Looking for a Cute Free Baby Shower Gift?

This is the easiest baby gift to make and its one that I promise you that your mom-to-be will treasure!

First I search for a darling vintage background. It helps even more if you happen to know the theme of the nursery for the baby to be.

In this case, my friend was using neutral colors with a vintage flair for her baby boy. Lots of baby blues, creams and touches of brown.

So I knew I wanted to find a background with those hues in it. I did a search on google for vintage fabric, vintage wallpapers.

Eventually I found a beautiful bird scene. It isn't vintage but it was 'retro' inspired...[another great search word for google]

Once I found the background I liked, I saved it as a GIF since it is the best for non-photograph art. (Think graphics).
A great site that explains the differences as to which way to best use a file format go to http://www.sitepoint.com/article/gif-jpg-png-whats-difference/

Then I searched for an image that I wanted to use over the graphic. In this case, I have chosen a vintage nursery rhyme.

I use a program like Photoshop to enhance the colors of the image. In this case, I brightened the pink hues and I darkened the browns. I made the graphic of the nursery rhyme a little transparent so the colors of the background could peek through.

I open the graphic background first. Next I open the nursery rhyme art. I merge the two images into one and viola...I have a beautiful piece of art ready to print.

It is best to take your image to a store like Staples or Office Depot to have it professionally printed but I have found that my own printer does a pretty good job itself. Just make sure you use an acid free heavy card stock to print on. (50 lb is the quality I most prefer).

Then find a great vintage frame to put your work of art in and you have a one of a kind baby gift that will melt the heart of the parents to be!

This was my final creation, feel free to print and use:

Enjoy!

Some of my Vintage Valentine loves

(Vintage Candy Tin from the 1940's)

I love holidays.

My four children all have birthdays at or on Holidays so I get an extra reason to decorate!

Jonathan, my oldest, was born the morning after Valentines Day. Justin, the middle child was born a few weeks before Halloween. My babies, Tate & Ashton were born on Christmas Eve (Ashton) and New Years Eve (Tate).

It has become a tradition to always decorate our home especially during the holidays that a birthday is nearing.

Valentine decor doesn't have to just consist of hearts & stuffed animals.

My favorite Valentine decor is vintage candy boxes, vintage dolls, vintage valentines framed in small frames and anything that is vintage red or pink works beautifully.



Here is my mantle. I hope in the future to add to my Nancy Ann doll collection as well as buying some mechanical 3 dimensional valentines from the 1900's.



Enjoy!










(My 'Queen of Hearts' Nancy Ann doll)

The Online Shoppers Bible

I have discovered an online answered prayer for serious deal shoppers!



Its a blog named BussBuss and it has the stores, links and sales that girls need to know!



The reviews are pretty awesome too.....click this link & enjoy!

Vintage Valentines

Valentines Day is just around the corner!

I just cannot get into the "new" style Valentines that fold over & seal. I think they are ugly and they are not very creative! When I was young and you got a valentines day card you could tell who was "crushing" on you & who wasn't! =)

So, last year my daughter & son made handmade valentines to hand out to classmates.

It was much easier to do that I thought it would be.

I did a google search for"vintage valentine" and selected and saved about 20 designs.

I printed the designs onto heavy cardstock. We cut them out and then added glitter and ribbons.

We purchased invitation envelopes to slip the valentines into.

It was a lot of work but so much fun! Nothing beats a valentine from the 50-60's era!

Golden Books also has a wonderful Valentine kit you can purchase for around $10.00.

It features punch out vintage valentine favorites.

Fred Flare also sells a vintage valentine kit for $8.

Very cute!

Spring Cleaning in January

Christmas seems to come & go faster every year! I don't know about you, but when it's time for my four children to head back to school following the two week holiday break....I'm ready!

Its hard to clean around Christmas. I have learned its best to try & be happy with a straightened home during Christmas time.

As soon as the kids return to school I begin the arduous task of de-Christmas'ing my house.

I am very particular about how I take ornaments down so its better that my kids are in school and hubby is at work as I begin the long process.

This is also a good time to truly clean my home. Since everything is being dusted and washed I take extra time cleaning the carpets, washing the curtains, cleaning the blinds. My house gets an entire cleaning.

So for me, spring cleaning comes in January.

What I have found handy is to keep a plastic handled container stocked with my cleaning essentials. I can carry it easily from room to room.

Happy 2009!