Free? Yes, Free!!!

 Hello again! 

I love vintage graphics and printables. I use them for tags, cards, gifts, art, and even party decorations! Luckily for me, there are some really REALLY great freebie sites out there. Some of these sites I have stumbled upon, and others have been referred by friends and even some customers. Since everyone loves free things, I thought I would share them with you! 

So.... here's a list of my top 4 favorite places to get FREE images and printables to use: 

The Graphics Fairy

Lilac & Lavender

Free Pretty Things For You

Sweetly Scrapped

If you are like me, and don't have access Photoshop... Here are a few places to edit the images, add text, etc:

PicMonkey

Ipiccy

Fotoflexer ( especially good for .png files and adding layers, like in Photoshop)

Your Welcome!

Ashley

For the Love of Color

I love rainbows. I Love colorful things. And, most importantly I Love to organize in rainbow order, you know, ROY G BIV?!?! Ya that order. It not only makes me happy to look at it also makes it super easy to find what I am looking for. So, of course it also makes sense to organize my craft supplies that way too, right? I think so!

Last week I was over at a friends house crafting it up, and needed some glitter. She told me, "oh, it's over in that drawer right there, the clear containers" and I instantly spotted them, Bright, Bold, and in color order! I was instantly in LOVE and had to find out about this neat little set up. It was so perfect in every way...Compact and completely clear AND beautiful to look at. That was when I began my mission, to go and buy those containers and make a rainbow on my shelf.

So, tonight I went to Micheal's and bought the containers, two to be exact. I thought for sure that would be enough for my glitter stash. Boy was I wrong. I don't think I even got half of it done. So, I will def. have to go back and get more. I found the containers right where my friend said they would be, in the bead/jewelry section. I think that they were $7.99 a piece.

I love how nice and snug they are in the container, no "sloshing" around.

So I had a pretty big mess and didn't really know where to start in my box. It was just all thrown in the shoebox and is such a hassell to dig thru. So I cannot wait to have these so handy.

I pretty much decided to leave Martha (Stewart) set alone and worry about that when I had more jars. It was already pretty easy to find colors to use in the set, but the rest of the box, not so much. I knew for sure I wanted to start with all the big jars. That way I could either toss them out if I ended up finishing it off or I would be able to put what was remaining in the jars away, away til I needed to refill. I also knew I wanted to empty out all the non-jar containers that I had in the box. And then pretty much I picked stuff to make a rainbow with. And, I couldn't be more happy with the end result. It is everything I was hoping for. Beautiful, Bold, and in Rainbow order. :)

 Look at all that texture. You can see everything with out digging!

 Even looking at the sides it's great!!!!!

 All around a great purchase and worth every penny!!!!! Now go get your rainbow on :)

Happy Hump Day (and a BIG Happy Birthday to my BESTest Husband EVER!!!!) See ya back next Wednesday. :)

xoxo 

Danni

The Timeless Fleece Tied Blanket



My kids say nothing keeps them warmer than their fleece tied blankets my sister gave them for Christmas one year.  They are for sure their favorite blankets to relax and snuggle up in.  My daughter, Beth, is attending college in Seattle, Washington, and living in her sorority's house. She has been complaining how cold her room is, so I got on line and ordered her school's fleece to make her a blanket for school.  The instructions are easily found through Google and the blankets are fast, fun and easy to make.  I will briefly give you the steps, but for more thorough instructions go to eHow.com.

  After cutting off the salveges of your fleece pieces (rough and information printed ends along the sides) and evening off the tops and bottoms, place your two pieces of fleece on top of each other, right sides out.  Cut a 4 inch x 4 inch square out of the corners of your fabrics. I started at the top  and cut through both of the pieces of fabric at the same time, making sure the ends meet up with each other. 





Next you need to cut your fringe for tying at every 1 inch.  I placed a ruler to help guide me for the length.  Again, cut through both the front and the back of your fabric. When you have that end of the blanket fringe completely cut this is what it will look like.  The two corners cut out and strips 1 inch apart.  You are now ready to tie!  I first go through and double knot every other set of ties. Tight knots are best. Then I go back and tie the rest.  If things are looking a bit tight and bunched up, just grab the ends of the blanket and stretch it out. Fleece does have some stretch to it and just needs a little pull to help it lie flat.

 

When you have finished tying that end go on to the opposite end. Cut out the corners, cut your fringe/ties and begin double knotting!  Next you will cut your fringe on each side (one length at a time) and double knot.  Your corners have already been cut out.  This type of blanket with this fabric is very forgiving. Do not worry if you have cut lines that are off - nobody will ever know!

Before you know it your blanket will be finished and you are ready to give the gift of warmth to someone you love!

 

Make a tie blanket for someone - they will love it!

 

Until next Tuesday -

 

Sharon

 

Turn Something Old into something New

One thing my mom taught me very early on is to always accept gift graciously! And say, “Thank you for my present, I love presents!!” :) When I was 16 years old, I went on one of my very first dates. We went to Sea World, and he opened up an oyster for me. He had my pearl set on a chain and everything. When you’re 16 years old this seems like a very extravagant gift, and I felt so bad to take it. Well, it was also my birthday in 2 weeks, so I told him, “give me my necklace for my birthday”!! Seemed like a pretty good idea at the time… right!? Well, it was a hard lesson because sadly my romantic love interest didn’t last till my birthday, and I never got my pearl. So sad. Everyone in my family can still ask, “Where is the Pearl?” and we know exactly what we are talking about. Lesson learned: Always accept gifts willingly and graciously.

So it was just Valentine’s day, and I LOVE getting flowers. But so often I hear women saying they hate flowers because they just die. The answer is, NO People!! Always accept the flowers (in addition to any other little goodies he might have hiding up his sleeve) ;)

Enjoy them for the week and I’ll show you a GREAT way to recycle dead flowers and turn them into something new again. I see people all the time drying out their roses. They turn them upside down on a string and hang them in a garage until they're crusty and dusty. I don’t know about you, but crust and dust is something I like to avoid in my house. Then those crusty and dusty rose petals proceed to drop like flies for the rest of their sad lives.

I have a better solution...all it takes is wilted flowers, a thick hard cover book, and a little shelf time.

When your roses are still soft, pluck the petals off of them; as many as you want to save. I find the large ones work better for future projects.

Then arrange them on the page so they are not touching each other. Flip to another section in the book and fill the book with as many petals as you’d like to save.

Then… Slam the book shut!! And let them cook on a shelf for a week or two… or until you get around to creating your project.

My favorite way to use flat and dried rose petals are to make matting’s. For example, if you have a 4x6 photo, buy a 5x7 frame and you’ll be left with a 1 inch matting to be filled. Glue and arrange your rose petals on a piece of card stock, glue your photo on top of that and put it in a frame. The roses are clean, sentimental, and will NEVER get dusty!!

The possibilities of rose petals are endless. You’re only limited to your imagination. Feel free to share any other ideas that we can do with our rose petals.

And remember... Always accept the Pearl!
Have a great week!!

A taste of Mad Men

This past weekend, my parents came to town for a couple of days.  They wanted to see my new apartment, my new boyfriend, and my brother, who has been living on my couch for a month.  (Note to self: When a sibling asks to stay with you for a few days and avoids giving you an exact departure date, they are planning on staying a while.  Just say no!)

Anyway, the boyfriend was perfectly charming and passed the inspection, so I wanted to plan a special "thank you" meal for him to show how I appreciated him getting along with my family.  What better way to say thank you than with comfort food, and what better comfort food than a vintage Good Housekeeping recipe?  I am all about theme dinners, so... Mad Men, anyone?

I found this incredible cookbook at a garage sale a couple of years ago.  I didn't have any cash on me at the time, but I loved it so much that the previous owner gave it to me for free!  This particular copy was printed in 1957, but the book itself was circa 1942.  The recipes inside of it are all so classic... and so unhealthy!  It is fabulous!

I flipped to the "poultry" section to find something to use up the ground turkey I always keep in my fridge.  (I buy a package and use part of it fresh, then break up the rest into individual serving sizes, put those into separate baggies, and freeze them for later use.  It is great because I can thaw just what I need for my own dinner, or when I need multiple servings, it thaws faster in the smaller pieces.)  Casseroles seem like a dying art these days, so I chose a turkey and cashew nut casserole recipe to be truly vintage.  The main ingredients were celery, Ritz crackers, and cream of mushroom soup.  There was actually less turkey in the recipe than anything else, but that is one of the quirks of the recipes in this book!

James and I decided that casseroles are like the burritos of the past... you can put anything in it and it tastes delicious!  I think we are on to a new fad, here!  I will share the exact recipe from the book this weekend, so check back tomorrow!

But what really stole the show and brought the Mad Men flair to the evening were the Manhattans I stirred up.  James likes martinis, which I find hard to drink because they are basically straight vodka.  Well, a Manhattan is basically straight whiskey, but I feel like whiskey at least has a sweeter flavor and is a little more palatable than vodka.  It was strong, and I could barely finish one myself, but it was still a fun thing to do in making a vintage style dinner for my man.

I used a vintage letter tray as the backdrop for the cocktail shot.  It was one my mother had kept in the garage for years, so I was very excited to find it and claim it as my own!

Paper Affair

After working in a scrapbook store for two and a half years, I know first hand that it is possible to fall in love with a piece of paper. I find myself more attracted to vintage prints but anything pretty catches my eye. Some pieces are so pretty that I find it really hard to cut it up and use it in a craft project. I also find it hard to use my double sided paper, when the other side is so darn cute AND its my last sheet! I admit, I might have a mild -okay, more than just mild- paper addiction but I like to tell myself it is better than being addicted to something worse or illegal.... then I always feel much better about my paper affair.

A few years ago, my paper addiction led me to The Paper Source in Encinitas, CA. Its such a lovely boutique and they sell large sheets of decorative and specialty papers from all over the world.

I found this vintage-looking map, which is 20x28. Cf course, I had to have it!! I had no idea what i wanted to do with it at the time, I just thought it was so pretty. (If you don't live near a Paper Source location, you can find it here for only $3.95!)

The paper sat rolled up in a corner for a couple of weeks while I thought about what I should do with... Then I had an idea!!!! I wanted to display it!

  I took an old canvas and pulled it apart so i would just have the frame. Then I stretched the paper around the wooden frame and attached the edges with glue.

 

Since I wanted to hang it in the kitchen, I decided to Mod Podge (MP) all over the front to protect it from splatters and warping.

Once the MP went on the top, it did warp since the paper became wet.... but after it dried it tightened up again and had a nice protective sheen to it. 

When it hung in my last place, it got lots of compliments. I don't think people realized just how easy  it was to make this custom art piece! Since I already had all of my supplies, this project was virtually priceless... now aren't those just the best kind of crafts??? Yep! 

Just think about all of the possibilities, the sizes of canvas and all the pretty paper that can be stretched over it. But why stop there? You could take it even farther and embellish with glitter, rhinestones, Glimmer Mist, stamping, custom lettering, or you could even collage more of your favorite patterned paper.

Whether it is for your home or a gift at a baby shower, wedding, birthday, or house warming party, this is a super easy project that looks way more expensive then it actually is. Under 10 minutes and 10 dollars...

ERRYBODY'S GOT TIME FO THAT!

On another note....

  For Valentine's Day, I decided to try the recipe that Danni mentioned last Wednesday. (here!) In all honesty this was the first time I have EVER eaten beets, let alone cook with it, and then make a cake with it!!! ... It was a night of a lot of firsts! Making the frosting was my favorite part. I loved that the color was ALL NATURAL and so vibrant. I will definitely be using beets to create pink frosting from now on! The recipe doesn't call for raspberries but they complimented the cake very well, both in color and taste!  

 Needless to say, I thought it turned out fantastic! Vday was actually my parent's 20th anniversary, so I made the cake for their celebration... but the cupcakes were for my love! It was a huge hit with everyone, even my picky little brothers! I highly recommend this recipe! (Thanks for the inspiration Danni!)

peace, love, and happy crafting,

Ashley

Life is Good

It's crazy how many new doors have opened up since I started blogging. Who knew it???? Definitely not me! It is such another world and I still have so much to learn. 

SO, with out further a do... I couldn't be more excited right now... my mini book is being featured on SRM's Blog today!!!!!! I am so thrilled, tickled, and utterly excited. I love using all their stickers, and, the new Glassine bags that they recently released, are so fun and VERY versatile! 

Check out the fun I had using the glassine bags and life is good sentiments...

Look how perfectly that sentiment fits on the cover...I am thinking it was made for the book ;)

I used three of the small bags in the book and I embossed all of them in different styles and the texture that it gives the bag is sooo cool. It's the perfect touch without being too much.

I used three of the largest bags and papered the bottom 1/3 of the bag and made it into an additional page while leaving the opening for a fun little pocket. Cool huh?!?!?

To check out more pictures of this mini book see my gallery by Clicking Here. 

Have a great Day!!!

xoxo

Danni

A Bit Old School or I Love School Supplies

 

 

I have a confession to make, I love school supplies.  I have always loved them. The night before school started I would rearrange my school box endlessly, just dreaming of what I would be writting and creating that year.  My notebooks would all have a black, shiny, carefully pressed dymo label on them with my name.  Ah, a fresh, new notebook - oh, the opportunities those blank pages held! Well, not much has changed. I still enjoy crayons, colored pencils and pens, and my love for new notebooks is as strong as ever.

 

I like to keep separate notebooks for special things and enjoy decorating them with scrapbooking supplies.  I found some great spirals at Staples that had great thick, kraft covers and a kraft folder with a pocket on both sides in front of the book right before the paper began. I embelished the front cover with a precut and sewn fabric bird, some paper, stickers, washi tape, a paper doily and some thickers. I also had some paper that worked perfectly on the inside cover and I dressed up the pocket as well.

 

 

Here is another one I made for projects that I am working on and future creations that are still being planned out.  I glued on a precut and sewn fabric dress form, a strip of paper, washi tape, stickers, added two coordinating colors of bakers twine, a flower embellishment and thickers for the title.  Now it feels ready to fill! Yes, it would work just fine left plain - but now it inspires me and makes me feel happy just looking at it!  

 This began as one of the black and white composition note-

books.  I kept the black spine and covered the front, back and insides of each with Graphic 45 paper.  I then cut out the ink bottle, fountain pen and label from a coordinating sheet.  The typewriter punch out letters, also Graphic 45, worked great for my title.  I finished it off with twill tape ribbon to cover up where the paper met the black spine.  I have many poems inside as well as quotes I have come across and lines from books that I have wanted to remember.


Eventhough I am 'old school' I do love my laptop (not only because it's pink!) and am trying to learn how to master new things on it all the time. A big shout out goes to my teenage twins, Ellen & Eric for their help and patience with me! (Thanks, kids! I love you sooo much!)  So, yeah, you can  stick with things you've grown to love and keep up with the times and have fun doing both.  Each serves a purpose in my life and for that I am very happy.
Sharon



I'm bored...

One thing I can say I hate in the world is when conversations start like this: “What do you want to do? I don’t know, what do you want to do? I don’t know…” There’s nothing worse than doing the same old thing and feeling stuck in a rut. But keep in mind; not only am I a poor struggling college student, but we are in a recession people! Here’s a list of 10 great dates that you can do with a significant other, friend, or even a group of friends. Best of all, it’s on a budget! :)

1. Go Hiking. There are so many trails here in CA that can be taken advantage of. From the mountains to the beaches, there’s nothing better than getting a little sun and exercise. And the best part is, it’s free! Remember to pack your water.

2. Rent a Red Box movie. Going to the theater is expensive!! And if you get snacks it’s even worse! A lot of people have Netflix these days, but I am not the kind of person who is home often enough to take advantage of it. Red Box is a great way to see new movies. Rental fees are only $1.30 a day after tax. Plus, I rather enjoy watching movies in my PJs. Just remember to take the movie back the next day after you watched it.

3. Have a board game night. There is nothing better than a little friendly competition. This happens to be one of my favorite friend activities. We play cards, clue, monopoly, scatagories, life, apples to apples. The possibilities are endless.

4. Go on a picnic. Pack a lunch, and head to the park or beach depending on what you have near you. Bring a Frisbee or a ball to toss around. There’s nothing better than getting a little sun and R&R, especially on the weekend.

5. Cook dinner together. It’s always nice to go out to dinner, but once you include meals, drinks and tip, the bill can quickly add up. Part of the adventure is going to the store together and deciding exactly what you want to make, then going home to create it. Put on music, and just have fun with it!

6. If you’re having a girl’s night, why not make it a spa night? Another favorite of mine is getting together and doing nails, facials and even massages. This is a great way to escape the men in your lives for a few hours and feel pampered yourself. It’s a great feeling having a fresh manicure! Plus, I love to trade nail polish. I have so many colors I never wear and when I trade them with my girlfriends I get new ones.

7. Go to the batting cages. This is surprisingly really inexpensive. Even if you’re not athletic, at least it’s just batting practice so no one will judge you, and you won’t let anyone on your team down. Its good exercise too.

8. Go the drive in Movie Theater. Again, regular theaters are so expensive, 12 dollars a person is crazy! But if you can’t get that true movie experience sitting on your couch then I think the drive in is the next best thing. Plus, you can pack your own dinner, pillows, blankets, and snacks. This can be a romantic date, or even a great group date.

9. Go to the museum. Living here in San Diego we have some great museums down in Balboa Park. And one day a month, they are free! A lot of museums have free days; you just have to do your research. Last year if you were a Bank of America member, there were free museum days on one Saturday of the month. Look into it.

10. Last but not least, have a crop night! There is no better feeling in the world then getting crafty and creative with your friends. It’s nice having people around who share the same interests as you do because not only will they give you honest opinions on how your projects look, they will also truly appreciate them for the work you put into them.

Now there is no excuse to ever be bored on a day off ever again! Hope this was helpful. Have a great week everyone :)

 

Men like cards, too!

Happy Susan B. Anthony Day!  

…That was my attempt to bring some festivity to the day after Valentine's Day.  I feel like I missed out on the Valentine's Day crafts and desserts this week, so I hit the interwebs to figure out what holiday I could, in fact, celebrate on February 15th!  But, I am sorry Susan, I think I need to post my Valentine anyway!

It is always difficult coming up with "manly" crafts to share with the men in your life.  Things like Valentines, anniversary cards or wedding stationary is especially more effeminate than most men would enjoy.  So, this year I think I came up with the perfect balance of lovey-doviness and macho-manliness with this simplistic and distressed Valentine.

I kept the colors muted, and as much as I wanted to spice it up with ribbon or lace, I resisted the urge to apply any sort of embellishment.  The only texture was the two tones of ink I applied to the edges to age it in my two favorite colors: Antique Linen (a specific shade in Tim Holtz's Distress Ink), and a shade of medium grey.

As for the design, it was simple.  I penciled out a heart, then penciled our names in cursive along the lines of the heart.  Then, I traced the lines I wanted to keep in a black Pigma Micron pen (a MUST HAVE item!) and erased the pencil lines that were left over.  

It was a quick project, no more than 15 minutes in total, but his reaction was worth hours of work.  He thought I had special ordered it from a print shop!  I think it was the quality of that Micron pen that threw him off in thinking it wasn't hand made, but I was grateful that my efforts were appreciated.

And what is the lipstick for?  A secret kiss inside of the card, of course!

Revamp (one of my favoite words)

I want to start by addressing that today is Valentine's Day. Happy Valentine's Day! If your not able to spend your day with someone special, be sure to treat yourself or do something that you love! Today, I want to share with you something that I love.... REVAMPing furniture!

I love giving a new life to an old or generic piece of furniture (Revamp)!  With a little bit of time and a little bit of money, you can have yourself a brand new custom piece of furniture that you just might fall in love with, and your friends might too. Changing up an old piece is so much easier than you might think...  the hardest part for me is always deciding which color to pick!

And now, I shall tell you the story of the Goodwill Table.

Once upon a time, about 5 years ago, there was a sturdy little pine end table that was donated to a Goodwill. While thrifting one day, a mother -my mother- saw the little table and thought it might make a good end table in her home even though it didn't match anything. She told herself and her daughter that she would paint it before she used it in the home and then she purchased it for $5. This little end table, sat in a spare room for a while, the mother was too busy to paint it. Slowly, the table creeped into the main areas of the home where it was covered with a table cloth. Upon returning to the home last summer, the daughter took the mother into a boutique thrift store where new -old but new- furniture finds were piled in the entrance. Scratched up and splotched with chewed up, dried up, bubble gum wads were two matching tables that were not cleaned up to go on display. The daughter noticed that they were identical to the Goodwill table. The daughter pointed them out to the mother and the two tables were purchased for $15 total. Now the mother had three sturdy pine end tables, but they did not match anything in her home. The daughter began giving the mother lots of ideas of all the things she could do to the tables to make them so SOO much better! -and here is where I will stop telling the story in 3rd person.. I know I know, I was just getting to the good part. so let me continue.-

After finally deciding to give them a Distressed Farm House look, I took my mom to Lowe's to purchase our supplies which came to around $50:

• Spray Paint (satin ivory)
• Spray Varnish Remover.... Get the Gel Varnish Remover if available.
• Scrapers (probably not the technical name)
• Sand Paper Blocks
• Walnut Stain
• Spray Sealant 
• Painters tape

Now it was time for a little elbow grease. (not purchased at Lowe's)

1 - We wanted to stain the wood on top darker so we needed to remove the varnish. I set the tables outside, in shade, and coated the top with the spray varnish remover. After letting it sit for 20 minutes I began to scrape with my scraper. Each table top had to be sprayed and scraped about 3 different times to even get most of it off. I was disappointed that the spray didn't penetrate and remove the varnish as well as I was hoping it would. **I suggest getting a Gel Varnish Remover instead of the spray, If its available. Gel will coat the top more generously and reduce the time you spend scraping. I also suggest wearing gloves, the varnish remover burns when it touches skin! ** After all of the scraping and most of the varnish being removed, I lightly sanded the pieces all over. (top left picture)

 

2 - Next is Painting and Staining the top. My Mom actually did this part. She turned the tables upside down, taped off the top (now bottom) and gave them two even coats of Ivory spray paint. After the paint had dried completely, she taped of the base and applied the stain with a foam brush to the top. She loved the look of the wood grain and decided to stop at one coat of stain.  (bottom left picture)

3 - The base of the tables were so stark white and clean looking. To achieve that Farm House feel we still needed to do distressing. After painting the tables earlier and letting them dry, we were just so exited with the transformation and decided to stain the tables too! The only problem- the sun was going down! We raced against daylight as we sat outside with the can of stain, cheap foam brushes and rags. We very VERY quickly slapped the stain on to the ivory bases and into the tiny crevasses with the foam brush, then took our rags and rubbed in and wiped off. As we wiped around the leg bases we looked as if we were shining shoes and left as much stain in the cracks as possible. As darkness set in, we finished the last table! The were GORGEOUS!!! they looked old and authentic, as if they had always been that color and had been handed down through generations. These 3 little thrifty tables purchased for $20, were now of so much more value to us!  The next morning mom coated them with sealant to protect the beauty we had created! (above, right side picture)

The original Goodwill table was the only table that had a drawer... on the drawer was a little wooden knob that got painted with the rest of the piece. To give the table even more character we decided to give it a new knob. We went back to Lowe's and decided on a small glass-like knob, since it fit with the Farm House look we were going for. After putting it on the table, it looked better but it just wasn't right, kind of just "blah!". So I kept my eyes open for The Knob. While browsing Hobby Lobby, not even thinking about knobs, I stumbled upon the knob section.  There is where I found that magic knob that would pull everything together! Voilà!!!!

The 3 thrifted tables lived happily ever after in the living room of a mother who loves them, with a daughter who hopes that they will be handed down to her someday! (Ahem, hint hint)

Do you have furniture that could use a change? what do you want to do to it? OR have you REVAMPed something and fallen in love with it again? 

Tell me about it below!

Until next Thursday, 

Ashley

MMMmmmmm Delicious

One thing I love to do is collect recipes, especially dessert ones. Pretty much any dessert recipe I come across I keep. I collect recipes in all forms and from all different sources, recipe books, magazines, the newpaper, from my coupons I get from the grocery, from friends and family, the internet, cans of food, cereal boxes, you name it I have probably clipped it, torn it, and stashed it. But, don't worry I am not just a collector of recipes I do LOVE to cook/bake them too.
Here is just a few of my collected recipes and books... they are great for inspiration too to make up your own recipes :)

So, with all that said I recently came across a recipe in the back of my Ralph's coupons for  Chocolate Beet Cake with Beet Cream Cheese Frosting from Joy The Baker. 

Now mind you, I have not made this yet and at first read you might turn your nose to this because it mixes vegetables in with sweets and that is not a typical pairing, but think of it like carrot cake AND once you see the pictures I think that you will have a hard time resisting this beauty like me.  It is perfectly festive for Valentine's Day too!

Valentine's Tags

Happy Tuesday before Valentine's Day!

I have always enjoyed watching my kids make and/or write out valentines for their classmates - the cute handwriting and picking out just the right candy to attach. Then having them come home from school with the valentine box they made and watching them go through the cards and enjoy the treats.

 As they get older this tradition comes to an end.  Sometimes clubs will sell a flower or candy that you can have delivered to that someone special or to your friends, but this often ends up with hurt feelings and making the day one that is not looked forward to.

Well, nobody tells moms that you have to stop making valentines and doing something sweet for your kids!  You can keep on doing whatever you want at home as long as it doesn't publicly embarrass them. 

This year I decided to make valentine tags, thinking maybe they will use them for bookmarks. (yeah, and then maybe not.)

I started out using Inkssentials craft tags and the Reminisce 2013 Valentine line of paper, including the sticker sheet that had so many cute items on it I had a hard time choosing!  The names were made with thickers for Dear lizzy, by American Crafts.  I embellished with some bakers twine, washi tape and tulle, and used the Signo white pigment ink pen for my note.

When the kids come home from school on Thursday I will have their tags on the table and a fresh pan of brownies waiting.  That way, no matter how their day went at school they can come home and be reminded that they will always have my love and that they will always be my little valentines!

Hope You have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Sharon