Homemade Friday: Not a Valentine’s Day Craft

I feel that as it’s a holiday, even a “Made up, greeting card” holiday as some people seem to think it is, I should probably be posting a story about how my children and I sat down to create hand-stamped, decorative valentines for them to give to all their little friends.

And in this fantasy crafting session there was no yelling and frustration and eating of the glue.  Which is why it was a fantasy. 

We don’t do a whole lot of making things together anymore.  It never ends well.  Sebastian likes to do it.  The kid learned how to make snowflakes out of construction paper at school and so came home and made no less than 15 that I have taped to our kitchen windows.  You know, in case we don’t have enough snow outside this winter.

But Adele, she doesn’t have the patience.  I bought some plastic beads and string the other day which I thought she’d enjoy.  Sebastian was cool making a blue and black necklace, which are his favorite colors.  But Adele was upset that her brother was getting a bit of attention so she dumped her entire bowl of beads on the floor and then picked up handfuls and threw them at him.  Also we don’t use playdoh very often because it always ends up in her mouth.  Why, you ask?  Wouldn’t that be a little gross on account of the taste and the slimy texture that occurs once it’s wet?  Well, yes.  You’d be right.  But Adele is strong-willed and knows she’s not supposed to and she’ll be damned if she’ll give up driving me crazy on account of the nasty taste of playdoh.  She knows she’s not supposed to and she knows that I will fuss at her and so will look me right in the eye and put it in her mouth like “What the hell are you going to do about it, Lady?”

So there hasn’t been much Valentine’s Day stuff happening here.  I can’t even find the heartgarland that I accidentally left up all year long that one year.  See?  It’s when you take the decorations down that you lose them, so I should never have removed it.

I thought I may get the kids to glue some little hearts onto a bigger heart for their father but I’m not sure I have the energy for that.  I took Adele to the grocery this morning.  Well, actually two groceries.  I shop at a tiny local, hippie, organic store and then go to the giant, commercialized, big box preservative store for all the stuff I can’t buy at the hippie store.  We were fine in the smaller one except there was a little girl there who followed Adele around and wanted to see a toy she’d brought in with her.  Obviously, Adele was not willing to share and so there almost was a toddler battle over a tiny blue ball.

I know it's blurry but LOOK AT THE TIPPY-TOES!

And then once we got to the other store Adele refused to leave the little area that has the vending machines because they had a large one with the claw thing and balls inside and she wanted one.  Oh boy did she want one.  And then when I drug her screaming away from that she found a stuffed elephant on a shelf that she wanted.  And then a Hello Kitty dream light.  And candy.  And more candy.  And then the ball again on the way out.  Add all of this with the flood of SNOMG and Valentine’s Day shoppers and you can maybe understand why I will probably curl up with my knitting and my book until Sebastian gets off the school bus.  I don’t feel like prepping for a craft, is what I’m saying.

So I have socks to show you.  Remember last week when I was extremely worried about Adele’s extremities falling off from frostbite?  Well, I finished both the socks and mittens.  

The socks were my own pattern.  I used German sock yarn that I got from my mother-in-law and size 0 needles.  I CO 42 stitches for her, but I think I should have gone up to 45 or even 48.  They’re a bit tighter than I wanted.  I did a K2P1 ribbing until about 3 rows before I started the heel, then knit all around.  I use a short row heel because I think it looks cleaner than the other type. 

In my obsessiveness I attempted to make sure that all of the stripes matched on both socks.  They are close, but not exact.  So don’t tell me if you can see the difference because it will hurt my heart.

Adele seems to like them okay.  However I don’t think my family is nearly as excited over hand-knit socks as I am.

No matter.  At least her toes won’t fall off during the latest SNOMAGEDDON that is headed our way this afternoon.

A Valentine's Day Manifesto? Or something?

Oh Valentine’s Day. 

You are usually a day I look forward to, then become disappointed when it doesn’t live up to some commercially manufactured ideal of what you’re supposed to be.

And then I feel stupid because the commercials also make me feel like advertisers think women are only interested in what their significant other can buy them.  As I told a friend today it makes women look vapid and greedy.

And so I’ve decided, this year, that there will be no jewelry giving, there will be no hurt feelings because I wasn’t sent flowers.

I’ve got a pretty amazing life.  And I’ve got three people who I love more than anything in the world. 

Ignore the exhaustion. Focus on the cute kid.

I’ve got Sebastian, who despite his refusal to give me anything other than ‘Eskimo’ kisses because the regular ones are ‘gross’, will hug me so hard, and who told me this morning that that was my gift because “hugs are presents, too.”  (Be still, my heart!)

And he’s appreciative.  We ran out of bread this week and I baked some to ensure that he could take a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to school.  When he realized what I’d done he said “Oh thank you so much!  That is so nice of you!”  It totally took me by surprise, yet didn’t.  You don’t expect a 4 year old to notice when you go out of your way for him.  But he’s not a typically 4 year old.

I’ve got Adele, who, once we got over the initial fear and screaming, is actually making potty training her much easier and quicker than with her brother.  She will blow kisses at the cat and hug anything and everything she can.  She loves to help clean up and wants to be involved in whatever everyone else is involved in.

This isn't how you work puzzles?
Sans pants and sans hands?

And I’ve got my husband, who makes me laugh and makes sure I know that I’m loved. 

He's a nice-looking man.

It’s pretty awesome.  And so much better than ugly, heart-shaped jewelry.

Homemade Friday: Heart Garland

I've been wanting to decorate for holidays a bit better than I have been.  There's Christmas, of course, but most other holidays pass by without too much fanfare. 

I also haven't wanted to spend any money.

So since Valentine's Day is coming up I thought I would make my house über cutesy and adorable.  Because everyone needs some hearts, right?

Plus I was getting tired of the fall leaf garland that I've had up in my kitchen since fall.

See?
 

Time to go!

The garland worked so well with the leaves that I thought I'd give it another go with hearts.  And I was especially lucky because I had all the supplies on hand and didn't have to buy anything. 
 

My wallet thanks me.

I started by cutting my pieces of red felt into four pieces, making them about 3x5 each.  Then I found a heart picture, printed it out, and traced it over eight pieces of freezer paper. 

I cut the hearts out, then ironed them onto the pieces of felt with the shiny side down so it would stick.  And I think that no matter how many times I stencil this way I will never stop being delighted by the entire process.  It's easy!  And cheap!  And it puts a heart (or a bird!) on something that wasn't there before!

I failed to realize, however, that by using red felt and white paint the felt would essentially turn pink.  I was okay with that, but I really wanted white.  So I painted a couple of coats and ended up using the entire bottle of white craft paint.

Once the felt pieces were dry I peeled off the freezer paper and hot glued the pieces to garden twine that I'll have you know I braved the ice-covered backyard to go outside and get so I could finish this project today and have something to show you.

I'm a giver, is what I'm saying.

I didn't actually measure anything because I only have a limited amount of free time and I also have an enormous waiting list for knitting patterns.  So to save time I just eyeballed it.  I think it turned out okay.

 
However, I have gotten smart and didn't include Sebastian in this project.  If I had I would probably still be finding paint in my hair.  I did all of it during naptime because Adele is sleeping and Sebastian has discovered a love of playing on the PBS website and I have discovered a love of having a few minutes where someone isn't yelling "Hey Mommy!  Hey Mommy!  Hey Mommy!"

Sebastian says Happy ValenDays Times

I know, I know.  It’s not entirely hip to like Valentine’s Day.  But I can’t help it.  I do.

Even in high school when everything was so very hormone and drama-filled and I didn’t have a boyfriend and so every time the holiday came around and I didn’t have someone to give me a bright red bear holding a heart that said ‘I love you Beary Much’ or even a small box of chocolates, I would tell everyone how it was nothing but a greeting-card, sappy, stupid holiday and who really wants red roses ANYWAY, but secretly I would cry and really wish I had someone to send me those cheesy roses because I am a ROMANTIC PERSON, DAMNIT.

And even when I did have someone on this holiday, I was lucky enough to get the guy who thinks it’s a ridiculous holiday and completely pointless because who needs a holiday to tell me to tell you how much I love you, anyway?

I get it.  I do.  But that doesn’t stop me from wanting a sweet, special, romantic day because at this point date nights don’t happen as often as either of us would like.  Most of our weekends are filled with housework catch-up and entertaining children who need constant interaction. 

And I think he finally gets it.  Or at least he’s faking it, which I’m fine with.  He and the kids got me a really pretty necklace and we may have some kind of date out in the near future.  And I bought him a gift that I won’t tell you about because I haven’t given it to him yet and though he never reads this blog, this would probably be the day he would start.

Sebastian had a party today at school and was allowed to wear a red shirt instead of his usual blue.  And we bought Valentines for all the kids in his class, but in true Jaime form I forgot to get something for his teachers. 

I also forgot to get something for my own kids.

(Cause I’m awesome, obviously.)

Actually, I thought about it but couldn’t get to the store before today after dropping Sebastian off at school.  So he got to come home to this big, orange dinosaur he named Ceratops, naturally.  Adele was much less interested in her pink dinosaur and much more interested in the gummi bears I sat out for her to look at and not eat and was incredibly pissed at me when I wouldn’t give her one because Sebastian snuck her one of his and she figured out how good they taste. 

Yesterday Sebastian glued hearts on some blank note cards and stamped them and colored on them with markers.  We put them in the mail to his grandparents and I hope they get there today. 

As much as I like this holiday, and all holidays, I can’t seem to plan ahead and while I still do crafty-type stuff with the kids (or at least the one who doesn’t eat the paint), it’s all entirely too rushed for my taste.

So while my heart cookies are sort of weird peach color instead of the pink I was going for, at least they aren’t burnt.