You Are Loved...

A little late for posting, but I thought I'd share some Valentine's decor from around our house. 

My vintage heart tin molds stacked on top of my chippy, vintage scale. I am not too big on red and pink, so I just added a hint of red to keep in the Valentine's spirit.

My son and I have always had our competition of who loves whom more. And at an early age, being obsessed with numbers and how high they could go, we used the terms of infinity. Then infinity times infinity. Then infinity to the infinite power. {My daughter is less adamant of her love for me. She gives up quickly and says, "How 'bout we just love each other."} Can you tell which one is more romantic?

In keeping with that tradition, I used a measurement theme for this year. Vintage ruler, vintage scale and I just LOVE this giant, wooden rosary with a heart. I had an hourglass, as well, but it didn't balance the table.

You can see better in this closeup how I added red and white twine around the edges of the vintage ruler.

This little guy didn't figure into the table, either - but I couldn't resist taking a photo all by itself.

Just a small little table to celebrate February's most celebrated holiday.


Sometimes I link up with the following fabulous linky parties: The 36th Avenue, A Ruffled Nest, At the Picket Fence, Atkinson Drive, Be Different Act Normal,Between Naps on the Porch, Beyond the Picket Fence, Blissful & Domestic, Bowdabra Blog, Cheerios and Lattes, The Chicken Chick, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, The Cottage Market, Country Momma Cooks, Crystal & Co (The Mommy Club), The Dedicated House, DIY Show Off, Do Small Things With Love, Elizabeth & Co., Embracing Change, Faded Charm, Family Every After, The Farmhouse Porch, Finding Fabulous, Fine Craft Guild, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Free Pretty Things!, French Country Cottage, Fresh Eggs Daily, Ginger Snap Crafts, Happy Hour Projects, High Heels and Grills, Home stories AtoZ, House of Hepworths, Hubby Made Me, I Heart Naptime, Lil' Luna, Ladybird Ln, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Little Becky Homecky, Mandatory Mooch, Milk & Cuddles, Mod Vintage Life, My Repurposed Life, My Romantic Home, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Nap Time Crafters, Nifty Thrifty Things, Not Just a Housewife, One More Time, Project Inspire, Primp Your Stuff, Redoux, Rooted in Thyme, Savvy Southern Style, Shabby Art Boutique, Simple Home Life, Six Sisters' Stuff, Skip to My Lou, Someday Crafts, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Stuff and Nonsense, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Timewashed, Tip Junkie, Twigg Studios, Uncommon Designs, Under the Table & Dreaming, The Vintage Farmhouse, Western Warmth, ...

Back to School Chalkboard

Both my babies will be at school 5 days a week this year. Granted the little one will just be half day - but 5 days! Wow! It will be an adjustment. But I'm looking forward to all the projects I might get half done. :)

If you don't want to read the mommy part of this post, just scroll down. :)

I am anxious for the school year to start. Good anxious and bad.

Both kids are starting new schools. It was the plan earlier this year to have them both under one roof. Yeah! But plans change. Boo! It is for the best of my oldest, but it is going to be a logistical nightmare for me. But it's not about me. So I will deal with it.

And for the first time my son might feel "normal" instead of always being singled out as the smartest. I am anxious because I am not sure if he will excel or feel panicked that he doesn't know every answer before the question is asked. He doesn't know what it is like to work for his grades. School has always come too easily for him. To the point of excruciating boredom this past year. Hence, the change in venue.

Anywho - I digress - I have had school on the brain, and not just shopping for supplies. {That I have always loved. New notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, crayons... the possibilities were so infinite to my young imagination.} I am worrying for them about making friends, fitting in, adjusting to new schools, teachers and kids.

So, I wanted them to see my "excitement". The hopeful kind - not the anxious side. I want them (or at least the 8 year old) to feel that overwhelming sense of endless opportunities for something new to happen.

It can take a while to come up with a vignette that I like. Here is my progress as I worked through it...

Back to School Chalkboard

I drew a banner and apples on the chalkboard and then added a few apples in the empty space. Then I added a ruler at the bottom.

cake plate with apples in bell jar

Thought I would add some apples in a bell jar {aka cloche. I usually prefer the french versions of words and phrases, but I really like "bell jar" - could you tell?} This didn't make my final cut, though.

I came up with 2 printables since I wasn't sure where my vision would wind up...

Rainbow chevron with quote printable and tiny bell jar with apple and rainbow liner. 

Again, these did not make the final cut, but I think the rainbow version is very fun! I have to give credit for the background to Doodle Craft { http://doodlecraft.blogspot.com/2012/07/16-new-colors-chevron-background.html } The print was big and the apple and bell jar were tiny - just didn't work.

Neutral printable: has crumpled paper bag and banner with white quote.

I had come up with a second version for the quote. A neutral version with a crumpled paper bag (reminded me of a kraft lunch bag) with a neutral chevron banner and white quote.

Update: I have both printables available for FREE here. :)

The quote I chose was by Dr. Seuss from Oh, The Places You'll Go. It's a popular book to quote, but most people use a different line from the book. "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose...."

But I really think this part rings clear for my son. My 3 year old couldn't care less about this yet :)

“So be sure when you step, 

Step with care and great tact. 

And remember that life's 

A Great Balancing Act. 

And will you succeed? 

Yes! You will, indeed! 

(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) 

Kid, you'll move mountains.”

My 8 year old is big on percentages. If you ask him a question, such as, "How are you today?" he will answer something along the lines, "87% good, 13% not so good." And I really love the message that there is a small chance for bumpy roads ahead, but in the end - great things can be accomplished.

So, then I added my neutral printable and a plant in a rustic bucket. Next I switched the apples to a pedestal vase instead of the bell jar. Not happy with my haphazard plant, I switched it again.

I removed the plant and added a vintage, folding ruler. Now I was starting to get somewhere.

Now we're talking! I added one of my favorite finds, a vintage globe with the perfect faded patina. 

Back to School Chalkboard with globe, ruler, quote and apples.

This was the keeper!

Let me know if you would have done something different! I am sleep-deprived and this was as creative as the juices would flow this naptime. :)

Sometimes I link up with the following fabulous linky parties: The 36th Avenue, A Ruffled Nest, At the Picket Fence, Be Different Act Normal,Beyond the Picket Fence, Blissful & Domestic, Bowdabra Blog, Cheerios and Lattes, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, Country Momma Cooks, Crystal & Co (The Mommy Club), The Dedicated House, DIY Show Off, Elizabeth & Co., Faded Charm, Family Every After, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Free Pretty Things!, French Country Cottage, Ginger Snap Crafts, Home stories AtoZ, House of Hepworths, I Heart Naptime, Lil' Luna, Ladybird Ln, Mandatory Mooch, Milk & Cuddles, Mod Vintage Life, My Repurposed Life, My Romantic Home, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Nap Time Crafters, The Nature of Grace, Nifty Thrifty Things, Not Just a Housewife, One More Time, Primp Your Stuff, Redoux, Shabby Art Boutique, Simple Home Life, Six Sisters' Stuff, Someday Crafts, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Tatertots and Jello, Twigg Studios, Uncommon Designs, Under the Table & Dreaming, The Vintage Farmhouse, ...

Little Things Thursday

It's the little things that make us happy.

Like how I love the fact that the house we bought almost two years ago had existing hydrangeas planted in the backyard. Full, lovely, bloom-all-summer-long hydrangeas. They range from pink to blue to purple. I know you can vary the color by changing the soil pH, etc., but I love to see what nature will bring on it's own. So pretty!

I just cut a few that were on their last days. The following are just a few that survived the night.

Two blooms are perched in a smaller white enamel pitcher from Ikea on a petite desk that is painted a soft shade of grey. I got it from Urban Farmgirl at the Kane County Flea last summer. Hopefully I will add better photos of the desk some day. I just love it.

The chalkboard on the wall is also from Urban Farmgirl. Matching grey/white paint. I have been SLOW to update my message - you can see a heart from my Valentine's Day message!

I can't stand chalk dust. Could be from having to pound the old black erasers on the brick wall outside my 4th grade classroom. Could be asthma. Either way, I much prefer the Chalk Pens they have now. 

I saw on my beloved Pinterest a better way to make signs on my chalkboard. I have been using my free-hand, wing-it approach so far, but I will see if I can try the new and improved technique next time. If it works, I will come up with something clever to put in a post. :)

For a sweet and simple vignette in the powder room, I used a few vintage bottles I have collected. I played around with their arrangement. {The stem in the clear bottle was acting a little zany, but it was such a lovely shade of blue. I forgave it, heck - I embraced it. We're all a little bent now and then.}

I had found the tiniest, pale bloom. I thought it was beautiful and so dainty. It deserved to be displayed all by itself. I placed it in an old silver creamer. I love me some patina.

I tried it out with the bottle collection. The combo made it look larger. Not so dainty anymore. Trick of the eye, I suppose.

I heart my blue bottles the most. I have several, but these two little ones and the clear bottle seemed to fit the stems best. The lettering on the bottles is so fun - it adds character and texture. Each one I have is different.

The image above makes me think it's tilted, but again - just a trick of the eye. Whether it's the perfectly imperfect bottle or the bend of the stem. 

I had many more in this much taller version of the same pitcher from Ikea. This bouquet was in a little alcove that I can never decide what to put there. They were a deeper purple than the rest. Some may think there is a lot of white going on here, but I'm fond of it myself. White, pure and simple.

Not sure if I trust these within arms reach of my little firecracker, though. This will probably be a short-lived display. This is NOT how the rest of my house looks - and I'm really digging its simplicity.

I'm going to try drying some out. I've read that the best way to dry hydrangeas is to leave them in their water until it is all gone. I'll post images if they turn out!

~All images are my own and can also be found on my Pinterest boards. ~