Fall Subway Art

Happy Fall, Y'all! While it's still getting pretty warm during the day here in Western North Carolina, the early mornings and late nights are cool enough to get me good and excited about some fall!

I've seen Subway art popping up all over blogland these days. Most of it seems to be created with some fancy Cricut or Silhouette machines and while I don't own one of those, I do have a computer, a printer and Microsoft Publisher. I love what a big statement some simple words can make.

Want to make your own Subway art? Simply use your favorite publishing program to combine words that remind you of a central theme...like seasons, holidays, or even relationships. Then, print it out, stick it in a frame and you've got some super easy, super cheap Subway art!

Need some other ideas to get you in the mood for Fall? Try these.

Fall Decorating

More Fall Decorating

Fall Tablescape

Pumpkins and Halloween Cookies

Easy As Pie Pumpkin Muffins

Trick or Treat Buckets

-Sarai

Mailbox Mayhem?

*Welcome, all those popping over from We are That Family and "Works for Me Wednesday." Glad to have you here at Three Simple Girls!

******

It's barely past the official start of the New Year, right? Anyone else still feeling the need to solve some of the little problems that add up to big fat messes?

Hope so!

This would be why me and my $20 shelving unit are pretty tight right now. Because with visions of my three, three and under in a few short months a person has to get it all together.

Or something. :)

I placed the unit right in the corner of our mudroom where we enter and exit the house. My goal is to sort on my way in, and shred/toss/file at the end of each week... or month, if I'm being realistic.

I'm a terrible liar.

The thing will probably get emptied when the baskets are full. The point is... they will be empty at some point in their lives. The convenient containers make it easy to transport what I need to get the job done. And the whole thing doesn't take up much room at all, which is a bonus indeed.

Our labels read:
*Stamps, Etc.
*Receipts
*Incoming
*To Be Filed
*Coupons
*Addresses and Envelopes

Works for me...

Hopefully so! :)

~Katrina

ps... Sorry about the last post going MIA. Ick! :( Since there's not time to recreate it, here are the links.

*Meal/Grocery Planning: http://www.theprojectgirl.com/2009/01/19/menu-planning-form-free-download/

*Trail Mix-Ins: http://blog.superhealthykids.com/2009/04/trail-mix-2/

*Healthy Muffin Recipes: http://www.bellybytes.com/recipe/muffins/index.html

*Smoothie Ideas: http://www.smoothieweb.com/popular-recipes/

*BPA-Free Lunch Containers: http://www.easylunchboxes.com/products/food_containers/index.htm

Art Party Invites

We trust you all had a merry Christmas with the hopes of a coming happy and healthy new year!

With the last of the twinkling glows and ridiculous baked goods and family departures, it's time for our family to turn our attention to a certain soon to be three-year-old.

In just a few weeks she plans to ring in her new year of life with a little artistic flair. That led us to whip up some colorful birthday party invitations. The best part is she got to be an active part of the creative process!

Gather your supplies: regular white computer paper, black card stock (sign-up for e-mails from your local craft store; you're likely to get great coupons when you need even the most basic of supplies like this!), fun ribbon, hot glue, scissors, tempera paints in a variety of colors, a shoebox, some rocks, a hole punch, and miscellaneous crayons
Put your copy paper in the bottom of the shoebox, roll the rocks with paints, shut the box lid, and shake to your heart's delight!


Once they're all done let them dry while you type up your invite. Ours went a little something like this:

Life is Art (then I struck through the "Life" and typed the words "Turning Three" above it)
Please join us for an Art Party
The (Family Name) Gallery
(Date and Time)

Our featured artist won't keep you starving by serving mid-afternoon dessert!

You can enlarge the pics to see that part better; just ignore the smudges over personal information.

Then we printed them right on the painted papers, hole punched the tops to secure to the black card stock with ribbon, and added a single crayon to the top of it all.

Relatively simple, perfectly imperfect, and a lot of fun for the artsy girl. More party ideas to come.

But maybe a little New Year's first? :)

~Katrina

A Little Mod Podge Never Hurt Anyone

For years now, I've know the power of Mod Podge. However, in recent days, I've rediscovered just how magnificent a product this is. In case you're not familiar with this greatness, Mod Podge is a white (that dries clear) glue based liquid. You can use is it to adhere paper and fabric and ribbon and all kinds of other things.

I'll insert a brief pause in my "I Love Mod Podge" rant and give you a little background for this particular post. I'm in the middle of a brainstorm concerning a complete home office overhaul. Currently, the room is so full of mis-matched furniture and accessories and would make any interior decorator vomit. And don't even get me started on the piles of stuff in here. I think I've decided on a black and white theme (if you know me, you know this isn't shocking in the least!) with either soft grey or light coffee colored walls. And I'll probably use lots of lime green accents. So, as I'm slowly shifting my brain from current office to new and much prettier office, I'm constantly thinking of ways to store and organize and paint and sew the things I already have so that they'll coordinate when (hopefully one day soon!) the overhaul takes place.

And back to the Mod Podge...This is one of more simple projects I've done so far. I know that in the grand scheme of the world, or even the room, it doesn't make a big difference. But, it did make for a excitingly creative afternoon that would have been otherwise boring. My mom gave me this little notebook, as she is also cleaning out her office, a few weeks ago. Honestly, my first thought was "I might use that" but then it got put in one of the many office piles and was forgotten about. A few days ago, it caught my eye as I entered the office and I thought "Mod Podge"!!! It started out like this:

Practical: YES Pretty: NO

I covered the whole outside of the book with white card stock. I just folded the corners much like a Christmas present.

Still pretty boring, huh?

Then, I added some coordinating black and white papers and some bright green ribbon and turned it into this:

That's pretty enough to make anyone want to organize their software CDs!!

The moral of the story is this:
Mod Podge is your friend!

Need some more Mod Podge inspiration? Check out this blog which is dedicated entirely to Mod Podge-ing anything and everything!

-Sarai

Clipboard Makeover

CAUTION...completion of this project may actually lend itself to willful list making and note taking!!

This simple little project takes very little time and yields MAJOR results!

Start with a a simple clipboard (most people use the wooden board type, but all I had was a clear one on hand and it seemed to work well). Next, pick out some fun papers, ribbons and embellishments.
Create a layout with your supplies.
Cut the items to size.
Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge or decoupage medium to the clipboard and quickly apply the items.
Allow to dry COMPLETELY before adding additional layers (like ribbons or other embellishments).
Add additional layers with a thin coat of Mod Podge.
Cover the entire board with a thin coat of Mod Podge, being sure to smooth out any wrinkles along the way.
All to dry completely and add another top coat. (You can add more top coats, but just be sure to let the previous layer to dry completely before adding another.)
Tie a few coordinating ribbons around the actual clip.

And in a matter of 30 minutes, you can turn this...


into this...


Who wouldn't want to take notes on this cute little thing?!?!

Check out more cute clipboard makeovers here and here.

Hope your Labor Day is filled with very little labor and lots of simple projects like this!

-Sarai

You've Got Mail

What do you like to find in your mailbox? Let me guess, the power bill, random catalogs and sales papers. If you are like me, you find joy in weeding through the typical mail to find a handwritten card or note. These are my favorite mail days! I have always loved getting mail. In fact, one of my favorite parts of my house is the mail slot in the front door. Not only do I find joy in getting a little something special through my mail slot every once in a while, I also find joy in sending handwritten notes to others. But in the craziness of life, it can sometimes be hard to find time to write these handwritten treasures. As soon as I sit down to begin writing, a dusty table catches my eye, or the pile of laundry starts calling my name. So, to help me really be able to focus on adding a little happiness to someone's day, I have found that creating a "writing tote" and heading to my local coffee shop to write helps me to focus. I thought I would share with you what I include in my "writing tote" and maybe this will inspire you to take some time away and share a little mail with someone you love!

You will need a cute tote bag to gather your materials in. I find that this one is the prefect size for what I need. It is not too bulky and fits all the tools I will need for the day of writing.

The things that are in my tote bag are the most important. I really am fond of cute note cards, I have quite the stash. I always keep 2 or 3 generic packs in the bag so that I can write any kind of note that might be needed. I also include some specific cards for birthday, get well, and other special occasions. This way if an important day comes up, I am prepared.

I also like to have fun pens to write with, it just adds a little something to the notes you send. I found an old container at my house and filled with with markers, colored pens and other writing instruments.

Sometimes I like to tuck a little treat in the cards I send. Maybe a little note of encouragement or one of my favorite quotes. I like to include a quote book and my bible in my bag for times when I want to include some encouragement. I also have quite the collection of stickers and inspirational quote cards that also come in handy.

To finish up the contents of my bag, I will throw in my address book and some stamps. If you want to get really fancy on your notes, you might check out this website where you can make your own personalized photo stamps for those special occasions.

So there you go, a little tip for helping you bring a little joy to a mailbox near you. Have you checked your mail today?

~Brooke