Happy Valentine's Day!

Better late than never, right?

I mentioned earlier this week that I was feeling under the weather.  Well what seemed to be a pesky cold morphed into an ear infection.   Aren't I too old for these things?  I'm on antibiotics, but my hearing has still not quite come back in the infected ear.  My poor students......I told them, "My hearing is not that sharp right now so if I hear talking than you're ALL guilty since I can't tell exactly who it is."  

Yep, they've been pretty good!

We had a quiet Valentine's Day this year.  I found the cutest heart shaped ravioli at Costco with red and white dough.  I made homemade alfredo sauce, we had steamed artichokes, and French bread sprinkled with asiago cheese.  Yummm. (Did I take pictures?  Of course not!)   We're going to have coffee ice cream brownie sundaes a little later.  Decadent?  Of course, it's Valentine's Day!  

I hope your Valentine's Day was sweet and chocolately!

Thanks for stopping by.  

Thank you Graphics Fairy for the lovely pictures on this post.  I can always count on you to have just what I need!

Edited to add:  Hot Fudge Coffee Ice Cream Brownie Sundae - Our special Valentine's Day dessert -

YUMMMMMM!

What chores do you enjoy?

I have to be honest.  I do not enjoy housework.  Right now I need to vacuum and dust big time.  The bathroom needs cleaning and the guest room/studio is a disaster.  

However, there is one chore I thoroughly enjoy.

I love to iron!  I love how you can quickly make progress through a stack of linens.  I love how you need to pay attention (so you don't get burned, of course) but that you can also have a conversation, listen to music or the radio, watch TV or a movie, or just plan your next project.  I love how things go from sloppy to neat and tidy.

Ahhh....that was fun.

What is your favorite chore?  Or do you have one?

My Sweet Vintage Picnic Tins

How do your collections start?  Are they ever accidental?  Do you fall in love with just one thing and then it somehow grows into a collection?

Well that happens with me all the time.  It started with a wooden picnic basket with a red Skotch plaid lid.  That one picnic basket turned into a small collection of metal picnic tins.  

They are so handy to have around.  I use three of them as an end table in the "library."

I also use them for storage for Baby Bee's arts and crafts supplies.

Thanks for stopping by today.  It's always so fun to link up with Suzanne at Colorado Lady for Vintage Thingie Thursday.  Please be sure to stop by and visit all the others taking part today. 

My Funny Valentine (Exchange)-Part 2

I promised yesterday to post on the delights that Lynne sent to me but I got a pinched nerve.  Can you imagine?  I am just getting over this nasty cold and then I pinch the nerve in my right shoulder.  It's very painful.  The last time this happened was Christmas of 2004.  Well, I'm doing better today - I slept all night with my heating pad and took plenty of advil and I'm hanging in there.  I'm even feeling good enough to post again!  Yeah!

So, getting back to Lynne's Box of Wondrous Delights....

Can you believe how she punched out Starbucks bees?  My heart started getting that I'm touched feeling before I even opened the box.  


Once the box was opened there was multitude of cuties to open.....

Do you see this vintage sheet music?  It's all about bees!  How perfect!

Then Baby Bee had all sorts of fun things to open.  She kept saying, "This is just the nicest lady ever!"  She was a huge gigglefest!  It was a joy to watch.  Thank you for that Lynne.

Then there were little crafting delights....

I am going to have so much fun with all of those!

Then there were all the heart shaped treats and the Mary E. tin and frame.  Love them!

Clearly she has read my blog!  Chocolate pudding!  The BEST comfort food in the world!

There were even more things I missed getting a picture of - like the espresso candy.  Delicious!

Thank you so much Lynne for my first ever swap.  It was so much fun!  And thank you for becoming my friend.  

And thank you my blog friends for stopping by and just making my day for leaving a kind comment.  

My Valentine's Exchange - Part 1

My new friend, Lynne, was my partner in Dolly's From My Cherry Heart Valentine's Swap.  Lynne should probably start her own blog.  I love the title her daughter thought up - Things I Made in My Basement.

Since Lynne doesn't have a blog, I thought I'd share what I sent her today and share the delights she sent me tomorrow.

I started with some papier mache hearts I bought last year.  I painted them and got out my MS glitter and glittered them all the way around!  That was fun but messy!  I have a ton of these hearts left so I'll have to make some more of these.

Next was a photo frame I used Mod Podge on.  I painted it pink and found this cute paper at Michael's.  I love the look of the sanded edges.

Then I made some clothes pins that I also Mod Podged with some scrapbook paper.  I've had this paper since last year so I don't know if it's still available.  Again, love that sanded edge look.  I have got to make some of these to put in my kitchen.  

What do you use to keep the contents of those open bags fresh?

This is a little banner I made with ......yes, you've guessed it...the beloved Cricut.  Also pulled out a little more MS glitter to give it an extra sparkle.

Cute little frame from Michael's and the vintage valentine is one I found on the internet last year.  I wish I knew who I should give credit to for it.

This was a papier mache box I painted and....can you guess....no not Cricut this time....I Mod Podged a doily and put a little scrapbook embellishment on it.

Here's some heart shaped cherry flavored candy in a sweet box.

These are some picks that match the box.  I got both of these at Joann's.

These I didn't make but they were so cute.  Don't you love those $1 bins at Michael's?  So many adorable things.  The book mark was from Barnes and Noble.

Is it okay to have a favorite?  I hope so because I do!  This looks even better in person.  This started with some wood hearts that had a little edge or rim.  I saw on someone's blog last year how they put pearls or beads in them and they looked so pretty.  I bought the wooden hearts but never made that project.  

I got to thinking about what I could make with them and came up with this.  They were painted white, then glittered with MS pink.  Then the beloved Cricut came out to cut out the letters.  These I glittered with MS silver glitter.  They were hot glued to the red striped ribbon.  

Now I have to confess - I forgot to put it in the package I sent to Lynne.  Do you think it was a Freudian slip?  Well it's on its way now along with a couple other things I meant to include.

Here was everything all packaged up - well not really EVERYTHING - 

Thanks to for all the kind comments and well wishes while I was sick.  I still have a sore throat, but I'm doing better now.

Hope you enjoyed your visit today.  I always enjoy having you over.

  

Feeling Under the Weather

Oh dear!  Even with vigorous hand washing a nasty germ has gotten to me.   

I'll be resting, drinking fluids, sleeping, reading, resting, watching TV, and more sleeping.  

Hope to be back soon.

Home Tweet Home

So glad I started linking up with Suzanne at Colorado Lady  for Vintage Thingie Thursday.  I've noticed several of my favorite bloggers (Carol at Old Glory Cottage and Laurie from Magpie Ethel)  posting about their birdies so I thought I might join in.  Except I only have one vintage birdie - no plurals here.  Let's throw in another of my favorite blogs by mentioning I bought it from Becky at Sweet Cottage Dreams.  

This little cutie lives in Worker Bee's and my bedroom on top of our bookcase.  (Can you see who forgot to paint the top of the bookcase?  I'm sure you were going to be too polite to mention it. Wish I could blame Worker Bee but that one was my fault!)

The little birdhouse she has settled in was from Target (again several years ago) and she is really enjoying it, except she wants to repaint - black I think -  but I'm not letting her near a paintbrush. Can you imagine?

Thanks for stopping by!  Your visits and comments always tickle me!

Be sure to check out some of the other little lovelies for Vintage Thingie Thursday.