screamin' deal on my fave supply - washi tape!

Just freaking out over here about today's plum deal on Pick Your Plum! ADORABLE washi tape for only $1.50 a roll! I got two of each--could not help myself. Think of all the cards, tags, scrapbook pages, etc. these babies are going to pretty-up. This is one of their deals that will be gone before noon, so hurry up and get yours!

Green Giant's Surprise

Green Giant has a Giant Surprise: New Veggie Chips! Yep, you read that right. Veggie Chips. Pretty cool, right?

I had a chance to try these chips out and they were so delicious! I love my chips. I really do. So I am happy to find some chips that I can snack on that I can feel a bit better about than regular chips. The Green Giant Veggie Chips come in two flavors. There are the Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips-Sea Salt flavor and the Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips-Zesty Cheddar flavor. I thought I would have a favorite flavor, but I really enjoyed both of them! They are both completely different and satisfying. I even gave some to my boys and they liked them too. I asked them if they thought there were vegetables in them and they said, "No way, these are chips. Way yummier than vegetables!" Well, sorry boys, you are still going to have to eat your veggies too.

I love how crunchy and thin the Sea Salt variety is. I just had to be sure not to eat the whole bag all at once! Luckily my boys have been helping get rid of them quickly!

It was interesting for me to learn about these new veggie chips and just what they offer and contain.  Here is some great information for you:

• The Green Giant™ Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips – Zesty Cheddar Flavor are made with real vegetables, 17 grams of whole grain per serving (48g are recommended daily), and are naturally flavored.
• The Green Giant™ Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips – Sea Salt Flavor are made with real sweet potatoes and made with 14 grams of whole grain. Plus, they contains 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips*! 
• *Green Giant Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips (6g per 28g serving) have 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips (10g per 28g serving).

Check for these Green Giant Veggie Chips in your store and try them out! They are a delicious and easy snack. Visit Green Giant's Facebook page to get a coupon!

Thank you to The Green Giant™ for being a sponsor. Show the Giant your surprise talent at www.facebook.com/greengiant

simple addiction giveaway

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

The winner of the $50 prize bundle from Simple Addiction is...

SHARLA

Congrats! We have passed your email onto the sponsor.

We are big fans of Simple Addiction! 

Simple Addiction is committed to bring you the lowest prices on the hottest boutique items. Who said you couldn’t save money while spending money? All of the items are 50-80% off retail prices because of the volume they provide. Simple Addiction offers items for 36 hours to keep inventory fresh and it’s just exciting to watch the clock countdown! I always check my inbox and Facebook feed to see the newest deals each day because there are always so many fun things to snag!

Look at some of the current deals...
Peacock chandelier earrings for $5.95! 

LOVE this triangle pendant...for 4.95?? Yes, please!

Simple Addiction always has amazing products for amazing prices. And, lucky for you....Simple Addiction is giving one of our readers the chance to win a bundle of goodies worth $50!

Here's what you need to do to enter. Mandatory: Visit Simple Addiction and sign up to get the emails! Then come back and leave us a comment saying you did so.
For extra entries you can:
-Like Simple Addiction on Facebook
-Follow Simple Addiction on Twitter
-Follow Simple Addiction on Pinterest
-Follow Little Birdie Secrets on Twitter

This giveaway will end on Tuesday, February 26th at 11:59pm PT. Good Luck!

valentine's wrapping & a card {inspiration}

Happy Valentine's Day! I am in The Happiest Place on Earth right now with my family, and even though I finished all the Valentine's wrapping and gift giving last week before we left, it's been harder to post on the road than I anticipated. So this should've been up for inspiration last week, but alas. . . We'll just call it a little Valentine's gift that you can Pin for next year! Hope you have a sweet day with your loved ones!

This is the one and only actual card I made this year for a far-away Valentine. But I love this layout for any time of year.  I layered some banners made from my favorite Valentine's paper collection of all time, "Be Loved" by My Mind's Eye (from a couple of years ago--yes, I am still hoarding it), with a letter "k" Thicker, some paper flowers, a covered brad, and a dog tag from Making Memories. And a Valentine isn't a Valentine without baker's twine, right? I found mine for a steal at Pick Your Plum.

For my gift tags I used my chalkboard skills to create tags on black card stock. That's right--no chalkboard paint or vinyl here, just plain old black card stock. It works just like any other chalkboard method and is waaaay less complicated! Not as sturdy as wood, but perfect for something like a gift tag that will be thrown away anyway. . .

I used doilies for almost all my wrapping this year, either as a topper. . .

 

Or as the base of a "messy bow" that uses scraps of paper and ribbon (just pinch it in the middle for an instant bow shape).

I added crazy amounts of ribbon scraps to these store-bought treats to make them a little more special (chocolate-covered cinnamon bears anyone?).

For our teachers I added a little message and a marking pen for correcting papers to the doily, bow, and chalkboard tag: "I've got you "marked" as my Valentine!"

I also wrapped up the kids' valentines and treats for cousins and some friends (that we just happened to run into at the hotel in California!), but after all that I completely forgot to wrap up the gift for my sweetheart. Luckily he's not the foofy Valentine type, so he didn't mind. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

valentine heart wreaths {dining chair decor}

For Christmas this year I hung wreaths on the back of my bar stools with red ribbon. A simple idea, but it really made a big impact in my room.

 

My chairs looked so naked when I took them off January 1! And since I already fall into a depression when the Christmas decorations are put away,  I decided I'd try to find wreaths for Valentine's Day to replace them. It took some serious shopping (has anyone else noticed the lack of cute Valentine decor in stores this year?), but I finally found these little vine heart wreaths at a local wholesale decor place in SLC for $2.80 a piece. I was hoping to find berry heart wreaths, but I could not argue with the price on these babies.

After I hung them, they looked a bit plain to me, even with red bows. So I raided my Christmas decor, pulled apart a sparkly Christmas pick I found for 50% off after Christmas, and wired it to the wreath, mimicking the heart shape.

Then I cut a quick banner out of sheet music and wrote "LOVE" in the middle and traced it with red Stitckles glitter glue. The entire process only took about 40 minutes, but it made the impact on my kitchen I was hoping it would.

 

Finally it feels like love is in the air. . .at least in my kitchen. Which is quite a feat when you're feeding picky eaters {trust me, I know}.

Don't worry, I already found some spring wreaths to replace them next week. :)

flirt earrings giveaway

**THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.** 

WINNER IS... Kathleen who said, "I am loving the "Melody shape in watermelon, the Lacee and the Bobby in yellow. Super cute!" We have passed your email onto the sponsor!

I love accessories, especially cute earrings. So I am really excited to introduce all of you to Flirt Earrings!

Flirt Earrings add a pop of color and are so lightweight you won't even know that you are wearing them! They are also nickel and lead free, so perfect for those with the most sensitive ears.

I love all of the different styles and colors!

Rachael, the designer is constantly adding new shapes to the shop, so be sure to check back often! She also loves feedback about what new colors are HOT right now, so feel free to let he know what you are looking for! All earrings ship for $3.00 for the first pair and FREE shipping for each additional pair.  So you can get 5 pairs for only $3 shipping!

Today, Flirt Earrings is giving one of readers the chance to win THREE pairs of earrings in their choice of color and shape!

To enter:
Visit Flirt Earrings and find your favorite three pairs of earrings and then come back and leave us a comment telling us the three shapes and colors you love the best!
For extra entries, you can
--like Flirt Earrings on Facebook
--add Flirt Earrings etsy shop to your favorites
--pin your favorite pair of earrings on Pinterest

Flirt Earrings is also offering our readers  10% off during the giveaway with the code LITTLEBIRDIE10. The giveaway will end on Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 11:59pm PT. Good Luck!

valentine's heart wreath & chalkboard art {tutorial}

Helloooooo! And happy February! Yes, it's been about 6 weeks since my last post, but I have been running a sick ward in my home since before Christmas. From the pukes to the sniffles to double ear infections, someone has been sick (including moi) for weeks on end. On top of that, I lost my camera SD card with SEVERAL project photos on it, so I kind of took a forced hiatus. I think we're on the tail end of the yuckies (with the exception of a lingering cough), so I finally got a chance to start my Valentine's decorating. Beginning with a new Valentine's wreath (sadly, the burlap beauty didn't make the trek from Iowa). I couldn't help but include a little something from the chalkboard craze that is happening right now. Here's a quick tutorial and some fun chalkboard art tips and tricks that you can use for more than just Valentine's!

Valentine Heart Wreath with Chalkboard Message Board {Tutorial}

First for the chalkboard, which is easy as pie. Even the creating the beautiful text is easier than you'll believe. I've done a few chalkboard projects over the years (like the travel chalkboard, chalkboard speech bubbles, and the faux chalkboard labels, to name a few), but this one is my new favorite.

Chalkboard Sign Supplies:

*Wooden board or sign

*Chalkboard paint (I like Martha Stewart's)

*Foam brush

*Chalk

I started with a hanging sign that I found at Hobby Lobby on clearance, but didn't really like. First I sanded it lightly, then I applied two coats of chalkboard paint (wait an hour between coats, then cure 24 hours). 

 Next I covered it with a layer of chalk to prime it.

To get a clean, professional looking text, I cheated by printing my main word out on printer paper. Then I covered the back of the paper (behind the word) with chalk.

Tape your paper in place to ensure it doesn't move while you're working.

Using a pencil, trace the letters on the front of the paper, transferring the chalk on the back to your chalkboard.

  

Next, remove the paper. The word has been transferred, but it is not as dark or clear as I'd like. So I traced over the text with my stick of chalk.

Another trick for professional looking results: sharpen your chalk to a point. I used the side of a pair of scissors to shave the end of the chalk to a point.

Erase any mistakes with a Q-Tip. I also rubbed some chalk dust around to make my blackboard look more authentic. Then I added some other elements free-hand to pretty it up.

Here is my finished chalkboard--I was going to use it as a wall hanging. . .

. . .until I got working on my wreath.  When it was done it just needed a little something.

Heart Valentine's Wreath Supplies:
*Heart grapevine wreath
*Silk flowers, I used pink hydrangeas and peonies
*Burlap ribbon
*Craft or floral wire and wire cutters

Originally I wanted to cover this wreath with hydrangeas, but I couldn't justify the cost for that many hydrangea picks, even at wholesale. So I chose five flowers and bunched a few at the bottom and a couple more on the opposite side.

Remove the stems and wire the flowers onto the grapevine wreath. 

I made a big 10-loop bow with my burlap ribbon (it is wired ribbon, which makes shaping it much easier) and wired it to the top of the wreath. 

I added my chalkboard sign with wire as well. If you need something to attach the wire to, try hammering picture hanging hardware to the back. 

And that's it! I hung my wreath with a 3M Command Strip hanger, which is totally removable and won't hurt my door.