Over the past 24 hours we’ve received messages from the community expressing concern for our decision to donate a percent of proceeds from Autism related products to Autism Speaks.

The response we’ve received takes us a bit by surprise, as this is our third year partnering with Autism Speaks and the first year we’ve heard concerns voiced about any specific organizations and their approach. Autism Speaks has always been a fantastic partner, and while some sentiment towards our partnership has been negative, much of it has been positive as well.

That said, as a community-based business we feel it is important to listen and respond to our users’ concerns. In this case, our community helped us to understand an adjustment to this program is needed.  We have learned a lot about Autism in the process and feel privileged to be a part of the national conversation about supports for individuals and families facing the challenge of Autism.

For this year we’ve already made a commitment to Autism Speaks, and we do not intend to go back on our promise to them, but we do want to add another charitable organization to split the total money donated and balance our support to the other Autism related good works.

We’re asking you to help us choose an additional partner for our Autism based support that will receive ½ of the money raised through sales of Autism related goods. If you’re interested in voting, or want to suggest one not on our list, please visit our Autism Awareness survey.

Update – a few folks have inquired about whether there is a way to opt out of the donation program altogether. Yes, since all of the donations are made based on sales through the CafePress Marketplace, opting out of the Marketplace will prevent sales of your merchandise from resulting in a donation. To learn more about opting out of the Marketplace click here.

You know that feeling when you see something for the first time and let out a little gasp of glee, and whisper to yourself, “I really really want that!” If you’re like me, you end up sighing in acknowledgment of your low funds and quickly change the screen, then go back to eating your rice and beans while wearing your last pair of clean socks. But now I (and all of you) can create wish lists of those CafePress items that give you such delight, AND mark your favorites, all on our site!

Introducing CafePress Lists. Here’s my step-by-step process on how to use, create, and share with your friends, families, and rich benefactors who want to buy you gifts:

1. You find yourself surfing the CafePress site and see a particular item you really like. In my case, it is the very awesome Pink Swirly Skull Heart T-Shirt. I can either add to my favorites or add to a list here:

2. Sign into your CafePress account, and once you’ve done so, a pop-up window allows you to create a new list, which you can then name, describe and add notes to about the product you wish to add. Click “Create New List” and you’re set:

3. Once your new list is created, you can go directly to it or create a new one. This is perfect for keeping track of special occasions, like Christmas and birthdays, or for fun things you like! You can also share and talk about your list with family and friends.

At any time you can add to or edit your lists, or buy something right from it as well, just sign into your CafePress account, and you can access your lists in the top right corner.

And there you have it! Tracking your favorites has never been so easy. So get out there and start listing. Hope you’ve been reading this, Mom.

As sobbing cubemates know all too well (boo-hoo), Steve Carell is nearing his final exit interview from the hit mockumentary, The Office. The funnyman is hanging up his deadpan stare & sarcastic wit at the end of this TV season – turning over the reigns of Dunder-Mifflin to his able-bodied supporting cast.

It’s been a great run for fans of office humor, as the series validates what the world feels about the ol’ 9 to 5 grind. If you’re looking to share how you feel about your occupation, there’s no shortage of T-shirts on the subject (not to mention mugs and other gear) here at CafePress.

And if you’re a big fan of office-themed TV shows, it’s easy to show the world. We have gear for many work-centric shows, from Mad Men and Dexter (not sure I would want to work too closely with Dexter?) to Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice. Hey, it’s a tough job … but somebody has to do it.

When it comes to CafePress, we love riding the latest tech wave to help our shopkeepers and give our fans something to like. And so it goes, with our newest web-worthy offering: our CafePress widget!

The CafePress widget is a unique tool and gives you an interactive experience with the millions of diverse designs on CafePress.

You can create your own with a few simple clicks of the mouse. Shopkeepers and affiliates can use the widget to promote your products and your shop, and it’s a great marketing tool to share your designs with friends, supporters, and the world-wide-web (affiliates, all you have to do is enter your CJ PID and all sales are credited to you, just like the usual). Type in your shop ID, and you can randomly select various products to feature, and anyone who clicks your widget will be directed to your shop.

For our amazing fans out there, from Edward Cullen fanatics to yoga enthusiasts, simply type in your favorite tag (like, Edward Cullen, or yoga), and products will pop up, just like that. Choose the perfect size and color widget, and create your code. Then you can utilize the widget on your own shop, webpage or your blog by cutting and pasting the created code.

I have a freakish love for giraffes, so after cooing over all of the cute giraffe t-shirts on CafePress, I went ahead and made a giraffe widget. I typed in “giraffes” into the tag field, and after some snazzalicious styling, this is what I got!

You can scroll back and forth to see more of your favorite gifts using the arrows at the bottom. For me this means more squeals of delight with every click of the arrow. Try out your very own CafePress widget and keep us posted on the results!

CafePress launches custom iPhone cases

With all of the amazing iPhone apps out there, you can now do things you were never able to do before on a phone. Like strum a virtual guitar on your screen like a fiesty flamenco musician. Or become the next big graphic designer all with the swipe of your finger.

Well, we can help you come pretty close to the latter of those two (sans rose in your mouth for the tango) and we have some great news for you iPhone aficionados out there – CafePress has just launched custom iPhone cases. Our custom cases for 3G and 4G models are both the ultimate way to express yourself and protect your phone too. Pick your passion, and search through a myriad of great designs that fit you and fit your iPhone like a glove. And you can choose from three great colors – white, silver, or be pretty in pink.

When you whip out your iPhone 3G or 4G to snap a photo of your friends, family or even your pet, you know they’ll smile even bigger now with something cool staring back at them from the back of your iPhone…like a tiger. Roar baby. Or a nutcracker who brings the holiday cheer. Maybe he’s telling you its time to start baking those holiday cookies? He’ll help with the walnuts.

Either way, check out our eclectic mix for some great inspiration, or take a stab at designing your own!

CafePress loves people who express themselves and show their creativity (that’s where our awesome shopkeepers and community come in!). And the creative juices were flowing, and in some cases, oozing, out of some of our CafePress employees this year at our annual CafePress Halloween party.

There were goodies galore to munch on, a scary haunted house, kid station for ghoulishly grand temporary tattoos and a costume contest.

Batman dropped in after seeing a double rainbow in the sky. He landed on Spongebob Squarepants, but bounced right off due to Spongebob’s buoyancy from his recent trek out of the ocean.

Also on hand were the commander from Halo, and The Shining Twins took home the scariest costume prize. Luckily, I didn’t turn down any long hallways and find them standing at the end.

Kids went trick or treating around the office and had a costume parade to show off their best walking-while-wearing-a-costume skills.

What kind of Halloween costume did you wear this year…scary? Funny? Did you make your own costume, or go store bought?

With Halloween only a week away, it’s that time to talk costumes. Whether you’ve had yours planned out for a while, or you’re like 98% of the population and wait until the last minute to put something together, we have a few ideas up our sleeves (literally). A quickie costume. Awesome, versatile, comfortable, and WHOOP! – easy. Check out these t-shirt costume ideas we came up with, and tell us about your t-shirt costume ideas too – select items are on sale for $15!

Uh Oh, Red. Star Trek.

Anytime a group of the trekkies beamed off the ship for a foreign mission, the red shirt always got the short end of the stick. My advice: don’t follow Captain Kirk into battle unless you want a phaser’s laser to the chest. Call in sick, and never volunteer to go on a mission!

Zombee baby.

Eat. Cry. Poop. Sleep. Repeat. These are the major daily events in the life of a wee little baby. And for Halloween, how ironic – to put you sleepy bee into a fitting costume. Or are you the one craving the sleep? Just hope they don’t wake you up at 3 a.m. from the monster in their closet.

You’re the Casual James Bond.

Suave, charming, debonair, intelligent and a bit cheeky. You’re the more interesting cousin of “The Most Interesting Man in the World.” Instead of dolling it up in a long-tail coat, cuff links and too much hair gel, grab yourself a ready-to-wear suit that will bring out the gentleman in you faster than you can say “gym tan laundry.” You’ll have the ladies saying, “Break me off a piece of that.”

Happy Mommy Jack O’Lantern.

You’re expecting, and your tummy is expanding into a perfectly pretty rotund shape. Very similar to our favorite fall pie and fun fall outing. Just make sure the momma-to-be isn’t the one carrying all those heavy pumpkins to the car.

Skeleton Ribcage a la Dia de los Muertos

You’re looking quite skinny, my friend. Have you been eating? Oh, it’s a costume? Well then, work that mustache and sombrero like you’re on the runway.

Smilin' and spinnin' ma webs.com website for 7-legged spiders all over tha world...

Do you love to crawl the web like we do? CafePress has partnered with Webs.com to offer the official CafePress Shop App. Webs.com members can now design and sell customized merchandise on their own website!

So what does this have to do with you, you ask? And what is Webs.com? Webs.com is the world’s largest free website building provider with more than 50 million users, including individuals and small businesses.  And if you’re a CafePress seller, think of it as a way to expand your shop and designs into something more with a Webs.com website.  Put a little more oomph in, know what we’re sayin? With your own website, people will get to see more than just your designs.  Add a blog or a photo gallery easily without the mumbo jumbo of computer coding. Now you can finally learn the meaning behind the “flying kitty through the clouds with a lightning bolt ” t-shirt or understand your obsession with bacon.  Peeps also have a chance to learn what inspired your designs, including the odd ones that didn’t make the cut.

Feel free to adventure through their site, and while you’re there, don’t forget to check out the CafePress Shop App in their App Store.  You can put a new CafePress Shop right on your sparkling new and awesome website just by installing our Shop App.  Getting started is easy and a great way to help and grow your business. What are you waiting for? Time to start spinning your webs and catch those fans!

Quintessential Marilyn poster, Warhol style, 1967. Oooh la la.

CafePress has just expanded our already vast poster collection. Now with more than 350,000 posters to choose from, no wall is too big (nor too plain) to be covered wall-to-wall with striking graphics. This includes your home, office, dorm room, garage, and heck, even the Great Wall of China itself (I’m talking about the restaurant on First Avenue of course, not the Great Wall of China Wonder of the World. It would take a billion posters – and four billion thumbtacks – to decorate that one).

Hence, as well as our community of fan-designed posters we’ve offered in the past, you can now find everything from vintage movie posters to celebrity posters and world-famous fine art posters.

So freshen your self-expression, adding some wall candy to your space. Many are also available with frames. Including true masterpieces of the art world, such as dogs playing poker. Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Feeling lost in a sea of paperwork and to escape isolation, CafePressers celebrated the LOST series finale with a LOST party.  The Dharma team was out in full force feeding party-goers beer, fish biscuits, island fruits and other delicious food found in the Dharma storage room.

Enjoy the photos! Namaste.