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Free Valentine’s Day Printable for Pencil

For the last few years I’ve notice a trend in trading Valentines at my kids’ school. In almost every instance the Valentine included something sweet and I’m not referring to the look or wording. I’m referring to candy. My kids come home with tons of sweets. Although they are thrilled, it makes me wonder when did Valentine’s Day become Halloween? In an effort to reduce the sugar my children consume and their classmates, I’ve asked my favorite graphic designer, Ciera of Ciera Design to create a Valentine’s Day card that would hold a sweet, but sugar-free pencil. Here’s what we came up with…

free valentine's day printable - arrows and feathered pencils - simplified bee

So cute, right? Don’t you love the fun arrow and triangle patterns with pops of coral, pink and tangerine? To coordinate with the four designs, I ordered four packs of white pencils with special messaging in gold lettering especially for this project  -“XOXO”, “Oh Happy Day!”, “Your’re All Write By Me”, and my fave, “Love is All You Need.”

free valentine's day printable for kids // simplified bee

For this project you’ll need white pencils (messaging optional, but ordered here), although standard yellow would work too, scissors (a hole punch is also handy), a color printer and white paper (a heavier card stock works best) and the free PDF file.  White feathers and gold twine wrapped around the top of the pencil is optional.

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

  • download the free Valentine’s Day printable (PDF download here), print on white card stock paper and cut out (four cards per page)
  • using scissors or hole punch (this would be easier for kids), cut or punch at the marked lines
  • write in the “to” and “from” (gold marker looks great!)
  • create an arrow look by wrapping white feathers like this around each pencil and tying with gold twine (although adorable, this is time consuming and a more expensive option)
  • slide one pencil through the holes allowing the pencil message to be visible
  • that’s it! super easy right?

free arrow valentine's day printable  // simplified beefree valentine printable - pencil holder - simplified beefree valentine's day printable for pencil - simplified bee

I hope you like this Valentine’s Day project as much as I do!

Happy crafting,

Cristin

*all images by Ciera Design for Simplified Bee

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Read full story By on January 23, 2014 in baby and children, craft, Entertaining, Holiday, Valentine's Day

New Year’s Woodland Chic Tabletop by Aerin

Perhaps its the fact that I grew up surrounded by pine trees in Lake Tahoe that draws me to this woodland chic table setting by Aerin Lauder (yep, the granddaughter of the legendary Estée Lauder). Quentessence shared a sneak peek of Aerin’s New Year’s luncheon tabletop that will be featured this January/February issue of Veranda and I loved it so much, I wanted to share with you too.

Aerin Lauder // woodland chic tabletopwoodland chic New Year's by Aerin Lauderwoodland chic tabletop by aerinwoodland chic tabletop

product links: one // two // three // four // five // six // seven // eight // nine

My fave? The mocha floral tablecloth in Aerin’s Hither fabric for Lee Jofa.

What a wonderful way to ring in the new year! 2014 is going to be a great, don’t your think?

And to keep up with all the buzz in 2014, like with Simplified Bee on Facebook, tweet with @simplifiedbee on Twitter, pin with Cristin Priest @ Simplified Bee on Pinterest, explore with Simplified Bee on Instagram and collect with the bee on KEEP too!

Happy New Year!

Cristin

photo credit: Francesco Lagnese for Veranda

 

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Read full story By on December 31, 2013 in Entertaining, Features, Get The Look, Holiday, holiday decor, new years, Parties, pinterest, tables, tabletop

Handmade Christmas Gifts for Kids to Make

DIY snow globe with vintage feel

While I was getting crafty and decorating glass globe ornaments, one of my little ones asked if she could help. Because the glass ornaments were too fragile (one had already broke – should have picked up the plastic globe ornaments in retrospect!) and I sadly declined her offer. It made me think of holiday crafts that would be great for the little ones and would make fabulous gifts as well. I’m sharing five of my fave handmade Christmas gifts for kids  at Wayfair!

DIY clay ornaments for the holidaysDIY felt pinecones #holiday #craftI’d love to hear your ideas and what holidays crafts you’ve done with your kids!

Need to get in the holiday spirit? Be sure to drop by Simplified Bee’s Christmas board on Pinterest for 250+ inspiring festive ideas!

Happy crafting and happy holidays!

Cristin

*image sources from top to bottom: It All Started with PaintMinted and Molly Makes

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Read full story By on December 19, 2013 in baby and children, Christmas, DIY, Entertaining, Holiday, Tips/Tricks, Wayfair

The Gifter :: Last Minute Gift Ideas

Still have some people on your list to shop for? With only a few shopping days left until Christmas, it’s crunch time and can get downright stressful to find the perfect gift for those remaining on your list. But don’t you worry, #TheGifter is here to help! For our final mission, I’ve been asked to uncover fabulous last minute gift ideas.

When selecting gifts at the last minute, I still focus in on items that I’d purchase for myself and are of high quality, style-savvy and budget friendly. Difficult task? Not at my local HomeGoods where there’s endless variety of  high quality products at prices up to 60% less than specialty stores. With new items arriving daily, I spotted some AMAZING crunch time gift ideas for home decor lovers – sharing a few here and on Instagram!

blue & white ginger jars #thegifter

Chinoiserie ginger jars are beautiful home decor accessories and can set you back hundreds of dollars. This classic blue and white jar by a brand name designer has a luxe look without the price-tag. It makes my list for a great last minute gift for mom, your sister-in-law, or best friend.

faux croc tray in white - simplified bee

Animal patterns are all the rage in home decor, so I was drawn to this faux croc skin tray (that’s priced low enough to satisfy last week’s mission!). Fill it with homemade cookies and it makes a great last minute gift for the teachers, neighbors and co-workers on your list!

ornate round mirror from India

This ornate mirror made in India is so stunning and affordable (at $99.99 originally $200!), I had to include it as a last minute gift. It’s no stocking stuffer, but wouldn’t it make a fun surprise gift Christmas morning?

white porcelain pineapple - simplified bee

A symbol of hospitality, this chic porcelain pineapple (a super hot decor accessory!) makes a great last minute gift for the newlyweds, entertainer or home decor lover on your list.

red & white baseball storage bin #baseball

This adorable designer baseball bin is a win-win gift! Little boys will be over-the-moon because it’s so cool and parents will love it because it will help organize all those toys! Best yet, it’s half the price of a similar one I saw at a boutique.

I’d love to see your last-minute gift ideas you uncover at your nearest HomeGoods or TJX store! Simply tweet a picture of the item(s) you discover using #TheGifter and you just might win this week’s TJX $500 gift card! Wouldn’t that go a long way at HomeGoods!

Happy shopping,

Cristin

*Disclosure: This post was sponsored by TJX through their partnership with POPSUGAR. While I was compensated to write this post about TJX #TheGifter, all opinions are my own.

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Read full story By on December 18, 2013 in baby and children, Christmas, Holiday, home accessories, home organization, HomeGoods, mirrors