Over the weekend I worked on a design for a very exciting new project call App Launch. I find it interesting the feeling a website (or anything really) can produce by simply utilizing different styles. Check it out.

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While most people say they tend to shy away from promoting projects or events they have a personal connection to, I’m here to say that I don’t. I have absolutely no problem putting in shameless plugs for things with which I’m involved. What better way to get the word out?

The Company

Every single day, hundreds of women all over the world look into their closets with despair, feeling like they have nothing to wear. StitchMix is the answer to that dilemma. StitchMix offers an easy, affordable way to refresh your wardrobe every month. Essentially, the goal of StitchMix is to take the stress out of looking great, eliminating the problem of never having the right (or enough) clothes. It’s like Netflix for fashion.

The Backstory

The brainchild of this company was born one morning when my husband decided he was tired of hearing me say I didn’t have anything to wear. In all actuality, I had plenty of clothes to wear; I just didn’t feel like wearing any of them. Being a problem solver and entrepreneur by nature, he started to think of different ways to solve this problem. The solution? A company that allows women constantly have plenty of new and exciting things to wear in their closet.

What we need from you:

While we’re already working to get this up and running, we still want to know what you think! If you’re interested in becoming a member, check out our website at StitchMix.com for more details and don’t forget to give us your email for periodic updates. Our first email will be going out this week with answers to some of your top questions. You can also show your love for our idea by checking out our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

If you’re a designer, we want to hear from you too! We want to put your designs in the closets of women across the country. When our site officially launches later this year our members will be able to browse designs online, rent them for a period of time, and then send them back or purchase them through us. You get into the mix by sending us fantastic work and we pay you back through visibility, commission, and compensation.

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If you have any immediate questions about StitchMix, please feel free to post them in the comments area on my blog. You can also fill out the StitchMix survey (it’s short) and submit your questions at the end of the survey.

I was thrilled when a friend from high school asked me to design some Save the Date cards for her wedding. When I saw their engagement photos, I knew it was going to be a cinch to design something gorgeous for them. What a beautiful couple. Congratulations Erica and Travis!

So I’m a slacker. I’ll admit it.

It’s time to get back in the groove and start posting again, because I’ve been working on a lot of great projects and have participated in a lot of great opportunities lately – taking wedding pictures for friends, speaking at the ExactTarget Connections conference, participating in some really cool design projects at work and for family and friends.

Unfortunately, I’m not able to post everything right now, so in the meantime, here are a few sites that made me smile today.

MixMyGranola.com - a great place for foodies and non-foodies alike. Make your own custom muesli or granola and get it shipped to you for free if your order is over $40!

visit the site >

Windrock Lodge – a site designed by Designsensory out of Knoxville, Tennessee. Seventy-two thousand acres of prime ATV and bike trails nestled in the hills of East Tennessee are a big enough draw for thrill seekers, nature lovers and rugged, outdoor types. ‘Nuff said.

visit the site >

Lilly’s Table - featuring brand new seasonal recipes each week. Yes, another food site. I’ve been obsessed with cooking with seasonal foods and ingredients lately – what can I say?

visit the site >

I’ve been working on some new branding for my sister-in-law’s photography business. She is an amazing photographer with a knack for catching those beautiful, vulnerable moments with children, couples, and families. You can find her most recent work on her blog.

My goal was to create a logo and collateral that portrays the natural, organic feel of her photos. There are a few things still in the works, but I just couldn’t wait to post a sneak peek of some of the designs we’ve been working on.

Found a great new site on Twitter today called SoulPancake. It’s started by Rainn Wilson and here is what he has to say

“What is SoulPancake?

Hi. I’m Rainn Wilson. I’m an actor. I helped create this here Web site, SoulPancake.

What is SoulPancake? Well, it’s more of a mission than a Web site…

We want to make discussions about Spirituality, Creativity, and Philosophy cool again. Were they ever cool? I have no idea. But it seems like a good idea. We want to engage the user to “Chew on Life’s Big Questions”™. (I was kidding about the ™ symbol; you can use that phrase however you want. Even to sell frozen taquitos.) Where do you go on the Interwebs if you want an irreverent, fun, and profound take on God and Art and the Soul and Faith and Beauty? Fox.com? Maybe. But maybe also here at SoulPancake.com.

We provide some rockin’ content (interviews, blogs, challenges, contests, features, and more), but it’s really all about having YOU—the SoulPancake community—bring this site to life. Say what’s on your mind. Be real. Talk about WHY WE’RE HERE. And if I say something that offends you, let me have it.

Just remember: Life is a rich, weird, difficult experience. So join us as we go on the spiritual and artistic journey that is SoulPancake.”

This just in. Two of my fine art pieces have been selected to be on display at a gallery showing in Indianapolis August 1, 2008.  The show is hosted by a couple of the members of the Creative Commerce:Art and Design group on Smaller Indiana.

Hosted by Wug Laku’s Studio & Garage and in conjunction with Indianapolis Artists and Dealers Association First Friday Gallery Tour on August 1, 2008, ‘Elegant Funk’ provides a unique opportunity to showcase individual members work in a professional urban/industrial gallery space. Smaller Indiana food, wine, music and businesses will also be on hand to further enhance an already eventful evening.

Anyone and everyone is invited to attend!  Feel free to contact me for more information.

So, apparently my site was featured again, this time on Smashing Magazine under Textures and Pattern Designs Showcase.  What an honor!

As a designer, I find myself feeling like my work isn’t quite up to parr, or I get depressed because there are so many designers out there who are so much more talented. So when things like this happen and my work is featured on multiple sites, it’s a nice little pick-me-up.  A reminder that I’m on the right track and that those designers who are so much better than me, are actually the same people who are pushing me and motivating me to be a better designer.

So here’s to all of the amazing designers in the world who have brought me to where I am and are pushing me to where I am going.

Want a boost?  Install Google Analytics. Submit your site to a few places that hand out web awards. And wallah!  You’ve got yourself some numbers.

Here’s some exciting stats from my site for the month of June:

• Unique visitors:  755
• Pages view:  3,222
• Average time on site:  00:01:27
• New visits: 92%
• States that love me the most: Indiana, California, Texas
• Most popular screen resolution:  1280×1024

Google Analytics is so in depth and user friendly that it’s easy to become obsessive about checking stats.

I’m terribly excited. Today, my website was featured on a new Design Meltdown chapter Got Wood 5.

As Patrick says, “Sometimes there is a trend, and sometimes there is a trend. Is the use of wood the new glossy style? It just might be the case. I have noticed for some time now the shift from a technical aesthetic (things like shiny sites, badges, saturated colors etc) to a more organic style (think brown and muted colors, and wood of course).

As I researched my database of sites for this article I couldn’t believe how many sites I found that used wood. There were so many I just got tired of looking to be honest. But this wasn’t until I had 40 samples to provide here. Which by my standards certainly establishes this as a solid trend.

Sure the style has been around for a long time, in fact it was one of the first articles on Design Meltdown. However, there is a massive surge of design using this style and it easily warrants a fresh collection here on Design Meltdown.”

…and I’m number 3!

Yeah!