Because I'm awesome! Ok, seriously. After graduating from college, where I studied communications, with a number of graphic + web design classes, I worked as part of a 3-person team on a magazine for a national non-profit. I was regularly involved in almost every aspect of publishing the magazine — editing articles, sourcing photos, layout, and watching an editorial calendar in action. I eventually took on additional responsibilities with marketing and managing the website. Turns out, this has been rather handy in blogging, which is basically publishing and website management combined.

After that, I worked at a print shop, which is where I learned to adapt my designs quickly to suit the needs of the client. And, added bonus for you, I know all about working with print specs, in case you need to take your site into the print world!

During that time, I started my own blog, and literally redesigned it every three months for the first year and a half. Nothing like experimenting on your own site! From there, I launched this business and have been designing blogs and websites non-stop since! These days, I love using my unique work experience to create blogs and website with special functionality that really makes the important things shine. And because I know what it's like to be responsible for the daily maintenance of making updates to a website, I try to make it as easy as possible for you to update your site as it grows.

If you want to hear more of my story, I've written on my blog about my journey in starting a business, and launching my business from blogging.

Have I convinced you yet? Get in touch!

First things first: say hello, and tell me your story! We’ll figure out which package will work best for you, if any additional work needs to be quoted, and a potential start date. Sound good? I’ll send over a contract, just to make sure we’re on the same page, and an invoice for the (non-refundable) deposit, due upon receipt to reserve your spot on the calendar.

Once I have received your deposit, I will send a design questionnaire so you can tell me more about your design goals, needs, and preferences. You'll fill this out as well as creating a Pinterest board for inspiration for your project. I am usually scheduling projects 6-12 weeks in advance, so you will have some time to complete your questionnaire and pinboard. I recommend devoting at least an hour or two to completing these — remember, the more information you can give me, the better I can meet your goals! After your start date, I will go through your questionnaire and pinboard and let you know if I have any questions or need clarification.

Then the design work begins! I will provide an initial mockup of one page to get the conversation started, then you'll have three rounds of revisions so we can perfect the overall look and feel of your site. Once the initial page is approved, we will continue with the remaining pages, which you'll have two rounds of revisions to tweak and make sure everything is just right. Throughout the process, I'm also available by phone or Skype if we need to talk anything out — I understand that you can't always easily convey what you need via email. Once you have approved the full design, I will get started on development! If your site is brand new, I'll put up a coming soon page so you can start spreading the word while I build the site behind the scenes. For existing sites, I develop on a test server so you can look over everything before we schedule a date for install. Then I will package your files and instructions, and you'll be all set with your new design, with everything you need to maintain and grow!

I understand that it takes a while to adjust to a new website, so you'll have two weeks of email support included to ask me any questions that come up. After that, I am still available to help with any questions you may have at my support rate of $100 per hour ($25 minimum).

Your deposit is due when your project is confirmed, to reserve your spot on the calendar. Deposits are non-refundable, so please be certain you are ready to move forward with your project before submitting payment. Your first payment is due before your project start date, and final payment is due before we move into the development phase of the project.

For many clients, the packages cover everything that is needed. However, if your project needs go beyond what is included, I'm happy to discuss and send a quote tailored to your project. In addition to what you see in the packages above, I offer e-commerce solutions, additional graphics and templates for your posts, e-newsletter design, and additional print items.

I am happy to design additional pages or offer another round of revisions. Please keep in mind that there may be additional costs or changes to your timeline, which can be discussed if you need them.

Yes! I understand that sometimes it's easier to get on a call and talk things out throughout the process, or at the beginning to see if we are a good fit. My office hours are Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm CST. I usually prefer to schedule calls in the afternoon.

Any page that requires a specific layout or additional design elements counts as a page/template. You will always be able to add your own pages with the usual sidebar and standard header and body copy styling, but sometimes, you may need to display your page content in a unique way.

With so many plugins available, it can be difficult to know which ones will work best for your site, and which ones are reliable. I will set up your site with my favorite plugins for standard things like analytics, backing up, contact forms, etc, as well as choose and configure any special plugins needed for unique functionality on your site.

At the end of the project, I provide a brand guide that outlines all colors and fonts used, as well as any special design elements, and an instruction manual that tells you where things are and walks you through any unique functionality on your new site. I'm also happy to schedule a 1-hour training session via phone or Skype screenshare so we can walk through your site and I can show you any special functions you need to know about.

I understand that it takes time to adjust to a new site, and sometimes problems come up that just can't be anticipated. That's why I include 2 weeks of email support with your site — shoot me an email, and I'll answer your question or take care of your issue as soon as possible. I am also happy to help you with anything after your 2 weeks at my support rate of $100 per hour ($25 minimum). I recommend making a list of questions so I can handle your issues as quickly as possible.

You may find as your site grows that you need to add something that's a bit beyond your own capabilities, whether it's a special widget for your sidebar, or a new page. I am happy to help you with any small changes at the rate of $100 per hour ($25 minimum), or provide a quote for larger changes. I recommend creating a list of your changes so I can handle them as quickly as possible. If you would like, you can also set a budget for changes and give me a prioritized list, and I will work through the list until your budget is reached.

Sorry, I don't offer design for Blogger, or any platform but self-hosted Wordpress. I started on self-hosted Wordpress and would rather focus on what I'm best at. However, I'm happy to migrate your blog to self-hosted Wordpress!

Most likely, yes! I primarily work with Blogger to Wordpress migrations but have some experience with Squarespace and Tumblr. Keep in mind that because of the differences between platforms, migrations are very tricky, and there is no guarantee that all of your information will transfer over. The most common problem in Blogger to Wordpress migration is the loss of comments. Please note that I only offer migrations with my design packages.

Great! Get in touch, and tell me all about your project. I can't wait to work with you!