mamasaysmine

Sometimes a mama just wants something simple for Valentine’s Day. 

This year (and for the foreseeable future), I want my husband to clean the soda cans before putting them in the recycling bin.  

Too much to ask?  Sigh.

Then a pair of really fancy D&G sunglasses.  They fit my (disturbingly small) head and are polarized, thus preventing eye damage.  Romantic, no? 

I adore garlands.  They’re whimsical, festive and oh-so-easy to make.  The perfect crafty trifecta. 

As promised, here’s what to do with all of your leftover hearts from yesterday’s Valentine Wreath.  This project is just for you, mamas (unless you’re the mama of a kid who knows how to work a sewing machine).

Materials:

• Many, many paper hearts (how many?  depends on how long you want your garland to be) (I used about 200, but remember, I cut all these out watching one tv show, so don’t panic.)
• 1/4 inch wide ribbon (or wider.  whatever. )  (how long?  depends on how long you want your garland.  see?  this is totally self-directed!)
• Sewing machine (no sewing machine?  you could thread the ribbon through with an upholstery needle if you really wanted to.) (but I recommend getting a little Mini Sewing Machine - I had one when I was living in a teeny tiny apartment and it really made crafting easier.  plus, it’s like the Easy Bake Oven of sewing machines.)

Directions:

1. Sew hearts onto ribbon.  I sewed mine very close together, but you can stretch your resources by spacing them farther apart.
2. Hang and admire.

See how pretty?  

Here’s a craft for you mamas and kiddos.   Supplies needed:

• extra scrapbook paper (if you don’t have this laying around, you can use construction paper or even magazine pictures)
• heart stencil (if you’re not into free-range paper cutting) (plus, pencil & scissors for tracing & cutting)
• glue
• cardboard wreath (mine was $2 at Michael’s.  I think it’s 16 inches??) 
• 

Directions:

1. Cut out a ridiculous amount of hearts.  (I used a 10 year old Creative Memories tracing template, but if you don’t have one of those sitting around, click here and print out a heart stencil, size to your liking.)  I personally find cutting things out to be very relaxing and cut out enough hearts during an episode of House to make 6 kid wreaths plus a fabulous project I’ll share with you tomorrow.  I recommend cutting everything out before you sit down with your little person, as they can often glue faster than you can cut. 
2. Sit down with your little person and glue the hearts to the cardboard wreath.  Hurricane Eva is most into glue when I let her use the bottle.  This requires constant supervision but is the most fun too.
3. Date the back of your creation and display proudly.  (or gift to a grandparent - they love this stuff)

To complete the Valentine’s Day Roundup, I have a few more pics for gifts.

First, StoryPeople.  If you haven’t heard of StoryPeople, run, don’t walk, here and spend some happy times browsing around.  The beautiful combination of whimsy and artsy is a winner in my book, and I love that I can find a story for every event I need to celebrate (and there are many).  I love their search function too, as the sheer volume of stories can be a bit overwhelming your first time.

This one is hanging in Hurricane Eva’s room and makes me happy every time we read it together.  StoryPeople has some mini prints for sale for $15 unframed or $40 framed here.  And really, sign up for their daily emails.  They might make you laugh, they might make you cry, but they’ll help ease you into the day.  Plus, sometimes they have sales or special deals.  But mostly, they’re just a little sunshine in your inbox.

Another Valentine Pick that I’m hoping to receive myself? Darlybird’s Bag o’ Goodies. $15 for $45 worth of product, plus, it’s an exciting mystery bag! I’ve ordered from Darlybird before and have never been anything less than thrilled with my items. Thanks to Design Mom for the Darlybird tip.

And finally, Benefit has some awesome freebie deals. Free shipping on any $50 purchase with code PRETTY50, free full-size BadGal Lash Blue mascara with any $35 purchase (no code needed) and free “Pink to please the woman…gold to get the guy” palate with a $35 purchase with code LOVE2009 (through 2/10/09). My suggestion for spending your $35? “That Gal” brightening face primer, $28 and so necessary during these pale, cold days and   ”her glossiness” lip gloss, $9.

Happy shopping! Crafty posts for Valentine’s Day begin tomorrow, so stimulate the economy tonight!

They say that in hard financial times, lipstick sales actually go up because women purchase “a little something” to dress up an outfit.  Well, I still haven’t mastered regular lipstick use (it just wears off and I am never satisfied with the color…I’ll probably be in Clinique’s Black Honey for the rest of my life, and that’s ok), but I think that earrings are the new lipstick.  They’re inexpensive, easy, and can change any outfit.  And, of course, etsy is the perfect place to find earrings (plus other fabulous things).

On to my Valentine’s Day Etsy guide for grownups!Perhaps my favorite jewelry shop on etsy is Mud and Mint (insert dreamy sigh).  I recently splurged on a truly fabulous necklace, but I recommend the gorgeous color pools earrings for your first purchase.  People have offered to buy these off my ears.  I refused. 

When I moved to Iowa, I left not only friends and family, but my favorite potter. I may have found a suitable replacement in JD Wolfe Pottery. This yummy heart dish belongs on my dresser holding earrings.

I think this Valentine Apron from Fashions and Findings might help me embrace my domestic diva side. I know the hubs finds aprons kind of sexy, too.

I love any flowers that won’t die on me, so Nesta Home’s Rose Garden fits the bill nicely.

Original art at affordable prices is darn hard to come by, but this sweet Dear Heart watercolor by Karen Faulkner Original Art is a nice addition (or a beginning!) to a collection.

Feeling more spicy than sweet? This Zombie Card by Tina Sea Monster is for you. (and how often do you get to buy things from a sea monster???)

Feel free to leave this page up so your significant other sees it. That’s what I’m going to do.

All photos are property of their respective etsy shops.

If you haven’t shopped at etsy,  you must do so today.  (take THAT, recession!!)  I so wish that it was MY idea to create a forum where people could buy and sell fabulous handmade goods.  

I’ve sent out some etsy love before (see here), but here are some items hand-picked for Valentine’s Day gifting to kiddos (grow-up etsy tomorrow!):

Crayon Roll from Kate W Designs.  I love how cool this print is, and who doesn’t need a way to keep crayons organized?  Particularly good for travel.  

Surprise Rocks by Leaky Mouth. Rocks that you get to break open and find treats inside? Perfect for little boys (and mamas needing to vent some aggression)! 

Feeling do-it-yourselfer-ish? This Iron-On Applique by Sweet n’ Sassy Baby is perfect for your little executive.

This sweet LOVE shirt from Kiddy Up would be adorable on your little girl and could absolutely be worn after Valentine’s Day.

Conversation Heart Soap from Annie’s Powder Room might actually get them to enjoy washing their hands.

A Bird Nesting Kit from Maddy and Me Designs is so cute I can hardly stand it. Perfect for those of us still buried under feet of snow…it reminds me that spring is on the way! And giving a little love to the birdies is absolutely in the spirit of the holiday (and a great little science lesson in how birds build nests).

Happy shopping!

(all photos property of their respective etsy shops)

One of my favorite online stores is Uncommon Goods.  They focus on handmade, recycled/up-cycled materials and they’re a company with a conscience (see here).  AND, they’re based in Brooklyn, NY (I have a soft spot for Brooklyn, in case you haven’t guessed).  I’ve found that I can always find a gift for my husband or father here, and they’re both impossible to shop for (I never have problems finding things I love).

For all these reasons and more, here are my Uncommon Goods pics for Valentine’s Day: 

For the hopeless romantic:  Fairy Tale Seed Kits.  How cool is this?  You can pick either Cinderella’s Magic Pumpkin, the Princess’ Pea or Jack’s Magic Beans.  Perfect for someone who is still searching for their prince/princess charming.

For your girlfriends:  Porn for Women books.  (seriously, no nudity.  what kind of gift guide do you think this is??)  Picture books full of men vacuuming, cooking and bringing flowers.  

For him (3 options!)(because really, men are hard to shop for):

• Baseball Bat Bottle Opener.  This is one of the gifts I’ve gotten for my impossible-to-shop-for father (who is, luckily, a baseball fan).  They’re handmade from authentic game bats used in the Major Leagues…and isn’t the best part of a ball game the cold beer?
• Ticket Stub Diary.  My hubby and I started dating in college and went to quite a few concerts together…not to mention a few awesome movies (the re-issue of Star Wars, anyone?).  This is a great way to keep all those ticket stubs together instead of tossing them in a shoebox.  Sweeten the deal by inserting an IOU for something he’ll love to see (for my hubs, this would be a guarantee that I’ll go see the next movie based on a comic book with him.  sigh.).
• Diana Camera.  In the world of digital photography and (my personal favorite) iPhoto, sometimes we forget how nice photos looked with real cameras.  The Diana Camera creates beautiful, soft photos that are straight out of the summer of love (perfect for Valentine’s Day!!).

 For anyone with a quirky sense of humor and a love of flowers:  

• Recycled Tin Bouquet.  I love anything that I don’t have to water and that won’t die.  Spend that cash on something they’ll enjoy for a long time.
• Elephant Poo Roses.  Yes, I said it.  Made of elephant poop and incredibly beautiful.  And they don’t smell.  Really.  Well, so I hear.  There’s enough poo in my life for now.  

As a little added bonus, shop Uncommon Goods through Ebates and get 10% (yes, TEN PERCENT) back.  If you haven’t signed up for ebates yet, click here and get $5 free when you make your first purchase. 

Well, the first Pampered Chef prize winner didn’t respond by this morning, so we have a new winner - CC!  (littlebphotographycompany@).  If I don’t hear from CC by Wednesday morning, I’ll pick another winner. 

Although I’m generally opposed to gifting things for Valentine’s Day that somehow imply “cook for me, my darling,” I know that many of you out there would love some Pampered Chef swag.  So here’s my Pampered Chef gift guide for Valentine’s Day!

Round Up from the Heart Trivet.  $2 from every purchase is donated to your local America’s Second Harvest food bank.  Plus, you can use the trivet as a decoration OR as a trivet.  I like things that serve multiple purposes!  

  Dots Stemware and matching Drink Charms.  These aren’t something that most people would buy for themselves, but they are adorable and make a great gift.

 For the chef, I recommend Forged Cutlery (happy sigh). These knives are pricey, sure, but they have a lifetime guarantee and are truly amazing to use. My favorite? The 5 inch Santoku  - perfect for a woman’s hand. (perhaps this could be romantic…who knows)

 My personal favorite Valentine’s Day gift (because it’s more indulgent than cooking-related) is any of Pampered Chef’s Sweet Sprinkles (gift set available too). I can’t decide which is my favorite… Sweet Cinnamon, Sweet Caramel or Sweet Mocha Hazlenut.  That’s why I recommend the gift set. You don’t have to choose.

In honor of all things sweet and sprinkley, I’m giving away your choice of sprinkles to one lucky winner! To enter, tell me what your choice of sprinkle is and what you’d add it to. The giveaway will end at midnight on January 25; US residents only please. Want an extra entry? Subscribe to my RSS feed.

Want some Pampered Chef stuff but aren’t feeling lucky? The February host special is any item (any item!!) at 60% off. This applies to online shows as well, so let me know if you’d like to host one! (I’ll give you some extra free product, just because I’m in the giving mood!)

I was nowhere near organized enough to do a Christmas gift guide.  In true social worker speak, I OWN THIS.  However, things have calmed down and I’m happy to bring you a little Valentine’s Day gift guide.  I know lots of people have mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day, so I tend to focus more on getting sweet gifts for others (my single sisters, for example) to make sure that their day is special.  And then I buy a bunch of really expensive chocolate at 50% on February 15th. What better way to start Valentine’s Day planning than with a little something for yourself?  Rather than buy your own present (my lovely spouse has so tried to pull this one - “just go get yourself whatever you want,” which sounds dreamy, kind of, but is really slacker-ly and no fun to open because you already know what it is, plus it’s just one more thing for me to do) (trust me, this was back in the day), you can:1.  sign up here for An Island Life’s Valentine’s Day Goodie Swap2.  get something special for your person3.  check the mail regularly for a little something just for you! Plus, you can make a new bloggy friend.  (truly, the best gift of all, right?)Hurry, hurry - you only have until the end of January to sign up. To help you shop, there’s even a little survey you get to answer.  Here are my answers: 1.  What is your idea of a romantic Valentine’s Day? Somewhere warm, a night out with my husband at a really good restaurant with really good wine. Then, the rest of the night in and being able to sleep in together the next morning. Heaven!2.  In reality, what is your Valentine’s Day really like? We used to go get Cuban food back in Florida (cheap, delicioso takeout - I don’t like dealing with restaurants on Valentine’s Day)…now that we’re in the midwest, we haven’t found a goofy spot to pick up takeout. We’ll have to commit to getting this done this year.3.  If you could have a lifetime supply of your favorite sweet indulgence, what would it be? Dark chocolate with dulce de leche and almonds.4.  Is there any sweet treat you absolutely do not like? Milk chocolate, white chocolate, licorice, circus peanuts.5.  If you fell into a pool of chocolate, how would you get out?  I didn’t fall. I jumped.