Hello! And Welcome!
Hello! My name is Cole. Simplicity Embellished is my special place. I talk a lot about writing letters, etegami, gardening and yoga. Please sign up for Sunday Tea (comes to you via email), subscribe using your feed reader of choice and don't hesitate to say hello on Twitter or Facebook either.
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Etegami Call For Entries
Simplicity Embellished is happy to announce that we’re hosting an etegami call! And, on one of my favorite topics: letters and words! Details below: Never created an etegami? Debbie has…
Latest Headlines
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Opportunity Lies in Wait
Posted on 10 April, 2010 | 1 CommentIt does. It sits just out of your main field of vision. Sometimes, you can only see it if you stop a moment to look near the fringes of what... -
Discipline is the Key To Success
Posted on 8 April, 2010 | No CommentsEvery few months, I see lots of articles pop up all about what makes successful people successful, or what makes an entrepreneur successful. Usually, a new study or report on... -
Late Dinners At Home
Posted on 5 April, 2010 | No CommentsIt’s getting warmer. At least here in Cincinnati, Ohio it is. See, about this time of year, we’ll have these random warm, sunlit days. So warm that you’ll have to... -
Cheesecake is Best When Individually Portioned
Posted on 3 April, 2010 | 2 CommentsIndividually portioned as in: Here’s a mini-cheesecake just for you. This is delicious. Really. And, I believe that the deliciousness is enhanced by the recipe being incredibly easy, quick and... -
A Week at a Time
Posted on 28 March, 2010 | 1 CommentRecently, my journal has been full of statements like this: Well, another week has come and gone. I can not believe what happened this week! A week has passed already.... -
My Cincinnati
Posted on 16 March, 2010 | No CommentsCincinnati is a mixed-up metropolis situated on the mighty Ohio River. Mark Twain said “When the end of world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it’s always twenty... -
How To Hollow Out a Book
Posted on 14 March, 2010 | 1 CommentI think many of us wish we were better gift givers, or that we could actually make something that’s handmade and decent, or that we had money to buy a... -
A Drive To See Family
Posted on 9 March, 2010 | No CommentsThe AA-Highway is a lovely stretch of road that basically runs along the northern border of Kentucky from Ohio to West Virginia and back. Its sloping hills and wide curves... -
Typography Monday! The Braces
Posted on 8 March, 2010 | No CommentsThese are mainly used in math, although people looking for a little decorative edge use them as well. -
Typography Monday! The Ampersand
Posted on 1 March, 2010 | No CommentsThis comes from the shorthand of a guy named Marcus Tullius Tiro who lived way back in the first century AD. It’s a ligature for the Latin word et. Many... -
Happy Manatees…..Well, More of Them! (And some letter writing advice, too)
Posted on 1 March, 2010 | No CommentsDrawing manatees is a deep-rooted love of mine. Few understand my fascination with doodling these ladies and gents of the sea. I often include little watercolors on the backs of... -
The Vintage Paris Hilton – Baroness De Guestre
Posted on 28 February, 2010 | 1 CommentI’d like to start out with three photos of the Baroness de Guestre, AKA “The Paris Hilton of her day.” Wow–risque? Not so much. But at the time, apparently so.... -
Making Coca-Cola From Scratch
Posted on 27 February, 2010 | 3 CommentsI’m about to show you a beautiful photo. This beautiful photo is of Coca-Cola in its infancy. At least my husband’s interpretation. And you know what, what we came out... -
My Love For Meringue
Posted on 26 February, 2010 | No CommentsMeringue is my favorite dessert. I would easily choose a meringue over cheesecake, or over fudge, or over some other unholy delicacy. Meringue is lovely. The flavor is simple, the... -
Typography Monday! The At
Posted on 22 February, 2010 | No CommentsThe at comes from a Latin preposition for ad. It represents the word ‘at.’ -
Beautiful, Vintage, Public Domain Photos 9
Posted on 21 February, 2010 | No CommentsAre you guys liking these photos? I hope they offer you as much inspiration as I draw from them. Mary Gullick, Zoe Gullick, Marjory Gullick, Chloe Gullick – outside Altoncourt,... -
Review of Rossi’s Medioevalis Paper and Envelopes
Posted on 20 February, 2010 | 2 CommentsI tell you, packaging can make things special. It sets up your expectations and for we paper enthusiasts, it can inspire us to write. The print on the luxury boxes... -
Even the Post Office Gets Irritated
Posted on 16 February, 2010 | 1 CommentI write a lot of letters. I get a lot of letters too. And I am even on a first-name basis with several post office employees at my local branch.... -
Typography Monday! The Octothorp
Posted on 15 February, 2010 | No CommentsThe octothorp, also called a hash or a pound sign, first was used in cartography. It was used to represent a village. Now it means ‘number.’ -
A Special Cake
Posted on 11 February, 2010 | No CommentsOne night last week, I was feeling rather…..motivated. Motivated to cook. Actually, I think, motivated to be distracted in the kitchen for a few hours–do you know what I mean?... -
Moleskine in Red
Posted on 10 February, 2010 | 4 CommentsI spotted these guys at Barnes and Noble….. They’re red! What a lovely shade! I’ve got the perfect red Diamine ink and my Gold Sheaffer Agio would compliment this Moleskine... -
Everything You Need To Know About Lentils
Posted on 9 February, 2010 | 1 CommentLentils are wonderful. Part of the legume family, these guys are a good source for protein. About 25% of a lentil’s calories are protein. And, I think they are lovely... -
Typography Monday! The Caret
Posted on 8 February, 2010 | No CommentsThis is most commonly used when editing documents. It’s a mark you use to signify that something needs to be added. It comes from the Latin phrase it needs. -
Beautiful, Vintage, Public Domain Photos 8 {animals 2}
Posted on 7 February, 2010 | No CommentsI found a few more vintage animal postcards and thought I’d share the rest! They’re all just so inspiring This just seethes saccharine sweetness. Except I feel like those cats... -
Beagle Love
Posted on 6 February, 2010 | No CommentsMy two beagles, Ruby and Hairy, are beyond-verbal-description wonderful. I love these two little dogs as I’m sure you love your pets. I love how, on sunny mornings, they follow... -
Ink Review | J. Herbin’s Ambre De Birmanie
Posted on 5 February, 2010 | 7 CommentsWhat a fancy name. Ambre De Birmanie It certainly matches the lovely hue of this ink. Here’s a page from a Moleskine. You’ll see I wrote in many different styles... -
The Pet Communicator Came To Visit
Posted on 4 February, 2010 | 1 CommentMy two beagles, Ruby and Hairy, were napping on a dog bed perched below a window; looking out onto the street below. My husband and I were wrapping up a... -
Fun Ink Day 2010
Posted on 3 February, 2010 | No CommentsI think we pen, letter-writing and doodle enthusiasts can get on board with this, no? If you’re feeling it, whip out your favorite color ink on: Friday, February 12, 2010... -
You And I Will Change The World
Posted on 2 February, 2010 | No CommentsThis is my favorite saying. It’s actually from a Hebrew song that I just adore (I can hear the tumbling notes bobbing around in my head) and it’s something I... -
Typography Monday! The æ
Posted on 1 February, 2010 | No CommentsThe æ can be pronounced ash. In English, it represents the greek alpha iota. In some European countries, it represents one of the a vowels. -
Beautiful, Vintage, Public Domain Photos 7 {animals}
Posted on 31 January, 2010 | No CommentsI love animals. Especially cute vintage ones. ;) The inscription at the bottom reads “worth its weight in gold.” What a beautiful valentines card. I love the colors and the... -
Typography Monday! The Question Mark
Posted on 25 January, 2010 | No CommentsA question mark is a punctuation mark. It belongs at the end of interrogative sentences. -
Beautiful, Vintage, Public Domain Photos 6
Posted on 24 January, 2010 | No CommentsMan, we’re on the 6th installment already? Lot’s of inspiration! This is such a sweet photo. Oh gosh! But this is even sweeter. Look at that little lamb. This is... -
Yoga; Lots and Lots of Yoga
Posted on 22 January, 2010 | 1 CommentOn January 3, 2010 I began reaching for a lofty goal…30 yoga classes in 31 days. That’s a lot of yoga. In preparation, I penciled in all the yoga classes... -
Typography Monday! The Comma
Posted on 18 January, 2010 | No CommentsThe comma is used for separation. The Greek word komma means ‘a short clause’ hence where our comma comes from. The comma is used as a decimal point in many... -
Beautiful, Vintage, Public Domain Photos 5
Posted on 17 January, 2010 | No CommentsSomething that’s been done before always holds opportunity for improvement. Hmmmm, not sure what the goal was here. I’m sure it got lost somewhere in the decades gone by. Sherman.... -
My Daily Makeup Routine
Posted on 15 January, 2010 | No CommentsSimplicity Embellished | Simple Daily Makeup Routine from Simplicity Embellished on Vimeo. This is Cole’s tried-and-true daily makeup routine. Developed after years and years of mistakes, mishaps and mooching off... -
A Happy Little Watercolor To Make You Smile
Posted on 14 January, 2010 | No CommentsI’ve been known to pull out my doodling skills. The manatee is my favorite thing to illustrate. Happy Thursday. By the way, I use a fountain pen (Lamy AL-Star) to... -
Typography Monday! The Double Dagger
Posted on 11 January, 2010 | No CommentsThis mark is used in footnotes. People also call it a double obelus or a double obelisk and a diesis. -
Beautiful, Vintage, Public Domain Photos 4
Posted on 10 January, 2010 | No CommentsWhat are you inspired by? Or perhaps you’re searching for new places to draw inspiration and creativity from. Here’s our 4th installment. Wouldn’t you love to own that hat? I’ve...
