If you are stuck for a card I have a few in my Etsy store and some printables to make your own cards too.
And how about these simple Easter decorating ideas & recipes?
Easter egg & flower centerpiece
Make these dark chocolate coconut macaroons instead of chocolate eggs...they are divine!
And finally some free printables for you...enjoy!
Spring Will Come Free Printable Graphic
Choose Happiness Free Printable Graphic
Liking up with: Favorite Things, My Girlish Whims
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So we got another foot of snow today.
I want to cry.
This is the worst, most depressing winter I can remember.
It doesn't help that my husband is away in Australia soaking up the sun FaceTiming me with a burnt nose complaining it is "too hot".
Oh sure he says it's for work...but really?
Meanwhile my neighbours are nice enough to come and snow-blow my driveway. Thank heavens. Otherwise I would literally be buried under the snow.
So to cheer myself up I decided to decorate my new fireplace and mantle for Valentine's and Spring. It may be the only Spring I get for months to come.
My Valentine to you is this printable text block. It is designed for an 8" x 8" frame but I decided to put it in an 8" x 10" frame and added the decorative masking tape to hold it in place.
I picked up the little silver vase and grape vine heart wreath from HomeSense (like TJ Maxx but for the home).
The fake flowers and frame are from Michaels. Believe me, if I had real ones I'd be using those instead. Sadly I don't expect that to happen for a long time yet here.
I planned on putting a few more decorative items up that I'd made but in the end I like it sparse and clean. It feels fresh.
If you don't remember this is what my fireplace looked like before...
Part of the bricks had fallen down and then I torn down the rest. I debated for a long time about trying to tile it on my own and finally broke down and got someone else to come and do it. I'm glad I did. It was TONS of work.
I think it has brightened up the room tremendously.
I'm excited to have a blank canvas of the white.
I wanted to buy this wallpaper for the other wall in the room, but when it turned out to cost $800 I said to the saleswoman, "What??? Are you serious? What is it made out of, spun gold?"
So I am trying to source it elsewhere. Either that or I will simply paint the wall white. I had my heart set on those darn barn planks. I love that look. Rustic but clean.
What do you think of my fireplace makeover?
Will you be decorating at all for Valentine's Day?
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Although Thanksgiving passed for us here already in Canada I thought I'd share how I decorated our table.
I decided not to buy anything new at all. Husband is silently cheering me on this one.
I wanted to rely on my ability to be creative with what I had already in the house or garden.
This is what I came up with for our table center piece.
I should have taken the photos the day I made it since some of the vine with the red berries from the garden had wilted a bit.
I was lucky enough to score the roses from our garden. I am sure they will be the last of the year.
I will admit that my girlfriend bought 2 little white pumpkins when we were at Rockton Fair and I added them to the table last minute.
Otherwise I used a little tray/stand to create the center piece along with 3 small wicker vases, a bunch of apples, some fake hydrangea flowers I had, a little fake bird and the other leaves, acorns, berries and roses either came from the garden or out while I was walking the dog.
The table runner was simply a piece of cotton fabric I had and tore to the size I wanted.
I also had those little wooden candle holders.
For the place settings I pulled out some of the pieces I've been collecting at antique shows.
I made the napkins the same way I made the table runner and then used scraps of lace and feathers.
I used vintage sheet music for place mats.
I added antique French postcards my hubby brought back with him from France and then as a last minute idea I created this Grateful list.
I printed them out on tan card stock, trimmed them and then mounted them on black card stock. I punched 2 holes in the middle on the side so I could tie the pencil on with some ribbon.
It was a fun idea because while we were having the appetizers we filled them out and then went around the table saying aloud what was on our list.
First 3 things on everyones list... Health, Family and Friends.
I also made up my own appetizers for the meal that turned out great. I'll share the recipes for them with you in another post.
As a big thank you to my US readers I'm making the Gratitude printable available to you (so sorry I didn't have this ready in time for my fellow Canadians!).
Add it to your Thanksgiving table as a keepsake and take any photos of your tables if you do. I'd love to see them!
Linking up with: Your Whims Wednesday Favourite Things Thursday
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I have been so touched by all of you that have reached out to me during our recent struggle with kidney cancer. You were a little ray of sunshine when all around felt hopeless and grey.
Having successfully made it through the other side and hubby well on his way to what we are hoping will be a full recovery soon I am ever-so-grateful.
As a little gift I am offering this free printable Thanks For Every Little Thing card.
I hope you will print one or more out on your computer and send it to someone that is special to you. When we take the time to appreciate the people that make a difference in our lives our heart grows three sizes. Just ask the Grinch.
Being thankful for the details in life is a skill that we need to take time to teach ourselves. Too often we are busy running around letting the moments that make up our lives slip by unnoticed.
Very often we are so consumed with our need for recognition and success that we stop enjoying the details of the journey.
In an effort to stay focused on "real life" aka "life off the internet" I have decided to cut down on my commenting on other blogs and on the pressures of having daily outfit posts. I have decided to comment only when I truly love something or have something to add to the conversation. I want my comments to mean something, truly connect with someone and not add to the online noise. In the past I have occasionally been guilty of leaving a comment just to leave my mark on a blog, like writing on the wall in a bathroom. I won't be taking that route anymore.
I'm not giving up my fashion nor my outfit posts but I will be cutting back. My best friend freaked out when I wrote last week about the futility of fashion. I've been her stylist for years now and she doesn't want to lose that and honestly I don't want to give it up. I love it. Always have, always will. But I no longer want to be obsessed or controlled by it. I don't want an item of clothing keeping me awake at night wondering why I didn't buy it. That is out of control and sad really.
I also want to slow down my outfit posts because I need to gain some control over the negative pressures of fashion blogging. The unspoken self imposed personal critique of not being young enough, thin enough, beautiful enough, or not having the latest greatest designer clothes, most professional photography, funniest stories, best sponsors, biggest giveaways etc. The overwhelming need to compete and the self comparison is taking away my joy of blogging and undermining my body image and confidence.
In an effort to focus more on my authentic self I plan on refocusing more on my graphics and designing skills. I have neglected that creative aspect of myself that is totally unique unto me.
I've decided don't want my moments to be spent taking photos of everything I'm doing either. I'm not experiencing or being present in the moment when I see something through my view finder/phone. It is not remotely the same as witnessing with your own eyes and allowing the experience to wash over your senses. If something isn't photographed does that mean it didn't happen? Hardly, but today it certainly seems that way.
I do however want to remember my life when my memory isn't so clear, so I still plan on taking some photos and hopefully getting back into scrapbooking those memories a bit more. The scrapbooks I have made over the years are so precious to look back through and are a real insight into how I was feeling at the time.
Okay...this has become a much longer rambling post than I planned, so just know this...
I am grateful for you, my readers and the positive energy you have sent my way.
I am trying to make a few changes in my blogging strategy to welcome a more authentic experience.
I am letting go of the personal over-achieving expectations I had for my blog and filling that with realistic attainable goals.
My goals are simple,
blog with heart,
blog when I want to,
blog because it makes me happy.
I'm hopeful I can achieve those goals.
Once again,
thanks for every little thing.
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