Catena Creations helped to coordinate another successful Halloween Candy Buy Back this year at Omaha Emergency Dental. We collected 124 pounds of candy to be sent to our soldiers overseas by Operation Gratitude.

We bought back 88 pounds of candy from kids, and gave them free toothbrushes. The rest was donated by adults who wanted to give their leftover Halloween candy to the troops for a treat.

It was great to see faces from last year’s event, and a bunch of new ones as well. Kids said they would use their money to buy toys or stuff animals. Some said they were saving their money to buy something bigger.

“This is such a wonderful program,” said one mother who brought in her candy leftovers. “Why keep this candy in the house? Especially since my husband and I both over-bought, and we had too much.”

We had some pretty determined trick-or-treaters this year. Knowing they were going to sell their candy for $1 per pound, they made an all-out effort to gather as much candy as they could. More than one family came in with a 10-pound bag of candy for two kids.

Catena Creations coordinated the publicity and managed the event. Outdoor banners were hung up at the Omaha Emergency Dental office at 84th and Center streets. We distributed flyers to neighborhood businesses, and created posters for the office waiting room.

A press release was sent out a week before the event. This led to a story in the Omaha World-Herald and an interview for Clear Channel radio stations. Emergency Dental founder Michael Obeng, DDS, also did a live interview on WOWT’s 4 p.m. newscast on Halloween.

We also promoted the event through the Web site, blog and Facebook pages for Catena Creations and Emergency Dental Omaha. Flyers and photos from the Nov. 1 event were posted on the Halloween Candy Buy Back Facebook page as well.

A new addition to this year’s publicity plan was a 10-day Facebook ad campaign. We created a different ad for every day of the campaign, using photos of soldiers with their packages as well as Halloween photos and clip art. Those who clicked on the ads were linked to a landing page tab that I designed and added to the Facebook site for the event.

Photos from the event can be found on my SmugMug gallery.

I have been busy planning the second annual Halloween Candy Buy Back for Omaha Emergency Dental. This year’s event is scheduled for 3:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1 at Omaha Emergency Dental’s office on 84th & Center streets.

We will be buying candy back from trick-or-treaters for $1 a pound, up to 5 pounds of candy. We’ll also give everyone a free toothbrush.

The treats we collect will be shipped to Operation Gratitude, which creates care packages for troops overseas throughout  the year.

People have asked me, “Why collect all that candy and send it to the troops? Doesn’t it hurt their teeth, too?” But most of the troops who receive the sweets are stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan and other remote places where chocolate and other candy are very rare treats. Sometimes they take the candy and hand it out to children in the neighborhood to build goodwill.

The packages also include scarves, cards, letters and other items, so the treats are much appreciated. Here’s a thank-you note from the Operation Gratitude Facebook page:

“Dear Volunteers: My name is Captain J.H. and I am a Harrier pilot in the United States Marine Corps from Ashland, Massachusetts. I am currently commanding the ***, ***, at Camp Leatherneck, AFG.

“I would like to extend a personal thank you for all of your efforts in Operation Gratitude. My company has been in theatre for over a month now and is spread out all over the operating area. As we have gotten settled in and the excitement of the unknown has calmed down, the Marines have had a bit more time to think about home. It was at this time we received a mail call that was beyond anything I have seen in the 12 years I have been in the Corps — Operation Gratitude for our company had arrived.

“The Marines have been overjoyed and elated to read the letters, try on the scarves and pocket all of the goodies they have received. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the magazine telling the story of each box and seeing all of the pictures of smiles and I want to thank all of you and the sponsors for your tremendous efforts. Every ‘Thank You’ truly does lighten our packs and make us stand tall and proud of what we do for our country. Thank you for what you do for us. Most Appreciative, Captain J.H.”

If you’re not a trick-or-treater, feel free to stop buy and drop off your leftover Halloween candy if you don’t want it hanging around your house. We hope to see you there!

I’ve created logos for several businesses over the years, and they’re being used on letterhead, business cards, Web sites and other marketing pieces. But this fall, I achieved a first: a logo I created was also used on a building sign.

Bouda Life Coaching (BLC) hired me to create the logo for Your Weight Loss For Life, their newest business venture. The weight loss plan offers the usual counseling on nutrition, health and exercise, and combines it with life coaching by JoAnn Bouda and medical coaching by her husband, David W. Bouda, M.D.

This combination helps clients to understand the reasons they’ve put on their weight, and guides them through the challenges of weight loss so they can achieve their goals and keep the weight off.

The office for Your Weight Loss for Life (YWLFL) is located next to the BLC offices in the northwest corner of Rockbrook Village in Omaha. The Boudas wanted a logo and sign that blended well with the ones they had for their life coaching business, but also reflected the idea of weight loss.

The whole Bouda family got in on the concept. They gathered in the kitchen one weekend and sketched out their ideas on a napkin — which JoAnn presented to me when we met to discuss the logo. Their son, Paul Bouda, the diet support representative, also sent several clip art ideas to get me started.

The YWLFL scale uses the same colors as the BLC logo, and shows the same people on the path to health and wellness. Fonts used in the logo are also used in the BLC logo and signs on the Rockbrook office building.

Your Weight Loss For Life can be found on the Web at http://yourweightlossforlife.com. Call 402-934-9495 to set up an appointment.

Today is International Freelancers Day. I’m taking some time today to look back at what has worked for my business, and things I need to do in the future to continue my success.

Catena Creations marked its third anniversary last week. I hit an important milestone this month: I’d been in business long enough that I had to renew my domain name/Web site address for anther three years.

Today I’m also participating in an online seminar hosted by the International Freelancers Academy. I can watch a presentation each hour, all day today, and it’s free of charge. This is a great opportunity to learn new things and prepare for the next year.

I’d like to thank my clients and friends who have supported me during this journey. They are the ones who have made it possible for me to keep going. They include Brett Frevert and Mike Alvano at CFO Systems LLC, Mike Mankin at Election Systems & Software, Dr. David and JoAnn Bouda from Bouda Life Coaching and Facing Cancer Together, Tom Sutko at AmeriSpec Omaha, Mike Obeng, DDS, at Emergency Dental Care USA, and Paul Simpson at Simply Flowers.

Thanks also to Bridget Lynch, Kristy Fortenberry, Bridget Martin and all the other wonderful people at the Greater Omaha  Chamber of Commerce. I’ve been a Chamber member for 2 1/2 years now, and voluteer with the Advantage Group. I have made so many wonderful connections through the Chamber, and have secured several new clients because of those connections.

It’s also through the Chamber that I David Trouba of Troubadour Design Studio in Papillon. Dave and his team partner with  me for SEO and Googe AdWords campaigns.

I encourage  all my freelancing colleagues to enjoy this day and celebrate your accomplishments.

Three of my photographs have been selected to illustrate the first edition of The Practical Beekeeper: Beekeeping Naturally. The book is available in hardcover and paperback, and is now on sale at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

The beekeeper is Michael Bush, who has gained an international reputation as an organic beekeeper. The book is simply a printed compilation of the information he’s posted over the years on the Bush Bees beekeeping Web site.

On July 1, I had the privilege of donning a bee suit and joining Michael at his farm south of Greenwood to photograph the bees. It wasn’t that hot — yet.

But as we worked and moved and temps climbed to near 100 degrees, things got warm inside that suit and mask.

But it was amazing to see, watch and photograph these bees in action. Every time Michael tried to show me a queen bee, she was soon surrounded by workers trying to protect her. I got to see baby bees emerging from their cells in the combs.

One of the coolest parts was seeing pollen-laden bees return to the hive. One of those photos was included in the book and is shown above.

My other photos in the book show the entrance to a top bar hive, and the results of damage by wax moths when they invade a hive.

In addition to raising bees organically, Michael and his wife, Jenny, also breed friesian horses. Jenny is a former colleague of mine from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where we did asthma research together. Jenny is past president of the Nebraska Society for Respiratory Care; I have maintained and updated their Web site for the past year.

Last week my son and I drove down to Haworth Park in Bellevue to check out the Missouri River flooding. It was overwhelming and sad.

Photos from our trip across the river are on my SmugMug gallery.

The saddest part of the Haworth Park damage is that the city of Bellevue did extensive repairs to the park after last year’s flooding. Electricity connections had been replaced, everything was cleaned up, and the city was looking forward to celebrating Riverfest again in July.

Now Riverfest has been moved to the Bellevue University campus, and the show will go on.

I moved to Bellevue 12 years ago and live in Olde Towne. Over the years, people have asked me if I worry about the Missouri River flooding. I’ve always replied that if the water gets up to my house, we’ll need to start building an ark.

This summer, “Evan Almighty” doesn’t seem so farfetched!!

In March 2011, I started a part-time job as Marketing Coordinator for Kort Igel, DDS, MS. He’s been voted Best Orthodontist for three years in a row by readers of both Omaha Magazine and The Reader.

Last week, I found out that one of my co-workers, Danielle, is a hero.

Karen Lenz, 54, and her husband, Thomas, were driving on I-29 near Missouri Valley when Kaen had a heart attack. Thomas was able to get the car stopped safely.

Danielle was one of three “kind strangers” who stopped to help conduct CPR. They were mentioned in a story by KETV:

http://www.ketv.com/video/27680706/detail.html

When Danielle arrived on the scene, two nurses already were performing CPR. She offered to step in for anyone who was tired, and one of the nurses let her take over.

Danielle continued CPR and then assisted when a Pottawatamie County Sheriff’s deputy arrived with an automatic electronic defibrillator. Danielle left when Crescent Rescue arrived on the scene.

Mrs. Lenz was taken by air ambulance to the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She passed away on April 27.

Danielle learned CPR in the Army National Guard, and served for nearly a year in Iraq. Dr. Igel offers CPR training to his staff on a regular basis so they can keep their certifications current. He also has AED’s in each of his offices.

Thanks to Danielle for taking the time to stop and help. And thanks to Dr. Igel for helping his staff keep their CPR skills sharpened, and for having AEDs in the offices.

Yesterday was the 27th birthday of the Mac computer, as described in the blog The Apple Core on ZDNet.com, one of my favorite resources for Web industry news.

When the Mac came out in 1983, it was revolutionary because it had a “graphic” interface. That means the screen was 9 inches square, 512 by 342 pixels, and displayed in black and white.

I thought it would be fun to take a look at the iMac I’m working on right now, which I bought in February 2009, and compare statistics. Here we go:

	1983 Mac	2009 iMac
Screen size	9 inches square	24 x 12.5 inches
Resolution	512 x 342 pixels	1600 x 1000 pixels
Display	Black & white	Color
Drive	3.5″ floppy drive; 400k memory	Hard drive 1 terabyte (1,000 GB)
RAM	128 KB	4 GB
Mouse	1 button	4 programmable buttons
List price	$2,495	$2,635

My, how times have changed!

No matter what brand of personal computer you use, it is simply amazing to look back and see the developments in computer science. Things that could only be seen on “Star Trek” are now part of the daily routine: flip open your cell phone, transmit a book’s worth of data in a second, search massive databases to get results in minutes.

I still marvel at my new iPod Nano that’s less than 2 inches square, remembering how we used to get food crates to haul around our album collections. And how important it was to have giant speakers for your stereo, and plenty of speaker wire so you could strategically place them around your dorm room or apartment. I guess that really dates me!

Catena Creations has completed the first phase of a Web site redesign and upgrade for AmeriSpec Nebraska, a home inspection franchise with offices in Omaha and Lincoln.

Tom Sutko, president and owner, selected Catena Creations for the redesign project. He acquired the business — the No. 1 AmeriSpec franchise in North America — in March 2010. The firm’s Web site had last been updated in 2006.

Catena Creations created a strategy to redesign the site’s graphic appearance and update other content as needed. We also created several new pages and added content from the American Society of Home Inspectors, AmeriSpec’s corporate Web site, and other sources as well.

Tom was looking for several features that would make his site stand out among his competitors. Using Typekit, we added an enhanced font to give the site a unique appearance. A javascript-based accordion navigation system allowed us to add photos and important corporate messages to the home page.

Designing the home page structure was a challenge. We had to set it up to make it look good immediately, yet be flexible enough to accommodate changes as AmeriSpec continues to enhance the site.

Working in partnership with Dan Miller at Vamonos Marketing and Jim Berry at Boombatower Development, the site was created in Drupal. This content management system is a descendent of the popular Joomla CMS. Jim did a great job of programming the site and getting all the elements — including 14 CSS style sheets! — to talk nicely to each other. Dan brought his search engine optimization skills to the project, setting up keywords, titles and descriptions to get the best results on Google.

Along with the  AmeriSpec design, we also created separate sites for Leapin’ Lizard Locksmiths and TNT Termite Services, which Tom Sutko also owns.

Phase 2 of the project began in late December. This phase will include adding bios and photos of every staff member, adding more content to each of the three sites, and improving SEO techniques.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year from Catena Creations LLC. We appreciate everything you’ve done to help make this another successful year for us.

A holiday greeting is waiting for you on our Web site. Please turn on your speakers and enjoy!

http://www.catenacreations.com/holidaycard.html