BrainFreeze

I filmed, starred in, and edited this for a class but the story is very real and dear to my heart. I put a lot of work into this but so many people were absolutely imperative in this journey.  I could not have gotten this far without God, my amazing family, boyfriend, friends, professors, mentors and doctor.
Take a look at this true story following the journey from brain injury to recovery and learn a little more about how this invisible injury impacts others.

Miniature Books: Cupcake Toppers

What is the Perfect Gift for a Librarian?  

   I found myself completely stumped by this question.  After an accumulated 3 years of working with a lovely group of ladies at my city's local library, I was officially leaving and I needed to find the perfect parting gift.  

   Librarians know and have everything they need at all times (it seems to be part of the job description to be prepared and content) so, what kind of good-bye/celebration gift could I possibly give?  

   I decided to bake my favorite cupcakes, and realized that all librarians love classic books (OF COURSE!) So, the night before I left I spent all night printing out mini children's books, taping them onto toothpicks, and baking delicious cupcakes. Yum! (...Who needs sleep anyway?)

These mini cupcake toppers are perfect for all kinds of celebrations or for a meaningful treat! 

(Plus they're super easy to make)

I used classic children's books because they are so colorful and most people are familiar with them from a glance.  You could use any book you like (think book clubs, bible studies, get well soon notes, birthday parties, or any holiday!)

You will need:

-  Toothpicks

-  Double-stick Tape

-  Paper

-  Word or photoshop 

-  Printing Capabilities

   I found these images online and shrunk them to about 1 inch on the long-side.  Then I created a box of the same size and similar color, then placed it next to the cover on a page.  I typed "Love Monica" on the back of my covers, but you can leave yours plain if you prefer.

   Next, make a rectangle of the same size as the cover & back cover together for your inside page.  You can type any message you'd like here. I made mine a Thank you note, but you could write anything.

   Then, I printed the covers on a sheet of paper, and the inside notes on another sheet. I cut these all out and put them in piles.

   Finally, pull out the double-stick tape! (of just make rings with single-stick tape) It helps to fold the covers and inside pages in half, matching the corners so you know they're straight.  Stick the toothpick to the center fold on the back of the inside page. Then stick the cover to the other side creating your very own mini-book! (keep notice that you are taping and sticking the toothpick to the blank sides of the pieces.

Here's My Favorite Cupcake Recipe:

   You can certainly use any cupcake recipe you like, or even buy them pre-made ...I'll keep your secret ;)

Recipe from "A Book of Favorite Recipes" by St. Casimir's PTA

   Try to be creative with these lovely little notes/mini-books!  If these have inspired you to decorate for a special occasion or  a simple treat to remind someone how special they are to you, please send in a photo (to greveram22@gmail.com)  I'd love to see yours! =)

Enjoy and be artsy! 

xoxo

-Moni Lynn

From Muggle to Mrs.

A bridal shower is a very special occasion... and for my cousin (and best friend since birth) the bridal party and family got crafty!  Showers don't have to be just about wedding bells and umbrellas. Together, we designed a party unique to Kelly - a fun, sweet bride who spent every summer re-reading the Harry Potter Series and absolutely loving it.  Our goal was to create something that she would truly appreciate.. and make it cute enough for non-harry fans to enjoy as well.  This was perfect for Greg and Kelly's Magical Marriage!

Good designs keep the focus in mind, and have elements of cohesion throughout.  Because Kelly is such a huge Harry Potter fan, we labeled locations throughout the room on chalkboards based on locations in the book.  White paint pens looked great, and allowed the bride to keep a lasting reminder of the shower.  

Doilies were used to label drinks, food, props, the Wishing Well, and were also part of the center pieces.  

Feathers were cut from a pattern and cut along the edges then scattered throughout the room as well as hand-made signs made with burlap letters, purple paper, and twine. 

Also, flowers were arranged in vases dressed as wedding gowns using a rubber band, tule, and ribbon.  The excess flowers were cut and floated in water to accent the tables and add height.  These elements helped to create a look that was soft, delicate, whimsical, and infused with enough Harry Potter to make fans giggle.

To keep the party fun, we created props and had a series of games to play.  The games included guessing how many pearls were in the "Love Potion," Drawing the bride and groom, Picking an envelope to find grooms with harry potter character heads and one Greg, Bingo while the bride opens gifts, and the purse game spelling her new last name.

...

The little details were the most fun to think of and create.  We added items from the novels including golden snitches, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Magic Wands (chocolate dipped pretzels), and 9 3/4 coins to use during the purse game.  A wedding wreath was also created for the entrance with white silk flowers, a homemade wreath, ribbon and tule to look like a veil.

Gift bags were put together including two wands (chocolate dipped pretzels) and bride/groom cookies (Oreos half-dipped in white chocolate and detailed with pearl and glitter edible sprinkles) with a tag reading "From Muggle to Mrs."

Congratulations Kelly!  

We all love you so much

Kelly's shower was collectively designed and created by the bridal party and family members.  Taking the extra time to add special touches is not expensive and can really make a party more interesting.  Next time you plan a party don't just think of it as food, cake, and drinks... try designing it!
Pick a theme, get creative, make some things, and as always, have fun doing it!

...

Love,

Moni Lynn

Home Christmas Light Displays

Have you ever seen lights dance to music?  You might have been to the Macy's light show in Philadelphia, but what about everyday families creating free entertainment on their front lawns?  All for the love and joy of Christmas.  Go! and be inspired.

(Lawlor Lights - Pittsgrove NJ)

My favorite Christmas light displays - NJ

Park Avenue (Maple Shade)

Bridgeboro Rd & Henry Street (Riverside)

18 Silver Birch Rd (Turnersville)

182 Porchtown Rd (Pittsgrove) - "Lawlor Lights" video above.

6 Glennforge Drive (Sicklerville)

11 Lynch Rd (Voorhees)

58 & 72 King Ave (Marlton)

Fulton Drive (Mt Laurel)

16 Howell Ave (Mt Ephraim)

(Riverside, NJ)

Get your hot chocolate, bundle up, and take a drive to some of these spectacular light displays.  Some houses play music from their porches, while others require you to tune in your car radio to their own station.  Enjoy!


-Moni

The Next Level of Christmas Lights

Well... It's the most wonderful time of the year!  My favorite part of the season is seeing the marvelous christmas lights sparkling in the night.  Well, I have come across some very artistic displays and I would love to share them as well as inspire you to show your holiday spirit in a new and inventive way as well.

Before you could purchase miles of christmas lights from your local store, people lit their homes for the holidays with candles.  The Christmas tradition began during the 18th century in upperclass German homes.  In the mid 20th century christmas lights became a custom.

As many know, Rockefeller Center in NYC has become one of the most well-known lit Christmas Trees.  This tradition began in 1933. In 1989, Christmas Vacation showcased a family that decorated every square inch of their home in twinkle lights.  But, how do you decorate your home to draw crowds and celebrate the beautiful holiday?  The new level of decoration entertainment is here: decorations that dance to christmas music!

How is it done?

There are three systems available to make your lights work in sync with music:

1. light o rama  :  The vendor for most residential lights displays. It is, however, pretty complex, and can take as much as four hours per minute of song to program 32-48 channels.
2. Animated Lighting  :  More expensive, but easier to program. Some residential light displays and most commercial ones choose Animated Lighting.
3. D Light Designs  :  The least expensive of the bunch, but you need to have some passing familiarity with and knowledge of control systems and electrical engineering.

Here's a great example of a Christmas light display:

(Located in the Macy's of Philadelphia -FREE)

Next, I will showcase all of the best lit entertainment in the area.  You can get some tips for decorating in your own way, or find a great place to see some free entertainment during the holidays.  These artists absolutely love what they do, as most of these houses are decorated as a hobby and run on their own money or kind donations.  It's really spectacular, so stop back!

My Book Cover Design Process

I was blessed to have the opportunity to design the book cover for first-time author, Reynold J. Levocz. The novel is entitled: "The Spear of Longinus", and takes place during the time of Christ.  It follows the man who speared Jesus on the Cross and his burden.  The story is based on an event from the Bible, but goes on to tell the story of a character's life, struggles, love, and adventures.  Here is the cover I designed, and the process I took.

Step 1: Research & Inspiration

I spent a lot of time walking through book stores and libraries, just taking notes and pictures of books that caught my eye.  I reserached the currently most successful books, and books of the historical fiction/religious fiction genres.  Every book has it's own style, but I found a few of my favorites and took notes on their similar qualities.  I kept a note of these points as my inspiration.

• Strong focal point (light source)
• Focal point of a face/eyes
• Layers/textures
• Warm-tone

Step 2: Sketches 

I drew many sketches to filter my ideas, and organize my thoughts.  I exhausted my ideas on paper first, to eliminate wasting too much time in the next step: creating the designs.  A lot of my sketches were never implemented, and I only showed my client the finished designs so I wasn't really concerned about getting my point across to anyone else but myself. 

Step 3: Design

I initially designed the following covers.  My designs were based on the synopsis, the character development, and the author's note of including Tiberius (Main character) Helena (love interest) and the spear.

After meeting with the author and going over the designs, I had a much better understanding of the author's wants and interested style.  From there, I was able to create more designs.

All of these cover designs were considered for the final print.  The cover that was chosen was then tweaked in several ways.  The woman was changed, the title was altered, the spear was given a blood stain, and the tagline: "A historical saga of love and courage" was changed to "A historical saga of courage and love" to match the left/right graphic of the cover.

I really had a great time working on this project.  Reynold J. Levocz has already asked me to design the cover of his second book: Constantine the Great.  It should be released in 2015.

If you want to read more about The Spear of Longinus or purchase it visit: rjlevocz.com

You can also learn more, and review the book at: goodreads.com

The Art of the Cover

"Don't judge a book by it's cover" well.. I'm going to introduce you to a few artists whose careers revolve around how to get you to pick up the perfect novel solely based on the cover.

My first job was to put the books away in my local library.  I spent so much time around the books, and became familiar with several book cover artists, as well as some really awful designs.  I felt as thought I was in an art museum every day, and loved looking at the covers.  I was highly inspired by this.

Book Cover Artists:

Richard Hollis:

Issac Tobin: 

Anna Dorfman: 

Susan Walsh:

Next Time:

I was lucky enough to design a book cover for a first-time author (Reynold J. Levocz).  Check back next time to see my book cover design, and my process in creating something to convey the story properly and to catch the viewer's eye.