Lori Ann?

Hi there! Known as "simplyla" online, I'm the author of SimpleMakes.com. Daughter to loving parents, sister to silly siblings, and wife to an amazing man (who also happens to be an excellent chef), I'm into photography, embroidery, knitting, and stories. My driving emotion is joy, which I don't think I would have without Jesus or the simplicity I've found so joy-giving in my life.

My husband and I live in rural, mountainous southern China. I enjoy learning to laugh with my local friends who appreciate simple joys in life with which earthly possessions could never compete.

You can also find me on...

- Flickr
- Twitter
- Delicious

Find out how to contact me here.

Simplicity?

In order to stay sane, focused, and joyful over the past five years of moving from home to college to a home with my husband and now to China, I’ve grown fond of all things organized, simple, beautiful, and crafty.

Read an article I wrote September 8, 2008, "On Simplicity," by clicking here.

SimpleMakes.com?

I've learned so much, I can't keep it all to myself! I author and maintain SimpleMakes.com to share tips, guides, articles, and diy how-to’s based on what I have learned!

I choose a theme each month(ish) about simple, family, home, green, frugal, and/or crafty living. I post two or three short posts a week and an index post each month to help you navigate the theme.

Here are the current top posts in each theme:

simple: On Simplicity

family: Puzzle People Game

home: Bread for Later

green: Start Apartment Composting

frugal: Microwave Applesauce

crafty: Top 10 Craft Tutorials

...and you (the reader!)?

There's a ton of ways to get involved:

Comment! Each posts ends with a few questions. Join the conversation!

Do you blog? Send me your relevant posts by tagging them for:simplyla on delicious. You never know what I'll link to! If you're delicious-less, try email: send your idea to me here.

Do you run an Etsy or other online shop? Contact me about giving away an item as part of our monthly giveaways.

Like what you read? Don't miss out on upcoming posts! Subscribe to my RSS feed. Find out how here.