happy valentine's day (the hubs gets crafty!)...

My husband is awesome.

(For many reasons.)

But he went crafty for our little valentine exchange this year...

How darling is that?!

My husband, the crafter. :)

{I think I've rubbed off on him.}

Plus, that flower pot contains a party-size bag of peanut m&ms...

Bonus points!

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!

last-minute valentine's day cuteness...

Valentine's Day is 4 days away...

If you've procrastinated and need some low-maintenance cuteness ASAP, here's a quick roundup of printables and easy decor I've posted about in the past.

Bring a treat to a neighbor with this baggie tag printable.

Make your honey a love muffin or a batch of cupcakes with these sweet little toppers.  All you need are some toothpicks, a punch, and the free printable.

Get your kiddos involved (or indulge your inner child) with some "color your own valentines."

Your hubby will love this printable coupon book full of acts of kindness just for him!

Print out this "lovely" garland for instand party decor.

This doily garland would work great for school parties (or surprise for your family when they wake up on the 14th)...so fast and easy.

If you need a centerpiece for your romantic dinner at home, this candlestick topiary would be perfect...for Valentine's day or any special occasion.

Happy Love Day to you all!

kiss day...

hope you all had a lovely valentine's day!

truth be told, we don't do much in the way of celebrating around here.

my hubby did get me some cute flowers over the weekend (that look a bit like the first bouquet of flowers he ever gave me--awww.)

but we just kicked it at home after volunteering to help clean our church building.

{so romantic, huh? :) }

today, however, is an even better love day than valentine's day.

it's KISS DAY!

february 15th is the anniversary of our first kiss.  i'm pretty sure the only reason we remember the date is because it's the day after valentines day...but it's still fun nonetheless.

how does one celebrate kiss day?

 why you give each other an amazing homemade card, of course.

i made this awesome card for the first anniversary of kiss day...

it was martha's idea, so i dunno how i'm ever going to top that.

although, i like the front of last year's hand drawn card, too...

...so i'm sure i can come up with something good.

(plus, he's been asking about what i'm going to do with that back scratch coupon...haha.)

valentine voodoo...

i couldn't help but giggle when i saw this pincushion over at indiespotting...

i dunno about you, but i really could have used one of these when i was single.

haha.

want a "valentine the voodoo pincushion" of your very own?

here's their tutorial.

made with love: coupon book

we've got one last post for

♥ made with love week! ♥

here's a simple printable gift for your sweetheart...

it's a darling little coupon book!

 my man happens to love a good back scratch...

...but you can fill out each coupon however you want.

after printing and trimming, i punched a hole in mine and fastened the pages together with ribbon, but you could certainly just staple it.

get the file HERE.

now that you've appealed to your darling's heart, time win over his stomach.

head on over to budget gourmet mom for a great creme brulee recipe!

thanks for joining us this week!

all of the made with love week printables are now available under the "printables" tab at the top of the page.

hope you have a fun, love-filled valentine's day. :)

made with love: party garland

 ♥ made with love week ♥

is ready to party!

create simple, stylish decor with this printable LOVE garland...

it would look fabulous at a get-together for kids, families, or just adults!
and all you have to do is print, cut, and hang.  pretty effortless, right?

i hung mine using miniature clothespins, but you could also punch holes and string the ribbon through.

it looks really cute with my valentine's day doily garland, too!

there are two separate files this week...
click HERE for the lettering
and HERE for some cute hearts.
(personal use only, please!)

now click on over to budget gourmet mom for her family-friendly party drink...

 ...shirley temples!

made with love: cupcake toppers

♥ made with love week ♥

is in full swing!

if you're joining us late, budget gourmet mom and stay-at-home artist have teamed up for a week of valentine's day inspired recipes and free printables.  be sure to check out the week's previous posts so you don't miss out on any of the fun!

my printable for today is just too dang cute.

add a bit of valentine's day flair to a batch of cupcakes or muffins
with these sweet little toppers...

i mean, who can resist a love muffin?  i know i sure can't.

first, get the file HERE.
(personal use only, please.)

then, use a 1-inch circle punch to cut them out.

for two-sided toppers, glue two circles together with the toothpick sandwiched in between.

or you can take the easy way out (like me), and make one-sided toppers by attaching the circle to the toothpick with a sticker on the back. (i used those white circular office label stickers, but any kind will do.)

i also layered a few of my "love" circles with some die-cut flower shapes...
but you could skip this step and just cut the circles out with a scalloped punch to begin with.  i don't have a scallop punch, so i improvised!

now if you don't have a fresh batch of love muffins on hand,

you better head on over to budget gourmet mom for the how-to on these sweetheart cupcakes...

 triple chocolate?  'nough said.

made with love: color your own valentines

welcome back to

♥ made with love week! ♥

 today it's all about the kiddos.

now, you could buy generic valentines for your kids to hand out...

OR you could have them color their own!

i've created some simple black-and-white valentines that can be colored with crayons, colored pencils, or markers in your child's favorite hues...

just print 'em on some white cardstock, cut 'em out, and go to town!

write personal messages or attach small treats to the back...

or punch a hole in the corner and turn it into a cute valentine treat tag.

so many possibilities. :)

grab your free printable HERE.

(for personal use only, please!)

for more kid-friendly fun, check out budget gourmet mom's "kids can cook toosday" feature...

 savory, sweet, & tart popcorn!

made with love: baggie tags printable

this week, my friend krista over at budget gourmet mom and i are hosting

♥ made with love week! ♥

each day you will find a fantastic valentine's day printable here at stay-at-home artist and a coordinating recipe over at budget gourmet mom.

let's get started, shall we?

today i have a great free printable for you--foldover baggie tags!

they are sized to fit sandwich- and snack-sized ziplock baggies.  
so all you have to do is load your goodies into baggies, staple your tags to the top, and share the love this valentine's day.  how easy is that?!

click HERE to snag the file.

(for personal use only, please.)

need a sweet valentine's day treat idea?

 head on over to budget gourmet mom for krista's take on cake batter bark!

candlestick topiary tutorial...

 this is a great project for valentine's day, but could easily be adapted to suit any season or decor just by switching out the flowers.  (personally, i think it would look so cute in a little girl's room or on a vanity table.)

supplies:

candlestick - thrift or dollar store finds work great!

styrofoam ball - mine's about 3 inches, i think.

silk flowers - once again, the dollar store usually has some.  (but these came from joann's.)  get twice as many as you think you'll need!  i originally got 2 bunches but ended up needing 3 1/2.

craft glue of your choice

ribbon

1. attach your styrofoam ball to the candlestick.  you could use hot glue or epoxy...but i'll let you in on a little secret.  i just stuck mine on with double stick tape.  that way i can switch out the top if i want or take it off for easier storage.

2. pull the flower heads off your sprig, leaving the bottom stem attached.  (see photo.)  squeeze some glue onto the stem. then, starting at the base of your ball, shove the stem of your flower firmly into the foam.

3. continue this process, placing the flowers in rows as you move up the ball.

4. once your ball is completely covered, tie a ribbon around your candlestick.

that's it! 

it's not a complicated project, but the result is so pretty.

add it to a little valentine's vignette for a romantic look.

happy crafting!

valentine's day doily garland...

i'm not a "go all out for valentine's day" person. 

(i mean...it's not christmas. you know what i'm sayin'?)

so if i'm going to decorate, it needs to be super simple.

this project took me all of five minutes.  i'd say that's pretty simple.

the supplies are cheap and easy, too...

heart doilies, mini clothes pins, whatever ribbon or string you've got lying around, and a couple of command hooks.

stick those hooks on the wall, hang your ribbon, clip on some doilies, and pat yourself on the back.

nothing is attached permanently, so you can take it apart for storage or even use the parts for another project next year.