Design : Event Posters

Since it's been a while since I've shared any of my design work, I thought that today should be the day. (For any new readers, I'm a second year graphic design student at a local college.) These two posters were for events held by our church over the summer, and they were both quick, fun poster projects. Lots of colour, cheery typography, and minimal text information. Easy, breezy, and relatively high impact. The posters were tacked up around the neighbourhood and were also re-sized to be used as personal invitations. Fun!

I love getting the chance to play with typography and new design techniques when I have a willing client or on a personal project. A little tidbit for those dabbling in design: when creating a printed project, or a web project, for that matter, choose up to three fonts - no more. Even of those three fonts, it's great if you only choose two, and then make your third choice a variation of one of your other fonts (italicized, bold, light, etc.) This will help your design to be more cohesive and let your design and proper font choices be the highlight, not a visual distraction. Fun fact of the day!

Happy Wednesday!

Little Lentil : 13 Weeks

Today, I've reached 13 weeks in my pregnancy. That thrills me, terrifies me, blows my mind. I feel so blessed that our little bean is growing and changing and has stayed inside me. Whether it's the pessimist in me, the worrywart, or the fact that for far too long I couldn't imagine that this moment would be possible, my mind can't comprehend that I have a thirteen week old baby inside me! Seriously, so blessed.

After some prodding and inspiration from Heid, I've decided to start tracking my pregnancy here on the blog. It makes me feel exposed and also makes this feel real. Part of me would love to write a letter to our baby every week, but that may come in future weeks and I may decide to keep it private. We'll see what each week holds!

A card that we received this weekend from a thoughtful friend

Here are some fun facts for this week:

Week: Thirteen

What's going on inside: Fingerprints are forming on the little bean's fingertips! You would be able to see the baby's veins and organs through its transparent skin (that's a freaky mental image - sorry!).

What's going on outside: I'm still on two medications to help me combat nausea and vomiting, but I've been trying to wean myself back to three pills a day of one of the meds. The evenings are the worst time of the day, but manageable as long as I stick close to home. I need a nap almost daily, but have a lot more energy than previous weeks.

How big is that lentil? The baby's about the length of a pea pod and weighs one ounce. Hefty!

Total weight loss/gain: I lost about 18 pounds in the first part of the pregnancy, and haven't gained an ounce back. I'm sure it will start soon :) I did notice this week that I can't suck in my belly any more - the baby bump has started!

Food cravings: So far, I'm willing to eat anything that doesn't turn my stomach. All fried foods and the smell of food frying make me feel nauseated, which isn't a bad thing to be turned off of. Small portions fairly often are my food of choice, but as soon as I'm feeling a little bit better, I hope to be able to plan meals according to what the little lentil needs: iron, protein, that sort of thing. For now, my doctor and I are happy with me being able to eat at all.

Best moment this week: Hearing our baby's heartbeat for the first time at my doctor's appointment yesterday! My doctor seemed to think that everything is going A-ok. My next appointment is in four weeks, and I'll be 17 weeks along!

Happy Tuesday!

Preserving : A Follow-up

Apple Rosemary Herb Jelly

Well, I've begun a new and addictive hobby: preserving, or canning. As I mentioned in my last post, I have wanted to try canning for a number of years but kept making silly excuses. I've finally bit the bullet and begun my adventure.

This week, I've made cranberry citrus marmalade and apple rosemary herb jelly, which were polar opposites in production. The cranberry citrus marmalade, a beautiful ruby-hued concoction, took me most of an afternoon since it involved many steps - and it was also the first recipe that I tried. Sterilizing the jars in world's largest pot, heating the lids for exactly five minutes in hot water, zesting oodles of oranges and lemons, creating a citrus syrup, busting out the food processor to mince the frozen local cranberries, oranges, and lemons, the list goes on and on. I'm glad that I had the entire day to take my time! I usually fly by the seat of my pants when following, or not following, a recipe, but since the process involved sealing and sterilization, I meticulously followed each and every step of the recipe. The apple rosemary herb jelly was a much smoother process, perhaps due to the fact that after already making one type of preserve, I was an old pro! Hehe. I used rosemary that I grew in my little herb garden this summer, and have just enough left to create one more batch.

Leave it to Martha Stewart to create a lovely kraft sticker that's perfect for labelling. Her new organizational product line at Staples is an isle full of spending temptation, but once I spotted the kraft stickers, I knew I was a goner. Paired with my trusty Sharpie pen, I hand-wrote labels for each glass jar. Nothing like a handmade touch to re-establish the fact that I, indeed, did create the concoctions myself. My designer self loves a touch of personality :)

Next on my list of preserves? A firey-hot date chutney. I'm not a fan of the name that the author gave the chutney, so I'll have to put on my thinking cap and come up with something a little bit more "me". I also purchased a large produce bag filled with fragrant ginger, and plan to try pickling it. I don't ever eat the pickled ginger on my sushi plate (ick!) after attempting several times to stomach it, but I can see adding pickled ginger to stirfries, meatballs, and other flavourful meals. It will look pretty in the glass canning jars, too.

Wanna give canning a go? Come on over! I'd love for you to join me in my new adventure :)

Happy Monday!

New Adventure : Preserving

A wonderful book on preserving - I highly recommend it!

A locally grown red pepper, ripe and ready

Something about the cooler weather, more time spent indoors and the strong desire for comfort during the fall makes me eager to try new projects. This week, I've decided to tackle preserving. I have wanted to make preserves for the past several harvests, but due that bad habit of procrastination, I never had the opportunity. I'm surrounded by talented women in my life that have wonderfully filled cupboards and shelves year after year. This year, I also started reading several blogs that have a hand in preserving - my favourite being Natalie Creates.

Two years ago, I purchased The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving as a Christmas present for my mother after reading a library copy, and several weeks ago, I borrowed it from her. I stuck a bookmark or two (or fifteen!) in my favourite recipes and began the search for the ingredients. Dan and I have had a handmade Christmas for the past four years, where all of our gifts that we share with others are handmade by us or purchased from a crafter. Due to a desire to decrease our Christmas spending this year, I have hopes of making the majority of our presents this year. A fun bottle of flavourful jam or chutney would be a welcomed gift in any home, so I'm eager to get started.

One recipe that I'm excited to try is herb jelly. I have a few herbs that are still thriving in my containers on my step outside, and I'd like to try a combination of apple and rosemary. Wouldn't it be delicious with a pork roast, mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables? (Can you tell that it's suppertime? LOL.)

I've yet to set a day to begin my new adventure (actually, I had wanted to start last night but it just wasn't in the cards - darn old nausea) but I'll keep you posted as to how I make out! I'm excited, and slightly terrified, to get started.

How about you? Have you tried preserving? Any other new recipe escapades? I'd love to hear from you!

Happy Tuesday!

Multitude Monday

Well, now that the cat's out of the bag, I can share this image here on Polka Dot Soup. We've got a bun in the oven. Baby on the way. Papoose on the loose.

Multitude Monday? This new development tops the list. Every list. Our little miracle baby is due May 6th. I'm 10 weeks along. That is what I'm thankful for this week, this month, this year, this lifetime. Thank you for sharing in our joy with us. Dan and I are extremely grateful for all of the well wishes, messages, and phone calls.

Happy Monday!