Vale Design : Freelance Package Design & Branding

What is that flower?

I keep seeing these gorgeous flowers blooming all over with light pink petals, no leaves and just straight stalks. They totally play to the designer in me! I have always loved them and today I figured out what they are called. They are known as Nerine Lilies or "Spider Lilies." {Of course they would be called that. I am deathly afraid of spiders!} You can find some great information about them here.  I am going to see if I can locate some of these bulbs. Have a great weekend everyone!

{image credits Mushy's Captures}

**update** {from 74limelane.wordpress.com} could also be a Belladonna Lily. They have fuller petals. Thanks for sharing! - Erin xoxo

Art for $20!

Am I the last person on the planet to find out about 20x200.com?! I was reading my Better Homes & Gardens last night and I stumbled onto this tiny little paragraph describing this unbelievable website. Founder Jen Bekman was running a small art gallery in New York when she had a brilliant idea.  {Quote} (limited editions x low prices) + the internet = art for everyone. You will find beautiful art and photography on this site for $20! Most pieces are offered in varying sizes and the prices go up from there. New editions go online Tuesday and Wednesday at 2pm EST. This would be a great way to start a gallery wall of small art pieces. Or an affordable way to buy art for friends and family. Find an artist you love and start a collection. If you are a creative person, wander her cyber gallery walls and be inspired!

{image credit "Fingerprint" by Ky Anderson found via 20x200.com}

**Hello to all of our new visitors! There have been a lot of you lately and I am truly humbled and honored by all of your kind words. Please stay tuned next week for a big announcement!

{the husband's} easy guacamole recipe

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados 

1 sml container of fresh pico de gallo {usually found by the deli}

1/2 lime 

salt and pepper

Directions:

Remove the skin and center seed from the avocados. Mash them to desired consistency in a bowl. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the pico de gallo and taste. Adjust to your liking. Juice half a lime into the mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.

**The husband tied in a family "Guac-Off" with this recipe. He uses pico or his favorite fresh salsa because they have great ingredients and spices already added in. He has also been known to doctor this basic recipe with beer and/or Chipotle Tabasco. We love avocados because they are superfoods. You can find a superfood list and super explanation here! 

{image credit Jupiter Images}

Logo Design Love

Need some logo design inspiration? Look no further than Logo Design Love. It is authored by designer David Airey and features articles and resources aimed specifically at logos. Check out his portfolio, Twitter, and Logo Design Love Twitter. Go! Go now!

{image credits Logo Design Love}

M&M Cookies

Ingredients:

2 3/4 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 c. shortening

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. water

2 eggs

1 medium bag of plain M&Ms

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Combine shortening, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and water. Beat till creamy. Beat in 2 eggs. Add flour mixture, mix well. Stir in around 3/4 bag of M&Ms. Using a teaspoon, drop onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. {Underbake for more chewy cookies}. Makes 3-4 dozen.

**This recipe originally calls for semi sweet chocolate chips, but I prefer the M&Ms. Definitely try it with chocolate chips. Just as good. Again, my mom did not invent this recipe, but my brother and I grew up eating and loving these. For the holidays, I use the seasonal M&Ms. I like how the colors change. Such an easy way to be festive. You could even try using the M&Ms that you personalize.

Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c. butter or margarine

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

2 c. flour

2/3 c. cocoa

3/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 pkg peanut butter chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter or margarine, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Stir in peanut butter chips. Drop teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool 1 minute on sheet before removing to cool. {My mom cuts up a paper bag and lays it flat on the table to let the cookies cool. Underbake for a more chewy cookie} 

**My mom did not create this recipe by any means, but I grew up on these and now they are my brother-in-law's favorites. Unbelievably good dipped in a glass of milk. My plan this weekend with my house guests is to put them in a sweet sugar stupor! 

Photographer Zara Jennings

More photography today. And this one is pretty unbelievable. Zara Jennings found via Darling Dexter. All I am going to say is the kid is 16. I can say kid because I am twice her age. If this is not natural talent, then I am not sure what is. More amazing shots on her Flickr and her blog. Inspires me to want to go out and try harder.

{image credits Zara Jennings}

Susannah Conway Photography

I feel like I have been obsessed with photography lately. I am working on shooting some personal work and I have been wandering to the ends of the internet to find tips, styles and compositions that I like. Today, I found it. {insert the choir singing} Weathered.

All of these amazing shots were taken by one photographer, Susannah Conway. She currently lives in Bath, England. The name of her site is Unravelling and her story is touching. Having suffered a personal loss, she began to grieve, heal and find herself through photography. Check out her site, blog, and shop.

{image credits Susannah Conway}

DIY: Free Printable Pain in the Groceries to buy list

Pain in the...I feel like all I have been doing this weekend/week is writing out grocery lists for our upcoming festivities. So, you all are going to reap the benefits! FREE PRINTABLE Pain the the Groceries To Buy List. This is part of my list series. Mark the boxes when you find the item and to remind yourself if you have a coupon. Each downloadable PDF has 2 list sheets per page. Just print out on text weight paper {I print them on the back of old printouts or junk mail}, trim on the dotted lines, and leave loose or staple together. You could also print them on cardstock and tie together for a gift!

© Vale Design. COPYING WILL RESULT IN COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.

**UPDATE** The PainInTheGroceries list is no longer available as a download and can now be purchased as a notepad set in the finch&hawk shop! You can purchase the PainInTheGroceries list notepads - 2 Pack or PainInTheGroceries - SINGLE here.

Cucumber & Red Onion Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 c. rice vinegar

2 T. sugar

1 1/2 t. Kosher salt

1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

Bring the vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring. Remove from the heat; stir in 1/4 cup ice cubes until melted. Toss the cucumber and red onion in a serving bowl with the vinegar mixture; place in the refrigerator.

**I love the little dish of vinegar cucumber salad that some Asian restaurants give you when you first sit down. I inhale it and I don't share. This recipe tastes exactly like that! Enjoy! {I found this recipe in the Food Network Magazine Aug/Sept issue.}

Side note: We have all heard about the Hostess with the Mostess. I am just hoping to be the Hostess with the Doing-the-Freakin-Best-I-Can! I have 12-14 people coming to my house this weekend! Yes...I said 12-14. Items checked off my list: The menu has been organized. I purchased a new "vintage" kitchen table from an antique store {$80! a steal!} and accessorized it with chairs from World Market. We bought a bed for our other guest bedroom, decorated it with a lovely bedding set from Macy's. Did I mention that all of this was done in two days?! This week's posts are going to be filled with easy must have recipes from my chosen menu and probably some DIY freebie lists...because I have been making a lot of lists! 

DIY: One-of-a-kind Trip Map gift

Have you taken the trip of a lifetime? Know someone who has? Remember that special time with a one-of-a-kind personal trip map! Relatives of mine just returned from a two week visit to Italy. To help them remember their journey, I created these personal maps.

Maps are wonderful! They come in many different forms, from a classic Rand McNally to beautiful vintage designs. Many of these can be found free on the internet and printed onto your choice of paper. There are many ways to execute this DIY depending on your personal skill level.

• The above map was created starting with a clip art line drawing of Italy and I refined it by tracing over a map that I found on the internet.
• Kathleen at Twig and Thistle suggested using a postcard and stitching their journey in her Oh The Places You'll Sew post featuring postcards from Uncommon Goods.
• Simply find a map and a nice fine point Sharpie and sketch the path. Maybe even write a short reminder note of an event that happened at each stop. {These wedding invitation maps found via Brooklyn Bride may give you some inspiration.} 
• Have your kids draw or use stickers to illustrate on a map what they remember along the way. 
• Finish it off with a simple frame and a handwritten note and you have a one-of-a-kind personal trip map!

Have a great weekend everyone! Maybe you should take a trip...

The Inspired Bride Color Cards

I was turned on to The Inspired Bride through a feature on one of my morning reads, Paper Crave. Maddy Hague, a graphic designer living in Minneapolis {who is cool as h-e-double hockey sticks!}, is the mastermind behind this beautiful wedding site. Every nook and cranny is loaded with beautiful photography and resources. However, that is not the part that kept me on this site for over an hour yesterday. It was her color cards. Being a designer, I stare at color all day long. This site was like being in a color candy store! I spent time admiring the sophisticated groupings and photos that inspired them. If you are working on a logo or a brand, definitely stop on over. {Catch her on Twitter.}

{image credits The Inspired Bride}

Blog Love: Design Crush

{image credits Design Crush}

Plain and simple. Kelly has a cool design eye and point of view. Check out her site and catch her on Twitter.

Bistro Egg Sandwich

Ingredients:

6 T. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 to 2 t. dijon mustard

1 to 2 t. anchovy paste

1 baguette, cut into 4 pieces

4 large eggs

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 pound country pate or ham, cut in 4 slices

2 oz. gruyere thinly sliced

1 c. frisee or other greens

Finely sliced chives, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the broiler to high. Mix 4 T. butter with the mustard and anchovy paste in a small bowl until smooth. Spread the anchovy butter on the cut sides if the bread; place buttered side up on a baking sheet and broil until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

Melt remaining 2 T. butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crack in eggs; season with salt and pepper and let cook until the yolks just begin to firm up and the edges are slightly crisp, about 3 minutes. Assemble the sandwiches: Place 2 bread halves on each of 4 plates; top with a slice of pate, an egg, some cheese, greens and chives.

**I do not use the ham, pate, or anchovy paste. This is my new favorite brunch/lunch spruced up fried egg sandwich. Enjoy! 

{image credits Food Network Magazine}

Diy: FREE printable Embellish recipe card

Why not have one more FREE PRINTABLE recipe card. I am in a sharing mood. Please enjoy this Embellish Recipe Card. There are 3 cards per 8.5x11 page. 1 4x6 card and 2 3x5 cards. Print on cardstock and trim. Keep for yourself or give to a friend!

Download RecipeCardEmbellish here.

COMMON SENSE RULE: PLEASE DO NOT COPY, REPRODUCE, MODIFY OR PROFIT FROM THIS DESIGN IN ANYWAY. {Cheating means we have to stop sharing. Please don't be that person.}

DIY: FREE printable Bird recipe card

So good there is not even a crumb left! I have been cooking and baking a lot lately with some of my mother's tried and true recipes. My mom keeps giving me these cute little recipe cards that she has had for years, so I decided to make some of my own! Please enjoy these FREE PRINTABLE Bird Recipe Cards. There are 3 cards per 8.5x11 page. 1 4x6 card and 2 3x5 cards. Just print on cardstock and trim. Keep for yourself or give to a friend! Have a great weekend! {ps maybe there will be another free printable recipe card design on Monday...}

Download has expired. These 4x6 bird recipe cards are now available here in the finch&hawk™ shop!

COMMON SENSE RULE: PLEASE DO NOT COPY, REPRODUCE, MODIFY OR PROFIT FROM THIS DESIGN IN ANYWAY. {Cheating means we have to stop sharing. Please don't be that person.}

Farm stand peach cobbler

Ingredients:

2 c. flour

2 T. sugar

1 t. salt

4 t. baking powder

3/4 c. shortening

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

Peach mixture:

8-10 peaches (washed, peeled and sliced)

1 c. sugar

2 t. cinnamon

2 T. flour (heaping)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° for glass dish or 375° for baking pan. Mix sliced peaches, sugar, cinnamon and flour in a bowl and set aside. Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together. Cut in shortening with a fork. Beat eggs, milk and vanilla together in a separate bowl. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir until mixed. Cover bottom of a 9x13 glass dish or baking pan with the peach mixture. Drop large tablespoons of dough in rows on peaches. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let cool.

**This recipe is from my great grandmother. It is absolutely delightful. Enjoy! 

Farm Stand Dinner

Summer makes me happy that I live in the Midwest. We are fortunate enough to live a short drive away from the nearest farm stand. Last night we had the greatest "farm stand" dinner. It is a cheap, fresh, light, vegetarian menu. Stay tuned tomorrow for our decadent "farm stand" dessert. I will give you a hint...juicy Georgia peaches.

:: Menu ::

Fresh corn on the cob - Shuck and boil for 8-10 minutes. Butter. Salt. Chew. 

Big fat tomatoes - Cut. Salt. Enjoy.

Fried Zucchini - Recipe found here. {dip in ranch dressing for added goodness}

More images after the jump

Daisy Janie Patterns

I am loving these modern fabrics, patterns, and colors from Daisy Janie. Daisy Janie is run by artistic entrepreneur, Jan DiCintio. She is a textile and surface designer. She has an Etsy store and she manages another very popular website called Scoutie Girl, which focuses on and is passionate about handmade goods. Check out her work, sites and Twitter.

{image credits Daisy Janie}

It's design resource day

I have come across some great resources on the internet lately and I wanted to share a few of my own and link you to a few of my favorites. Some you may have seen and some may be new to you. If you have any design favorites of your own, please feel free to share in the comment section.

Two favorite reference books:

1000 Package Designs

Package Design Workbook

Two favorite font sites:

MyFonts - definitely my favorite. Not free, but wonderful font selection

DaFont - Free

Photography:

Mint - Ellie has a great interview with Kim Ludy from trampoline on product photography hints and how-tos. I really like this interview because she is not a trained photographer. She is just figuring it out like the rest of us.

Pioneer Woman - Great tutorials and action sets!

Design:

TheDieline

DuPuis

Turner Duckworth

Hornall Anderson

Duffy & Partners

Sterling Brands

Louise Fili Ltd

Crave

Evolve Creative

Tutorials, Freebies & Info

Bittbox

Briar Press

Designers Toolbox

Dover

Inspired Bride - Love the color cards

Logos

Logo Favs

Logo Lounge

Logo Pond

Sites for design resources

How About Orange - Jessica has some great resources in all areas under the Useful Resources section.

Hope these are useful. I am on a mission to find some more photography tricks and hints. If you know of any good tutorials, please link in the comment section. Thanks!

Please give us a minute...

We are back from our holiday adventures in Chicago, but as you can see we are in SUPER slow motion today. Lots of work to catch up on and a DIY in progress. Let's talk tomorrow. - Erin xoxo

Become a facebook fan

It is official. Vale Design has a Facebook page! Click HERE to become a fan. It will be great way to stay informed of all of our upcoming DIYs and catch any past ones you may have missed. Make sure to tell a friend! {I am new to Facebook so thank you in advance for your patience.}

I also want to say hello to all of our new followers. All your sentiments have been very sweet and humbling. Thank you for visiting! Stay tuned. We have some exciting projects in the works! 

-xoxo Erin