Weekly Truth

"Each Tuesday I design a new iPhone background with a different verse and share it on the blog. Seeing scripture several times throughout my day is always an encouragement to me - it reminds me of truth and helps me memorize new verses."

My description of Weekly Truth needs a revision. Not because it's wrong - these backgrounds are always an encouragement - but it's lacking the very important truth that this week's verse highlights. "Faith comes through hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." Romans 10:17

Faith comes through hearing God's word. How are people to believe in Christ if they have never heard about Him? They can't. If others are going to come to know the same saving faith we've experienced, they have to hear the word of the One who initiates it.

This means that the gospel has to be preached, taught, and shared. And in order for us to share it, we must know it well. That's why these weekly phone backgrounds are helpful, not just to brighten our day and remind us of truth, but to help us memorize it so that it can be shared. 

We have an amazing opportunity to help initiate and strengthen faith in others through Scripture. Let's find joy in memorizing God's Word so that others will hear and believe.

Instructions for setting your iPhone wallpaper: Once you've clicked the button above, hold your finger down on the image and save it to your photos by selecting Save Image. In your Settings app, go to Wallpapers & Brightness  >  Choose a New Wallpaper  > Camera Roll and select the image. You can set it as your lock screen, home screen, or both. 

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Recent Backgrounds

Each Tuesday I design a new iPhone background with a different verse and share it on the blog. Seeing Scripture several times throughout my day reminds me of truth, strengthens my faith, and helps me me memorize God's Word so I can accurately share it with others. Feel free to download, pin, and share these backgrounds as many times as you would like!

Monday's Letters

Dear Mr. Hooker, apparently you aren't the only Jake Hooker with incredible musical abilities {hint of sarcasm}. We googled your name this weekend and found out that your name-twin is a twangy country singer. Something tells me he can't sing Randy Travis's "Deeper Than The Holler" quite like you can. (P.S. It just so happens that my name-twin is a jazz vocalist. Who knew?)

Dear self, you officially became a southern gal this Saturday, thanks to your dear friend Jenny. If your love of sweet tea and slight southern drawl didn't confirm it already, you now have a pink monogrammed shirt from The Joyful Peach to seal the deal. And since all southern ladies enjoy visits to Charleston, your charming gentlemen of a husband probably needs to take you there for your upcoming anniversary...

Dear cute little baby goat from the farm by our Suite, I don't think I've ever smiled so big as I did when I saw you running yesterday, kicking your hind legs in the air and jumping around. Pure joy! If I'm ever having a bad day, I'll be sure to remember you. 

Dear Jake, what do you think about a baby goat for a pet? Just kid-ding! (I know... baaad pun.)

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Past Letters

Each Monday I write four letters: two letters to my husband and two random letters to whatever else is on my heart each week. What originally started as a fun way to record events and funny stories pleasantly developed into a weekly habit of practicing thankfulness.

July Favorites

July was a joy-filled whirlwind around Elle & Company. Lots of pretty paper goods were designed, a couple fun announcements were made, and several inspiring ladies were featured. Before I reveal the exciting things in store for August, let's take a quick look back at all that happened in July. 

I switched things up a bit one Friday and invited my Instagram followers to ask me questions for a Coffee Date. I talked about what I wanted to be when I grew up, where most of the clothes in my closet are from, how I stay motivated, and yes, I even shared our "love story." You can read the Q&A here.

I made the exciting announcement that I will be offering branding services through Elle & Company. I also wrote a blog post on what branding is and why it's so important. 

Several colorful printables were added to the Library, including recipe cards, a weekly to-do list, gift vouchers, and a fun kitchen print. 

I started a new Wednesday blog series on How to Start a Blog. I shared my own blog story and dug into fun topics on finding your niche, writing quality content, creating a loyal audience, and growing readership.

A handful of new Weekly Truth backgrounds were designed and shared each Tuesday. I must admit, these have been my favorite colors, patterns, and verses yet! I especially love this one.

It was a great joy to feature some of my favorite ladies in the Coffee Date series, too, including Katelyn James, Kristin Schmucker, and Bailey Robert.

And, as always, I wrote a handful of letters each Monday morning. They started as a creative way to journal weekly events and funny stories, and they always result in a thankful, happy heart. You can read the most recent letters here.

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What were some of your favorite Elle & Company posts this past month? 

Coffee Date with Kristin Schmucker

If you were to sneak a peek at my Daybook Planner, you would find at least two coffee dates penciled in each week. Not only do I love a good excuse to get my Starbucks fix; I adore spending an hour (or three) of one-on-one time with the sweetest, most encouraging women I know. Each Friday I try to bring that same laid back atmosphere and warm conversation to the blog by featuring some of my favorite ladies. These Coffee Date guests are all in different seasons of life and have great stories and wisdom to share. Highlighting them on the blog is something I look forward to every week.

When I think of encouraging ladies, Kristin Schmucker comes to mind. I've been following along with Kristin and her business on Instagram for several months, and not a day goes by where she isn't reminding me of what's most important. She's the heart behind a beautiful shop and photography business, she's a wife to a church planter and recent seminary grad, and she's a mama to two precious little girls, Stella and Sophia. I know you'll enjoy getting to know her this morning. 

What's in your coffee cup this morning?

I am not a huge coffee drinker, so I drink lots and lots of water. But when I need a little boost to get through the day I have coffee with a little bit of cocoa powder!

Give us a glimpse into a "day in the life" of Kristin Schmucker.

Having a toddler, my days can vary, but here is a peek at what a typical day is like. Since I am self-employed at Stella likes to sleep in, I don't have to get up too early. My day usually starts around 7 or 7:30. I get up and spend time in Scripture right away. For me being in God's Word as the very first thing I do is the best way to start the day. Stella usually wakes up before I finish and we spend the morning together. I also try to get some reading and exercise done in the morning. We usually have lunch as a family, and then Stella naps for most of the afternoon. This is when I really get most of my work done. Answering emails, fulfilling orders, painting and designing prints and products, and writing and designing Devotional journals. Just about the time Stella wakes up and it is time to start dinner, and then we spend the evening as a family.

You recently launched an Etsy shop full of prints, coffee mugs, and devotional journals. What inspired the shop and what has been your greatest joy in this new venture?

Opening my shop was what I refer to as a happy accident. It was never something that I set out to do, but as my passion for God's Word grew, I wanted to be able to help others cultivate a passion for God's Word. A lot of people started asking me to write a devotional, which was actually something I had always dreamed of doing and even told my husband about when we first started dating. My husband and I felt that it was time, and that it was a way that we could serve the Lord and minister to other women, and encourage them to make Scripture an important part of their lives. My greatest joy has been hearing about how women are spending time with the Lord using our journals. It is amazing to see something that was a dream of mine help others in their walk with the Lord.

How did you and Jeremy get into the wedding photography business? Do you have any advice to other ladies who are starting their own business?

We got into wedding photography because we fell in love with our wedding photos and the memories that our photographer captured, and because we love marriage. It started slow and grew into a full time job for both of us. My biggest advice to women wanting to start a business is to never stop learning and to do what you love. If you do what you love, it won't feel so much like work.

I have a feeling that life as a mama, wife, and business owner can get pretty stressful. How do you simplify?

It can be! Simplifying is a huge passion of mine, but something I am learning that I need to do more and more. I think you need to figure out what things are most important to you, and try to get rid of some other things that consume your time. Learning to say no is a huge thing. When I say no to something I am not passionate about and I don't really love, I am able to say YES! to the things that are most important. I try to keep my marriage and family more important than any work I am doing, and try to be aware that sometimes a tea party is more important than email.

What is something you've been loving lately?

I am kind of obsessed with the color white. Our home is full of white furniture, white picture frames and white decor. I think it makes everything look fresh and clean. I may be the only mother of a two year old with white furniture, but I am okay with that.

And just for fun, if you could have a Coffee Date with any woman, who would it be?

This may sound silly, but I would love to have a big coffee date with all of the women I have met through Instagram. It is my favorite form of social media and I have met some amazing women that just love Jesus and have a passion for life, and I would love to get together and just soak up their wisdom.

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Follow along with Kristin

Blog    |    Instagram    |    Facebook    |    Pinterest

It just so happens that Kristin launched her new Freedom and Grace journal yesterday (and lots of pretty art prints, too!) And guess what? She's offering Elle & Company readers 20% anything in her shop through next Friday, August 8th! Head on over there now and use the code elleandco at checkout. 

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Recent Coffee Dates:

The What & Why of Branding

What is branding?

If you type that question into Google's search engine, there's a good chance you'll get some lofty, vague answers. For example:

• "It's about saying you are who you say you are."  (Wait, what?)
• "Branding is defining a distinctive set of characteristics and crafting stories across a variety of mediums that communicate and contextualize those characteristics in vague and immersive ways." (Simple English, please.)
• "Branding is uncovering a human truth and then creating something that speaks to that truth." (What does that even mean?)

Although some people try to get deep and philosophical on the meaning of the term "brand", the definition doesn't have to be so complicated. A business's brand is their identity. Branding provides customers with an experience through visual communication (logo, design, marketing materials, website) and subliminal messaging (mission statement, atmosphere, customer service). 

But you know this already. For example:

It's Monday morning. Your boss scheduled an early morning staff meeting at the office, so you decide that one less hour of sleep is a good excuse for a grande 2-pump nonfat vanilla latte. When you enter store, you're greeted by the sounds and smells of coffee brewing and that friendly young man in a green apron who always remembers your signature beverage. He smiles at you while he writes your name on a white paper cup, and you use your iPhone app to pay. A minute later your name is called, you slip your full cup in a brown cardboard sleeve, and you're out the door with plenty of time left to get to your meeting.

You probably picked up on the popular coffee chain I was referencing, but notice that I never mentioned the name once. The Starbucks brand is successful because they provide customers with distinct associations, both visually and subliminally. Green aprons, custom beverages, friendly staff, white paper cups, brown cardboard sleeves. They even have their own special names for drink sizes. Their brand is much more than just a logo; it's an experience. 

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Why is branding important?

The benefits of branding are numerous. While I could go on for hours answering this question, I'll spare you the time and touch on the most important ones.

1. Memorability - If customers can't remember your business, they won't return to it. A cohesive brand identity provides your customers with a memorable experience that will differentiate your business from its competitors. 
2. User loyalty - When people have a positive experience with a memorable brand, they're more likely to be repeat customers. 
3. Consistency - A brand provides a framework to maintain consistency across all facets of a business. It ties together your business cards, website, product packaging, Facebook cover image, even your email signature.
4. Credibility - A successful brand establishes credibility by showing concern for the well-being of their customers. This can be mirrored and displayed in showing concern for all of the visual and non-visual details of your business. 
5. Familiarity - Branding has an effect on a business's non-customers, too. People who have encountered your business on social media, advertisements, and other outlets are more likely to recommend you to others, even if they haven't experienced your business firsthand.
6. Personality - A brand adds personality to your business by giving it a consistent set of traits. For example, the personality of the Levi's brand is rough, tough, outdoorsy, and athletic while the personality of the Downy brand is soft, family-oriented, and cheerful.
7. Quality - Your brand is always sending a message to your potential customers, whether you realize it or not. A thoughtful, well-designed brand gives off a message of quality and intent. But a pieced-together, inconsistent brand could be sending people the message that you haven't put much thought into the details.
8. Clarity - A potential customer's attention span is low, and you don't have long to catch a buyer's eye. A successful brand gives people a concise, accurate definition of your business in a short amount of time.
9. Visibility - Colors, logos, font-choices, patterns, and other distinctive visual elements of a brand give customers images to associate with your business. You can picture the logos and colors of successful brands without thinking twice: Coca Cola, Apple, McDonalds, to name a few.
10. Stability - When your logo, marketing materials, and online presence is ever-changing, chances are your business is, too. A consistent, cohesive brand reflects stability. 

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Are you in need of a rebrand?

A strong brand allows you to build an intentional, successful business by attracting the clients you want. Investing in great design will separate you from competitors, create a professional visual presence, and maintain consistency across all platforms of your business. Branding is much more than a logo; each and every detail should be distinctly you. 

In order to have a cohesive brand, I believe it's important to work through both the visual aspects of your brand as well as the non-visual. As a designer, I have the education and experience to provide you with a visual representation of your business and help you work through streamlining every detail. And as a business owner, I understand and appreciate the time and heart you've poured into your business. Let's reflect your hard work through a beautiful, meaningful brand.

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For more details on pricing and the Elle & Company branding process, click here.

Are you interested in working together? Visit the contact page. I can't wait to hear from you!