'...love for sale...' (gots to love me some cole porter!)

yesterday i went to d.i. looking for a frame. not the most exciting thing, but needed.

imagine my surprised when i found this early valentine's day gift to ME!

i couldn't believe that someone would give this away right before the holiday!

and let's be honest, i don't NEED another valentine's day decoration. i needed a frame.

but for a buck!? the hardware on this cost more than that! not that i was going to tell the good people at d.i. that!

so i got some loving yesterday.

and chris isn't even home!

he gets it from my side...

gone are the days of a simple shoebox working as a mailbox for a school valentine's day party. parker wanted a spaceship this year.

i think it all started when chris told the story of how as a kid he wanted his box for valentine's day to look like a spaceship from 'battlestar galactica'. he got so frustrated that he couldn't get the tin foil to go just right. chris and my mother in law aren't what you call the crafty type, so they couldn't figure out how to make it work.

i think that is why chris has so many problems now.

of course, parker has NO IDEA what 'battlestar galactica' is/was. but he was going to make a spaceship this year. and it was going to rock.

and i have to say-this was pretty cool.

it started life as a half gallon of chocolate milk container. we took the spout off and hot glued all the paper on.

the door on the side of the milk carton opens up so his friends can put the cards in. then the top lifts off so he can get them out.

like the title says, he gets his craft-ness from my side of the family!

thrifty wreath

i was on this 'thing' yesterday where i wanted a wreath for valentine's day, but i really don't have the money to go out and buy stuff to make one. that is where this came in. and i must say-not too shabby for free!

somehow the photo i took of me wrapping the wreath is missing. oh well-it was a wreath i had sitting around in the craft drawer. it was a softer green wreath, but i think if i could have spent money, i would have gotten one of those that is smooth with the coating on it.

but again, i was trying to be thrifty.

and i just used the twine that i had from all the balls i made this year.

yup-that is my infamous basement floor where so many projects have been painted by the little space heater! we will never finish the basement because i would loose my paint booth!

well, one of the reasons why we won't finish the basement.
i hot glued some little candy hearts on there. i had to go through my jar that is holding about 3 bags of these looking for ones that were mostly centered and did say anything too lame.
and i didn't even eat one! so proud of me.

and this is how i hooked it onto the wall...a christmas hook! yes, i have many in my christmas decorations boxes and i think i even picked up one after christmas at target.

so there you have it.

i saved chris money AGAIN and i feel all special because i did something with what i

had on hand.

love mrs. vadden

my aunt trish lives and teaches in philadelphia. she is amazing and loves her kids more than ANYTHING! i know that because of her, these kids will make something out of themselves.

at christmas, she asks businesses to sponsor kids and sometimes the whole family. these kids have nothing. no-they have less than nothing. most are living with a grandparent because even the mom isn't able to take are of them. none of them have a stable homelife. she makes sure each child has a christmas.

and that is just at christmas time. she brings them lunches and buys them socks. no matter what these kids do in life, they know that mrs. vadden is on their side.

back to the photo...

it is almost valentine's day...in my mind anyhow. i got this idea for the cards for my aunt to give her class from brown paper packages. this is an adorable blog! please roam around and see what other great things she has going on!

i did make mine a little different but i pretty much stayed the same as hers. i'm pathetic.

i did put magnets on the back of each clothes pin so the kids would be able to display their art on their fridge at home. each has their name on it, so they can be proud of what they have done.

so what does your counter look like?

i finally got my counter together. i didn't say done...just together.

i know...the penguin isn't a normal valentine's day decoration. my 9 year old is doing a project on penguins for school and we had to find a safe place for him. (he is a paper mache animal, with a diet coke plastic bottle being the body and a styrofoam ball as the head. we are still working on the report)

i like the look of this coke bottle, and since it was red-i put it out for the holiday! a looonnnngggg time ago i bought a vintage bingo set from the d.i. and i put all the little pieces you use to call the game in here. i think it is kind of fun. and if someone actually ventured into my home for a visit, they would think i was clever. i will have to still with you thinking that.

that photo is of my nana and pop pop on their honeymoon. i love that photo. it is my favorite thing about this!

so there you go! i will add to it (i have a ceramic bird that i am spray painting downstairs as we speak, so that will end up here at some point) before february 14...

so-what does your counter look like?

freeze frame!

(please tell me that you get the 80's music reference on the title. i can't be that old!)

when i made this little project, i was thinking i was so cool for somthing up with something easy and fun. i have so many freakin frames around this home.

then i wake up at 4:30 this morning and switch on my computer and...

at red heads craft more fun i see this. seriously, this is so great! she has the steps on her blog on how to make this. and by useing your candy here you wont see it your butt!
then this one...
from tatertots and jello.
she is one of my favorites-every project on her blog makes me want to craft away!

why do you people have to show me up?

if you are living in utah today, it would be a perfect day to work on these. not only are your kids out of school but there is snow on the driveways. why get out of your sweatpants and leave the house when you can CRAFT!

love at home

the idea room had this great...idea...for a cute, easy valentines day decoration. (uh-the topiary not the 'home' sign. just clarifying for you.)

amy has directions and all the info you will need to make this in a day. i swear it took no time at all and very little brain power!

i had everything already, so i didn't even need to leave the house and spend money. what a relief-for chris!

i didn't end up using a dowel like amy did, i used one of those long decorative cinnamon sticks left over from christmas. it seems to work just fine and i didn't have to spray paint and wait for it to dry. i hate waiting.

i still need to grab some 'stuff' for the bottom, but i'm thinking on using some easter grass (i never use it for easter because i can't stand it all over my home. but i use it in crafts and gifts for others. yet another weird thing about me...). i will let you know how it turned out.

we have less than a month before valentines day-get to celebrating already!

won't you be mine?

to answer your questions...

yes-i am onto valentine's day. i need some decorations up!

no-i didn't come up with this all by myself. tina
did this really cute one and has all of her instructions on how she did it. hers is really cute and simple and super fast! (she realized that you could make this a no-sew project! but why make it THAT easy!)

of course, i am never one to do things the EASY way, i changed it up just a bit. i used bias tape (extra wide, double folded) because then i didn't have to iron. and i used 2 pieces of burlap (one square, one triangle) because my stamped letters didn't seem big enough on the triangle one alone.

and finally no i don't plan on leaving this on the floor, it was just easier to take a photo because the sun is coming thru the window and i cant wait for 5pm when it goes away.

so...won't you be mine?