Keeping my kids on their toes

Since today is February 14Th, Valentines Day, perhaps I should start out this blog entry by wishing you and those you love a happy day.
But i won't.
I am not a fan, big or otherwise of this Hallmark Holiday.
I am the bah humbug, scrooge of Valentines day.
It is not that I was ever spurned on the Holiday, or that those I love didn't show me proper appreciation on that particular day. It is actually the opposite. My attitude has always been that if you need a specific day/holiday to remind you to show your love, is it really real? I have seen husbands and wives upset over this day because they felt slighted by their love. I have single friends that feel this is a day to remind them that they are single. So I have boycotted this overpriced, over commercialized, heart and flower day for many years.

Early on in my relationship with the hubsters we agreed NOT to do anything on this particular date--instead opting for the random acts of love/thoughtfulness throughout the year. He was NOT to buy me overpriced flowers on Valentines--instead choosing to buy them randomly at various times during the year, "just because". This has worked for us. We save a ton of money and don't feel like we have been scalped by those taking financial advantage of this particular day. We also take each other out for a bite to eat "just because"--instead of fighting for reservations at a particular restaurant on a "holiday". We leave all that stuff up to the real romantics--which i am decidedly NOT one. I am just to pragmatic...too low maintenance to allow a holiday to get my knickers in a wad over how I am shown that I am loved on that one particular day. In my mind it is the 364 days prior that really count.

Now that i have told you how i really feel about this day, let me get to the real reason behind this blog post.

MY CHILDREN.

Yes, this is about my children and their knowledge of how I view this particular day. In some ways I fear have doomed them! What if they find and marry someone who has a different belief about the day? Someone who views this day as important? I can see some of them being in the proverbial doghouse for my belief...the belief they have been raised with. My children know about my feelings about this particular day. In their mind i have become
"PREDICTABLE".
Being their mom and having lived with me ALL their lives they think they know what makes me tick. You can imagine their surprise when i actually broke down and decorated for this loathed holiday.

It wasn't just one child that i had wondering what i was doing,
It was all of them.
Or at least the four that can actually verbalize their shock and awe.
As i was making this cute wreath on night my oldest son asked what I was making. (I had made the LOVE blocks earlier with my girlfriend and she had a cute wreath like this hanging up as well, and of course i needed one to complete my look)
I told him. He then asked if i felt OK. "Why yes" I responded. "Why do you ask?" "Well Mom. I know you HATE Valentines day and am wondering WHY you are making a wreath for it?" I just sort of laughed it off.

Then my oldest daughter made the comment to my husband that she thought i was having a mid life crisis? He asked her why? She responded "Because Mom is decorating for Valentines Day" We had a pretty good laugh about that. When i asked her about it she just shook her head. She just doesn't get it. Just when they thought they knew me and what made me tick.

I totally have thrown my children for a loop

--I have them off guard wondering?

What they don't get is that i needed a creative outlet
and despite my dislike for the holiday, i do love to decorate.

I don't dislike the idea of LOVE

--I love LOVE.
(especially when it turns out as cute as this covered in old buttons)

LOVE is what makes the world go round.
LOVE is important.

We all need to know we are loved.
--maybe that is why I DON'T NEED Valentines Day.
I know I am loved.
I am secure in that knowledge.With that being said, it doesn't hurt to be reminded to show your love. I guess maybe Valentines day is a good thing for some...those that need the reminder. For me I will be content to just put up the cute decorations and hope that it rubs off on those around me.

I do love them

and more than anything
i LOVE keeping them on their toes.
P.S. It was a good thing that i took pictures of my shelf when i did, because I woke up the next day to find it all over the couch--somehow one of my brackets on my shelf came loose--don't ya just LOVE when things break :)

other peoples creative-ness

Here it is Late on Sunday night.Unfortunately Monday morning at work is just looming around the corner. A good long nap rejuvenated me today. Can I just say I love early church so I can nap in the afternoon? I really should be in bed but instead i am up watching a marathon of Criminal Minds and checking out random blogs. Watching Criminal Minds alone, late at night really isn't the smartest thing but it just seemed to suck me in. Luckily the cute blogs i have been looking only has me half concentrating on Criminal Minds. I am in AWE at what people can accomplish--the creativity that is out there is

AH-MAZE-ING.

How about this lady who stenciled her ceiling???

I loved it. It sorta made me feel like an underachiever? Why hadn't i thought of that--The real sad part of finding this fantastic idea is that the majority of my ceilings have all been treated with embossed wall paper (now those were fun projects in which i am in debt ed to a number of friends for) It makes me want to get up off my butt and get creative- and then i get overwhelmed at what i NEED to accomplish so instead I remain sitting here instead. Can I just say I was so impressed with some of the Valentine decorations that i saw it almost made me want to decorate for Valentines Day--and i HATE Valentines Day.
Maybe the word HATE is a bit strong--
perhaps i should substitute LOATH or DETEST--
yes it is more along the line of that I DETEST Valentines Day. I love the idea of expressing LOVE to those you have in your life--I just resent the idea of Hallmark telling me when to do it. I despise the idea that restaurants, flower shops gouge you on that particular day. Maybe i shouldn't hold back and tell you how i really feel. LOL. Early in our marriage, actually i think when we were dating, dear hubby and i agreed that we would for all practical purposes BOYCOTT Valentines day. The agreement was that he would by me flowers through out the year--just because he saw them and thought of me. He is good like that--and usually it is far cheaper than the one bouquet on Valentines day.

I still think it would be fun to decorate for various holidays--maybe when i get my life in order i will do that...in the mean time here are some ideas i found that intrigued me for future use

i liked these rose balls--they were made out of crepe paper. Who doesn't have some leftover streamers floating around--scary part is that i know right where mine is? Why? Why do i know that and why do i have it is the real question?

I wasn't so crazy about how the heart was covered but i loved the open frame and the be mine.

i love the vintage look of these hearts
i think this paper flower topiary would add some nice height to a shelf
this is a frame that you can use for various holidays as the ornaments are interchangeable

i love the burlap look against the black rustic frame

and here i fell in love with the depth and layers on the mantel. It really spoke to me. The hanging heart in the middle was made with polka dot cupcake liners--so stinkin cute!

The problem i found in surfing blogs was that i failed to mark or keep pictures of ones i liked until i was into it for awhile so some of my favorite mantels are only pictured in my head--I couldn't find them again to post the pictures. Like much of my life I will just have to add these things to my list of things i want to do--

Guess i better quit dreaming about having time to do this stuff and really go to bed--night all