Simply Read Books

Where You Came From



When You Were Small

We're loving these books by Sara O'Leary/illustrated by Julie Morstad... and keep checking them out at the library. Perhaps it's time to make them part of the permanent collection.

Where, exactly, have I been? part two

Amsterdam | March 2010

Where, exactly, have I been?

PART ONE
Working, mostly. But more importantly, I took a lovely vacation last month that I have failed to even mention. Better late than never, right? In March, I traveled to Reykjavik and Amsterdam with my brother for a week. I have been to Iceland before and absolutely LOVE it. Really, really love it. The usual response is, "Isn't it cold?" Well, yes. But that doesn't bother me. It's otherworldly, fantastic, and beautiful. And we took advantage of Icelandair's stopover program, so we were able to stay in Reykjavik for a few days before heading to Amsterdam—for no extra cost. It doesn't hurt that we were able to get a direct flight from Seattle—nice! Coming up next... Amsterdam. Stay tuned.

Another book...

and perhaps sometime soon I'll actually write something. Until then, enjoy. Again, the illustrations are wonderful!

I LOVE these illustrations.

We picked this up at the library today. By we, I mean me. I couldn't help myself. The illustrations in the book Wonder Bear by Tao Nyeu are incredible. I think I may just have to buy it. Take a look at her portfolio at www.tao-illustration.com. Apparently this work is her MFA thesis project from SVA. I'm thoroughly impressed.

A book... finally

Got this at the library this week... great illustrations! Oh, how I would love to write a book for my favorite little girl...

Simplifying

I recently purchased an application called Billings to take over my outdated system of sending manually-generated PDF invoices and estimates. Oh, has it been a time-saver. I've avoided products like Quickbooks, as they seem to be overly expensive and have too many options. So I began my search for something simple, customizable and Mac-friendly. So far, Billings has been worth every penny of its $40 price tag. I was able to import my contacts and create custom templates for my invoices, etc. It also eliminates the need for me to keep a separate spreadsheet of my outgoing invoices—what a pain that's been with my growing client list!

If you're looking for an easy way to keep track of your projects (and you're on a Mac), I highly recommend Billings. It even won an Apple Design Award last year. There's also a Billings app for the iPhone—I can sync the info from my computer so I'll always know who owes me $$ :-)

Time killer.

What type are you? Surprise, surprise—I'm Archer Hairline (emotional, understated, progressive, disciplined). I took the quiz a few months back and then again this week... just to be sure.

goals

I have to face it, I'm a goal-oriented, deadline-driven person. If given a project with no actual deadline, it will most likely fall behind all of the other projects that are needed by a specific date. And it may possibly never be completed. This has certainly been the case with all of the projects related to my business. I have SO many ideas for great projects, as well as things that absolutely have to be done (like organizing my files). But since I don't treat myself like a client and devote most of my time to billable work (or invoicing), I'm left with a stack of things I'd like to do but no great place to start. I know better than that. And it's time I did something about it.

So rather than let the pile become even more unmanageable, I've decided to set some specific goals both in terms of project scope and deadline. I'm setting aside time each week to learn new techniques, even if I only have a half an hour to devote. Also on my list is an overhaul of my website and blog. I have so many projects/clients I'd like to highlight, but must make my site easier to update or it will never happen. That's a lot to tackle, but it's got to be a priority... or yet again, it will fall through the cracks.

Stay tuned for updates! And perhaps a new site design?

blogs that make me drool

eat make read
tasty recipes... from a graphic designer in brooklyn. are all designers obsessed with food? i know i am...

la tartine gourmand
gorgeous food photos

print & pattern
not at all food related—just like the title says. pages and pages of prints and patterns!

decor8
and since we're getting away from the food theme...

good
i just really like this site. check out the infographics.

Brilliant

I picked up this book for a friend a while back and wish I would have gotten myself a copy... take a look!

pink links

It's been a while since I posted some links. So here goes...

Heart card from Essimar

Leg warmers from the Purl Bee

This Is for You by Rob Ryan

Felt hearts by SewnNatural

You get what you pay for...

Money is never a fun topic, but with tax season in full-swing... I have money on the brain. I've been thinking a lot about my rates and how I bill for individual projects. I started working for myself almost three years ago and have not increased my hourly rate—not once. I originally came up with my rate based on what others were charging locally (I was still in Washington DC), as well as the time I would be spending on admin and self-employment taxes/insurance. I've always thought my rates were fair and in keeping with industry standards (more on that here)...

However, after moving across the country to a suburban setting, I found that my rates are a bit higher than those being charged by most designers/consultants in the area. As a result, I have very few local clients. I am trying to change that, but one of the obstacles I face (and all designers face) is to help others understand why things cost as much as they do... and to convince clients that having a family member set up a business website may not be the best strategy—even if it does save money initially.

A few things to consider:

1. Getting a project right the first time, rather than having to fix someone's mistakes saves everyone time and money.

2. Designers make their living doing just that—designing. So offering to pay $100 for a logo is sending the message that you either: a) have no idea how much time goes into logo design; b) you do not value a designer's contribution and are ok spending less than minimum wage for your branding; or c) really don't care about the final outcome.

3. Just because you're paying a designer $xx, doesn't mean that they're getting $xx at the end of the day. As with any other business, designers have overhead—computer(s), software, taxes, insurance, rent, administrative time... oh, and we also need a few dollars left over for food, mortgage payments, etc.

4. We're professionals. And clients should expect nothing less from a designer than a professional product created within the designated timeline, all while providing excellent customer service. That's our job. That is not necessarily the modus operandi of some guy a client finds to design their website for $200...

All that said, remember that you really do get what you pay for—with designers, with everything. If you're willing to sacrifice time and possibly quality, then by all means save your money. But if you're looking for a great product at a decent price, then I'm your gal!
(maybe I should raise my rates...)

Onward and Upward

Another year. I'm getting ready to send out my last quarterly tax payment for 2009 and I cannot believe it went by so fast. It was a crazy year for my little business. I more than tripled my client base, and doubled my earnings from the previous year. I was also able to volunteer my design skills and meet some great people. But all of this rapid growth has caught up with me and I must pause to reflect on what's worked best and what I'm still struggling to accomplish.

Working independently has always been a goal of mine, but in practice I am finding it to be so much more complicated than just putting in the 9 to 5. I appreciate setting my own work hours (and days), and having some control over the clients and projects I choose. It's great to work from home, often in my pajamas. But what I wasn't prepared for (and am still struggling with) is that once I went to work for myself, I could no longer separate my business and personal life. Believe me, I've tried. I just need to find a system that works for me... one that doesn't include checking my email right before I go to bed.

I've always been one to benefit from structure, so this is the year that I get serious about allocating my time more efficiently. No more breaks from work to do the laundry or clean bathrooms. And no more client calls when I'm spending time with my daughter. Each is going to have their time (and place). I'm sure there will be some overlap. It's unavoidable. But my current system is a little too fluid, and prevents me from giving my full attention to any given task. I want higher quality interactions... and less distraction.

It's asking a lot. But I've never been one to ask any less of myself. So this year, I don't seek to take on a multitude of new clients, or even increase my earnings (though both would definitely be welcome). My goal is for balance and better relationships with those already in my life. And if any of you have any advice along the way, feel free to send it my way!