valentiney show and tell

I made Joyce a little Valentine's Day/Thank You combo card. Well the good old USPS (stinkers!) really let me down for Valentine's Day this year --- taking a whole week to make it to Joyce but thankfully made it right on Valentine's Day. 

I didn't get a good picture of it, drat! I had this silly idea to use this valentine novelty fabric I bought this year behind it and it looks rather like a pyschedelic mess, doesn't it?! phooey. hope I didn't cause you any permanent eye damage ... LOL.

Hope you had a lovely (and crafty) Valentine's Day!

happy valentines day!

Hope your Valentine's Day is as sweet as can be!

Ours got off to a crazy start to say the least ... I give Missy her pills in a doggie food meatball and this morning she'd start to take it from me and then let it drop to the kitchen floor over and over again ACK! Hubby opened her mouth and she has a lump by her front bottom teeth. I was so overwhelmed by yet another thing happening, that I got an opthalmic migraine - stress triggers them for me - and had to go lay down in the dark for a half hour.

Hubby made me French Toast for breakfast YIPPIE yum yum yum! But the Vet was able to take us if we could come right away so I didn't get to savor and enjoy my special breakfast very much whineeee. Gulp gulp gulp and away we went ...

Turns out she broke one of her front teeth chewing on something - a piece of the sole of my old slipper had broken off ... I was in my craft room and she was sleeping there and then I hear her spitting something out and see it's a piece of the sole. She never chews on anything and here the poor thing chews on my stupid slipper and breaks a tooth. I kept them (like an idiot) for when I take her out in the morning in the backyard and the grass is so moist from the dew - and I can just toss them in the washer and dryer. WAH. kicking myself all over the place.

The vet says we'll just watch and wait but thinks she'll be fine with us doing nothing, that dogs adapt easily. Fingers crossed please please please. I feel so awful ... such a bad doggy mommy.

Speaking of mommies ... MIL went home yesterday evening. She will be getting a Physical Therapist, hopefully one that will come to her apartment. Her spirits are very good.

And my poor Auntie, who also fell (and broke her nose!!!), was moved from the hospital to a convalescent care facility yesterday for further care and therapy.

Hope your Valentine's Day is off to a less chaotic start than ours and you have a lovely day with all your sweetie pies!

heart to heart

valentine swap part deux

(Part one of my Valentine Swap post is here.)

I had so much fun participating in Sandy's, of 521 Lake Street blog, Valentine Swap and making an altered Valentine box and card for my partner, Shirley, of Zetta's Aprons. 

I guess I'm majorly OCD as I need to have a theme or quote to inspire me when I make something. I chose one of my most favorite folk images as my inspiration for this swap, the Shaker image of a heart in a hand. I know I'm a bit loony(well perhaps a lot more than a little hahahha) but to me, packaging is as fun and as special as the gift, it's all of a piece to me, all part of the gift. I love to foo foo things up LOL!

I altered a heart shaped box and since I can't draw worth a you know what, I found an embroidery pattern by Andrea Zuill that I could use for my template here . (So grateful to artists who share their work so generously with us on the internet!)

Thanks again dear Sandy, for hosting this fun swap!
Thank you Shirley, for being such a sweet swap partner!

a valentine's stocking

I've had so much fun stitching up this complimentary pattern from Plum Street Samplers, that I thought I'd share it with you this Rednesday. All done with the embroidery, just need to make it into the stocking now. 

The free pattern is entitled A Valentine's Stocking and the chart may be found here. I didn't have the Weeks Dye Works threads the pattern called for but I googled for a conversion to DMC colors.

I hope you'll join in the Rednesday fun with Melody, at Brown Gingham Creations!

yippie! valentine swap!

I participated in Sandy's, of 521 Lake Street, 2014 Valentine Swap and had so much fun! Sandy partnered me with darling Shirley of Zetta's Aprons. Thank you Sandy, you made quite the perfect match for us. Not only do Shirley and I share the same initials, we also share a love of vintage cards, red and aqua and Golden Retrievers! (and lots more too, I'm sure!)

Oh, and today, we both received our packages in the mail. We seem to be on the same wavelength! 

It's so much fun to receive a surprise in the mail, isn't it?! I wanted to savor every bit and slowly opened my package ... an envelope was on top and I found this lovely tag inside ... a glimpse of red was revealed below ... the absolute cutest valentine box!

And filled with goodies too! Chocolates and conversation hearts and a crafters delight! Pink doilies ... confetti hearts ... buttons ... vintage images ... bakers twine ... a baggie of vintage valentine cards, red playing cards, a red gingham doily, pink and red tickets, game pieces spelling out XO and LOVE, and (!) Golden Retriever appliques!!!

Thank you so very much for all my wonderful things Shirley! Everything is charming, I love it all. Thanks so much for being my swap partner, it was an absolute pleasure.  Happy Valentines Day! xo


Shirley received my package today, so I'm slipping in a little sneak peek of the box I made for her.

Happy early Valentines Day!

happy valentines day

 

Wishing you and all your sweetie pies, a very Happy Valentine's Day!

vintage valentines

We went to the Antiquarian Book Fair in Santa Monica on Sunday.  Although it's always advertised as also being a "paper" show, there seldom is anything except for a map or document vendor.  This time one of the booksellers brought vintage valentines along with him.  WOOHOO!  Now I'm kicking myself for not having picked up more.  BOO HOO!

Joining in the Rednesday fun with Sue at It's A Very Cherry World.

Joining in the Vintage Thingie Thursday fun with Suzanne at
Colorado Lady.

Joining Claudia for A Favorite Thing Saturdays on
Mockingbird Hill Cottage.

valentines from mom

Treasures of the heart, valentine gifts from my mom to me.
Royal Doulton annual Valentine plate from 1977
and two darling teddies with hearts.

Joining along in the fun with Claudia
on A Favorite Thing Saturdays
at Mockingbird Hill Cottage.