The Perfect Pie Topper: Thanksgiving

As you can probably tell I love bunting banners. I think they're even cuter when they're miniature size and strung atop a homemade pie. I thought this would be the perfect printable for this week!

>> DOWNLOAD THE FILE HERE <<

Thanksgiving Recipe Cards

Come fall I'm always on the hunt for recipe cards. It seems like no matter where I go I'm always sharing recipes or talking about food with someone. Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I thought I'd design a recipe card printable that would be both practical and festive. You can print these on paper or cardstock and use them for yourself or to give to others. (Please note that the original file is for a 3x5 card)

>> DOWNLOAD THE FILE HERE <<

Blog Redesign: Pint Sized Baker

During the past few months I've been working with Karyn over at Pint Sized Baker to come up with a fresh look for her blog. This past Sunday the transformation was complete and the new site was revealed. Go check it out!

I really thought I took a screen shot of "the before" but I couldn't find it anywhere so I had to source a picture from the web.

Design 101 Series: Backgrounds & Free Graphics

Lately I've been working on a lot of blog redesigns. I've searched far and wide for clean and modern backgrounds. They're hard to find! However, I recently stumbled upon this website. Jackpot! And the best part? They're free!

Tip #1: If you're wanting to customize the color or opacity of the pattern, they suggest following this tutorial.

Tip #2: In Blogger, when setting your background, make sure you select the top left alignment option and that you check the box titled "scroll with page," this will make it easier to read for viewers, especially if you have a busy background.

Tip #3: In general, you should try not to tile a background unless it is seamless. Often times when tiling, you can see the separation between the patterns or it doesn't match up correctly.

And of course, if you're looking to make your own background or just need some graphics for a project, both Brusheezy and Vecteezy have some great downloads (you'll need Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator to edit them). Not sure what I'm talking about? Brusheezy offers patterns and brushes to use in Photoshop/Illustrator, and Vecteezy offers vectors you can download and use or customize in Illustrator.

Tip #1: Vecteezy: Downloaded the file, open it as an Ai file or EPS. Use the direct selection tool (the "grey" cursor) to enable editing capabilities.

Tip #2: Brusheezy: Download the file, open Photoshop and select the brush tool. To load the brush, open up the brush selection box and click on the arrow in the top right hand corner. In the middle of the menu you will see "load brushes." Click and find the file. Once you've selected and opened that brush it will be located in the brush selection box for you to use.

Please note that these backgrounds and graphics are for personal use only (non-commercial). Always read the terms.

Design 101 Series: 15 Free Fonts

As a graphic designer I'm always on the hunt for new fonts. I must say that ever since I've worked for SAS Creative Services/BYU Bookstore, I've been one of those people who can name almost any font on any given item. But every once in a while I see fonts online that I absolutely love... and happen to have no idea what they're named. So I thought I'd give you the inside scoop on my top 15 favorite fonts and identify a few popular ones...

| Hagin Caps Thin | Olympia-Xlight Condensed | Ostrich Sans | Mountain Retreat | 

Muncie Regular | Mensch | Caviar Dreams | Lane Narrow | Quicksand | Raleway 

| Learning Curve Pro | Allura | Halo Handletter | Sail | Channel |

Some great resources include: Font Squirrel, Lost Type, DaFont & Fonts 101

Please note that these fonts are for personal use only!

Blog Redesign: A Quaint Life

These past few weeks I've been working on a design for a private family blog. It's taken me some time to get it up and running but I think it hits the mark: simple, clean and updated. Lizzy contacted me about a month ago and we've been emailing each other back and forth ever since. She wanted a dusty blue background, yellow or green accents and the sidebar to be adjusted. I had a few issues getting the CSS to work and eliminating the old template, but I think things look really good and she seems to be really pleased. Now on to the next one...

Printables: 4th of July

{CLICK individual photo to download PDF}

CONDITIONS OF USE: This content is free and for personal use only. It is not for commercial use.

 If you wish to incorporate any of my designs in your own personal projects, please attribute it to me by linking to my site. Please & thank you.

Giveaway: Custom Blog Design [CLOSED]

Hello all! This is a giveaway I've been wanting to do for quite some time now.

It's a custom blog design for one lucky blogger! I'm sharpening up my blog design skills

(not that they're mind blowing or anything), but I'd love to spruce up someone's little blog for free!

The offer includes:

It's only open to bloggers (with a Blogger account) who have less than 250 followers.

To enter to win, you must follow Life {Made} Simple and leave a comment below.

I will draw a random, lucky winner next Monday, June 18th. Good luck!

Still have questions? Check out this page for more details.

Blog Redesign

For my Dreamweaver class we had to redesign a blog or website. I asked my sister-in-law if she was willing to let me play around with her food blog. She kindly agreed. Thank you so much Emily! To see more of her blog, click HERE.