It's been awhile! I've started a business around Design Systems, Basalt, and became the maintainer of Pattern Lab!
Hi! I almost titled this post "Hello World, again!" – it's been far too long since I've posted... but, I don't feel too bad: I've been busy! I've had a lot to share lately and want to start sharing more again, but before I started (and damn it: I'm going to keep up the habit of blogging this time!), I felt it necessary to give an update; here's a summary of what's gone down in the past year:
I made a 1Writer JavaScript action for opening files in Dropbox.com =>
Feb 3, 2017JavaScriptiOS
I really like the iOS Markdown app 1Writer, especially since it's recent improvements to allow previewing image attachments. I wanted to be able to get to the other assets I often have sitting next to my Markdown files in Dropbox and so I made this Open at Dropbox.com 1Writer JavaScript Action that let's you do just that. I've also posted the source code at GitHub if anyone's curious or wants to report bugs. Enjoy!
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Preflight Check, a new utility to keep developer's dependencies in sync
Keeping developer environments up to date and in sync with each other can be a challenging thing as a web site's environment is so much more than just code that can be pulled down. I've seen a common scenario play out that I wanted to help solve with a utility that I had been mentally concocting for awhile and am now releasing, preflight-check. Before I share what the tool does, let me share the pain of the common scenario I've often seen.
Getting Dropbox Direct Links via Shared Links with Alfred
Mar 13, 2014alfreddropbox
When you share an image (or any file) with Dropbox, it sends people to a page that wraps that file in an HTML page that is Dropbox branded. Here is an easy way using Alfred (with it's paid Powerpack) to get a link that links directly to the file. This is useful for using as the src in an <img> tag. I often use it in a wiki or a task management site like Jira or Redmine to show a screenshot. All we need to do is replace www.dropbox with dl.dropboxusercontent in the share link, like my friend Ryan points out.
I added a Review Section to my site! =>
Well, the new Review Section is more of a page at the moment as it's simply a list of products that I like a lot. I try and add a bit of commentary where needed. I've started with some basic sorting to break things into Outdoor Gear, Drinks equipment (apparently I'm really into different drinks...), and Tech Gear (though I don't have software recommendations – I keep those here). I'll keeping this one page up to date with the gear I'm loving; hope you get some use out of it!
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I'm now at Phase 2 as a Drupal Developer! =>
Feb 21, 2014drupalme
I'm incredibly pleased to come onboard with one of the best Drupal agencies, Phase2! I'm looking forward to pushing my front end web development and responsive web design skills to another level, and I can't really think of a better spot than there. Being a freelance contractor allows a wonderfully flexible situation to work on the skills you want to grow, but once you know what you want to do, you want to do it with the best around. I'm excited to learn and share from such a passionate, driven team as Phase 2. Here's to my next phase! ;)
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Great article on work/life balance for high stress jobs and prioritizing family =>
Starting your own business can throw a wrench in your work/life balance. If you’re not careful, the relentless focus on work can deteriorate your home life and personal relationships. Scott Weiss, parter at VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, writes about how he was a jerk during his CEO years and what he learned. “While I was focused, motivating, articulate, and decisive at work, I was inconsiderate, preoccupied, self-centered, and lazy at home,” he says noting that when he got home he just wanted to veg out and watch TV. He then outlines a few adjustments that helped him restore the sanity.
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Fantastical 2 for iPhone on sale =>
An essential and totally favorite iPhone app (though I wish they'd do an iPad version!) is on sale for $2 (normally $5). I love how they have Reminders support as well as I use it for the days tasks after pulling it from the master task list in OmniFocus. Anyway, check it out; it's a great one!
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