How It All Started: My First Computer and a Love for Design

Macintosh Classic II

How It All Started

If you had told teenage me that I’d spend my later years designing planner pages and printables, I probably would’ve laughed. But looking back, the signs were there. I loved working on my high school newspaper (The Wildcat Roar)—cutting, pasting, and figuring out how to make everything fit just right. That was my first taste of design, even if I didn’t know that’s what it was.

In college, I also remember making a newsletter for the BSU using an electric typewriter. Mind you, it was only one newsletter—but can you imagine trying to justify columns manually? I must’ve gone through a mountain of correction tape! Still, the interest (and the love for design) was there, even back then.

The Day I Met My First “Computer”

A few years later, while working at a group home, I met what I called my first “computer.” It was actually a word processor—a simple screen with a keyboard—but I was fascinated. I started making what I called forms that helped simplify our daily paperwork. It wasn’t glamorous, but it gave me a sense of control and creativity that I hadn’t experienced before.

Then came the real game-changer: my fiancé (now my husband) surprised me with a Macintosh Classic. I can still remember the sound it made when it started up! I began using PrintShop Deluxe to make little newsletters for homemakers. I called it Serious Homemakers, and I mailed copies to friends I met through a penpal magazine. That was my first taste of design, editing, and sharing something I had created with others—and I was hooked.

From Newsletters to Printables

Over the years, that same creative spark kept growing. I started designing homeschool printables and planner pages, learning new tools along the way. What began as a hobby has become a full-time joy—creating practical, easy-to-use planner pages through Planner Fun Plus.

For me, planning isn’t about perfection; it’s about peace. I’ve learned that a good system doesn’t make life busier—it makes room for what matters most.

My Etsy Shop

Living with Purpose

When I’m not designing or writing, I enjoy DIY projects for my personal planner, time with my husband and our two sons (and I’m thrilled to have a daughter-in-law now, too!), and finding new ways to deepen my walk with God.

My faith shapes everything I do—even if Planner Fun isn’t officially a “ministry,” I still see it as a way to encourage others to create order, breathe easier, and live with purpose.

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