Hello friends! We are already knee deep into February with Valentine's Day on our heels.

Today I'm sharing these super cute and super easy "Llama-themed" Ghirardelli bar wrappers to be given to anyone on your Valentine's Day list.

SUPPLIES NEEDED

1 - Ghirardelli bar - removed from outer cardboard packaging. ---> 3.5oz like these

1 - Llama Candy Bar Wrapper printed on white card stock. (links at end of blog post)

scissors

double-stick tape

INSTRUCTIONS

Print Llama Candy Bar Wrapper.

Trim to size using scissors.

Wrap around candy bar aligning image on front of candy bar.

Secure with double-stick tape on back of candy bar.

Tip: For a polished look, rub fingers along edges of candy bar for clear wrapper "creases". 

A "llama love" went into designing these for you guys!

Hoping you love them and most importantly....USE THEM!

Here's a fun time lapse video I shared on Instagram sharing the whole process of putting one of these together  - hopefully you can view it okay here on the blog.

DOWNLOAD your FREE Llama Love Valentine's Day Candy Bar Wrappers below:

There's a Llama Love Between Us Valentine

I have a Llama Love for You - Happy Valentine's Day!

Stay tuned for some classroom treat tags coming tomorrow!

Hint: You'll probably want some of THESE or THESE to go with them! *wink*

PS - If you love the idea of the Ghirardelli wrappers CHECK OUT THESE!

xoxo,

Jess

KEEPiNG iT REAL

Ella has been down with a virus for a few days now so I apologize for not getting these photographed and up on the blog sooner!! 

MAKE iT | Sparkle + Shine Chocolate Covered Oreo Cookies

You guys - I'm totally IN LOVE with these darling, "Sparkle + Shine" oreo cookies.
And you won't believe how easy they are. Like SUPER EASY!

When I showed up to the school last week with a basket of them for Ella's class Valentine's Day party, I had someone ask me where I BOUGHT them. And then when I told her I MADE them she told me I should SELL them!? *blushing*

They DO look a bit fancy, don't they?!
But they are SO NOT FANCY at all.
It's amazing how a little bit of

ART PRINT | Write It On Your Heart

I shared this art print on my Instagram feed a couple of weeks ago.

The accompanying verbiage I posted said - 

"Whatever your dreams, hopes, or wishes...write them on your heart. Reference them often and do something everyday to inch your way closer."

I love that and I thought it ended up so cute I decided to

STYLING | Baby Love Baby Shower :: Shutterfly

I love party styling - but you already knew that.

What you may not know is that what I REALLY love about party styling is being able to use the decorative things from a celebration for something post-party.

Baby Showers are especially fun because if you are smart…you can transition the party decor right into the baby's nursery! It allows you to "shower" the mother-to-be with the gift of hosting a baby shower for her, in addition to supplying her with some super cute things for the baby's nursery.

I'm so excited today because I'm going to show you some fun ideas on how to do that using some super adorable Shutterfly products.

Using 1 Wall Decal,  3 Photo Cubes,  2 Sets of Glass Magnets,  2 Journals,  1 Table Runner, 1 - 16x16 Photo Gallery Pillow and 3 - 5x7 Curved Glass Prints I was able to create a Dessert/Sign-In table AND have fun things to use in the baby's nursery afterwards.

The inspiration for this heart-themed baby shower came from Shutterfly's Baby Love (Girl) Baby Shower Invitation. I fell in love with the fun color scheme and whimsical vibe of the imperfect hearts. 

I set out to create a really simple "Desserts" and "Sign-In" table combo by splitting the serving area in half… one side for displaying a few sweet treats and the other side for holding pens and a cute keepsake book for guests to sign in and jot down a message/wish for the baby.

I used this custom table runner I designed as the foundation for the dessert and sign-in table. 

I think it turned out so adorable!!

The 5x7 Curved Glass Prints were used for serving some cute iced sugar cookies on one side of the table and for holding pens on the other side of the table. After the shower, the curved glass prints can be used in the nursery to hold pacifiers, small toys, hair accessories or they can be stood upright for a cute display. 

The Glass Magnets were used to hold my signage onto the metal stand centered on the table. I am SO in love with these oversized magnets. You could also use the magnets as cute party favors by slipping one into a glassine bag and sealing the bag with a hand-cut paper heart.

I hand-cut colorful paper hearts and attached them to wooden skewers using a hot glue gun and then inserted them into the white coconut cream cake. I love how the varying heights of this homemade cake topper added instant height to an otherwise small cake and helped balance out the table.

I used the same technique for the mini cupcakes - using toothpicks instead.

The heart pillow was adorable on the table along with the photo cubes, journals, and table runner.
You could use the pillow at the shower to clearly mark where the mommy-to-be should be sitting.
The pillow can then be added to the nursery chair/rocker for comfort and a splash of cute décor.

THE BACKDROP!!! The heart backdrop was created using a multi-heart Wall Decal I designed. It was seriously the easiest backdrop I've ever put up - just peel and stick it to the wall. They come off easily without damaging the wall/paint and you can reuse them. Then…after the shower, the hearts can be added to the nursery walls!! LOVE this idea soooo much!!

Hand-cut paper hearts were made to create a garland which I added to the front of the dresser to tie everything together. I think it all turned out so super cute and it was really simple to pull together.

Present both journals to the mother-to-be at the end of the shower. One of them as the keepsake guest book with the baby wishes from all of the guests. The other to encourage the new mom to journal all about baby's first year.

Shutterfly has some amazing products.

They were so fun to use to create this Baby Love baby shower and I was super impressed with the quality of the products as well.

I can't wait to come up with some other fun things using Shutterfly products!

I hope you've been inspired!

HOW TO RECREATE THESE SHUTTERFLY PRODUCTS

1. Download my designs

2. Go to the Shutterfly website

3. Search the specific product you are looking to create

4. Click "get photos" and upload my designs from your computer.

5. Add image(s) to product template, preview and order.

KEEPING IT REAL

Can you guess what lucky girl is going to now have these things as part of her room decor?

See…I was even thinking ahead when I picked which baby shower design to use! *wink*

THIS IS A SPONSORED POST. PEN N' PAPER FLOWERS HAS RECEIVED COMPENSATION AND/OR PRODUCTS FROM SHUTTERFLY IN EXCHANGE FOR SHARING, BUT FRIENDS…AS ALWAYS...ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN!

SHARE | Heart Strings Tug O' War

With the first day back-to-school just days away I'm in the middle of a fierce game of Tug O' War…
With my heartstrings. *sigh*

The back-and-forth feelings of excitement about my girls growing up…
and…well...the mommy heartache about my girls growing up.
Not to mention the fact that Summer will be officially over. *frown*
Noooo!!! It's seriously my favorite!!

So…with my current emotional state...I was trying to decide on what fun free printable to offer you for the Blog Hop this month. (the theme being "Back-to-School"). I was persuaded, (by my heart strings of course), to create something simple and cute to show my girls how much I love them. Sappy, right? That's okay. I'm down with sappy.

Anyway, cute lunch box notes definitely crossed my mind but the age differences between my girls doesn't really warrant one design - it'd have to be two….maybe even three different design styles to fit their ages. And honestly…I just don't have the time for three different designs. Just keeping it real.

So…yes...instead of cute teacher printables or something related directly to the school day, I decided to go with something that would focus, instead, on bringing me back to center in the middle of all of the hustle and bustle a new school year brings; Something that would encourage myself AND my girls, to pause, (even for just a minute), to be reminded of how much I love each of them…and why. 

So here's what I came up with...

CRAFT | Easy Handmade Heart Doilies

You guys are soooo going to LOVE me for this super easy Valentine's Day idea!
I'm sharing the details on how make the most sweet and simple Valentine's Day DIY over on the SNAP! blog today!

You can literally whip up 10-15 of these paper napkin heart doilies in less than 30 minutes.
Be sure to head over to SNAP! to check out the step-by-step directions.

I also wanted to quickly mention how fabulous the Pinterest Party was last night in celebration of the launch of Kelly Lyden's brand new book: Stylish Kids' Parties.

There were over 400 pins posted in one hour. The Stylish Kids' Parties Board is now filled with awesome party ideas for kids!!  If you missed it…be sure to check it out! LOVED all of the inspiration that was shared by so many talented party stylists and bloggers!

KEEPiNG iT REAL 
(Wow! This part ended up being longer than my actual post). *blushing*

I was inspired to make these paper napkin heart doilies after seeing them on Martha Stewart. I have to tell you though…the video tutorial from Martha Stewart was less than desirable. She spent the first  full 2 minutes ranting about how employees should be more supportive of their employers during these tough economic times and it really put me off. I interpreted it right away as being passive aggressive and sure enough she ends it by mentioning how one of her own employees misrepresented the Martha Stewart Company on social media. I was seriously embarrassed for Martha. THEN, the next 2+ minutes she shares her MUST-HAVE shampoo and conditioner that she personally uses everyday. The thing of it is…the shampoo and conditioner she is promoting is around $20/bottle and when she admits to also using it on her DOGS I about fell over in my chair.  I don't know…maybe it's just me but mentioning "tough economic times" and then promoting expensive hair products (for canines too) within the same 5 minutes just didn't seem like a good call? Yikes! I have no idea how old the video is but regardless…I was quite stunned and disappointed. I wanted to point all of this out because I wanted to site the original source of inspiration but wanted to also prepare you for the first 5 minutes of the video.

Anyway, on top of that…the actual video tutorial was confusing to me and I must've cut 10 different napkins before figuring it out on my own.  I think the tutorial I put together is much easier to understand! *wink* Ella and I made the heart doilies together and it was so fun to see all of the variations we could come up with! It was like magic. Of course Ella was bored after a few minutes but I just kept going as if I were Edward Scissorhands until I had a ridiculous amount to photograph for the post! Ha!

CRAFT | Valentine's Day Treat Packaging Idea :: The TomKat Studio

Box up your Valentine's Day treats with this adorable packaging idea!
I made chocolate covered oreos but I could totally see using these ideas too:

Mini Chocolate Sweetheart Truffles
Chocolate Hugs and Kisses
Conversation Hearts
Dove Chocolates

I'm sharing all of the details over on The TomKat Studio so head over there to learn how to put this together.

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Getting ready to make some mini donuts for another project I've got to photograph today.
Bummed the sun isn't out for great lighting - "Pretty please, Mr. Sun… could you peek out from behind the rain clouds for just a little bit at some point today? Earlier than later, please! *wink*

DESIGN | Sweet Love Bridal Collection

I thought I'd send you off into the weekend with Love on your mind...
thanks to this really cute "Sweet Love" logo I recently designed.

Last month I was approached by my friend, Carmen to create a printable mini wedding suite.
If you don't already know, Carmen owns a super cute party shoppe called The Flair Exchange.
She creates fun hand-made party decor and she has recently stepped into the "wedding" side of celebrations.

Carmen challenged me to create a mini wedding suite including an invitation and matching treat flags
using her Rose Tissue Paper Tassel Garland Kit.
Drawing inspiration from the neutral color palette of...
copper metallics and soft pink rose gold, here's what I came up with...

I loved the design so much...(and felt like there would be many others out there who would like it too)
I decided to create a few more coordinating elements to create a complete "mini celebration" package

There's now a 24x36 printable Chalkboard Poster, Banner, Cut-Outs and Thank You Cards to go along with the invitation and party flags.

The Cut-Outs are one of my favorite elements since they are so versatile.

Create cake toppers, chair signs, stickers, lawn stakes, clings and more!

Here's the best part of this entire collection...

although it was originally intended for a wedding/bridal shower...

it's also perfectly fitting for a baby shower...

anniversary celebration...

or even for Valentine's Day! (pin it now to remember later)

The entire collection is now an INSTANT DOWNLOAD available in the shoppe.

If you prefer to have just the party flags and Fill-In Invitation...visit Carmen's site for the FREE download.  

While you're there - be sure to browse her selections of Balloon Tassels, Confetti-filled balloons and Tissue Tassel Garlands. 

But hey...

before we all head out to enjoy our weekend...

How about I randomly choose 3 winners to receive the entire "Sweet Love" Collection?

That's what I'm talking about!!

Enter now using the Rafflecopter Widget below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The contest starts NOW and the winners will be announced on Monday! (June 24th)
Tell all of your friends who are planning bridal showers, weddings, baby showers, etc.

They'll love you - I promise!!

I hope you have a great weekend everyone!

KEEPiNG it REAL
I will soooo be using this collection myself.
I'm in love with the turnout and my creative mind won't stop churning with all of the possibilities!

SiMPLE | Sweetheart Sandwich

I thought we'd start things off this week with something sweet and simple.

If you follow me on Pinterest or Instagram, you saw me post this last week...

Sweetheart Sandwich

FOR VALENTINE'S DAY AND MORE...

I had a couple of inquiries as to how to make it...

so I thought I'd share how quickly you can turn an ordinary pb&j into something extra special!
I'll let the photos do all of the talking...

STYLiNG | Pink + Gold Valentine's Day Party Preps

I have a dream...
granted it's not nearly as inspirational as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream...Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day everyone!!

Nonetheless...
I have a dream that the Valentine's Day party I've been working on
will turn out as lovely as the collection of party elements I've been gathering along the way.

Here's Round TWO of the snippets of details I will be using...(see Round ONE details here)

Valentine's Day Pink + Gold Styling Elements

Can you see how it's all coming along?
I'm hoping by sharing these snippets of the party elements I have collected and intend to use...
when you finally see the end results you'll have a better understanding of how it all came about.

AND...
perhaps you'll see one or two things you'll want to incorporate into your own celebration(s)...
be it Valentines' Day, a Baby Shower, a Bridal Shower, or even Birthday Party!

I love Mondays!
For me, they are a fresh start...
setting the tone for the week ahead.
Let's make it a good week friends!!

xoxo
Jessica

Materials/Sources:
Photo 2: Shimmering Hearts Edible Accents by Wilton - JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores
Photo 3: Pink Pearl Candies - The TomKat Studio Party Shop
Photo 4: Pink + Gold Glitter Eyelash Twine by Martha Stewart - (Rose Quartz and Yellow Gold) - JoAnn Fabric and Craft  Stores
Photo 5: Pink Polka Dot Baking Cups - JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores (Easter Section)
Photos 1 & 6:
- Solid Pink Cardstock by Coredinations Foundations (Baby Pink Pearl) - JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores
- Pink + Gold Polka Dot Paper by The Paper Company - JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores
- Doily Craft Punch by Martha Stewart - JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores
- Pink Polka Dot Ribbon by American Crafts - JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores
- Gold + Ivory Polka Dot Ribbon by Offray - JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores
- Heart Shaped Fondant Cutters by Wilton - JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores
- Gold Glitter from The TomKat Studio Party Shop

KEEPiNG iT REAL
After an exceptionally stressful week...
I was given a MUCH needed break this weekend when J took Ella for the day
and both of my older girls were off doing their own things.
I was able to get a lot done!
It's amazing how refreshed one can feel after just a few hours of quiet time - no distractions.
I highly encourage it.
and look forward to more of it on a regular basis! Ha!