That’s A Wrap!

Oh, where did the summer go??

I feel like I just finished my new guy training and here I find myself at the end of another incredible summer at Schipul. It has been quite a productive three months, creating Tendenci overview videos, a series of training videos, taking photos for BARC, and even a commercial featuring a very tiny (and cute) Guinea Pig. I started my first internship at Schipul as Senior in High School and now three internships, (got the hat trick!) and four years later I am starting my Senior year in college. I’ll be returning to Brooklyn, NY where I am studying film at Pratt Institute.

It’s been an honor calling Schipul family over the last four years. Being surrounded by talented and fun people has become an integral part of my education and one that I am thankful for during the short time I’m here in the summer. These goodbyes sure don’t get easier I’ve learned, but I’m excited about the next phase in my life and what adventures await me.

THAT’S A WRAP.

 

 

directing a tiny pig

 

Peace & Love – CP

It’s not goodbye…it’s see you later

It is difficult to sum up into words what an incredible ride it has been these past [almost] 5 years at Schipul. It is even more difficult to express the impact each one of you has had on my life walking in these doors every day. You all have become my second [crazy] family which is why my decision to start a new adventure in my life has not come easy…

At the end of August, I will be moving to Austin, TX to start a new chapter and of course, keep things extremely weird. But no matter where life takes me, I will always be a Schipulite and remember everyone that has made my Houston world absolutely amazing. So with that…here’s a little gem [highlight reel] of some of my favorite Schipulite moments…queue Phillip Phillips….

Peace & Love,

-CP

Introduction from Becky – The New Guy

Hello world!

Schipul Holiday Party Picture - 2008
Old School Schipul 2008
Fayza A. Elmostehi, Aaron Long, and Becky Leven

I am most honored to be welcomed back into the Schipul tribe and to be going for new guy round two.

I first joined the Schipul community back in 2008 as an intern while studying at Rice University.

My experience at Schipul was so mind blowingly amazing that I went on to create a self designed major at Rice in Communications, Culture, and Society based on the mission and culture at Schipul.

After graduating from Rice, I moved back to my hometown, NYC, where I worked in the financial services industry, but Schipul was never far from mind.

I am thrilled to be back and look forward to bringing visibility to the amazing people and organizations we work with and to partnering with our clients to grow their reach and strengthen their communities.

When not doing awesome things in Schipul land I can be found cooking and exploring restaurants, travelling, rocking out to NPR, and getting my workout on.

Sign - Welcome New Guy
Welcoming the New Guy

30 Days of Thanks: Sweet Memories

I have so much to be thankful for. So much more than I could ever articulate or capture in a blog post. Even while I’m drafting this entry in my bedroom, I hear my boyfriend, his son, and our niece and nephew giggle over a movie they are watching in the living room. Between the laughter, I hear them recounting their favorite parts of the festival we attended today, and every couple of minutes my sweet dog, Stanley, punctuates their snickering with a good  squeak  of his toy from behind the couch. The distinct smell of “taco night” is still strong in our apartment even though the dishes have been done for hours. My life is full. I am blessed.

Of all these blessings, this year I am choosing to document some of my simplest and sweetest memories of my father. Dad was unexpectedly taken from us this summer, and while my heart is broken that he is gone, I am abundantly grateful for his love, his lessons, and all the sweet, sweet memories.

The Haunting on Glenmeadow Drive

Like most small kids, my little brother and I loved to play good guy/bad guy games. We were four and five, respectively, and it was his turn to be bad guy. He had me tied up with a jump rope in a bedroom closet and aggressively robbed me at finger point, shouting demands in his best “bad guy” voice. It was all in good fun until Dad, doing some handy work in the attic, heard us playing through the ceiling vents. Dad threw the breaker switch, knocking out the power in that part of the house, leaned facedown into the vent in the bedroom, and let out his loudest, scariest “MUWAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!” Toby ran screaming and probably scarred for life, while I tried furiously to squirm out of the triple-knotted jump ropes. Terror doesn’t get more pure than that, and Dads just don’t laugh harder than that.

Roughhousing With Class

When we played, we played classy. Tummies had to be settled, all dangerous furniture was moved out of the living room, and my Dad blasted his record (yes, as in a RECORD) of the William Tell Overture through my parents’s turntable with surround sound audio. Games of choice included, but were not limited to,  Bunkin’ Bronco, Tick Tock, and of course, the Tickle Fight. Dad would take my siblings and I (four total) all on at once. The Universe stopped and bedtime was forgotten about. We would play until our cheeks were burning and our sides were sore from laughter, and after awhile, without us even knowing it, our eyelids would start to fall. He’d gather us all up at the same time (he was the strongest man in the whole, wide world), and drop us each into our respective beds with a kiss on the forehead. I’ll never sleep so well again.

The Playground Dad Built

Snack time on the see saw.

I had friends with cool swingsets, or even a neat pool slide, but no one had a backyard like ours. Each piece of that backyard was

truly assembled with love, sweat and tears. There was the seesaw Dad built with his own hands. Kids from all over the neighborhood came just to take a turn on that seesaw.

We also had the Sesame Street swingset, because it just doesn’t get cooler than swinging with Big Bird. And we had the four-seater spinny thing we never really knew what to call. We just called it “Mayonnaise-Mustard-Ketchup” because it was white, yellow and red, but it was AWESOME! And the tire swing, you just can’t have enough fun on a tire swing.

Then there was the beautiful sandbox Dad built us from scratch. It really was a work of art, handcrafted and flawless. But before he installed the masterpiece he worked so hard on, he bought every color of paint he could find, gave us each a paint brush, and just let us go, and somehow, it was a little more beautiful when we were done.

 

Dad’s New Best Friend

Dad and Rufus
Dad and his best bud, Rufus.

We had a relatively strict no pet policy growing up. We were able to weasel our way into a couple of small rodents here and there, even ducks, but Dad was particularly adamant about no dogs. We would beg, and we would cry, but Dad would squint his eyes and curl his lips under, and we knew his decision was final.

That all changed in my sixth grade year. Each day my Mom came to pick me up from school, my little brother already in tow, and each day she saw the neglected litter of new puppies born at the house across the street. They were dirty, flea-ridden, hungry, and just so cute. One afternoon Mom hit her breaking point. Instead of just pulling up in front of the school for me to jump in the van, she parked the car and hopped out with my brother. With a determined look on her face, she marched across the street and knocked on the dog owner’s door. A brief chat and twenty dollars later, we had a puppy.

We played with him all afternoon in the front yard. He was frightened and excited at the same, and so were we. How would Dad react when he got home? When Dad finally pulled into the driveway that evening, we hid the puppy underneath a blanket and between boxes in the garage. We tried so hard to keep our faces straight and act normal, but Dad could of course sense the giddy anxiety in us all, and the frightened puppy shaking violently beneath the sheet didn’t help much either. Dad glanced across all of our “straight” faces, looked down at the quivering sheet, and pulled it back with a swift, hard tug. Dad couldn’t even be mad. In that moment, he knew he had just met his new best friend. He named him Rufus, and that second began a 15 year journey the twosome would enjoy together, side-by-side every step of the way.

I am so grateful for my father, the time we had, and all the sweet memories. These are by no means all of my memories of my father, or even my favorite. They are just the ones that are making me smile today. Thanks, Dad.

Happy Halloween from the Schipulites!

Happy Halloween!

We love Halloween at Schipul! Here are some photos of our team today! Did your office dress up today? Post in the comments and show us your pics!

Schipulites in Costume!

Put up y’er dukes!

The Schipulite Cats!

Zombified Schipulites

Every year we put our photography skills (and costume closet) to the test and take zombie photos. This year’s photos turned out particularly spooky:

Check out all of the  Schipul Zombie photos on our Facebook page!

Rock on, Zombie Schipulites!    

 

 

 

Want more spooky from the Schipulites?

Check out our Friday the 13th superstitions video!

Schipulite Superstitions for Friday the 13th! from Schipul – The Web Marketing Co. on Vimeo.

Have a fun and safe Halloween!

Friday Fun: Schipulite Superstitions for Friday the 13th!

Happy Friday the 13th!

Today is Friday the 13th – known as an unlucky day  – but we’re not scared! In honor of today as Friday the 13th, we’ve collected some superstitions from some of the Schipulites. They range from holding your breath while driving by a cemetery to how to choose (and not choose) a potential mate!

Did you know? Fear of Friday the 13th is called  friggatriskaidekaphobia

We asked the Schipulites: Do You Believe in Superstitions?

Check out our video interviewing the Schipulites on their superstitions.

Schipulite Superstitions for Friday the 13th! from Schipul – The Web Marketing Co. on Vimeo.

Happy Friday the 13th! We hope it’s not too scary!

Geek Love – A Valentine’s Day Poem from the Schipulites

Schipul Geek Love - Happy Valentine's Day!

This February, we’re sharing Tips & Tricks we Schipulites love at schipul.com/love. With Valentine’s Day just a week away,   we also wanted to share this love poem with you, our clients and friends.Enjoy!

Geek Love, a Poem from the Schipulites to You!

In Schipul-land this Valentine’s, we want to spread the LOVE

By sharing things that currently have set our hearts abuzz.

You know we love to geek on out, and share the things we know

With clients, friends, and all of you – dear readers of this poem.

Each day this month we’ll share a tip, or trick, or tool, or thing

Like Spotify or Google Chrome or CodeAcademy

See why Eloy loves the Cloud, and Brian loves Zen Desk,

Why Courtney cannot get enough of her fave – Pinterest!

How Erica learned coding from videos online

Or KMe uses Google Docs to save her clients time.

We’ll share one new thing daily, schipul dot com slash love

Love from the SchipulitesKeep coming back to see what’s new, and share with all your buds.

Whether it’s your most favorite day, or one that’s just alright

We wish you Happy Valentine’s

With   LOVE, the Schipulites!

PlasmaCar Races 2011!!

Thanksgiving is best celebrated by pushing co-workers and family members down a steep garage incline, don’t you think?   Well, we do…

This year’s annual PlasmaCar Races were thrilling adventures in gravity-land, fully of (joyful) screaming, competitiveness and camaraderie – all on the backs of small children’s toy vehicles.   Take a peek at more PlasmaCar Racing photos on our Facebook fanpage here.

It’s a tradition best explained by being there, I suppose.   But this video might shed some light on our love of sharing a holiday with family and co-workers on the seat of a speeding scooter.   We hope your Thanksgiving was an exciting one, too!!

PlasmaCar Race Day from Schipul – The Web Marketing Co. on Vimeo.