Archive for Random

Happy New Year!

2011 was a pretty good year for me. I’ve finally created a design for my site that I’m proud of. My freelance business has grown. HTML, CSS, PHP and MySQL are no longer a black mystery. Sometimes they still seem like magic, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Everybody could use a little magic, and so what if the source of my magic is Cascading Style Sheets.

Thank you to all my wonderful clients, to my friends, and to my family. All of you have supported me. You’ve allowed me to create designs I’m proud of, you’ve brought me referrals, you’ve graciously helped bail me out when I ran into problems I couldn’t solve (Christina!) Finally, a huge thank you to my patient, supportive husband, who does everything well, including picking up the slack when I have to work at night. I’m a lucky woman!

A partial list of people I’d like to thank

Chris Coyier, Christina at io studio, Karen A. Chase, Candace Monaghan, Todd at Union Street Media, Linda J. Ferguson, JustFit, LLC, Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Franklin Street Press, Leonardo’s Pizza

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart, and may you all have a peaceful and prosperous 2012!

The best home espresso maker

With the holidays fast approaching, I wanted to write about something dear to my heart. Something I’m truly passionate about – the Bialetti Moka stovetop espresso maker.

This is a modest device, the 3-cup version costs around $20.00. The design for this baby is essentially unchanged since it’s invention almost 90 years ago. The overwhelmingly-proud Italian dude on the outside of the little pot tells you all you need to know – you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to get a good cup of espresso at home! My husband has an old cookbook called “Italian Cooking for Peasants.” The recipes typically have 3-5 ingredients, require minimal prep work and all produce stupendously tasty food. This is espresso for peasants. Every bit as good as Starbucks, and for about the cost of four grande lattes, you can have a Bialetti Moka of your very own.

Remembering what’s important

This time of year it’s really easy to get caught up in consumerism. I’m so busy making lists in my head, hauling out decorations, and hunting for bargains, that it’s really hard to keep things in perspective. This week, I’m making it a priority to put the computer away when I get home. I want to read with my son, and spend time with my family just sitting quietly, admiring the Christmas tree, and realizing how lucky I am.