nice can.

For Valentine's day this year, just tell her what she really wants to hear, "you've got a nice can."

Love ain't so hard. #loveexpert #sweetdumpah

4"x4" canvas painting. Email me for one of your very own!

Be Mine!

the best thing about parenthood? PHOTOSHOOTS!!!

because every infant needs a feather fascinator.

happy valentine's day!!!

Why Don't You Make Me?: The Sew Free 10-Minute Sweater Makeover

I know this tutorial would have been more helpful yesterday morning but I didn't even have the idea until yesterday morning and then there were cupcakes to bake, cards to catalog and fascinators to fasten. Let's just call this post a jump start for next year. I'm so ahead of the game.

To make this sweater I took an existing boxy red cardigan that I never wear (due to boxiness), added $.69 worth of eyelet lace and in 10 minutes came out with something that I absolutely love!

(Plus, and this is just between me and you, I hot glued that shit on there.)

For this project you will need:

a sweater that could use some snazzing up
1 yard of eyelet lace
glue gun/glue stick
scissors
cutting mat or piece of cardboard
1-2 seemingly oblivious cats

Begin by cutting your yard of lace into 8 equal parts. The lace I'm using is an antique white eyelet lace I got for $.69, can't beat that. You can use whatever your little heart desires and/or whatever's on sale.

Be sure to get a second opinion on whether or not the parts are equal. It's best if your helper ignores you the entire time she's sitting on the project you're working on.

Now, slide an appropriately sized cutting board, piece of cardboard, some paper, etc inside of the sweater to keep from gluing the front to the back.

Lay out your lace to see how you'd like it to look. I like the standard tuxedo on the left side but ultimately decided to go with the more heart shaped configuration on the right.

Add a small amount of glue to only the band of the lace a little bit at a time and begin to glue the lace to your sweater.

**Make sure this is a sweater that you're ok with altering forever. Once dried this will not be removable.**

Glue down the top of the lace and then work your way down, adding glue as you go and secure the lace every inch or so into your desired shape.

Your ends will look like this when you're done, not very pretty.

Just trim off the excess lace with some scissors to make it look right.

And you're done.

In 10 minutes you've turned a plain old sweater that lives in the back of the closet into brand new custom tuxedo front cardigan that now get's it's very own hanger. This would also be a great idea for a tank top, a t-shirt or even a throw pillow. The possibilities are endless.

364 days left until next Valentine's day.
I'm so on top of things.

Quick Fix: Forgetting to Buy Flowers on Valentine's Day

Whether you forgot to buy flowers this morning and are looking for a quick cover-up or you just wanted to make breakfast in bed for Sweetie, here are two quick ideas that turn regular Valentine's breakfast-in-bed into something a little more special.

Instead of just plopping some boring square butter onto the pancakes you've lovingly made for your beau this morning, why not cut them into mini hearts and then plop them on your pancakes?

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Then, using a piece of paper, a skewer (or a chopstick), a marker and some tape, make an adorable note to stick into those delicious pancakes you made.

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Viola!

Serve your pancakes on tray with some tea, juice and little paper hearts and now Sweetie thinks you are just the most thoughtful person, going through all that trouble just for them! You shouldn't have.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

<3 mandee rae & purdy

How to make a block printed Valentine post card

Second printing of the 'I think you're GREAT!' Valentine post card in red.

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Click HERE for more detailed instructions.

Make Me: DIY Pull Tab Valentine Card

Why Don't You Make Me?

D.I.Y. Interactive Pull-Tab

Valentine's Day Card/Decoration

1. Receive card

2. Pull Tab

3. Happy kid

Making this adorable, pull-tab Valentine's Card for my niece was so worth the little bit of extra effort it entailed. She was so excited to PULL HERE and see all the letters come out! Start-to-finish this card probably took me a little less than an hour.

Here's how to make your own:

First, gather your supplies:

1 piece red card stock

1 piece coral card stock

1 piece pink construction paper

hole punch/grommet smashin' machine

grommets

scissors

tape

Sharpie

embroidery floss

embroidery needle

To begin: seperate pink paper into 20 equal pieces and cut out.

Then write "HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!" giving each letter their own square.

Now cut red paper into rectangles about the size of a stick of gum.

Using your hole punch, make a hole on either side of each letter and on either side of the red strips of paper.

Use the red strips to connect the letters.

Lay a pink square on top of a red strip, align the holes, insert a grommet & squish using a grommet squisher.

Repeat until you've used all your letters and add a PULL tab on the left hand side in front of the 'H'.

Next, make the envelope using a pink piece of paper about 12"x14".

Fold in half lengthwise and begin to attach banner to card.

To strengthen the anchor-point I cut a piece of card stock and added a grommet.

Using a piece of string about 2" longer than the card, tie one end to the end of the banner.

Slip the other end of the string through the reinforced grommet, pull through and tape the string down on the backside of the card. I added a heart to make it pretty afterwards.

Now comes the most difficult part of this card, fold the letters on top of each other without getting them tangled so that they come easily out of the card via the PULL tab. Begin with the "y" and zig-zag the rest of the letters keeping the next letter on top until they all fit in the envelope. To get this right I had to fold and pull about 4 times. Trial and mulitple errors.

Then, using your red embroidery floss and embroidery needle, sew the envelope shut being careful not to sew any of the letters to the envelope!

The thread adds a cute decorative element and is actually much easier than gluing the envelope shut and risking getting any of the letters stuck in it. Remember to leave a space on the left hand side for the letters to come out.

happy crafting!

Heart Shaped Love: A Valentine Marshmallow Tutorial

What better way to tell your little ones you love them this Valentine's Day than with these homemade heart-shaped marshmallows? Making marshmallows from scratch was way less difficult than I thought it was going to be. They can easily be prepared in under 30 minutes.

Step 1 To make marshmallows go over to Elizabeth LaBau's wonderful about.com marshmallow photo tutorial and follow the steps on Pages 1-6. Then, for Step 7 come back and see me. (Trust me, this is going to be much easier than trying to follow my directions.)

Step 7 Pour half of your marshmallow mixture onto half of your prepared baking sheet (we didn't use tinfoil cause we're rule breakers) and spread using a rubber spatula.

Step 8 Put a few drops of pink food coloring into the remaining half of the mixture and stir until it is a uniform pink.

Step 9 Pour the remaining mixture onto the other half of the sheet and spread out using a spatula.

OPTIONAL
Step 10 Coat marshmallow mixture with sprinkles!

Step 11 The recipe calls for the marshmallows to "sit out for several hours or overnight to fully set up." However, because we are horribly impatient and wanted to eat marshmallows NOW we just set ours outside in the snow for about a half an hour and they were fine.

Step 12 Using heart shaped cookie cutters (metal ones with sharp edges work best) begin cutting out your heart shapes.

hand modeling by Liz.

hand modeling by Liv.

Repeat until there are no more hearts to be cut out and you're left with a delicous pile of marshmallow remnants.

Step 13 Make some hot chocolate, plop in a couple of marshmallows and make somebody's day!

Fluffernutter, party of two.

If you've never had a fluffernutter than this window painting might make no sense to you but I'll take my chances because here in New England the very mention of Fluff -made right here in Everett, MA- sparks childhood memories that people can't help but share...whether you like it or not.

Being from the West Coast I had never heard of a Fluff, let alone a Fluffernutter, until I moved to Boston about 10 years ago. You'd have thought I'd told people I had never heard of shoes the way they would look at me when I didn't know what a "fluffernutter" was. They were outraged at my Fluff-less childhood.

And now I know why! Fluff and peanut butter were made to be together. They're the yin and yang of sandwich components. And so versatile! You can have a Fluffernutter for lunch, eat one as a snack or even have one for dessert. Can balogna and cheese do that?

If you've never had a Fluffernutter go make one right now. They're delicious. And if you can't buy Fluff (not Kraft Marshmallow Cream, mind you, there's a difference) in your 'hood then use this handy Fluff-Finder feature to hunt down the closest seller. And if that doesn't work, you can get a case delivered right to your door. May your children never have to go Fluffernutter-less.

For more Fluff related goodness, go to the Union Square Main Street website and check out pictures from their annual 'What the Fluff?" festival.

Photo credit Jabulani Barber

Pop-Up-Heart Trader Joe's Valentine Card

I made this Valentine for a friend of mine who tragically *dramatic pause* lives in a Trader Joe-less part of the country. **Cue inspirational music** A part of our great nation where grocers don't wear Hawaiian shirts and two-buck-chuck is a story heard only in fairy tales. I hope to, within my lifetime, see a world where everyone can get fat free black bean dip and Orangeboom regardless of their geographical location! Where Oklahoma and Arkansas can share not just a border, but a love for free samples! Can I get an amen?!

For this project you will need:

one piece of red 8.5x11" cardstock
one Trader Joe's bag
scissors
a glue stick
a sharpie
a cat butt (optional)

Step 1: Start out by laying your cardstock on your cut proof mat. For quality control purposes your cat should immediatly come sit on whatever it is you're doing and act like she doesn't see you. Once you've passed this rigurous inspection process move on to Step 2.

Step 2: Fold paper in half (use handle of scissors to create a nice crease) and cut along fold.

Step 3: Fold both halves in half again to create a card shape.

Step 4: With paper folded in half, draw the outline of 2 hearts on one of the pieces of paper. The outer heart should leave a space at the farthest edge connected to the paper. Leave about 1/2" connected.

Cut outer heart (leaving 1/2" connector!) and fold back.

Then cut the inner heart out entirely.

Leaving you with this cute pop-out-heart card.

Step 5: Cut the side out of a T.J.'s bag (this is technically upcycling) and place your card over it to frame your image.

(I decided on the wine bottle with a trace of the "traderjoes.com" visable just in case my recipient a. doesn't realize what the background is or b. doesn't check my blog. In either case, she's kind of a jerk.)

Step 6. Now, glue the background to the back of the card, making sure not to glue down the heart or else it won't pop-up anymore.

Add the other half of the cardstock to the back of the card to make it pretty.

Write your message and you're done!

One of the great things about this card is that it makes you seem sweet, wanting to share a little piece of Trader Joe's with someone less fortunate but in reality you're kinda just rubbing it in their face. Awww, I love friendship. Happy crafting!

Why Don't You Make Me?: Block Printed Valentine's Card

This Valetine's Day, spread some love (that won't result in a rash) by making this handcarved, handprinted, hand-addressed, snail mailed Valetine for your Sweetie.

For this project you will need:

1 carving block
carving tool(s)
pencil/eraser
a brayer (or a paint roller)
a scrap piece of cardboard
a spoon
cardstock or thin cardboard to print on
a stamp

To begin, draw your image directly onto the carving block using a pencil with a slightly rounded tip. *If the tip is too sharp it will puncture the surface and not mark properly.* If you've chosen to do words, keep in mind that you will need to write the words backwards onto your carving block. Luckily for me, writing backwards is my secret super power.

(I'm the first to admit this is not a terribly useful super power but it's the only one I've got so please try to act impressed.)

When you're satisfied with your design, begin to carve out the area around your letters using your carving tool.

Continue to carve until you're happy with your image.

Next, prepare your brayer. I don't have a brayer so I used this small paint roller that I have. Using some cardboard as your surface add some acrylic paint and roll it until your roller/brayer is evenly covered.

Then roll the paint onto your carved block until it is also evenly covered.

Now, rather than picking up your block and trying to set it down on your printing surface, bring your printing surface to your block.

Lay the paper down on top of the freshly inked surface and using the backside of a spoon, rub the back of the paper to burnish the image onto the paper.

(Thanks for teaching me that trick (and word) Atara!)

Remove paper and there you have it!

For an added touch, add glue to the heart,

and coat in Glitter, obviously.

When the paint & glue is dried, turn over and address your post card to the lucky recipient of your choice, add a stamp (it may cost slightly more than a regular post-card stamp, check with the post office) and drop it in the mailbox. **

There is nothing more special that recieving something handmade from someone who loves you...except for recieving money maybe but I don't know how to make that.

Happy Valentine's Day!

**If you don't have a Valentine my co-worker Zach said you can just send the card to him, because he's a giver.

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Inspiration for this project came from Jennifer's amazing Christmas card:

Thanks Jennifer!

Adorable 3D Lollipop Valetine Tutorial

I made an executive decision earlier this week- I am going to hold off doing Valentine's related crafts and having Valentine's related freak-outs over crafts until this Saturday (the official 1-month countdown to V-Day). That was until Karen & Ella (not their first time here) sent me this adorable DIY Valentine that they made to give to Ella's classmates and I realized that everyone else is already elbow-deep in Conversational Hearts and I'm still putting Christmas away.
So now I've veto'd my own executive decision and decided to grab cupid by the horns and get my Valentine's on. Starting with this:

Karen & Ella's

Adorable 3D Lollipop Valentine's Card

From Karen:
So here is how you make the super cute DIY Valentine's Cay Cards. First find a super cute kid, most parents think thier kid is the cutest, if so, then go with them. If not, I have one you can borrow. Next, get your camera ready. Have your little cutie stand up against a wall and extend their arm toward the camera while making a fist. Snap away. Try to stay focused on the face. You would rather the hand slightly blurred and not the face. Download your pic to your computer and then upload to picnik.com. Here is where the fun takes place. Add borders, hearts, etc. I kept it simple. I wrote "Happy Valentine's Day" toward the top and "your friend," toward the bottom. I left out my daughters name because I let her add it with a sharpie to make it more personal. Send the pics to your local CVS. I bought a bag of dum dums. Slice a tiny slit over the fist and insert you pop. Place a piece of tape on the back side. You can add the adhesive card stock to the back to firm up the card but I left it as is to save on the cost. FYI- I also tried blow pops but they were too big. Also worth noting, when adding text to you pic on picnik-don't add to very top or sides. My sisters first round cut off part of the letters, I made some adjustments and lowered the text and they came out perfect.

Here is where I first saw this fun idea.

So cute! Thanks for sharing Karen!!