I Heart You....

Paper hearts, pipe cleaner hearts (and wands), foam hearts, crayon hearts (and random whales that like to eat spaghetti), melted bead hearts...we've been busy over here getting ready for Valentine's Day!

Handmade Valentine's Day Cards

Are you cringing at the thought of THAT day creeping ever closer? It can be a tough one for all kinds of reasons...but I've really grown to love it for all the fun it can be (if you let it). It is, in fact, the only holiday that I consistently hand make my own cards. I never quite know what I'm going to do until about two weeks before and then I rummage through my ever growing paper/craft stash. They aren't fancy or something you'd find at a store (no one would buy one) but they are made by me and that's the best part about sending them. 

Nostalgia for those elementary days is probably what spurs me on - I loved handing out my cards and receiving others in my handmade mailboxes or tucked under my math duo-tang or spelling practice (or other such important work). We decorated with doily hearts and read Valentine's Day themed books and received heart stickers on our work. There truly was love in the air for all of us in those decorated hallways, classrooms,  and desks - at least for those moments we were there. What a good feeling! What a lovely idea for teachers to share with their students - love each other. We didn't always do it but seeds were planted on those days.

Maybe, Valentine's Day hasn't been big on your list in the past but why not give it a try this year. Write a heartfelt note to someone who is struggling and needs encouragement (could be the best Valentine ever to send), bake some heart cookies with or for your favourite kiddos (yours or others), dot your i's with hearts (hahahaha) all day long just for fun, or buy yourself some pink and red wrapped chocolate treats (you deserve it). 

Love!

When you feel like love is hard to find...look for it in small things...an unexpected hug, a door held open, a perfect cup of tea/coffee...A few weeks ago we took a little family trip into Vancouver and went to a great little store called The Regional Assembly of Text - paper, journals, typewriters, zines galore! We stopped to make buttons (among other purchases) and when I asked my daughter (who is almost 4) what she wanted her button to say, she didn't miss a beat. Pure love right there.

Check out my past Valentine's Day posts: Valentine's Day 2011 and  Valentine's Day 2010 for more.

One special package going out to someone up North as a Pay It Forward experiment :) Handmade! More to come about that soon...

273/1000 - one special package!