Showing posts with label Valentines Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Valentines Day. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

VALENTINES DAY GARLAND DIY

When parties and holidays come around it has become a little tradition of mine to make and hang a festive garland in my home. Today I took some time to put together a cute little Valentines Day garland for our dining room window. 

Would you like to make one too? I knew you would!! This is what I did. 
 Supplies:
  • Burlap
  • Acrylic paint
  • small paintbrush
  • scissors
  • heart shaped template
  • yarn
  • cardstock paper
  • ruler
  • pencil

1. I made a hand drawn banner template using cardstock paper, ruler and pencil. Then I used it to cut out my burlap banner pieces. 2. I placed a plastic heart template on the piece of burlap. 3. I painted a heart on each piece of burlap using pink acrylic paint. 4. After I painted and allowed the burlap banner sheets to dry. I folded the top of the fabric and sewed it onto the yarn with a scalloped stitch. It can also be hand-sewn or hot glued.   
When I finished sewing all the banner sheets onto the yarn, I hung it in place and attached paper flowers made from coffee filters that I had made weeks before. You on the other hand can use artificial flowers from the dollar store. Or you can make your own paper flowers twisting the coffee filter and dipping it into alcohol ink. 
 And done!! How freaken cute is that!! 
Have fun Crafting!! Don't forget to stop by and share your beautiful creation, I would love to see!!

XO, NANCY!! 

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

VALENTINES DAY WREATH

 Ever since I moved to Ft. Campbell I've fallen in love with living near the woods and having so much nature around me. And since nature is so beautiful and free I've also sort of became obsessed with bringing it into my home. Especially around the holiday time!  

Valentines Day is around the corner and my door was needing a wreath. I thought it would be genius to use a few red berry branches from the little "Harbor Belle" shrub on the side of my house, with thoughts to create something crafty for our front door.      
 I came up with a very cute idea to make a heart shaped wreath using simple and handy supplies. 

This is what I used:
  • Free Red Berry branches from the (Harbor Belle shrub) 
  • Free wire hanger
  • floral wire
  • wire cutters
First I bent the wire hanger into the shape of a heart. Yes I know my heart looks cuckoo, bending that thing was way harder than it looks OKAY!! Second, I placed one small berry branch on one side of the heart and attached it to the hanger using floral wire. From there I kinda just overlapped and attached the berry branches all around the heart/hanger until I was happy.  
And now the finished wreath is hanging on the Casa Rivera's front door looking fab from a pink and white ribbon!! I just love nature and these little red berries, they're the cutest!!! On another note...I hope your hearts come out better than mine. Love Ya!!

XO, NANCY!! 


Friday, February 14, 2014

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!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

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!

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

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!

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

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!

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


Monday, February 10, 2014

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!!

Sunday, February 9, 2014

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