All you need is love...

Inspired by the LOVE sign in the city of brotherly love

I created this Valentine's mantel for less than $20

I used 12" solid wood letters on sale for $2.99 each at Joann, leftover spray paint and some strips of a clementine crate stapled onto the back to hold the pieces together.

Add to that a couple of picture hanger hooks from the junk drawer and a $7 bouquet of tulips split up into several clear glass vases I already owned.

The bunting is simply card stock and yarn, both pulled from my craft stash.

I don't usually "do" Valentine's day. I often feel like so many of the decorations I see in stores are frilly, sparkly and too pink for me. But I'm digging the color red lately so I figured why the heck not? Red is so very Valentine's and the pop against the white brick and turquoise chair lets me feel like my house still maintains it's vibe (i.e. not getting too foo-foo)

Do you decorate for Valentine's Day?

Oh, and a BIG OL' HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my girl Lexi!

Read more...

Valentines and Viruses

I let the boys play on my desktop. I let them play on it even though we have a laptop that is purely for their using pleasure. Somewhere along the line one of them went somewhere or clicked something leaving my computer with a nasty virus. A virus (that McAfee didn't pick up) and of all things- was a persistent pop-up message telling me that I might have a virus and I should "click here to check". Blah!

My lovely husband Ed spent our entire Valentine's evening (until 3 am) backing up every file, folder and email on my machine then rebuilding it. And then he spent the next evening after work finishing the task. I couldn't ask for a sweeter valentine than that.

And because I have been without a computer for two days, I now bring to you (late) the cute little Valentine's Day cards my precious virus clicking kids gave to their classmates.

We found these adorable freebies at Pure + Lovely

Add some pencils from the Dollar Tree

et voila, cheap, cute and unique valentines!

Read more...

Vintage Valentines - Crafting with my Kids

I found these adorable little vintage Valentine images for free at Vintage Holiday Crafts.

The kids and I printed and cut them out, then glued them to some construction paper. Inside we used a small square of scrapbooking paper [from a package I bought at the Dollar Tree] for the boys to write their messages on.

Hubby got an extra special valentine- I pulled out the paper doilies (from last year's valentine project) and got busy!


Happy early Valentine's Day, everyone!

Linked up to Tracy over at Crazy Suburban Mom for Retro Tuesday

and the Coloradolady for Vintage Thingies Thursday

Read more...