I love a small, family-owned coffee shop as much as the next person but there is something about Starbucks that I just can’t keep away from. Maybe they add more sugar to their Frappuccinos than is fathomable or maybe they train every barista for months on end on the art of making a great cappuccinos. Whatever it is, I love my drinks from Starbucks.

So when I saw a great website from Starbucks offering free samples, I was delighted!

The website, Starbucks Coffee at Home is an all-Flash site. On my connection at home, it loads pretty slowly.

The chalk artwork on the whole site is well worth the wait. Check out the Barista Gallery if you visit the site. I never had the patience to draw more than a little cup of soup on Crisper’s chalkboard, I don’t know how these guys did what they did.

I love how each page you go to is erased but you can still see it behind the new page, something about that is so unique but so “duh”-simple. Why didn’t I think of that? I can’t imagine what kind of Actionscript probably goes into this site. There are a lot of small touches to the site that just made me smile, like the chalk dust.

As much as I usually hate sound on a website, I do like the ambient background “music”. When I got to clicking around a lot, the chalk sounds did get annoying.

I took the “Find my Perfect Coffee” test at the bottom and got a free sample of the House Blend delivered to work. Can’t wait to try it! :9 Mmm mmm.

The packaging it came in was great. I was expecting a regular brown box and honestly, a smaller sample. The box the sample came in was computer software-style, same basic shape, smaller size with a flap in the front with more information. I absolutely love the art. That little rooster is so cute.

So thanks Starbucks for the eye and taste bud candy!

So, I at least got my new design up to WordPress and all I have left to do is create my last three pages.

I’ve been busy at work and helping my sister get ready to move. Her husband is joining the Navy and they have to be ready to move out to California. I’m sad to see her go, but it will be great for them to have new places to discover and new things to do. (And I’ll have a reason to visit!)

Anyway, working on the Portfolio section today. It’ll be done some day.

Yesterday, I stuffed my face until I could barely breathe. A few hours later, I ate three slices of pie, watched a movie and went to bed, still full of food.

Today, although I didn’t want to fight the crowd, I decided to go shopping! Scary. It wasn’t so bad, since John and I left around 11:30am-I think all of the crazy people had gone home to sleep.

When we got home from our shopping adventures, I finished painting the box I’d been working on. We went to Michaels last weekend because I had a strong urge to get some canvas so I could paint something for our walls. Along with the canvas, I ended up buying a wooden box to paint so that I could have a place for all of the Yankee Candle Tarts® I’ve been collecting. (These things are addictive!)

I’m pleased with the outcome, especially since I didn’t have a plan for how it should look. It was more of a free-association artistic expression. Something different from the careful planning and analysis that goes into designing a website.