diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4780762..2ee925e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,32 +9,42 @@ A [JSON API](http://jsonapi.org) specification micro-service builder created on
 
 ## Setup
 
+The easiest way to get started is like so:
+
 ```go
 import github.com/derekdowling/jsh-api
 
-// if you want a custom logger
-jshapi.Logger = yourLogger
-
-// create the base api
-api := jshapi.New("<prefix>")
-
-// implement jshapi/store.CRUD interface
+// implement jshapi/store.CRUD interface and add resource specific middleware via Goji
 userStorage := &UserStorage{}
 resource := jshapi.NewCRUDResource("user", userStorage)
+resource.UseC(yourUserMiddleware)
 
-// resource specific middleware via Goji
-resource.Use(yourUserMiddleware)
-
-// add resources to the API
+// setup a logger, your shiny new API, and give it a resource
+logger := log.New(os.Stderr, "<yourapi>: ", log.LstdFlags)
+api := jshapi.Default("<prefix>", true, logger)
 api.Add(resource)
 
-// add top level API middleware
-api.Use(yourTopLevelAPIMiddleware)
-
 // launch your api
 http.ListenAndServe("localhost:8000", api)
 ```
 
+For a completely custom setup:
+
+```go
+import github.com/derekdowling/jsh-api
+
+// manually setup your API
+api := jshapi.New("<prefix>")
+
+// add a custom send handler
+jshapi.SendHandler = customHandler
+
+// add top level Goji Middleware
+api.UseC(yourTopLevelAPIMiddleware)
+
+http.ListenAndServe("localhost:8000", api)
+```
+
 ## Feature Overview
 
 ### Fast CRUD Implementation
diff --git a/api.go b/api.go
index fb980d7..34444a9 100644
--- a/api.go
+++ b/api.go
@@ -2,12 +2,15 @@ package jshapi
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"os"
 	"path"
 	"strings"
 
 	"goji.io"
 	"goji.io/pat"
 
+	"github.com/derekdowling/go-stdlogger"
 	"github.com/derekdowling/goji2-logger"
 )
 
@@ -20,7 +23,14 @@ type API struct {
 }
 
 /*
-New initializes a new top level API Resource Handler without. */
+SendHandler allows the customization of how API responses are sent and logged. This
+is used by all jshapi.Resource objects.
+*/
+var SendHandler = DefaultSender(log.New(os.Stderr, "jshapi: ", log.LstdFlags))
+
+/*
+New initializes a new top level API Resource without doing any additional setup.
+*/
 func New(prefix string) *API {
 
 	// ensure that our top level prefix is "/" prefixed
@@ -42,20 +52,23 @@ started without needing to add a lot of extra functionality.
 
 The most basic implementation is:
 
-	// optionally, set your own logger that can do custom things
-	jshapi.Logger = yourLogger
+	// create a logger, the std log package works, as do most other loggers
+	// std.Logger interface defined here:
+	// https://github.com/derekdowling/go-stdlogger/blob/master/logger.go
+	logger := log.New(os.Stderr, "jshapi: ", log.LstdFlags)
 
 	// create the API. Specify a http://yourapi/<prefix>/ if required
-	api := jshapi.Default("<prefix>", false)
+	api := jshapi.Default("<prefix>", false, logger)
 	api.Add(yourResource)
 
 */
-func Default(prefix string, debug bool) *API {
+func Default(prefix string, debug bool, logger std.Logger) *API {
 
 	api := New(prefix)
+	SendHandler = DefaultSender(logger)
 
 	// register logger middleware
-	gojilogger := gojilogger.New(Logger, debug)
+	gojilogger := gojilogger.New(logger, debug)
 	api.UseC(gojilogger.Middleware)
 
 	return api
diff --git a/logger.go b/logger.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 17483c6..0000000
--- a/logger.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-package jshapi
-
-import (
-	"log"
-	"os"
-
-	"github.com/derekdowling/go-stdlogger"
-)
-
-// Logger can be overridden with your own logger to utilize any custom features
-// it might have. Interface defined here: https://github.com/derekdowling/go-stdlogger/blob/master/logger.go
-var Logger std.Logger = log.New(os.Stderr, "jshapi: ", log.LstdFlags)
diff --git a/sender.go b/sender.go
index d3f8c3d..3c1e743 100644
--- a/sender.go
+++ b/sender.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 
 	"github.com/derekdowling/go-json-spec-handler"
+	"github.com/derekdowling/go-stdlogger"
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 )
 
@@ -13,25 +14,20 @@ send and log API responses.
 */
 type Sender func(context.Context, http.ResponseWriter, *http.Request, jsh.Sendable)
 
-/*
-SendHandler is what JSHAPI uses to send all API responses. This can be overidden to
-provide custom send or logging functionality.
-*/
-var SendHandler Sender = DefaultSender
-
 /*
 DefaultSender is the default sender that will log 5XX errors that it encounters
 in the process of sending a response.
 */
-func DefaultSender(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, sendable jsh.Sendable) {
-
-	sendableError, isType := sendable.(jsh.ErrorType)
-	if isType && sendableError.StatusCode() >= 500 {
-		Logger.Printf("Returning ISE: %s\n", sendableError.Error())
-	}
+func DefaultSender(logger std.Logger) Sender {
+	return func(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, sendable jsh.Sendable) {
+		sendableError, isType := sendable.(jsh.ErrorType)
+		if isType && sendableError.StatusCode() >= 500 {
+			logger.Printf("Returning ISE: %s\n", sendableError.Error())
+		}
 
-	sendError := jsh.Send(w, r, sendable)
-	if sendError != nil && sendError.Status >= 500 {
-		Logger.Printf("Error sending response: %s\n", sendError.Error())
+		sendError := jsh.Send(w, r, sendable)
+		if sendError != nil && sendError.Status >= 500 {
+			logger.Printf("Error sending response: %s\n", sendError.Error())
+		}
 	}
 }