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New Vale Design branding and business card designs for Uncle Gary's Kettlecorn. The farmer is styled to resemble the owner of the company! Branding was also used on popcorn bags to be handed out to customers at farmer's markets and fairs. This was a fun one!
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Little G has aunts and uncles scattered all over the Midwest and down south. I have been trying to come up with a creative way for her to learn about her family when she can not see them everyday. This personalized memory game would be perfect! The memory cards are from Pinhole Press found via A Cup of Jo and pinned onto my DIY Projects & Crafts board. Love these!
Do you follow me on Pinterest? I am at evaledesign
{image credit Pinhole Press}
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Before my daughter, I would pull out my fancy Canon Rebel or Canon point n shoot, stage my shots, wait for the perfect light and shoot beautiful pictures. Then I would take them into Photoshop and manipulate them into small works of art to share with all of you.
Then I had a baby. Now I scramble for my iPhone and Instagram blurry legs and arms and hope I captured something that makes sense. However, I do not necessarily want to publish those shots right away. I want to use the Instagram filters to jazz them up to my design standards, but hold on to them until I decide if they will stay personal or make their way onto the blog.
I knew there had to be a way to access the Instagram filters, but not "share" the photos. I googled it and found a super simple tutorial for the answer. (For iPhone)
Simple Steps:
1. Go to Settings on iphone - Turn ON Airplane Mode. Turns off the wifi and disables Internet access.
2. Open Instagram - take or choose an existing picture. Crop picture. Choose filter.
3. Save by hitting Next in top right corner.
4. Choose Share in the top right corner. It will NOT publish.
5. Instagram will save your filtered photo in your Photos folder. It will say "Failed" and a delete photo X option. Click the X to delete the photo.
6. Go to Settings turn the Airplane Mode back OFF.
7. Then I just email myself the photo and upload away in my blog post...between diaper changes and naps.
Have fun!
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INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 onion, diced
½ tsp. minced fresh ginger
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. paprika
2 lg. sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 lg. carrots, peeled and chopped
1 apple (Gala or similar), peeled and chopped
½ c. lentils, rinsed
4 c. vegetable broth or water
Plain yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil and add the onions. Cook for several minutes until soft.
Add the spices as well as the vegetables, apples, and lentils.
Stir thoroughly.
Add the broth and stir again.
Bring to a boil and then a steady simmer.
Cook, covered, until the vegetables and lentils are soft.
Puree with an immersion blender.
Season to taste.
Garnish with a dollop of yogurt.
**I have been on a MAJOR soup kick lately. Both recipes today will be soup. I make them every weekend and some week nights to have on hand for quick lunches, dinners and even snacks. Soup & salad combos are my favorite. This recipe has a similar feel to the recipe I posted earlier, Red Lentil Soup, from A Couple Cooks {love these Indy food bloggers!}, but it has less heat. The apple adds just a hint of sweetness. I have made this a couple of times this fall and winter and it has been a big hit. Little G loves it. My advice would be to chop all of your vegetables before you begin cooking. There is a bit of prep and it is just easier to have everything cut ahead of time. Original recipe found here. Enjoy!
{image credits Soupergirl via Daily Candy DC}
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INGREDIENTS
Makes 8 QTs of soup
12 cups broth {chicken or vegetable}
olive oil
4 - 6 cloves of garlic, minced
italian sausage, casings removed {you can use turkey sausage}
2 bags baby spinach, chopped and stems removed
1 lb acini de pepe small pasta
salt & fresh ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a separate sauce pan, cook acini de pepe pasta according to directions on box. Once cooked through, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
In your stock pot, heat olive oil {about 2 - 3 Tablespoons} on medium heat. Remove sausage from casings and form into little balls. Cook sausage until cooked through and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
Back in stock pot, add a little more olive oil if needed and cook garlic for about one minute. Make sure garlic does not turn brown. Scrap pan while garlic is cooking to pull up sausage bits. Add broth, spinach, sausage balls and pasta to the stock pot. Salt and pepper to taste. The soup is done cooking when the sinach has wilted.
**My cousin made up this recipe and let me tell you. Easy. Tasty. Freezes well. She said she wanted some Italian Wedding Soup one day and just decided to try and make it up herself. This recipe is the result and it is so good. Little G LOVES this soup. Inhales it. I use my 8 QT stock pot and I have a lot left over to freeze. Apparently, my great-grandmother used to make her standard meatballs and would toss them in to cook in the broth instead of the sausage. Typical Italian Wedding soups have egg and parmesan cheese swirled in. When I asked My Cousin about this, she scrunched up her face and said, and I quote, "Ew. Gross." So her version does not have it and I do not miss it one bit. This is an easy soup to make for an ill relative, someone who has just had a baby or just to sit around with some crusty bread, good wine and good friends. Enjoy! ps my picture does not do it justice. I was too busy eating it to get a good shot!
{image credit Vale Design}
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This past year has gone by in a blur. Time really does fly when you are raising a child. I thought I would let you in on just what goes on at Chez Vale while I am hanging out on the other side of the computer screen. Here we go, a day in the life...of me!
7:40 - 8:40 Wake Up Sleepyheads
My 14 month old "baby alarm clock" starts whining over the monitor. I listen to her coo and cry for a bit. Then I roll/fall out of bed and check my phone for any important {yeah, I'm checking my Instagram} emails that came in over night. I put my hair up in a messy pony and I wander down the hall and greet Little G. She likes to hang out in her crib for a while, pointing at the animals on her walls, knocking on her wall, pointing at her books and petting her lovey, Kitty. She really is not attached to any lovey, but we are trying to help her "friend" this pink Kitty. I sing Sheldon's "Soft Kitty" from the Big Bang Theory to her. She loves it!
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There are so many blog post weekly planner free printables available on the internet. Heck, I even offer a free printable Blog Topics To Post Weekly Planner. This time around, I am thinking more about my posts. I am looking at them more as a whole. So I have started to plan them out for the entire month. It has been so helpful to see how the weeks tell more of a story and I can see where I have too much of one section and not enough of another. Once they are scheduled, I highlight the date so I know which posts are done and which ones still need images or final editing. Originally, I was just using the calendar program on my computer, but come on, where is the fun in that?! So I designed my own. There is now a section for notes / ideas / brainstorm / to dos.
I hope this DIY free monthly blog post planner printable PDF will help all of you bloggers out there! Just print, fill in the dates for the month and away you go! It is yours forever. Enjoy! {This is my first printable in over a year! It feels so great to be back.}
Download MonthlyBlogPostPlanner here.
COMMON SENSE RULE: For personal use only. Not for commercial use. ©erinvaledesign.com
** finch&hawk® is back open temporarily to sell out some extra wholesale notepad stock. The Freakin-To-Do List Notepad is available in a single and a 3 pack. Pain-In-The-Groceries are VERY limited and available only in a 2 pack.
**And yes that is my real to do list from this past weekend. TIP: I color code each category with highlighters to keep everything straight. Vale Design freelance work {badly in need of a portfolio update}, finch&hawk® Etsy shop, Vale Design blog and miscellaneous to dos {taxes. yuck!}
{image credits Vale Design}
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The idea of starting to blog again was intimidating. I sat there a couple of times staring at a blank screen. Nothing. I started checking around my Pinterest Blog Business board for some post topic prompts. I realized that I should start simple. Start with what I know. Myself. I know me. I could start by simply sharing facts about myself. This may sound almost too simple to all of you, but you must know that I am a VERY private person. Think Beyoncé and Jay-Z behind closed penthouse doors. I wrote Year + 1 Month Review. I was close to sweating when I hit post. But the second I hit return and it went live, the post topic ideas started flowing! I had to stash notepads all over the house and in the car! Personal posts, business posts, design posts. They all started to come back.
So, if you are new to blogging or are just having a bit of a writer's block, take a look at these blog post topic resources.
No Fail Blog Post Ideas via Brand Camp
10 (super rad) Blog Post Ideas via Joy the Baker
25 Blog Post Ideas for the Uninspired via Lyssbarn
How Do You Decide What To Post About via Young House Love
Do you follow me on Pinterest? I am at evaledesign
Do you have some sure fire blog topic prompts? Do you know a site that does? Wanna share?
{image credits to their respective A-M-A-Z-I-N-G sites}
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In my year off I have been evaluating my blog. I want to make sure that it authentically represents me both personally and professionally for Vale Design. I have started a Pinterest board titled Blog Business to help keep me inspired and organized. There are amazing resources on there. Examples: why your favorite bloggers blog, free printable blog topic weekly planner sheets, top blog post ideas for writers block, SEO info and much more. I hope you will check it out and find it as helpful as I have.
Do you follow me on Pinterest? I am at evaledesign
Thank you to the talented people who are sharing all of this valuable information with the rest of us. Much appreciated. Do you have a favorite blog information website/post to share?
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INGREDIENTS
1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 pint blueberries
1 pint blackberries
1 pint raspberries
Juice of 3 oranges
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar, optional
Small handful fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped
DIRECTIONS
Chop the strawberries and add to a large bowl with the blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Add the orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, if using, and mint. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to marinate for at least a couple of hours.
**I found this recipe via the show Extra Virgin on the Cooking Channel. It looked so good I decided to make it for a brunch at the new Mommy and Me class that Little G and I joined. I made it the night before and it was very good. It seemed to go over well. All I brought home was an empty bowl. The colors were amazing and it just looked like a healthy antioxidant salad. Original recipe found here. Enjoy!
{image credits Cooking Channel}
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INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Oil, for the pan
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
2 small zucchini, grated
1/4 cup grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil, finely chopped
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 450°F.
Prepare Batter: Put the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Whisking steadily, slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the milk, mixing until quite smooth. Whisk in the whole eggs and egg yolks, mixing again until smooth, then gradually whisk in the rest of the milk, the cream, salt, and nutmeg. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, for up to one day. If using the next day, be sure to re-whisk.
Prepare Zucchini Mixture: In a nonstick pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add grated zucchini, and stir until just softened, another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Oil mini muffin tins well. Put a pinch grated cheese into each muffin cup, a teaspoon of zucchini mixture, and pinch of chopped fresh basil. Pour 1 tablespoon of the batter into each muffin cup.
Bake until the quiches puff and start to turn golden, 15-18 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and then carefully run a paring knife around the rim of each muffin cup. Carefully lift each quiche out of its cup.
Mini quiches freeze very well. Let cool, then freeze in a single layer in a covered container. Reheat on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes.
**Little G and I attended our first Mommy and Me group this past Friday. She went off and played and did a great job and I spent 2.5 uninterrupted hours eating, listening to a speaker and chatting with some lovely moms. It was so scary for me to step out of my comfort zone, but it was so worth it. Anyway, our group table was tasked with amking some brunch items to share. I chose two easy recipes I could make the night before. This one and a second recipe that will post later today. The recipe yields 48 and my husband and I could not stop "testing" them the night before. G actually ate some for lunch when we returned home and loved them as well. Original recipe found here on The Kitchn. Enjoy!
The second picture perfectly illustrates the layering process.
{image credits The Kitchn}
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From 2000 - 2011 I was a Designer. I knew that title. That title was me. Erin. Designer. Got it. Check. Then at the very end of 2011, December 24th, a nurse handed me my baby girl...and my title shifted to Mama. We came home as a family of 3 and my life got flipped upside down. I was unprepared for the hormones, lack of sleep, recovery and fear that comes along with that title. (That baby scared the hell out of me for about 3 months).
I made a conscience decision to step back out of design for a bit. My business card read Mama. No email address. No phone number. I was not online that much. I did not take any new freelance jobs for a whole year. I aimed every ounce of attention on the new peanut.
I woke up, played with baby toys, read books, fed her, naps, baths, diaper changes and back to bed. I watched her grow, smile and giggle, sit up, roll over, try her first solid foods, commando crawl to real baby crawling and pull up to standing.
At times, I have been accused of being a "black or white" person. I don't handle the gray area well. I could not figure out how to balance my new title and my old title. I did not feel creative. Nothing was firing up there. It felt like that part of my brain would be shut down for an infinite amount of time. Then she took her first step...right into that gray area. She wobbled over to me and in those small independent steps, she gave me permission. She gave me permission to take a beautiful picture with Instagram while she played with her toys. She gave me permission to design a logo after she went to bed. She gave me permission to use Pinterest while she took a nap. She gave me permission not to have to choose between my titles. She gave me permission to be both Mama and Designer.
So I am putting Designer back on my business card, in italics, under the bold Mama. My creative floodgates are opening back up and the ideas are starting to flow. I have slowly been accepting new projects. My timelines are now respectful to my clients' schedules as well as my toddler's. During the day, it is Baby G and Mama. After 8 pm bedtime, it is Erin. Designer. I am still working on the balance, but it feels great to be coming back.
Design is like breathing to me. I missed it and I missed all of you. I hope you have all been well and that 2012 was terrific. Here is to an amazing 2013! I am excited to see what journeys we will all be on!
Cheers!
~ Erin
ps Wish me luck! Little G and I are off to our first Mommy and Me class today. Fingers crossed we both make it through.
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In honor of the cutest little guest that we had at our Superbowl party, I give you DIY FREE PRINTABLE VALEntine's Day Coloring & Activity Sheets! Just download, print on 8.5x11" paper and start coloring! {thanks V!}
Download IHeartYou here.
Download ILoveBubble here.
Download ConnectTheDots here.
COMMON SENSE RULE: For personal use only. Not for commercial use. ©erinvaledesign.com
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