A Beautiful Mess

A Beautiful Mess App FAQ

Here's a little bit about the design & development process...

One day last spring I said to Emma, "Hey you know what would be fun? To make our own photo app!". It's not unusual for me to think of a lot of crazy ideas, but this one stuck and the more we looked into it, the more excited we became!

Our inspiration for the app was to create a tool that users could use to add fun little things to their photos without Photoshop. Each time I would post a photo with a little handwriting or an arrow on instagram I would get a bunch of comments asking which app I used to make it. I had to tell them there wasn't an app. I just used Photoshop, so that's what inspired the idea for the A Beautiful Mess app!

First we needed to find a good developer to work with. We chose Rocket based off a recommendation from a friend and a good first impression. We hired them to develop our IOS app with the hopes of working on an Android version soon after (spoiler: You'll see below... the Android version is now officially coming soon!). We spent the first few months dreaming up possible features, sketching frames and doodles and envisioning how we hoped users would use the app.

In the fall and winter I spent about a month working on artwork every day with my graphic designer (and brother!) Doren. He was awesome to work with and by the end of it, we were both seeing doodles in our dreams. :)

I designed all of the artwork for the basic package first, because I wanted what users got with the initial purchase to be really amazing. After that was complete we designed the add on packs and picked out additional fonts to license.

Fast forward a few months... we had done lots of revisions, tested the app several times, collaborated with Rocket on our app website and prepared our first round of press kits. By the time the launch day happened we were incredibly nervous. It's weird to put so much into a project for nine months without much of a reference point for how to gauge the response. We honestly had no idea if developing the app was a great business choice or a just-for-fun one. We were hopeful, but didn't have any expectations.

On the day the app launched it went straight to #1 photo app, then #1 paid app within hours. We were blown away... Seriously, all we could say all day was, "WOW". It was one of the best business days ever and we all went out to celebrate that night.In the first week the app sales continued to exceed our expectations. We are so happy with the response and can't wait to keep adding new artwork to the app in the future!

Every day Emma and I look through the #abeautifulmess photos in instagram and just swell up with excitement. It's so fun to see you using the app, often times in ways we didn't even imagine!

F.A.Q.

Will you be releasing an Android version?

I'm so happy we can finally say YES! We just signed off on the android development this week. It will take 2-3 months before it's ready for the store. Even though the artwork will be exactly the same as the iPhone version our developers still have to start from scratch in a lot of ways. So if you're an android user, you can look forward to the release happening later this summer... we can't wait!!

When will the first update happen and what will it include?
Version 1.1 is already done and being processed in the iTunes store. This update will include the most basic bug fixes that most first updates include.
Version 1.2 is also in the works and will be ready to submit in the next week or so! This update will include a higher resolution for saved images (yay!) and a bunch of new borders and doodles that come with the basic pack! We're really excited to add some stuff as a great big THANK YOU to everyone who has already downloaded. :)

Is the app profitable? Can you tell us about your sales?
Yes. We're so thankful for an amazing first week! We sold far more downloads than we had initially hoped for. It was enough to move forward and re-invest in an Android release (yay!) and just an overall moment to celebrate that we will remember for the rest of our lives.
As far as the exact numbers go, we feel sorta weird putting that out there. But let's just say it was really really exciting!

How much does each "add on" cost?

$0.99 in the US.
Our app was actually delayed from coming out for a few days because it said $0.99 in the app artwork. That wasn't acceptable, because our app came out worldwide. So we had to omit the exact price from the artwork since it would be different in different currencies. Being international-friendly was our priority, so it had to be done. With the said, we never wanted the pricing to seem vague or hard to see. In the first update we are working on solutions to make the price pop up earlier in the process so it's easier to see, for all countries.

Will you make an undo button?
We actually wanted this in the original version but were told it was a little more complicated than we thought. Without getting too techy on you, having an undo button means you have multiple live layers at once. It's just very difficult programming for the app maintain that much memory at once. So if it's not done exactly right, we run the risk of a whole lot of crashing. So we're continuing to look into the smartest way to make this possible. We've had some good conversations with Rocket that make it seem like it might be possible by as soon as version 1.2, but stay tuned. Short answer: We're trying.

Thanks so much for your support and encouragement! We're beyond thankful for every single one of you. If you have any other questions, let us know and we will answer them in the comments. xoxo. Elsie + Emma 

ps. Here's a photo that Ginnifer Goodwin posted on Twitter using the new app! We think she's the most adorable lady ever. :) 

Homemade Creamsicles

Is it summer time yet? It must be around the corner because lately I have been in the mood for icy cold sweet treats. Last week we went a little ice cream crazy with this recipe and also indulging in some delicious local ice cream. And this week I'm branching out to popsicles.Well, not just popsicles. These are creamsicles. I think normally if someone was like, "Hey would you like to try some milk in your orange?" I would think: 1.) Who goes around offering up milk to people's beverages? Is that a job? I want that job. 2.) No. Gross. Milk and orange aren't a thing.

But actually they totally are. Orange creamsicles are the BEST and conjure up childhood food memories.Orange Creamsicles, make 8 standard size popsicles (may vary based on your mold size).

4-5 oranges (8 oz. orange juice)
2 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup heavy whipping cream

First extract the juice from the oranges. If you're too busy and important to stand around juicing oranges, you can use store bought orange juice. Geez.Blend together the orange juice, ice cream and zest until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds, but leave the top 1/4 empty. Using a whisk, or a stand mixer with a whisk attachement whip the heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. You don't want firm whipped cream, just firm enough that it won't too quickly seep into another liquid. Spoon the whipped cream on top of the creamsicles, add popsicle sticks and freeze overnight. You can use any kind of fruit juice you prefer. I think next time I might try grapefruit. :) These are a fun snack to serve at a backyard picnic party or by yourself in front of the TV watching Game of Thrones. Either way. I think both options sound just perfect. :) xo. Emma

iPad Mini Giveaway to Celebrate Our App!

Holy moly, you guys! This week has been crazy!! Our app was number 1 in paid apps in the U.S. for 4 straight days last week. The #ABeautifulMess hashtag already has over 75,000 photos and counting on Instagram. And it's all because of you! You made our app more successful than we could've ever dreamed. So we just wanted to say thank you, plain and simple.So for all your love and support for the A Beautiful Mess App, we want to thank you by giving away an iPad Mini to one lucky reader. To enter, just leave us a comment telling us your favorite moments to photograph. Giveaway will be open until May 30, and the winner will be contacted shortly after. Good luck! xoxo. Elsie + Emma

P.S. Stay tuned! We've got some exciting updates and announcements about the app that we'll be posting tomorrow.

A Beautiful Mess Giveaway Rules

Let's Talk About Toast

Who doesn't love toast? We're obsessed over here. But I'll let you in on a little secret. It's mostly about the toppings! So, behold! Today I present to you six toppings for your toast that go way beyond butter and jam. 

I make my toast with a big sliced up loaf of French bread. It's fun to serve in a big basket with a giant plate of toppings for everyone to try and enjoy. Toast makes a great picnic food or back porch (with a bottle of wine?) treat.1. Granny smith apple, blue cheese and honey. This toast is sweet and a little tart. I love blue cheese! 2. Cream cheese, lox and tomato. Kinda like bagels and lox, except I forgot the capers and the onions. :) I actually love this more simple version—maybe with a little bit of sea salt too. Cream cheese and cured meat are one of the most delicious combos on the planet. We're obsessed with salmon. Trey stole all of it as soon as I was done snapping these photos. Haha. The perks of food blogging—there is always a snack to steal!3. Caprese inspired toast. This one has cream cheese, tomato, fresh basil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. So delicious. At the moment, I feel like I am adding basil to everything, even cocktails. 4. Hummus and peas. Everything goes with hummus. It's so yummy!5. Again with the cream cheese (can you tell I really like it?) this time with tomatos and peas. This is another favorite combo. It's so good, and it's pretty too! 6. Guacamole toast! Don't even get me started on how much I love guacamole. It's too much. Here's my favorite recipe. 

So, who's in the mood for toast now? Do you have a favorite toast topping? I'd love to hear. xoxo. Elsie