Be Mine Valentine

My little love bug has a tot Valentine's party this weekend! She is growing up so much and is at the point where she really plays with the other kids and has conversations. I remember when we joined the playgroup. They were just little lumps on the ground pulling pacifiers out of each other's mouths. She actually fell asleep at most of our playdates.

I've been cruising the web looking for cute Valentine ideas and I really liked the ones that have a non-candy treat. Since 3 year olds are obsessed with anything squishy and messy, I decided on Play-Doh! (You're welcome other moms). I worked up a quick little design that I wanted to share for free in case anyone else is looking for a cute Valentine for their little ones. Enjoy!

Download PDF here.

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Weekend Crafting with Chalk Paint

For Christmas, my in-laws gave Mally a little rocking chair. It's a lot like one my sister had when we were growing up. I decided to get a little crafty and give it a makeover so it would better blend in with our decor. Here she is opening it on Christmas:

I love using chalk paint because you don't have to prep and prime the wood. Plus, a little goes a long way. I painted her high chair with Annie Sloan chalk paint a while back and really liked the results.

I decided to try the Martha Stewart chalk paint that you can get at Michaels for around $9 for the rocker. It's a smaller container but it's super thick and you could do some serious painting with the little bit you get. I'm really happy with the results. It took about 2 coats. I used Martha Stewart craft paint in "Sea Glass" to paint accents and to monogram the back panel. It was a really fun Sunday afternoon project!

Get your craft on - Wreath edition

I haven't crafted anything in quite a while. Evidently being a work from home freelancer and chasing a crazy 1.5 year old takes up a lot of time and energy! I have been wanting a new wreath for the front door, though. Our front door is black and I've had an old Grapevine wreath on there by default that I've had since I got married. It's in pretty rough shape anymore and it's time for a change.

I've been wanting a Boxwood wreath like this:

But with fall finally here, I have been leaning more towards something fall-ish.. or autumn-e? So, I've been seeing these Wheat Wreaths, like this:

Only issue is, this bad boy is almost $90! Whoa momma!

While on Pintrest the other day, I found this GREAT tutorial on how to easily make my own for over HALF the cost! You can find the simple directions here.

 

You use floral pins and a straw wreath form. The bunches of wheat are 5.98. I used 4 on a 14" wreath.

...and here's the finished product!

 

I can't quit going out and looking at it. It looks so good from the road on that dark door!

Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone has a safe and spooky Halloween! We've got a forecast for rain down south. I'm glad my little pumpkin isn't old enough to know all the fun she would miss not getting to trick-or-treat!

I've waiting a long time to have a little one and get to make Halloween costumes! I made her a little ghostie this year!

I bought a plain white onesie and some black felt for the face. I cut it out freehand and stitched it on by hand, only took like a half hour. The tutu, on the other hand, took a little longer! I used this tutorial to make the tutu. I made a bow on the front of the tutu and a bow for her hair to match (it's sewn onto a lace headband I got from Pick Your Plum). Her tights are from a Mud Pie outfit, but any tights or leggings would work!

Preserving Summer Memories

I saw this idea on another website and decided to give it a try. I love collecting shells on beach trips but I'm not ever sure what to do with them all afterwards. They usually end up sitting in a house plant or outside hidden in the garden. It also just so happens that my walls are in desperate need for some artwork!

Here's what you do:
Gather up your shells and wash them. (I rinse them in a colander in the sink then run them through the dishwasher in the utensil tray.)

Purchase a shadow box (or if you're real crafty, build one! I got mine on sale 40% OFF at Michaels)

Lay them out and rearrange until you have them like you want.

I was successful just using craft glue to adhere them in the shadow box, but if your shells are larger you may wish to use a hot glue gun. I just ran a thick bead of multi purpose craft glue around the edge of my shell and set it down in its spot.

Voila!
Your summer memories are now a work of art! You could also ad in a little tag that says where you were and the dates or year.