About Marcia
and the Cornucopian!
The Wayback Machine
The Wayback Machine
This’ll be short ‘n’ sweet. No one wants to wade through David Copperfield. So here are a few highlights.
A big part of graphic and web design is color. (Bear in mind: I had zero inclination towards these professions in my formative years.) There were signs during my childhood of my interest in color and its importance to our lives.
I grew up in a conservative town, with conservative architecture and the accompanying, conservative color schemes. (Are you picking up on a theme?)
I was thrilled as a kid when I got a playhouse of my own in our backyard. It was unfinished, and I was told I could choose the paint color. I thought a long time about this before arriving at my choice. Take a look…
Playhouse on the left. See it?
That’s right! The backyard was visible from the street.
I was inspired to paint my playhouse bright lavender having driven by a full size gingerbread Victorian house I’d seen in Aspen, Colorado, on our family ski vacations many times. I thought it was sooooo cheery.
My dad was not amused…
Favorite TV Show
Favorite TV Show
You’d be surprised what you can learn about someone from their favorite TV show as a kid. (It’s true The Muppet Show appealed to youngsters and adults alike, but that wasn’t my favorite.)
I grew up in the era of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman. (Wonder Woman didn’t hold a candle to her.) And while those super powers were mighty attractive, those ladies didn’t seem to have a life. They were always saving someone else’s life.
Want to take a stab at guessing mine? I promise it was not some obscure PBS program (although I’m big into Nature and Nova these days).
NOPE!
Samantha was terrific.
And that nose! How did she do it?
I could never get my nose to wiggle the way Elizabeth Montgomery did.
And Endora was so mean. Samantha was always put down as “just a housewife.” Further, she seemed to relish her housewife duties. Ugh! She just didn’t have the same role model qualities I sought.
CORRECT!
Jeannie was my favorite.
I thought blinking and then something big just magically appeared was a pretty cool trick. She never enjoyed housework.
Someone who could make dinner appear in a blink, or instantly redecorate the house with a wink, understood how I felt about domestic duties. This slight of hand (er, eye blink) played a role later in life…
NOPE!
Samantha was terrific.
And that nose! How did she do it?
I could never get my nose to wiggle the way Elizabeth Montgomery did.
And Endora was so mean. Samantha was always put down as “just a housewife.” Further, she seemed to relish her housewife duties. Ugh! She just didn’t have the same role model qualities I sought.
CORRECT!
Jeannie was my favorite.
I thought blinking and then something big just magically appeared was a pretty cool trick. She never enjoyed housework.
Someone who could make dinner appear in a blink, or instantly redecorate the house with a wink, understood how I felt about domestic duties. This slight of hand (er, eye blink) played a role later in life…
Favorite Dancer
Favorite Dancer
I started ballet at six. But I gravitated to tap, jazz and so on within a few years. The movie That’s Entertainment came out in 1977, and I was hooked on MGM musicals of a bygone era.
Now you’d think the answer to “who’s my favorite dancer?” would be Ginger Rogers or Ann Miller. (Nope!) They both played second fiddle (or third) though to their male counterparts (who got top billing and top paycheck). And although these marvelous female dancers did everything the guys did (in high heels, moving backwards, and often with yards of skirt fabric to manage), I was more intrigued with how the guys moved, each with unique styles.
Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly were a generation apart, but they both worked in the movies at about the same time. They had tremendous energy but expressed it quite differently. Each had unique, signature moves and dance styles.
Ready to take a guess?
NOPE!
Gene Kelly did have the technique and athleticism. His choreography was amazing. He was a better actor, director and singer. He won numerous awards for his work and performances. His Singin’ in the Rain and An American in Paris were amazing. But it seemed like he was hankering for more attention than Fred did.
CORRECT!
Fred Astaire was the bomb.
He was the underdog who wow’d ’em all! He didn’t have the looks. He wasn’t much taller than his partners. His hands (and forehead) were too big. He thought he looked goofy. But he figured out how to turn all his perceived negatives into positives. He used neckties as belts. Resourceful! I could relate.
NOPE!
Gene Kelly did have the technique and athleticism. His choreography was amazing. He was a better actor, director and singer. He won numerous awards for his work and performances. His Singin’ in the Rain and An American in Paris were amazing. But it seemed like he was hankering for more attention than Fred did.
CORRECT!
Fred Astaire was the bomb.
He was the underdog who wow’d ’em all! He didn’t have the looks. He wasn’t much taller than his partners. His hands (and forehead) were too big. He thought he looked goofy. But he figured out how to turn all his perceived negatives into positives. He used neckties as belts. Resourceful! I could relate.
Cornucopia Creations
Cornucopia Creations
Jumping ahead, skipping over the college years, early jobs (a stint at Citibank, would you believe?), and finding career direction, I’ll move on to the entrepreneurial leap.
Having done the corporate thing a few times, it was time to put my stake in the ground (per se). Cornucopia Creations launched in 1995 providing primarily graphic design and copy writing services.
But even in the mid-1990s the writing was on the wall: The internet would come to dominate the business world. Adapt or perish! And so I embarked upon learning website design and various digital marketing services.
How hard could it be? I managed to program complex theater lighting design programs back in college when Denison University’s computer systems were relegated to the dorm basements with rows of dot-matrix printers. Little did I realize…
It wasn’t until 2009 before I felt I had the expertise to offer website design services. Since that time, it’s become the core of my business. But I continue to offer graphic design and copy writing services, among other key essentials, such as email marketing programs. After all, they are all inter-connected. One relies upon another to continue the flow of new business.
The Logo Before & After
Drag the arrows up or down to see the original Cornucopia Creations logo (top – from more than 20 years ago) vs. the current logo design (bottom).
What’s in a Name?
It is a mouthful: Cornucopia Creations. I liked the alliteration. I had a reputation for having endless ideas. (I still do!)
If I knew then what I know now, of course I would never have used such an obtuse business name! (Many have tried to talk me into changing it.) But it’s grown on me like an old sweater.
When I was seeking a name, I wanted something that reflected my ability to come up with boundless ideas for marketing a business. Its history:
The Cornucopia, also known as the ‘horn of plenty’, originated in ancient times when Zeus accidentally broke a horn off the goat Amalthea. Feeling remorseful, Zeus returned the horn to Amalthea, and vested it with new powers: Whoever possesses the cornucopia (horn) would be granted whatever he or she wished for. Over time, the legend of the power of the horn grew, of course, and it’s been long believed that the cornucopia is always filled and overflowing with whatever is desired….
Whether you need a new website, logo, a brochure or need a comprehensive marketing campaign, our cornucopia ‘runneth over’ (to mix metaphors) with solutions.
THE PRESENT
THE PRESENT
What do my customers think? Well here are a few reviews:
