out with the old, UP with the new!

every year, i love to decorate for Christmas.  it almost gives me a feeling that i am giving each room a facelift.  it tricks my senses into thinking that i get to redecorate without freaking the hubby out...  but, each year when it's time to take the decorations down, i lose that feeling and it's replaced with an overwhelming "blah" feeling all over again.  well, this year, i vow to keep those sad feelings at bay. 

when i was still teaching, one of my favorite things was to decorate my classroom for each season and/or holiday.  i got to do it in the privacy of my own classroom where my students could "oooh" and "ahhh" and my husband couldn't roll his eyes.  now with children of our own, i feel it is my motherly-obligation to decorate our home for each season/holiday.  right?  i mean, my mother did.  she would set her handpainted ceramic decor out for my brother and i to admire.  when the ceramic egg with the bow-for-a-handle made its appearance each year, that could only mean one thing...jellybeans!!!!  i LOVED helping and admiring the decorations.  truth be told, i still love it!  i have to catch my breath everytime i walk past the seasonal stuff in target!

with decorating for each season comes the #1 thing that makes my husband's gag reflex kick in...spending money.  since this is the first year that i have decided to contribute to my obligation, i have NO decorations on hand other than Christmas ones.  oh boy, how in the heck do i ask my hubby for money to decorate for (gag) valentine's day?  i can just hear his response now..."puhft, what?  nobody decorates for valentine's day.  we don't need more crap. blah, blah, blah."  okay, back to reality.  no WAY am i asking him.  surely i can scrounge around the house and pull somethings together.  right?  well, you betcha i did.  NOT the fanciest decorations but cute enough that my girls noticed them ALL when they woke from their nap the day i did it.  mission accomplished.  enjoy.

poofy tulle garland

paper doily garland and tulle tied garland (bought the doilies at target for $2)

a LOVE picture frame that has a pic of random children... (got it as a baby gift--first time used!)

a pearly-lilac vase with hot pink daisies (got the vase as a random wedding gift--first time being used! and had the daisies from making dirt pudding one year, haha)

red placemats with my go-to candles with tulle bows

a red pennant that i quickly sewed together--very cute (scrap material, pinking shears, ribbon)

be mine garland (made from scrapbook paper, muffin cups, and letter stickers), 2 heart pillows (target $ bins), glittery hearts in my apothecary jars ($ bins too)