5 Valentines Day Pin(terest)-Wins!

If you haven't taken a minute to scroll through and visit some of the incredible Pinterest projects that were linked up during this week's Dog Days {of Winter} Are Over Project Challenge, you must do so right now. 

Okay, not right now but right after you finish reading this post. I am in awe of the blogging community's creativity! Not only did you all find some great pins to share but you've inspired me to try and recreate a few crafts, recipes and I may even try to paint up a rug! Craziness, I tell you! 

I wanted to take some time today to feature a few great projects that would undoubtedly sweeten your Valentine's Day! First up we have this adorable heart map by Life In Eight. 

Gaby writes, "First I did a print-screen of the city in Google maps but hubby thought it would look better with a map that would look more like the real paper ones so we found this Michelin website with maps we both liked. I used Photoshop for creating the canvas in the size of the frame, cropping the heart shape and adding the two little red hearts but Photoshop is not strictly necessary, you could also print out the map and then cut the shape you want." I just love this and think that it might make for a cute addition to our brand new Rustic Shelves! 

Next up is this adorable ombre cake from Ethne and Women On A Mission that, although initially baked for a baby shower, would make for a cute little love day dessert! Ethne writes, "So, as I observed on the Pintester’s site the other day, while most of Pinterest appears to be pins geared to make us feel worthless at painting our nails, baking, cooking, throwing parties, getting married, affording clothes and decorating our homes, there are a few things here or there that we can do!  And look, I’ve picked an ombre that actually can be done -- and doesn’t just look like your hair-color grow-out is too long and your roots just really need to be touched up!!"

This next Pin-Win is something that I've wanted to tackle for the longest time but just haven't mustered up the courage to do so! I'm just so afraid it will a) take forever and b) not look anything like the original but Worth Pinning shares this beautiful Valentine's Day Coffee Filter Wreath that is just to die for. I mean look at it! However she does admit that it is quite a bit time-consuming. 

She writes, "I like how this wreath turned out for Valentine's Day, but I can't say I'd make another coffee filter wreath any time soon." I will say that it was absolutely worth the burnt fingers and possible four-letter words! Love it! 

Kate from The Cutting Back Kitchen shared an easy DIY for this adorable felt heart wreath and I just love the pop of pink that it adds to her mantle!

Last but not least, Mary from Building Simple Blog shares her tutorial for a simliar felt wreath but also incorporates it into an adorable mantle display that's just perfect for February! 

Mary writes, "I have seen a similar method done on other blogs to make a heart-shaped wreath.  While hearts really aren't my thing, I loved that the wreath had a ton of texture and it looked easy enough.  It really was easy!"

So, do you think I have time to squeeze each of these projects in before Valentine's Day? That cake would taste just divine with a side of bubbles and if you've been reading long enough you know I have a serious obsession with wreaths! Throw in that adorable Heart Map for our brand new shelves and I think that maybe, just maybe, the M household would be ready for Love Day! Thanks so much for sharing such fantastic Pin-Wins, ladies! 

Don't forget to visit each of my co-hosts blogs over the course of the next few days as they will be sharing their favorites from the Make It challenge! 

Tonya from Love of Family & Home

Jennifer from The Francis Family Blog

Mandy from House of Rose

Jennifer from Blissfully Ever After

Jaime from Crafty, Scrappy, Happy

Taryn from Design, Dining & Diapers

Carmel from Our Fifth House

Liz from Liz Marie Blog 

Share The Love, $100 Minted Stationery Credit Giveaway

It's no secret that I love love. It's also no secret that I love stationery so when the occasion presents itself to send pretty little love notes to all of our friends and family, I immediately turn to Minted for a design that will really get them talking. 

If you haven't already noticed, I am smitten with Minted. So much in fact that I've worked with them on a number of projects including Christmas cards, business cards, mommy calling cards, personal note cards not only for myself but also each of the boys and most recently, I placed my order with them for this year's Valentines. If repeat customer service isn't an indication of a great company, I don't know what is. 

I know I'm not the only mom out there who gets excited over a holiday that allows her to stick disgustingly adorable pictures of her kids onto cards and send them out to family and friends both near and far and with Christmas already behind us, what better occasion to do so than Valentines Day? 

With a plethora of card stock and design options, I dare you to visit their website and not find something you love. Photo valentines, classroom valentines, Valentine party decor, gifts and even individual valentines are just some of the awesome options available this year. How stinking cute are these classroom valentines? 

Minted's Classroom Valentines are the perfect size to be handed out in your child's classroom. With bright, fun colors and age-appropriate pictures and sayings, these are the perfect little cards for all of your little one's schoolroom friends. 

Perhaps you're looking for that perfect picture card. Before I share with you some of my favorite designs, take a look at last year's design that graced the refrigerators and desks of our family and friends worldwide. 

With a variety of paper options, style, photo orientation and even different shapes to choose from, the possibilities are almost endless. Some of my favorite designs this year include: 

Since I love each of you enough to partner with Minted for a special $100 credit giveaway, I'll even share with you this year's Valentine design. There was just something about the mint stripes and the washi tape that had me at hello. I cannot wait to seal the envelopes and drop these pretty little love-filled notes into the mailbox!

To enter the giveaway, use the easy Rafflecopter widget below. All opinions expressed above were honest and my own. Although I received product in exchange for my review, I did not receive financial compensation. This giveaway ends Sunday, February 3rd. Good Luck!

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Blogs I Read, Social Links, Saying Hi and More!

1. What blogs do you visit daily? Please list 1-3 of your favorites.

OK, BA, for her hilarious wit and snark. 
Life. Edited.  for her soul-tapping words.
Motley Mama for her incredible way of writing life and pretty pictures. 

2. Are you on Instagram? If so, what is your user name?

Of course. Find me here. 

3. Can we find you on Pinterest? What's your Pinterest address, and what can we expect to see you pinning most? (recipes, DIY projects, home decor, etc.)

I'm a pinning fool right here. I pin anything from tasty cocktails to fantastic DIYs to new ideas for home decor. Not to mention that I host a weekly Pinterest link up known as Hey, That's Pin-tastic!

4. What are your favorite blog link-ups to participate in? (weekly link-ups other bloggers have...any number will do...please link us to them!)

After having never hosted a link-up a day in my blogging life, I'm now the proud host of Hey, That's Pin-tastic and co-host of The Dog Days {of Winter} Are Over, Project Challenge (which wraps up next week but has had over 600 wonderful, creative, inspirational participants since it started! Seriously, go check out all of their projects!) 

The only other link-ups I really enjoy reading are So What Wednesday, Fashionista Friday which is pretty cute and I would totally participate if I ever got dressed during the week and one of my all-time favorite V-log link-ups, Stop And Smell The Roses, with Mandy over at House of Rose which resumes February 6th! 

5. Why do you blog?

Because I have to. Because it's become such an intergral way for me to document and share our lives that I'm not quite sure what I would do without it. Surely, I would at least forget my children's milestones and "who did what, when." I've also connected with so many awesome friends, some of which I cannot wait to see again at Blissdom in March!

6. Tell us one random fact about yourself.

I've been wearing glasses since the ripe ol' age of two and my most memorable pair that I picked out all by myself and swore up and down, left and right that I just had to have? Were highly reminiscent of Sally Jesse Rafael's giant red-rimmed wonders. True story.

Rustic Pallet Shelves :: Dog Days {Of Winter} Are Over Project Challenge Link-Up Party!

When we first moved into our house, the wall behind the sectional in our family gathering room remained bare for months on end. It's an awkwardly long wall that should really be divided into sections when it comes to decor purposes however without two or even three noticeably distinct "sections" at the moment, it's been quite the difficult space to decorate. Not only does the sectional take up space along this wall but a spare changing table as well as my parsons desk also lie along this wall, neither of which is a permanent fixture in this room. 

I'm so happy that I stumbled upon a pin for some gorgeous pallet shelves and had a husband who was more than willing to help tackle this Pinterest project. There was no way he could turn down a chance to use a circular saw and nail gun, that's for sure! To see more of the tutorial and how I staged our shelves, click here. 

Welcome to week THREE of the Dog Days {of Winter} Are Over Project Challenge! This week we challenged you to pick one pin from your pin boards and MAKE IT! I cannot wait to see what you've come up with and I'm sure I'll be finding even inspiration from your projects. 

Don't forget, you need to only link up with one blog to be seen on ALL NINE! Be sure to grab your coffee and browse through the linked up posts below and don't forget to come back next week for our "LOVE IT" challenge! 

DIY Rustic Pallet Shelves

When we first moved into our house, the wall behind the sectional in our family gathering room remained bare for months on end. It's an awkwardly long wall that should really be divided into sections when it comes to decor purposes however without two or even three noticeably distinct "sections" at the moment, it's been quite the difficult space to decorate. Not only does the sectional take up space along this wall but a spare changing table as well as my parsons desk also lie along this wall, neither of which is a permanent fixture in this room. 

About year ago I hung a few black shelves smack dab in the middle of the wall and staged them with pictures of our family and a few other tchotkes. I loved that set up for a whole month or two before I started begging the husband to take them down and patch the holes in the wall so that I could start with a fresh space. 

And then I was back at square one. For months and months that wall sat bare until I stumbled across these pallet shelves on Pinterest. I loved the rustic, weathered look to them and the way the design really fit in with the vibe of our kitchen which also happens to be attached to our family gathering room. 

Source: thefancy.com via Krista on Pinterest

I quickly bookmarked the pin on my phone and sent a screenshot of the picture to my husband. Although I could probably power-tool it up with the best of them, I knew this one was better left to the "professional" in our marriage. Immediately he responded with how "cool" he thought they were and that's when I knew I had him roped in to Project Pallet Shelves. 

Thankfully the TV that my husband gifted himself for Christmas arrived shortly after oh, you guessed it, a pallet! We were all set to start hitting up local hardware stores to see if they had any to spare and lo and behold one was delivered right to our doorstep. It was fate. 

One pallet yielded three of the shelves we made and not a single piece of pallet wood was left. For the bottom of two of the shelves, my husband ripped down two strips of half-inch plywood to fit the bottoms whereas with one shelf he was able to fit in the last of the pallet itself. 

For this project you will need a circular saw and 16-gauge finishing nail gun. With the particular pallet that we used, we were able to make two of the shelves from each end of the pallet. The middle was then deconstructed and reconstructed to match the two ends. I did not take step-by-step pictures because a) my husband built them and b) someone had to watch our kids. 

You can find a better tutorial for the actual construction here. Once the shelves were finished, I stained them with MinWax English Chestnut stain by simply pouring a little of the stain onto a rag and then just rubbing it into the wood along the grain. Because I was going for a bit more "rustic" look, I chose a chestnut-hue although I was very close to choosing a weathered grey stain but didn't like how it looked when I tried a little test spot on the back of the shelves! 

Needless to say I am obsessed with the final product and I think I've finally found a more permanent fixture for that awkward wall! 

I cannot believe this is already week THREE of the Dog Days {of Winter} Are Over Project Challenge! I've had such fun challenging myself each week with something new to work on, I'll be so sad when it's over! This week we challenged you to pick one project from your Pinterest pin board and "MAKE IT!" I cannot wait to see what you've all come up with- I'm so inspired by your creativity and craftiness each week! In fact, I may have several projects on the back burner inspired by some of the incredible projects that have been linked up. 

Be sure to check back here tomorrow to link up your projects! Remember, you only need to link up with one blog to have your project seen on all NINE of the hosts! So grab your coffee and your Honey-Do list and head back here tomorrow morning to see what everyone has been up to! 

additionally linking this post up here with The Better Mom 
and here with Uncommon Designs.

Jalapeno Chicken and Corn Chowder :: Hey, That's Pin-tastic!

As the temps around here drop lower and lower I can't think of much else other than comfort food that I want to cook in the kitchen. Whether it be baked, breaded or fried, I'm all about hearty, hot and delicious dinners that keep our family feeling warm from the inside out. 

Last week I had the bright idea to try making a chowder in the crock pot. I had frozen chicken breast, a can of Cream of Celery soup and some frozen corn to start with and I knew these three ingredients would make the perfect base for some type of chicken and corn chowder.

As I began turning to Pinterest and the Internet for a recipe, I wasn't "wow'd" by what I found not to mention that with each recipe I stumbled on, I was missing at least 1 or 2 key ingredients and I wasn't about to throw the kids in the car and run out to the store. 

So? I made it up as I threw one ingredient after another into the crock pot and the result? Delicious. So, so delicious and perfect for those cold nights! 

What You'll Need: 

4 chicken breast, mine just happened to be frozen

1 can Cream of Celery Soup

2c chicken broth

2c half and half

1 stick unsalted butter

1 bag frozen sweet corn

4 red potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 small can diced chiles, drained

1 small can sliced jalapenos, I de-seeded most of mine but you can leave the seeds for an extra kick. 

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Frank's Hot Sauce, to taste

flour, as needed to thicken chowder 

Mexican shredded cheese, to taste

What You'll Do: 

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper before laying them in the bottom of your crock pot. In a separate mixing bowl, broth, soup, and half and half. 

2. Stir in your frozen corn, cubed potatoes, chiles and jalapenos. As I mentioned earlier, I de-seeded most of my jalapenos. This rendered the chowder not spicy at all. The next time I make this, I will leave more of the seeds intact for a little kick!

3. Pour mixture over your chicken and cook on high 4-6 hours. 

4. At the 4 hour mark, remove chicken from crock pot, shred and return to crock pot. Add your stick of butter by slicing it into even pads and placing it into the pot. If your chowder appears too water-y after returning the shredded chicken, add 3-4 tablespoons of flour to thicken and stir.

5. Turn your crock pot to low and allow to cook for another hour. Again, if chowder continues to appear water-y add flour to thicken.    

Serve chowder piping hot with hot sauce and shredded Mexican cheese to taste. I prefer to be a little heavy-handed with both! And of note? It's even better when warmed the next day! 

Husband-approved and a definite addition to our winter comfort meal rotation! 

Welcome to Week 17 of Hey, That's Pin-tastic, a weekly link-up that encourages you to choose one pin from your pin-boards and bake, make, create or decorate it! Most of all, DO IT! 

Once done, grab the official button, write about it and come back here and share your pin-wins and pin-fails! Each post that includes the button (or a link back to ILYMTC) will be pinned to the Hey, That's Pin-tastic pin board with over 3,399 followers! Holy Pinterest, that's a lot of exposure! 

I can't wait to see what you've been pinning and doing lately! See you next Monday!

It's High/Low Time!

Last week I shared a little something on Facebook and I'm sure most of you've heard of it or practiced it around the dinner table one time or another. It's where you come together and share your highs and lows whether they be of the day or that week. 

Over 70 of you shared your week's high/low and I both laughed and cried along with you, although I mostly laughed into my champagne. 

Your lows also had me feeling much, much better about myself! I kid. Well, sort of. So? Long story short it's back again. Click the above graphic and head over to the ILYMTC Facebook page and chime in. Don't have Facebook? Go ahead and share them below in the comments section!

Have a great weekend!

The Kind Of Day That Warrants Four Letter Words and Alcohol Before 10am.

Yesterday was one of those days. You know what kind of day I'm talking about. Specifically the kind of day that has you muttering four letter words and yearning for a stiff drink all before 10am. I hate yesterday and I'm so glad that today is today. 

Let's rewind, shall we?

The day started when I had to wake up at an ungodly hour to shower before getting Mac ready for his 9am pediatrician appointment. It's one thing to walk around my house looking like a homeless vagrant but its another to bring your kid to the pediatrician looking like you belong on a commercial with Sara McLaughlin singing melancholy songs in the background. 

By the grace of God I'm finally on the board somewhere between Ragged Mom of Two and Stepford Housewife, obviously much closer to the former than the latter,  and we're out the door with a minute to spare. The husband stayed behind with Carter so that I wouldn't have to constantly tell Carter to stop licking the carpet lest he want to come down with a case of the Bubonic Plague. 

Silver lining?

Our appointment goes swimmingly. Maclane is growing and thriving. Despite being a picky eater I find solace in the fact that there's hope I won't be nursing him until he enters kindergarten. The pediatrician pokes fun at his amber teething necklace and I asked her if she'd like to come to my house only between the hours of 1 and 3am to deal with the cranky teething baby and if she declines than she can just shove her un-funny snide remarks about "where's the chunky hippie baby's patchouli stick?"

Three shots and a screaming baby later, Maclane is stuffed like last week's sausage back into his car seat and I'm rushing to meet The Husband back at the house who is practically going to throw Carter through my open window as I pull into the driveway. So, that's how that feels huh? I had asked The Husband to dress Carter so that I could pick him up and head back out to pick up some diapers because, once again, we're down to two size 6s and I can't have a repeat "Holy shit, we're out of diapers" moment this month. After pulling in the driveway, I quickly run into the house to make sure that Carter is wearing matching clothes even though we're only headed to Walmart. 

The house smells deliciously of bacon and I'm a little sad that I missed a hot breakfast with my boys. Thankfully I spy two tantalizing pieces on counter and promise them I will come back for them later once diapers are in-hand. 

As we're trucking along on our way to Walmart, of course my gas light goes on so I pull into the nearest station to brave the one degree temps and quickly fill my tank. Frostbitten and cursing while trying to catch my breath, I hop back into the car once my tank is full and turn the key in the ignition. 

Nothing. So much nothing. Silence. 

No. No. No. You can't do this to me. I need diapers and it's freezing outside and I'm stuck at a gas station and there's bacon waiting for me! 

Silence. 

Fuckballs. My battery died at the gas pump. Its a good thing I threw on my big girl panties this morning before heading out to the pediatrician. Who knew I would need them to march into the little gas mart and ask for a jump? Well, I didn't need them. Because when I walked into the little quick check, the gas attendant may as well have been Abe Lincoln's mother. 

We're talking pushing about 110 years old here. 

I kindly inform her that I'm stuck at number 8 but that I've called my husband and I'll be out of the way shortly. I had to repeat myself nearly a dozen times because Mother Time's hearing aid must've been low on battery. 

Oh the irony. 

Just as the boys start nearing Meltdown Central and I've sung more nursery rhymes than should be legal at 10am, my knight in shining Under Armour arrives to jump my car. Now's probably a great time to tell you that yesterday was our 10 year anniversary. Ten years ago in a dark dorm room at Villanova (watch yourself, this is not where this is going) a wild-haired, blue-eyed fraternity brother asked me to be his girlfriend. A decade later and there he was jump starting my car in a gas station parking lot while our two kids screamed from the backseat. 

I bet that's not quite where he thought he would be ten years from that day. 

After several minutes of him yelling at me from the frigid cold "NOT YET! OKAY NOW! ASHLEY PAIGE, I SAID NOW!" I was up and running and ready to take on Walmart. Except I couldn't because I would need to leave my car running for a bit longer. Which meant that my husband who had to rush home from a meeting to jump start my car would have to take off to Walmart for me and grab the diapers. 

I know. I know. There's a mail service for this exact reason. I've already signed up for it again for the 30th time. Speaking of diapers, somewhere between my fourth and twenty-fourth nursery rhyme, I could hear Maclane having a blowout. If you're a mom, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I could literally hear the shit creeping up from the top of his diaper halfway up his back. 

Well, at least I could get home and enjoy my bacon. 

I pull in the driveway, unload the kids from the car and we fight our way through the one degree temps back into the house. Literally before even putting the car seat carrier down I head over to the counter for a piece of heavenly bacon. 

Except there is no bacon. Sheepie had hoisted his 110lbs up onto the counter and eaten the two slices of bacon I had waited my whole morning for. Now, Sheepie don't hoist. He's a big dog. Big dogs have sissy hips. Well, ain't no sissy hips coming between Sheepie and his bacon. 

He ate my fucking bacon. 

And that's about the time when I opened a bottle of champagne, mixed up a mimosa, changed Maclane's blowout diaper and sat on the couch with my morning cocktail and a dark chocolate Klondike bar. 

Take that yesterday. Take that. 

Bedtime Buddy Bust.

Unlike my toddler, the baby insists on falling asleep to noise. Whether it be of the white variety or musical lullabies, something must always be playing while he's trying to soothe himself to sleep. 

Recently we welcomed Nuby's Bedlite Buddies the bee into our rotation. With a soft plush body and soft plastic BPA-free face, this little toy is perfect for cuddling. With a few different play settings, the Bedlite Buddy can be set to play music while glowing for only a few seconds in "demo mode", a short bit longer in "play mode" as well as a no-music option for a silent glow in "glow mode." 

Nuby recommends this toy for babies 6+ months and as you can see, Mac at 6 months old, loves nothing more than to gnaw all over him.  As I mentioned earlier, his soft plush body and soft plastic BPA-free face allow for safe chewing.

This toy does have an easily accessible Velcro closure on its back that houses the battery compartment. Although Maclane may not be able to access it now, I can guarantee without a doubt that tiny inquisitive toddler hands would have no problem getting that Velcro open and getting into the battery box. It is because of this reason that I don't think I would allow this toy to be used without adult supervision. 

 

 

In order to activate the music one must press or "hug" the Bedlite buddy's belly. Once pressed, the music and glow will only activate for a few seconds. At bed time this is particularly unnerving as it constantly needs to be pressed/hugged in order to play.

In contrast, most of our other bedtime noise and light-makers activate for at least 45 minutes. For bedtime-assisting toys, I know there's a fine line between being annoying and being helpful but although the music of the Bedlite Buddy isn't too loud or overpowering, I do wish it both played and glowed for a bit longer. 

In the above picture you'll notice the Bedlite Buddy's face is illuminated. When illuminated in a completely dark room it is bright enough to soothe but not too bright that you worry it will negatively affect bedtime. 

 

Although Mac loves his Bedlite Buddy, I don't think we'll be using it for bedtime any time soon. Adorably soft but with an important safety concern and both music and lights that could stay on just a bit longer, I think this is one toy we'll save for a rainy day and careful supervision. 

Disclaimer: I receive no financial compensation for this post. As an official member of the Nuby Mommy Blogger panel, I received this item in exchange for my honest review as expressed above.  

I Am Not Okay With This, This Growing Up Bit.

I am not okay with this, this growing up of the kids bit. 

I don't know what it is about these last several days but I swear to god it seems as if I've blinked and literally each of my children has grown leaps and bounds. 

Yesterday afternoon I walked into Maclane's nursery after I heard him stirring from his nap to find sitting up in his crib. Judging by the look on his face I'm not quite sure who was more surprised at the moment, he or I. For those of you not keeping count, he just turned seven months old. Didn't I just schedule my C-section to have him yesterday? 

Carter, on the other hand, has just exploded into little boy-dom. Too many times I find myself staring at him slacked-jawed in utter wonderment. How in the world has my chunky 9 pound 10 ounce baldy morphed into this beautifully lean and exceptionally tall, wild-haired boy? Verbally he is picking up new words and phrases by the hour, something that up until late had me a bit concerned if we're being honest. Most recently he runs around the house rocketing his slender index finger into the air exclaiming, "AH HA! I get it!" and when he isn't doing that he's constantly checking his watch as if he could possibly be running late for some super important event in his Toddler World. When  prompted for the time he matter-of-factly states, with a finger to his lip mind you, "Hmm. Let's see. Not night-night time!" 

He is so, so funny. And so sensitive. But so funny.  

More than that, however, his demeanor and the way he carries himself has changed. It's that he looks and acts so much older than the day before. 

I am not okay with this, this growing up of the kids bit. I thought I would be ok. 

With each milestone that Carter hit as a baby, I would wildly celebrate it and secretly look forward to the next one. I couldn't wait for him to start solids, to sit up, to crawl. With each milestone that Maclane tackles, I find myself near tears, willing time to slow down. I've written before about how I can't be done having babies yet but despite that desire for just one more more, I can't help but mourn the loss of a small bit of Maclane's baby-hood as he overcomes those milestones one by one. 

It's not that I'm not excited for him it's just that I wish it would slow down. I wish I didn't feel the need to hold my eyelids open lest I blink and miss one more second of their little-ness. 

I am not okay with this, this growing up of the kids bit. And something tells me it's only going to get worse. 

Pinterest Parties & Sweet Custom Girl's Valentines Outfit Giveaway!

We're excited to be back on I Love You More Than Carrots this month! 
We're also excited to share a fun event with you.  We're hosting our first virtual Pinterest Night. 
Julie & I started a Pinterest Night in our town 1 year ago. We decided we'd love invite all of our friends around the country to join in this time.  This Sunday night (Jan 27th), it's party time!
Join us on our blog at 9pm EST

We'll be making heart shaped garland, taco pizza & DIY scratch off cards (these will have a fun free printables available on the blog today!).
How to participate: 1. Visit the blog today for a shopping list of crafts supplies & food ingredients   2. Follow us on Twitter & join our Facebook Group for the Party: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thechirpingmoms/
3. The night of the party, Julie & I will post a video of us making the crafts and/or step by step pictures. 
We want to know you are there partying! SO, throughout the party, please interact with us through blog comments, the Facebook Group, Twitter & Instagram (using the #PinterestNight). 
We want to see TONS of pictures.  Did you invite any friends over to party along with you?  Enjoying any snacks or drinks while you craft?  Are you sharing the recipe with anyone?  And of course: let's see how your crafts came out! 
If you don't feel like making the craft, open a bottle of wine, tweet to let us know your at the party & just sit back & comment on other people's crafts!

 Now to show you how crafty we can be, we're hosting a giveaway of a handmade outfit! You can learn how we made it here. The winner can choose either hair clip shown, either skirt pattern shown & also receives a heart applique to iron on your little one's shirt. Good luck everyone & we hope to see you at the party Sunday night!

*Winner will get a skirt that fits approx. 8months - 3t 
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Custom Valentines Day T-Shirt or Onesie Giveaway!

This isn't the first time I've gushed over adorable clothes for the boys and this most definitely isn't the first time I've gushed over adorable matching clothes for them. One of my favorite holidays to dress them up in something cute and matching is Valentines Day and when I began my hunt for the perfect matching shirts, I knew exactly where to look first. 

If you're new here then you've probably never heard me rave about Etsy shop Room to Romp. Hands down this is one of my most favorite handmade shops to find one-of-a-kind playclothes for both Carter and Maclane. 

It's no secret that shopping for boys clothes is difficult. From a mom who wants to keep her babies as little as she can for as long as she can, sometimes it's difficult to find clothes that fit their age. 

Goofy sayings, skulls and crossbones? You won't find a stitch of those in Sandy's shop. Bright colors, whimsical designs, fun appliques? Her store is chock full of them. 

Most of all? The playclothes you'll find in Room to Romp are affordable. There's nothing worse than falling in love with a custom piece of clothing only to learn that it's going to break the bank. 

Today I'm sharing with you a special applique t-shirt that Sandy created for Valentines Day. You can find this shirt right here in her shop for only $15. The applique is hand drawn, cut, and sewn using a basic sewing machine. No commercial embroidery machine is used, giving the garment true handmade, simple appeal.

I absolutely adore this Heart in Heart Valentines Day shirt that Sandy has whipped up in honor of love day. Simple, classic and just out-of-this-world cute, I couldn't wait to dress the boys in a matching onesie and t-shirt set. 

Sandy also offers an adorable pair of red and white reversible pants that would make this outfit look ten times sweeter! 

Sandy has graciously offered to custom create one Heart-in-Heart custom applique t-shirt or onesie for one lucky Loyal. To enter, simply follow the prompts in the Rafflecopter widget below!  

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