I want this for my coffee :)

So my husband is responsible for getting me addicted to coffee. I never liked coffee until he made me my first french press cup, and then it was over. I'm still not a drip coffee fan but give me french press in quantity any day and I'll be a happy camper. I'm also now a fan of lattes and espresso and basically anything else.

So in the spirit of sharing I have found this wonderful and totally cute, green solution to a cup of coffee that is too hot! (And a way to never forget it) Check out these cozy cuffs at www.shopcozycuff.com/products!

Cheers.

Looking to Reorganize a bit ...

So I'm going to attempt to try and change this blog over from a blogspot blog to an actual lindsaywilliamsdesign website with blog, portfolio and maybe even (gasp) potential store. Any advice you'd like to pass on would certainly be appreciated.

We're getting ready to head out in the next couple of weeks to Ft. Drum, NY near Watertown. We will all be excited to get back into some colder weather and are looking forward to finally having a fall season again. My goals are to settle on into a better design routine while maintaining the wonderful clients I'm currently working with. I hope to start that Etsy shop I've been talking about and have been busy brainstorming a start on my Sketchbook Project! The theme they chose at random for me is: " It must be ...", hmmm... hopefully I will come up with some spectacular material.

In the meantime I've found a great little article on supporting your favorite bloggers. I've posted 3 of the 5 ways and you can check the rest out at  tonic.com.

Five Ways to Help Your Favorite Bloggers

By John R. Platt | Thursday, July 15, 2010 11:00 AM ET

Show the love for your favorite blogger with these quick five tips.

logs, more often that not, are a labor of love. But sometimes they generate enough revenue to put food on your favorite blogger's table. Either way, blogging can be a lonely endeavor, and it's up to you, the reader, to help make sure that your favorite blog sticks around for your to keep reading it.

What can you do? Here are five simple tips, some of which come straight from the bloggers' mouths. (Er, fingers.)

1. Follow the blog. Don't just bookmark it in your browser. If there's a "follow" button, click it. This gives your favorite blogger a better idea of the size of his audience, so he knows his message is getting out there, and it shows other blog visitors that the blog already has visitors, which adds a legitimacy to the site.

2. Pick the best way to follow it. If you use an RSS reader like Google Reader, follow the blog there. Google Reader and other services recommend blogs to readers of similar blogs, so that's where I follow all of my blogs. It's a good way to expand the blog to new readers.

3. Spread the word about their posts on Facebook and Twitter. "Referrals and links are gratifying, because it means that I'm reaching people with my goofy posts," says Christopher Mills, who writes the Space: 1970 blog about old science-fiction TV shows.

Referrals work. "I meet people all the time who have not only read my blog but can mention specific quotes," says musician Randy Granger. "Often, their friends mentioned it on their Facebook pages or other social networks."

(find the last 2 ways to support your favorite bloggers here)

I signed up have you?

I'm so very excited to have signed up for the Sketchbook Project 2010. I've never participated before but think this is a great way to force myself away from so much computer design and back to more regular sketching. It's certainly been a goal of mine since moving but I haven't been able to get on a very regular schedule. I am excited I've been able to start incorporating more hand drawn work into my designs lately which has been a great change of pace and highly rewarding. I've even sketched up a new logo design based on what I already had. I'm hoping to update the logo more frequently as my own personal design mission to keep things fresh.

I also was given a shout out on the pedalin' with a purpose website  the guys are now in Utah and I couldn't be more proud of them! If you get a chance please head on over to their website and donate to the wounded warrior project in support of their cross country trip.

Inspiration: Lorenzo Petrantoni

I just ran across a fun illustration in my husband's Cigar Aficionado magazine and am loving the rest I found on the website of illustrator Lorenzo Petrantoni. 

If you want a great use of scale, type, pattern and image please take yourself over to his website: www.lorenzopetrantoni.com and view the rest of his works. 

Pedalin' with a Purpose: In Colorado now!

Just an update on the 3 fearless pedalers who are on day 30 of their trip and now in Colorado!

You can check out their trip updates and follow their progress here.  If you haven't had a chance to donate yet, or purchase your totally awesome pedalin' with a purpose gear (proceeds going to the wounded warrior project) then check out this site to get some.

Thanks Joel, Pete and Dan for raising awareness for the wounded warrior project! You are an amazing group and we wish you the best as you finish this journey up.