Perk Up! An Easel Card and Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans!! :)

Hey, everyone!!  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit today!!  I have a fun easel card and special treat to share with you today...

February is The-Girl-Child's favorite month...  Why???  I'm so glad you asked!!  :)  In our house, we have this "thing" about celebrating our birthMONTH (instead of just a little ole birthDAY)!!  And, as you may have guessed, February is her birthmonth!!  YAY!!  :)  I truly am a very lucky momma to have such an awesome daughter -- and son too, but let's focus on The-Girl-Child (TGC) for now ;)  

TGC is probably the BEST week-after-Valentine's-Day-gift that I ever could have been given...  She still loves to hear the story of her birth (which has always been a birthday-eve tradition)...  Like her brother, she was born in a blizzard...  And even though the doctor said she wouldn't be arriving on time, I was sure to run up and down the stairs all day to ensure that she did indeed come on her due date (yeah, yeah, I know this wasn't a good idea and probably wasn't the reason I didn't have to wait, but it makes for good story-telling!!)...  I'm pleased to see that she has blossomed into a beautiful young lady full of generosity and kindness...  She has an infectious laugh and loves with her whole heart (so how appropriate to be a Valentine-baby!!)...  Her excitement about life is refreshing, and her energy is contagious...  But if she's having a low-key day, then she has a little secret.......  

She LOVES chocolate covered coffee beans!!  So my friend and I searched high and low to find the absolutely yummiest ones we could find and packed them up to send to her -- And, of course, I had to add a colorful card to the package!!  :)

The A2 sized card (4.25"x5.5") is an easel card so that TGC can display it on her desk...  I used Cuttlebug's Paisley embossing folder for the texture on the turquoise cardstock (4"x5.25")...  Although I used a white card base, I wanted to emphasis the lavender color of the bear's nightgown, so I added the lavender cardstock to the card front...

I used the mix-n-match sentiment "Perk Up!" from K Andrew's Coffee & Tea Stamp Set...  Although this set is no longer available, the tag-a-long sets ARE still available and are perfect for your Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate projects (  Be sure to CLICK HERE for 6% - 60% OFF remaining stamp sets in the CLEARANCE EVENT!!)!!  My tag is simply a rectangle with rounded corners (using my CM Corner Rounder)...  And since I wanted the tag to match the bear's nightgown perfectly, I used my Copic markers to color white cardstock before stamping the sentiment.  The dark purple ribbon is from my stash...

The adorable bear image is from Dustin Pike...  His digi stamps are some of my favorites, so be sure to check out all that he has to offer -- You're sure to find some fast favorites!!  :)  And even though it's a little hard to tell, I put the bear on one of my homemade "Wiggle Wires" (see the tutorial HERE) so that he could wiggle and jiggle and make TGC giggle!!  :)

And there ya have it!!  That's the first of the goodies that TGC received for her birthmonth...  There isn't a gift for every day, but there's LOTS of love and reminders that she's so important to me (although I hope she feels that every single day of the year too!!)...

Before I go, I'd like to share a little TGC inspiration too...

I told ya she was pretty AWESOME!!  :)

Thanks for sharing another proud-momma moment with me -- I hope this February finds you loving every moment with each special person in your life...

Until next time,

Valentine Treats & a GIVEAWAY (plus a WINNER) for the DTC Ch#44: Valentine/Love

**It's time again to decorate your celebrations with a Challenge at Decorate To Celebrate!!**

I'm so happy to have you stop by today for another Design Team Inspiration for Challenge #44 over at Decorate To Celebrate!!  Today, we are asking you to create any project to be used as a party decoration (or party supply) for a VALENTINE PARTY or EVENT!!  Let's celebrate EVERYTHING WONDERFUL ABOUT HEARTS, LOVE, and VALENTINES with your table decorations, party banners, pennants, yard signs, cupcakes, party favors and more!!  :)

Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays...  When I was little, I used to decorate my bedroom for every holiday (no wonder I still like decorating!!).  I would hang hearts that I cut from construction paper in my windows; string red, glittery hearts across the ceiling; make Valentines for all my teddy bears; and even decorate my Barbie Dream House in as much pink and red as I could get my hands on!!  When The-Boy-Child was a mere month-and-a-half old, I took it upon myself to create handmade Valentines from HIM -- complete with a pink paint footprint that left my sofa, carpet, and walls a bit more festive with splatters and splashes of pink...  When the school parties started, I was in my glory -- Cupcakes with thick, high layers of frosting (I surely wasn't the favorite mom when the sugar kicked in!!), lollipop treats, and construction paper hearts covered in glitter...  {sigh}  Those were the days!!

Now, with the kiddos in college, I still get to make little treats to send their way (but I no longer string those heart garlands across my ceiling)...  For me, Valentine's Day has always been about telling EVERYONE I love that my heart is so happy that I have them in my life...  So this is the little treat I created for the friends and family I get to see at this time of year.....

These little sour cream cups are always a quick and easy project to make... To make mine, I started with two sheets of 12x12 decorative paper and cut SIX 4"x6" rectangles from each sheet... I added adhesive to one 4" side and attached it to the other 4" side (think toilet paper roll)... I then added a line of liquid adhesive to one open end and pinched it together (nice and flat and even). After holding it for a moment while the glue started to dry, I placed that end into my Fiskars Crimping tool and rolled it in just a few clicks and held it there for a moment...

Once the adhesive has dried for a few moments you can add your candy (I used Skittles because the kiddos LOVE them!!) and pinch the other side closed (make sure you pinch it closed in the opposite direction so that it takes on the shape of a sour-cream-cup)... Add your adhesive and crimp that side as well... If you don't have a crimper, you could always use some binder clips to hold it closed until the glue dries and a scoring tool to add the creases...

I also made another decorative sign that I'd like to GIVE AWAY to one lucky follower...  If you'd like a chance to WIN this adorable little 1"x6" wooden shelf sitter that says "Love you! XOXO", all you have to do is leave me a comment letting me know what your favorite thing about Valentine's Day is...  Next Tuesday I will use random.org to draw a winner to receive my hand-painted sign!!  :)

I also made a decorative sign for The-Girl-Child...  It measures about 2" high and 6" wide...  It was painted black then sanded and stained.  I hand-lettered the "Hugs -  5c  FREE!" and added a few little red hearts...  The-Girl-Child has always been my go-to for all the hugs a Momma could ask for, so I know she'll love this little sign. :)

To participate in this challenge, be sure to link up your VALENTINE (or LOVE) THEMED PARTY project by clicking HERE before 11:59pm (EST) on Tuesday, February 19th to be eligible for YOUR CHANCE to WIN a VALENTINE themed Mini Album from Rhonda!!

Now.....  I also have a WINNER to announce!!  Remember the "Football Spoken Here" sign that I was giving away last time???  Well...  Here are the drawing results:

And that Number One comment came from TAMI, who said:

Congratulations, Tami!!  Tami is absolutely correct!!  We LOVE our PIRATES!!  I'm already counting down the days til Opening Day!!  YAY!!  :)  Tami, since you've already replied to my email, your sign is on the way!!  :)  I hope you enjoy it (and I hope you enjoyed the Super Bowl too!!)...

That's it, folks!!  I'll have more Valentine goodies (and some Super Bowl stuff still) to share in the coming days -- Hope to see ya again soon!!

Until next time,