Valentine's Day Swap Box

First off, Happy Valentine's Day blog world!  This is my first Valentine's Day as a blogger, and my first swap box!

I was matched up with Tabitha from A Hundred Tiny Wishes.  As we emailed back and forth I was able to learn a lot about her, and I have made a new friend in blogland!
Some things I learned about Tabitha:

• She was born and raised in Indiana and still lives there
• She has been married for 4 years and has a 3 year old boy, oh and he was born in the same hospital that she was!
• She has lots of pets- a dog, cat, and a tortoise
• She loves owls and moose
• Her favorite color is pink
• She loves Starbucks, pink moscato, scented candles, and Benefits mascara

What Tabitha got me:

 I love owls as well, coffee and chocolate!

 These fuzzy socks are so cozy!  And the lotion and spray smell so girly!  
Cannot forget my own personalized wine glass!

Valentine's Day Kindle Special

For Valentine's Day, check out these 9 great authors' Kindle books for only $0.99.

P.S. my mom's book is The Dead Game

The Dead Game by Susanne Leist
Irretrievably Broken by Irma Fritz
Online Innocence by Jamie L Kaplan
D-E-D, DEAD by Larry "Animal" Garner
Death is a Machine by Zebulon Grey
Here There Be Dragons by Michelle O'Leary
Organize The Nancy Way by Nancy Roe
The Raven Affair by Steven Nedelton
Reclamation by Stu Griffith

Conversational Heart Cookies

While I was shopping the other week I spotted this great heart-shaped cookie cutter and knew I had to use it for Valentine's cookies.

For the cookie, I used the same recipe as my Touchdown Football Cookies {which were a hit at our Superbowl party, 3 dozen gone in a flash.}
Once the cookies cooled, I mixed the confectioner's sugar with hot water and added a drop of red food coloring to give the glaze a pink color.  Then I either added lovey dovey saying or tiny sprinkles. 

Enjoy!

Valentine's Day Tunnel of Love Printable {free}

I decided to give it a shot and make my own printable for Valentine's Day.  I always use PicMonkey to edit my photos for my blog, so I figured making my own art wouldn't be that hard.  I used some royalty free clipart found online and a little creativity.
What's more romantic than the tunnel of love?  It reminds me of innocent, young love at a county fair or carnival.

Click below to print or download my printable, then hang or frame anywhere!

Click here for PDF

Enjoy!

Valentines' Day Shadowbox Card

Today I am participating in the 14 Days of Valentines hosted by Britney from The Princess and Her Cowboys.

For this Valentine's Day I wanted to make my husband his card, and I wanted it to be something with meaning behind it and not all those lovey dovey poems that are all so generic! The idea for my card came from the setting where my husband proposed to me. It was a gorgeous nature preserve out on Eastern Long Island in New York in early Fall. The trees canopied over the trail and the rays of sunshine peeked through slightly. I wanted to recreate our magical day in a shadowbox 3D effect card. There is nothing better than giving the one you love something homemade and from the heart. This card can be personalized with your Valentine's initials 'carved' into the tree. Check out my easy tutorial for the perfect Valentine's Day card! 

What you will need:

1 sheet of red card stock

2 sheets of white card stock

Ruler

Glue stick

Craft knife

Velcro {optional}

Download the below PDFs; the first page on red card stock{the red outer card}, and the last two on white card stock.

Using a craft knife and a ruler, cut along all the dotted lines on all 3 sheets.

Score along the remaining solid lines of each of the three pieces. The scored lines will be on the interior of the shadowbox and will not be seen.

Fold the outer red card cover with the printed lines towards the inside. The larger rectangle tab should be on the outside and glued over the smaller tab.
Tip: Personalize your card further by writing a message along the inside of the red cover. If you choose to write a message like I did, close the cover using velcro strips instead of glue so your card will be able to open and close.

Place the smallest white section {folded sides facing down} inside the right side of the larger white piece. Add a little glue to the left and right tabs of the small white piece {do not add glue to the top and bottom 1/4″ of each side- leave it glue free as the tabs from the larger white piece will need to be glued into it.} Add glue to the outside of the right side tab of the large white piece. Close the box and press all sides that have glue. The right side tab of the large piece of white paper should be tucked under the larger rectangle tab from the opposite side. Close the top and bottom, adding glue to all the tabs. The tabs should slide in between the inner and outer pieces of paper.

You can also cut out a small red heart by hand and attach it to the tree trunk in the center of the card (and personalize it with your initials!)

Now, patiently await only a short 11 more days for Valentine's Day to really surprise the one you love!

Valentine's Day Heart Mobile

As promised, here is an easy way to transform my Heart-Shaped Boxes that I posted earlier this week.  Great decoration for any of your Valentine's Day festivities. 
You can even use it as a "kissing mistletoe."

What you will need:
Heart-Shaped Boxes
Scissors
Needle and thread (or fishing wire)
Thin straws
Clear tape or stapler

First, thread your needle and thread through one of the straws. Leave the other side of the thread still attached to the spool.  This will be how we attach the hearts to the base of the mobile.

Next, take the threaded needle that you just passed through the straw and poke it through the top of the heart.   Try to guide the needle through the heart and out the center bottom of the heart.  Knot off that end of the thread. {The other side of the thread should still be attached to the spool of thread.}

Adjust the length of the first heart for the desired length by pulling the thread through the straw.  Then, cut the thread on the other side of the straw in order to thread the second heart, like in the above step.  Now you have two hearts that hang from either side of the straw.

Continue the above steps until you have the desired amount of hearts for your mobile.  I found that cutting some of the straws avoiding major tangling between the different hearts.  I also cut one straw really short to attach only one heart.

Attach all of the straws together and either glue, tape, or staple them in the center.  Whatever method you want to get them to stick together! I used a little bit of clear tape and a couple of staples. But if you want it to not be too noticeable, maybe even hot glue.

Lastly, I used four straws that I threaded and attached to the base straw to create a pretty hanger for them.  Then just tie off the tops, leave some thread hanging to hang anywhere in your house.

Heart-Shaped Boxes

As I was making all these little 3D hearts, the Nirvana song “Heart-Shaped Box” just kept coming into my head! While they aren’t technically boxes since they do not open, I went along with the song stuck in my head for the title. The songs probably stuck in your head now too!

These little hearts look complicated to make, but they are really easy. They will be the base of many of my Valentine’s Day projects since they are just so cute.

What you will need:
Colorful cardstock or paper
Sciccors
Glue stick
Ruler
Sharp edge

Download the template to print your hearts on here


First, cut out the heart template along the solid black lines.

With your ruler and a sharp edge, score along all of the dotted lines. Apply only firm pressure when scoring, as you do not want to cut all the way through the paper.
Fold all scored lines inward (this way the marked up side will be on the inside of the heart and you won’t see any of the guidelines)

Glue one side of the heart to all of the little tabs.
If you’re at this part of humming the song in your head “I've been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks” you can even hide your own treasure inside the box {like a gift box} to be glued in for the receiver to open.

Glue the other side down, and you are essentially done.

You can make them into conversation hearts by just writing sayings across the front of the heart in colored markers.

Stay tuned for another Valentine’s Day idea made using these hearts!