I’m finally moved into our new apartment and have a solid internet connection. Woo!  Thank you to everyone for their patience during that transition.

Things are going swimmingly around here, as well.  I’m working on several projects currently: knitting stores, financial analysts, mortgage and real estate, authors, interior designers… the variety is fabulous. But while there is a wonderful cornucopia of sites to design, unfortunately, I can only go as fast as my little fingers will carry me.

With Kathy’s imminent maternity leave, I have to maintain my grasp on my schedule so that I can take a little time off before I’m without one for a few months. While my timeline is currently managable, it’s beginning to strain at the seams, so as of today, while I’m still accepting new clients, I am unable to begin new clients until late September October at the very earliest.  Busy designers are generally worth it, so please don’t let that deter you from making an inquiry.  I just want to make sure I’m “keepin’ it real”, as the kids say.

Please continue to check back for updates, as we’re always updating the site and our schedules are subject to change.  Or sign up for the mailing list! We’re hoping to open up the VIP Lounge in the near future, as well as launching a side project and with the holidays coming, you never know what’s going to happen around here…

*sizzles*

Hiya! This is just a reminder that I will be in and out over the next couple weeks, as I’m in the process of moving.  I’ll do my best to return emails as soon as humanly possible.

I will be contacting everyone directly with a status report, but you are always welcome to send me an email if you have any questions.  Thanks, in advance, for your patience.

Catch you on the flip side!

Our client, Barry Ritholtz, and his blog, The Big Picture, were featured not once, but twice recently.  The first being an article called “Blogging for Dollars” in the July 11th issue of Business Week Magazine (both in print and online).  In this short article, Barry is said to mix…

...technical analysis with macroeconomics to come up with some insightful calls on the direction of the stock market. He also throws in, as he puts it, “a dash of tech, film, & music.” It makes for a lively mix.

Barron’s calls his blog, “well-worth it”.

This week’s financial blog, the Big Picture (bigpicture.typepad.com) covers more than investing (one recent post discussed the finer points of making a great cup of coffee). (print only, I believe)

You can read more from that article here.  Barry emailed us with these very kind words:

While I’d like to think that my content has a lil something to do with it, I have little doubt that without the elegant design, I wouldn’t have stood a chance of garnering such accolades. You have my heartfelt gratitude.

Thanks and congratulations, Barry!  The Big Picture is yet another example of how blogs can benefit your business.

It’s the 4th of July holiday weekend, full of barbeques, beach trips and pool parties. Since it’s Hashbrown Friday, we thought we’d share our twist on a recipe for Sangria.  It’s refreshing, it’s “light” and it’s perfect for entertaining in the backyard.

So, get out those tiki torches, pop in some party tunes, toss up some twinkle lights and celebrate!

Ingredients
2 cups white cran-apple juice
sugar to taste
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 bottle dry white wine
1 cup pineapple cubes
1 sour apple, cut in slices or chunks
1 bottle ginger ale
splash of cherry grenadine (for color or to taste)
1 tray of ice cubes (about 12)

In a pitcher, dissolve the sugar in the cran-apple juice. Add lemon juice, wine, grenadine, pineapple and apple in chunks. Mix. Add ginger ale and ice right before serving.  Serve in a pretty glass pitcher, garnished with pineapple or cherries.  Festive, fruity, yummy and pink!

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend, y’all!

I have come across a bunch of articles recently that I have been meaning to post here.  I have found myself on more than one occasion typing up an email explaining why using a blog or a blogging tool on a business website is beneficial.  From my commercial clients, I get the question ”What exactly is a blog and why would I need one?”.  I can talk about blogs and why they can be an important addition to your website until I am blue in the face, but sometimes it is much better to leave some of the explaining to someone who can say what I mean in a much more polished manner.

One of the many articles I found seems to have nailed what we have been trying to say for ages.  It was published on CNN.com on June 6th 2005. 

I want to highlight a few points in the article here but the whole article is a good read and touches on some really important points.  For you business owners looking to really drive traffic to your site and up your business edge, this article gives you a sense of what you’re missing. Granted the examples are on a grand scheme, but the important thread throughout is being able to communicate with your customers.

“The Internet journal format [blog], they find, lets businesses expand their reach, generate product buzz and encourage consumer loyalty while bypassing traditional media.”

“Done well, corporate blogs can create good word-of-mouth among consumers who aren’t reading business pages or thumbing through trade magazines.”

This article deals primarily with the benefit and “how to” of blogging for business.  They have covered that blogs can help you communicate with your customers and generate more business buzz around you or your product.  What they don’t talk about is how blogging software or “Content Management Systems” can really give you an edge on your website and allow business owners more control over their content.  With a simple login you can enter your site and publish a news release, a sale, announce important events… the uses are unlimited.  And all without touching any complicated code.  I could go on forever.

I will periodically be posting more articles as I come across them.  There are quite a few out there that discuss the pros of getting on the blog train. 

Read the full article here on CNN.com.

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