Valentine's Week : Valentine Sugar Cookies

Most of us have go to recipes for many items. I always use the same recipes when making roasted chicken, lemon bars, chocolate chip cookies, etc. For valentine's I knew that I wanted to make heart shaped sugar cookies with royal icing. A few years ago I found a recipe on Inchmark that I tried and it became my go to for sugar cookies. it's a great one. This time though I would have to try a new recipe since I didn't have the cream cheese the recipe required and didn't want to go to the store. I was ready for baking right then and there, but it would have to be done with what I had on hand. So I asked a friend if she would share her sugar cookie recipe with me and she was more than willing. The process was long, but the results were worth the effort. my friends I made them for were worth the effort as well. I packaged up the cookies and brought them to church to give as an early Valentine.

Bake or cook something for the special people in your lives and package it pretty and you'll bring a smile to someones face. I packaged some with the striped bags and washi tape and the others I packaged in decorative baggies along with the sweet little notebooks.

xo, jen

note: the striped bags and twine I got at Oh Hello Friend shop, the washi tape was a gift, and the decorative baggies are from Daiso.

Valentine's Week :: Sweet Pamphlet Notebooks

This Friday is Valentine's day! Are you excited for it? For the most part it's just another day however, it's fun planning ways to encourage other people. We can get so busy in life and Valentine's is a great opportunity to let others know that we think of them and that they are loved. So with that this weeks posts will be dedicated to Valentine's. I'll be sharing a few ideas for decorating, gift giving, and a special makeup tutorial from an amazing makeup artist.
First up this week are these sweet little pamphlet notebooks that are not only cute, but super easy to make:

Pamphlet Notebooks

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Supplies: (4) sheets of text paper 5 1/2in x 8in, (1)decorative paper 5 1/2in x 8in, needle, thread, awl, and scissors

1. Trim your text & decorative papers down to 5 1/2in x 8in using a paper trimmer or with a ruler, x-acto knife, and cutting mat. you can trim the decorative paper slighter longer than 8in. and trim it down after you finish the book.
2. Fold your 4 sheets of text paper in half and smooth out the spine with a bone folder. Repeat process with your decorative paper.
3. Use an awl to punch a hole into the center of the signature (the 4 sheets of folded paper) and the cover, then punch another hole about an inch from the top and an inch from the bottom.
4. Insert threaded needle through the center hole, either from the inside or outside of the book leaving a 3” – 4” tail of thread.
5. Next insert needle into one of the outer holes, then skip the center hole and proceed to the opposite outer hole.

Bring thread back into the center hole and on the opposite side of the longest stitch to create a second tail. Gently pull thread taut and tie off. Cut excess thread as desired and your done.
You could make a few and bundle them together with ribbon or bakers twine. sweet.

notes: for the text paper I used a nice writing paper since I'm giving the notebooks as gifts, not copier paper. The decorative paper is actually Rifle Papers gift wrap that I found at Oh, Hello Friend. It's thinner than I would normally use, but I love how pretty it is

xo, jen

Calligraphy Workshop

Calligraphy is such a beautiful and timeless art. This past weekend a couple of friends and I took a lovely calligraphy workshop with Jenna Rainey. It was a lot of fun, but hard work. Trying to learn how to hold (not "claw") the pen took a lot of concentration on my part. Also, trying to write with your whole arm and not just your wrist was a bit challenging. We all left with a calligraphy kit and I've been practicing everyday since...I'm getting better than the picture of my first try.  It's truly like therapy. Have you ever taken calligraphy classes? If you're in the area, Oh, Hello Friend has been hosting some fabulous workshops.

 

xo, jen