Traci Niese | Simply Said

expressions, gifts, messages, seasonal decor, Simply Said, vinyl lettering, wall art, wall decals, wall sayings, wall stickers

What does a new year mean? New products, of course!

What does a new year mean to you? For some it means more exercise, or less eating, maybe even more drinking (in celebration)! For others it means getting organized, starting over or changing bad habits. For many businesses its new-product launch season. And that’s exactly what I have for you today – photos of some of our newest Simply Said products and designs!

A new catalog was released on Monday evening. It’s awesome because for the first time ever, it includes designs suitable for EVERY SEASON of the year. So now you don’t have to wait for spring or winter releases to plan for holiday decorating. AND the new release includes several new Printed Treasures – those are our items that come preprinted and can be personalized to celebrate special occasions – perfect for your gift-giving!

Check it out!

This is my favorite new Printed Treasure! I love the chalk board designs, and this with its patriotic pennant banner and message that salutes our troops – it really speaks to me.

Another favorite in the middle!

Simply Said has many new designs for the bride and those celebrating an anniversary!

The overwhelming response by far tells me this will be one of the most popular of all our new items. This distressed board, made of real wood, is personalized with your names and wedding date!

Perfect for Thanksgiving and any time of the year when you want to be reminded of all that we are grateful for!

Those with a lake home can attest to this! We’ve got designs for the beach home owner, too!

A tribute to dad!

And we couldn’t forget mom!

I’m loving the Printed Treasure on the left: Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

I LOVE the creativity of the design on the right above – this is absolutely a wonderful keepsake for the graduate! A Sharpie and you have a signed memento!

The distressed slotted boards are beautiful hung flush on the wall, or sitting on a cabinet top.

They mimic the look of a DIY pallet, without all the work!

Here’s a link to the new catalog if you would like to see more! http://simplysaidinc.com/catalogs/simplyseasonal/

For shopping and business inquiries, please visit my website: http://www.mysimplysaiddesigns.com/TRACINIESE/

And if you would like to earn free Simply Said products, consider having an in-home party, online party or catalog party. Give me a shout and I’ll show you how easy it is!

January 21, 2015/0 Comments/by Traci

Anthropolgie, Christmas decorating, Great Gatherings, ornaments, Pottery Barn, Simply Said

Christmas decorations!

This is starting to sound like a broken record – it’s been a while since my last blog post. I was doing good there for a while with writing and keeping the content coming. But, life gets busy, and I get lazy. And my back went kerplunk in October (that’s a whole other story)! So let’s just move on and try to get back into the swing of things!

I can’t let January end without a few shots of my home at the holidays. I LOVE Christmas decorations – LOVE them. And even though I was struggling big time between November and December, I still managed to get the house done – with a lot of help from my mother in law and son. Thank you to both of them – as well as my father in law and neighbor, Hudson, who helped set up my big tree and huff all the storage bins up from the basement! His wife, Tara, also strung the lights on my outside tree! You guys rock!

So here’s some of my favorites and new items this year…

A countdown design from Simply Said. Saxon loved moving the magnet each day!

Another Simply Said item – the “No Place Like Home for the Holidays” distressed board, next to a lantern from Pottery Barn.

I purchased this photo of Arlington National Cemetery locally, from photographer Gail Vitikacs.

The lights on these garlands worked last season, but this season not a one would light. Go figure. I was too incapacitated to really care, let alone go buy new ones. So, up they went. And honestly, I still love how they look.

My bestie, Sharon, came to visit after the holiday and brought me this sweet pillow. I love it!

I found the doe at Anthropologie this summer and added a red bow.

Scored two of these adorable polar bears at Pottery Barn after Christmas last year. Half price baby!

A neighbor was selling this Willow House chandelier. I grabbed it and added the candles and greenery.

Here’s my tree. I love this tree. She’s so pretty!

There’s still presents under the tree because my hubby comes home next week from Afghanistan. He’ll be home for a few weeks and we’ll be celebrating Christmas!

The last two years I have gone to Great Gatherings for ornaments. The day after Christmas they mark them down half price! Here’s some of my fav’s!

This one came from The Empty Nest in Warrenton last year. Still one of my absolute favorites!

The paper flowers and butterfly were from Cracker Barrel this year.

This Summer hubby gave me this Eiffel Tower ornament!

The bedding was purchased from Stein Mart this season- wow, it was super cheap! I think the King quilt was only $39!!

It’s all staying up until after Damon comes home and we celebrate. Plus, I really need his help to take it all down and put it away. Since he was away when we put it all up, I think it will be nice to play holiday music while we take it down. I know that’s backwards, but I want him to feel some of the “special,” too.

Stay tuned for what’s next in our great room – it’s got me a little “grey!” And not in a sad way, either.

January 11, 2015/0 Comments/by Traci

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, antique shop, decorating, furniture, home style, janet metzger, party, Simply Said, Simply Said vinyl designs, The Empty Nest, wall art, wall decals, wall quotes

Simply Said at The Empty Nest

Today I had the pleasure of doing a Simply Said party with Janet from The Empty Nest – a delightful shop that sells Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Janet and I go back a few years — I had met her during Annie Sloan’s US tour, when she was in Leesburg, VA. I was attending and brand new to chalk paint. Someone introduced her to me as my local stockist (back then she was a booth-holder in an antiques shop). Now Janet has a gorgeous shop full of amazing furniture and goodies in Old Town Warrenton, VA. When I was painting furniture I was in her shop almost weekly. Talk about inspiration – check it out!

Ahhh – the mother lode!

Janet’s shop is a feast for the eyes! She has chalk paint, antiques, painted furniture, hand-crafted items, repurposed items, lovely textiles, and so much more! I could browse for hours!

She was so kind in offering to host a party for me in the shop. I set up in the back and we had a nice crowd join us to learn how to use Simply Said in their decorating. Here’s a few shots from the party!

Janet put out quite the spread!

I loved the welcome sign!!

My Simply Said display included a few painted items, as well as Simply Said’s accessories and designs.

In this picture I am removing the grid paper from the back of a design.

Here I am demonstrating how to easily hang a design on the wall.

I had such a nice time chatting with the women who came. I loved hearing their ideas for using Simply Said. One lady, named Sue, is planning on creating a custom design using Simply Said’s online tool, called Your Way. She’s going to make a back-splash design that I have no doubt will be the conversation piece of her kitchen!

This was certainly a fun venue for a party! Big thanks and appreciation go out to my friend, Janet! if you’re in the Warrenton, VA area, be sure to check out The Empty Nest!

June 23, 2014/0 Comments/by Traci

accent colors, decorating, monochromatic colors, paint colors, Simply Said, Simply Said vinyl designs, wall art

More on color – choosing wall art colors

Now that I am a Simply Said design consultant, and doing home parties, I am getting a lot of questions about how to choose the color of their wall designs. So, I created this little guide to help. While this sheet talks about vinyl designs specifically, the suggestions are applicable to any wall art – paintings, prints, metal art, etc.

First – match your art with an accent color. If your room is mostly neutrals with a pop of red in your couch pillows and curtains, then red would be an ideal wall art color. Look at the photos in the top half of the page. Notice they chose vinyl colors to match their accents: a lime green accent wall, a red pillow and red in the rug, teal pillows, and a brown bedspread.

Another option for choosing color – go with the same color as your wall – but in a few shades lighter or darker. So, if your wall is light blue, like in the photo above, then use a darker navy blue color for your wall art. The use of one color family in various intensities is subtle and beautiful.

When in doubt, going with black or white is usually a safe bet, too!

June 16, 2014/0 Comments/by Traci

casual, contemporary, decorating style, eclectic, quiz, Simply Said, traditional

What’s you decorating style?

Do you know your decorating style? It’s okay if you don’t. For many of us – myself included – it is an evolving thing. Your tastes and preferences can change.

Years ago, I had a very country-Americana thing going on. My first home had a lot of red, white and blue colors, and antiques that I scored at auctions or yard sales. Nothing was very valuable – mostly just old. You know, the stuff a 20-something can afford.

Today I’d say my style is a bit of a mixed bag. I still like some antiques, especially french provincial pieces. I love the clean lines of mid-century modern, too. The mirrors and tufted furniture of the Hollywood Regency era speak to me, too. In the same room I might pair rustic wood and zebra prints. You just never know.

No one says your style has to fit into a neat little box. Love what you love and embrace it in your home!

For those who really like labels, and prefer to know what their style is, I created a little magazine-style quiz. Just circle the answers that best reflect you, and then tally them at the end.

Now tally up your letters. If you have mostly A’s, your style is Casual. Mostly B’s, your style is Contemporary. If you have mostly C’s, then you lean toward Traditional. If you’re like me, you have a mix of A, B and C – then your style is called Eclectic. See the descriptions below.

I always love taking little quizzes! It’s fun to see if you match what they say you are!

June 16, 2014/0 Comments/by Traci

cats, decals, dogs, National Pet Month, pet beds, pet decor, Simply Said, stickers, vinyl, wall art, wall designs

May is National Pet Month

I’d be remiss if I let the month of May slip past without mentioning National Pet Month! So, I’m going to bring back a post I did two years ago – in honor of our beloved 4-legged babies! Even if you’ve read it before, take a moment to get through the whole post, because at the end I have added some new content. Enjoy!

There’s no denying that pets make a home happy. Hairy too! But, I overlook that for all the joy and love my dog brings our family. In honor of National Pet Month, here’s a post devoted to our furry friends – especially Charlotte, my 8-year old yellow lab baby.

Char-Char at 9 weeks old…

Today…

These days, there’s all kinds of designer decor to glamify your pet’s space in the home. I personally love the idea of giving your 4-legged love their own space. A place to eat, a place to sleep (if your spouse is against them sleeping on your bed – good thing for Char that hubby is overseas a lot!), and a place to just chill during the day. And why not make those places lovely by coordinating them with your decor?

This is Char’s dining area in our laundry room. I wish she had a room all her own, but this little space gives her a quiet place to eat away from the activity of our kitchen and our 5-year old.

The vent keeps it nice and warm in the winter and cool-as-a-cucumber in hot weather. She likes laying on the vinyl floor in the dog-days of summer. (I know – dog puns – stop already.) The aluminum food storage pail was purchased at HomeGoods, and definitely looks more stylish than a big ole yellow bag of Pedigree slumped in the corner. (To be honest, we keep the food pail in the garage. I brought it in just for the photo. If you keep your dog food in the garage, a tin container like this is the way to go. It will keep the mice out of your dog’s food. Lesson learned – do not use a plastic container – mice chew through!)

I bought this painting at a HomeGoods. This epitomizes Charlotte – the tennis ball-obsessed girl that she is!

I like the little rug under her bowls – keeps the area tidy and coordinates with the curtains. These curtains were hung purposely just above the floor -to keep them clean and from inadvertently dragging into the bowls.

It’s a dog’s world! This adorable plaque was a gift from my bestie, Sharon.

And here is Charlotte’s bed in my office/solarium. She usually chooses to lay in here when I work, so I was giddy when I spied this doggie bed at HomeGoods that completely matched my color scheme: sea-foam blue and brown.

From this perch she can sleep in the sun or keep watch on what’s going on out back.

And pose for mommy’s pic!

When she isn’t lounging on her bed, there’s one other place she calls her own. Even hubby has given her reign of this couch. The zebra throw protects the couch (well, not really, it still gets hairy) and looks pretty cool too!

When I was thinking about this post, I surfed the net for doggie decor, and found a lot of inspiring ideas. I love this pet bed made from recycled pallets!

Pets-N-People

And I thought this was a great idea for providing kitty with indoor activity, while still looking architecturally cool!

Home Design Samples

And beds! Wow – there are sooooo many unique, stylish and inventive pet beds out there. Kind of makes Char’s bed look like she’s sleeping on a Flintstone slab of bedrock! Check these out!

Aqua lucite – for the posh pup!

Walks with Bella.

Kitty can still sleep next to you, without actually being on the bed! Awesome idea!

Walks with Bella.

Wish they made this basket-style bed in big dog sizes! I would so be snapping one up for my big girl!

Walks with Bella.

And I can’t forget our fish-friends… I love this modern fish condo! Except it needs some rocks and plants. A fish has gotta feel at home too!

LA Times

The pet decor available on the market is endless. There’s no reason Fido and Fifi’s digs can’t coincide seamlessly with your style. And the options look so comfy. Heck, I’d sleep in some of those beds! Charlotte is looking over my shoulder, silently making her picks right now. Ahh, if only we could read their minds!

NEW!!

And here’s something new to honor the pups and kitties in our lives – Simply Said has wall quotes for them too! There’s cute sayings for dogs, cats, even horse-lovers!

Or dog, in my case!

Give your pets a hug!

May 28, 2014/0 Comments/by Traci

gallery wall, instructions to hanging a gallery wall, Pottery Barn, Simply Said, step-by-step, tutorial, wall designs, wallscaping

Wallscaping! Examples and the step-by-step to creating your own beautiful gallery wall.

So what is wallscaping you ask? It’s my made-up word for dressing up your walls. You’ve probably heard of gallery walls, where you group photos into a pleasing arrangement on your walls. Wallscaping takes it to the next level. Like landscaping where you plant flowers and greenery in various heights and colors to achieve a cohesive look, wallscaping follows the same principles.

You can use a variety of photos, mirrors, frames, collected items, antiques, sports equipment – really just about anything – and arrange it on the wall in a pleasing manner. Wallscapes can be coordinated by color, theme, size, or shape. Sometimes the groupings are symmetrical, others haphazard. Always completely interesting!

Here’s some examples from the Pottery Barn catalog that inspired me to create my own wallscaping.

Of course everything Pottery Barn does looks great and the above example delivers. Love the Americana theme, and use of items in a variety of shapes. The oars are unexpected, yet create the rectangular shape and draw the eye across the top.

Here they keep the look consistent with black frames, and throw in a few circular pieces to keep it interesting! This is one of my favorites – its like a museum exhibit!

Again, this space makes use of the black frames, but throws in a few antique-inspired pieces to keep it interesting.

A few of my friends have wallscaped their spaces, too. My friend Tara did this wall in her rustic-themed basement (it’s so cool, there’s real whiskey barrels down there serving as side tables!). I love the use of large and small pieces.

Tara is a professional photographer (you can see her work here), and takes full advantage of her gorgeous children as models. Here she created a gallery wall along the staircase. Awesome frames!

My friend Hillary is a master of wallscaping! Check out the nursery she designed for her new baby. Of course, the theme here is little-boy inspired with a fishing rod, antique toy cars, alphabet letters, and more. Isn’t it downright adorable!!

Here’s a pretty display in her living room, too!

So, after all the drool-worthy inspiration, I was motivated to create my first wallscaping, too. I thought I would document the process for you here, so you can create your own wallscaping.

Steps to Creating Your Own Wallscaping

1) Find your space. I have a 2-story great room with really, really large walls. They are an overwhelming blank canvas, that I have fretted over for 3 years. It was only recently that I felt I could tackle a big project like this. So, I decided this wall was it!

2) Gather your items for the wall. You may have precious family photos you want to display, or heirloom antiques that deserve some spotlight. Maybe you have a movie-theme in mind for your man-cave, or boating items for a nautical theme. Put all your goodies in one area and look at them to determine how much space you need vs. how much space you have.

3) Take your piece that you want to be the focal point and hang it on the wall. For me, its this antique frame I scored for a couple of bucks at a yard sale. Then map out the remainder of the space you plan to use with painters tape. Don’t worry about getting the lines straight. You’ll use a level when hanging the items. Measure the height and width with a measuring tape.

4) Using your measurements, layout the same sized space on your carpet with the tape. This is your staging area.

5) Start experimenting with layout. Move items around. See what you like. At first, I thought I wanted my big frame off-center. I laid it down first, and began adding items around it. I started with the circle basket on the top right corner, then went for balance by adding the circle mirror on the bottom left next. After I had everything in my space, I took a photo to remember the layout, in case I changed it and wanted to go back to what I had originally done. This layout didn’t float my boat. Something felt “not right.”

6) Then I tried another layout, in which I put the focal point in the center. I liked that better.

7) Items to gather before you start hanging to keep the process moving: a level (make sure you level everything, especially big pictures and shelves), hammer, drill, screwdriver, pencil, tape measure, nails, wood screws, drywall anchors, and those easy to hang wall hanger things that are hook-shaped. They are a breeze for hanging light-weight items in drywall without a stud. Where there are studs you’ll need to use nails or screws, and where there’s just drywall, the hook things are great. Or use the anchors. Measure and remeasure or you’ll have one too many extra holes in the wall. (take my word on that)

7) I started with my focal piece (the big frame) and worked from the 4 corners in. I slowly added pieces by holding them up on the wall and adjusting the spacing as necessary. Be flexible and adjust your layout as you deem necessary. For some reason, things might not look as good on the wall as it did on the floor!

Here’s what I ended up with!

I’ve got a mix of family photos, mirrors, an art canvas, metal initial, and other odds and ends. I wanted a variety of textures in neutral tones to match my decor, along with an accent of yellow.

My black and white family photos were taken by Tara Sutherland, who I mentioned above. So beautiful!

Inside the frame I plan to hang the piece de resistance – a Simply Said vinyl design. It looks like this!

It’s the big one that says “Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen.” I had it designed in a chocolate brown color to match my accent wall across the room.

I’ll be hanging it as a demonstration at my Simply Said business launch party, scheduled for June 6! I am super excited about it – because this new opportunity fits right in with my love for decor. The Simply Said designs are perfect for wallscaping – in fact, I think its the perfect way to showcase their wonderful messages, or to personalize your space. Look for a lot more ideas using Simply Said designs in coming blog posts – my brain is overflowing with fun things – wait and see!

Speaking of wait and see – as soon as I have the design hung inside the frame, I’ll update this post with a final photo – so you can see just how striking it becomes.

And here it is!!!!!!!

Stay tuned for a link to my Simply Said website! Coming May 28th!

And here that is, too: www.mysimplysaiddesigns.com/traciniese

Thanks friends!

May 20, 2014/0 Comments/by Traci

crafting, DIY, do-it-yourself, home decor, inspirational sayings, Simply Said, vinyl designs, wall decals, wall designs, wallscaping

I’m Simply Excited About Simply Said!

Simply what now? I know, many of you probably haven’t heard of Simply Said. I hadn’t either until recently. But, now that I’m in the know…you can bet you’re gonna be as excited as I am after I give you the skinny!

I’ve signed on with Simply Said, a relatively new company that sells vinyl designs. That means I’ll be a consultant selling the stuff! Take a look at how some people are using the designs in their home:

Talk about fun ways to decorate your kids’ rooms! Simply Said offers growth charts, custom name vinyls, fun quotes, and sayings centered around things they love, like sports, animals, etc. The designs offered for nurseries are downright adorable!

I love, love, love the way these vinyls work with wall galleries. By far, this is my favorite method of decorating with them. In fact, I am working on my own “wallscape.” What’s a wallscape? (other than a word I just made up and you’ll hear me talk about endlessly) Like landscaping that includes plants, flowers, stone, etc in a variety of colors, widths and heights to create a visually pleasing effect, wallscaping is the same thing. You take a variety of elements, like mirrors, frames, canvas-wrapped photos, wooden initials, and any other item that strikes your fancy (right now I’m seeing a lot of nautical-themed items like oars) and put them up on the wall in a grouping. Simply Said vinyl designs are perfect for adding to the grouping. MORE to come on wallscaping – I want to finish my first one and promise to share pics!

I like these over a mantel, especially on the spacious walls like this. I also love the designs that feature your own last name, with the year your home was built.

While I think this design is really pretty, it needs a little something more to anchor it. However, I included it here so you can see how the designs can be customized in the color of your choice to match your decor. There’s over 40 colors to choose from!

Ahh that tree! See how its 3 colors?

You choose the size and colors that work for your space with each design.

Of course being the bird lady that I am, I adore this one!

There’s plenty of faith-based quotes and designs, too. (where can I get this big beautiful rocking chair??)

This is so elegant! There’s so many sayings that fit particular rooms in your house. For example in the bedroom: “Always kiss me goodnight.” For the dining room: “Talk much, Sit long, Eat well.” For the laundry room: “Wash your worries away.” There’s something for every room in the house – even the man cave! (think fishing, hunting, camping, gaming-related designs)

They’re great on flat walls, but you can put these on glass, textured surfaces, tile, front doors, even your painted furniture! You know that rocks my world – just wait, I will be doing posts to show you how, and will have a few samples for you very soon! Think about it – no more time-consuming transfers that need to be printed out, transferred over and painted in. No more stencils with soft bleed-through edges. These look like they are painted on, with the crisp edges I could never achieve with a stencil. For anyone who’s done transfer or stencils on their furniture, you know this will be a huge time-saver!

Isn’t this clever? The wall accents come with the time mechanism, too! Simply Said has lots of artistic elements too – its not just quotes and inspiring sayings. (see the pic below) They have modern images of trees, floral motifs, even vinyls that can be written on with chalk or wipe off markers!

I must do a design on my shower doors. My master bath is the only room in my house I have yet to decorate, and now I have the starting point! You can put any design on glass. There’s cute ones for the front of the washer and dryer, too!

There’s an entire catalog of spanish designs, too. (and aren’t those chairs in front of the bed to die for!)

Here’s probably the best part for someone who’s tastes change frequently – these come off the wall easily without destroying your paint. So, when you feel like redecorating, its a breeze to take off the old and put up the new!

Putting them up is easy easier than I thought. Here’s a quick video to show you how.

You know I love things related to home decor and crafting. And I’ve always worked in marketing and PR, so this job fulfills a part of me that enjoys blogging, Face-booking and planning parties! You guessed it – I’ll be having parties and hoping that my friends will host a party, too. If that sounds like fun to you, drop me a line.

In the meantime, look forward to my photos and tips on using Simply Said in your home and DIY!

Soon, I will post info about my launch party, and a website where you can see the entire catalog.

Thanks for always following along, and for getting excited with me!

May 12, 2014/0 Comments/by Traci