madiludesigns.com

For Christine

Kim — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:43:49 +0000

Truth be told, I’m behind on blogging and sharing current work. We’ve had an incredibly busy spring. We’ve had field day, a couple of 5K fundraising races, my husband ran a marathon, confirmation, two upcoming graduations, cheerleading tryouts, teacher appreciation luncheon, and a big service project for our local food pantry/assistance program. Baseball season started for the boys. My oldest will begin high school next year and the youngest is going to kindergarten. My dad is healthy and … drumroll … back to work a few days a week! We’re definitely in a state of transition mixed with a little bit of chaos. I texted my husband, “I can’t wait until school is out!”. He saved it and I’m sure he will text it back as a reminder by mid-June.

I’m working and working instead of blogging but vow to get back to more blogging. Someone text me that mid-June as well! This is the logo and marketing set we wrapped up for Christine this spring. I love the happy yellow mixed with the classy gray. Excited for you, Christine! Have a great weekend and “Happy Mother’s Day” to all of you beautiful mothers. Enjoy your day!

For Jen

Kim — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:00:29 +0000

One way to set yourself apart from the competition is to have a business name that stands out. Jen in a Million is definitely different! We worked on her logo and marketing pieces. The bright colors and loads of tiny stars catch your eye.

Not only is Jen a rock star photographer, she’s an awesome singer as well. She shared that she was once part of an octet that sang the theme song to “The Simpsons”. It was actually featured at the end of one of their episodes … pretty cool stuff! I’m a little jealous, as I can’t carry a tune to save my life. I so felt Cameron Diaz’s pain in this scene. It might not be a coincidence her name is “Kimmy” in the movie. Enjoy and have a great day!

For Holly

Kim — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:22:14 +0000

Sharing the lovely Holly’s new logo and set. She wrote a very good blog post about branding. It’s cool to see your work in action. Holly is even cooler. Check it out and see what you think! Leave her some love and stay tuned for Part 2!

For Kensie

Kim — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:01:54 +0000

Sharing a new logo and marketing pieces for the talented Kensie! She was after something with a bit of an urban feel. I love how these colors fit together to pull it off and still give it a clean feel. Stop by and tell her “hello”! More posts to come. My “staff” returns to school tomorrow following Easter break. Have a great day!

Today IS the Day

Kim — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:09:20 +0000

If you’ve followed my blog, Facebook or know me personally, most likely you know I’ve spent the last week in Ecuador. I stepped way out of my comfort zone, which generally happens within a 1 mile radius from my front door. The goal of Team Simply Love was to help Bless an Orphan with the final stages of prep work for the orphanage opening in a few weeks. We also brought a ton of donations … seriously awesome! When you cut to the chase, I painted murals, doors, scrubbed toilets and bathrooms, cleaned windows, played with the sweetest kiddos you could ever imagine, taught about 60+ Spanish speaking children to play Ring Around the Rosey and the Hokey Pokey, delivered food to a village, trekked through the jungle and spend the final day white water rafting with our team. I’d mentioned we were installing water pumps in the villages, but truthfully, the guys ended up doing that while we organized countless bins of clothes and donations.

What I learned on this trip is the part that I want to integrate into my everyday life and share with my children. At some point, we had the saying, “if I was going to “insert phrase here“, today would be the day”. Most phrases included things related to third world countries or jungle life in general, like “bring home a parasite, eat a worm, get lice, contract malaria, have an infected finger, come face to face with an anaconda, eat rice for breakfast, get washed down the river, have the brakes go out while driving down the mountain” and many, many more.

The more we said it, the more I realized that today really IS the day. Every single day we are given the opportunity to start fresh, to make a difference and to be a better person. Every single day. Today is the day you can choose to step outside of your box and try something new, even when you’re scared. Today is the day you can learn something new about yourself, connect with a complete stranger, teach someone a life skill and offer comfort to someone who may be less fortunate. Today is the day to be a friend or make a new friend. Today is the day to help someone in their time of need. Today is the day dream big and then begin to go after those dreams. Or maybe today is the day you just unplug for a bit, take a step back and simply love.

New Location, New Look

Kim — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 02:38:55 +0000

Sharing Malisa’s new logo and set. We’d worked together once before. This sweet girl is getting hitched and has relocated. It was the opportune time to rebrand. We did a bright and whimsical look this time. I’m loving how this turned out! Wishing you much success, Malisa!

I’ve mentioned a few times that I’m taking a mission trip. It’s not a long trip, but the time is here. I will be out of touch all of next week. I’ll respond to questions, inquiries and all messages as soon as I possibly can. I feel incredibly blessed to be traveling to see these special children. This is a new experience for me and and it comes with mixed emotions … happy, excited, nervous all at the same time. I’m going to miss my family, but I hope to come back a better person. I want to teach my children so much and am looking forward to sharing stories and pictures. I’m looking forward to unplugging and hope to return a little renewed and refreshed. Please keep our group in your prayers during our travels.

Have a wonderful week. Talk soon!

Custom Branding: Little Bird Photography

Kim — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:36:21 +0000

Hello! I’ve been putting blogging on the back burner in an attempt to catch up on other things. I’ve been a girl on a mission! Speaking of missions, I’m going to have my first ever mission experience this month. I’m traveling with a team to Ecuador. It’s a small group and we’re going to meet with the organization Bless an Orphan. We’ll be working in the orphanage and also helping with the installation of a water well. I’m a huge combination of nervous and excited, but it’s something that’s been on my heart for a very long time. My dad is doing much better. I’ve been on the fence about leaving, but I also feel like I have so much to be thankful for and it’s a good way to give back, even if it’s just a little. Anyway, if you don’t hear from me for a bit, I’ve skipped town … actually the country.

This is Shelley’s new logo and set. I love all of the little details that went into this. Her gift certificate and sticker use the camera die-cut from Black River Imaging. It’s always fun to incorporate those shapes into your marketing pieces and mix things up. Wishing you well, sweet Shelley!

Leapin’ Lizards!

Kim — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:23:43 +0000

Last day of February. Can you believe that? I feel like the last half of the month has flown by. First things first … thank you to everyone who has been keeping my family in your prayers. Thank you for the sweet messages, the kind emails, the comments and posts. Thank you for taking time out of your day. I’m happy to share that my dad is doing wonderful! He was released from the hospital over the weekend. Last night I had a chance to Skype with him and he looks so good. He’s got a new ‘do … or lack of a ‘do … and a pretty nasty scar. My kids think it makes him look tough. It’s hard to believe a week ago he was in ICU and there was still a lot up in the air. What a strong guy! And my mom … bless her heart. She’s just as strong as he is. She’s been by his side the entire time. They will celebrate 42 years of marriage this year. I can only hope I’m as blessed! Again, thank you, thank you, thank you. Your prayers really helped during a very tough time. xx

Let’s leap around a bit for fun! My friend, Sheye, is having a giveaway. If you’ve never seen her work, I highly recommend checking out her site and actions. Aysha is giving away a 50 1.4 to celebrate her one year anniversary. Congrats, Aysha! That lens is on my want list! Another sweet friend, Amanda, is getting ready to announce her in-person workshop. Check her site for a sneak peek of the details. Last, but not least, the incredibly talented Wendy Cunningham had her new packaging featured on the Pursuit 31 blog. It’s so cool to see shots of my designs once they are printed. Feel free to share! I’d love to see them.

All right … as you can imagine, I’m working night and day to catch up but very close to getting there. Diet Dr. Pepper has once again become my BFF. Have a great day!

Update

Kim — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:49:50 +0000

If you’ve read my Facebook page, you may know that my dad had an accident last week. My parents were vacationing in Florida. There were only there a short time, and my dad fell. He had a head injury and had surgery early last Thursday morning. My sister and I flew in as it’s a 14 hour drive for all of us. He did good with the surgery, just a few post-op complications but we were pretty confident he was on the road to recovery. We just needed to help him get his strength back and get them home. Flying isn’t an option because of the surgery and a 14 hour road trip would be pretty painful.

He was discharged Monday and we took them back to the vacation house so he could rest. That morning (early yesterday), he was complaining about a severe headache. All signs pointed to taking him back to the ER. He has some fluid on his brain and they performed a second surgery last night. At this time he’s in surgical ICU and we’re right back where we started. It’s been incredibly scary and frustrating to say the least. My dad is such an awesome guy. I was recently working on a project application and had listed him as my role model. He’s incredibly smart and I blame him for my crazy work ethic. It’s really tough to see him in this state. It’s even tougher not to know what lies ahead.

I appreciate all of the emails and messages. I’ve always thought the world of my clients, but I truly believe I work with some of the best people in the industry. I appreciate everyone’s patience. I’m trying to work and keep up with things, but I’m a little quiet on the email side. I will get caught up. I promise. Please keep my family in your prayers. We’re ready to get out of Florida. I really miss those kiddos of mine! I’d post a picture of my dad and I from the hospital, but I’d be in trouble if he’d see it! From the bottom of my heart … thank you!

For Aysha Nicole

Kim — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:15:39 +0000

I’m a multi-tasker while I work. If I’m saving a large file, I’ll catch up on email. If I’m uploading files, I’ll make a phone call, take notes or put together a sample. This pretty much means I’m attached to my chair for very long periods of time. This morning I was uploading files and decided to stretch. I’m supposed to run a 5K this weekend and my muscles are screaming at me. I did the Cha-Cha Slide. In my tiny office. It was awesome! Thank goodness no one was watching. I can feel the blood flowing already. You should try it!

Sharing Aysha’s new logo and set. Are you feeling the purple and gray? I am! It’s such an upscale, classy look. Aysha is young, energetic and has a whole lot going for her. I look for big things to come!