Heart Felt Wreath

{my heart wreath}

With all of the great Valentine ideas shared last week I was inspired to be creative and help celebrate the upcoming holiday. 

I saw the Heart Felt Wreath from The Idea Room last year but the planets didn't align for me to make it then.  I was able to gather the materials this year - red fabric I scored from a friend's stash, a heart shaped wreath and straight pins from JoAnn Fabric a few weeks ago.  We had a few snow days recently and I found myself with time inside and empty hands.  My daughters had fun helping me make this wreath and I know we'll relive that memory each year when we pull the beautiful wreath out of the Valentine box.

I love, love, love my heart wreath!!

I kept thinking if I had another heart shaped wreath I'd make one to give to someone. Share the love this Valentine's Day. 

Paint Sample Notebook from Crab Apple Designs

This adorable Paint Sample Notebook from Crab Apple Designs on Etsy is made from a discarded paint sample card. Inside are 30 sheets of paper with a cardboard backing, all kept together by a silver wire binding across the top. Love it!
This notebook would make a great addition to a little Valentine gift for someone you know, or a great gift by itself to brighten someones day. The Paint Sample Notebooks are available in a variety of beautiful colors.
Priced at $8 (plus $3.50 shipping).

Personalized Kids Monster Valentines Cards

Gotta have a non-heart option for the little guys!  These Monster Valentine Cards come in the two designs pictured above, as a set of 24 cards with a bonus teacher card, and tiffany blue envelopes.  Priced at $18 (plus $2.05 shipping).

Stop by Delightfully Noted on Etsy for other great paper products like these cute Wine Bottle Tags and Apple Teacher Note Cards.

Chocolates, Flowers, and Jewelry: check!

Valentine Week wouldn't be complete unless I featured the three most popular gifts for this holiday -

chocolates (well, caramels): check

flowers: check

now, the jewelry!



On The Mark Necklace  &  Ever After Necklace

  These two sweet necklaces are from Stella & Dot and make the perfect jewelry gift for Valentine's Day.  I'm still offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders placed this week, go here for more details.

 

Handmade Long Stem Paper Flowers

Beautiful Handmade Long Stem Paper Flowers from Bouquets by Selena on Etsy are a wonderful alternative to flowers this Valentine's Day.  They will last much, much longer and don't require water!   Each flower is made from crepe paper and has three leaves.  Did I say they are beautiful?!  Because they truly are.

Sale priced at under $25 (plus $4.99 shipping) and shipped during the first week of February.  Also take a peek at the Short Stem Paper Flowers for $4 - so cute!!

Fleur de Sel Caramels from The Caramel Jar

I'll take a box of caramels over chocolates any day!!  Mmm. 

These Fleur de Sel Caramels from The Caramel Jar on Etsy look so yummy that I want to order them for myself.  Well, I want to order a couple bags for friends and throw an extra bag in for myself ;) !

They would make a great Valentine gift for just about anyone you want to feel special on February 14th - friend, coworker, teachers, babysitter, carpool mom.  Oh, and caramels would make a fun thinking-of-you surprise for someone in your world. 

Priced at $9.50 for a half-pound bag (plus $5.65 shipping).  The Caramel Jar also offers larger amounts for Party Favors and a fabulous Caramel Clubs (yes, please!).

Books For Valentine's Day

Here are some fun books for Valentine's Day for everyone, young to old!

Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton - $6.95

Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond - $6.99

Valentine's Day Disaster by Geronimo Stilton - $6.99

What I Love About You by Kate Marshall and David Marshall - $11.19

I Hate Valentine's Day by Bennett Madison

Make Your Own Valentines Kit from Acarrdian Cards

Want to make your own Valentine cards but don't want the hassle of gathering materials and cutting, cutting, cutting card stock?  Acarrdian Cards on Etsy has the perfect thing for you - a Make Your Own Valentines Kit!  The kit comes with enough pre-cut supplies to make 24 adorable cards.

Priced at $10 (plus $2.95 shipping).  While you are browsing Acarrdian Cards take a peek at the Vintage Inspired Shabby Valentines and the Mini Love Notes.

Valentines Day Typography from Barn Owl Primitives

Looking for a quick and affordable update to your Valentine decorations? 

Snag this Valentine Typography ($4) from one of my favorite Etsy shops - Barn Owl Primitives.  On your next trip to Target pickup a REstyle frame  for about $3 in the 5x7 size and you are set!

You can also pop over to Tatertots and Jello for a Barn Owl Primitives giveaway and snag a similar 5x7 printable for free!

Personalized Kid's Valentine Cards - Peace and Love

How cute are these Peace & Love cards??!  Perfect Valentine cards for the school aged kids!  I think they would work for grownups to exchange as well - so fun!!

You can personalized the inside with you or your child's name and sentiment.  The set includes 25 personalized cards printed on Epson Premium card stock, glassine envelopes, and a beautiful pink or brown stationery box.

Find the Peace and Love set ($20 plus $4.85 shipping) at Very Inviting Paper on Etsy.  While you are there check out the Personalized Valentine Bag and the Love Bird Sings T-shirt.

Personalized Love Owls Valentine's Day Cards for Kids

Oh, I'm loving the owl trend.  These super-cute Owl Valentine Cards are perfect for your little one's preschool class!

Itsy Bitsy Paper on Etsy offers this set of 24 personalized cards along with two teacher cards.  Printed on cardstock, this set includes white envelopes with matching graphic for $20 (plus $3.50 shipping).

Don't miss the Robot set, Monster Truck set, and Love Bug set too!!

Glee The Music: Love Songs

Its National Meet Stella & Dot Week, and its also Valentine week here at Penguin's Gift!  Yay!!  My daughter has been busy thinking of Valentine ideas for about a week now.  I'm glad she reminded me of the February holiday because its not that far away. 

Nothing like great songs to help you feel the love and Glee soundtracks never disappoint.  Glee The Music: Love Songs is only available at Target ($6.99) and features the songs:
Hello, I Love You
The Boy Is Mine
Dream A Little Dream
Tell Me Something Good
Don't Go Breaking My Heart
What I Did For Love

This would make a great gift for any Gleek (like me!) but its also a sweet CD for anyone you want to share the love this Valentine's Day.

Meet Stella & Dot Week {free shipping}

Today kicks off Meet Stella & Dot Week!!! 

Take a moment to learn about Stella & Dot here - because its not *just* about jewelry.

Thinking about making a change for YOU in 2011?  Check out the amazing opportunity that comes along with joining Stella & Dot.

Oh, and of course the jewelry is fabulous!  Stella & Dot has stylish pieces in every price range (starting at under $30) that will add a new look to the clothes you already have.  Adding great jewelry is an easy way to update your wardrobe. 

The Spring/Summer 2011 line launched last week!  See the amazing pieces for yourself.  Lots of versatile pieces that can be worn now with sweaters and tunics, then when the weather warms up they can be worn with tanks and sundresses.  As with every new line Stella & Dot launches, the Spring/Summer line is focused on a great value-for-price ratio while not compromising on style.

I'm doing my part to share the Stella & Dot love by offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders placed through January 28th. 

Go to my Stella & Dot site and gather your wish-list.  Contact me and I'll help you finalize your order.  Or place your order directly through my Stella & Dot site and I'll refund you the shipping charge (either through PayPal or check).

GroopDealz - Valentine's Day Art Prints from A Little Lovely

I've shared my love for GroopDealz before (the perfect mix of daily-deals and Etsy ♥). Today'zDeal is a set of three Valentine prints from A Little Lovely for only $7.50 (plus $2.50 shipping), that is 50% off!

The deal includes:
1 - 8x10 Pink Heart Art Print
1 - 5x7 Purple Subway Art Print
1 - 4x6 I Love You Art Print

These prints would be an easy way to spruce up your Valentine's decor. Just pickup a few white frames at Target and you are set! They would also make a great gift for friends and family! These prints are the perfect way to share a little Valentine's Day love. 

One of the things I love about GroopDealz is you don't have anything to follow up on once you place your order. If the deal is a go your order is shipped to your GroopDealz address in a few business days. Easy peasy!!

Ruffled Scarf from The Pleated Poppy

I love scarves, so when I saw The Pleated Poppy introduce Ruffled Scarves in her cute little shop I about fell off my chair. 

After one too many snow days you'd think I'd be over scarves, sweaters, and boots.  Sweaters and boots ... yes.  Scarves ... no! especially a scarf in this fun green color.  Green is such a great winter-to-spring transition color.

The Pleated Poppy makes these beauties herself using cotton jersey fabric leaving the raw edges, and the triple-gathers create lots of ruffles for a great mix of casual and dressy.  They are priced at $25 (plus shipping). 

Note:  The entire stock of Ruffle Scarves are currently sold out (boo!) but they are sure to make a return soon so if these are on either your wish-list or gift-list keep checking back.  Be sure to follow Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy's blog for shop updates as well as great home and fashion inspiration.

MEpad from LobotoME

Ah, the start of a new year!  Turning the calendar means there is a chance to make things better and brighter in your life.  Lots of people, me included, use the new year to motivate ourselves to become more organized.  In the first two weeks of 2011 I've been busy organizing little areas of our house - the craft bins, the hat/scarf/glove basket, my computer area, etc.  But before I start these little organizing projects I find myself making lists of what I want to do.

I love to write things down.  Even in this age of electronic gadgets that can remind us in an instant of a task I find myself still writing down my to-do list.  And I love having my to-do list on fun, funky, and sometimes inspiring paper.  That is how I discovered MEpad.

MEpad is a cute note pad from LobotoME designed to look just like the screen of an iPad.  I laughed when I read the description: Who needs an iPad when you can have a MEpad. It's always connected, battery never runs out, and all you need is a lead stylus to use it.

The MEpad is a generous 5.5 x 8.5 note pad including 50 sheets and printed on white recycled paper.  Priced at $9.95.  Quantity discounts available when you purchase 3 ($26.95), 5 ($39.95), or 10 ($69.95) MEpads.

This note pad would make a great gift idea for someone who is wishing for an iPad.  Also a great gift for anyone who loves to jot down their lists to keep organized.

Check out LobotoME for the MEpad and lots of other fun note pads!

A Birthday Recap

This past weekend we celebrated my younger daughter's birthday at one of the hugely popular bounce places.  I find it difficult to plan her parties given her birthday is just six days into the new year.  I become overwhelmed with Christmas and all its wonderful distractions that planning a fabulous party doesn't happen.  I have learned to decide on a birthday party place and reserve it in October.  I'd love to have her party at our home but for now 20+ kids *inside* my cozy little home isn't manageable. 

Yet again hodge-podge could be used to describe her party.  There was no theme because neither one of us could think of something inspirational.  I used evite for the invitations to save time and money, and because its so darn easy to keep track of the guest list. 

I thought I'd take the easy road again with the cake and during one of our grocery trips we flipped through the cake design book.  Big mistake!!  She picked a Hannah Montana cake - my daughter has never seen the show or heard her songs.  I pulled out all the stops to get her to switch cake designs, even offering to make bumble bee cupcakes with her at home.  Nothing worked.  So I caved and we enjoyed a yummy Hannah Montana cake just like she wanted.

Now lets talk about the favors!  Another hodge-podge of things yet this combination turned out fantastic.  I found these adorable crayon rolls (pictured above) from Baby Bib and Boot on Etsy.  I like to give something useful as party favors and the crayon rolls were perfect.  Great for tucking away in your bag or car to color-on-the-go.

Heather from Chickabug (on Etsy, and check out her blog - lots of great party inspirations and great Etsy finds) sent me the cutest coloring book to include with the favors.  Big thanks again, Heather!!

I popped the crayon rolls, coloring book, and some candy into white party bags from the craft store.  I used birthday bubble circles from Living Locurto, a free printable that I downloaded over the summer, to festively mark the outside of the party bag and tied the top with a ribbon.  Super cute and fun!!

If you are planning a party be sure to check out the great finds on Etsy.  I honestly don't know how I would plan a party without Etsy!

ETS:  How could I forget to tell you about the applique shirt I made for the birthday girl!?!  I used the tutorial from Totally Smitten Mama to make a birthday number shirt for her and it turned out great ... from a distance, I can see all of my zig-zag stitch mistakes ;).

Style for a Steal {at Stella & Dot}

The Style for a Steal Sale (additional 20% off already reduced sale items) at Stella & Dot was extended through Sunday, January 9th (yay!) so I thought I'd share some great finds with you.  Remember, Valentine's Day isn't that far away.  And why not treat yourself to a little something special!

Maltese Cuff in Black $39 (was $98)

Add this cuff to the basic jeans and a t-shirt combo and you'll have a fabulous finished outfit!

Cross Stamp Necklace $47 (was $79)

This incredibly popular necklace is made by stamping a vintage Italian wax seal into sterling silver (so cool!).  This would make a great Easter gift, and a great First Communion gift as well.

Bloom Flower Ring in Black/Silver $26 (was $44)

I love, love, love this ring!  Great for wearing everyday or out for a fun night out with your girlfriends.

Soiree Pave Bracelet in Coral $16 (was $29)

Add a little color to the dark winter days with this beautiful bracelet. 

Have a little girl?  Check out the Little Girl Style for a Steal.  You can have matching Mother/Daughter coral bracelets for just $24!



Everyday Mugs {from Crate and Barrel}

I want new crisp white mugs.  There I said it, and I feel a little better now. ;)

I realized during Christmas brunch that we have a hodge-podge of mugs and I'm ready to enter the grown-up world of having nice matching mugs for my guests.  I'm eying these Everyday Mugs by Crate and Barrel ($2.95 each).  They are not so big my kids can't enjoy a reasonably sized cup of hot chocolate on cold, snowy days.  And not too small like the mugs that came with our dishes (Pfaltzgraff dishes I bought in college, I can't believe we haven't needed to upgrade yet!).

I am not the only one wanting new, matching mugs!  Pair 2 (or 4 or 6 or 8) of these mugs with a yummy hot chocolate mix, or an assortment of teas, or their favorite coffee and you have a wonderful winter gift.

ETA:  My wonderful sister gave me a set of eight of these Everyday Mugs as a thank-you gift.  I love them!  We've used them for hot chocolate and coffee.  Big, big thanks again!!