Bed time stories, school trips to the library, perusing the Scholastic catalogue or book fair for your next read – luckily, our relationships with the literary world started as young children. And your parents hoped that one day you’d get over the monotonous book reports and develop a true love for reading. After years, you started collecting and stacking books on your nightstand. You’d carry a book in your backpack to read while sipping on coffee at a local coffee shop or even traveled with it by plane, car, train or boat to your summer destination. There is nothing like the escape a book offers as you dive into a few hundred pages of adventure, romance or mystery.

The list of what rests on your book shelf whether it’s a collection of science fiction, horror, fantasy, drama or biographies can go on for days. During the AIGA Toledo Summer Show, designers were asked to dust off their favorite book and give it a good read. Then, create!

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert was a current favorite. Inspired by botany, the subject of the book, I soaked linen paper in tea and applied moss to the paper.

Away with Words is an installment of the annual AIGA Toledo Summer Show and serves as a fundraising event for AIGA Toledo. Funds raised during this event is used to give back to the community through design related programs.

The best part of growing up in the Catholic school system is the uniforms, the second best is the life-long friendships, the third best? The morals and values instilled upon us. When Regina Coeli Catholic Church approached us to create an identity for them, I was ecstatic. I spent time researching the church and exploring it in solitude.

Regina Coeli translates to Queen of Heaven which is gracefully depicted in their new identity. The curve and cross that sits above the figure of Mary reflects the curve and cross that sits atop the church, an image I remember seeing while playing softball in the fields of the school as a young girl.

Selected outside judges as a participant of the Sit&Tell Project with AIGA Toledo and The Arts Commission.

On World Storytelling Day, I had the pleasure of escorting Patrick to the space in the Collingwood Art Center where he'd be telling his story. Little did I know, The Collingwood Art Center has been his since it's inception. Pat had us laughing and crying. And, by the end of his storytelling, I wanted to give him a hug, I felt like I knew him. It was at the point where he paused to discuss his daughter and her struggle with a son who suffered from Cystic Fibrosis. This is where he had me. Out of his many stories of strong women in the area, I knew this was one I wanted to explore. Little did I know that I'd be assigned his stories. 

As a young teen, I volunteered at a Summer Cystic Fibrosis Camp, giving children and other teens a way to escape from the troubles of their lives. The 3 children across the street also had this genetic disease that took their lives in their early twenties. How devastating it must be, as a parent, to know from an early age that they would outlive their child. After studying up on Cystic Fibrosis (CF), I read that breathing through a straw for just 60 seconds gives you a small glimpse of what it's like to live with CF. I tried it and lasted a whole 30 seconds before I gave in. With this thought in mind, I took to watercolors and a straw to cover a paper with pigment by simply blowing out of a straw. This too was hard. I was light headed at the end, like I had just blown up balloon after balloon. With this, I took the word breathe and placed it on the paper. The word expands to not only the CF victims but everyone it effects, including Patrick's daughter, Sheila. 

The pattern in the background is hand sketched baby's breath turned into vector to represent the lungs. Baby's breath is a symbol of everlasting love, pureness and innocence. To me, this fits perfectly to the disease. Everlasting love from the mother, who sat by her sons side as he fought. Pureness and innocence for Kevin, the victim of the disease.

I also want to take a moment to note all of the other women in Pat's life. It was tough to pick just one story to focus on, from his own mother, to those who gave to the arts and served for our country, they are all strong and beautiful. And, special mention to his wife, Rita. After researching the family, I put her face to his name. Rita was one of my 6th grade teachers. It's interesting to know the teacher beyond the classroom. And, I'm thankful for the stories he shared. 

For more information on the Sit&Tell Project and to listen to Patrick’s story, visit here.

With love, care and a bit of trust, I was honored to take on the role of event planner and even DJ for my brother’s wedding. Purple & grey, hot air balloons, chevron, vintage glass bottles and multi-colored sprinkles were the theme of the wedding. The theme traveled throughout the wedding, from custom coozies to hand-painted corn hole boards.

The invitations were printed digitally and i-cut to keep the cost down on the custom design.

The balloon theme then carried over to their announcement of their first son, Jude.

For a recap of their wedding, visit Making the Moment here.

Collateral designs for The University of Toledo's Alumni Association's Art Fair. For over 20 years, regional artisans have sold their handmade goods on the campus of The University of Toledo. Each year, they try to feature a different medium in their promotions. 

The top design features blown glass and showcases the natural flow of glass when heated to high temperatures to create masterpieces as shown through the illustration. 

The bottom design features yarn, showcasing knitted goods. With recent yarn bombings throughout cities across the world, the medium of yarn has become hip again. To create this design, I taught myself how to knit a little yarn bomb for the paint brush that is part of the Art on the Mall brand. The design was then illustrated in order to accommodate the t-shirt design. 

Selected by outside judges to participate in the Sit&Tell Project by AIGA Toledo and The Arts Commission.

Living the dream. This is it. This woman of Toledo (a friend of a friend) somehow received an offer of a lifetime, planning exclusive parties and putting together floral arrangements on a semi-private island for a billionaire. It's what she always wanted but, without her knowing, she fell in love with our city. She planted roots here. 

After listening to Kate's story of her friend who was leaving for the ultimate adventure, I spent a day exploring Oak Openings to get a feel for what the tree covered island may bring to her. Since the pines of "The Spot" aren't native to Ohio, I decided that's where I'd go and explore. The smell, the silence, the creaking of the tall pines in the wind, the needles on the ground crunching beneath me and pine cones scattered here and there, this is what it must be like out there. Right? One can dream. I collected remnants of the forest and took them back to my house. Enjoyed the smell and scanned them into my computer. Thus, repetitive image of the pine cone. 

The pine cone represents the constant moves throughout life and the dropping of seeds along the way, eventually planting roots. While researching the symbolism of the pine cone, I found that it is similarly shaped to the Pineal Gland. And, the Pineal Gland is often thought to be related to the third eye, a symbol of intuition and spiritual illumination. Naturally, the soul's light is perfect for this adventure. Follow your dream, Patty; spread seeds, plant roots and enjoy every second. 

For more information on the Sit&Tell Project and to listen to Kate’s story, click here.

Selected by AIGA Toledo as a participant of the You Are Here project in collaboration with The Arts Commission.

After researching the building that stands at 405 Madison Avenue, I discovered that the site used to house the popular Boody Hotel which was torn down in the late 1920’s. In 1932, the Ohio Bank Building stood in its place. While exploring the building, I found plenty of characteristics that were common to the Art Deco style of architecture. Art Deco is typically based on symmetry, geometric shapes and has influences from cubism, futurism and even relates back to neoclassical design.

As a child, I started collecting vintage glass bottles that washed up along the shores of the Sandusky River. When I found out that the PNC building was once the global headquarters for Owens-Illinois, a local glass container company, I was ecstatic. This building and I have something in common– we grew up in Toledo and we have a thing for glass.

So, I took my love for patterns and combined it with my love of bright colors. The glass bottle that stands in the center is an illustration of an old Pepsi bottle I found in my collection. It even has the old punt marks from O-I on the bottom of it. The city of Toledo has many things to be proud of. Being known as the Glass City will never shake from our history.

For more information on the You Are Here project visit here.

Participant of the AIGA Toledo Summer Show, Popcorn Posters.

In 2006, I spent the summer studying abroad and wandering the streets of Florence, Italy. On hectic flight there, Roman Holiday was aired on the plane which made me fall in love with the country before stepping foot off the plane. Naturally, I chose the Audrey Hepburn & Gregory Peck film as my choice of a poster redesign for our annual fundraiser show benefiting AIGA Toledo.