by design

For years I have loved graphic design and I still get to do it pro-bono. I first got the taste for helping other people through my design when I was in college working for the state of Ohio. I was a small business consultant and it was my job to help people with their businesses, and my speciality was brand management and corporate imaging. It was so fun! I never had to charge a dime and was able to see the joy on people's faces when there was improvement in their company.

I wanted to share two fun projects I have done recently. The first is for my sister who wanted an owl for upcoming birthday parties. I think she is cute.

The second project I did this week is for my friend who is heading for the mission field next year and needed a prayer card. I was really excited she allowed me to be a part of her ministry. Thanks Laura! You can read more about her ministry at www.lauraschaefer.theworldrace.org.

Now you know a little of what I do for fun.

farm country

It was harvest time at redpepper farms this past weekend, and it sure was fun. The kids loved riding in the machinery - combine, tractor, and semi - and even helped walk the fields to pick up corn that fell off the combine. Jeremy had a really nice planting of corn and we were blessed with the produce this year. How great was the feeling to fall into bed each night exhausted knowing you had done a hard days work.

Combine filling grain hopper

Tractor and grain hopper pulling up to semi

Blake driving tractor with helper Frederick

Next rows to run

Jeremy carrying Elauna to ride in combine

Grain hopper filling trailer on semi

Claire gets a kiss from dad while waiting at the elevator

Blake carrying Frederick to the tractor

Jeremy and Blake

Drink station

"The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest." Psalm 85:12

"Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness."   2 Corinthians 9:10

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."   Galatians 6:9

morgan

Morgan

Six years ago my husband bought me this beautiful brindle Boxer for my birthday. I had really wanted a dog and I love Boxers, so we found someone who had bred a litter locally and met with them. They had one puppy left, the runt. The day I met her I fell in love with her. She was the sweetest little thing and we bonded instantly. She rode on my lap in the car the whole way home. As we didn't have children yet, Morgan was with us all the time. She was the prettiest Boxer I had ever seen, with book-matched coloring on her back. I loved that her ears hadn't been clipped to stand up, but flopped down naturally. She loved to play ball, jump so high in the air it was over my head, wiggle her behind when she was excited, and greet us when we came home.

Forgive me if I have spelling errors because I can't see through my tears. We lost our little dog tonight after she was hit by a car. I was tidying the back porch where she slept and kept wishing I had done one more thing better for her. I miss her terribly.

Some of my favorite Morgan memories...
- she chewed the tips of my black leather heels
- she taught Elauna how to sniff like a dog
- she rode if the back of the car everywhere with us
- she went on walks with me through the field
- she ate a whole box of Christmas chocolate and I made burnt toast for her
- she chewed my Christmas tree skirt looking for candy in the presents
- she would open the doors by herself to go in and out
- she loved playing football with Frederick
- she would run right in front of Jeremy while he drove the tractor
- she loved finding the skunk
- she was so good with all the children

leading the kids on a walk

Goodbye old friend!

pulled pork chili

I had some leftover pulled pork in the fridge and wanted to make a warm fall meal. I threw together a few ingredients for chili, cooked some noodles, added some cheese, and dinner was ready. Yum!

Pulled Pork Chili

2 pounds cooked pulled pork
2 16oz cans diced tomatoes
2 16oz cans light red kidney beans
2 16oz cans tomato sauce
1 1.4lb can whole black beans
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt
pepper

Warm the pork, add tomatoes, sauce, and beans. Simmer. Add spices and continue to simmer until flavors blend. Serve warm over pasta. Top with cheese.

weekend project: songbook wreath

songbook wreath

This is a super easy project to make for those who like wreaths. I personally like natural or neutral wreaths that don't attract too much attention, yet add a little something to the decor.  For this project you will need four things:

1. a foam wreath (I purchased mine from JoAnn's)
2. an old songbook (I typically don't tear up books, but this one was falling apart)
3. white muslin (scrap material works just as well)
4. push pins

Take the muslin and cut into 3-inch strips. Wrap the strips around the wreath to cover the foam. Next take the pages from the songbook and neatly wad into rosettes. Take the pushpin and push rosette into topside of the wreath. I put the first rosette in, then did the next one 90-degrees around and so on, and then filled in evenly. You can dress it up with ribbon to suit your color scheme, or a flower too. 

foam wreath

muslin, songbook, and push pins

the rosettes pinned on the wreath

be mindful of character bloopers

And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control. Let me tell you, trying to do a photoshoot with 4 kids, four years old and younger was testifying to the fruit of my spirit....and I found myself praying for a change of heart. To be honest, I ought to post the "blooper" shots, because it takes the bloopers to appreciate the good ones. :-) So while I was capturing the moment on the outside with the kids, I was capturing the moment on the inside for me. I have a little editing to do myself! 

Here are the kiddos...

looking serious

my little beauty, elauna,  almost 5 

miss claire, almost 1

mr. frederick, almost 3

 

he is such a cutie

4 sets of eyes at the same time...amazing :-)

miss O

The lovely Miss O. I was so fortunate to spend time with this little beauty this weekend, and she showed up on my doorstep decked out! Oh, I just wanted to kiss those cheeks and stare into her big blues. We had such fun! Thanks, Autie E, for letting her spend the day!

my favorite