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

Glitter Girl

Saturday turned out to be one of those wonderful, magical days that you didn't know how much you needed until it was memories. I signed up for Elaine Tolson's Glitter Tea because my friend Christy told me about it; I talked my mom into going with me; then my friend Jill signed up; a spot opened up and my friend and Funky Junk biz partner Jennifer got to come; and right before we left, our junking friends Gladys and Celia Hanning invited us to carpool up to Addy, WA just north of Chewelah.

Everything about the day was perfect, the weather was sunny and just the right amount of snow was on the ground. Elaine greeted us so warmly into her home; little did she know what a rowdy group of crafting junkers we were going to be. I was so inspired by Elaine's decorations and vignettes around her home. Our big project table was filled with so many sweet touches like gift bags, and stamped paper on the work surface, and glitter...lots of glitter. I love, love to scrapbook and craft and Holly & Becky of All That Glitter shop in Spokane did not disappoint; in fact the project they set out for us to create was beyond what I could have imagined!

It took me awhile to get started, as it always does, but I so enjoyed visiting with my immensely creative neighbors...around the table was seated such an amazing, talented group of women, it was inspiration all in it's own right: Jennifer, Nancy, Karen, Erin (who also took the beautiful pics), Christy, Melanie, Tara, Debbie, Kelly, Shelley, Jill, Gail (my mom), Gladys, and Celia, thank you! With coffee in hand, I got started on my days work (play, really) and then it was time for lunch. The food was spectacular; tea sandwiches and cookies, fruit salad and cookies, amazing truffles, baby cinnamon rolls and cookies...perfect fuel for our day.

I figured that I spent my time in equal parts creating, talking/visiting people around the table, and eating. And yet by some magic I still finished my banner, and even better I love it. It's such a credit to Elaine, Holly, Becky and friends for creating a "Boho Retreat" that was approachable, fun, engaging and refreshing in so many ways. I came home happy, relaxed, very full and amazed at what I had created. I want to do it all over again; thank you Elaine, Holly & Becky for sharing of your talent and time and glitter and for creating a space and a day for glitter.

I Heart Hearts

I feel like I can breathe again. I did it. I made it through January. A month not without it's own beauty, but it's January. So, February, thank you. So nice to have you back in town. Bring on the reds and pinks to add to winter white. Throw in a holiday all about love, right smack in the middle of a thank-goodness-shorter-month. Give us all a reason to eat chocolate because it's just what you do when it's a month with Valentine's Day in it. Give us a reason to send a little card with hearts to that someone, or a whole class of someones. Romantic comedies, yes, sign me up.
So, welcome February. Here's to a month that fills my home with handmade hearts and vintage valentines. That inspires me to make cookies and pancakes into heart shapes for the little ones who shape my heart. To the month that shouts bright in the face of bleak, thank you. You rock. PS...I heart hearts.