More Thrifting Fun!

I woke up to a bright and sunny day here on the Washington coast (RARE!) and I instantly had the thrifting bug so the little man and I high-tailed it to GWill and came home with a car load!

Lane 1963 Walnut End Table (the photo doesn't do it justice)

AMAZING Upholstery Fabric

Navy Tab Curtains

Some Throw Pillows

Mason Jars

Exterior Light ~ I've been looking for this style...now to paint or not to paint?

I'm In the Top Ten!

I made it into the top 10 of Cherished Bliss' 14 Days of Love Valentine Link Party with my 14 Reasons Why I Love You Banner.  I've got some good competition, so I need your votes to shoot me to the top!

Please visit Cherished Bliss and vote for me.  Polls close on February 16th at 5pm!

Poll: 14 Days of Love

Linky Follower Blog Hop!

Hey there, Vamps!

Many of you have probably already heard that

GOOGLE Friend Connect will go away

on Feb 29 for any one that is not with blogspot

but rumor has it that it is being completely phased out for everyone soon

BUT

there is good news

There is a NEW awesome tool–Linky Followers

It has so many amazing features (that GFC never had). If you have not signed up you should. (yes you can have both.) I love the new tool so much and want everyone to enjoy all the new features.

…and did I tell you its super easy and FREE!

What better way to celebrate a fun new blogging tool than to have a party

so break out your poodle skirt and saddle back shoes cuz’ we’re having a LINKY FOLLOWER PARTY HOP

RULES:

1. you MUST have the LINKY FOLLOWERS tool on your site to participate.

If you see that your link has been deleted you need to add the LINKY FOLLOWER tool to your site and then come back over and re-enter your link
{You can have both the LINKY FOLLOWERS & GFC on your site but you must have the LINKY FOLLOWERS tool to participate in this party hop.}

2. You MUST follow the person who has the party on their site as a thank you.

3. Just add your blog button to the LINKY PARTY below.

4.Then grab the BLOG HOP code

You will find the code right under the Linky Party where it says CLICK HERE TO ENTER–
just under that it says: WHAT IS A BLOG HOP? GET THE CODE HERE
Click on GET THE CODE HERE and enter it into a post on your site.
You can grab the party button code in the FOOTER at Its So Very Cheri

14 Days of Valentines: Day 14 Homemade Valentine Cookies

It's day 14 of 14 Days of Valentines!  I made it!!

It's not a Valentine's Day without sugar cookies.  I have a tradition and it stems from years of attending school in the LSD (not THAT LSD.)  We did our Valentine's Day right.  With Cookies!  And not just your normal cookies, special request cookies that had your very own name or message on them.  Your parents or special admirers would pre-order them and on V-Day you'd be surprised with your very own delicious cookie.  Pretty awesome, if you ask me.

Then, in college my friend and I would spend the weekend before finals at her Grandma's friend's house where we'd study until our eyes bled and ate until our bellies burst.  Among plates of mashed potatoes and gravy, we'd also munch down some deliciously fattening sugar cookies.

14 Days of Valentines: Day 13 Handmade Valentine Cards

It's day 13 of 14 Days of Valentines, my attempt at one Valentine's inspired craft each day.

Here's two handmade valentine cards that only required paper, glue and scissors (oh, and that googly eye.)  Pretty inexpensive and pretty darn cute!

I Only Have "Eye" For You Monster card.

14 Days of Valentines: Day 12 Paper Heart Bookmark

It's day 12 of 13 Days of Valentines, my attempt at one Valentine's inspired craft each day.

The hubs and I both share the reading bug and we NEVER have a dedicated bookmark to save our spots.  (We're not really corner folders...we love our books too much.)  I've found myself using the closest thing I can find to save my page...like an Amazon gift card, someone's business card, a stray piece of paper, or a tissue (clean, of course!)

Well, not anymore!  We've got our very own set of colorful heart shaped corner bookmarks.

14 Days of Valentines: Day 11 Stamped Heart Card

It's day 11 of 14 Days of Valentines, my attempt at one Valentine's inspired craft each day.

For day 11's project I repurposed a champagne cork into a heart shaped stamp and, with the help of my little man, made some cards and wrapping paper.  A very simple project, but one that won me over and I can't decide if it was due to having a handsome little helper or the bubbly.

I absolutely love champagne and sparkling wine.  I could drink it every single day.  (Don't worry, I don't.) 

14 Days of Valentines: Day 10 Our Song Lyrical Typography Print

It's day 10 of 14 Days of Valentines, my attempt at one Valentine's inspired craft each day.

I am always finding frames at thrift stores and purchasing them.  To say that my husband is a bit annoyed with our abundance of frames is an understatement.  But, I think it gives me flexibility for projects.  Like this one!

"Our Song" Lyrical Typography Print.

Recognize those lyrics?  It's Tom Petty's "The Wild One - Forever."

14 Days of Valentines: Day 9 Love Those Hands Sugar Scrub

It's day 9 of 14 Days of Valentines, a countdown to Valentine's Day one craft at a time.

After all this crafting, my hands are beat!  It's time to show these creative geniuses some love.  This Lemon Sugar Scrub is the perfect cure to get my hands back to perfection (Minus the lack of fingernails.  Sadly, I'm back to my ol' biting habit.) Making your own sugar scrub is inexpensive, incredibly simple and it gives you the same beautifully soft results (without any harmful chemicals), so you won't have to make those wildly expensive beauty purchases anymore...well, at least in the sugar scrub department.

Lemon Sugar Scrub Ingredients:

• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 cup Olive Oil
• 4 tbsp Lemon Juice (or you could use an essential oil)

Mix all ingredients together and store in your desired container.  Mine is a vintage Le Parfait french canning jar.  Yep, a goodwill find!

Day 9 down, 5 to go!

14 Days of Valentines: Day 8 Plaster Letter P

It's day 8 of 14 Days of Valentines, a countdown to Valentine's Day one craft at a time.

I've always loved the cardboard letters, but have always thought, "I could totally make that."  And, I've finally gotten around to it.  I made my own letter "P", or "Plaster P" as I like to call him, out of a cardboard box and plaster of paris.  But, unlike all the other plain, old, boring letters out there, this P's got a little surprise.  Can you guess what it is?

14 Days of Valentines: Day 7 Valentine Wreath

It's day 7 of 14 Days of Valentines, a countdown to Valentine's Day one craft at a time. We're halfway there!

What's a holiday without a wreath?  I created a Valentine's Day wreath with yarn and, since I just loved it so much, my Robert Indiana inspired LOVE template wrapped in linen-type fabric.  Pretty swoon worthy, if you ask me.

14 Days of Valentine: Day 6 Paper Bag Lunches

It's day 6 of 14 Days of Valentines, a countdown to Valentine's Day one craft at a time.

Today's project is simple in craft, but a little more work in final execution.  I was never one to pack a lunch ~ not in school and not for work.  I never knew what to pack and I would ALWAYS forget it at home.  Luckily, I always worked near some great food spots.  That is not the case for my teacher husband, who barely gets a chance to breath let along go anywhere for lunch.  There's always the hot lunch option, but you can only handle so many cheese zombies.  Or can you?

As a sign of love and appreciation, I chose to make my husband's lunch (like a good little wife) for 7 working days.  I prettied up the regular brown bag with hearts cut out from my son's first piece of art and hid some funny little math valentine messages under the flap. I've got all seven bags finished, day 1's food covered ~ leftover bbq chicken sandwiches, but Day 2 is causing me much grief.  Curse you, sack lunches!

Messages (thank God for google!):

• You're the numerator to my denominator.
• You are my sweetie PI.
• Without you, I'd be a fraction of myself.
• You are sum-thing special.
• You are the independent variable to my life b/c I depend on you.
• You and I are living proof that one plus one equals three.
• Wanna multiply?

14 Days of Valentines: Day 5 Bucket List Bucket

It's day 5 of 14 Days of Valentines, a countdown to Valentine's Day one craft at a time.

This one's not exactly a valentine, but I will be using this with MY valentines so it works, right?.  I took a Brown & Haley (the best!) almond roca tin that was destined for the recycle bin and upcycled it into a bucket list keeper.  I can't wait to start putting all of our must-dos in here and, more importantly, I can't wait to start those adventures with my two loves.

14 Days of Valentines: Day 4 "14 Reasons Why I Love You" Banner

It's day 4 of 14 Days of Valentines, a countdown to Valentine's Day one craft at a time.

What was intended to be Day 1's project made its grand debut at Day 4.  I just didn't get the "14 Reasons Why I Love You Banner" finished in time, so my valentine will be getting 4 days of "why I love yous" in one day.  Nothing to complain about, I dare say.

14 Days of Valentines: Day 3 I Love You Alphabet Print

Day 3 of 14 Days of Valentines, a countdown to Valentine's Day one craft at a time.

I fell in love (pun!) with this free I <3 You Alphabet printable from Oopsey Daisy and couldn't wait to put it up on our mantle.  Our printer, always the let-down, was been funky so all I could print was a 5x7, so I mounted it on some red card stock and stuck it in an extra frame.  It totally works and I can never get enough red!

14 Days of Valentines: Day 2 LOVE Felt Hanging Decor

Day 2 of 14 Days of Valentines has arrived, a countdown to Valentine's Day one craft at a time.

I just love today's project.  It was inspired by the ever-recognizable Robert Indiana's LOVE sculpture.  There's something striking in its simplicity and I just couldn't wait to pay homage to it for 14 Days...through felt, of course!

And here's how it was done.

14 Days of Valentines: Day 1 Coffee Filter Flowers

This is Day 1 of 14 Days of Valentines, a countdown to Valentine's Day one craft at a time.

Love the look of fresh blooms, but hate the whole wither & die aspect of them?  Lacking a valentine or have one that drops the ball on the whole flowers bit?  Here's a simple craft to make your own blooms that are guaranteed to last.  Now, if you miss the sweet fragrance of fresh flowers ~ try this with your favorite dryer sheets!

Supplies: