First, a little money-saving tip when using candy in a table display. I wanted to fill this simple vase with Valentine M&Ms, but at $3.50 a bag, I didn't want to buy more than 2. So I used this little trick to "fill" my vase on a budget.
Supplies:
*Glass vase, bowl, or apothecary jar
*Favorite holiday candy
*Glass cup that will fit inside your glass container with room on all sides
*Optional: ribbons and trinket to dress up your jar



3. To dress it up, add decorative ribbon, ric rac, baker's twine, etc. around the center of the container. I also tied on a little mercury glass heart ornament from my Christmas decorations.When it gets closer to Valentine's, I'll remove the cup and let my kids eat the candy. But for a few weeks they know it is strictly decorative (my husband is the only one who doesn't seem to follow that rule--grrr!). 

Now for the free Valentine's subway art! This free (for a limited time) Valentines Day subway art comes again from our friend Lori of SisterSecrets. You may remember the Christmas subway art she offered to our readers last month--isn't she sweet? It's now in her Etsy shop. You can get the Valentine's subway art printable here while it's free! And for more fun stuff (like her Abundant Life printable subway art), check out the Sister Secrets Etsy shop!
You may notice I kept my Christmas table runner out (doilies are totally Valentines, right?) and even reused the frame from the Christmas subway art. I'm all about making it easy! But I did make a new paper pennant bunting to hang across the front that matches the colors in the printable. Love it! Thanks, Lori!

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I took a little maternity leave, but I'm itching to get crafting again. Many thanks to dear Jessica and friends like Shelley and Erin for giving me the chance to stay in bed until 10am, ignore my e-mail, and stare at that little face during the last month. It has been heavenly. But it's time to start showering regularly and getting out of my pajamas before the kids get home from school (at least that's what my husband tells me). So new tutorials and projects are coming soon. . . Until then, I have a few things to keep you busy.

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Thanks for entering our ribbons and bows oh my! kit giveaway. You all had such great comments about your favorite ribbons. The winner of the bow making kit is...

Congrats! You will be able to make some gorgeous bows now. We have passed your email onto the sponsor, so they will be contacting you. Enjoy!

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Today we are featuring another fabulous tutorial from my dear friend Erin's blog, Lovesome. Go visit her and see all the other amazing things she is dreaming up!

It seems bow ties have taken over the wardrobes of men, babies, and boys these days, doesn't it? I must admit this trend has been a favorite of mine for quite some time now, and I love the pointed bow ties I'm seeing in all the old movies and shows I have been watching lately (downton abbey, anyone?).

With all the bow ties I see all over blogs I thought it would be fun to switch it up a bit and try something different.
Enter: the pointed bow tie. 

It often gets forgotten, and I think it's a great nod to men's (and boys') fashion from decades and even centuries ago. Making it out of felt not only makes these babies a breeze to whip up, but it also modernizes and adds a touch of whimsy, not to mention makes these the perfect fall accessory for the guy in your life (or girl, I would wear it too, and it would make an adorable hair bow).


supplies:
all you need is some felt (i bought sheets of felt at Michaels for $.20 each)
scissors
hot glue gun (this could also be easily hand-stitched)
the length and width of your felt depends on how big you want your bow tie to be. mine was 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, with a smaller strip that is about 1/2 inch wide and 2 1/2- 3 inches long. my little guy is one and this size is perfect for him, and i think he'll be able to wear this size for a few years. (i like smaller, more proportional bowties, but if you like them bigger just make your strips larger.)

how to:

1. cut one end of the longer felt strip into a point. lay the felt strip on a flat surface and bring the pointed side across the strip about 2/3 of the way.
2. turn the pointed side over and bring it back across the other side until it touches the edge.
3. adjust the point if you need to, it can touch the edge or hang over a bit, whatever you like.


4. scrunch the middle of the felt together, making it look like a bow.
5. wrap the smaller felt piece around the middle of the bow where you scrunched it, with the ends meeting in the back.
6. turn the bow around and dab some hot glue in the center of the bow, then fold the top end down over the glue. glue down the remaining flap, making sure the bow is tight and secure.
and then have fun with them!

To turn it into a bow tie I usually thread elastic through the center of the back of the bow tie, but if you don't have room you could glue elastic to it or sew/glue it to a pin or clip.

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My friend, Jamie recently shared a muffin recipe that is delicious! I am always looking for healthy, easy breakfast ideas to grab on the many mornings that we are racing out the door. These muffins are the perfect solution and can even freeze well if you want to make them in batches to pull out later. Enjoy!

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Some fun Valentine's posts are coming soon, but until then, enjoy this 30% off coupon for the Scarlet Blossom Apron TODAY ONLY (1/18/12) at Flirty Aprons! The coupon code is SCARLET30.
You could be baking up some sweet treats in this for Valentine's day!

This is one of Flirty Aprons' cutest and most popular aprons, perfect to brighten up your winter kitchen. Enjoy!

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We are excited to offer you a great giveaway today! Ribbons and Bows Oh My! has been one of our loyal sponsors for quite some time and we love featuring their amazing products. They always have such an array of fabulous products for any crafting endeavor. From ribbons, to paper, to hardware, to many trims, you really can find anything you need!

Ribbons and Bows Oh My! has a great new kit available.

The beginner bow making kit helps you make beautiful bows without any stress. The kit includes:


You can click here to see a sneak peak of the DVD that is included in the kit.

How great is that? And you have a chance to win one of these fabulous kits! All you need to do is visit Ribbons and Bows Oh My! and find your favorite ribbon. Then come back and leave us a comment telling us what it is. Easy, peasy! This giveaway will end on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 11:59 pm PT.

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Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/

It's 2012 and it's a New Year! I have come up with a few different resolutions this year. A couple resolutions I made are beauty related. The first one is washing my face every night (and hopefully morning too). Sometimes I feel so lazy at night and just climb hurriedly into bed leaving all the dirt and grime on my face to fester while I sleep. I know it is important for your pores to be clean before you go to sleep.

My dermatologist recommended the Clean and Clear 3 in 1 exfoliating face wash to me and I have really liked it. I like how fresh and exfoliated my face feels after I use it, and it also helps fight acne breakouts.

Another beauty resolution I have is to use a moisturizer on my face and neck every day. I want to keep my skin hydrated and looking healthy. I have heard that people often forget to include the neck area but it also need to be moisturized. I try to pick a moisturizer that isn't too heavy so it won't contribute to acne breakouts. There are many great brands and choices out there. Neutrogena is one of my favorites.

I also have some resolutions to play more with my makeup. I usually put on the same make-up every day, in the same order. I usually only change eye shadow colors. This year I hope to try some trends and play around with my regimen. It's so fun to experiment and see what I like!
What are your resolutions this year? Do you have any beauty related resolutions? I would love to hear them!

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One of my dearest friends, Erin recently moved away. I have been so sad and I miss her! Luckily, her move is only temporary, but I still miss our regular dinners out together and takeout lunches at one of our houses. She is such a great friend and I want to be just like her when I grow up. She has way too much creativity and amazing-ness for one person. She made these adorable heart-warmers on her blog, Lovesome (you must go check it out!) and is sharing them with us today! These are the perfect gift for a friend or someone you love. I will be using this to keep me warm and fuzzy while Erin is away.

i've been seeing the sweetest little hand-warmers surfacing around the web lately. what a sweet idea and a great way to keep your hands and the hands of those you love warm on chilly mornings. all you have to do is heat it up in the microwave and drop it in your pocket or mittens. they are so easy and so much cuter (and cheaper!) than those little warming packets you can buy at the grocery store. plus, they are reusable. cute, easy, practical, and environmentally friendly, what more can you ask for?


making one is so simple, and while a sewing machine makes them faster, it is not necessary to use one. in fact, it was so easy that i didn't even take any pictures during the process.

here's how you do it:
1. cut two of the same shape out felt (two hearts, two stars. etc.). make sure they are the same size.
2. sew the pieces together leaving about half-an-inch open.
3. using a funnel, fill the shape with rice through the unsewn opening.
4. hand-stitch the opening closed.
voila! done! so easy and so sweet, right?
i found that about 25 seconds in the microwave is perfect, but you might want to try out a few different cooking times, depending on the size of your warmer. (make sure no metal accidentally gets shoved in the warmer, you don't want any explosions in the microwave!)


i made a cute little tag to add to mine, turning it into the perfect little gift or party favor.
do you want some, too? download your own here.
enjoy!

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I am always amazed at how many clever things people come up with. Check out this awesome idea from our friend, Shelley.

Did you know you can use silverware to make drapery hooks? Yep. Here's my bathroom. It seriously needed some color and I found a bag of silverware at Goodwill for $4. I didn't even come close to using it all. Score!

First you'll need to choose the pieces you want. Then using a metal drill bit, drill holes that will fit your screws in the blade of the knife, or the handle of the spoon or fork. Bend them to make the hooks. Sorry there isn't any pictures of the drilling part. Kinda hard to take pictures and drill at the same time.

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Tofu? Yep. You read that right. My mouth (er, I mean typing fingers) really said I have a love affair with tofu. My sister was surprised when I told her on the phone the other night too. I heard something like, "Jess who ARE you?"

It all started a few months ago on a weekend trip to Portland. I had an amazing rice bowl from a food stand there and it had garlic-fried tofu in it. I.Loved.It. I was shocked. I have always thought of tofu as this weird, eery, rubbery substance that nobody really enjoyed. Until I ate it. And enjoyed it.

Then came my trip to Trader Joes to buy some tofu to cook with at home. I made a delicious dinner that we all enjoyed. My boys even ate the tofu. They didn't say they loved it, but they ate it!

I bought firm (you can also do extra firm) because I read that it holds it shape if you want to pan fry it. And that's what I did. I cut the tofu into squares and I put a little olive oil in a pan with some minced garlic and fried the tofu until the sides got brown and crisped.


Then I cooked some noodles. I used capellini because I wanted a thin noodle, but you could use spaghetti or a rice noodle, or anything you want. Then I made a peanut sauce using Yoshida's sauce mixed with peanut butter, but you could also use one of my favorite peanut sauce recipes, found HERE.

Then I mixed it all together and topped it with broccoli slaw, green onions, and cilantro. You could add anything you want and make it your own!


It was delish, and I will be making it again! Next on my list of tofu recipes to try is this...

A dairy free chocolate pie made with silken tofu! I can really get on board for that! This is an Alton Brown recipe and it packs some serious nutritional punch with all the protein!

Alton Brown's Dairy-Free Chocolate Pie
(From www.doctoroz.com)

Ingredients
Makes 8 servings
13 oz semisweet chocolate chips 
1/3 cup coffee liqueur (you can use other flavors if you prefer)
1 tsp vanilla extract   
1 lb silken tofu 
1 tbsp honey    
1 (9-in) prepared chocolate wafer crust (store-bought is fine)

Directions
Place enough water in the bottom of a 4-quart saucepan to come 1 inch up the sides. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Place the chocolate chips and liqueur in a medium metal mixing bowl, set over the simmering water, and stir with a rubber or silicone spatula until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Combine the tofu, chocolate mixture, and honey in a blender or food processor and spin until smooth (about 1 minute).
 Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until the filling sets firm.


Yum! So, tell me...what are your thoughts? Have you ever tried tofu? Do you like it or hate it? Maybe you want to try it again now that you have some recipes?

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We are thrilled to introduce our newest sponsor to you! You are sure to love Lilac Lane from Melissa Stramel.

Melissa is a creative mother of three. While staying home with her children, she started a business called Lilac Lane. She has a love of all things floral and enjoys flower gardening, flower arranging and sewing with floral fabrics. While sewing for her children, she was inspired to start her business, Lilac Lane, which grew into a store in her home of Colby, Kansas, called Creations Gallery.

Her inspiring ideas soon led her to create a blog site and start to work on designing her own patterns. A pharmacist by training, she feels most at home working with fabrics and sewing new projects, from aprons to quilts.




In 2009 and 2010, Melissa designed patterns for the Moda Bake Shop and Riley Blake's Cutting Corners. She now designs patterns which are available online through QuiltWoman.com, Fairtalefrocksandlollipops.com and patternspot.com as well as PatternsGoneDigital.com for retailers. Melissa also carries all of her patterns in her online store.

Melissa also has something cool going on with her blog right now! She has put together a series called The Very Basics of Quilting. Click HERE to see all the posts so you can start your own quilting journey! There is so much great information.


Melissa is offering Little Birdie Secrets readers 30% off with the coupon code LITTLEBIRDIESECRETS. You can also use this discount in her etsy store. The discount will run through January 17, 2012.

That's not all! Today, Melissa is generously giving one of our readers the chance to win THREE of her patterns. The winner can choose paper patterns or e-patterns. All you need to do to enter is visit the Lilac Lane store and look through the patterns. Then come back and leave us a comment telling us what patterns you would choose if you were the winner. This giveaway will end on Saturday, January 7, 2012 at 11:59pm PT.

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Ok, I know by now I sound like a broken record, but holy cow I love Pinterest. Probably too much. I came across these DIY Star Wars Snowflakes the other day and knew it would be perfect for my boys! They are obsessed with anything Star Wars, and since it was Christmas vacation we were looking for some fun activities. It did get tricky at some points since the designs are so intricate, but my husband did those little cuts with an exacto knife and it all worked out great.

The great thing is that you can just download the PDF for whichever character you want so it is all ready to go for you! Once it is printed you cut the circle out.

 After you have your circle cut out, you will need to fold on the lines in order to get it lined up for cutting through all the layers. For a detailed diagram on how to fold it, see HERE.


There are plenty of others you can download too! Pretty cool! My boys were in awe each time a snowflake was unfolded to reveal a character. I think it would be so neat to string a bunch of these together for a star wars snowflake garland! What a great party decoration!

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