by on June 29, 2012 • 15 Comments Hospitality Your Home 
Written by contributor Sandy Coughlin of Reluctant Entertainer.
The 4th of July is right around the corner, and entertaining can be really fun and easy if you keep it simple and you have a plan! As I’ve reminded my readers for years at RE, learn to “KISS” and everything will flow nice and smooth. You’ll be a happier hostess, too.
KISS = Keep It Simple, Sister!
I remind myself of this when I try to do too much, or try to do it all. I learned years ago that delegation is the KEY.
by on June 28, 2012 • 15 Comments Your Home Since I spent the better part of the last two weeks either in my bed or one of my kids’ bed thanks to the flu from you-know-where, I’ve become completely obsessed with fashioning new headboards for some of the beds around here (up first: my king bed). When you stare at the wall long enough, you too will want to find something new to gaze upon eventually!
I scoured the web for some of the best DIY headboard ideas out there – some I’m sure you’ve seen in some incarnation or another, others I’m hoping are new to you. Let these inspire you to re-make (or make for the first time!) some awesome headboards in the future.
by on June 28, 2012 • 4 Comments Giveaways 
With more than 3,000 entries, I think a lot of you would love the $500 in gift cards to Target and Container Store. I wish I could give one to each of you! Truly. Really.
The winner is Stefanie, who said:
Congrats, Stefanie, and thanks to everyone else for entering! I’m so thankful to have you as readers.
This post is sponsored by the makers of Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes, the quick and easy way to clean and disinfect your home!
by on June 27, 2012 • 57 Comments Marriage You 
Written by relationships columnist Corey Allan of Simple Marriage.
If you venture far into the blogosphere, you’ll be inundated with all types of “do this and your life/business/family/home/marriage will be awesome” speak. Especially if you visit some of the larger blogs on self-development and improvement.
I’ve got no issue with people wanting to share their thoughts on how to make life better. After all, that’s why we frequent these sites.
But do we make things more complicated than they need to be?
What if two words could improve your marriage?
[Read more...]
by on June 27, 2012 • 24 Comments Fashion 
Written by contributor Megan Tietz of SortaCrunchy
This time a year ago, I would never have given wearing vintage clothes a second thought.
I had long been stuck in a t-shirt and jeans rut and I knew I wanted a change, but nothing about knowing how to style an outfit comes naturally to me. Thankfully, this was around the time Pinterest began to fill our lives with so much inspiration (and envy!) that overhauling my wardrobe suddenly became much more accessible – even to a non-fashionista like me.
I soon discovered the world of collecting and wearing vintage clothing, and I immediately loved everything about it! In the same way that I love older homes, I love clothes from decades gone by because they offer a sense of character, history, and style that is hard to find on the racks at the mall. However, it soon became obvious that unless I wanted to look like I had walked off the set of That 70s Show, I was going to have to step up my styling!
Today, I want to share some tips I’ve picked up along the way. I’m aware that some readers of Simple Design are far more qualified than I am to speak to this, so consider this a beginner’s guide – from one beginner to another.
For some people, styling clothing of any era is a natural-born talent. I am not one of those people, so I rely heavily on inspiration from others to figure out what looks right and what does not.
If you are starting to dip your toes into the polyester pool of vintage clothing, it’s really helpful to collect visual inspiration. Pinterest, of course, can be great for this. Unfortunately, I’ve found that the Pinterest app on my phone is a little bit unreliable when I am out shopping, so I keep a couple of notes on Evernote filled only with pictures of people wearing vintage looks that resonate with me. I can pull those up far more easily on the Evernote app, and it’s incredibly helpful to have that visual reminder.
Wearing a vintage piece of clothing along with at least one modern piece is the ultimate easiest way to begin wearing vintage!
Veronika of Tick Tock Vintage does this incredibly well and the end result gives her a unique style that is fresh and modern, but at the same time, has an unmistakable vintage flair:
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Sometimes, particularly when wearing a vintage dress or other head-to-toe vintage look, all you need is one bold accessory to immediately update the look.
Here, Kendi of Kendi Everyday adds a wide belt from Anthropologie to a vintage dress:
I'm Tsh, founder of this blog dedicated to the art & science of living simpler. Founded in 2008, this is an online family of writers exploring what it means to slow down and focus on the important stuff of life. Love a clutter-free home? Absolutely. Still step on LEGO? You betcha. Read more...
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