NYC to PDX • A Smart Move
About the Company
Smart Blonde Design is an award winning graphic design studio in the Portland, OR metro area. Since I'm not an agency with high overhead, I provide exceptional creativity along with excellent customer service at very competitive rates. I work quickly, efficiently and stay within budget delivering customized design solutions that get results.
Smart Blonde Design is located in Oregon City but serves clients throughout the Pacific NW and California.
About the Blonde
(Yes, it's natural — with a little help.)
I began my career in my native New York as a package designer, freelancing for some notable firms such as Estée Lauder, Elizabeth Arden and JC Penney Co. I moved on to become a Design Manager with Charles of the Ritz Group, Ltd. and later, Design Director for Cosmair, the parent company for L'Oreal.
After our family relocated to the Pacific Northwest, I spent the next several years as a "domestic engineer and child development specialist". I loved being at home with our two young sons but I missed the creative energy of my profession, so once they were in school, I joined The Fox Creative Group as Creative Director.
In 1999, wanting to try my luck at being my own boss, I launched Smart Blonde Design and I've never looked back!
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For details of my professional experience, education
and capabilities click here.
Thank you for visiting my site and I hope you enjoy the Smart Blonde humor!
Sincerely,
Victoria Munroe
A Blonde walks into a bank in New York City and asks for the loan officer. She says she is going to Europe on business for two weeks and needs to borrow $5,000. The bank officer says the bank will need some kind of security for such a loan, so the Blonde hands over the keys to a new Rolls Royce parked on the street in front of the bank.
Everything checks out, and the bank agrees to accept the car as collateral for the loan. An employee drives the Rolls into the bank's underground garage and parks it there.
Two weeks later, the Blonde returns, repays the $5,000 and the interest, which comes to $15.41.
The loan officer says, "We are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multimillionaire. Why would you bother to borrow $5,000?"
The Blonde replied, "Where else in New York can I park my car for two weeks for 15 bucks?"
Capabilities & Experience
Computer Expertise
Adobe Creative Cloud:
InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Lightroom, Animate
Quark Express
Microsoft Office Suite
I also use a number of email applications such as Mailchimp and Constant Contact and several web programs such as Wix and Weebly.
Download my resume here.
Professional Experience
PORTLAND, OR METRO AREA:
SMART BLONDE DESIGN
Oregon City
Owner/Principal since 1999
THE FOX CREATIVE GROUP
Portland
Creative Director 1995-99
MUNROE HOUSEHOLD
Lake Oswego
Domestic Engineer &
Child Development Specialist 1989-95
NEW YORK, NY:
L"OREAL USA
Design Director 1987-89
CHARLES OF THE RITZ
GROUP, LTD.
Design Manager 1984-87
FREELANCE DESIGN 1980-84
Esteé Lauder, Inc.,
Elizabeth Arden, Inc.
JCPenney Company
Education
BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE
Iowa State University
Ames, IA
Art History and Printmaking
University of Colorado
Graphic Design & Communication
School of Visual Arts, NY, NY
Advertising Design
Fashion Institute of Technology, NY, NY
Web Design
Portland Community College
Computer Graphics
University of Oregon Portland Campus
Associations
Oregon City Chamber
of Commerce
Lake Oswego Chamber
of Commerce
National Organization of Professional Women
Clackamas County Arts Alliance Advisory Council 2016
Graphic Artists Guild
2010-2011, Selection Committee Lake Oswego Arts Council, Chronicle Exhibition
2005–2010, Board of Directors
Lake Oswego Schools Foundation
A lawyer and a Blonde woman are sitting next to each other on a long flight from LA to New York. The lawyer leans over to her and asks if she would like to play a fun game.
The Blonde is tired and just wants to take a nap, so she politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks.
The lawyer persists, saying that the game is really easy and a lot of fun. He explains how the game works: "I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me, and visa-versa." Again, the Blonde politely declines and tries to get some sleep.
The lawyer figures that since his opponent is a Blonde he will easily win the match, so he makes another offer. "Okay, how about this, if you don't know the answer you pay me only $5, but if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $500."
This catches the Blonde's attention and, figuring that there will be no end to this torment unless she plays, she agrees to play the game. The lawyer asks the first question. "What's the distance from the Earth to the moon?" The Blonde doesn't say a word, reaches into her purse, pulls out a five-dollar bill, and hands it to the lawyer.
Now, it's the Blonde's turn. She asks the lawyer, "What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four?"
The lawyer looks at her with a puzzled look. He takes out his laptop computer and searches all his references. He taps into the Air-phone with his modem and searches the Net and even the Library of Congress.
Frustrated, he sends E-mails to all his coworkers and friends he knows. All to no avail. After over an hour of searching for the answer he finally gives up. He wakes the Blonde and hands her $500. The Blonde politely takes the money and turns away to get back to sleep.
The lawyer, who is more than a little frustrated, wakes the blonde and asks, "Well, so what goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?" Again without a word, the Blonde reaches into her purse, hands the lawyer $5, and goes back to sleep.
Awards
Smart Blonde Design has won 2 prestigious awards from Graphic Design USA in the Health and Wellness category. Graphic Design USA is a leading information source for graphic design professionals. Click the links for project details.
Package Design, 2018
Catalog Design, 2016
Clients & Testimonials
Bridgeport Brewing Co.
Cappelli Miles-spring
Classic Foods
Coffee People
Consumer Trends Forum
Cooking Accomplished
Ecos Consulting
Fast Water Heater Company
Femrite Nursery Company
Gardenburger, Inc.
Gold's Gym
Griffon May
Highlights Home Staging
Hubbard & Associates
In Good Taste
Intuit Software
IP Fabrics
Laika
Lakeside Home & Gift
Lake Oswego Asset Builders Coalition
Lake Oswego School District
Medical Professionals Financial Group
Mentor Graphics
Miller Paint Company
Mindscape, Inc.
MKTX
Neil Kelly
Neo Design Studio
Nightingale's Healthcare Consulting
NW Pipe Company
Oregon Education Association
Parenting With Intent
Parr Lumber
Phoseon Technology
Rx Investment Solutions
Shamrock Holdings, LLC
Signature Painting
Vertical Email
William Dillard Nursery
William Nesbit & Associates
Wise Woman Herbals
"Eight years ago we presented Vicki with the daunting task of taking an award-winning catalog and making it better. After delivering nothing short of a miracle we awarded her all of our graphic arts needs, from print to packaging.
Not only is she smart, Vicki's blondeness translates into being highly dependable and a joy to deal with. She has the uncanny ability of making us feel like we are her most important client and to our delight she's still performing miracles."
Dr. Ken Koenig
Former President,
Wise Woman Herbals
Contact
VICTORIA MUNROE
14647 Sugarpine St.
Oregon City, OR 97045
P: 503.908.8528
F; 503.908.8529