style selection: vintage valentines...

My husband and I aren't huge Valentine's Day people.

{I hate the pricey flowers, crowded restaurants, etc.  We love each other everyday!}  

We usually give each other a card and a small treat.  Nothing fancy or expensive, just simple and sweet.  This year I decided to make a valentine using a vintage image.  I found some cute ones.  Great if you need something fun (but easy!) for your sweetheart last minute...

Let's be Valentines

You've stolen my heart!

You're nice to have around!

I'm heels over head in love with you!

 Why "put-put"-er around?

What's cookin', good lookin'?

You rate sky-high with me!

Let's go together! 

 Be My Valentine

LOVE these old school illustrations...too cute!

style selection: apple season...

A few days ago, my husband and I drove out to a nearby farm that's a popular fall attraction for local families.  They grow a variety of fruits including apples, offer a hayride and pumpkin patch, and sell all kinds of sweet treats.  We visited with one goal in mind--cinnamon & sugar apple cider donuts.  Mmm.

Since then, I haven't been able to get delicious apple concoctions out of my mind.  Therefore, it was necessary to scour the internet for apple-themed goodness to share.  I give you Style Selection: Apple Season...

First up, we have oven-baked apple donuts from Chocolate Shavings.

Perfect...

I can indulge my apple donut craving from the comfort of my own home!

Apple rings with cinnamon icing for dipping?!

I'd never heard of such a thing.  

Thank you, How To: Simplify for bringing this recipe into the world.

I make my own version of apple nachos every now and then.  

Check these ones out at gimme some oven.

This apple pie dump cake from Cookies & Cups seems right up my alley...

quick and easy.

Betty Crocker offers up this recipe for apple cinnamon waffles with cider syrup.

I've been itching to make some of these for breakfast.

Or wouldn't an apple cider cinnamon roll be AMAZING on a chilly fall morning?

Instructables.com has the how-to.

For a low-calorie option, you could try these beautiful baked apples from SkinnyTaste.

Or indulge with The Girl Who Ate Everything and her caramel apple cheesecake bars.

Although, these cinnamon apple dessert chimichangas from Juanita's Cocina pretty much had me at hello.

It's basically a fried apple pie burrito.  Can't say no to that!

And last, but not least, I thought I'd remind you about my snickers salad recipe.

This is my favorite version of the popular chilled apple salad.

I think it could become your favorite, too!

Now I've got to go.

There's a nice, cold Honeycrisp apple in the fridge calling my name...

style selection: halloween fun...

Happy October, everyone!

I thought it only appropriate to collect some spooky and kooky internet finds for a Halloween Fun edition of Style Selection.

How ADORABLE are these paper dolls?

These free printables are available from babalisme.

Grab the girl HERE and the boy HERE.

For more Halloween play, you could print some of these paper masks from mrprintables.com.

And I've seen lots of slime tutorials floating around the internet, but I love how The 36th Avenue made monster containers to up the spooky cuteness.

These felt creature creations are actually little coin purses made by Etsy seller lovelia...

...but I thought the size and shape would be perfect to make bean bags for Halloween games or soft toys for party favors.

You know I'm all about artsy projects, so here's a little round up of simple crafts for kids put together by  No Time for Flash Cards.

Eighteen25 featured these "cute...not scary" monster cupcake picks made of yarn.  These would be fun to make...and would add a dash of whimsy to any Halloween celebration.

Martha offers instructions on how to make skull treat boxes.

How cool would it be to hide these amongst some spooky yard decor for an easter egg-style hunt, but scarier? :)

Or you could package some small treats in these printable favor containers from like a pretty petunia.  Slip one in your kids' or hubby's lunch for a Halloween surprise.

The Idea Room featured a cool tutorial and free printables to make this Halloween pop box gift.  It's made from empty Crush soda bottles!

These monster eyes would be fun for a school Halloween treat--just rolos and googly eyes.  it is what it is offers the treat bag topper as a free printable, as well.

When it comes to crafty decor, these embellished spools couldn't be anymore darling.

Go to Lisa Storms for the details on this project (and a few others).

I'm loving the idea of monster door decor.  This one is from Mel Designs.

It would be fun for your family to help come up with a different design each year.

And these painted pumpkins are awesome!

Carved pumpkins are cool, but I'm not a fan of the rotten, shriveled mess they become.  These painted beauties would last much longer and add a pop of color and pattern to the front porch.

Hope these Halloweenie projects have gotten you in the mood for trick-or-treating, costumes, and some spook-inspired fun!

(Check out more of my internet finds by following me on Pinterest...)

style selection: DIY baby gear...

It's no secret I've got baby on the brain.  I've been gobbling up cute and useful tutorials from all over the internet.  (Thank you, Pinterest.) And since it's been approximately forever since I did a style selection post, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites.

How unbelievably darling is this faux vest onsie?!  

Baby Boy needs one of these.  Stat.

Get the tute from B is for Boy.

Michael Miller Fabrics posted a free cloth baby shoe pattern that I plan on taking full advantage of.  Here are some super-cute boyish examples...

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And check out this dapper little cap.

This Mama Makes Stuff provides great instructions and a free pdf.

There are tons of nursing cover posts floating around, but I'm a fan of this one by The Coterie Blog.

Made with light stretchy knit, this shawl seems to provide nice front-to-back coverage.  It's definitely on my to do list.

Since Baby is making his appearance in November, I thought a car seat blanket like this might be helpful...

Get the "how-to" over at Running With Scissors.

Craftiness is Not Optional came up with this great bib tutorial.

I imagine this child-o'-mine is going to be a supreme mess maker (like his mother), so the more coverage the better!

These foam blocks by WREN handmade are good-lookin' and seem fairly easy to make.  (Plus, you can use up some fun leftover fabric scraps.)

And this modular star toy blows my mind.

My sewing skills (and patience) might not be able to handle this one, but it looks so fun!  Head over to Kid Giddy to give it a shot.

And, last but not least, is this t-rex not the darling-est thing you've ever seen?

The pattern is available for purchase from Bit of Whimsy Dolls.

(I'm dying over the ric-rac.  Oh the cuteness!)

Looks like I've got a whole lot of sewing to do... :)

For more internet inspiration, feel free to check out my boards on Pinterest.

style selection: shrinky dink

In honor of my vintage floral statement necklace, I thought I'd investigate the wonderful world of shrink plastic via the good ol' world wide web.  My search yielded some fun finds, thus Style Selection: Shrinky Dink was born.  Here are the goods...

I'm madly in love with this geometric necklace tutorial at livlig.

Those bold patterns are just so striking!

A 2007 issue of N.E.E.T Magazine boasts these cute little key keepers.

Cathe over at Just Something I Made shows off these darling charms made by scanning vintage ephemera and printing the images on shrinky dink.

Her project was featured in a magazine, and the tutorial includes a free download so you can make your own!

Sew Nancy made these shrink plastic decorative pin heads using a tutorial by Wee Wonderfuls.

Check out these gorgeous butterfly necklaces from Happy Together.

There's something irresistible about vintage butterfly graphics.

Aren't these shrink plastic rings cool?  

PlanetJune has a full tutorial with great pictures.

She stamped hers, but it would be fun to try some hand drawn designs.

Of course Martha had to get in on this shrinky dink action.

You can make custom pet ID tags with her free downloadable template.

Last, but certainly not least, I couldn't leave out these nostalgia-inducing, spirograph-inspired shrinky dink push pins by craftlog.

I need spirograph push pins.  BAD.

(I have no choice but to buy one of these.  No choice, I say!)

Turns out Shrinky Dink is a lot cooler than you remembered, huh?

I hope my selections have inspired you to try out some shrink plastic creations of your own!