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The oughts? The zeros? No wonder nobody ever talked much about this past decade. Its names were always awkward. This is the end of 2009, and once again here’s another quick update of the worky stuff I’ve been doing.

Fab Apps is busily humming along as usual. Some of the really cool stuff we did over the past month was done as a subcontractor to Unison Agency, a very talented design firm in Georgetown. We are also getting close to a few firsts: our first iPhone app in the iTunes App Store and first public launch for a site on the new Bubbly platform. We’re all anticipation.

For a general overview of what the end of 2009 hath wrought, check out the December 2009 Fab Apps email newsletter. Are you on the Fab Apps email list? If not, you might want to go sign up here.

Speaking of email newsletters, have I mentioned the Digital Division email newsletter lately? I help produce it every few months in collaboration with Digital Division, my longest-term client. I usually write the Web Tip column at the end, so go check that out too. I enjoyed writing on this month’s topic: How to send files that are still too large to email in 2010.

Let me add an extra shout-out here to Steven Waters, Fab Apps’ talented and productive Interactive Media Developer. Just because there are never enough chances to say thanks!

I sincerely hope you all enjoy any holidays you choose to observe this holiday season, and have a happy new year!

This has been a fun and busy summer! Between all the work that’s keeping me busy, I’ve taken some really fun trips to New York City, Skyline Drive and the Shenandoah Mountains, Staunton VA, and other great places.

Here are some quick blips about what I’m working on … starting with Bubbly!

• Fab Apps has partnered with CoolTown Beta Communities for a fun project: Creating a spiffy web-based application called Bubbly that will help cities, towns, and organizations crowdsource fresh ideas and build communities of creative people. Check out CoolTown’s blog for more information about their work.
• Fab Apps is working on a brand new website for the Passionists JPIC effort, which will highlight their important work on U.S. and international social justice and environmental issues.
• Fab Apps is preparing to revamp the Ace Recycling website with lots of new information, because the company has now opened its Richmond, VA recycling facility.
• I’ve been working with Digital Division on their website and social media outreach, as well as working with a few of Digital Division’s nonprofit clients on issues like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and email marketing.

I have also been up to a few other things, but this is a pretty good overview of what’s been flashing across my computer screen lately! Until next time … stay classy ;)

So far, it’s been busy and exciting summer. Fab Apps has beta launched its free word discovery tool, Wordage.info, which uses open source thesaurus and dictionary databases to provide a new kind of word reference tool. It’s been an auspicious beginning. We’re getting really good feedback on the service, and received a small mention in the September 2008 issue of Men’s Health magazine, on newsstands now. Check out the beta at Wordage.info and let us know what you think!

Also, the Elements Beta Community, of which I’m a founding member, was featured on the front page of the Washington Post on July 27. There’s even a photo of Neil Takemoto in the Affinity Lab office space that we share. Check out the article!

In other news, I’ve had a fabulous summer. In between a lot of hard work, I’ve been boating, swimming, sunning, beaching, and generally having a wonderful time. I could go on … but I need to get back to work :-)

A shout out to Steven: One thing I’ve enjoyed about starting Fab Apps, my growing web-based software firm, has been working closely again with Steven Waters, a colleague and friend of mine since 1999. Steven works with Fab Apps as an interactive media developer, and leads a double life promoting urbanism and walkability in his adopted hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina. Here’s a link to a video interview that Steven recently gave to the News & Observer newspaper — check it out if you’re interested in learning more about Steven’s work and his vision for cities that are designed for people, not cars.

Besides that fact that Steven and I have a great history as friends and colleagues, I’m especially proud that he works for Fab Apps because of his vision to revitalize America’s sprawling, car-centered cities. Fab Apps offers its web development services only to green businesses, nonprofits, and indy media — so having a expert programmer with an important cause is fabulous. Find out more about Steven and his work at his website, livingstreets.com.

Meanwhile, here in the DC area: While I’m on the topic of promoting urbanism and fighting sprawl, I want to also mention the work that my father, Patrick MacAuley, has been doing to fight sprawl in Prince William County, Virginia, a largely rural but developing suburb of Washington, DC. He’s the Chairman of Voters to Stop Sprawl, Prince William County and is also active with a group called Advocates for the Rural Crescent. Voters to Stop Sprawl recently worked hard to put anti-sprawl candidates into the County Board of Supervisors, and their top candidate for Chairman won County elections this November. Congratulations to my dad, his associates, and to Prince William County for a job well done!

Well, I’ve been busy with a lot of various projects, redesigning the Social Investment Forum’s website, doing a lot of work with Digital Division, planning my mom’s 60th birthday party with my family, and trying to have a great time!

Since I don’t have any other brilliant new creations to share at the moment, I wanted to share my twin sister Sheridan’s haiku blog project, where she’s posting a new haiku every day. Here is a fun one:

Thinking in haiku
Can be a beautiful thing
If you have a pen

Sheridan also recently sent me a super cute baby picture of us, where Sheridan is the princess, one of my grandmothers is looking sharp, my mom is apparently a pregnant nun (?), and I’m a lion.

A fellow twin I know has the theory that, as twins, we have every right to gush over our own baby pictures. We’re just that cute :-)

In March, I became a member of Affinity Lab, a shared office space for creative professionals, start-ups, nonprofits, etc. A few weeks ago we made a video for a contest at Ikea’s website. (I was interviewed for the video, but I was spared being actually featured in the final cut.)

But the video is worth a watch, and it’s only three minutes long. It gets across the concept of Affinity Lab and of Adams Morgan as a “small town in a big city” very well.

Check it out — and if you like it, help us out by signing in or signing up and voting for us to win!