I love using Joomla! for all my sites be it small or big. Joomla! allows me an ease of upgrading, expanding functionality and design like no other CMS I have used (and I have used many like WP, CMSMS, Drupal, Website Baker, Mambo, etc) hence my devotion to the project.

On March 21st, 2010 JUG Toronto hosted a presentation by Rafael Diaz-Tushman by Dioscouri on their latest extension: Tienda.

Tienda is a new e-commerce extension for Joomla! Although still in Beta the promise is there for all to see. Rafael took us through the features and I can say I was very impressed with it's flexibility and ease of use.

Very old mini project and fully static site. The site was a rush project created as an online flyer for a Wedding catering business in Sweden.

A romantic look and feel was needed therefore the wedding symbols were used as well as the invitation style with lace borders.

This site was live for a short time only.

This is an older project and fully static site. All in xhtml and css and no CMS backend.

The site required a Zen look and feel for a massage therapy business in Sweden. I combined the idea of rocks, greenery and blue tiles from pools and spas into this curvy design.

View site

The postponed JUGT Tienda presentation by Dioscouri's Rafael Diaz-Tushman has been rescheduled to March 21st, 2010.

I had mentioned previously that I was excited to learn more about Tienda's capabilities and functionality from the presentation previously scheduled to take place on February 27. Unfortunately mother nature interfered with our plans and due to the storm hitting NY and Ontario Rafael was unable to take his planned flight to Toronto which left us all drooling for another month.

The JUGT has announced that the plans are on again and to register for this free event you just need to put your name down on the list at the JUGT's official website. 

I am very disappointed but also know there is nothing none of us could have done to prevent the postponement of the event. We can't control mother nature and she is sure showing she rules today.

Gusting winds and powdery snow on already icy surfaces make a good combination for disaster. Lots of accidents have been reported around the GTA and many flights cancelled, including Rafael Diaz-Tushman's, our presenter.

The JUGT will be informing all members of the new date via mass mail so if you are not a registered member at the site yet, sign up to receive up to date information on this and other events to come.

This design had JSN Epic free as base template. The header design came from seeing the nice high res pictures sent to me by one of the business' partners when the subject of a redesign came about.

AAA Black Cab is a local cab company offering high end rides for regular cab rates. 

They had a basic site created with the Yahoo tools and needed something that could be easily updated and expanded. 

View site

I have lived in Canada for almost 12 years now but the friendliness, warmth, colors and style I carry with me are all definitely derived from my Brazilian background.

I keep in touch with designer/developer friends back home and check lots of Brazilian blogs, magazines, design studios regularly not only for inspiration but for new trends and things "stirring the pot" so to speak.

I used Mambo for about a year before 2005 when the Joomla! project forked out. I decided to take the new road with Joomla! and have been using it ever since.

Interestingly enough, although I was using Joomla! for a long time I only got involved with the project more seriously once I attended my first social JUGT (Joomla! User Group Toronto) meeting last April.

Today I had the great pleasure, together with Abivia's Alan Langford, of interviewing Rafael Diaz-Tushman, President and CEO of Dioscouri Design about his upcoming presentation of his new e-commerce extension, Tienda.