Finding the Perfect Valentines

I took the girls to the store yesterday to pick out their class Valentine cards.  Yes, nearly a month before February 14th.  That's how we roll regarding holidays.  Except Halloween, that one we start planning for 2 months in advance.

The trend these days is definitely for kids to make their own cards.  There are so many adorable ideas out there.  But I love the old time-y feel of going to the drug store and picking out the box of cards.  I love the little envelopes (although they rarely come with them anymore.)  I love the cheesy pictures and clever sayings. 

My affection for these boxed Valentines was strengthened while we were living in Luxembourg.  The girls attended an English international school and it was there that I learned that English kids don't exchange Valentines or have a class party.  I delighted in sharing the Valentine traditions we have in the US, including the boxed cards - you know how I love little differences.  Instead of seeing the cards as commercial and uncreative I began to see them as an endearing part of our shared culture in the US.  A tradition that is unique to us in the US (don't know Valentine traditions in countries other than the US and England - please share if you do!)  It also reminded me of how much I loved choosing my cards as a kid; Garfield or Peanuts?

My girls love this tradition too.  We had some great discussions over the merits of Pet Shop cards over baby animal cards.  Or Monster High over Scooby Doo.  Simple childhood fun.

One part of the new Valentine card culture that I refuse to participate in is adding candy to class Valentines.  The marketing geniuses have made this seem like part of the deal.  It is not unlike Halloween with mini versions of nearly all varieties of candy.  Valentines Day is about the cards.  Period.  It is about friendship and kindness.  There is no candy needed for that. Or little toys (pencil, eraser, sticker, cling) for that matter.

We as parents don't want our kids to eat all of that candy.  Why do we add it to Valentines?  The point is clearer if you think of the cumulative effect of all 26 kids in class adding candy to their cards.  Then you end up with 15 cherry lollipops and 6 boxes of Conversation Hearts like we did last year.  Yuck.  It is too much.

What are your thoughts on Valentine cards and candy?  Please weigh in. 

Love Love Love

Treated the girls to a day of heart shaped cuisine. It was fun!

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:


Dessert:


Hope there is Love Love Love wherever you go (soo bummed I couldn't embed this video for you.)

Noah and the Whale - 5 Year's Time

Happy Valentine's Day!

Crazy Valentine

So, I started out with, what I thought was, a GREAT idea for Valentines this year. The girls immediately rejected it. I did not see that coming! They are usually so gung-ho for whatever craft project I dream up. Eva did relent long enough for me to take her crazy picture but after seeing the end result she decided it was too embarrassing. Too embarrassing?! I guess she is growing up, at least for that moment anyway.

Perhaps your child will think this card is the bees' knees so here are the construction details:

1) Take a picture of your child in a crazy pose.

2) Print a copy of the picture from the computer. I just used regular computer paper but photo paper would work too.

3) Cut out around your child. *I'm sure this could be done on Photoshop.
4) Glue your child's picture onto a card.
5) Add googly eyes.
6) Glue or stick on a speech bubble* with the sentence "I'm crazy about you."
7) Alternatively you could write on the front : Hey Valentine, on the inside: I'm crazy about you.

* I bought a pack of stick on speech bubbles at Urban Outfitters last summer but you could easily make some out of paper.

Three eyes, nothing crazier than that.

Wouldn't you know it once we started making regular Valentines Eva decided the crazy card was "hilarious" and wanted to make a few more to give to her crazy friend and teacher.

Audrey stood her ground. No crazy Valentines for her. She did have a wonderful time making some her own, own way.

Here are a few other Valentine ideas from previous years:
Love Note Pillow
I-Love-You Garland

Parent Map has a list of 15 must have Valentine's Day Treats. Thrilled that my Circus Animal cookies are included.

I am seriously swooning over these darling shirts from The Artful Parent. So cute! Don't think I'll get to making them this year. Maybe you can! She made pillows too.

For Valentine's Day

Were you as taken with these felt, rose clips from Purl as I was? I immediately found a scrap of red felt and tried one out. So cute and pretty easy to make. A bit time consuming, but satisfying in the end. I used a bigger barrette than the pattern called for. Those little ones just don't hold enough hair. It was easy, I just made the pieces that cover the barrette a bit bigger. It did take a few tries to get it right, but it worked out just fine. I made one for each of my nieces and one each for my girls.
While the girls were making their Valentines I made a few as well. I think they are pretty sweet. The doily is actually quite small only 4 inches across or so. The initial is stamped on using the girls' set of alphabet stamps. Now to get them in the mail. They'll be late, of course. That's how it goes with long distance love.
Last year we made this I Love You garland. We still have it up! It has faded quite a bit and lost a few hearts, but we still enjoy looking at it. This year it's all about the Love Note Pillows. I saw another clever use for pants' pockets today. Have a look (scroll down a bit).

Love Note Pillows

I've been saving old jeans for a while now. Not really sure what I planned to do with them, but that didn't seem to stop me from obsessively tucking them into my fabric stash. Happy to have found a use for one pair, the pockets anyway. What to do with the rest?

I think the girls will really dig these - a secret little pocket for love notes. Come on! Who wouldn't want one?! Maybe I'll make a family set, so we can all send sweet thoughts to each other. Ha! Now to come up with a special Valentine to tuck into the pockets. Not loving the wide eyelet I used on the "love" pillow. I prefer the red trim. I am, however, proud of myself for using what I had on hand.

I didn't prepare a proper tutorial for you all. I made these in such a frantic rush of excitement. (Ya know how it is when you have an idea and you just can't wait to see how it turns out). Here are a few tips though. I wouldn't leave you hanging . . . On the back I used this 70s fabric I found on ebay awhile a go. Perfect, no?

Love Note Pillow

:: write your text on the pocket with washable marker or pencil. If you use washable marker, blot the ink with a sponge when you're finished to removed the any unwanted ink.

:: don't separate your embroidery thread, use it as is. If the thread is too fine it won't show up well on the denim.

:: Cut around the pocket, leaving a 1/4 - 1/2 inch border.

:: Place it on your fabric and pin heavily or fuse it with steam-a-seam. You don't want the pocket to be crooked on the pillow.

:: sew the pocket to the fabric with a straight stitch or zig-zag. Personally, I like the clean look of a straight stitch.

:: these pillows are 12X12. I found the forms at IKEA - they are called "Irma."

:: I didn't sew in a zipper or leave a slit in the back. Just left an opening large enough to stuff the form in and hand sewed the hole. I just can't be bothered with practicality when I'm excited to see the final result.

If you make one for your Valentine please let me know!

Happy Valentine's Day

We had celebrated with friends over a meal of chicken pot pies and chocolate fondue for dessert. Hope your day was equally lovely~

I Love You Garland

I made this yesterday. I got the idea from something my sister did with her staff last Valentine's Day - they created a Tree of Love. Everyone brought in pictures of their loved ones and hung them on a potted tree in the office. I thought it was such a lovely way to celebrate Valentine's Day - sharing your loved ones, visiting them during the day, and getting to know your co-workers better. We don't have any house plants yet or any co-workers for that matter so I morphed her idea into this I Love You garland.

1) I printed pictures off the computer on to regular old paper. I didn't worry or fuss about the size - those kind of details drive me mad.

2) I glued the pictures onto red construction paper.
3) Made a heart template out of tag board
4) Traced the template on the the picture

5) Cut out the hearts. Pressed them in a heavy book overnight.

6) Sewed them onto bakers twine, about every 4 inches. I used a sturdy needle threaded with 2 strands of embroidery floss. Went through the heart first and then through the twine. Cut and knotted on the back of the photo.

7) Hang and admire

This will probably stay up way past Valentine's Day - its nice to have our loved ones so close.