For the past month I have been working on different design pieces for The Technicolors, my brothers super talented rock band from Phoenix. They are having their CD Release Show on September 24th. Below is the flyer I designed to advertise the show, along with the cover of their upcoming CD titled Who Are You. Take a listen to their tunes on Facebook, and if you live in AZ I better see you at the show on the 24th!

Here are the invitations and programs I designed for Mindy and Rich. Mindy is such a sweetheart and I so enjoyed working with her on these invites. I have to say that Rich is one lucky man. They are getting married this Saturday in Kansas City!  Best Wishes to them and their life together!

I realize it has been a little over two months since my last post. WOW have I been busy, and I am so excited to share some of the projects I have been working on lately. In efforts to catch up I will be posting two new projects each week so stay tuned…

Here are a few shots from a mini shoot with Little Miss Emma from the beginning of the summer

Below are a few spreads from the portfolio book that I photographed and designed for Creative Promotional Products. They work with so many companies, such as Absolut, Proctor and Gamble, Hard Rock, Schick, and Geico. They specialize in not so ordinary promotional products… for example, this 4 foot Mikes sandal (which drew a lot of attention as I shot this on the beach).

I had a blast shooting and laying out this book. This was my first time shooting products instead of people, and I really enjoyed setting up each scene. The concept was to present their portfolio in a clean layout and let the images speak for themselves. We paired words that describe what Creative and their products are all about. Now they have the perfect leave behind piece to give to clients after meetings.

This year Willow’s goal was to provide  500,000 seed packs for families in Zimbabwe. During the Celebration of Hope series volunteers held various seed packing events on the 5 campuses for three weeks. The packs consisted of vegetable seeds for carrots, squash, tomatoes, onions, and cabbage. Volunteers responded by packing 514,500 family packs, well beyond their goal. How great that Zimbabweans are now going to be able plant gardens and start growing their own food. Below are photos from one of the events.

Celebration of Hope is a three-week series that Willow’s Compassion and Justice Ministry put together. They support a village in Zimbabwe, and do this series every year to raise awareness, and provide support for them.  It is a time for Willow attenders to identify with them, and learn about ways they can get involved. They challenged the congregation to eat the diet of a Zimbabwean for 5 days (water, beans and rice, oatmeal, and tiny bits of chicken, tomatoes, squash, carrots, and broccoli). I attempted the diet, and it made me realize how fortunate we are to not have to eat the same thing every meal. It got to the point where I just wasn’t hungry because I didn’t want to eat the same meal again! I photographed the event and the exhibits they had on display in the lobby. Below are some shots from the opening weekend.

The Step Up Leadership Book is a 5 day series that all potential Community Life leaders at Willow go through before making the commitment to lead a group. They wanted the layout to resemble the All In Devotional Book that I had designed previously for them. I changed out the content, colors, textures, and designed a new cover for the book.

My first winter in Chicago has felt like forever!!!!! I am ready for spring. My favorite teas below have helped get me through the cold winter days : )

Pomegranate Blueberry Tea from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

This tea is so delicious. It has a unique taste from the mix of fruits.  It’s a combination of green, oolong, and black teas, infused with blueberry and pomegranate for a delightfully aromatic tea. Also, try it in the summer as an iced tea .

Relax from Trader Joes

This is my new favorite, that my tea loving mom told me about. It is true to its name. It literally relaxes you! It is packed with deliciousness including fennel seed, licorice, rooibos, anise, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, peppermint and strawberry leaf. This taste of this tea lingers, and will have you craving a second cup.

If there are any other tea lovers out there that have some favorites, I would love to know about them. Please share!