🐈 web standards + cat dad + a ruckus

ISSUE #135

Jun 15, 2025

MAKING

It seems like websites are making a comeback. Honestly, I didn’t realize they’d ever fallen out of favor! I’ve always had websites for my business and personal projects. That said, I’m more of a print-than-pixels girl, and I’m still learning better best practices for designing online.

If you’re escaping social media* and building a digital home on your own turf, Anthony Hobday offers an excellent resource: Visual design rules you can safely follow every time.

He shares practical tips to make your website look more polished and easier to use—even if you’re not a designer. These aren’t rules you must follow but thoughtful guidelines to help you avoid rookie mistakes. Especially helpful if you’re just starting out: clear, simple, and easy to implement.

*and if you are, check out SOCIAL MEDIA ESCAPE CLUB from

Seth Werkheiser

original source: Rainbows, Squiggles, and Expensive Chairs on

The Shell-Out 🐢

by
Tom Ayling 🐢

LOVING

Happy Dad’s Day to the number one best feline father. We’ve raised three cats to the ripe old age of 17 (that’s 84 in hooman years!) and no doubt that is mostly because of Chris. He is their top chef, housekeeper, hairdresser, manicurist, and Uber driver when they need a lift to the vet.

Thank you, we ❤️ you.

~ Jen, Teekay, Tux, and Lily (pictured above, 📷 © Jaclyn Simpson)

THINKING

I’ve been thinking the same thing a lot of you probably have: this is not normal.

We just came through the other side of an unprecedented, incredibly abnormal experience. Things were finally starting to feel okay again. We could breathe a little easier, relax our shoulders, and allow our nervous systems to reset.

But here we are again… it feels like the pandemic all over. We don’t know what’s coming next, who to believe, where to turn, or when—if ever—things will feel normal again.

This time, though? The chaos is completely manufactured and manmade.*

And yet… if a mess can be made by people, people can make other things too. We can make things that matter. We can make change. And in the words of Seth Godin: We can make a ruckus.

* Some women too, yes—but let’s be honest: mostly men. One in particular.