Valentine Box

It's time!!!

 

Valentime!

That's what we call it around here.

Well the boys anyway.

 

And what comes to mind when you think

of Valentine's Day?

 

Flowers!
 

So this year Annie made flowers for her Valentine box.

 

 

 

My husband walked in saw them on the counter & asked,

"Did your dad get you flowers?"

'Cause my Dad's just that kinda guy that does.
 

No!  We made them!
 

Underneath all those flowers

is an oatmeal box and a styrofoam ball.
 

I just cut the bottom off the ball so it would sit flat

and used the hot glue gun

on LOW HEAT Setting. 

High heat might melt your ball.

 

 

 

Then, I started arranging the flowers.

I got 2 in before Annie caught me & wanted to take over.

 

 

I'll be honest here...

...I had a vision in my head,

 that I was excited about.

 

I was secretly wishing I could finish MY Valentine box...

...but of course it was really hers...so I tried to behave

& handed her the hot glue gun.

to which her eyes got huge & she said, "You trust me with that thing?"

I totally didn't but I handed it over anyway. 

 

I stepped back & she completely took over.

 

She poked & dabbed & arranged like a pro.

 

 

What worked for us:

 

Clip the flowers

Remove the leaves and hot glue them onto longer wooden skewers.

Poke in the flowers.

Fill in with the leave skewers.

 

 

 We didn't even plan the heart shirt...nice touch eh?

 

WaaLaa!

 

 

She nailed it!

 

Then we removed the top.

and I covered the bottom in pink paper.

 

We worked together with school glue, a paint brush & Martha Stewart's oversized hexagon glitter

to create the graduated effect.

(color: sterling)

 

 

 

 

 

That's my favorite part!

 

 

 

I cut her name out of card stock with an

exacto knife & we glittered that baby up.

 

 

When it comes time to pass out Valentines she will just

pop the top off & set it right next to the bottom.

 

 

 A girl's gotta have a plan :)

 

 

And at the end of the school day she'll take home her own

bouquet of flowers stuffed to the brim with treats & notes.

(better not be any love notes:)

 

 

 

 

Only one danger with this project...

for weeks you will be picking glitter off your husband's forehead

& out of your soup.

 

You've been warned :)

 

Next week...I'll be working on the boy's.

 

If you try this project I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to either link over to your finished project here on this post, or if you don't blog, I'd love to add a picture of yours! 

 

Get that glue gun going! 

:)

Here is a peek at last year's Cupcake box.

Life Changing...

I married a hockey player.
 

When I sat next to him in class I thought he was very cute

but I knew he was a hockey player...

& I knew hockey players were wild.

 

Until one day when my car didn't start. 

He tried to help me out & ended up giving me a ride.

It was on that little ride I found out he didn't drink, didn't party.

That was important to me.

And that moment changed my life.

 

It was on.

 

I chased him & we dated for four months before he proposed.
 

That hockey player changed my life.

We live happily ever after...

 

But this year Annie became

a hockey player.

 

And another hockey player changed my life.

 

I watched her suit up for the first time.

 

 

I watched her take her dad's number as her own.

 



 

I watched my little angel...

 

...get her first penalty, and second, & third.

 

 

My phone & Instagram account

filled up with pictures like these:

 

 

 

 

My boys became rink rats,

 

 

 

 

Family became fans.

 

 

 

The biggest fan of all award might go to Kit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And no matter how many times Kelly got hit in the face with pompoms he never seemed to mind :)

 

Strangers became dear friends,

 

 

 

 

And I started clipping newspapers.

 

 

Amazingly orange, my least favorite color, became my favorite.

I found myself buying orange ribbon for hair bows,

 

 

& orange nail polish for Tiger manicures before big games.

 

 

But the biggest change of all,

 was that I fell in love with watching my girl...

...play hockey.

 

 

Go Tigers!

Love you # 7

 

 

P.S.  turns out I was right...hockey players are wild ;) 

 

Filling the Pages...

2013

Amazing,

filled with blessings.

 

I'm so busy planning for the new year that I hadn't stopped to think about the year we are leaving behind.

 

The pages of this chapter have all been turned.

 

So I'm writing like mad.

 

Planning for our family for the new year.

 

I've started my daily checklists.

 

And plan to spend part of each day reading

 and playing games with the kids.

 

 

I've picked out Bible Verses for each child.

 

 

And of course...I'm wearing my new Fitbit,

 

 

buying goodies like this,

 

 

and eating meals like this.

 

 

Yes, it is gonna be a good year.

 

2014 we are ready to write your story

& fill your pages with sweet memories and adventures.

 

The only thing that could make the new year

better is if I could afford a cleaning lady. 

But then Kit would be sad cause

I then I wouldn't need him to vaccuum.

 

 

Hey, he turned 1 two weeks ago,

he's not a baby anymore,

& he dropped the cereal anyway :)

 

So, even though tonight I'm staying in since Annie is sick,

I'm having a good time reflecting on last year,

planning for the new,

 and finishing my checklist for the day :)

 

 

 

Happy New Year friends! 

It's been a crazy week but I'll be by to visit next week I promise!

 

Snow Magic

Our 6' 4" soldier came home from

boot camp right before Thanksgiving.

(My nephew)

 

It was a celebration!

We had missed him so much!

He is such an important part of my family & Bo's best friend.

 

The other day he came over just to play.

 

He took the boys outside to make a Boman.

But, apparently Bo was too tall & the snow was not sticky,

 so they settled for a Roccoman...

...not quite the same ring to it but cute nevertheless :)

 

I walked by my window & saw the business outside

& grabbed my camera.

 

 

 

This is FOR A FACT the longest Rocco has ever stood still.  Ever.

 

 

And he LOVED it!

 

 

I was the crazy woman running out to take some pictures,

 

 

and back in to check on Kit.

 

 

Out,

 

 

and in.

 

 

Kit and I thought we were the smart ones staying warm inside.

 

We also thought we were the best looking

& that we could crush them in a singing competition any day. 

Guess that makes us a triple threat. 

BUT the boys outside were pretty cute too.

 

And before we knew it branches were jammed in for arms

and Roo was sticking on the buttons.

 

 

They had turned my boy into a snowman.

There must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found.

 

 

Or maybe it was a cousin investing in the lives of my boys.

 

 

Either way...

It was magical!