jp and i don’t have much planned for valentine’s day. we got each other goats (see post below) and that took a lot of time, energy, and moola. so we decided to lay low this year. the only thing we have planned is a nice-ish bottle of wine paired with some biscuits and gravy. we roll really fancy sometimes, as you can see.

but i do love having something little to give him. so today, while the kids were sleeping, i completed this handmade stitched valentine’s card from dandee designs. now all i have to do is write a sappy, romantic note in it telling him how much i love him and how amazing he is.

DIY stitched valentine from dandee design

visit this post at dandee designs for a how-to and a free downloadable  and printable pdf.

 

try this at home! over at weekday carnival, they shared some great printouts for making your own little paper shapes.

during a quiet night at home –drinking some whisky and watching some netflix– jp and i tried our hand at these tiny fancies. my hand is not so steady and the paper and glue i tried was not ideal (i suggest a bone folder, heavier cover weight or card stock, and liquid glue w a fine tip), but it was fun. these dandies are going on my windowsill.

click on this link to get a tutorial and the pdfs for printing out and constructing your own.

 

i clean my house one room (or thing or area) a day at time. i got the idea from apartment therapy and wrote about it last year. this method has been really great at helping me keep our small home clean without feeling overwhelmed.

i understand i’m a bit more anal than other people but the way i successfully follow-through with this method is by writing down each daily task on a monthly calendar and hanging it on my fridge via magnets. i am certainly no graphic designer so each year i get my free printable calendar from the tomkat studio. you can see (and download!) the 2012 calendars here.


 
inspired by a post on encouraging movement in small children, i decided to make felt balls for ramona. jp and i made them one evening after bean had been put to bed and we had some hulu to catch up on. they’re simple and cheap (i bought my wool at fancy tiger) and it’s been really fun to watch ramona explore the texture of the fabric ball. of course, i tried to rush through the process all the while telling jp that he had felted it enough. he wisely ignored me and continued rolling the wet ball in his hand, felting over and over and over while i had already started to clean up. his felt ball, the yellow one pictured below, is way better than the two i hastily made.

ramona can now roll over onto her belly consistently. she’s less and less frustrated when she gets there and now spends some time exploring what’s in front of her. or else she chews on her hands. either way: progress.