Little Valentines for my little loves

This has been one of those weeks where it seemed that there weren't enough hours in the day to do what I wanted and needed to get done. And there really weren't enough! I'd like to tack on another 24 hour set to feel fully accomplished but alas, that is life.

I was watching all the creative and fun stuff everyone was doing for Valentines Day. I will say that my kids did make their own Valentines (or "Valentimes" as they call it) for classmates and they were pretty cute, if simple. There were many years where I unashamedly bought cartoon character Valentines from CVS the night before for the kids. I got over trying to "do it all" somewhere around kid 2. :o)

Amid all the work deadlines, I did not want to forget my own little Valentines. Oliver had been giving me Valentines all week, slipping them under my studio door and making them for me at school. How could I not share my love back? So, about an hour before they were coming home from school, I whipped out the cutting board and watercolors to create a simple but loving valentine for each member of my family.

I cut and painted cardstock covers about 3 x 4" big. Then I cut a long sheet 16" x 2.5" and scored every 2" to make a small accordion style book. On each "page" I wrote a little something I thought was special about that child like, "I love all your lego battleships", or "I love that your giggle still sounds just like it did when you were a baby."

I like the way they came out because each one was so individualized for the child. Even the artwork on the front had colors they liked and patterns derived from activities or toys they play with. Really, really, the best part was watching them open and read all my love notes. They each felt so special and loved, vowing to keep their token of affection until they had kids of their own. THAT was sweet and well worth the cost of a precious hour of work.