My last minute Valentines for kids

It happened.  The dreaded statement "Mom, I need __________ by tomorrow!"  Except Colton is only 7 months old and can't talk, nor does he really care about Valentine's Day.  This is what I learned when I dropped him off at daycare yesterday morning.  My husband forgot to mention that daycare was having a little Valentine's Day celebration today and Colton could bring Valentine's for the other kids if he wants.

Of course he wants to!! :)

Good thing I dropped him off at daycare.  I rarely drop him off at daycare.

Thank goodness I keep a lot of "stuff" around.  (My husband doesn't call it stuff)  I'm kind of like a paper, crafty-thing kind of hoarder so coming up with a little, last-minute Valentine was not too difficult and evolved into something I would consider cool. (Then again, I'm in my 30's so let's hope the kids don't think it's dumb...)

I had the following things stored away: (I knew I bought all of these things for a good reason)

Pillow boxes (Target dollar section for a year ago, you can get them in nearly any craft aisle)

Card stock

Multi-use labels

Crayons

Washi Tape

Reese's hearts (I bought for my husband for Valentine's day)

In each pillow box I included a card with "from: Colton" signed on the back, six heart-stickers, two crayons so they could color their cards, and a Reeses heart-shaped peanut butter cup.  Then, I sealed the box with washi-tape.

Here's what I made...

Valentine's Day Cards

All these took were a stamp, ink, and card stock.  I was going to color them but seriously, who has time for that??!! So, I included a couple of crayons so they could color them on their own!  

Stickers

Using the circle-shaped  multi-lables I made heart stickers.  Each package got six of them.  From what I remember about being a kid, stickers were the best!

I say I did pretty good with this last-minute Valentine!  

I knew this would happen sometime, I just figured it would be well after we got him into school!  Mom of the year - here I come!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

PS... sorry Grandpas, Grandmas, aunts, uncles, and friends - your Valentine's are on hold!  See you around St. Patrick's day?

Make your own gift card holder

I try really hard to not give gift cards for Christmas.  But sometimes, that's what people want.

In the case that I do give gift cards like for weddings, bridal showers, baby gifts, (ok Christmas too), I try to spice them up so that it appears as though I put a little more thought into the gift. I do this by making my own gift card holder.

It's really pretty simple and you only need a few things.

Supplies: Stamp, ink pad, glue spots, paper cutter, card stock, and a gift card!

Here's what to do:

Step 1 | Cut the card stock to size. I cut my to approximately 8 1/2 by 3 1/2 - 4 inches.

Step 2 | Fold the card stock in half.

Step 3 | Use your stamp of choice to stamp on the outside of the card.  

Step 4 | Attach the gift card to the inside of the card with a glue dot.

Step 5 | Write your note.  (optional: Write the value on the card, behind where the gift card will be attached.)

Step 6 | Give!  (This is the best part!)

This is super simple and can be used for any occasion!  I happened to make this one for a friend's bridal shower. 

This little piggy got a makeover

Isn't he cute?! I found this gem in TJ Maxx last week and knew it had to come home with me. (I am always looking for interesting pieces to add to our home.) 

The trouble was he was bronze and blended in with my furniture. For $6.99 I thought I'd take the risk and paint it. So, this little piggy got a makeover using Krylon metallic silver spray paint. I'm satisfied with the result.

Moral of the story, if you like an item but aren't satisfied with the color, it's ok to update it! Instead of thinking "it wont work" think about how you can make it work! 

Painted Spoons

I have wanted to paint wooden spoons for a long time and finally took the time to do it!  Yes, it is as simple as it looks!  Here is the how to:

What You Need:

Wooden Spoons (Walmart)

Craft Paint

Paint Brushes (1 for each color is ideal)

Painters Tape

 

Step one | Tape off where you want your color end.  And of course, protect your surface by putting an old newspaper or (farm-supply ad that you think your husband wont need) underneath the spoons. 

Step Two | Start painting! This is where one paint brush per spoon comes in handy.  It will take multiple coats to cover the spoons.  The wood is really dry so it soaks the paint right in. I painted two coats per side.  Unfortunately the silver spoon didn't make the cut. The Martha Stewart paint I used never dried. :( 

Step three | Admire your quick handy work!

I have many ideas for these painted spoons - hostess gifts, housewarming gifts, and a set to add some extra color to my kitchen!

Cheap & easy framing solution

I am still working away at getting Baby K's nursery pulled together and Saturday I was feeling, not only creative, but also motivated.  That can be a dangerous combination for me and scary for my husband because he never knows what he might be coming home too...

I had been thinking of adding just a couple more simple prints to the nursery but didn't make it to Target before the weekend (my closest Target is ~60 miles away,  poor me huh?) to get frames.  So what's a girl to do?  Improvise! I came up with this cheap and easy framing solution and I really like how it turned out!  All it took was a few supplies that I already had on hand!

Here is what you need:

Frame mat

Pick any size you want, since I already had an 8x10 frame on the same wall, I opted for 5x7 prints, plus this is what I had on hand.  These are dirt cheap, maybe a $1-2 depending on where you shop.  You can always use an old mat frame too.

Push Pins

These work as your "nail." I feel better about using these pins than I do pounding nails into my walls... I happened to have clear push pins (bulletin board pins) on hand so that's what I used. You can get creative here since there are so many great colors, and styles!

Binder Clips

I used small/medium size binder clips that were silver.  I also had light blue on hand but since I'm going for gender neutral I opted for silver.  So many awesome colors of binder clips out there too!

Art

There are so many awesome bloggers out there who offer FREE art for you to print. Just do a quick search on Pinterest.  There are also a lot of great Etsy shops that offer inexpensive printable downloads.  I purchased my two prints from a Sandy Hook fundraiser awhile back that Brickyard Buffalo was hosting.  Out of respect for the fundraiser and sellers, I'm not able to share them with you.

Here is what you do:

1. Pick out your artwork.

2. Laminate it (optional).  I did laminate mine so as temperatures changed, the paper wouldn't curl or do anything funny. 

3. Center it in the mat and secure it with tape.

4. Stick the push pin in the wall.

5. Hang the mat on the push pin using the binder clip.

Ta Daa!!  See SUPER simple.

For a sneak peek of our nursery, go here. 

In case you're curious what a pregnant lady looks like taking pictures, or wears to church on a hot day, here's a quick 35-week selfie for you!

Bump Day: Make your own mobile + a sneak peek of baby K's nursery

 

If I have learned one thing in the past year, between getting married and getting ready to have a baby, it's that if you label something as "wedding" or "baby" you can automatically charge more because people will pay it.  (Yes, I've been one of these people in some cases...) Since I'm quickly realizing how expensive this baby thing is, I'm attempting be more resourceful and use my creativity. This do-it-yourself nursery mobile was so easy to make and only cost a few cents.  All it took was a little bit of time, patience,and a trip to the craft store.  Who doesn't love to make a trip to the craft store (ok, maybe my husband, he prefers to wait in the car...)

Here's the super simple how-to!

Supplies: Two sizes of circle punches, a cross-stitch hoop, assorted construction and scrapbook paper, string, and double sided tape.

I actually changed plans part of the way through this project.  Instead of punching holes in the circles, I decided to use double-sided table to hold the string between two circle cut-outs.

First, cut out your circles.  Since mine were going to be double-sided, with the string in between, I cut out 12 of each color. 

Next, lay out your pattern.  I did 3 large circles at the top, and four little circles at the bottom with the very last circle being some pretty scrap book paper. 

Then, I cut a long string and laid it down the center of the seven circles.

Now, using the double-sided tape, tape the string to the center of the circle.  This actually gets a little bit frustrating so keep in mind that it doesn't have to look pretty... 

Once you have your string taped on, lay the second circle on top of the first to hide to string.  The double-sided tape will hold just fine. 

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Finally, hang each strand of circles from your cross-stitch hoop and space them evenly around it. 

To hang the mobile I cut 3 extra strings and tied them in a loop at the top.  Since the mobile is really light weight I hung it from the ceiling with a clear push pin. 

Ta-Daa!!

Growing up, the things I remember most are the things my mom and dad made for me and I hope to do the same for our kids.

Here are two more versions of a DIY mobile:

Young House Love

Cape 27 Blog

Since I'm sure you are curious here is a sneak peek of our nursery.  There are still a few finishing touches left to go and then I'll give you an official tour!

Last minute mother's day gift: Vanilla Lavendar Sugar Scrub

It's true. I have a tendency to do my best thinking at the last minute.  While I was at the gym today, doing my daily cardio, I was frantically looking for Mother's Day gift ideas on Pinterest.  Considering that our mom's both live a couple of hours away from us and we didn't have plans to see them this weekend I need to get a gift in the mail today so that it gets there on time!  That's when I came across this pin for making your own sugar scrubs! (Thanks U Create!)

Here's what you need:

Sugar

Oil (I used olive)

Lavendar essential oils (Hobby Lobby)

Vanilla Extract

Half pint, wide-mouth mason jar (WalMart)

Pretty paper (for the lid)

Tag (optional)

Baker's twine (optional)

What you do:

Step 1: Follow this recipe from U Create

Step 2: Package the sugar scrub in a jar

Step 3: Decorate the jar

Super simple!  If you don't like the idea of vanilla and lavendar, there are other recipes as well! 

Shhh... Don't tell my mom...

DIY Jewelry Dish

It's been awhile since you've seen a DIY project from me so I'm excited to have one to share - especially for Valentine's Day!

I all of a sudden found a little inspiration while I was in Target last week!  I decided two combine two of the things I love - giving gifts and jewelry dishes and  Ta-da! A DIY jewelry holder!!  Little bowls are perfect for the bathroom, kitchen, your nightstand, dresser or nearly anywhere you take off your jewelry.

Here is the super simple how-to:

Step One| Gather Your Supplies

All you need is a dip bowl from Target (found in the aisle with the white dishes) and Sharpie markers.

Step Two| Create Your Design

My designs are definitely imperfect but that's on one of the things I love about handmade things!

Step Three| Bake Them

Put these dishes in your oven at 350F for 30 minutes. Let them cool when you remove them from the oven.

Step Four| Gift Them

I filled the jewelry dishes I made with some Dove chocolates and will gift them to some special peeps in my life as a little Valentine's Day gift! :)

Even though Valentine's Day is kind of a 'Hallmark holiday" it's still fun to give gifts and let people know how much you love and appreciate them!

Stay tuned for a Valentine's Day gift from me on Friday... :)

I'm In Love With Dark Walls

Ever since I went to AB Chao's design camp (I know I've talked about it a lot lately but I seriously learned a lot) I have been IN LOVE with dark walls.  They definitely require some bravery but I think they are totally worth it because all of a sudden all of your  beautiful things standout in the room!

Here are some perfect examples of what I mean...

All images sourced from Pinterest. To see original sources visit my Pinterest board.

You probably realized that when I say dark walls I mean, nearly black.

Harvest has begun in Iowa which means that I am officially a "farm widow!" (aka totally on my own to do what I please...sorta) Farm widows get to do all sorts of cool stuff, like paint walls nearly black without their husband objecting.  It's a pretty cool thing, really!

A dark wall will soon make an appearance in our home on the north wall of our dining room! :)

Stay tuned...

DIY Glitter Vase

Let me introduce you to the easiest DIY project you will probably ever do - a glitter vase!

I found this little orb vase at Target (only sold in stores) and immediately had a vision of something sparkly with an oversize flower in it!  I should mention that even though this is a super simple DIY project, it has the potential to get very messy... glitter somehow gets everywhere and is impossible to get rid of!

Here is the how to!

Step three is important.  Use a paint brush with hard bristles to move the tacky glue around the vase, making sure to cover all of the space you want glitter to stick.  It doesn't have to be straight or perfect - the imperfections give it character!

Good luck!

DIY Personalized Wedding Gift

I mentioned yesterday that I we went to a wedding this weekend in celebration of some our friends in the area!  Instead of a traditional gift (since registries are usually cleared by the time I get to shopping for a gift) I created this personalized wedding gift!

I've seen so many great ideas, like this one, on Pinterest and had to make this project happen. 

Here is what you need:

Canvas

Chip board letters

Tacky Glue (hot glue doesn't work)

White spray paint (matte finish)

Large Letter

First... punch out the letters you need. I got my letters in a huge pack from Hobby Lobby.

Next, arrange them on the board before you glue them down with tacky glue.  Hot glue doesn't work.  It dries too fast and raises the letters up off the canvas.

Here is how your canvas may look pre-spray paint....

Here is your after! I like to use a matte finish spray paint.  You never know where they might hang this is their home (hopefully they do...) so to reduce glare from the sun shining through a window matte finish spray paint works great.

It's pretty simple!  I would definitely hang one in my house.  Rule of thumb for gift-giving: Never give something you wouldn't like to receive! (unless it's on their list...)