Client: Thomas Harris Properties, Inc. and Harris-Ainsworth Development Company, Inc.
Link: http://classyrentals.com
Work: Design, Copywriting, Proofreading

ClassyRentals.com is the website for both Winston-Salem-based companies Thomas Harris Properties, Inc. and Harris-Ainsworth Development Company, Inc. The landlords take great pride in their restorations/renovations as well as the properties designed and built by owner Tom Harris’ design-build firm, Thomas Harris Building & Design. As part of bringing their website into the new millennium, I proofread existing content, using the owner’s preferences for capitalization, and helped with copywriting verbiage for new advertisements for Craigslist ads as well as housing lists at Wake Forest University’s Law, MBA and Med Schools. I also designed flyers for the school bulletin boards. I also helped design a classifieds-ad style flyer for the rental sign boxes, directed the photography to showcase their amazing upscale features for the website, and finally updated their leases and application form to a newer easy-to-read font that took up less paper. They needed a digital format for easy retrieval and for distribution in case it needed to be emailed to new tenants who lived out of state and rented their apartments sight-unseen.

Old Application

New Application

Client: Lexington Veterinary Associates, Hickory Tree Animal Hospital //  Winston Salem, NC
Link: http://lexingtonveterinaryassociates.com
Work: Design

These forms can be customized with your veterinary clinic’s info for just $5, or for no charge if you order your copies of the forms from Carolina Printing Service.

Client: Michael Jenkins, Captain, The Pirate Party: Cape Fear Chapter // Benefit for Haiti
Link: Front Street Brewery (Beam Room Event Space)
Work: Logo & Graphic Design for benefit handouts & web distribution, Copywriting, Copyediting
Web Partners: Facebook Events

Client: Kent Boseman // Professional Tango Instructor
Link: http://www.surfertango.com
Work: Logo & Graphic Design for website and marketing materials, Copywriting, Copyediting, Web Design
Web Partners: Facebook (photo album integration)
Also Credited: Ian Michael Gullett at IMG Multimedia (Webmaster Services, Content Management, SEO) // Lisa Puttback at Beachy Keen Photography (Featured Photos)

When I met Kent, his site needed a facelift from the clunky build-it-yourself template from Yahoo.com. He came to me with great photography and testimonials. I worked with Kent to develop a bio about how he came to love and teach Tango, as well as a Question and Answer section to appease the curiosity a would-be student might have. Now he has a great-looking site with a schedule of classes, testimonials, Q&A page and blogging capability. He can easily update his photo gallery by syncing the website with selected Facebook photo albums. With Google Analytics integration, Kent has seen an increase in traffic and because of better search engine results, more requests for dance classes throughout Wilmington.

Client: Nsalo // Hosting 1st Annual “Cause for Paws”
Work: Copyediting, Proofreading, Publicity

Erica Adams from Nsalo Salon asked me to write an article on my blog for a little publicity for the Cause for Paws: Halloween Hair-Fashion Show to raise money for New Hanover County-based animal adoption outreach program, Adopt-an-ANGEL. Erica also sent me the press release and a sponsor donation form, both of which had awesome graphic design and only needed just a bit of copyediting and proofreading to make them shine! I used the information from the press release to write an article that we posted all over Facebook to help make people aware of the successful event. I look forward to assisting them next year!

So we all know how much I’m a sucker for anything that helps animals. When I saw the flyer for the Pender County Humane Society fundraiser on their website, I knew it could be so much more effective.

Flyer Text:

Show your support at the 6th Annual Raffle Fundraiser for the local volunteer-based non-profit, “no-kill” animal rescue organization funded by donations, memberships and adoption fees.

For the cost of $50, you can enjoy dinner by Middle of the Island, music by Big Dave and ten chances to win $200. For an additional $10, you can invite your spouse or friend to the event. The $10 dinner guest ticket does not entitle the guest to the $2,000 cash prizes given away that night.

6th Annual Raffle Fundraiser
When: Friday, October 2, 2009 from 6pm to 9pm
Where: Elks Club, 5102 Oleander Drive
How: Call Norma (452-0049) or Gloria (799-5401) for information and tickets

If you’d like to support the Pender County Humane Society, but you can’t attend the fundraiser, visit their website at PenderHumane.org to donate or find out more about future special events.

Before the grand opening of his new restaurant in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, Damon asked me to “go to town” on the final proof of the menu. He realizes the importance of not only making sure “sautée” is spelled correctly, but keeping font styles and sizes consistent throughout the menu to ensure patrons know where to look for an item’s price and description. Keeping questions to a minimum means servers spend less time explaining what your menu is supposed to say, which translates into faster turn-over and less items being sent back to the kitchen due to menu misunderstandings – two things that can affect your day’s bottom-line!

Client: Damon Scarpelli & Bob Glass // Restaurant Owners
Link: http://chelseaswilmington.com
Work: Proofreading of Lunch, Dinner, To Go & Banquet Menus // Wine List Proofreading & Research

In addition to proofreading the restaurant’s lunch, dinner, to go and banquet menus, I researched the proper spelling for each wine, its appellation (geographical region where the wine was grown) and varietal (type of grape) for a wine menu of over 100 wines from France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia, South Africa, Chile, Argentina and North America. It was dubbed by wine-connoisseur patrons as quite possibly the most comprehensive wine list they’d ever seen. And the food menu? Not a single accent mark was missing from Gruyère to crème brûlée.

Client: Mandy Foreman // Restaurant Owner
Work: Menu Proofreading, Ad Copywriting & Design

Mandy and her former business partner, Christine, bought The Underground Mexican Cantina after only a 9-month stint following 15  years of being The Underground Sandwich Shop in Downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. Mandy immediately recognized the need to bring the sandwiches back, due to customer demand, but there was another set of clients who still loved the burritos and quesadillas, so she worked with her graphic designer to make a new menu.

Over the next two years, she added new sandwich and wrap creations, but needed help with naming each item and getting all the information on the menu. We went from a two-page layout to a four-page layout to keep the menu easy to read, and divided the items into different sections. Customers found the menu easy to follow, which made the order-taking process quick for the servers.

I also created a drink menu and designed ads for the restaurant that appeared in local publications.