A few weeks back, I saw a posting on the MomPack looking for a web designer who would barter design services.  It’s been so long since I’ve taken on any web design clients and even longer since I’ve donated or did design work pro-bono.  The first websites I ever designed were back in 1996 (yes that means I’m old).  lol!  My first design clients came in 2000.  And some of those I took on as pro-bono sites to help me build a portfolio.  One of those sites (which is no longer up and running) was done for an older woman who created handmade floral craft items.  I took her site on for free so I could learn more about shopping carts.  In the end, I had created a very large ordering site for her that brought her a nice chunk of regular orders and income to supplement her retirement.  It was a website that she could never have afforded.  It was a great feeling.

I’m not sure what spurred me to e-mail this particular lady back.  I have no idea how I even caught the e-mail because I haven’t been actively reading the MomPack list in a long time.  But I did.  So I checked out her current site and saw that it had enough content in place that it would work as a wordpress site.  Having just redid my blog, I thought it would be nice to delve a little more into wordpress.  So I e-mailed the lady.

The non-profit is an Indiana organization run by Christine Martin.  She started it last year in hopes of helping local single parent families and families who have experienced a loss of a child.  It hit a little too close to home.  Having just helped Jeanine get through a nasty divorce and seeing firsthand the changes single parenting has brought to her life, I thought karma seemed to be staring me in the face.  I was going to help this lady if she’d let me.

So after a few e-mails back and forth with her, I started working on the website over the past few weekends.  Unfortunately, I did not take a before shot of her old website. I usually do when I work a redesign but I completely forgot and the DNS switched.  Bravenet – her old hosting – does not allow website viewing of accounts that aren’t pointing to them so there was no way to go back and view the old site using Bravenet’s server domain.  I tried.  So, I have no before shot unfortunately.

The before site was mainly white with text.  It had a menu at the top that linked to all the individual text pages.  It was designed using Bravenet’s website creator and was very basic.

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During the month of September, I started designing again.  I haven’t “designed” in a very very long time.  I wasn’t planning on going anywhere specifically with my playing just wanted to design and hopefully get some mojo back.  I came away with several new fall papers (a couple of packs are selling at KV for only $1.00) – not sure if they really coordinate – but I was happy with them.   Of those new papers, I decided to share two of the them as freebies today.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

I’m also giving away a sample word frame.  Other frames like this are up in the KV store selling a group of 6 for a $1.00.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

If you download anything, please leave me a comment so I know if I’m on the right track again.

Thanks and enjoy!

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I think I’ve been found out… by myself?…hmmm

Today’s Horoscope

You’ve decided to blow the whistle on yourself, Jen! All of a sudden, it’s obvious that you’re not performing as well as you should be. It is time to put the legendary Capricorn self-discipline to work. You may change your work methods, budget your money more carefully, or diversify your activities. Perhaps you’ll reorganize your team at work. All sorts of solutions are available to you.

Yes.  It’s called procrastination and laziness… two of my most favorite words in the world.  lol!

I think I like this one better.

Honor your contract with yourself. Respect your own desires.

Yes.  I need to respect my own desires more.  I know I do.  It seems like the universe is trying to tell me it is time for a change.

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