Sweet or snarky?

Or, if you're Becca, you're sweet...with a side of snarky, which is totally what I would choose if given the option. Me? I think I was given a double dose of snarky at birth. What about you?

A couple weeks ago we planned a dinner at Panera with Ms. Sweet 'n Snarky herself (I hope she's okay with her new nickname). After dinner, we moved to the couches and had a mini session to give her some headshots, and I'm sure people thought we were crazy. Hopefully, we'll be meeting this week to hand over her sexy, new photos along with a blog redesign.

We ended with a baker's dozen of photos for her, and I decided to post three for a sneak peek. I love them all, so it was pretty tough to pick favorites. We saved the ones we think she'll like best for her special viewing, and I'll post them to Facebook later. Let me know what you think.







Isn't she adorable?
Have a fabulous week!

Last procrastination tactic...

It's sad when I'm using the blog to procrastinate on bigger things that need to be done this weekend, but blogging needed to be done so I think it's perfectly acceptable.

Since I failed miserably (or happily, however you look at it) halfway through my daily photos for 2008, and the daunting task is still on my 101 list, I decided to give it another try in 2009. This time it's more on my terms and much easier. I'm doing an iPhone photo a day, emailing it to my Flickr, and basically calling it done. After that, I can go into Flickr when I get a chance, add the pictures to my new 365 set, and send to a 365 group I joined (purely optional). Viola! No downloading the photos from the camera, editing them, tagging them in Flickr, or any of the other additional steps that stopped me in my tracks last time.

Although the iPhone photo method is a much easier process, it forces me to think more creatively. I don't have a fancy lens or depth of field, and the pictures are pretty craptastic quality-wise. I also have to think about what's in the background and what's messing up my photo because there's no editing/blurring/cropping. Tricky, tricky! Of course, if any of our clients are reading this, make note that I always put this kind of thought into your photos. I shoot with the utmost care and responsibility. ;)


In Rye Designs news, our first big change was our logo. If you're a fan of our page on Facebook, then you've already read about this news. With our old logo, much like a bad relationship, I didn't know what kind of hole I was in until I had climbed out and claimed good riddance. I knew that I didn't like our tagline placement or font, and that was about it. Now that our colors are a little different (as well as Pantone worthy) and our tagline is cleaner, I feel like I have a new, dreamy Prince Charming. No worries, Dan.

Other changes:

• Dan and I have been working on the website and it's coming along! Actually, I should say it's a lot further than our last website design! With our vacation next week, it looks like "going live" will be slated for February unless there's some kind of miracle.
  
• There will be a NEW BLOG integrated in the site design, but as of now it will not roll out with the rest of the site.
  
• We are working from the ground up on this site design, just like our last one. We are not using templates or nasty flash, and custom designing and coding is taking more time than I imagined.
• Now that we have photo, stationery, and website examples for the site, I put them all on my iPhone! If I'm ever out and need to show examples of our work, it's at my fingertips. They all look silky, smooth, and fabulous!
• There will be more changes as we go along, but the website and blog are priority for the next month.

This weekend:
Designing here, photos there, taking down Christmas decor, and maybe a trip to IKEA. We haven't been there to browse in a long time and need to exchange an item.

We'll be leaving for California on Friday, so there's some packing and cleaning included in the task list this week. Cross your fingers that we're not delayed with ice or bad weather. We'll be visiting previous co-workers as well as my sister and her cute family. Didn't know I had a sister?! Well, you're in for a treat because she's much more creative and talented than I am. ;) Musician and friend, Craig Lyons, will also be playing while we're vacationing. Perfect timing!

Come back tomorrow and I'll show you a couple photos we took of Becca from Sweet...with a side of snarky.

The last hurrah of 2008...

Over the last couple of days in between designing and planning for the business, I took some time to think about the past year, look through blogged photos, remember where I've been and where I'm headed. It's been one crazy year. While I won't deny that I emit enough crazy on my own, this crazy was pretty darn good.

I can't begin to explain or list all that I've learned this year. The lessons will come in some future, unexplained, or "what the..." moments when I need them most. As in 2007, my word of the year (balance) was always in the back of my mind and actions, even if I didn't master it ONE BIT. That's what counts, right? I think I learned that balance is an illusive little bugger that everyone strives for, yet it can never exist. I'm currently thinking about my word for 2009 - something to strive for that CAN exist. I don't do resolutions, just one word. Are you picking one?

As for our Christmas, I'll be honest and say it was probably the most stressful ever. Our family plans were changed at the last minute, there's always some kind of issue getting people in my family together, and I had the big biz plans weighing on my shoulders. Hello drama. But the family time was good after it was worked out, and we received some great things. We even got to have family over to our house and have a dinner. It's times like those you realize what you didn't register for when you got married. Hopefully we gave some great things - couldn't go wrong with homemade bread & butter pickles for the majority of our gift giving.

Dan was the master wrapper, yo.




I do have to give props to a couple of Dan's gifts, because he is most awesome. Once he had my first gift in hand he wanted to give it to me, so we exchanged on the 23rd. Who am I to refuse an early gift? Right now it's in a temporary frame, but I opened the wrapping to find a limited edition print of Kal's birch trees painting. LOVE the trees and the colors. LOVE Kal, she just rocks.


This next gift was a biz gift, but it arrived on Christmas Eve so I got to open it. I had originally asked for a couple fan guides so I could match up Rye Designs' colors, but Dan's gift motto for me must be "go big or GO FLIPPIN' BIGGER." With all the stress I had last week, I opened all of this Pantone color-matching goodness and just started to cry. I told him to return it all and just get a couple of fan guides. It was all too much and I couldn't accept it.

I gave it some time, though, and totally changed my mind. I couldn't be more excited about this now, especially since I've already used it to tweak our logo to a standard. Now, the biggest tear-jerker of all is that Dan bought this big set for ME because he believes in my designing and my skills-to-pay-the-bills. He totally believes in my dream, and our dream. He has confidence in me when I have none. HE is all too much. It was a very Merry Christmas. It's going to be a very great 2009.

And let's not lie, Dan is a paper and office supply junkie, so this set is like a big playground for him.




Here's to a dreamy and joyful 2009. I'll be back soon with the latest updates and plans for the biz. In the meantime, enjoy a fresh start with the new year and go check out the Facebook page for Rye Designs - here.