Everyday Beauty

Heart Mail

I found this pretty scrapbook paper at my local craft shop, and I'm loving the colors and prints. I used it, along with some lace-printed wrapping paper, to wrap up this small gift for a Valentine. It was mailed yesterday; I hope it makes it there in time. February is nearly half over, which is amazing! A simple cut heart on the back of the package and into the mailbox it goes! Don't you just love Valentine's Day with all it's hearts and pink and love?

Blue Sky

I thought I'd follow up the Pink Sky post with this one about Blue Sky Soda. Do you know about this yummy beverage? I am not a soda drinker, but I do like the occassional fizz in my drink. Usually we've got a few bottles of Pellegrino Limonata or Aranciata chilling, but this is a tasty alternative too. And look how pretty the cans are! None of the bad stuff is in here (high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, preservatives), it's just white tea, carbonated filtered water, sugar and natural flavors. And did I mention how pretty the cans are? How cute these would be in a tub of ice at a summer party. Just thought I'd share!

Pink Sky

Oh my goodness, I missed a few days, didn't I!  Lots going on at Villa Singarella, and I figured I'd wait 'til I had a pretty picture to show you. This pink sunrise greeted me the other morning. I sipped coffee and relaxed while I watched the sky. Just for a moment, until the rest of the house woke up. Then it was: pack lunches, make breakfast, dispense vitamins, comb crazy chicken hair, get them all dressed, bundle in coats and hats, and out the door we go! But this one little peaceful moment of quietness was a nice way to start a fresh new day.

Soup Love

The beginning of vegetable soup this afternoon. I found the heart-shaped wooden spoon in Target's dollar section. A reminder to cook with love!

Tea and PBS

Sometimes all you need is a cup of hot tea and PBS. Tonight, Sense and Sensibility is on. Tomorrow it's a new episode of Downton Abbey. I finally just broke down and ordered seasons 1 and 2 from Amazon.

So, it's off to the sofa I go, tea in hand, flannel jammies on, hair in a messy bun, glasses on, cozy. My husband will pretend to watch it with me for 5 minutes, then he'll go grab the hockey magazine he just bought at the grocery store tonight. :-)

Hope you have a cozy evening!

Inspiration: Taffy

Just had to share the pretty palette of this taffy with you. Why I love pastel candies so much, I'll never know. But I do. It's a bit of an obsession actually.

There's inspiration in these soft colors, and suddenly I want to go scrounge through my craft room and make something in these tones. Another fabric heart maybe? A wreath for the front door? A hair clip for Sofia (or me!)? Maybe even a little watercolor play? I'm not sure just yet, but something must be done!

A Mother's Love Necklace

A dear friend of mine has spent the past several weeks taking care of her very ill daughters. As mothers, we often tend to put ourselves last, most especially when our children are sick. Being so far away, I thought endlessly about what I could do to reach out to her and offer support. I ordered a few meals to be delivered to the house, but I really wanted to make her something as well. This Mother's Love Necklace sort of came together one evening, and it seemed like a gift she would enjoy. The two letters are the initials of her daughters' nicknames, and the silver locket keeps their pretty faces close at heart. Happily, the girls are doing much better now, which is the greatest gift of all.

Lingerie Hearts (in progress)

Happy February! I thought maybe I would post something love/heart/pink-related every single day this month. Do you think I can do it? I am not so sure, but I'm gonna try. It would be a record breaker for me. I've been blogging since 2007, (it will be 5 years this week) and I have not reached 500 posts yet! Geez....

In other news, I am participating in a fabric heart exchange, hosted by Danielle, and the photo above is a peek at my hearts in progress. They are actually finished now and in the mail, so I'll post more pictures soon. I used old laces, scraps of velvets and pieces of old lingerie (a favorite indulgence). Old lingerie has beautiful detailing and is often trimmed in ruffles, ruching and other foofy bits, so it worked well for these romantic little trifles. I am looking forward to receiving hearts from the other girls in the mail. You know I love me some hearts, and I definitely love good mail!

Spring on the Sill

Snow might be covering the ground outside, but Spring is here on my kitchen windowsill. There's nothing like a plant or two to brighten a room!

Simple Stitched Tote

 
You might remember from previous posts that my son Mario loves balloons. When he was 4, balloons were the only thing he would draw. (Thankfully, he's moved on to other subjects!) I had saved some of the drawings and decided to preserve his innocent little artwork on fabric. Here is his original drawing on paper:    
                                          

This project is very simple, and I wanted to share the steps with you in case your kids are growing up too fast, right before your eyes like mine are. First, I layed a piece of white linen on top of the artwork, taped both layers to a sunny window and traced the drawing onto the fabric with a washable fabric transfer pen. Then I took the drawing to the craft store and matched up the colors with embroidery floss.

Using a simple backstitch I transformed his sweet artwork into a stitched keepsake for him. I folded in the edges of the fabric about a 1/2", pressed them down and sewed the linen onto a canvas tote bag that he now uses for his piano lesson books. He's 7 now and loves his new bag, but he did tell me I should have made his balloons look rounder. Of course, the wobbly shapes drawn by his 4-year old hands are exactly the reason I saved the picture in the first place.