Sweet CeCe’s Goes International!

It’s a day I’ve waited for . . . a company that I branded now has international presence!  Better yet, it’s international because of a friendship I have with a former logo client. Twitter and Facebook have made the world so very, very small. Read on to hear how this all came about!

Almost three years ago, I was approached by the nicest lady who was opening a self-serve frozen yogurt shop here in Nashville, TN called Sweet CeCe’s.  Though many “competitors” have sprung up since then, Sweet CeCe’s was the first of its kind in our area, and remains the best in my opinion. I created her logo, which led to promotional material, which led to me becoming their “official” graphic designer, handling all things aesthetic up until corporate took over late in 2010.  I also had the opportunity to set them up with a Twitter and Facebook presence and manage it, which which they have agreed has fueled (along with the amazing froyo experience, of course) their rapid success.

A year or two into my working with the company, a former logo client of mine who follows me on Twitter, asked me what I thought about him opening up a Sweet CeCe’s… in Kuwait!  He had seen my constant tweets about the delicious yogurt and success of the store here.  I was thrilled with his idea, and I put him in contact with the people in charge.  After a few months of negotiation, he ended up buying the rights to open 10 stores in the next 5 years in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and United Arab Emirates.

I’m writing this today to show off his STUNNING store that opened last week. Check out these photos to see how the middle east does frozen yogurt!

I milked a goat named Doris

Years ago, when I was 12 years old, my family and I had the incredible opportunity to visit an exchange student we had hosted in Switzerland. Many things about the country intrigued me, but one of the memories that stood out to me was the amazing garden and community that the family had. They had raspberry bushes, apple trees, lettuce, and all kinds of vegetables growing in their backyard.

One morning we woke up and walked down this cobblestone path alongside the Lake of Zurich and down into a little valley where we purchased fresh yogurt and milk for breakfast. I wasn’t raised anywhere near a farm, so the idea of getting dairy products straight from an animal that we could still see walking around was pretty incredible to me. I guess it put “two and two together” in my mind.

One of Doris' friends

Since then, I’ve wanted to milk an animal. I am CERTAIN that many of you think I’m nuts at this point, but what can I say? I am who I am.

I recently got my chance! On a trip home to visit my parents, we visited a nearby farm where you can get fresh goats’ milk. We arrived, and much to my delight, the nice lady asked if I wanted to milk the goat, not just buy her milk.

Below are photos of the experience. As you can see, I was quite tentative at first, but I got the hang of it pretty quick. Doris was a lady about the whole thing, even though we had just met.

I squeeze where??

Goat boobies are surprisingly hairy

Nate and I have enjoyed healthy, fresh goats milk yogurt, made naturally in our own kitchen. Thanks Doris!