Last Call for Entries on the GIVEAWAY »

All entries for the Blog Design Giveaway need to be in by midnight tonight and results will be displayed tomorrow by noon. Remember to comment on the giveaway if you want a chance to win!

Good Luck!

New Blog Template »

So far, my new years resolutions are coming along swimmingly. Here are the stats:

1. Made the switch from Coke to Diet Coke (This was painful. But I’m over the hump and doing well).

2. Lost six pounds (probably had something to do with item number 1).

3. Surrounded myself with great music. Recent downloads include Wintersong and Saturdays.

4. NEW BLOG TEMPLATE. I spent five hours yesterday working on this template. Some would call that a punishment but I was loving it. My husband told me I needed to get out of the house or I was going to be ‘grumpy,’ but he had no idea that crossing this huge task off my list actually made me elated. I will still be tweaking the template here and there as things evolve, but I hope you like it!

Easily Create a Unique GRAVATAR for Competent Commenting »

A Gravatar is a globally recognized avatar that will follow you as you comment from blog to blog. Your chosen avatar will display on the blogs you comment on through your assigned email address. This takes 1 minute to complete and makes your comments look less  ‘lost-in-the-crowd’ and more ‘I-know-what-I’m-doing.’ You don’t have to log back into Gravatar after creating your account, your image will automatically be tied to your email address.

Sign up here: Gravatar.com. Here’s what Gravatar says:

“Signing up for a gravatar.com account is FREE, and all that’s required is your email address. Once you’ve signed up you can upload your avatar image and soon after you’ll start seeing it on gravatar enabled blogs!”

Your FIRST GOAL OF 2009… Create your Gravatar and start commenting!

One-Year Anniversary »

This week marks the one-year anniversary for the Idea Attic. And what a year it has been. Personally, I have moved into a new condo, re-ignited my love for sewing and decorating, taken on some fun and new clients (dentist website and tattoo shop website currently in que), met some new people, traveled to Florida, Vegas, and Arizona, started playing tennis and kickball, and having a lot of fun with my husband. We really had a great year and are starting to make goals for 2009.

Here were the most popular posts for the Idea Attic in 2008:

When To Go Neutral - Shannon’s new house and inspiration board

Meet Shelley’s Dining Room - Shelley’s new pumpkin dining room inspiration board (after pictures coming soon…)

Spring Kitchens - Great colorful kitchens and how to mimic them

Teaching an Old Dresser New Tricks - The repurposing of a vintage dresser

Weekend Office Makeover - The reveal of my “croffice” (craft room + office)

THANK YOU for reading and keep the comments coming! I am a firm believer in change, and I would love any suggestions as to what you’d like to see on the Idea Attic.

A Long Winter’s Nap »

I’m off for Christmas break. I will have limited internet access, (WHA??!?!?) and will not be posting until new years. It has been a great year! Thanks for the comments and support!

EMC Holiday Card »

My colleagues and I (at EMC Creative) finally released this year’s agency Christmas card. This was a new venture for us: flash animation, user-generated content and audio. We’re loving how it’s turned out and are getting great feedback. See the holiday card here and be sure to add what inspired you this year!

Google Reader is a Must Have »

Google Reader is a total time saver for me. I have a gmail account (as everyone should these days) and this also gives me access to my very own reader (among other things. If you aren’t sold on gmail’s capabilities, ping me. I’ll grab my soapbox). This reader allows me to enter the blogs that I like to follow, (my friends, Craft Stylish, Unclutterer…) and keeps them all in one place. When I get a few moments in the day, or when I’m winding down at night, and want to see if new posts have appeared, I go to my reader.

In my gmail (which is ALWAYS open) I click on the ‘Reader’ tab.

Then all my feeds that I’m subscribed to are there. AND - if there happen to be new posts that I haven’t read, they are bolded.

I can easily, and quickly, keep caught up on all my blogs, all in one place. No visiting blogs three or four times that haven’t updated their sites, no wasting time visiting each and every URL, and no temptation to click on sidelinks that I don’t have time.

If you are still not convinced, here is a video about Google Reader.

Southtown Website is Live »

Southtown is a Master-Planned Community in Vacaville, California, by homebuilder D.R. Horton. I have been programming this website at my work for months now, and the unveiling is here: the Southtown website is LIVE! Be sure to check out the great interactive map that my colleague, Terry, created here.

Bear With Me… »

As I keep updating the template. I keep noodling this template when I get time here and there, so bear with me as things change! Also, please leave suggestions!

Contest Winner »

Congrats to Cameron for winning the World War 2 “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster!