Happy Valentine's Day from my couch, where I am unexpectedly on a work day home achy, shivery, cough-y and sniffly (though not nearly as bad as last night... I seriously typically go about 2+ years between sick days and I had my last in October... aging sucks, I tell ya'.)
With a bit more time on my hands, I thought I'd share our festive abode. I typically alter back and forth between thinking Valentine's Day is totally overrated and not even a big deal (I can't remember the last time we something particularly "romantic" for the occasion) and just liking the fact that it's nice to celebrate love--not just romantic love but love for family, friends, and life in general.
I bring out the same few Valentine's Day decorations each year and sometimes mix it up a bit with what's already on-hand. This year I punched up the typical pink, red and fuschia with teal, purple, and orange, inspired by my intention to make these with some super-cute bright feathers found at JoAnn's, but it's now V-Day and I still haven't finished them with the fuschia glitter-foam hearts I had planned. Nevertheless, onward --
Dig my birdhouses... yeah, I'm still putting a bird on it. And these little suckers were only 99 cents at JoAnn's (I think Michael's has them too), which I covered with paint and scrapbook paper and rhinestones I had already (the "Love" print in the back is something I made for E's tennis-themed birthday brunch which I hope to write up soon!). My cardboard-y Xs and Os were picked up on clearance post-Valentine's Day a few years ago and since the selection was down to only oddly-mismatched letters, I re-painted them and this year punched up the neutrals with bright ribbons and rickrack.
I also made this felt banner a few years ago and added more bright ribbons and feathers from my Cupid's Arrow project for something I think is a bit more bohemian. And on our shelf that I like to think of as a fireplace mantle in our apartment sans fireplace, I added twine and ribbon to my much-loved clearance Anthropologie vase and glued rose petals and feathers to some sticks from the neighborhood. Dollar Store red tapers and blue accessories we already had round it out. Oh, and scrapbook paper that I just popped into a square frame that I change seasonally or so.
Finally, here's an easy, cheap-o project that I made as E's gift last year -- an old (like out of a dusty box in my parents' garage old) frame with salt dough tiles. I used chipboard letters as stamps for my tiles and a straw to punch the holes before baking them. The yarn is just tied onto the metal thingies that would normally hold the back on the frame (what do you call those? Clamps? Closures?) but I'm sure a staple gun or even super glue could work. Here's the salt dough recipe I used and the pin I originally shared with a friend here.
So whomever you're sharing your Valentine's Day with, or if you're being your own sweetheart this year (wine and dine yourself and show yourself you're special!) enjoy a day dedicated to loving one another.
PS - for the first time I'm joining a link party! Still not entirely sure what that means as a relative blog newbie but I enjoy me some BowerPower, so without further ado...
