Latest Custom Project

Matina, proprietor of Lil' Moo contacted me with a rather peculiar request. She wanted her logo to include a calf hatching from an egg! Plus, she needed a web design that was adorable, precious, upscale and one of a kind for her boutique.

I quickly determined that a computer drawn graphic was not going to convey the proper image, so I dug out my watercolor paints. Yes, I love to paint! I just haven't had much time for it since motherhood and my full-time business took over my life.

The end result was the cutest baby cow emerging from a beautiful blue egg. The rest of the design involved a faded polka dot pink background, also done in watercolor by me. I then added stars, ribbon, roses and eyelet borders. Ahhh, just truly precious! I am so proud of this one.

Matina's boutique business offers custom, handmade clothing for little girls and beautiful one of a kind boutique bedding. Her work is exquisite! Original, gorgeous, I just can't say enough about her products! So, please check out her website: http://lilmoo.com.au/!

I hav a few more custom sites to add to my portfolio, hopefully I'll get to it before Christmas!

Take care!
~ Kelly

Thankful

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy late Thanksgiving and a happy holiday season! We spent the entire long weekend at home, a stay-cation for my husband. I worked pretty much everyday except Turkey Day. We had a small dinner, just me, Mike, Anya and Jack. And it was wonderful! Low stress, low-key and lots of time together.

Thank you to all of my clients! I wish you much success this holiday season and I am so grateful for your business.

~ Kelly

New Article: Search Engine Optimization

One of the top questions I receive is “Why isn’t my site showing up on search engines?” Just because you've created a website and added products doesn't necessarily mean that you are the top site on Google Search or that you're even ranked at all.
You need to optimize your site for the search engines so that potential customers can find you. This is called Search Engine Optimization, or SEO.

Read the entire article.

New Pre-made Website Templates

I have had a surge of creativity this past week, so I created three new premade website templates!

Updating

I have finally launched my new and improved website... please have a look!

I'm also working on my blog, so please ignore my mess....

~ Kelly

Sad News

Last week my Aunt Denise, who is Grandma Dolly's daughter, passed away abruptly. She went to the hospital with pneumonia and they found cancer in most of her vital organs. She passed within five days of going into the hospital. Apparently, she'd had the cancer for practically a year but didn't know because she never went to the doctor. Note to self and to everyone: don't miss your yearly physical and go to the doctor when you feel something's not right.

I only saw my Aunt Denise about once a year since I've been an adult, but I always remember her as a sweet, thoughtful and creative person. She always had some sort of craft-making things for us kids whenever she saw us.

Her death has shook me. Not only am I sad for her passing, I am reminded of the losses of two of my closest relatives, my Grandma Ginger and my cousin Heather. Gram was Sioux and had such an interesting life, to say the least. She had traveled the world, married three times, and thought the world of Heather and I. My parents always pushed me to do better, but Gram was always proud of me unconditionally, and wasn't afraid to tell me. Her sudden death still leaves a void in my soul.

Heather was only 27 when she died six years ago. She died the summer of my wedding. She was supposed to be my Maid of Honor. She was coming home from a night out and was hit by a drunk driver. He flew right through a red light and hit the passenger side of the car she was in. She was the passenger. She died right on the street less than 1/2 mile from her house. It was right in front of the park that we played at when we were little and had driven by practically every day. I can no longer drive by that park.

Although her death was six years ago this summer, I still feel like it was just yesterday. We grew up together, and she was more of a sister than a cousin. Our mom's are identical twins and we looked alot alike. Of course, she was the "pretty one" and I was the "smart one." It's never fun to be the smart one!

Grandma's birthday is my birthday, August 28th, and Heather's is August 29th. It's a sad month for me, even though I'm also celebrating my wedding anniversary. I happened to be home the night of the accident, visiting my parents. I was there to try on my wedding dress. We had already ordered Heather's dress.

After her death, I couldn't bear to have my original wedding. So, with the help of my parents we canceled my big wedding in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. I was married in the Bahamas with just immediate families and two college friends. I found out later that Heather's dream was to be married in the Bahamas.

Heather's picture is on my desk and I think of her daily.

Thank you to all of my clients who have been so understanding about my needing some time off. My parents actually came to visit this past week for the first time in a year! It was so good to see them and my nephew, Jayden. Anya had so much fun.

So, I'm back to work and will be returning emails and calls this week.

~ Kelly

New 'Do!

I should preface this post by telling you that I am constantly on the lookout for the perfect haircut. Once I think I've found it, the trouble has always been finding the perfect stylist to make my dream a reality.

I've lived in NC for three years now, and still I am a serial salon hopper. I miss Ann, my wonderful stylist in Belmont, Massachusetts who gave me my pixie cut ten years ago.

I have searched high and low in North Carolina for someone to replace her, but have always been disappointed. I have had the $18 haircut, the $150 haircut, color in a bottle, foil highlights, all-over color... and like my man Bono, I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

The last color I had left me with blond zebra stripes if my part got two inches out of place. I naturally have dark reddish brown hair, so this did not look good. It also cost me $200 to look like that. Ouch.

Last week, I bought several hair-do mags for inspiration. I dog-ear every cut or color that I like. As I read the salon credits in fine print, I hit the floor! The salon was only 10 miles away! I made the appointment with Luis, the genius stylist behind the glamorous cuts in the magazines.

My appointment was this morning and Luis did not disappoint! He talked with me, looked at my pictures, told me what he wanted to do... and two and a half hours later... voila! I am a new me! I think I can finally make a commitment to Luis. He is my new best friend.

If anyone lives within a day's drive away, please visit Luis Rios at the Douglas Caroll Salon in North Raleigh. And keep an eye out for his new website that yours truly might have the pleasure of designing! ;-)

XO, Kelly

Our Summer So Far

Besides getting several sites live and working on a few more, I have been having a great summer with the kids. We've been to Carolina Beach, had our Boston cousins visit us, road-tripped to Virginia to visit family and Pennsylvania! Since so many of my wonderful clients have been asking for pictures, here you go... :-)


Here is Anya and cousin Jayden in Pennsylvania. We were visiting my Papa who lives in the country in Pennsylvania, near Gettysburg. Down the road from his house is this fabulous old cemetary. This ancient tree fell sometime in the past year. Isn't it beautiful?



My poor Jack was so overwhelmed by our trip. He was very clingy to me the whole week, but he took to my Papa (who by the way is my favorite person in my entire family!) and actually didn't cry when he held him. It was sweet relief for me!
Look at this cutie pie! He's such a stinker, it's just a good think he's so cute!

My little Mr. GQ:

We were so happy to have cousins Elizabeth and Patricia visit us from Boston! Here are Anya and Patricia, the best of friends!
And Elizabeth and Jack had fun crawling around together too!

Here are Anya and Jayden again. Anya is so fortunate to have two cousins her same age! I wish we all lived closer!

Here is Anya wearing her birthday dress from Seems Dreams Boutique. You've got to check out her boutique! She sells the cutest girlie-girl dresses!

This is our favorite dress from Wendy at Seems Dreams Boutique! And my little girl is such a model, isn't she! Always posing for the camera! Her preschool teacher calls her a "diva"!
Anya absolutely loved the beach! Carolina Beach was beautiful. Let's just hope they don't start drilling for oil off the Carolina Coast!
While Anya played, Jack ate sand.
Look at that hair! Anya has beautiful curly hair that just got curlier in the sea air. I wish you could see more of her precious dress. It's a gorgeous custom-made wrap dress from Lily's Suitcase. As someone who has made clothing before, I can tell you that Patricia not only has beautiful and original designs, but her work is impeccable!

Thank you for looking at my pictures. Now it's back to work for me! I'll be updating my portfolio soon! I hope everyone is having a fabulous summer!

Back on the planet...

I have been working so hard this past month that I've had zero time for blogging! It seems everyone has wanted a website in May, and I have worked day and night to accommodate them.

Now that I have some breathing room I'd like to share some of these fabulous new sites. I'm very proud of them all and grateful to the new owners that brought out the very best of my design!

My first site in May was for the UK importers of the famed Boudreaux's Butt Paste. Inspired by the official logo, we created a very fun, bright and retro design and graphics!

Next we have the very talented Barbara of Fancy Pantz Designs. Barbara loved my Purple Flapper OOAK design, but wanted to change the colors and add a tiara to crown the new Ms. Fancy Pantz. I loved the collaboration with Barbara. Please check out her new site and if you need a spectacular housewarming gift, you must purchase her unique and fabulous products!

And finally, the very excited and bubbly Brittany of Initially Monogrammed! Brittany offers a variety of custom monogrammed items for baby, wedding parties and yourself! I had to get a few for myself! Brittany's design was completely custom and we topped it off with the custom character illustration on the homepage. So much fun to design and a real pleasure working with Brittany!

Family Pictures

Anyone have that experience of trying to get a decent picture of your children together, in cute outfits, in the right light, in the right location... and it never turns out quite right? I know I should hire a photographer, but I am a do-it-yourself'er kinda girl and very stubborn so I haven't done it yet. Anyway, you spend all this time trying to get the perfect picture for the grandparents, and it just doesn't happen! Then, as we were leaving for soccer practice yesterday, I thought I would snap a couple of pictures... within seconds I had the best picture of Anya I've had in about 6 months!

I was SO happy to get this precious picture of my almost-4-yr-old, Anya... I just had to share it! She actually let me do her hair!

And then there are the usual pictures I have of Jack and Anya together...

Thanks for looking!

~ Kelly

Characters!

Besides chasing my newly-crawling little Jack and answering Anya's "But WHY Mommy?", I have been feeling pretty creative lately! I was contacted to do a princess illustration for a new client and I think I'm on to something! So much fun!

Anya has been loving my new designs so much she has been sitting next to me watching me work. I printed out this little princess on cardstock for her. We cut it out and now she's been using it as a paperdoll.

Hmmm, now what to do with these? Children's boutique web sites?

~ Kelly

New Unlimited Editions

Who isn't on a budget these days? Now there's no excuse not to have a great website!

My new Unlimited Edition websites-to-go are only $48 each and come in many different colors for every boutique business. They include all the features of their more expensive counterparts such as installation, customer support and custom headers.

Polka dots or stripes, each features a very Paris chic boutique black and white stripe awning with sign that is customized with your business name and tagline.

If you'd like to further customize one of these websites with additional artwork or a different font, just contact me for a quote.

eBay Update

Thank you to everyone who purchased before the March 31st deadline!

However, ebay has yet to pull down my listings so my ebay store is still up as of now. *Sigh*. I am not taking my listings down yet because as part of this new policy, ebay has agreed to end listings and refund seller fees. So I'm waiting for my refund and not shutting down based on principle.

~ Kelly

Leaving eBay

I really can't believe it... eBay is eliminating template designers!

Effective March 31st, eBay will prohibit the sale of digitally-delivered items in auctions, fixed-price and store listing formats. The only way to sell my templates, about me pages, storefronts and logos will be through eBay's classified ads. The cost for this is $9.95 per item a month.

I was aware that eBay was trying to eliminate "small" sellers with new policies ever since the new CEO started there, replacing Meg Whitman. However, I had no idea that they would eliminate my business! Not only does this new policy eliminate template designers like myself, but it also affects eBook sellers, collage designers, etc.

It's all so shady. This latest policy is proof to me that eBay is systematically eliminating artists, designers, and non-Power Sellers in general from their site. My personal belief is that they want to turn their site into a corporate mall.

It's so unfortunate! I loved ebay from the beginning because it was a portal for me to find little trinkets and bargains. Then I discovered the many artists who sold custom boutique clothing, art, and many other wonderful, one of a kind things.

When I opened my eBay store and began selling my own designs, I met so many interesting people and gained exposure for my business. However, the time has come for me to leave eBay. I will continue to host all of the template graphics that I have sold in the past, but I will no longer offer new designs on my website. I will still offer matching ebay items for clients who purchase websites.

If you would like to purchase any of my templates before they are gone for good (eBay will remove my listings on March 31st), visit my store.

I will miss eBay, and I hope that people will still find me through my website.

~ Kelly

Finally... new designs!

March is just chugging along and Lil' Dolly is too! I have finally added three new one-of-a-kind designs on my website. All new ooak websites include a free homepage graphic to use with your picture or photo. It's a really good way to get a cohesive first-impression and coordinate your products within the design.


This first new site is called "Modern Chinoiserie." It features a bold color combination with a classic chinoiserie theme. I love the colors and the contrast of this website. This design also has rollover images in the top navigation.

Fun, fun and fun! This next ooak site is called "Crazy Squares," and you can see why! Crazy Squares uses my favorite color combinations of pinks and aquas with some lime green and orange
for fun (hey, why not?!) and some new funky fonts. A new take on those cool atomic 50s patterns, this web site is sure to make your business memorable.

And finally, we have this soft and sweet shabby beach design for all of you shabby cottage chic gals out there. Shabby Cottage Beach Chic features soft colors, lots of texture and vintage seashells. A little bit of lattice is the icing on the cake!


So if you've been waiting to purchase a Lil' Dolly design or you have a friend who is looking for a unique web site, now is the time! These designs can be ready to go within a few days and won't break the bank! Thank you for looking!

~ Kelly

My Portfolio

I have finally updated my portfolio! I will be adding more over the next couple of weeks so please check back often for updates.

Frame Love

My latest website, Frame Love truly is a work of art!

Owner and artist Babette and I worked very hard to translate her vision to the web. Babette's idea was to have her website appear as if someone had opened an old trunk in an attic and found a vintage advertisement inside.

I worked with materials I found around my own home, Babette's frames and even scraps of paper to create this look. It took several attempts, but when I came up with this design, both Babette and I were happy and knew we had gotten it just right!

Babette is an artist who creates beautiful, one of a kind wooden frames. I have no doubt that you will find something wonderful and unique on her new web site, frame-love.com.

~ Kelly

Useful Articles

I've added a new feature to my web site called Articles. This section will feature different articles written and researched by me, based on questions I get over and over from artists and small business owners who come to me for help with their web sites.

If you have a topic that you would like me to write an article about, please leave me a comment here on my blog or contact me through my web site. I'm very open to suggestions. I hope you will find these articles useful.

The first article is about the importance of a good web site for your business.

Why is professional web site design so important?
Nine times out of ten, your web site is your potential customer's first look at your business. How your business is perceived is directly related to the quality, efficiency and appearance of your web site. Frustrated users may leave your site before even viewing your products!
Read more...

~ Kelly

Jack-a-Doo

So, I had to post this picture right away to prove that I don't play favorites with my children!

We have been happy to have some nice spring weather this week and were able to take many walks down to the neighborhood pond. I love North Carolina! After spending a couple of years in Boston, you have to appreciate spring weather in March! My first "spring" in Massachusetts felt like a seasonal jet lag. I remember being absolutely astonished at snow in April. Just too cold for my bones!

Ahhh, but I digress... this is a picture I took just this week. Jack loved sitting in the grass and immediately tried to eat the pine needles. This little guy is always eating! Fun fact - he can eat a whole banana in one minute and then yell for more. His regular breakfast is an english muffin and two bananas. Proof that he really is a little monkey!

~ Kelly

Bowls-n-Annies

Here is my latest website, Bowls-n-Annies. I was so happy when De contacted me to re-design her website. She makes THE CUTEST annie rag dolls and her husband makes hand turned wooden bowls.

De left most of the design up to me, but was specific on the look and feel she wanted for her web site: vintage without being old, cute without being floral and bright without being gaudy.

I do think we accomplished all of that and I am very pleased that she is in love with her new web site. I love happy customers!

De was a real joy to work with and now I am happy to call her my friend.

Please be sure to visit Bowls-n-Annies and have a look at her wonderful dolls. Beware, you will fall in love and have to purchase one if not for yourself, for a special lil' girl you know!

I can say with 100% honesty that her Annie dolls are spectacular - adorable, high-quality and lovable! Anya has named her's Anna-belle and she is her new best friend!

I am going to have to post a picture of my lil' guy, Jack-a-doo, today because the only pics I have on my blog to date are of Anya.... oops! I do have tons of Jack but, he's my second and as you moms out there know, we don't take nearly as many pictures of our seconds as we do our firsts!

~ Kelly

First Day of School

Today was my little sweeetheart's first day of preschool.... *sigh*...

Anya was so excited she couldn't wait to get out the door. When I picked up her up this afternoon I was relieved that she was actually ready to come home. She was so tired though. She fell asleep almost as soon as we got home.

As my friend and client Tee pointed out to me, the next thing I know she'll be getting ready to go off to college like her little girl. Where does the time go?

~ Kelly

Southern Country Cottage

This has been a very hectic week for Lil' Dolly, but also a very exciting one as we wrap up several designs!

The first of which is Southern Country Cottage for a wonderful lady who has quite the eye for vintage chic, cottage, beach chic, paris chic and even farmhouse home decor! Stop in and see Jana at her Southern Country Cottage for eclectic finds and great decorating advice. She's one of Lil' Dolly's favorite people and a joy to work with!

~ Kelly

Becoming Jane

As much as I love all things Jane Austen, you would think I would have seen Becoming Jane when it first came out in the movie theaters. Well, I cannot remember the last time I actually was at a movie theater.... Shrek the Third maybe?! Yikes!

So, I decided to finally buy this movie and oh, I loved it! Now I see why she wrote happy endings. Anya and I watched it all weekend long on my mini-dvd player in my office. I love to work and listen to movies, expecially Jane Austen movies. I've read all the books a hundred times and watched the movies two hundred times so I don't need to actively watch them while I work.

And, yes, I have a 3 1/2-year-old who loves Jane Austen movies! How lucky am I? When we went to buy this movie the clerk asked Anya which was her favorite Jane Austen movie... as if he didn't believe me when I said she loves them. She looked up at him with her big blue eyes and said very simply, "Northanger Abbey," which is a very obscure BBC tv movie from the 80s. He asked her if she liked Pride & Prejudice and she told him she liked the BBC version the best. That's my girl! ;-)

Poor thing. I've probably set her up so that she'll never accept any man who's "less worthy" than Mr. Darcy. Good for her!

~ Kelly

The End of $6 Templates

As many of you ebay sellers know, ebay is increasing their final value fees. In order to continue providing quality templates with my trademark fast turnaround and hands on support, I need to increase the price of some auction templates.

Starting tomorrow, the price of my stripes and polka dots templates will increase from $6 to $9.99. So, if you can, stock up tonight!

$6 Templates on ebay by Lil' Dolly Designs

~ Kelly
lil*doll

New Website Design!

Lil' Dolly has received a facelift! I have been dying to update my website for about two months now, and finally made time to do it. I switched out my old pic of Grandma Dolly and replaced it with this one. I believe was her first or second grade picture. The rest of the design went from there.

Now, back to my custom projects... Check back soon! I've got about four new one-of-a-kind websites up my sleeve...

~ Kelly