For as much as I disdain cold temperatures, it seems that I can’t resist taking photos of snow. Here’s a (snowy) pictorial trip down memory lane:

Snow Dog February 2007
Snow Run December 2007
Chickens in the Snow December 2007
Another Gray Day February 2008
Branching Out March 2008
Sunset & Snow March 2008
Another Season January 2009
Single Digits & Snowfall January 2009
To Grandmothers House We Go January 2009
White Out January 2009
Wide Open Spaces January 2009
Piling Up January 2009
Extra Layer January 2010
It Begins February 2010
Snow Power February 2010

Last week, we attended the Stella Artois Happy Hour at the Symphony with four of our friends. Despite the crowds (which the ISO says it will be addressing in future Happy Hour events) the hour long performance was a great mix of old (Beethoven) and new (Coldplay). In addition to the obvious instrumental music, the event also included a dance performance and even a few vocals from the conductor. The next event will be February 18, with special guest Time for Three.

On January 1, 2010 my official business name changed to Jackson Sky Web Design & Development. This name change results from, and allows for, the expansion of services and staff as my business continues to grow. Check out the site for a new portfolio, testimonials or to request a quote.

Rhaya.com will continue to exist a personal site for general updates and posting of photos.

PurGood Organics is a new company here in central Indiana that is committed to providing organic and eco-friendly products that are pure enough for even the most sensitive of skins. Co-owners Christi and Jessica came to me once they had their logo and packaging designed (by Kelly of KleverGirl) and were in need of a web site where they could feature and sell their products. Also as part of this project, I also took product photos for the company to use online and on printed material.

Now’s a great time to check out the brand new PurGood Organics web site and possibly pick up some products for the little ones on your gift list this year. Not only will you be getting a wonderful product, but you can also feel good about supporting a locally-owned business.

Holidays are fast approaching and shopping season is already here. Take the guesswork out of giving gifts and encourage your friends and family to start wishing with Clearwish. This Facebook-friendly application gives you the option to install a button for your browser allowing you to add items to your wishlist with one simple click.

Clearwish is a start-up company founded by Brian Zuercher. He along with Steve Krause and Brad Griffith brought me in on the project last year to design the logo and web site. The site recently got a facelift to allow for future expansion, and is currently sporting a wintery header for the holidays.

I was recently contacted by Stefanie and Brock of SB Childs Photography because they needed a new logo. They wanted something simple and elegant but since they are a husband and wife duo, they wanted the logo to have a balance of both feminine and masculine elements. The hand-drawn mark makes a subtle reference to the script-like fonts often associated with weddings and the brown sans-serif font adds the splash of masculinity they were looking for.

Check out the logo, along with the great work that Stefanie and Brock do at the SB Childs Photography web site.

I just got back from a trip to sunny California where I got to spend some quality time with my brother and his family (shown here) with trips to the California Academy of Sciences and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to see the Richard Avedon exhibit. I also squeezed in a little work, visiting the SwitchGear Genomics office to plan and design a new marketing campaign.

Northernlight Filmworks approached me many months back with one goal in mind: To rebrand their entire look so that it better reflected their business and personality. A major part of this process was developing the new logo. Next, it was time to redesign their site, using the same ideas that went into designing the logo.

The old site had a dark color scheme, including a black background, which didn’t reflect the personality and style of Northernlight Filmworks. It also had no content management system in place to allow the client to make updates to the content. The separate, generic blog didn’t allow them to post larger videos, which was unfortunate because their work is breathtaking and direct proof of their talent and expertise.

The new site’s overall design now has a much lighter feel and makes positive use of white space. It is a combination of a web site and blog, both of which can be updated by the client using WordPress. The wider blog allows them to post their videos at a size that is 25% larger than their previous blog.

See the new look for yourself at the freshly launched Northernlight Filmworks site.

Last weekend, Andy and I (along with eight other friends) spent the weekend at The Wilds. Until our friends won a free stay at the exclusive Lodge, we were totally unaware that the nation’s largest wildlife conservation center was located in southeast Ohio. Despite the very cold weather, we enjoyed the open-air safari that allowed us to see rhinos, zebras, oryx, camels and much more.

It’s hard to believe we have already been back from Italy for over two weeks now. Our unforgettable trip included Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, Venice and an overnight layover in Brussels. Click here to view the photo gallery of the sights.