Going pro & CSS success
Say Cheese!
Quite some time ago, I did a website for Natalie Hagen, a local area photographer who is a friend of ours. Her husband is a seminary student, which is how we got to know them. Being that we were grad-student families trying to scrape by and not take out unnecessary student loans, I agreed to do the website in exchange for her doing a photo shoot for us. So, as sort of a going away gift, she's provided us with these photos…
Oh, that reminds me, I recently "went Pro" on Flickr. What does that mean? Not a whole lot, other than I shelled out $24.95 to Ludicorp in exchange for more usage of their amazing photo sharing system. So, now I've got one of those coveted icons next to my name, indicating that I am a person of notable stature in the web-world, indeed a force to be reckoned with. Or, maybe not.
CSS Success
I am happy to say that for the most part, my redesign of this site has been met with positive feedback. It was recently featured on CSS Vault, where the award-winning designer Kev Adamson dubbed the current incarnation of this site "neopolitan." I kinda like that term, and am thinking about how to work it into the site somehow. The color scheme was also called "hideous," a comment later retracted when the acclaimed designer / illustrator Jared Christensen stepped in and calmed the crowd.
Pixel Gangster, a German web design blog, also took notice of it, and had these kind words to share (translation in italics).
Zarte Farben und Linien, und ein stimmiges Gesamtbild.
Tender colors and lines, and a correct overall view.
Aside from the one anonymous email I received, telling me to "Go to hell you Nazi," everyone else seemed to get a kick out of my warning that appears if you view this site in Internet Explorer for Windows. For those of you on good browsers, it reads: "For your eternal security, Internet Explorer should be abandoned. Get Firefox." I would have thought most people would have caught on that this is a joke, and that browser choice does not actually affect one's placement in the next life.
Anyway, suffice it to say that I am both honored and humbled over all the attention my redesign has received. I submitted my success story to CSS Reboot, and it was posted today. In it, I share that I am very excited to have this new design job with Albertsons, because I can now afford to do more pro-bono work for local area churches and non-profit ministries. This was the original reason I started SonSpring, to give a fighting chance at an online presence to those who would otherwise be unable to afford it.
Autobots, Roll Out!
So, here's to looking toward the future. Our apartment is mainly in boxes, and we've sold all our mis-matched furniture so that we can travel light. We will be leaving town on September 5th, with a stop-off in Louisville on the 6th for an INS appointment. Basically, they want us to prove that we've actually been married for a year, and that my wife is not just trying to sneak in the country (she's an Estonian citizen). Assuming we can convince them we're not going to blow up any vehicles, we will continue on to Boise, Idaho where I will start work on September 12th.
Please pray that our travels go safely. I'll be back to posting when we arrive there, and will have a slew of driving photos to upload to Flickr. Until then, take care and God bless.