Web and Print Articles
Corporate Communications
Nonprofit Marketing
Creative Writing

» Please don't hesitate to contact me if you'd like to see clips besides those listed below—for example, a group of pieces from a single subject area, such as home improvement or green living.

 

WEB AND PRINT ARTICLES

 

“Karin has innovative ideas for story angles and can deliver on the reporting and the writing to make those great ideas work. When I need a writer to nail an assignment, I give it to Karin.”
— Leanne Potts, Editorial Director, Scripps Networks

 

My interests are nearly unlimited when it comes to writing feature and news articles, but frequent topics include health and wellness, travel, green living, home décor, lifestyle, and real estate. Drawing from both custom and consumer publications, here are some recent clips and some old favorites that illustrate the gamut of my work.

 

"Hidden Spaces in Your Small Bathroom."
HGTV.com

Designing a small bathroom can be a big challenge, but it's no time to be timid. Creating space, or even the illusion of space, often calls for confident paint, wallpaper and tile choices, not to mention occasionally punching a hole in the wall or hiking a vanity cabinet off the floor. Los Angeles designer Sarah Barnard shares some smart strategies that can help you find the hidden space in your small bathroom. [Read more]

 

“Hidden Spaces in Your Small Kitchen.”
HGTV.com

Are you struggling to design a smart kitchen in a small space? You're in good company — there isn't a kitchen designer in the business who hasn't shared your pain. It can be difficult to pack maximum form and function into a minimal footprint, says kitchen and bath designer Joanne Cannell. Cannell works in San Francisco, where space commands quite a premium. She has an arsenal of strategies she uses to create space in surprising places. [Read more]

 

"10 Ways to Prevent Costly Mold Damage to Your Home."
HouseLogic.com

It’s no wonder homeowners fear a mold diagnosis: Besides the health problems mold causes, the cost of an extensive mold remediation project can reach five figures. [Read more]

 

"Adding Universal Design Features to Your Bathroom."
HouseLogic.com

Universal design features aren’t just for the elderly or disabled—the term “universal design” simply means common-sense design that accommodates all users. [Read more]

 

"Understanding Energy Ratings for Windows and Doors."
HouseLogic.com

Just because windows or doors are Energy Star-labeled doesn’t mean they’re eligible for the maximum $1,500 federal tax credit. And with costs running about $500-$1,000 per window including labor, it’s wise to know something about the scientific lingo and numbers on the product labels you’re likely to encounter. Here’s your pro-level label-decoding guide so you can be sure you’re buying qualified products. [Read more]

 

"Tongue of Fire"
Super Lawyers

Johnny deGravelles of deGravelles, Palmintier, Holthaus & Frugé in Baton Rouge swears he didn't pick his law partners based on how tough it is to pronounce their last names. But he does find it amusing. "You start with a Frenchman, then you go to an Italian, then to a German and then a Cajun—we cover an international waterfront," he says with a laugh. "Actually, it's to confound our receptionist. You have to pay a little extra for that—we make her say all four names.".

[Read more]

 

“Owning a Home: The Monthly Tally.”
HGTV’s FrontDoor.com, First-Time Homebuyer’s Guide

It's hard enough reconciling yourself to the reality of paying the monthly principal and interest on a new home mortgage. When you realize all the expenses that will be added to that price tag, it can be a real shocker. [Read more]

 

“Spirits of the Lost Colony.”
Tennessee Home & Farm

Ghosts don’t haunt sunny spaces. They weave like gauze through shadowed hallways or rise from deep-woods fog. You look for them—or try not to—in secluded spots with bittersweet histories, with leftover tears and longing. Places like Rugby, Tennessee.

[Read more]

 

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

 

“Karin’s writing has given our projects a sophisticated level of communication, whether it’s simple copy that’s articulate and thoughtful or extensive pieces that flow with clarity and rhythm. Her work really speaks to the reader and connects.”
— Michael Richards, Richards Design Group

 

Here’s a sampling of pieces I’ve done directly for business clients and through my work with marketing and advertising agencies. I write most frequently for clients in the energy, utility, sustainability, real estate, environmental, and retail industries.

 

• • Ad for flood mapping service
• • Eagle Indoor Air brochure and Web site
• • Real estate ad and accompanying advertorial
• • Educational fact sheets for a regional utility
• • Ad series for a healthcare system
• • E-mail blasts for Shelton Group’s EcoPulse green
  • marketing study

 

 

NONPROFIT MARKETING

 

“Karin's professionalism and attention to detail have yielded consistent success for us, both in increased concert attendance and in thousands of dollars awarded in grant monies. Bringing Karin on board was one of the smartest decisions our organization has made!”
— Anne Siddell, President of the Board, Knoxville Choral Society

 

As development director of Knoxville Choral Society, a 150-voice symphonic chorus, I raised more than $80,000 in grant money and coordinated a comprehensive re-branding effort to increase community awareness.

 

• • Newspaper ad
• • Concert program
• • Concert flyer
• • Sponsorship brochure

 

I’ve also created successful nonprofit fundraising letters like these for Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley. The December 2008 letter, despite being sent during a dismal period for nonprofit donation after October’s stock market crash, raised an unprecedented amount of money for HSTV.

 

• • Spring 2009 fundraising letter
• • December 2008 fundraising letter

 

 

CREATIVE WRITING

 

“A good friend of mine forwarded to my attention your excellent piece [on University of Tennessee football]. I have four daughters, and have given each of them a copy of your essay. With the help of God, they will come closer to understanding this concept, even while living here in the wilds of Kentucky (God, I hate blue).”
— Nick Hetman, reader, The Southerner

I've published a number of essays, poems, and short stories in newspapers and literary magazines. I'll wrap up my portfolio for you with two samples: a gardening essay I published in the Chicago Tribune and the aforementioned essay on football from The Southerner.

 

“My Own Worst Enemy.”
A cutworm teaches a fledgling gardener a hard lesson. Special to the Chicago Tribune.
When I was first drawn to try gardening, I was lovesick over the lush photography on seed packets and the prospect of turning my back yard into a display case of purposely solicited flora. I was tired of the kind that stalked over on leafy legs from the neighboring empty lot and strangled everything in sight. [Read more]

“The Politics of the Pigskin.”
The Southerner
Ah, October. The blaze of leaves, the chill of wind, the approach of the Alabama game. I can't remember a time when the passage of fall was not marked by the desire to squash the Crimson Tide like a bug. I am a Vol forever—to my bones. I love Tennessee football. It makes my heart swell up in a tacky Lee Greenwood kind of way. [Read more]