Love is in the air

I love Valentine's Day. And I don't mean love like you love the movie you saw last night. I mean L. O. V. E. as in how you loved your first grade boyfriend, how you love your first cup of morning coffee, how you love an afternoon nap on the beach kinda love. The kind that makes you feel like you're getting a great big hug because just the thought of it feels that good.

I was the girl in 2nd grade who opted out of recess so I could sit on the sidewalk and spend more time making construction paper Valentines with my best friend Sarah because art class just wasn't enough time to accomplish the task. I mean, an enormous bag of construction paper, fuzzy balls, yarn and glitter to tell your favorite peeps that you adore them? There isn't enough time in a day let alone a 45 minute class!

I took this task very seriously then and, as anyone who knows me well will say, I do now. When it comes to creating a card or invitation at our house, the motto is "Go big or go home." (I fortunately have a super-uberly- talented brother who helps make my dreams a reality. See Exhibit A below).

(And if you think this is great, wait until you see Emerson's invite....) 

Needless to say, at our house, love is in the air. I was so inspired by some amazing mantle decor I saw online that I had to dress up ours as well.

I used unbleached coffee filters, cupcake liners, newspaper painted with pink acrylic paints, sheer pink ribbon and twine for the garland. I think all things need a little glitz so I drizzled some silver glitter glue on the rosettes which makes it very pretty with the lights at night. (The garland was inspired from the very talented Pam Garrison. Thank you!)

I painted wooden clothespins pink and clipped photos of our loved ones on ribbon. I then secured the ribbon to the back of our mantle artwork (painted by my wonder-FULL-y talented husband). The tea lights are baby food jars.

It's not perfection but it's love and it makes me smile every time I walk by it. So, I couldn't stop there.....

 (bear with the dark photos)

Grapefruit Izzes (my fave!) have a pink label which provided the perfect color for my kitchen windowsill display.

I was inspired by Kelle Hampton's blog. Kelle's mom prefers Perrier as her beverage of choice. She came to visit and Kelle turned her Perrier passion into decor by displaying the empty bottles with flowers.

If you haven't checked Kelle's blog out you are in for a treat. Her photos and writing are truly inspirational. And, that girl's got nothin' but L-O-V-E!

Other love projects going on in our house this week.....

Red Christmas lights and doilies from the Dollar Store

Taking photos of my favorite little happies.....

 

What makes you feel nothing but L-O-V-E?

xoxo