So Purdy!

Awww - can you feel the love? February is a Love Fest over here in Colorado! We spread the Valentine holiday out and treat each other to fun month of celebrating the love we have as a family. We have special dinners and leave each other notes and gifts all month long in the little mailboxes that sit on our mantel. I love February.

Last night I finished the last few items on my Valentine decorating list while watching the Swiss Family Robinson. And because I share it all - let me tell you something kinda funny. A ways into the movie I felt super smart and had to share my intellectual genius with my hubby! I had noticed the characters mentioning some cities back home - Bern and Interlaken to be exact and had a lightbulb moment! I said to my husband, "Hey Rick! I think the family is from Switzerland!" While waiting for him to compliment me on my knowledge of geography (I didn't even have to google it!) he grinned and paused a moment. Looking at his face and suddenly hearing my thought spoken out loud I realized what a true GENIUS I am. Gee - Erika, how did you figure that out? Could it be perhaps from the movie's TITLE???

Oh well, I am breathing a sigh of relief and I am really happy with how it all came out! These were very inexpensive and as usual the Dollar Tree figured prominently!

Here is the how to...

Framed XOXO - buy some frames at the Dollar Tree or use ones you already have. Mine are all 5x7 size. Paint if desired (I use the $1 black spray paint from Wal-Mart - 2 coats). Cut out a piece of decorative paper and slip in front of the glass. Play with the glass pebbles found in the floral department (again the Dollar Tree - I bought two packages, but used less than one for these four frames) until you find a design you like. Then glue them on - I used E6000. I just lifted up one pebble at a time and glued so I didn't disturb my design. I found the original idea at tatertotsandjello. I'm thinking her frames were bigger or her pebbles smaller - but either way they are lovely!

I'm anxiously waiting for her post on Monday about her Dollar Tree tiered serving platter! I've been wanting one and I'm thrilled to make one myself on the cheap and tailored to my taste!

Burlap Wreath - I took the excess burlap from the curtains in the laundry room and cut 4" strips as long as the fabric piece that I had. I borrowed a wire dry cleaning hanger from a friend and shaped the wire into a circle. I poked the wire through the burlap as described here at WhereTheHeartIs. I ended up using 11 or 12 strips so that mine was as full as I liked. I also was very annoyed at how the weight of the burlap pulled it down so that there was a gap at the top of the wreath and the fabric was WAY more full and bunched at the bottom of the wreath. I solved that by cutting pieces of rubber band and using them to tie knots around the wire between the sections of burlap to keep them from slipping. This helped hold the sections where I wanted and distribute them evenly around the wreath. The rubber band is the same color as the wreath and totally invisible! I am super happy with the fix!

Red Rose Wreath - Well that's what I think it looks like anyway! I found the idea at, very appropriately, The Idea Room. I ended up making this a Dollar Tree version. I bought a white foam circle wreath form and one of their cheap baby blankets (I chose a red fleecy one with an embroidered hippo on it). I think the dimensions on the blanket were 30"x30". I took a cardboard circle template that I used for my T-shirt refashioning (it's done and fabulous, I just need a good hair day to take a pic for you... I know, I'm vain!) that was about 2.5" in diameter. I held it on the blanket and cut around it to make the circles. My version uses far less fabric than the original and doesn't entirely cover the form (found this out AFTER I started) so to make up for the fact that there were no more red blankets (I checked!) I pulled out all the "flowers" and wrapped the form in the rest of the ribbon I used for the burlap wreath to cover the white color and get a nice red base. This was helpful to cover the little gaps that I had between the red flowers. I still think it turned out beautifully! To ensure that I had as few gaps as possible when I redid the wreath I spaced them evenly around the wreath as I went instead of starting at a certain point and working my way around. I was afraid if I did that it would be hard to make sure I ended up with enough circles to fill the wreath evenly.

I really love this idea and think it would make a cute decoration in a nursery as well - they have blankets in pink, blue, yellow (I especially love that color - don't be surprised if one pops up in our nursery) and I'm pretty sure I'll do this again - but buy two blankets!

I wish you a great Love Fest this month!