It is a beautiful opportunity when friends approach me as potential branding clients, and I get to be a part of shaping their business dreams. It's an honor to be trusted with creating a visual identity to represent the heart of their business and propel them to the next level. 

I recently worked with my friend Allea Grummert on branding for her financial blog, Ask Allea. Allea's blog gives millenial money answers from everything from debt to budgeting. Her blog posts are fresh, approachable, and have just the right dash of sass. Her goal is to help you understand money in a way that is realistic, and helps you to be more confident in your financial decisions. 

Inspiration

To gather inspiration I had Allea create a Pinterest board that we filled with colors, textures, outfits, kitchen cabinets, and anything else that had the style we wanted to achieve. This assortment of pictures gave us a clear unique vision for the brand. Overall, one of the main branding goals was to make Ask Allea feel honest and approachable. We wanted her website to feel like a comfortable friend, not a stuffy financial website. 

With our inspiration sites set on and honest and approachable feeling it became clear that the brand would have a simple modern look, with feminine touches. This eventually translated into simple clean logos, graphics and images with small feminine details. 

FINAL BRAND

The final brand for Ask Allea feels very warm and friendly. We paired a classic navy, with warm coral and yellow for a bright color palette. These colors are very authentic to Allea and the warmth, friendliness, and sass of the words on her blog. We kept the brand imagery modern and simple with the letter "A" inspired various monogram and drop-cap letters. 

Below you can see the full brand that was created for Ask Allea. Along with the main logos, secondary logos, and brand icons help to pull the brand together and give it an overall cohesive look and feel. Additionally we also created some blog graphics that you can read about below. 

Brand Graphics

In addition to the logos and other brand elements I also created blog graphics. Ask Allea is a website and blog, and so it was very important for her to have cohesive blog headers that could also function on other platforms such as Facebook and Pinterest. Below you can see mock-ups of her blog templates created for the Ask Allea brand. These blog graphics are cohesive with the rest of her branding, and have simple feminine details. Blog graphics such as these look great on her blog and extend her branding to her Pinterest boards as well. 

Check out Allea's website Ask Allea, for helpful blog posts, and coaching services. You can also visit her Facebook page where she posts Ask Allea blog articles, and helpful financial information from other financial bloggers as well. Her information is helpful, real and feels like talking to a friend. I would highly recommend stopping over and reading a few of her posts for yourself. 

Are you a creative or small business owner looking to invest in your brand? I would love to help you create a beautiful brand that captures the heart of your business and gives you a visual identity to propel you to the next level. To learn more head to our Services Page, and then fill out the Brand Identity Contact Form. I can't wait to chat with you about creating a meaningful custom brand for your business. 

I’m thrilled to share with you the first in a sporadic series of posts that will appear throughout the fall, interviewing customers about Dwell Deeply Journals! So many of you love the journals, and I thought it would be super fun to hear from some of you how you use them. Not only will these posts show you how other people use their journals, but their answers have been full of encouragement and other nuggets of wisdom about faith.

If you are unfamiliar with our Dwell Deeply Journals these posts should be informative for you! You can also check out our past blog post explaining them here. 

First up, I interviewed my friend and customer Susanna Zach! To help you get to know Susanna, I made her answer a few questions random questions about herself. Get to know Susanna below, and then dive into our interview.

Fun Facts about Susanna

• Name: Susanna Zach
• Age: 21
• Instagram: @susanna.rachel
• Current Occupation/Job Goals/Major?: I'm student teaching right now and looking forward to being an elementary teacher soon!
• Favorite Color?: I love lots of neutrals, but right now I've been loving dark army green!
• Favorite Bible Verse?: My favorite passage in the Bible is Ephesians 2:1-10! It's so full of so many beautiful truths. If I had to choose a favorite verse from that section it'd probably by verses 4 and 5. I think that "But God" is probably one of the most important and powerful phrases in the Bible.  
• Hobbies?: Reading, listening to Music, organizing, playing with my nieces/nephew and all little kids, checking out the hippest coffee shops, watching the sunset.
• Favorite way to spend a free afternoon/evening?: If I had a free afternoon, you'd probably find me snuggled up on my bed reading a good book. I love reading memoirs and Christian non-fiction, but recently I've totally been enjoying Harry Potter. I would have a candle lit and a cup of iced coffee in hand.
• Coffee or Tea?: Both
• Chipotle or Qdoba?: Chipotle
• Salty or Sweet Snacks?: Salty

Dwell Deeply Guest Post Interview

What does it mean for the word of God to dwell within you? When the Word of God dwells within us, it impacts our lives and the way that we go about our days. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to change us and mold us and make us more like God. If we passively read the Bible, it won't seep into our hearts and lives. I think that we need to dig into the Word, what it means, and how we can apply it to our lives. Then, when the enemy tries sends his lies and arrows to attack us, we can combat his lies with the truths we've learned from the Bible.

How has the Dwell Deeply Journal encouraged you in your times with the Lord, and allowed you to process scripture? Using the Dwell Deeply Journal has helped me dig into what the passage is saying, what it means, and how I can apply it my life. When I go through those steps of studying the Word, I think that I really understand it deeper and remember it longer. I totally love the doodling section because I can choose a small phrase or word that really stood out to me and write it all pretty. That helps me recall what I learned from that Bible passage. These last few years I have learned the great importance of gratitude and how it impacts our outlook on life. I love that there's a section in the Dwell Deeply Journal to jot down things that I'm thankful for that day. I think that the best way to end studying the Word is by seeking the Lord in prayer. The prayer request section helps me focus my prayers and be intentional about who and what I'm praying for.

What is your favorite devotional to use with the Dwell Deeply Journal? I love using the Dwell Deeply Journal with the She Reads Truth plans. I write down the most impactful quotes from the devotion in the take away section. Then I use the application section to process what I learned and how that impacted my life.

What is a verse, or verses that have encouraged you lately? "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever for the Lord God is an everlasting rock" (Isaiah 26:3-4). These verses have been so encouraging to me recently. When I'm filled with fear and worry, I know that the Lord will fill me with His inexplicable peace. I love to look up the Greek and Hebrew of specific words in the passage. Perfect peace comes from the word shalom, which means completeness, contentment, whole, rest, safety, peace with God especially in a covenant relationship. I love those descriptions of the peace that I can find in Jesus.

What other resources would you recommend to someone looking to dig deeper into the word of God? I love using the Blue Letter Bible app to look up the Greek and Hebrew of words in the Bible. "Women of the Word" by Jen Wilkin is very informative on why and how we can study the Bible. "The MacArthur Bible Handbook" by John MacArthur gives an in-depth description of each book of the Bible, including background, setting, theological themes, key words, and God's character displayed in that book. I also find commentaries very helpful, especially when reading something that's difficult to understand. Matthew Henry is a great commentator.

How does processing scripture allow you to apply it to your business, job, family, passions etc? When I take the time to truly understand what I'm reading in the Scriptures, I think that it makes what I'm reading more meaningful to me. As I read and pray, the Lord reveals to me ways that I can change, become more like Him, love people better, and live more intentionally. I learn how to better steward my finances when I'm reading about the generosity of the early church. I learn how to trust God more when I read about David's dependence on Him. When I read about Christ's humility, I am spurred on to think of others as more important than myself and serve in any way.

A big thank you to Susanna for answering these questions, and giving us all so much encouragement. I love seeing how real customers use their journals, and how they are being used as a resource to process scripture. 

If you are interested in a Dwell Deeply Journal for use in your own quiet time you can find them over in the shop! Stay tuned for more customer interviews about Dwell Deeply Journals, faith, and customer photos of their doodles! Enjoy!

I love working with other creative entrepreneurs and small business owners on branding for their business. One of my favorite parts of this is that no two projects are ever the same. Plus, I love walking through the branding process, and equipping these business owners to use their new visual identity successfully! The branding for Perch Lettering was no exception. It was also enjoyable to work with another business owner that loves lettering, and spoiler alert - we incorporated her lettering into the logo! 

Michelle, of Perch Lettering, and I connected through social media, and I was so excited to create branding for her lettering business that she has been in the beginning stages of creating. Michelle has a beautiful lettering style, and knew from the start that investing in branding would create a solid visual foundation for her to rely on. I knew that it was important to give Michelle branding that clearly defined her style, and gave her a visual identity of her own. This is important for any business, your branding should speak to who you are, set the tone, and define the image you want to convey. 

Michelle letters lots of wooden signs and goods for the home. The name Perch Lettering came from the the idea that just like a bird rests on a perch, these items would rest in your home and be a resting place. This mission for why she creates lettered pieces is so sweet, and one of the things I was so excited to infuse into this brand. 

INSPIRATION

Since the name of the business is Perch Lettering, birds, perches, and branches were obviously a major part of the style and visual inspiration. The back story to the name, and why Michelle thought of that name also played into the inspiration and heart behind the brand. Through the brand survey we also identified the following words as brand inspiration: cozy, rustic, and home. 

With that inspiration in mind I knew that the branding for Perch Lettering would need to have a rustic modern vibe. I wanted clean lines, simple details, and warm colors, and perch-like details to come together and create the perfect visual identity for Perch Lettering

FINAL BRAND

The final brand feels ever so slightly rustic, modern, warm and inviting. We developed a rich warm color palette that pairs beautifully with a lot of the wood grain that Michelle uses in the signs she creates. These colors also add to the cozy, warm, inviting feeling we wanted the brand to convey. The single branch, or "perch" detail is simple and and adds the right organic/rustic touch to the branding. 

One of the fun parts of this brand was that from the outset, I suggested, and Michelle wanted, was to use her own lettering as a part of the logo. This was a natural way to bring in her style, and let it speak for her business. The "Perch" part of the logo is Michelle's lettering work. I digitally incorporated it into the logo, and think it makes the brand feel even more welcoming. It's a small detail that adds so much personality!

Below, you can see the full branding style sheet. In addition to the main logo, we created some fun secondary logos, and icons. Secondary logos, and icons are great to use on social media, incorporate into product packaging in the form of stickers, and create a cohesive brand experience. 

BRAND COLLATERAL

One of my favorite parts of this beautiful branding was the business card design. I selected the blush and maroon color from the color palette to be the center of attention. They pair so beautifully, and add such a warmth to this point of communication. I used the main logo, and one of the secondary logo icons to make sure the business cards displayed the brand well. We added Michelle's main contact information, and social media pages to the card as well. 

You can find Michelle's work here on Instagram, or check out her Facebook page. I am so excited for her to embark on this small business journey with branding that fits her unique style, and communicates her vision. Michelle is available for custom wood signs, envelope lettering, and other fun custom lettering projects, be sure to reach out to her for your custom lettering needs!

Interested in creating a beautiful brand for your creative business? I can't wait to chat with you about that! Head over to the Services Page to learn more, and fill out the Brand Identity Contact Form. I can't wait to chat with you about creating a meaningful custom brand for your business. 

In her questionnaire Joyce used words such as supportive, caring and helpful to describe how interacts with clients and how she wants them to view her brand. Hearing those words, and hearing Joyce's heart for what she does through our consultation phone call, made me excited to work with her to craft the perfect brand identity. 

As I mentioned before the name of Joyce's business is Doula Joyce. Although, I don't think business would be the first word she would use to describe what she does. Joyce is a Birth Doula. For those of you unfamiliar with the term a Doula offers emotional, physical, and informational support to women and their families through child-birth. She works with families, before delivery, during labor, and postpartum. She looks out for the emotional well-being of mothers, and offers support alongside the medical team. Her goal is that mothers will experience a sense of wholeness. So, now that you know all that - let's dive into the branding. 

INSPIRATION

Armed with the knowledge that this brand needed to convey wholeness, support, and care I set off to figure out the best way to represent that. Through Pinterest inspiration, research, and brainstorming I decided we needed something organic to encompass this concept. Imagery such as circles, water ripples, feathers, and flowers all felt very simple and inviting.

FINAL BRAND

The final branding captures the elements of wholeness, support and care with feminine simplicity. We chose to incorporate circles, and a feather element to give us simple organic imagery. The playful soft brand colors feel warm, inviting, and suit the families she will serve. Check out the full brand below. 

BRAND COLLATERAL

As a part of the branding for Doula Joyce, we created business cards to extend her brand to printed collateral. These darling cards incorporated a few of her brand colors, and the feather imagery in a couple of different ways. Business cards will give her an easy way to further communicate her brand, and maybe an important point of contact. 

If you are interested in finding out more about Joyce and her Doula services available in Lincoln, Nebraska you can find out more information over here on her website. 

Are you a creative entrepreneur or small business owner looking to take your branding to the next level? Let's chat about how we can give you a custom visual identity that will communicate with your customers, and embody why you do what you do. 

I connected with Matt and Joe Brugger of Upstream Farms & Enterprises at a business round-table discussion, through the Engler Entrepreneurship Program at UNL, where I offered design advice to college students interested in entrepreneurship. The Bruggers wanted to re-brand their family farm (which has been in their family since the 1920's), from Brugger Farms to Upstream Farms & Enterprises. Additionally, they want to create new channels of communication between farmers and consumers, and create an identity that would capture all aspects of business they wanted to create as a part of their farm. Their immediate excitement and passion for their family farm, purpose behind their re-brand, and ultimate goal of wanting to be a voice to consumers made me realize this was going to be an exciting project take on. 

INSPIRATION

At the outset of a branding project clients fill-out a brand questionnaire. Within those questionnaires we dive into different pieces of their brand, the why, and the heart behind what they do. 

One of the questions that I love is, "what words do you want people to associate with your company?" Matt and Joe talked about the following words, and a phrase that they feel identifies their heart:

• Trust
• Integrity
• Transparency
• Work Hard for People

The Brugger's farm has many aspects to it, overall, they are looking to bridge the gap between the farmer and consumer. These words that they want to represent Upstream are exactly how they want consumers to feel when interacting with their brand. Upstream Farms seeks to inform consumers, produce great product, and deliver amazing services. 

From the outset I knew that this brand will represent bridging that gap between consumers and farmers. I also wanted it to represent well the generations of the family that have put in the work to make this farm what it has been, and what it will become. Overall, the Upstream brand has to be one that builds trust, is transparent with information, and works hard for the people it serves.

LOGO CONCEPTS

At the start we were uncertain of exactly what the name of the farm would be. So, some of our initial logo concepts were for Brugger Farms, instead of the final name Upstream Farms. The challenging part of the first stage of any logo is taking all the ideas and inspiration and narrowing it down into a few simple concepts. 

Thoughts while creating the logo included: 

• Creating a farm logo that balanced rustic and modern
• How to respect the history of the farm, while still allowing the logo to propel them forward
• Figuring out concepts that could be adapted if/when the name changed (which it did - to Upstream!)

Here are some of the initial concepts:

All logo concepts start out as black and white, because color can be super distracting at this stage of the process. Color gets added later in the branding process, but at the beginning black and white concepts allow the design to be the main focus. 

None of these concepts ended up being the chosen logo, but the first and third concept largely influenced the final logo that was created. The intertwined letters and partial circle mark of the first concept were used in the final Upstream Logo. 

FINAL BRAND

Using the inspiration, heart, and logo concepts the final brand is a strong logo mark to encompass the entire Upstream Farms & Enterprise operation. We focused on creating a brand that was modern, had touches of rustic, and felt authentic. You can check it out below!

In addition to the main brand, Upstream will have many arms of their business. So we created additional sub-marks with the 'UP' icon to identify them as a part of the bigger Upstream Farms & Enterprises brand. Overall, the main Upstream logos will be used the most, but we wanted to make sure each part of their operation had a sub-logo to use. 

You can find the Bruggers selling all-natural beef at the Haymarket Farmer's Market in Lincoln on Saturdays. Be sure to also connect with them on social media for fun info on where your food comes from, a look into life on the farm, and where you can find food they have grown! Excited for the future of Upstream Farms & Enterprises, and know this branding is a solid leap in the right direction. 

I'm so thankful that the work I do connects me with other amazing business owners. It is such a joy to create meaningful branding design to represent well the dreams and passions of others. Questions about branding or logo design? Comment below, or shoot me and email HERE!

For Anna Zach, her passion is yoga. She teaches vinyasa and yin classes, and brings her style of teaching which distinguishes her. She enjoys teaching a strong, alignment and anatomy centered classes that encourage focus, presence and precision. She also teaches monthly Lectio Divinia classes. These classes focus on a passage of scripture and use restful and restorative poses to help you focus and reflect on the passage being read. Overall, her focus with Outpost Yoga is creating an unfettered environment for her students to let go.

INSPIRATION

Outpost Yoga seeks to be a refuge for those in a chaotic world. The words unfettered, breathing, and Shalom were all a major influence in the creation of this brand. Inspiration was also found from scripture, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91:4. This brand should make people feel welcomed to a place where they can let go. A safe shelter they can rest along the way.

STYLE

From the beginning we knew this brand was going to be fairly neutral and minimal. We were drawn to strong clean lines, neutral colors, geometric shapes, and organic details. This style is reflected in the strong clean lines, of the bird icon, and limited use of color.

FINAL BRAND

Bringing together our inspiration and style created a strong minimal brand. For the final brand we created a main logo, secondary bird icon, and secondary text logo. These items work together to create a minimal brand that conveys the unfettered atmosphere that Anna strives for with Outpost Yoga.

We also played around with the brand elements to create simple, minimal business cards. These printed pieces incorporate her brand colors and elements in a tasteful way, and stick to the minimal feel of the overall design.

It is always fun to create a brand that represents the heart behind another local business. If you are local to Lincoln, Nebraska you can join Anna for monthly Lectio Divinia classes at Lincoln Yoga Center, or regular yoga at Peak Physical Therapy.  Join her for a class that allows you to step into a peaceful environment and focus. If you can't make one of her scheduled class times she is available for private Lectio Divina classes. 

But I do know that creating brands that embody the values of my unique clients would have to be one of my favorites. 

It is a challenge to create brands for each different clients, and represent their values in a visual way. This creative problem is a part of the process, and one that I enjoy taking on. 

Andrea Schneider approached me last year to create branding for her real estate team. She is a real estate agent with a large national real-estate company. As her client base, and work load in Nebraska she decided to work with a team within her real estate office. This branding would serve as an umbrella for her and the other agents on her team. 

Right from the get-go I had the task of creating branding for her real estate team that would also work with logos required of her for the national real-estate company. It was a fun challenge to work with. 

The first task was coming up with a name for the team. After many brainstorming sessions we landed on Expert Advantage Group. This name will represent Andrea, and her teammates well. We wanted their clients to feel the expert knowledge they bring to the table and experience the advantage of that knowledge in the real estate market. 

The imagery of the check mark inside the house was intentional, and connects back to some of the values behind Andrea's brand. A check represents getting the job done. We wanted customers to feel that working with this group would take things off their plates, and get them accomplished. I also loved how the check mark tied in with the values behind the brand:

The Expertise You Deserve, The Flexibility You Need, The Results You Want. 

This branding was paired with additional coordinating branding for business cards, banners, email signatures, and Facebook images. All together it gives a cohesive look that will serve Andrea and her team well. 

I'm thrilled with how this brand turned out. Looking for branding for your business? Hop over to my inbox and let's chat!

The design and branding process often begin much earlier than you would think. Brands start being formed in the way you present yourself, what you value in your business, and how you tell your story. Many of those things are being developed long before clients pop into my email inbox looking for help with branding. 

My job as a designer is to dig in and discover the ways their brand has been forming, and to be able to capture that story visually. I was excited to chat with Vanessa Thomas Photography and discover all the ways her story was beginning to form her brand.

Vanessa Thomas, of Vanessa Thomas Photography, has a deep passion for photography even though it has been a journey she just recently embarked on. 

Through our conversations it became very obvious how much Vanessa loves her clients and wants to capture their special moments. She approaches her business with gratitude, grace and kindness. These values are deeply rooted in her faith, and show in the heart for her clients.

The only piece missing was a logo and branding that could convey the genuine kindness, natural grace, and sweet simplicity of her photography. I was excited to step in and capture those qualities in branding that will serve her business for years to come. Follow along for how this brand came together. 

INSPIRATION

A lot of the branding inspiration was found in natural elements of leaves, moss, and greenery. These elements reflected Vanessa's genuine kindness, and desire for natural moments. We changed color direction slightly throughout the project, but in the end landed on the natural green tones.

STYLE 

Vanessa was attracted to illustration and hand-lettered text. A lot of the logo concepts included a mix of both. Illustration and lettering are some of my favorites to incorporate into brands so this was a no-brainer. 

FINAL BRAND

The final branding included a main logo, secondary text-only logos, and multi-colored monogram icons to use as social media images and watermarks. We stuck to a very earthy, natural color scheme that comes across in a beautiful way. The colors and simple feel also capture the feel of her photography. A lot of Vanessa's work captures people with elements of nature in a simple, genuine way. This branding beautifully captures the story unfolding for Vanessa's photography business. 

Overall, this was a fun project to visually represent the story happening in Vanessa's business. With a heart and passion for capturing genuine moments already in place my job was to visually represent that brand through illustrated details, hand-lettering and a cool color palette. I'm thrilled with how it all came together! Want me to dig-in to your branding? Let's Chat!

What are your favorite pieces of this branding project?

Working on branding with Traci for her company, Here With Us was a delight! I always love finding out about the heart behind a business, and the people that care so much about them. Here With Us was no exception, and I'm thrilled to share the branding with you today. 

Traci started Here With Us as a way to raise money for their upcoming adoption. Her side hobby to raise money quickly became a business, and creating wooden signs was something she loved doing. As their adoption story hit a few unexpected turns, and the family waited on God's timing, the little side hobby continued to grow. Along the way Traci and her family also realized that they weren't sure they wanted the journey of Here With Us to end once their adoption was finalized. The rustic, vintage inspired signs company had become a way to bring beauty to others. 

After chatting with Traci and seeing her joy about this business I was so excited to be a part of the journey in creating her branding. We chose to keep the branding simple, with nods to rustic and vintage inspiration. We drew inspiration from natural elements, vines and wreaths. The result was a beautifully simple brand with a darling branch icon, and a cool color palette. In the above branding sheet you can see how the main logo is supported by secondary text logos, and icons. 

For the brand we created logos, stamps and a branded thank you note to use with orders (pictured below). This card has all of the contact information customers need, as well as space for Traci to leave a personal note. Cards like this are the perfect branded piece to put in orders, and allow you to interact and communicate well with customers. We are so excited with how this branding turned out and can't wait to see all the beautiful things Here With Us will continue to create!

Here With Us is a small business dedicated to making beautiful wooden signs for your home. Currently, funds are used as a means to support their adoption. You can check out Here with us on Facebook and Instagram - @herewithusdecor. 

Interested in logo or branding design? We would be delighted to help! Send a note on our contact page, and lets get started!

Coming up with a display set-up has been ever evolving for me. As I add more products I need to rethink how items are display, what is using my space wisely, and how my set-up communicates to customers. This year I re-worked a couple things that were not utilizing space effectively, and ended up using an L-shaped display pictured below. 

One of my FAVORITE new things is this stackable hexagon wall. I had to twist my husbands arm quite a bit to make it, but it turned out great! Part of my logo is comprised of a hexagon, so it was only fitting to extend this shape to a part of my display. The hexagons allow the display to expand vertically and showcase prints and products. I also wanted to create a statement, and hope this wall of hexagons does the trick. 

Another one of my favorite pieces is this pegboard display board (below). I wanted something that could house cards, prints, journals or whatever paper products my heart desires. We used these wooden spice racks from IKEA, and stained them darker. To make them functional we mounted them on to pegboard, but can adjust their placement when we need. I love how I can adjust this display should the need arise, and clearly display various products.

Last, but not least I have this handy little shelf. This shelf is also adaptable to display what I need. It easily holds cards and journals and adds warmth and character to my display. This shelf has been with me since the start of doing market events and it holds a special place in my heart. 

I certainly hope this can inspire other makers in their pursuit of creating a market display. Enjoy!

The word that spoke the loudest was 'beloved'. The word beloved shows up frequently in scripture, and means 'dearly loved' or a 'much loved person'. I knew that this word needed a place in hearts and homes. 

For me personally I want this word to be a daily reminder that I am loved. I'm a worrier and so frequently my worries are talking the loudest. So when I need to be reminded that I am so much more than what I do, this word and its powerful meaning come to mind. 

Friend, I made this print for you. To remind you that you are dearly loved, precious, adored, treasured and admired. So, when you don't feel like enough, or feel defeated by comparison, when worry is weighing you down, or are having a plain crummy day - remember you are beloved. 

This is such a beautiful reminder for the walls of your home. I hope this design can love and encourage you today. Make it a great one friends! 

 

The month of May brings forth lots of events and opportunities to purchase gifts. Mother's Day has just passed and now grad party and wedding season is upon us! The easiest gift for grads is a gift card (seriously you can't go wrong with these), but if you are looking for something a little more personal I've got some easy solutions for you!

1. 8x10 Print + Frame

A lot of grads are headed off to college, where decorating options are limited. College dorms need a little touch of personality to help them feel homey. Find a cute 8x10 print (like this one available in the Machelle Kolbo Design Studio Etsy Shop) and purchase a frame. This gift is a great way to give grads something personal that they can use to decorate their dorm. Let's be honest, a monogrammed towel does not have to be the only personal gift grads get.

Print: Machelle Kolbo Design Studio Frame: Hobby Lobby

2. Cards + Postage

We live in a digital world where everyone is just a call, text, snap, tweet or post away. While snail mail may be becoming a thing of the past I would like to suggest that it isn't. There is still something special about snail mail, especially when you are away from home at college. Gift your grad a set of cards, fun pencils (the ones pictured are from Rifle Paper), and a set of postage stamps. Adding the set of stamps makes it that much easier, and therefore more likely that they will put that set of stationery to good use. 

Cards: Machelle Kolbo Design Studio   Stamps: USPS   Pencils: Rifle Paper Co.

3. Journal + Devotional Book

For grads that you want to encourage in their faith, gift a journal and a devotional book. One of my all time favorite devotional books, that I still use to this day, was gifted to me at my high school graduation. These are practical things that can help encourage graduates as they start this next chapter after high school graduation. 

Our Dwell Deeply Journals pair perfectly with devotional books to help you get the most out of your quiet times. They are also perfect for encouraging someone in their faith. 

Dwell Deeply Journals: Machelle Kolbo Design Studio
A Few Suggested Devotionals: Savor by Shauna Niequist or My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Enjoy these easy suggestions for grad gifts! I hope this helps you find quick, personal gifts for those you need to celebrate. Remember, if all else fails grab a gift card. :)

It's always exciting when dear friends get engaged, and a bonus when I get the pleasure of working with them on their wedding invitations. Jill and Clayton's wedding is just around the corner and their summery floral and navy invites reflect just how happy their big day is going to be. I love how these custom wedding invitations turned out! Check out the floral and navy goodness that is this wedding invitation suite.

This invitation suite was a joy to create. We wanted the invitations to be colorful, summery, incorporate the wedding colors and reflect the marriage journey this couple is starting. To achieve the color we worked within the wedding colors of navy + coral/pink and added additional coordinating colors. A variety of watercolor flowers enabled us to include lots of colors, as well as make the invitations bright and summery. 

While creating custom invitations it is important to me to include details that are important to the couple. For this wedding we included the Bible verse Psalm 34:3 on the front. This wedding is not just about the big day, but the marriage that is to follow. Putting the verse on the front of the invitation was a special way to acknowledge that, and include an important truth. 

Another important aspect was making sure guests will know where to go and important details. To make sure all the vital information was in one place, we included a map and additional details on the back of the invitation. Guests will have all the details in one place for the big day. 

Overall, this was such a sweet invitation to create. I loved including important details, playing with colorful florals, and pairing it all with navy blue. 

The custom invitation design process is special, because it is custom to your big day. I work with brides + grooms to create intentional designs that reflect their vision and heart behind the wedding. It is more than just an invitation, it is a special part of the start of their marriage. 

My designs incorporate hand drawn details, illustrations and sometimes watercolor. I also work in hand lettered elements to give invitations a personal touch. All of these things are lovingly created by me before they are digitized and vectorized so we can create an invitation that can be printed. This special attention to detail creates beautiful invitations.

I love working with brides + grooms to create intentional designs that will love and encourage them as they embark on their journey into marriage. I believe that weddings are beautiful, and your stationery should be designed to reflect the beauty of the marriage journey that is about to begin. If you love what you see, and want to create intentional designs together contact me below for more information. 

Well friends, Mother's Day is right around the corner! It's a special day to honor your mom, or significant women in your life. I know we all love to be celebrated, so let's make sure the women in our life are celebrated! I've put together some gift tags, and a simple notecard for you to use for free! I wanted to make a simple, free and easy way for you to add a special touch to any gift or note you are sending for Mother's Day. 

I know how finding the perfect gift is hard, and when you do sometimes you have completely forgotten about a card or a way to add a special touch to your gift. Don't worry! I'm way ahead of you! This free printable has three different gift tags, and a flat notecard you can cut out. 

There are three gift tags with hand lettering and designs done by me. You can pick the one that is perfect for your gift to mom, and save the rest for another gift. You can color in the flowers, add some color, or leave them simply black and white. 

The notecard also has a hand lettered design made by me, especially for you all. Cut out the card and write on the back, color the front, or use the whole thing as a gift tag. 

To get your free Mother's Day printable just click the picture below. In a new window your printable should show up. You can print it right away or save it to your computer to use for later. When you are ready to use your printable, print it out at home, grab your scissors and follow the light outlines to cut out your items. 

I'm so excited to see how you all end up using your freebies! I hope this helps you create meaningful encouraging gifts for the mom's or women in your life you want to honor. Let's celebrate those we care about and make them feel extra special. 

This printable item is free for you to use for personal use. Please don't try and sell them, steal images off of them, or upload them as your own. Thanks for understanding! Appreciate you all!

Also, in case you missed it I also did a free printable last year for Mother's Day. Check it out here, and make simple intentional gifts! Looking for any last minute gifts for mom, explore the etsy shop. Enjoy!

If you are a Lincoln, NE native the odds that your nose has been blessed by the amazing scents of Wax Buffalo candles is fairly good. If you haven't had a chance to smell the soy wax goodness that Wax Buffalo offers, well I suggest you get on that right away.

Wax Buffalo candles are created with pure soy, with fine phthalate free essential and fragrance oils, poured over a clean burning cotton wick. The scents are curated from stories and memories, of Wax Buffalo creator, Alicia. Scent is a powerful thing for all of us, and those adventures and memories are a part of what makes these candles special. Don't just take my word for it, go experience these candles for yourself. You can order candles, find local stockists, and learn more about Wax Buffalo on their website. 

Last spring, I had the pleasure of working with Alicia to come up with designs for her 'Brave' gift set. The gift set included her dreamy Hummingbird scent (think florals + a hint of citrus) in candle and diffuser form. It also included a sweet note with an ode to brave souls that really hits you in all the right places. 

Alicia wanted a gift set that would be perfect to give new moms, old moms, friends starting new adventures, graduates, newlyweds, or anyone who needed to be reminded of the brave soul that they are. We wanted this gift set to be feminine and sweet, paired with brave and affirming words. The color scheme we went with is the perfect pinky peach. To go with the feminine aesthetic I created a hand-drawn hummingbird figure and flowers to go on the diffuser jars, candle lids and the "Dear Brave Soul" card that was a part of the set. 

The Brave Box is such a special gift, and the "Dear Brave Soul" card is a really beautiful addition. Everyone will enjoy all Wax Buffalo goodness, but the card really makes this special, and hits the heart of whoever receives this gift of love. Alicia crafted the message, and made sure it had a home worthy of it's message on the card. Below is an excerpt from the message on the card to give you a taste of the powerful, and affirming words. 

I loved working with Alicia to help her create something magical. I loved designing such sweet feminine details to help the packaging for this gift set come to life. Each piece of the design work was intentional and created in a way to love and encourage the customer who ultimately purchase this set. I love seeing beautiful designs like this come together in a way that is better than imagined. 

If you are interested in these gift sets a "little hummingbird" told me they might be making a comeback this spring. Follow Wax Buffalo on instagram, or head to their website to see what local events might have these sweet boxes. 

Creating intentional designs that love and encourage our clients and their customers is what we love to do! Need help pulling together a design, custom lettering, packaging or branding? Contact me to find out how we can make that happen!

 

As a creative business owner it is essential for me to plan out my social media to some degree. My social media of choice is Instagram. So, today I will share with you why I see planning as important, and some methods that I use. 

First, you may be thinking to yourself - "Machelle isn't posting her pics as they are happening?!" So sorry to burst that bubble for you, but the majority of my posts are not happening "in the moment". I do create space to post those types of photos, but that is rare. As a small business owner I try to create a curated balance of business, products, and bits of my life (to keep it real). Keeping track of these various elements can be stressful if I don't put in a little thought ahead of time. Doing a little bit of planning allows me to focus less on "what should I post today", and more on how I can serve my clients and customers with love and encouragement.

Side note, if you are a business owner (or just a person who wants to utilize instagram to the fullest) and want more clarity on curating your Instagram feed, and building the right following check out this post from Jenna Kutcher and download her Instagram guide. 

So, how in the world do I plan these things out? As I mentioned before I work for a balance of business, products and bits of my life. I'm a total paper girl (duh!), and so writing things out works best for me! I use this simple calendar to plan out my posts month by month. The first step is brainstorming different post ideas. This way I can see what types of photos I already have, ones I need to take, and possibly events that I want to highlight. Once I am done brainstorming I plug a balance of these ideas and the categories I want represented in my feed on to the monthly calendar. This is especially helpful if I am trying to also line up my Instagram post with a blog post. I have created a fun super simple calendar for us all to use in planning our posts. Click on the photo below to download it for yourself!

Once the paper calendar is filled out, then I figure out what pictures I have, or need to take. I will take a morning or afternoon to take some styled product shots, look through my photos for pics of Piper (our dog), or plan what events I might need to grab a photo at. This way I can take a lot of cohesive pictures at once that I can use throughout the month (especially product shots!).

Like I said above, I don't want to scramble everyday to take pictures. I also don't want to have to scramble everyday to remember what to post! So, enter Latergramme (now called Later).  Later is a great app where I can upload photos from my phone or computer, write out a post, and schedule a date and time to post. The app will then send me an alert on my phone when I need to post and I can copy everything to Instagram and be done! I typically try to load a couple weeks worth of posts on to the app, or even a months worth. This doesn't mean I am hands off with Instagram. It is important to interact, like other posts, and make connections. I use this tool as an important part of planning so I don't have to scramble everyday to figure out what I want to post.

(P.S. The Latergramme link above will give me extra monthly posts and you too! The app is free for up to 30 posts per month.)

Part of me feels like I just unloaded all my secrets, but these aren't really secrets! I'm happy to help educate others on ways to make things like social media easier (especially business owners). These things have been time and sanity savers for me, and I hope this can encourage you, and make Instagram seem less stressful. 

Enjoy!

Back in January I posted about  3 Tips for a Successful Quiet Time. I posted this because I know how easily I can get distracted or discouraged with my own quiet time. We recently launched the men's version of the Dwell Deeply Journals. These journals are quiet time companion journals that help you to dwell on truth. So, I asked my husband, Alex, for three additional ideas he had for a successful quiet time. 

Hey there, it's Alex. First, off I wanted to ditto what Machelle said in her previous quiet time blog post. Her three tips were to 'set the mood' or create a space to have a quiet time, ditch your phone (unless you need it for the Bible app), and leave your Bible and/or devotional material out. I thought these tips were very helpful, and wanted to contribute some of my own.

1. Leave Out Your To-Do List

This may sound very goofy to some of you, but hang with me! I am very easily distracted - let me repeat that - I am very easily distracted. Frequently when I sit down to do my quiet time I will read something that reminds me of something I need to do. It can be tempting to quick pay the bills before I forget, or quick reply to that email. So, as a solution I leave out my to-do list. That way if I remember something I need to do while I am trying to focus on the word, I can write it down instead of jumping to get it done. So, if you get distracted like me leave your to do list out to quickly jot down thoughts, to-do's, and ideas so you can get them out of your head and continue to concentrate. 

2. Be Okay With A Short Quiet Time

I love the days when I can spend an hour in the word. The reality is that usually only happens on Saturdays. It can be frustrating on weekday mornings when I run out of time for a "full quiet time". Here is what I have learned, it's okay to have a short quiet time. Being hard on yourself for not being able to have a lengthy quiet time every day can defeat the purpose and intent of letting the word be a part of your life. If you find during the week you only have ten minutes every morning - then embrace that! Taking that time to pray or read a devotional is so much more fruitful than being upset with yourself. Embrace those ten minutes, and embrace a short quiet time on occasion. 

3. Use Your Time Creatively

I mentioned in the last post that I have learned to be okay with shorter quiet times on occasion. This tip goes along with that. I have learned to use my time in the morning while getting ready creatively. For example, every morning I wake up and go sit on the toilet. I know that this toilet pit-stop is going to take me ten-fifteen minutes. Instead of scrolling through social media while I sit on the pot, I now keep a devotional book in the bathroom. My phrase for this is "meeting God on the throne, while on the throne" (Machelle is going to hate this). My point is that there is probably time where you are standing around, sitting around or waiting on something (breakfast, coffee, etc.) where you could be reading the Bible, a devotional, or praying. Think creatively about how you can utilize your time, and create space to be in the word. 

I hope these tips from Alex, and the previous tips I shared on the blog help you dive in and have a successful quiet time. If you don't know where to start or need some help along the way our Dwell Deeply Journals are a great resource. 

Have a great one friends! We are cheering you on!

I'm hoping to bring you new free desktop and iPhone backgrounds every month (we will see what happens)! Up first is 'You are so Loved'. I know this is an easy truth to forget. So pop this background on your computer or phone as a constant reminder that you are so loved! I know I need to be reminded of this on occasion and thought there might be others in need of this reminder as well. Download instructions for each background are below. 
 

DESKTOP // MOBILE

To Download Free April Wallpapers:

1. Click on the photo above - this will open a new window with the background 
2. Right click and "Save As" to save on a computer. For mobile click image and save to phone.
3. Set as your desktop or iPhone background.
4. Enjoy!

The original 'You are so Loved' print can be found in the Machelle Kolbo Design Studio Etsy Shop. Enjoy!

These images are available for personal use on your phone or computer. Please don't steal them, try and sell them, or put them on your own products. Thank You!