A Far Superior Species

This brought me to tears. I cannot imagine how anyone could ever harm such a beautiful, self-aware, intelligent, gentle creature.

A New Ladybug!

I'm so excited - I got a new ladybug in the mail from my Oma! Here she is:



And yes, that is a bag of genuine candy straight from Germany. It is "Mit Fruchtsaft und Traubenzucker" .. deeelicious!

Thank you, Oma - I love you.

Keep Your Web Site Simple

“In the everyday world, we want to get on with the important things in life, not spend our time in deep thought attempting to open a can of food or dial a telephone number." — Don Norman, 1988

People visit a web site primarily for three reasons - to perform a task, out of curiousity or to find information.

How easy is it for someone to place an order on your web site? To find information?

Often we model our web site from our personal preferences and we use terms and acronyms that are familiar to our own business. A bicycle may be referred to as a TCX-4200 but a customer that isn't familiar with biking may just be looking for a "Mountain Bike". It's important to consider your web site from the perspective of your customer.

Ladybug Web Design can perform a user experience evaluation on your web site and help to point out those subtle tweaks and changes that can mean a positive change to your bottom line. Contact us for more information!

A Whole Lotta Peeps

The amount of Peeps chicks and bunnies eaten at Easter could more than circle the Earth's circumference.


I have never actually eaten a Peep. Ew.

I much prefer the slightly more artistic use of these sugary little demons.

Welcome to Spring!

Spring, I've missed you! Where did you go? I have so much to get you caught up on!


You're back and I couldn't be more thrilled!

Soothing Music

My client, Anne Keefe, Owner of EclipseSpa, has the most amazing CD compilation available on her web site. It's called "Escape" and it's a collection of beautiful soothing, spa-like music. Try it while relaxing in the bath or as background music while you're sleeping (my favorite)!

It's available for immediate download or you can purchase a CD on her web site.



And while you're there, you HAVE to try a bar of her Chocolate Mint Soap or a jar of her Wildcrafted Shea Sugar Scrub - my favorite is "Red Roses".

A Hogful of Good Wishes

My aunt Christie sent me the neatest little "Get Well Pig" in the mail today.



It's not every girl who has an aunt as neat as her. Very lucky indeed.

My parents sent me a lovely gift basket full of mango bath goodies. My bathroom smelled delicious - I ended up having a big fruit bowl after getting out of the tub.

In Good Company

It seems I'm in good company. Pierce Brosnan, Katie Holmes and George Clooney all have suffered from Bell's Palsy.

And then there's this familiar crooked face.

Good Food & Rest

I was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy about 5 days ago. It's a temporary paralysis of the facial nerve resulting in inability to control facial muscles in the affected side.

It started with a bit of a painful lump in my throat on the right side, graduating to a throbbing earache. I went to the doctor and was prescribed Amoxicyllin even though the doctor didn't see evidence of an ear infection.

By that night, I started losing control of the muscles of my face on the right side. Couldn't raise my eyebrow, couldn't smile, couldn't do anything. And worse of all, I couldn't close my eye all the way.

A return trip to the doctor resulted in a prescription of Prednisone and Famciclovir - a powerful anti-viral.

I'm off of work for another week and have been told to rest - 10-14 hours a day. I thought that was ridiculous when my doctor told me to sleep that much but it has been no problem at all. Either the medication or Bell's Palsy makes you more tired than you could ever possibly imagine.

Right now, I'm supposed to avoid stress at all cost, eat good food and rest. Thankfully, I eat really healthy - I'm a vegetarian and since last week, I am now eating only vegan foods. I have to avoid salt at all costs since it can impede recovery.

The facial nerve heals about 1mm per day. I think this is going to be a slow recovery.

Hugs,
Layla

What to say ...

The first of everything is always the hardest.

I'll start off my blog by saying that I am a web designer, developer, and business consultant and owner of Ladybug Web Design. I live in beautiful Woodinville, Washington and have three beautiful kitties, one of whom was hollering her head off in my front yard so I rescued her. I named her Panda. She sort of looks like one.

I am a very faithful and committed volunteer/board member with It's Meow or Never Animal Rescue and Sanctuary. This wonderful group is a non-profit, no-kill organization that operates completely from donations.

I also enjoy dabbling in photography when I'm not working and will undoubtedly be sharing some of my favorite photos with you.

My Mum is an experienced blogger now - you can take a look at her beautiful items over at mylizziejane.blogspot.com and you can buy some of her beautiful handmade items at lizziejane.etsy.com. Seriously, her stuff is cute beyond words.

So, that's it for me today unless I have a flash of brilliance and discover something else I want to share with the world.

Hugs,
Layla