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

My Office + Organized Home Office Products

Once you get on an organizing roll, it’s hard to stop (at least for me!)  After organizing my desk, it motivated me to tackle my bookcases in my home office. They really weren’t bad, but needed to be streamlined and I wanted them to have a refreshed look.  To help me reach my goal, the folks at See Jane Work at Office Depot asked me to select items from their new collection. Combining fresh style and organization, the See Jane Work collection offers super stylish office accessories in a variety of fun patterns (chevron, herringbone, stripes florals, and more) and color palettes (aqua blue, shades of pink, black, white, and more). They are perfect for mixing and matching. Best yet, they are really affordable!

stylish home office bookshelves // simplified beekids art boxes - simplified bee and see jane work

To coordinate with items I already owned, I selected items from the See Jane Work Collection in hues of aqua and white. To corral my kids artwork and over-sized school papers, I picked at a pair of decorative art boxes. I love them. They have an overlapping magnetic lid closure which is really slick! I also added a few white magazine files to conceal mismatched file folders, shelter magazines and home decor catalogs. Adding pops of white can help a space look fresh, airy and modern.

stylish home office storage // simplified bee

To keep my active product samples easy to get to, I selected a fabric bin with fun grommet handles and herringbone detail inside.

home office storage ideas // www.simplifiedbee.com

My client projects are organized using binders. When I spotted the herringbone in blue, I knew they’d work with my shelf and company’s image. Next to the binders, I placed a series of white decorative storage boxes. They are now used to organize my fabric samples by color.

succulents and hexagons // simplified bee

I can’t tell you how many readers say, “I saw a hexagon or honeycomb pattern and thought of Simplified Bee.” As a nod to the shape, I added a new art print and placed it next to a current fave – succulents.

be brave art // simplified bee

I also picked up this darling “Be Brave” print as a reminder that God is with me at all times.

I love my “new” bookcase! What’s your favorite element?

Happy organizing,

Cristin

*Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Office Depot, although all opinions are my own.

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Read full story By on January 21, 2014 in bookshelves, Decluttering, decorating small spaces, etsy, home accessories, home organization, interior design, Interiors, office supplies, office/study, organization tips, Organizational tips, Paperwork, simplified bee portfolio, storage, Tips/Tricks

Decluttering Tips & Family Circle

Have you been procrastinating and putting off those home organizing projects you wanted to tackle in 2014? It’s not too late to start. To get you motivated, I’d recommend reading Clutter-Free in 31 Days in this month’s Family Circle. It has some great decluttering tips and tricks from over a dozen mom bloggers.

decluttering tips // simplified bee

And yes, I’m thrilled to say that I was asked for a tip or two for the article. My tip for day 10 is above. You know I love those trays, so here are a few of my faves…

Happy organizing,

Cristin

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Read full story By on January 17, 2014 in Decluttering, home organization, Organization, organization tips, Organizational tips, Tips/Tricks

Kitchens with Open Shelves

It’s a look that albeit isn’t for everyone, seems to be increasing in popularity: Kitchens with open shelves. Opening shelving in a kitchen will make the space seem larger and give an airy, uncluttered feel. It’s also a great way to display beautiful dishware. However, be mindful to select items that coordinate and to not overdo it – a jam-packed, cluttered shelf will only make the space feel smaller. If you are considering this look in your kitchen, I’ve pulled a variety of examples of  beautifully styled open shelves.

all white kitchen with open shelves

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kitchen with open shelves #kitchens

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kitchen with chrome and glass open shelves

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gray kitchen with open shelving

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kitchen with open shelves across the window

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For an easy way to have open shelves in your existing kitchen is to simply remover the cabinet doors, fill in the holes where the hinges were and paint inside and out. The example below is a kitchen that I think did just that.

kitchen with open shelves using existing cabinetry

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And speaking of kitchen design, I’m over the moon to be able to attend the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) and the Design & Construction Week with BlogTour, presented by Modenus.com. Both tradeshows will be happening in Las Vegas the week of February 2-6. Along with a team of 14 other designers and design bloggers from both Canada and the U.S., I’ll have the opportunity to spot the latest trends and discover the newest products – all of which I will share with you here and on twitter  using #BlogTourVegas!  I’m so excited! A huge thank you and shout out to the sponsors of  BlogTour Las Vegas: KBIS, Blanco, Poggenpohl, Sub-Zero, Dekton, Mr Steam, Top Knobs, Wood-Mode, Formica Group, Walker Zanger and TOTO USA for giving me the opportunity!

Happy decorating,

Cristin

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Read full story By on January 14, 2014 in interior design, Interiors, Kitchen, kitchens