We’re your brand strategist, designer, stylist, copywriter and advisor.

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF UNDER ONE UMBRELLA

I’m Candice Blansett-Cummins

ADVISING, DESIGNING & BUILDING THOUGHTFUL BRANDS

I’ve been around many a block, including Big Corp and Local Indie, and have used my curiously strategic artists’ mind to help a whole lot of businesses, founders and leaders figure it out. My first, second and maybe even third question is probably "why?".

Work with me and you get much more than a single-niche service — you get a brand strategist, marketer, copywriter, graphic designer and web designer keeping their keen eye on how all the parts fit together. My right-brain and left-brain get along really well: I expertly mix design & strategy, intuition & thought, art & acumen, the creative & the technical, so you have just one person to consult on the tricky stuff and get your answers in plain language. (Scroll down for the fun stuff.)

You might have seen me here.

I’m Lucy Mares

DESIGNING & BUILDING DIGITAL STOREFRONTS

My path to web design and marketing has been anything but conventional. Years in sales taught me to build genuine relationships and really listen — so I don't just design pretty websites and clever brands; I solve business problems. Coding expertise lets me bring any vision to life while keeping everything functional and user-friendly. Beautiful and built to perform.

I'm also a trained sommelier, which instilled an obsessive attention to detail and a deep appreciation for craft — the understanding that the best experiences are the ones people remember long after they're over. That same philosophy drives everything I do at Smitten Creative.

You might have seen me here.

Design without strategy is just decoration.

Every business has a story.

Making something look effortless takes effort.

Trends are called trends for a reason.

How you feel about your brand influences how others feel.

Honesty in marketing really is the best policy.

Editing is always a good idea.

Good branding doesn't require explanation.

Design without strategy is just decoration. Every business has a story. Making something look effortless takes effort. Trends are called trends for a reason. How you feel about your brand influences how others feel. Honesty in marketing really is the best policy. Editing is always a good idea. Good branding doesn't require explanation.

More about Candice

… green beauty products, art/design books and fabric I might never use but are handy for decorating my office.
… Southern California and spent most of my childhood at the beach, pool or roller rink.
… in San Francisco and Long Beach, CA for a decade respectively, and in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago (home to Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village) for two. Even though Chicago is one of the most fantastic cities, turns out I do mind the cold winters after all, so I bounce between cities often.
… on four continents for some of the most well-loved brands and logged a bunch of airline miles I let expire.
… the public library is one of the most democratic institutions of all time and highly recommend we all use them.
… my rad husband and two adult children on opposite coasts, one of whom is often amazed at my extreme digital relevance and tells me as much with great surprise, and the other who knows more about coding and wine than I do (the latter of whom I’m lucky to work with.
… a penchant for listening to music while I work : punk rock, funk, house, alt (and old!) country, world, vibey indie... Manu Chao and Eslabon Armado are some of my current faves.
… drink enough water but know I should and feel somewhat guilty about it instead of just drinking more water, nor do I cook but my husband of forever does and is amazing at it (he’s not a chef but is a public school administrator #publiced).
… wind and water. Give me a body of water and I’ll give you a happy body.
ETA our sweet Trixie passed away but I couldn't bring myself to remove this:

...coddle our 12 year-old rescue-mutt Trixie and am debating if I should not make her sit for treats anymore because she’s earned them.
… called a “hurricane” as a child by by Mom, which is funny because that’s what my kids called me whenever I needed to be protective of them in the world.
… only just recently the life affirming power of hot pink tights but I seem to always wear the same Levi’s 501’s that are hanging on by a thread, and by thread I mean the broken ones from multiple hand-sewn repairs.

More about Lucy

… wine reference books and pressed flowers.
… Long Beach and Chicago, and then Long Beach again.
… in Central American research camps and European hostels.
… as a cidermaker in galoshes and googles.
… listening to an audiobook counts as reading the book.
‍ … my growing family; my husband and our baby boy.
… an adorably scruffy rescue pup, Luna, who loves the treats, the ocean, and cuddles (in that order).
… put tomatoes in the fridge. Ever.
… Anthony Bourdain, Jane Goodall, & Ada Lovelace. (Talk about an interesting dinner party.)
... put goat cheese on everything.
… a fan of cooking shows since before I could walk.
… everything seems brighter and lighter after a walk outside, even if it’s raining.

ENOUGH ABOUT US

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