Valentine Projects

Love was in the air, or something like that today at my house. While looking for a card holder to lift my Vintage valentine collection off of the piano, I stumbled (literally) across inspiration. I saw a few flower frogs from my large collection and started thinking about things I could display in them for Valentine's Day. I've always loved the glass flower frogs for holding pens, but today I found a cute new way to hold up candy conversation hearts! I had fun reading them, I even picked up a few new texting phrases...lol=). The paper heart and honeycomb heart straws were from Target last year, and I thought that before my little guys use and throw them away, I'd use them for height and delight in my vignettes.

This summer at Celia Hanning-Therans wedding, there was a huge bowl full of Lemon Heads and ever since that day I have been using candy as decoration. How sweet! I bought my three sweeties the huge purple lollipops for Valentine's Day (they don't know it yet, and have yet to spy them) and added it to a pink one I picked up one day just because I liked it. One of my favorite and most unique flower frogs now holds up the sugary eye candy. I took a cue from a creative girl, Melanie Ziegweid and filled my vintage ice cream Sunday glass with conversation hearts and more of my beloved straws.

Putting together Valentine gifts-my family gives gifts for everything-I filled a retro pink metal ice cream bowl with pink & white kisses to sweeten someones day. My mom and dad have always given and sent their three girls, and growing family, Valentine's, so real mail and written word mean alot in my world. The past couple of years I've included Valentine pictures-we take pictures of everything-of my three boys and affixed them on to doily hearts. This year I had amazing shots from Cary Burnett/Burnett Photography to send, so I ended up adding stamped LOVE tags onto my doilies, too.

Valentine's seems to bring about the best in me. Except the years it hasn't, but this year is a pretty good one. I mean, really, a holiday all about love, in all it's forms and expressions really is something worth celebrating. I'm blessed to have little guys (and one trained big one) who throw themselves into the heart holiday. The note on the fridge is from my middle little one. Now to dream of tomorrow's projects: finishing Valentines, baking cookies and cupcakes, and dreaming up a Valentine blog giveaway!

Lots of love,
HOllie