It’s Critical Brands Take a Stand on Tough Social Issues
“Consumers want to know where brands stand on issues. Brands cannot expect to play Switzerland as the rest of the world picks a side. Consumers want the companies they support to harness their power for good, not lay back and let injustices happen.”
KIND: The World Needs More Kind
“Nice is something you say. Kind is something you do. Now, more than ever, that extra effort is required to rediscover our shared humanity and tackle challenges related to misunderstanding and intolerance. To kick-start a conversation around the topic, KIND is releasing a storytelling series that illuminates this distinction and invites people to consider the difference between being nice and being kind, and act accordingly.”
GOALCAST: These 9 life lessons from comedian Tim Minchin will make you laugh — and learn
FORBES: The 25 Best Twitter Accounts To Follow To Improve Your Life
CNN: The Darkest Material On Earth
ALLURE: You’re beautiful for who you are inside—not for what you look like.
WTVR: Bobcat survives 50-mile ‘miracle’ trip to Richmond stuck in car grill
“Officer Jones sent me a text message at 8:06. And the text was, ‘I’m on a call with a bobcat stuck in the grill of a car – and he’s still alive.’”
Peters said the text contained the “crazy eyes” emoji along with the question, “What do I do?””
EBAUMS WORLD: Best Buy Paper Insert From July 1994 Is Like A Timecapsule
THE DODO: Kids Make Special Newspapers For Their Cat To Read While He’s In The Litter
Boxwhile Baba Ganoush was doing his business, his sisters noticed he was just staring at the wall the whole time — and thought that seemed a little too boring.
RESOURCES
FREE CODE CAMP | 200 universities just launched 560 free online courses.
ENGADGET | PayPal makes it easy to pool money for gifts
EVENTS
12/5 | BOSS BABES RVA December Meetup
12/5 | THE VALENTINE MUSEUM Controversy/History – Quality Place: Monuments & Tourism
12/6 | THE WOODLOT Holiday Happy Hour Pop Up
12/10 ICA VCU Call for Participation! Richmond: Symphony of a City
Do you dream of sharing untold stories about our city of Richmond? Do you have family legends, speculations, or critical perspectives for Richmond’s future? Contribute story ideas for a new project by artist Marinella Senatore, commissioned by the Institute for Contemporary Art as part of the inaugural exhibition Declaration (April 21 – September 9, 2018.)
Artist Marinella Senatore will draw on your submissions to create the outline of a new radio drama. She will then work with a cross-section of Richmond citizens to develop the radio drama in 2018, which will be performed as part of Declaration.
12/12 | NAWBO | Holiday Luncheon
12/18 | 955 CLUB COMEDY Ladies of RVA Comedy Showcase
12/22 | PAPER ROSE Co. Pop-In At Nordstrom
1/1 | LUCID LIVING RVA ReNEWed Year: Self Care for 2018
2/6 | VCU MASSEY CANCER CENTER Women & Wellness Forum Series – Keynote speaker Joan Lunden
2/24 | VISUAL ARTS CENTER OF RICHMOND The Nuts and Bolts of Freelance Writing with Marissa Hermanson Moomaw
2/24 | HOUSING FAMILIES FIRST A Night In Old Havana
3/16 | TIFFANY HADDISH #SheReady
JOBS
These are some jobs that I’ve either heard about from friends or come across online. I don’t have a personal connection to all of them, but feel free to contact me if you’re interested and I’ll do anything I can to help. If you’re hiring, feel free to send that info along for me to include too.
WORK LABS | Studio Designer
CHILDFUND INTERNATIONAL | Manager, Digital Content & Marketing
DOMINION ENERGY | Senior Communications Specialist
VIRGINIA HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY | Communications Manager
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND | Marketing Adjunct Faculty
VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM | Digital Media Specialist
WORKSHOP DIGITAL | Senior Paid Digital Marketing/Pay Per Click (PPC) Analyst
DEPARTMENT OF STATE POLICE | Public Relations Coordinator
VASEN BREWING COMPANY | Marketing and Events Coordinator
HHHUNT | Marketing Manager
VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE | Director fo Communications & Marketing
Going through an older version of my website to update this one, I found this post from 2013. I’d titled it “Sometimes My Work Can Be Really Fun” and it’s true. The Martin Agency was my first job after graduating from the advertising program at VCU. I started as a broadcast media buyer before agencies had “social media departments.”
I remember being so excited for this launch. (An extension of this campaign.) Anne-Marie Hite and Adam Stockton awesomely creative and I’m so lucky to have gotten the chance to work with and learn from them.
The creative team at my work that works on GEICO just wrote a book from the point of view of the GEICO Gecko. We’re super excited about it. Part of my job has been to think of creative ways to promote it on social media. The other night, a local bookstore, Fountain Bookstore, threw a launch party for the Gecko’s first book, complete with adorable Gecko cake pops from Candy Vally Cake Company. We had a blast.
It’s been a month of celebrations and I’m so grateful to all of you for being a part of it.
-Christina
We launched the Tiramisu For Breakfast with a party at Quirk Hotel. Check out the guide here.
I was honored to be among the 39 others named as Richmond’s Top 40 under 40 and among 9 others as VCU Alumni’s Top Ten Under Ten. I also had a great time speaking on social media to the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce.
This cat art is my new favorite thing ever.
Doesn’t it look just like Kitty? I couldn’t believe it when I found this on Etsy. (The pillow’s also from Etsy – find it here.
I did a style piece for the December Issue – be on the lookout! 
A year or two ago, I jotted down a list of the people who’d helped me along in my life/career. I did it on a whim, but I find myself not only adding to it but also looking back on it often.
This semester, I decided to turn it into an assignment for my students at VCU. College is stressful, and I’ve read (and experienced) that gratitude can combat stress. The students turned in their lists of 10 people who’ve inspired/helped/guided them last week, and reading over them has been my favorite thing.
Who’s on your list?
A few weeks ago, I got my eyebrows "microbladed" by the lovely Jade Orr and I'm obsessed with the results.
Before I had it done, I filled my brows in with makeup every day because I didn't like how thin they were. I switched from Smashbox powder to Make Up For Ever gel to E.L.F. wax. I got my brows to look the way I wanted with makeup but I always had to reapply and it didn't look exactly the same day-to-day.
I'd been following Jade's results photos on her Instagram for months and was blown away by the photos of her microblading work.
What is microblading? Microblading is a semi-permanent method creating hyper-realistic hair strokes to achieve brow goals. It’s similar to a tattoo in that it deposits pigment. However, it doesn’t go as deep, so it fades away in 1-2 years.
I messaged her on Facebook to ask about it and we set up a consultation. We talked through pricing and what the "procedure" would be like, and I set up a time to come back in. I booked a 3pm appointment on a Friday and she told me to expect it to take 2.5 hours. I sent her several photos of my good brow day pictures to give her an idea of what I was looking for.
When I went in for my appointment, she started by numbing my brows with a cream and used a piece of plastic to hold it in place. While my brows numbed for about20 minutes, I worked on some client emails.
Then, she drew my brows on to get an idea of the shape we were going for. It was hard to tell from this what they would look like.
After this, she started applying pigment with needles. It did hurt a little, but nothing unbearable. After the was halfway done with the first brow, she applied a different kind of numbing agent and started on the next one. She went back and forth until they were done and then she asked me to sit up and take a look in the mirror. She told me she could add extra "hairs" one at a time wherever I wanted more. I had her add a stroke to each brow to make them longer.
Here's the before/after:
Here's what they looked like right after I got them done. I wasn't sure what they'd look like so I hadn't made evening plans but they looked perfect so I called my boyfriend and we went out for tacos.
Carola: Do you still fill in with makeup? What do you use to maintain them now?
TFB: without any makeup at all, my eyebrows look natural. When I was little, I had really think brows. But now, they're naturally thinner. I like that when I wake up, my brows like even and pretty but "normal." When I want to do it up with full makeup, I can darken them with powder so they're more defined. I love having options.
Megan: Will it fade away 100% eventually? I wouldn’t want to have permanent dark brown eyebrows tattooed on when the rest of my eyebrows turn white when I get old.
TFB: Yep! Because it doesn't go as deep as a tattoo, it fades completely after 1-3 years.
Helayne: What's the pain level during and after. How do you avoid infection?
TFB: It was slightly uncomfortable but definitely nothing unbearable because I was numbed. I couldn't wash my brows for the first 24 hours, but after that maintenance was pretty much normal. Jade recommends using baby shampoo to clean your brows. I used my normal, gentle face wash.
Overall, I love the results and would 10/10 recommend. Reach out to Jade Orr to learn more. 
Nice is polite but not always what we need to hear. Kind is honest and stands its ground. Nice doesn’t add to problems. Kind solves them. Nice is something you say. Kind is something you do.
Read about the campaign here.
