September Project #2: Stewardship Narrative Budget

“Wealth is a responsibility and the sharing of it a way of life.”
-Peter Haas, Jr.

The end of September seemed like crazy time for me... the deadlines of five different projects were scheduled within a week of each other. Projects that I have put my heart and soul into for months... Projects that I am extremely proud of... Projects that I was eager to see completed and well-received...

I just want to share a few snapshots of several of these projects over the next few posts...

Project #2: Stewardship Narrative Budget
Last Fall I was asked to serve on the Stewardship Committee at my church. I balked at first, thinking that of all the committees available, Stewardship and Finance would be the last that I would have chosen. However, my journey with my 2013 One Little Word, "momentum" inspired me to "say yes and figure it out later."

Not sure what to expect at my first meeting back in January, I did some quick online research about what ideas I could bring to the committee. As a memory-keeper and story-teller, I was enamored by the idea of a narrative budget to tell the stories of the church's ministries, and hopefully to inspire people to give to them.

I introduced the idea at one of our first meetings and soon found myself leading a 2014/15 Narrative Budget initiative. I spent the first half of the year interviewing church leaders, composing the stories, wrangling photos, and designing the document itself.

We decided early on that we would use the church website as the main point of distribution of the document, rather than printing out copies for the whole congregation. This is a bit of a shift for our church, so I spent the last few months developing a robust marketing campaign... it doesn't do any good to work so hard on the document itself, if nobody actually reads it.

The campaign rolled out on the last Sunday in September (coinciding with the celebration of our Dare to Share summer stewardship challenge... which was another of the many end-of-September projects I was working on), and it seems to have gotten a positive response. Of course, the true test will be the estimates of giving that roll in a few weeks from now...

Check out the website and the Narrative Budget document for yourself! Click here.

September Project #1: E-Learning Modules

“If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.”
-John Dewey

The end of September seemed like crazy time for me... the deadlines of five different projects were scheduled within a week of each other. Projects that I have put my heart and soul into for months... Projects that I am extremely proud of... Projects that I was eager to see completed and well-received...

I just want to share a few snapshots of several of these projects over the next few posts...

Project #1: Genetics e-learning modules
The Genetics department at work asked me if I would be willing to help them create self-directed learning modules for first-year medical students based on three different clinical scenarios. While not directly aligned with my current job description, projects like these are right up my alley.

My design/communications/e-learning experience was matched with a clinical geneticist who acted as the content expert for the project.

I worked in a program called Articulate Storyline and was able to devise some really neat interactions for the students to get instant feedback as they worked through the modules. Here's the behind-the-scenes screenshot and a snippet of the storyboard used for one of the modules. The neat thing about this program is how easy it is to create branching storylines for a "choose-your-own-adventure" experience.

I held my breath and kept my fingers crossed on the day that we released the modules to the students. A little technological glitch or small conflicts with the content could ruin the whole thing. Luckily there were only two students who had trouble accessing the modules, and I had unintentionally, but luckily built a way around it!

Here are a few screenshots from the modules themselves:

I could totally see myself creating similar modules and organizing such projects as a full-time career in a few years. A perfect blend of my passions for education and design. In the meantime, I'll be trying to get my hands on another project like this so that I can beef up my portfolio.

It's a ...

"Snips and snails, And puppy-dogs' tails, That's what little boys are made of."

I left you hanging the other day, waiting for the big news... which will it be?

Well... Rob and I are excited to announce that we are expecting a baby boy, due at the very end of January 2015! Everything looked wonderful at our 20-week appointment yesterday! [The news is just too good not to shout from the rooftops (aka, every social media platform)!]

After every doctor's visit, we've celebrated with a doughnut (or two!). Yesterday was no exception...

We had something extra special to celebrate this time!

Krispy Kreme even had the light on for us. Nothing beats a hot, fresh glazed doughnut...

 

Can't wait to meet you, Baby Boy!!

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Want to print some "It's a boy" or "It's a girl" cupcake flags for your own celebration? Just right-click the image below and choose Save As...

Which will it be?

"Before you were born I carried you under my heart. From the moment you arrived in this world until the moment I leave it, I will always carry you in my heart."
-Mandy Harrison

In the spirit of this post by Elizabeth Ivie and in honor of finding out Baby B's gender this week (fingers crossed that baby cooperates!), here's our own little guessing game:

• Carrying high or carrying low? High means GIRL
• Baby's heart rate under or over 140 beats per minute? Over means GIRL
• Not much nausea or lots of nausea? Lots of nausea means GIRL (although I never actually got sick, so does that count?)
• Craving meat or fruit? Meat means BOY 
• Pregnant abdomen all front or out side to side? Belly all front means BOY
• Feet colder or warmer than before pregnancy? Warmed means GIRL
• The Chinese gender prediction test says GIRL when you use the dates based on the Chinese lunar year
• During the "ring test," the ring swings in a circle or the ring swings side to side? Around and around means BOY

Rob is convinced that Baby B is a girl. He sends me sweet texts like, "How are my girls doing today?" and even calls "her" by the girl's name we have picked out. I think that he will be completely shocked if we see anything between the legs!

I, on the other hand, am less sure. I find the pronoun "he" coming out of my mouth as often as "she." At this point I think I would be more comfortable with a girl (I grew up in a house of girls!), but since I was a kid, I wanted to raise rough and tumble boys.

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Given all of the "evidence," do you think Baby B is a girl or a boy?

What is the shape of your pregnant abdomen?

It's all front

It's more on my hips, buttocks, and thighs

It's neither front or lower

According to many myths, belly all front could come from this baby being a boy.

- See more at: http://www.babymed.com/boy-or-girl-gender-prediction-quiz-and-test?question=8&response=1#sthash.8RabR7vU.dpuf

How pointy is your bump?

I am carrying low

I am carrying high

Not one or the other

According to myths, it's more likely a girl if you carry high.

- See more at: http://www.babymed.com/boy-or-girl-gender-prediction-quiz-and-test?question=1&response=1#sthash.5tVO76bu.dpuf

Nursery Fabrics

"To be pregnant is to be vitally alive, thoroughly woman, and undoubtedly inhabited."
-Anne Buchanan

My mom planned to visit for Labor Day weekend. And, knowing that this might be the only time she's at my house before Baby B is here, I really wanted to take advantage of her sewing expertise and get started on the nursery.

A new sewing project means one thing... a trip to Mary Jo's Cloth Store. I headed up to Gastonia (only an hour and a half from my house) one Saturday afternoon with the goal of gathering fabric swatches in a couple of color schemes.

Mary Jo's Cloth Store... the fabric mecca of the Southeast

We wouldn't know Baby B's gender for a few more weeks, so I wanted to start with a gender-neutral base. (Even if we did know, I don't think we'd go over-the-top girly or boyish anyway!)

Two and a half hours later, I had collected three sets of fabrics. However, before I even got home, I had already narrowed it down to the top two contenders. Take a look!

Would it be Option A? The modern woodland theme?

[clockwise: Riley Blake Boy Stripes Orange | Riley Blake Scenic Critters Blue | Riley Blake Boy Swirls Aqua | Michael Miller Tile Pile Dirt | Michael Miller Garden Pindot Clem]

Or would it be Option B? The graphic feather theme?

[clockwise: Michael Miller Birds of a Feather Quill | Micheal Miller Clown Stripe Limeade | Michael Miller Garden Pindot Clem | Michael Miller Dino Roars Stitch | Michael Miller Diddly Dot Sky]

I gave myself two weeks to decide before my mom came to town and we could go back to purchase the full yardage. Although I (and everyone else that I asked) was originally leaning towards Color Scheme A, halfway through I started to second-guess myself.

Any guesses as to which direction I chose?