Spring Wedding Inspiration
All about Spring wedding invitations that will wow your guests and get everyone in the Spirit for your Spring wedding!
Spring is here! And with it comes the happy pastels and blooms that can only be associated with a fresh start after a long winter.
At The Simple Design Co, we’ve got you covered with cheery spring wedding packages. If you’re planning a wedding right now, it’s not too late to take advantage of the spring collection we have available!
Here are some of our favorites!
WILDFLOWERS PHOTO SUITE
intricate, elegant, soft
GARDEN PARTY SUITE
party, fun, pastel
NEUTRAL FLORAL SUITE
subtle, sweet, neutral
MODERN WILDFLOWER SUITE
unique, minimal, breezy
WATERCOLOR SUITE
bold, colorful, cheerful
We hope this gave you some fun, Spring inspiration! You can find all these designs and more on our Wedding Page!
Cupid Can Keep His Arrows
Post Valentine’s Day reflections from a self-proclaimed hater… turned lover?
I’ve always been a self-proclaimed Valentine’s Day hater. Every year, I look with disgust at couples spending money on ugly pink roses, gaudy teddy bears, and sickeningly sweet chocolate. You all know Valentine’s Day is a scam, right? It’s nothing more than a phony holiday where corporate America pressures everyone to buy extravagant gifts for their loved ones and pretend to be more in love than normal.
“You all know Valentine’s Day is a scam, right?”
At least, that’s what I used to say.
This year, I had someone to celebrate for the first time ever. And as much as it pains me to say, I actually enjoyed Valentine’s Day. A lot. And yes, I gave in and made impulse purchases for my loved one. And yes, I did love receiving chocolate and silly little gifts. I found myself asking, “Who have I become??” The fact is, love has changed me. My fiancé has changed me. I’ve become someone I don’t recognize; someone who loves celebrating Valentine’s Day.
This Valentine’s Day I realized how special it is to celebrate those we love. Of course we celebrate our loved ones every day. That’s why we spend time with them, and share ourselves with them, and cover them with a blanket when they’re napping, and shovel the sidewalk for them, and leave notes for them, and do the things they enjoy and eat the food they like.
I used to think that was enough; that there was no need for a commercialized holiday just to tell your loved ones you love them.
“At the end of our lives, will we ever say we celebrated our loved ones too much?”
And now, looking back, I wish I would have celebrated my friends and loved ones better on Valentine’s Day, instead of being cynical about a fluffy overdone holiday. Because at the end of our lives, will we ever say we celebrated our loved ones too much? Will we ever regret the ways we loved our spouses and friends and family? Even when it was “only” in the name of Valentine’s Day?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home, and Queens, New York her sometimes home. She enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.
Confessions of a Recovering Overachiever.
Why “doing it all” isn’t always the best path.
At the beginning of last year, our life looked pretty simple to me. I was living my dream life professionally…managing this business (The Simple Design Co.), overseeing our coffee shop (Simple Coffee Co.), and spending two mornings a week at our local Christian private school as high school music director.
Twelve months later, I was Principle at the same private school I had been volunteering at, we had transitioned offices and hired an office manager at The Simple Design Co, we had bought a certifiable “fixer upper” house(our third in six years), remodeled it, sold our former house, moved, added a baby girl to our little family, and were closing a deal to sell the coffee shop.
With the exception of our baby girl being born, literally none of these events were planned or expected before the year began…
My gut reaction? I felt like I wasn’t “productive enough”. I could have done more, been more, seen more, spent better time, taken the kids to the park more, played catch more… etc, etc, etc.
Isn’t that crazy? This was probably the busiest year of our lives so far, with many great developments. All my brain wanted me to see though was the time I had scrolled Instagram longer than necessary. Or when I had taken a “too long” lunch break. Or when this business or that one wasn’t growing at exactly the rate I was “planning” that it would for that month. If I could just be a little bit “more productive”.
As our year built, and each new development and project was stacked on top of the next one, like a motivational song building into a dramatic crescendo, I began to realize that I was running up against my limit. Ok let’s be real… reality had to smack me across the face.
For the first time in my life, I had the thought “is this what it is like to lose your mind?” and I wasn’t quite sure if I was joking with myself. I could take you to that exact spot. We had run into what “too much” looked like. In case you haven’t already guessed, this was the reason that we were selling our coffee shop:)
To be fair, I probably wasn’t really close to a breakdown. We just had too much going, and something had to give.
Anita and I are recovering overachievers… We are trying to subtract just the prefix “over”. I’m guessing many people would look at our life today and think that we could maybe slow it down a few more notches. They might be right. Our goal though is not to be “comfortable”… it’s to achieve good things for the kingdom of God. Notice how I said achieve… the word even looks better without the “over” in front of it.
I don’t know if you tend towards being an overachiever or underachiever. I hope you will join us in doing our best to lose both prefixes, and settle into your God-given “achiever” lane.
New Year, Same Me
If you’re struggling to keep your New Years resolutions (we all know you are), this is for you. It’s time for something new. We’re keeping it Too Easy in 2025!
I’ve had it.
I’m done setting goals I can’t achieve. They say to set your goals high, because setting low goals will cause you to underperform. Well I say I’m tired of the pressure, stress, and guaranteed disappointment. Perhaps, there is a time and place for noble goals and great accomplishment, but I say that time is most certainly not the New Year.
Don’t we hear the same facts every year? When January rolls around, everyone starts pulling out the majorly depressing stats about Americans and resolutions.
Fact #1: Over 50% of Americans make New Years resolutions. Fact #2: Only 6% of Americans follow through on their resolutions. Fact #3: Americans are the worst at accomplishing goals. Fact #4: America sure is going down the tubes.
Some people worry about financial debt, but when I look at these stats, I feel like I’m drowning in goal debt. Like somehow I still owe my 2016 self who set a goal to exercise every day. But oops, I already set 5 other goals this year that need to be accomplished. And last year I didn’t read 50 books like I said I would so I’m already 25 books behind for this year.
I am. Drowning. In. Goal. Debt. This is a cry for help.
This year I’m trying something new. My first resolution of the year is to keep it easy. In fact, I am keeping it too easy.
My second resolution is to spell out “though” when I text, instead of spelling “tho.” And following that up, I’m also going to say “slay” less. I’m not removing it from my vocabulary. Just saying it less than last year.
This year, I’m going to wash my sheets more often and forget my keys less. I’m going to get more toothpaste when it’s almost empty instead of rolling the tube up smaller and smaller and making it stretch for a week. I’m going to pay my taxes. I said pay, not do. And when I buy coffee, I’m going to drink all of it, instead of leaving two sips at the bottom and throwing it away.
I’m going to keep sourdough starter alive. If any sourdough is produced or not will depend on how I’m feeling on a day by day basis. I’m not going to run my phone to 1%, I’m going to be ok with bad hair days, and I’m going to, at least partly, overcome my fear of missing out.
If you, like many others (44% of America), are reaching the end of January and realizing you’ve already failed to meet your unachievable New Years resolutions, stop. Get some help.
Start February with a blank slate and your own list of Too Easy Resolutions.
You don’t need to reinvent yourself this year. Just work on slightly improving.
Out with overachieving, in with micro achieving.
Happy New Year!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home, and Queens, New York her sometimes home. She enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.
Do Not Discard!
Don’t throw away all the beautiful Christmas cards you receive this year! Learn fun and creative ways to display and store Christmas cards from your loved ones!
‘Tis the season for Christmas cards!
Here at the Simple Design Company, we are sending out your Holiday cards at a break neck speed. What a fun time of year, when we revert back to olden times, and give each other the gift of a real piece of paper filled with holiday cheer. In a digital world, we still believe a beautiful and meaningful card speaks volumes.
“But inevitably, we’re left with warm memories and a fridge covered in Christmas cards.”
But inevitably, after the flurries of the holiday when life returns to some semblance of normal, we’re left with warm memories and a fridge covered in Christmas cards. The question arises, what do we do with all these Christmas cards?
“What do we do with all these Christmas cards?”
A while ago, we asked our wonderful social media followers what they do with the Christmas cards they recieve, and here are some of the best ideas they had!
Punch a hole in the corner of your cards and keep them on a ring to flip through. (easily the most popular idea!)
Put them into a photo album so you can look back at your loved ones over the years!
Make a scrapbook with fun stories and designs for each card. (your kids will love helping you with this!)
Punch a hole at the top of your cards and tie it with a ribbon to use as Christmas tree ornaments.
Use a basket to collect your cards and keep on display. (we know how much your guests will love going through them!)
Tape your cards to a door way in your home to make a Christmas card garland!
Take a picture of the card and set it as their contact photo in your phone. It can be fun to update these pictures every year!
Clip your cards to a wire and make a Christmas card wreath!
Store your cards and pull one out every week of the year and dedicate that week to praying for the family or individual.
We’d love to know, have you tried any of these ideas? Do you have other ways to store your Christmas cards? We hope these ideas give you a start to treasuring your Christmas cards this holiday season!
Merry Christmas!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home, and Queens, New York her sometimes home. She enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.
Rethinking the Thanksgiving Menu
Add some spice to your Thanksgiving meal with these non-traditional menu ideas!
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and the scent of turkey and pumpkin pie are in the air.
Every Thanksgiving, a nagging thought creeps into my head.
“What if we didn’t serve dry turkey and bland mashed potatoes every year? Imagine what could be accomplished.”
What if we didn’t serve dry turkey and bland mashed potatoes every year? Imagine what could be accomplished. Everyone would be happy all day and no one would bring up politics. Strangers would be friends and peace and harmony would finally be achieved in our homes and neighborhoods.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the traditional Thanksgiving meal as much as anyone else, but if you’re like me, and wonder just what it would be like to step outside of the box a bit, here are 5 non-traditional menu options to spice up your Thanksgiving!
5 non-traditional menu options to spice up your Thanksgiving!
Pumpkin or Squash Soup
Embrace the vegetables of the season with a warm and hearty soup!
2. Garlic Rolls
Switch out your plain rolls with flaky, buttery, garlic knots!
3. Cornbread
Even better, skip the flour-based bread and serve cornbread!
4. Mac and Cheese
Honestly, why don’t we eat this at every meal? Make it fancy with some Conchiglie pasta
5. Panna Cotta
Enjoy the deep and warm flavors of fall by serving panna cotta with peach, apricot, or honey accents!
Try these out this Thanksgiving to shake things up a bit!
Or, like me, indulge in the idea while enjoying dry turkey and bland mashed potatoes, because we all know Aunt Cathy will bring more than enough spice to Thanksgiving!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home, and Queens, New York her sometimes home. She enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.
Fall Fun
20 Fun Activities to Keep You Occupied this Fall Season
20 Fun Activities to Keep You Occupied this Fall Season!
Are you feeling summer slipping between your fingers?
Do you find yourself suffering from pre-winter blues?
Well, good news! It’s officially fall! Which means you can indulge in all the essential fall traditions! Here’s a list to keep you occupied this autumn.
Go apple picking
Step on a crunchy leaf
3. Drink a Pumpkin Spice Latte
4. Take 1,859,380 pictures of the colorful leaves
5. Make a pumpkin pie
6. Get a good pair of fleece lined tights
7. Carve a pumpkin
8. Eat a pumpkin pie
9. Lose yourself in a corn maze
10. Wear overalls
11. Eat fresh sweet corn
12. Eat caramel apples
13. Drink apple cider
14. Take 7,052,795 pictures in a pumpkin patch
15. Chew on a piece of straw
16. Wear your biggest chunkiest sweater
17. Heat up your leftover apple cider
18. Go on a hayride
19. Jump into a leaf pile
20. Eat apple cake
This should keep you occupied this fall season! Enjoy!
What else is on your Fall To Do List?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home, and Queens, New York her sometimes home. She enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.
The Perfect First Impression
Our favorite wedding invitation designs to reflect your unique love story.
We’re here to highlight some of our favorite wedding invitation designs that could become your best first impression for your special day!
As a bride, you’re bombarded with choices.
As a bride, you’re bombarded with choices: flowers, colors, décor, food, and the list goes on and on. We believe that wedding invitations should be a stress-free and fun (yes, fun!) part of your wedding preparations.
And no pressure, but your wedding invitations will likely form your guests first impressions of your wedding! So choose wisely. Find a design that matches your aesthetic and colors. And more importantly, choose a design that reflects you and your significant others unique love story.
But remember, no pressure.
Here are some of our top picks, starting off with four brand new, hot off the press designs!
Timeline Invitation
trendy, unique, creative
Rad Wave Invitation
funky, colorful, bold
Black Rounded Corner Invitation
classy, formal, dark
Framed White Invitation
modern, minimal, regal
Arched Sage Invitation
elegant, unique, moody
Modern Wildflower Invitation
whimsical, trendy, unique
There you have it! Now stop dreaming and start designing!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home, and Queens, New York her sometimes home. She enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.
Sound Off
A month of silence in a world of noise; the survival story of a music addict.
I lived 30 days with no music. I am a survivor. This is my story.
I listen to a lot of music. Thousands of hours of music. I turn it on when I drive, walk, and sit. I have it playing in the background when I work. Some might say, I am addicted to music, or rather, I am addicted to noise. A month ago I would have disagreed. Now I’m not so sure.
For the past month, I lived with no music, while keeping a very accurate and scientific log of my responses.
The results may shock you.
“Tell Simon & Garfunkel I found the Sound of Silence, and I don’t like it.”
Day 1: This isn’t so bad. A month isn’t even that long.
Day 3: I only have 10 minutes to work but I still wish I could listen to music on the way. Does this mean I am addicted to noise?
Day 5: I just thought of a song I was recently introduced to and I really want to listen to it. Annoyed that I can’t.
Day 7: I’m going to finish my audiobook instead of listening to music. Making healthy choices.
Day 8: Not listening to music is kind of annoying but it’s still not super hard.
Day 12: This road trip is really long without music.
Day 12.5: Wait, it's only day 12?? Oh boy.
Day 13: Ok the silence on my drive to work is actually kind of nice.
Day 17: Just kidding. It’s getting harder, will it get easier at some point?
Day 19: Maybe starting to feel the withdrawal??
Day 21: I am CRAVING music. Every time I get in my car I want to play something. I find myself talking to myself and making random noises. I think the silence is getting to me.
Day 23: I’m tired of not listening to music. I try singing to make up for it, but it’s a sad substitute. A song is stuck in my head and I really wish I could play something else to get it out.
Day 25: Need music, please. Maybe dying. Send help.
Day 27: This was one of the worst ideas I’ve ever had. I will probably never do this again. I regret all my decisions. All I want is to turn the music up so loud I can feel it in my brain.
Day 30: This was so much harder than I thought it would be. I’m glad it’s over. Tell Simon & Garfunkel I found the Sound of Silence, and I don’t like it.
“Sometimes silence is what you need to talk to and hear God.”
Overall, this month of no music was good for me. I had time to listen to audiobooks I’ve been pushing off, I had more time to be alone with my thoughts and with God, but most importantly, I found that it is possible to live without constant noise. Silence isn’t a bad thing. And sometimes it’s what you need to talk to and hear God.
This month was harder than anticipated. I came face to face with the fact that I am a product of my generation and am almost certainly addicted to noise. How would a month of no music affect your life? Try it for yourself and find out!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home, and Queens, New York her sometimes home. She enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.
It’s One Thing
Sometimes things appear one way, but are completely different altogether. Read before living.
It’s one thing to love someone. It’s another to sacrifice for those you love.
It’s one thing to trust God. It’s another to surrender your desires.
It’s one thing to give. It’s another to give when you have little.
It’s one thing to know about God. It’s another to know God.
It’s one thing to be selfless. It’s another to be selfless when no one is watching.
It’s one thing to be dependent on God for big things. It’s another to be dependent on God for daily bread.
It’s one thing to stop working. It’s another to truly rest.
It’s one thing to be excited about the future God has in store. It’s another to be excited about life in the mundane present.
“Sometimes things appear one way, but are completely different altogether. ”
Sometimes things appear one way, but are completely different altogether.
We think we love well, but then, it’s easy to love. We say we trust God, but trust is an easy word to say. We give to those in need, because God has blessed us abundantly. We study the Bible and say we know God, but then, even an atheist can know facts about God. It’s easy to be selfless, especially when people are always watching the way we live. We know dependence on God is a necessity, how else would we live successful lives? We stop working on our sabbath, and call it restful. We are excited for the future, and call it trusting in God's plan.
“Underneath the good things we say and the good ways we live, there is a whisper of something better.
A promise of a fuller life.”
Underneath the good things we say and the good ways we live, there is a whisper of something better. A promise of a fuller life.
It is better to sacrifice in love, surrender your will, and give when you have little.
It is richer to know God as a friend knows a friend and as a child knows a father.
There is eternal reward in being selfless even in unseen places.
There are miracles awaiting those who depend on God for daily bread.
True rest and relief from our burdens is found in communion with Jesus.
We can live in blessed contentment when we see the Present, “the point at which time touches eternity,” as the gift God meant it to be.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home, and Queens, New York her sometimes home. She enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.
Wedding Programs
Essential Dos and Don'ts for Every Bride
Essential Dos and Don’ts for Every Bride
Wedding Programs seem like a minor detail in your wedding, and maybe they are. But a wedding program done well adds a bit of beauty to your special day. Of course, a program done badly does the opposite and distracts unnecessarily. Here are a few things to know about wedding programs before you place your order with us!
Less is more
You’ve heard it before, but it’s true. Wedding programs can quickly be cluttered with lots of information and lots of names. With an information packed program, your guests may be overwhelmed with one glance, or spend the rest of the ceremony distracted, reading every detail of the program. We don’t need to know that your water server is a cousin of the groom. The question could be asked, do we need to know who your water server is? Think about the information that is important to you, and consider cutting some information that may be unnecessarily cluttering up your program.
“Programs are chiefly to share the order of the ceremony, and give recognition to people who play a valuable part in your wedding”
Also remember, as much as it may hurt, these programs will most likely be discarded after the ceremony. If you want to share something meaningful with your guests, consider displaying it somewhere besides your wedding program. Programs are chiefly to share the order of the ceremony, and give recognition to people who play a valuable part in your wedding, and may not be the ideal place to give your special thanks or remember a loved one who has passed away.
2. CHOOSE AN AESTHETIC
Having the fonts and colors of your wedding invitation, program, and other stationary match is a win. While your guests will most likely not be comparing your stationary side by side, your wedding invitation sets the tone of your wedding day, since it’s often the first interaction your guests will have with your wedding.
“Disjointed stationary will distract unnecessarily from your day.”
Go for continuity in design and colors. Again, it may seem like a minor detail, but disjointed stationary will distract unnecessarily from your day. Consider using a wedding invitation and program set from our library of templates! You can choose from several options like the Matte Charcoal set, Basic Minimalist set, Green Sprig set, and more!
3. Type your details
This one is directly from our lovely designers at the Simple Design Co. Wedding programs usually have a lot of text on them, and we absolutely love it when you send all of that text either typed out in an email, or in a separate document. Trust us, the design process will be 100% smoother and faster if you do this instead of sending your information as a picture.
“We absolutely love it when you send all of that text either typed out in an email, or in a separate document.”
We love to see your happy wedding scribbles in a notebook, but unfortunately, that is not so good for adding text to your wedding program. And more importantly, sending all your information already typed minimizes typos and other errors! Do yourself a favor, and type it out.
Brides, we love doing your wedding stationary, and it’s always an honor to be a small part of your wedding day! Thank you for trusting us with the details!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home, and Queens, New York her sometimes home. She enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.
15 Rules You Can't Argue With
15 Irrefutable Truths from somebody who has seen it all.
Occasionally a person reaches a point in life where they feel like they’ve learned a lot about living and had enough experiences to know a few things.
That usually comes before a massive crisis where they realize they know nothing about anything and in fact, their knowledge of life only makes them realize how little they know.
I recently turned 21 and am feeling that young, brazen confidence that I know all there is to know about life and love.
I’ve concluded that I should take advantage of this knowledge as I sit on the cusp of a crisis. Therefore, I’ve written down everything I’ve learned about life before the inevitable crash comes. Here is my complete and exhaustive list of things to do to lead a successful life on Planet Earth.
“I’ve written down everything I’ve learned about life. Here is my complete and exhaustive list of things to do to lead a successful life on Planet Earth.”
Water is life. Drink it. Jump in it. Float on it.
2. Carrying a water bottle with you everywhere you go is a sign of maturity. Do it and don’t freeload off of others’ water bottles.
3. Exercise. That’s it.
4. Don’t let your mind wander too long in what could be.
5. Pick up a book instead of picking up your phone.
6. Don’t listen to the same song too many times.
7. Sleep is good, but don’t let it get in the way of other good things.
8. The only way to get a difficult thing off your to do list is to do it.
9. Naps ruin lives. Sleep at night, not in the middle of the day.
10. A shower and a clean face make a lot of problems shrink to their actual size.
11. Watch out for sodium.
12. Being late is a habit, not a lifestyle. You can change a habit. Don’t make people wait on you.
13. Hurry is a joy killer. Slow your life down so that you can drive slow and still be punctual.
14. There is no point in arguing about what tastes good. Don’t argue about food.
15. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home, and Queens, New York her sometimes home. She enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.
God’s Beauty in the Big City
I’ve been living in the largest city in the U.S. for 7 months. Here's what I've learned about God's beauty.
“Don’t you get tired of all the concrete?” “I would miss the trees!” “Don’t you want to get out in God’s nature and away from the city?”
I’ve been living in Queens, New York City for 7 months and people love to ask me questions like this. Maybe partly because I moved from a community in Pennsylvania (literally meaning Penn’s Woods) where trees are everywhere and towns are tiny and sparse. It seems like moving from that to the largest city in the United States should be quite an adjustment.
But I’ve found that God’s beauty and creativity is displayed everywhere on the earth, not just in nature. Over and over, I’ve seen God’s handiwork, even when I’m walking over miles of concrete.
“ God is all around me, everywhere I look.”
A father at a park sweetly sings a Spanish song to his daughters in the stroller. He pushes it carefully to avoid the bumps in the path.
There’s a magnolia tree on 51st that I’ve watched grow from buds to beautiful flowers over the course of several weeks. Its massive branches hang over the sidewalk and create a canopy of pink, sweet smelling shade.
A woman walking on my street smiled at me when I looked her in the eye and stopped to ask me how my day was going. Her face was bright with joy.
A beautiful gray cat lets me touch its soft nose.
An MTA employee cheerfully sweeps up trash on the subway car. He stops to joke with the kids on the train and makes them laugh. He leaves with a smile on his face.
The old ladies at the temple only spoke Tibetan, but they insisted I take some crackers from their table of snacks.
A police officer stands outside the elementary school directing kids and parents into the school. She welcomes the kids by name.
My neighbor is always smiling. He sells flowers and beautiful growing things at a little store on the corner.
As I sit at a large window, I watch a group of highschool students leave school at the end of the day, laughing, and sharing a pack of fruit snacks.
A teenage boy goes out of his way to open two doors for an elderly lady.
A small bush bloomed in the cold of February and kept blooming even after it snowed.
God is all around me, everywhere I look. There is beauty here in this place, and it makes me dream of a City that is yet to come;
The Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shines with the glory of God. The glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The glory and honor of the nations are brought into it and nothing impure will ever enter it.
Revelation 21
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home, and Queens, New York her sometimes home. She enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.
The Bible in One Week
How reading the Bible in one week changed my life.
Recently I, along with five close friends of mine, successfully read through the entire Bible chronologically in 6 days.
It was an incredible, even, dare I say, life changing experience. I don’t know if I can impart to you exactly what an impact it had on me. So I will only try my best to convince you to do it for yourself.
“It was an incredible, even, dare I say, life changing experience”
We are far from the first to do this, but we loosely followed a plan by Shawn Hochstetler. He first did it in 2020 after being inspired by a group of Christians from a closed country who were risking their lives to read the Bible. When they finally had the chance to read God’s word, they refused to stop and read day and night until they made it to the last page.
We didn’t read day and night, but we did read for 10 to 12 hours every day with 4 short breaks throughout the day.
We read from a chronological New Living Translation Bible for easy comprehension and to read the events of the Bible in the order they happened, with the prophetic books, Psalms, and Proverbs interwoven with historical accounts and the book of Acts integrated into Paul's letters to the churches. Reading the Bible chronologically in such a short span of time gives a unique perspective to the Bible that I have never seen before.
Now when Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said,” and when Matthew or Luke or Paul mention prophecies fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah, I know exactly what they're referring to and the context of the original law or prophecy. Of course, I’ve always had a general knowledge of the Bible, but I’ve never understood it like I do now.
“I’ve always had a general knowledge of the Bible, but I’ve never understood it like I do now. ”
Knowing the Bible as one story with huge overarching themes and the same God over it all, as opposed to reading it as a collection of different books and stories and time periods, has strengthened my faith, given me an increased awareness of God’s sovereignty, and made the entire Bible come alive to me like it never has before.
At the same time, it's made me realize how little I know about the Bible. I don’t often choose to read from Leviticus or Jeremiah for my personal devotions, I would much rather read from Matthew or Romans, which means I often neglect parts of the Bible that I don’t find interesting or helpful to me.
“I had been missing huge parts of God’s story and character.”
In doing so, I have been missing huge parts of God’s story and character. Now I know the Old Testament is rich and no part of the Holy Word of God should be neglected or held up as more important.
Because the Bible works together beautifully as a unit, and I never would have picked up the bigger story by spending all my time in the New Testament or the books I enjoy reading. Furthermore, should we as Christians not be experts in the Bible? And how could I ever be an expert in the Bible if I didn’t study the whole thing?
I encourage you, no matter what part of the Christian journey you are on, to take a week out of your life and read the Bible. It’s a big commitment and takes a lot of work and we all have responsibilities, but as Ann Voscamp encourages, “Do hard and Holy things.”
Besides, is anything too hard when God is involved? And is any sacrifice too great when Jesus is the heartbeat of our lives?
“Is anything too hard when God is involved? And is any sacrifice too great when Jesus is the heartbeat of our lives?”
You can find more information on reading the Bible in a week here: Bible Week (notion.site)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home, and Queens, New York her sometimes home. She enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.
House Keys in Holy Hands
We cannot share the gospel with people who could lose everything because of it, and not be willing to give everything in return.
Several months ago I read The Gospel Comes With a House Key by Rosaria Butterfeild. While most of what she wrote about has, more or less, gone in one ear and out the other, one thing stays firmly planted in my brain.
“Welcoming people into our homes and offering them a place at the table, a house key, and a warm environment is an integral part of the Gospel”
If you haven’t read it, The Gospel Comes With a House Key is about how life changing ordinary hospitality can be for unbelievers. Butterfeild shares her own story of how she came to know God through a family who invited her into their home over and over to share food, a safe space, and conversations that always came around to Jesus.
She believes welcoming people into our homes and offering them a place at the table, a house key, and a warm environment is an integral part of the gospel. She lives it out and sees over and over how neighbors and strangers become friends and are brought into the family of God over the dinner table.
“If you want to share the gospel with… anyone who will lose family and homes, the gospel must come with a house key.”
In the middle of her book, Butterfield writes something, almost in passing, but after I read it, I had to sit and think for a while. She brings out Mark 10:28-31 where Jesus talks about leaving our houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, children, and land for His sake, and she writes, “If you want to share the gospel with… anyone who will lose family and homes, the gospel must come with a house key.”
She emphasizes offering a house key to those who will lose their own. We cannot simply go out on the streets, proclaiming the gospel and calling Muslims, Jews, people from the LGBTQ community, or anyone else who has everything to lose, to repentance. We must follow it up by giving them what they may have to sacrifice to accept the gospel.
They need to know who will take them in when their families and communities reject them. Furthermore, Jesus commands us to love, not just our friends, but also strangers, foreigners, and enemies. That includes refugees, orphans, the homeless, and the impoverished. What better way to be the hands and feet of Jesus, than to offer a home to those who don’t have one.
Sometimes it’s easier to preach and teach and share the gospel with someone and call it a day. But what should come after that is an invitation into a community who will take them in and be their family in Christ when they sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel.
“They need to know where home is.”
“We cannot share the gospel with people who could lose everything because of it, and not be willing to give everything in return.”
The gospel demands sacrifice from us. Some more than others. We cannot share the gospel with people who could lose everything because of it, and not be willing to give everything in return. When we accept this reality, the gospel and hospitality cannot be separated.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home, and Queens, New York her sometimes home. She enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.
Should My Wedding Invitations be Trendy or Timeless?
Do I care if my wedding looks outdated when I show the pictures to my kids?
It’s the question that brides have struggled with for decades… do I care if my wedding looks outdated when I show the pictures to my kids?
Consider the difference between a classic car and an minivan from the same era… one still looks great, looking back. The other, not so much.
“do I care if my wedding looks outdated when I show the pictures to my kids?”
We spend a lot of time thinking about what is timeless, and what isn’t. Here is our current conclusion on it:
Timeless and trendy are a bit subjective. Unfortunately, hindsight is the only true indicator if a design makes it from trendy to timeless.
This one is definitely a timeless design. Nothing stands out as over-the-top. Nothing is trying to prove a point. It’s just clean simple text, spaced and designed with elegance.
This arched design has a much more trendy feel. There is plenty of white space to give it a minimal feel, but the arches hint at a fun and interesting wedding.
This invitation mixes traditional and modern with its black and white simplicity. The spacing of the lines and the horizontal blocks give it just a taste of being trendy.
The black border on this design immediately give a “classic” feel. A black border is not enough to guarantee the classic look however. This style of photo, whether there is some action in the shot or the more sepia tone, can make all the difference.
This black on black and white suit combines classic and minimal and modern. The simplicity and open space makes it feel a bit more timeless, but the black on black with a bit of white feels very modern.
WOTY. Word of the Year
Why you should have a word of the year, and how we are making it easy.
I’m borderline ADD by nature (maybe not just borderline), which means my instinct is to make a lot more New Year’s resolutions than I can reasonably keep.
A great alternative/addition to the New Year’s resolution is a word of the year. This is my third year taking it seriously, and it has made a real difference.
This year’s word for me is Focus, which is a constant struggle for me but I felt it rising as a word I would like to orient my life around. Maybe for you its something completely different! I’ve chosen Generosity and Discipline the last two years, and each time the word represented something that I felt the need to work on.
I take choosing my WOTY pretty seriously, and I try to have it pretty well nailed down several months in advance. It usually feels like something the Holy Spirit is nudging me towards, and if it’s right, it just “clicks”.
Our preferred method to keep our WOTY from being forgotten, is to display them on the wall in our bedroom. I don’t notice it every day, but it’s not at all unusual for me to notice my word just before we turn out the light. Seeing it causes me to think about it and my current progress with it as I’m falling asleep.
I can’t recommend enough having your word somewhere that reminds you daily or at least regularly, and let it guide your year!
At the risk of making this post seem like a sales pitch, here is a plug for our customizable word of the year prints.
We believe in the power of the WOTY, so we created a product to make it easier to display your word of the year in an attractive way, similar to how we have for the past three years.
We take your word and the definition you choose, and either send you a physical copy or a digital file for you to print at home. CLICK THE LINK BELOW
We hope that your life can be better in the same way that ours has been!
5 Books That Changed My Life + A Few Bonus Books
5 Books that could change your life, plus a few fun ones.
I have found that one of the most effective ways to substantively change your life is to read a book. I only read about a book a month, and I hate to waste my time on a book that is barely worth it. Here are my current favorites.
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry:
How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World
This book by John Mark Comer is a must-read if you feel overwhelmed. As a busy young family with several businesses and a love for new projects and ideas, this book was a God-send. It’s a great perspective-shifting book for anybody that feels caught in the rat race.
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World
This book by Cal Newport offered me an important mindset-shift on how the internet and technology how crept into my life.
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Deep Work, also a Cal Newport book, has fundamentally changed my day to day life. An “ideas” person by nature, this book, along with his time block planner book, have helped to rein in my easily distracted nature. This book is somewhat geared toward professional productivity, but it is useful for anybody that struggles with focus and productivity in their life.
Dangerous Prayers: Because Following Jesus Was Never Meant to Be Safe
Dangerous Prayers, by Pastor Craig Groeschel was an interesting one for me. One of my goals this year was to study the topic of prayer. I read several books and they all were insightful. However, Craig has a way of turning a deep topic like prayer into an easy read. I don’t totally agree with his entire worldview as is pertains to prayer, but this book was an inspiration to reach for more in my prayer life.
The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self
The Comfort Crisis, by Michael Easter was another book that exposed some of my worldview flaws to me. This book does contain some unnecessary language, so be aware of that. The premise of the book is that we have all become fat and lazy, and we don’t really want it any other way. The Comfort Crisis helped me realize that I am more addicted to comfort that I realized, and that an overly comfortable life is not a fulfilled one.
Born to Run
Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall was one of those books that made a real impact on my life. I listened to this audio book, and literally started training for a 5K and completed it. It’s not much, but it’s 3.11 miles further than I was able to run before this book inspired me. This book does contain some unnecessary language and stories, so be aware of that.
Honorable Mentions
Leadership Not by the Book: 12 Unconventional Principles to Drive Incredible Results
Leadership Not by the Book is by David Green, Founder of Hobby Lobby. Probably fifty percent of the books that I read are business related, but this one definitely stood out as a different perspective. Hobby Lobby’s growth and commitment to giving are inspirational. While I love a good, technical business book, this Christian perspective was refreshing.
The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel
This book by Douglas Brunt is a fun one. I tend to get stuck in the literary world of business and thinking and growth. This book was an attempt to take in a different genre. It’s an investigative look at the life of Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine. He was “suicided” in the age of global tension and the fight John D Rockefeller was having to keep gasoline as the dominant form of power. I listened to this one, and it was perfect.
To Kill a Mockingbird
This Harper Lee classic was another attempt to just enjoy a different genre than my normal. It reminded me that classics are classics for a reason.
I’d love to hear your book recommendations! Drop your favorites in the comments… Reading a book is a commitment to several hours of time and it’s always great to not waste energy or time on a mediocre book!
A Story of Blazing Glory
A short story, inspired by Ezekiel 16.
Inspired by Ezekiel 16
The morning you were born, dew covered the earth in a cold shimmer. The sun peered over the mountains surrounding you and lit the beads of water on fire.
There you lay, where your mother had left you, among the cold, freshly cut field. There was no comfort for you. No swaddle to warm you, no soft place to lay your head. Only cold, short grass that was drenched in flaming dew. The sun tried its best to warm you, but its light was the cold light of winter and you felt no warmth.
You cried out in your misery, blood covered and pitiful. And yet no eye that saw you pitied you. No heart broke for you. On the day you were born, you were despised and rejected. And still, the sun peered over the mountains surrounding you, trying to warm you.
“I knelt beside you and took you into my arms and whispered, ‘Live!’”
On the day you were born, I passed by the field and saw you wallowing in your blood and in the mud of the cold, flaming dew. I knelt beside you and took you into my arms and whispered, “Live!” I cleaned you and made you flourish like a beautiful flower. As you grew, I cared for you and loved you in your misery and pain.
With the sun and mountains surrounding you, you became as beautiful as the day you were born with the flaming dew shimmering like glitter over the field. I clothed you in my own robe made of fine silk and adorned you with beautiful jewels and embroidered cloth and expensive leather. I anointed you with oil and placed a beautiful crown of glory on your head. I gave you food that tickled your tastebuds and filled your stomach.
You knew nothing but comfort and love from me.
You were exceedingly beautiful and treated as royalty.
You were redeemed and transformed.
And on the day the sun disappears forever behind the mountains that surround you, the splendor and majesty I clothed you in will shine brighter than the sun ever did, setting the dew on the fields ablaze forever and ever.
“This I did for you”
This I did for you, declares Jehovah Go’El, the Lord your Redeemer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home, and Queens, New York her sometimes home. She enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.
5 Minimal Holiday Card Ideas
5 Minimal and Simple Holiday Photo Card Ideas to Get Your Creative Wheels Turning.
Five minimal Holiday Photo Card Design Ideas to get your creative wheels turning.
This Hugs, Love, and Joy design is clean and minimal. However, the design relies on the strength of your photo to make the card work. If you want to switch up the words on a design like this, it’s totally fine! Just switch them out though, rather than adding more words. For example, you could have Peace, Love, and Joy rather than Hugs, Love and Joy. You wouldn’t want to just add Peace to the top of Hugs, Love, and Joy though, because the design would begin to feel cluttered.
Another great way to have a minimal feel is to go with a clean square design like this one. The White border on this design also adds a timeless feel.
Here is another example of the white border. A beautiful add-on graphic in a corner can make a simple design like this one look good. However, there is something about the confidence of adding nothing, and just allowing the photo to stand on its own with the white border that make the minimal feel elegant.
Prefer a vertical version? All the same principles apply.
Minimal Designs do not need to be “stoic”. This round photo design has a trendy feel, while maintaining a minimal look. This design relies less on the photo and more on the text to do the work of the design. This probably isn’t a great design if you have more than three or four people in your photo.
In summary
Less is more; almost always, especially when you are wanting a minimal feel.
Photos are king. No matter how great your graphic is, all of these designs depend on at least a good photo, and a great one is better.
Minimal is subjective. Don’t get caught up in needing to be 100% “minimalist”; find a design that you love and go with it.
Your physical product matters. Quality paper and print are your final step to ensuring an excellent product. Here is you best place to find that! ;)