10 DAYS OF VALENTINES- DAY 10: PURSUE YOUR HUSBAND

 Happy Valentines Day everyone!!
Today is the day nationally known for showing love and affection. Known as the day when romanticism is a must. The truth is, do we really need Valentines day to pursue our partner? Should Valentines Day be the one day out of the year to reassure your husband how crazy in love you really are? My answer is NO! Sure-Valentines day is a fun holiday filled with love, friendship and lots of chocolates. The question is why should we make it the only day out of the year for a date night, sweet words and a little flirting.

Before I continue. I would like to make clear that I am no expert in marriage nor do I have the perfect marriage. One thing I do know is that I've learned a lot throughout my years of commitment with my husband. While my husband and I have only been married for a year and 1 month, we have been in a relationship with each other for nearly 8 years(in June). Throughout the years my husband and I have seen many seasons in our relationship. Going from a teenage crush to high school sweethearts, girlfriend and boyfriend to moving in together, common law marriage, having kids, Army and officially married. We have seen and been through it all. Our early relationship was a relationship that wasn't quite accepted for one reason or another. We were stereotyped and judged like most young couples today. Yes our relationship was a bit premature, and no I never thought as an early teenager that my husband would one day be my "HUSBAND". We have had many ups and downs, learned and relearned how to maintain our relationship. As life evolves so does your relationship. For example when I look back to our high school, dating days I often wonder was that really us? Pursuing each other came so easy, our love was spontaneous and racy. There would be silly phone calls, beautiful love notes, long walks, romantic gifts and the best of all lots of talking. All of this is true during the early stages in a relationship. As the years go by and the relationship progresses from one stage to another things begin to change.

Life happens and you get caught up in the mix. Things start to become routine. The desire to pursue your husband begins to decrease, and you tend to forget about your husbands need for constant reassurance. There is often a misconception that just because he's married to you "he is yours," therefore I don't need to try and keep the fire going. Reality is, there is nothing more catastrophic to a healthy, loving marriage than one spouse failing to pursue the other. Even though your husband might not make a big deal about "pursuit" it doesn't mean he doesn't want it. In fact he seeks it on a daily basis.

What exactly do you mean by pursuing him, Nancy? When I say pursuit I mean go after him, flirt, joke around. Show affection, support, reassurance and get physical. Make it a habit to repeat how much you love him. Let your husband know you appreciate his hard work. Tell him he looks handsome, encourage him in all ways possible. Tell him hes a good dad. Take the time to ask him about his day. Listen to what he has to say and make him feel like he's your superhero! Your husband shouldn't have to remember last years Valentines day card to make him feel loved. Assure him that he's  the man your body desires and don't be ashamed of making yourself physically accessible to him. Be a woman who puts out, after all he's your husband! Doing simple tasks like these shouldn't be a hassle. Love for your husband comes natural so why not display affection and convince him that you are passionate about him yesterday, today, tomorrow, and years to come!! Your husband will be delighted to know he is cherished and pursued by his loving wife. 

: Valentines Day Selfies

    

XO, Nancy!

10 DAYS OF VALENTINES-DAY 9: VALENTINES DAY KABOBS

Still looking for some last minute gift ideas for the kiddos, coworkers, or friends? How about these super sweet Valentines Day Kabobs!?!  I literally put these together last minute. Procrastinator, yupp that's me! 

 This is what you'll need; 1 box brownie mix, bag of marshmallows, wooden skewers, strawberries and Bakers melting chocolate.

 Let me fill you in on the Kabob details. All I did was bake a box of Duncan Hines chewy fudge brownies, cut it into pieces and let it cool. While my brownies were baking I melted 4 squares of Bakers white chocolate dipped my strawberries in there and let them cool as well. I soaked my skewers in water for about 5 minutes until all my other ingredients were ready to use. Once everything was nice and cool I pulled out the marshmallows and began to stick everything together. I used the remaining white chocolate as a decorative drizzle for my finished kabobs. 

Next I wrapped my kabobs in these darling treat bags I picked up from Dollar tree. With decorative scissors I cut up small pieces of white card stock paper, added stickers and turned them into name tags(stickers were purchased at dollar tree as well). That's pretty much it my friends! I have to point out that not only is this extremely easy to make, it is also very inexpensive. 

I cant wait to see the look on my daughters face when she sees the fabulous treats I made her. Though I am not looking forward on tomorrows sugar rush! 

What did you get your kids for Valentines day? Did you go with store bought or homemade?

XO, Nancy!

10 DAYS OF VALENTINES- DAY 8: STRAWBERRY KIWI LOVE MARGARITA

Its Margarita Time amigos! We are two days away from Valentines day and If you are yet to find the perfect cocktail for you and your honey, this is the the one for you. Made with a hot kick of Tequila, fresh fruit and a delicious whipped topping. This Love Margarita is sure to add excitement to your special night!

Ingredients: (Makes about one Margarita)                                                  

   

• 5 fresh strawberries                                                               
• 1 fresh peeled kiwi
• 4 fl oz of Rose's Mojito Mix
• 1 shot of Corralejo Tequila (optional)
• crushed ice
• whipped topping in a pastry bag
• Blender                                                                                    

 Recipe

    Combine your strawberries, kiwi, Mojito mix, tequila and crushed ice into your blender. Start your blender and strike pulse a couple of times until all of your ingredients are completely crushed and mixed. Serve your blended mix into a glass and top with whipped cream using a pastry bag or a ziploc with a small snip in a corner.                                                                                       

Todo Listo mi bella gente(all done my beautiful people)!!! Make one two, three or four after all its Valentines day, raise your glass to love and enjoy. 

XO, Nancy!

10 DAYS OF VALENTINES- DAY 7: SEQUIN HEART PATCHES DIY

If you are anything like me, than your probably a sucker when it comes to shopping for your kids. I'm one of those mothers who can have a hole outfit picked out for myself , but God forbid I see something cute for my daughter because I will put my stuff down and walk out with children's clothes.

The other night I was flipping through the pages on Zulily drooling over all the adorable clothes they have for the upcoming season. Then I stumbled upon a pair of  heart leggings which I thought were perfect for valentines day. Until I saw their sales price! So, inspiration kicked in and I was determined to recreate the Zulily leggings with a sequined signature of my own. This is how I did it!

:Source

Supplies needed; leggings or pants,pen, 1 piece of card stock paper,scissors, Two pieces of pink felt, pink embroidery floss, large needle, two pins, pink sequins.

                                                     Getting Started

1. Mark your pants or leggings at the knees with a pen. 2. Create a heart template out of the card stock paper,I cut out two different hearts to see which one I liked better. 3. Trace and cut out your heart template onto the pink felt(I chose the rounder heart). 4. Pin the felt hearts over the marked area on your garment.

                                                       Starting to Sew

1. You will be doing a basting stitch from underneath the fabric back up to the top. 2. Attach the sequins to the garment as you sew. Bring the needle up from beneath the stitch and connect the sequin. 3. Push down the sequin through the thread and keep going with the pattern until you have sewn the heart all around. 4. You have officially mastered the art of patching and sewing sequins all in one!! 

   I made these sequin heart patches with my daughter in mind, but I also think they would look great on some of my clothes. I might have to come back and let you guys know how it goes. Would you add these on some of your clothes? How would you wear it? 

XO,Nancy

10 DAYS OF VALENTINES-DAY6: POMPOM & PHOTO CHANDELIER

The truth is, I'm not a big fan of the chandelier in my dining room area and I cant make any permanent renovations on it. For the fact that our current home is a rental. So, I'm always looking for something fun to give it some spunk.

 In combination to yesterdays post of my door wreath I decided to make a pompom photo chandelier. Influenced by the polka dotted pattern on the fabric and the quote on the wreath. Pompoms and pictures were the first to come to mind! What better way to display memorable moments with family and friends, than this thrifty DIY! 

Supplies needed: Medium sized cotton pom poms(dollar store buy), 16 yd's of embroidery floss, scissors, large sewing needle, 18 wallet sized BW photos printed in card stock paper, glue stick, hole puncher. 

                                              Stringing the Pompoms

1. Pick out your pompoms and 8 yd of embroidery floss. 2. Thread your needle with your embroidery floss. 3. Start to string in your pompoms in a desired pattern. 4. Spread out your pompoms giving a few inches of space between each pompom.

                                                   Hanging the Photos  

 1. Cut out your wallet sized photos. 2. Since the photos will be hanging you will glue two photos together creating double sided pictures. 3. Hole punch a hole at the top of every photo. 4. Cut 8 yd of embroidery floss into 9 pieces and string it through the hole on your photos. 

 Take your threaded pompoms and begin stringing them through the loops on your chandelier. Next start to hang your photos on the inner and outer loops of your chandelier. Adjust some of the photos to hang lower and some a little higher giving then an uneven look.

Today's craft was easy as pie and a little wacky. I chose to string my pompoms & photos on my chandelier, but you on the other hand can get as creative as you please. You can hang them on your wall, on your fireplace mantel, over a window or mirror, in your bedroom- pretty much anywhere. The possibilities are endless. The point is to let your imagination loose and make something you love and enjoy! 

XO, PEOPLE!!

10 DAYS OF VALENTINES- DAY 5: DECORATE YOUR DOOR

 For day 5 I'm going to show you how to create this funky yet very cute wreath for your door. It is extremely easy and inexpensive.
Supplies needed: Large piece of cardboard, pencil, 1 sheet of card stock paper, box cutter, scissors, hot glue gun, scrap fabric, small wooden letters,craft glue, glitter, large piece of ribbon.

Create a heart template out of your card stock paper. Trace the heart template onto the large piece of cardboard.

Once your done tracing the template onto the cardboard, carefully draw a second heart on the outside of  the already traced heart. You now have two hearts traced onto your cardboard, as you can see above. Cut out both hearts using a box cutter.

 You will use the hot glue gun to cover each heart with your favorite pieces of fabric. This is a great use for any scrap fabric laying around your home. While your gluing make sure you tighten the fabric around the cardboard hearts as much as you can. Covering up the larger heart might be a little tricky. I realized that covering the entire heart first then cutting out the middle was the easiest way to do it.

After both hearts are covered in fabric you will layer & hot glue the smaller heart on top of the larger one. Choose out your wooden letters for your message or quote and coat them with craft glue. Next you will sprinkle a good amount of glitter over them. Set aside and let your letters dry for about 30 minutes to an hour. Using your hot glue gun, glue your glittery letters onto the top layer heart. Tie your ribbon on the top of the cut out heart, adjusting the length as you please. Project completed!! Your wreath is ready to hang

I am happy to say that this has been the look on my front door for about two weeks now and I love it!! I'm so glad I shared this with you guys today. Hope you all enjoy this cheerful door piece as much as I do! Feel free to share your finished project, I would love to see!! XO

10 DAYS OF VALENTINES- DAY 4: BERRY SEXY MARTINI

Hey friends! Happy Saturday everyone!! Nothing says SEXY like a good martini with your sweetheart. Today I'm sharing one of my many favorite martinis to spice up that romantic dinner of yours! I call it my Berry Sexy Martini! This delicious cocktail is sure to get the mood going and the love pumping. Valentines Day is around the corner and its time to start planning. So, with that said, lets shake one up. 

 Ingredients (makes one martini):

• 3 fl oz of Rose's Mojito Mix
• 2 fl oz of Selttzer  Lemon lime
• 1 fl oz of Red Berry Ciroc Vodka(optional)
• crushed fresh blueberries
• crushed strawberries
• Strawberry for garnish

Lets get shaking!!

Pour a small amount of sugar into a plate. Coat the rim of a martini glass with a lemon or lime then dip it into the sugar. Set aside.

Crush your blueberries and strawberries until creating a somewhat paste. Throw in a pinch of your crushed berries into the bottom of your glass.

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice pour in your Mojito mix, Seltzer, and Red Berry vodka. Cover it up and shake,shake,shake!! Lets strain this baby into our glass. Cut up a fresh strawberry and use as garnish on your Berry Sexy Martini. Sip this bad boy and enjoy!

What do you think? Isn't this a wonderful mood setter? Time to dim the lights and turn the heat up!!
Have a great Saturday people!! XOXO

10 DAYS OF VALENTINES- DAY2: LOVE NOTES AND GIFTS

Is that glitter polka-dots you see? Yes, I think so!! I am completely obsessed with today's DIY, if I must say!! How awesome is a box wrapped in recycled newspaper articles and covered in glitter dots?! VERY! I can think of a million uses for a box with such personality. It would be a great way to add character to that special someones Valentines gift. It can be turned into a fun box for the kiddos to carry around all those Valentines Day cards from school. Or my favorite a love note drop-box for you and your family! Whatever it is the possibilities are endless! 

Supplies needed for the box ; Empty box( I used a child's shoe box), clipped newspaper articles,scissors glue stick, clear tape or double sided tape, red&pink glitter, box cutter.
Supplies needed for Love Notes tag; Small piece of cardboard, hole puncher, white crayon, glue stick, red glitter, and red ribbon, hot glue.
Supplies needed for Pink Heart Tag; Small piece of cardboard, traced out pink felt heart, hot glue.

Lets get started with wrapping up your box. Gather the biggest newspaper articles that you have clipped. Place them around your box covering the bottom and longer sides, use tape to hold it together. Once you've covered most of the box with the larger articles its pretty easy to use the smaller ones to place over the uncovered areas on your box. I found that using different sizes of newspaper gives the box a funky patched up look! If you have a top to your box like I did, repeat the same steps. You will notice that wrapping the top is a bit more challenging than the rest of the box.

Yesss!! You wrapped up your box!! Now comes the fun and messy part. Use your glue stick to dot in circles on your box one side at a time. Sprinkle pink&red glitter on the glue dots, spreading the glitter with your index finger for a cleaner dot.

If you are planning on using your box for a gift box I made two very simple tags to add a extra hint of glamour. The first one is the Pink heart tag. On a small piece of cardboard trace&cut out a rectangle like you see above. Then on a piece of pink felt trace&cut a heart to fit onto your cardboard. Glue those two together and easy peasy your done! Hot glue it wherever you like, I put mine right on the middle. So simple, but so cute!

 The Second label is the love notes tag. This is my personal favorite! Not only does it bring out the inner child in me, it also looks so romantic. To make this you will trace&cut out the shape of a tag on your piece of cardboard( i just free handed mine,not too hard). With a white crayon write "Love Notes" or your favorite message. Punch a hole on the top part of your tag with your hole puncher and tie a red ribbon through the hole into a cute bow. Add glitter to your letters by using the glue stick, then sprinkle glitter over the glue. Hot glue it on your box, and your done!!

I on the other hand used this little cutie as a love note drop box for my home! To do the same all you need to do is cut a slit on the top of your box with your box cutter like shown below. I hot glued the love note tag on the upper corner.

This is how it now displays in my home!!! My husband and I have agreed to take a minute each day until Valentines Day, to write a little something for each member in our family. My little one has been dumping drawings and doodles in there all day. Sometimes its the little things that mean a lot more than a huge fancy gift.I'm extremely eager to see what sweet words and drawings I get for Valentines Day! What did you use your box for? It was a pleasure sharing with you!! Have a good one y'all!!