Vale Design : Freelance Package Design & Branding

In between

I hope everyone had a nice holiday. Mine was fabulous. Spending time with loved ones, eating glorious food, and knowing that everyone has been safe traveling so far. I am currently switching the winter suitcase with the tropical suitcase. Pulling things out and shoving things in. The weather has been a strange mistress in all of this. We had a quick white Christmas up north and the next day was icy. It has been raining and it is currently CRAZY warm, foggy and flooding. The brother got off to the tropics alright and we are hoping to sneak out as well. I hope everyone has safe travels and enjoys a great New Year's Eve!

CHEERS

Happy Holidays

A Safe and Happy Holidays to everyone!

Check. Check. Ice. Check.

I am checking things off my list today. I had to wake up early this morning to get a jump on the "outdoor" list. Mall. Check. Oil change. Check. Target. Check. Lunch with husband. Check. Bank. Check. Literally. Now the ice storm has begun to creep in and it has forced me yet again to work on the "indoor" list. Laundry. Check. Turn off ice in fridge. Check. Finish wrapping. Check. Play with dog. Check. Pack while she is not looking. Check.

My mind is starting to move ahead to this tropical wedding. Here is my dilemma. How does a minimalist like myself pack for 2 places in one suitcase? How do I pack so that I can multi-task winter gear with 80 degree summer gear? One pair of jeans + tank tops under a sweater? It all is going to turn into a big math equation. A story problem, me against the baggage fee. If So and So puts 2 pairs of puma shoes, one pair of her fav Gap jeans, a bathing suit (she sort of fits into) a sweater plus essential woman gear into one small carry on suitcase, will she defeat the evil flight check-in person's fee?

Then there is the sad fact that Ms. Daisy will be in the vet for too many days. She will hate it. She will be crabby. Good thing they love her there and I have friends there that I know will take her out quite often and give her the love and attention that she craves and deserves. I think this is going to be hardest on me. I have not been away from her this long ever. A mother's guilt...don't you hate when people call themselves parents to their animals? Sometimes, I even annoy myself.

Well, there is a load of whites buzzing at me from somewhere far off in my house. Back to folding and Inspector Gadget packing around the dog. She sees those blue suitcases, and the rest of my day will be spent pulling her down off the walls.

I hope you all are aiming your number 2's at checkboxes on your lists!

CHEERS

Lists...

I woke up this morning and had to change the red background. I am not a red person. As you will see in later pics I am a neutral person who likes the colors of everything around me to pop with detail! Hence this site has been changed to a neutral background. I feel much better. I have exercised the demons!

This past week has been so busy getting ready for the holidays, finishing up some last minute freelance projects, and trying to mentally get ready for the brother's tropical wedding (Imagine a woman, pale as a sheet, in black socks in the dressing room trying on bathing suits...). This week is just one giant list. A list of things to pack for Christmas in wintry Michigan, holiday gifts to finish wrapping, a Target run, Daisy's items to the vet, a suitcase full of tropical clothing and supplies, and a to do list for the house. Somehow I keep adding and nothing is being checked off!   :)

My friend L asked to see some of my work and mentioned that she was curious about my workspace. So, being held captive in my house once again by the winter blast, I am going to share my office with everyone! My work will be a bit tricky, but I will try to show some items I have worked on in the upcoming future. I have this little thing over my head called CONFIDENTIALITY (aka the ability to be sued by Fortune 500 companies I work for).

Totally need a new chair. Have been using this rickety one for to long. Who has time to buy a chair though?!

L notice the bag on the floor of antique ads that have not been framed or hung on the wall...

Seriously, how cute is this guy?! It is a baby product by Method, but he is just so cute (and my fav color) I had to have him!

My desk is usually pretty organized. I tell everyone, I am a low maintenance person on the outside, but super high maintenance on the inside. I like spaces to be clean and neat while I am designing. Cluttered space, cluttered brain. OCD I know...

Notice the dog bed. That is my vision/reference board. It is usually full of packaging references, but it is nice and clean now as I have finished all my current projects. Right now it has some of my packaging, my favorite inspirational quotes, a Nascar Kyle Busch race ticket that my husband snuck on there, and a picture of Giada De Laurentiis. She amazes me that she is always so happy and positive and sometimes that is tough for me. She is my daily reminder to work hard, embrace your gift, and achieve everything you put your mind to, and to be nice doing it!

I have taken a couple of mosaic classes. Super easy and totally addictive. My teacher was amazing. Self taught and local. Tuscan Mosaics. These are a couple of pieces (on the floor as usual) I have done in her classes. (PS I love birds, specifically yellow finches). I will share some stories about these birds and their connection to both myself and my husband in the future.

Mixed media of tile and stain glass. The yellow stain glass was so vibrant. Love the contrast. Hobby Lobby has beautiful stain glass squares that you can break into exact pieces for your project.

Purely tile bird.

Birdbath with stones.

My grandfather is in his 80's and has been to every state except for a slim few. For the past few summers, my parents have been taking my grandparents on road trips to cross those states off. I always request some little "campy" souvenir. My mother has yet to disappoint!

Civil War bullet replicas. Too funny!

These are two packages that I have done. They are both part of multi SKU lines. I found these in Meijer.

My final piece is a pic on my wall near my desk. I am obsessed with skull and crossbones. This is a pic I bought from a street fair. It is a pic from the Montmarte Cemetery in Paris. Just love it. 

Well, that was a quick tour of my second fav place in my house. The first being wherever my husband and Daisy are. AAhhhh how sappy!

The next couple of days/ weeks are going to be a blur, but I intend to enjoy the hell out of all of them! I will leave you with one of my fav quotes and prints that I am in the process of tracking down. 

CHEERS!!

Feeling Festive!

Well, lots to catch you up on. First Fresh Picked Whimsy is done with her book! Yeah L! Congrats! It looks great. Can not wait to see the press copy. Also, she has the cutest holiday tag downloads on her blog. SO CUTE!!

Which brings me to my ladies lunch the other day. I left there feeling high! I have always been the type of woman who hung out with men more than women. I officially understood the power of women and what I had been missing after this lunch. The friendship, the support, the love, respect, and major creativity in the room was overwhelming and just what we all needed. To these two wonderful women, I will always be there for you if you need a cheerleader! Thank you for the kind words, great food, and the idea that we will get to do that again. I left feeling like I am capable of anything I put my mind to.

Today was a BITTERLY cold day. I woke up having every intention of staying indoors and in pajamas. After about 10 minutes of that, I made the mistakes of telling my husband I was bored. A full day project began. I have a confession to make. We are both Italians in our 30's and have never made pasta from scratch. Specifically ravioli. It is a special treat to go to my grandparents and have homemade ravioli as the first course of a Christmas dinner. We decided that today would be the day to teach ourselves how to make it. We gathered some recipes and decided which ones we wanted to improvise. After battling thru the bitter wind outside to gather supplies (ravioli trays and a cutter) we came home and got to work! After a huge mess, flour all over the floor, homemade sauce on the stove simmering (Giada's recipe) and the filling mixed, we began. We had little raviolis all over the place! It was so fun and I am glad for the husband (who was SOOOO into it) that it worked out. We invited my parents over, poured some wine and decided to fry the raviolis for a little extra warmth. Again, Giada's recipe. Everything was so tasty! Yeah us! I love to try new things in the kitchen.

This weekend has been wonderful! I finished my shopping, visited some of my fav stores and restaurants, watched some family fav movies (Scrooge and Uncle Buck) and ate some great food prepared by the brother and wife. Cheers everyone!

For R: "Get in your mouse..."  STILL FUNNY!!

For ASH: Get a blog already so you can teach us all the proper way to fold sheets   :)

Ladies lunch

I am off to get ready for my ladies lunch with Fresh Picked Whimsy and another good friend. I have not seen them in a while and I am so excited to catch up on their lives and new projects. I did not want to show up empty handed so I have baked some sweet treats for them both! Went with my favs, grandma's biscotti, gingerbread men and mom's chocolate chip cookies that I modify with seasonal MMs. Love the colors!

Poor Daisy is stuck at her little window to the world giving some contractor across the street a piece of her mind (and me a headache.) Anyone who knows this dog, knows she has little to share...

Well, I am off to get ready! I hope you are getting to catch up with family and friends and put on some sweet winter weight!

Our Chicago trip!!

Well, we were going to go, then trip fell through, then at the last minute it was on again! Enjoy!

My new fav color is Midwest gray...

Every good tourist must take a pic of the Sears Tower!

You have to do State Street at the holidays!

Just a cool shot. Love it so much will probably have it printed and hung somewhere in the house. Maybe black and white...

Beautiful Holy Name Cathedral. Gorgeous inside. I love when the red line rumbles underneath during mass! Heard rumors my grandparents were married here...

The husband chose one of his old haunts for lunch. Great place. Chicago Bagel Authority. Under the L at Armitage. I had the Chia Bagelt and he had the Ravenswood (our old Chi neighborhood name!).

Some razzle dazzle buildings on Armitage in good ole' Lincoln Park!

Of course we went antiquing on Lincoln and Belmont.

One of my mother's fav stores in Chi. It is a store of just candles! Sorry this is so blurry. The wind was so fierce! Every time I tried to take the shot, it blew me backwards a few steps!

Now one of our fav restaurants. If you like any type of Asian you must try it. It is called Joyee and is SOOO worth it! This is the one out in Naperville.

My husband's mango freeze. They also make those bubble tea drinks with the black floating gummy things. Interesting...

As with any good Chicago trip, you spend it overindulging in the best food!

We had a great time. Chicago is such a great place that I love dearly. Thanks to the husband and the twin for making it so much fun!

PS we went to see the movie Four Christmases and both the husband and the twin stayed awake the ENTIRE movie. That should say something. Very funny!

Hope you are getting all of your holiday shopping done. I am SOOO behind...

Compliments of Fresh Picked Whimsy...

...originally from Red Fish Circle's blog

I am super swamped with some freelance work so I thought I would leave you with something quick. Thought this was cute. My answers are in bold. Thanks L! Good luck with the book! Back to work for me...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland 
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Movies and Procrastination...

Anyone who knows me knows I was born in the wrong era. My heart lies in the 30's and 40's. I love the simplicity of those days. People spoke to each other and wrote to each other differently. Language and speech were eloquent and poetic. People dressed up and cared about their appearance and behavior towards others. I love my grandparents very much and everything their generation stands for.

Yesterday was a great day for me on TCM (fav old movie channel - no commercials!). They played Meet Me in St. Louis (1945 - Judy Garland), the In the Good Old Summertime (1949 - Judy Garland, remake of the Shop Around the Corner with Jimmy Stewart from 1940. You've Got Mail with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks is based on these movies. Some parts are taken verbatim. Meg's store is named "The Shop Around the Corner."). It was midnight and I could not fall asleep. I was flipping channels mindlessly and ended up on TCM and much to my surprise my favorite Christmas movie of all times was on, and the only version I will watch.

This movie is a Christmas tradition in my family. Christmas can not pass without us all watching this. When we were younger, my brother R and I would put on our pajamas, turn off all the lights in the family room except the lights on the tree and over the mantle and take our positions in front of the TV. My mom usually had a nice fire burning and we ate popcorn and hot chocolate throughout the whole movie. I have such wonderful memories involving this movie. It is a musical that now we can all recite line by line, but it is OUR movie.

Other favs:

1. Ernest Saves Christmas (for R)

2. Garfield's Christmas

3. Christmas Vacation (who doesn't love that one?!)

4. White Christmas (makes me cry every time at the end)

Now, on to procrastination. For some reason, I am creatively blocked today on starting on a freelance project. Some days are harder than others to sit down and get started. I have a feeling tonight will be a long night. Days like this, I usually get inspired late and work on into the night. I am so blessed and humbled that I get to spend my days enjoying my 2 life passions, package design and old movies. The movie part has fallen in line, now I just hope I will have a creative epiphany...

The Christmas season has snuck up on me again. I hope all of you are getting to participate in all your holiday traditions! 

Hello

Well, I am officially putting myself on the "grid." As you can see by Daisy's expression (please ignore the shirt), we are a bit apprehensive. An illustrator friend of mine has a blog and she told me it is like her "creative warm-up for the morning." I love that idea! I usually visit her site with my morning coffee. 

Lately, I have been FULL of creative energy. I have been putting that energy to work on freelance projects, projects around the house and, because I am Italian, projects in the kitchen. To save my husband's waistline, I needed another outlet. I figured, I have some degrees in creative writing, why don't I give that outlet a chance for a while.

We know I am all about privacy. So anyone who reads this will need to understand my respect for other's privacy. I will call them, Husband, Brother, The Twin, Niece 1, 2, and 3, Texas, and Illinois, etc. Family and friends will know who you are. I figured this is a wonderful way for you to know what we are up to and for me to slow down a bit and ENJOY what we are up to!

We also know I am all about design and as I begin to swim around in all this web stuff, you know this site's design will change to reflect that. It will grow and expand as I do. Thank you for your patience.

I figure I would leave you today with 2 of my favorite quotes...

Enemies are inevitable when one is a doer.

Norma Shearer   (one of my fav actresses from the 20's and 30's...)

and

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

Marianne Williamson