Considering the fact that it has taken me almost 4 years to get pictures of our extended family on the wall, and since I was on a roll, I decided I would work on the kids valentines this week.

First of all, I hate rip-me-apart Dora the Explorer crap valentines. Second of all, I'm way too cheap to make over-the-top crafty Valentine's for 45 kids this year.

So inspired by last year's cards,



I perused my photo files and decided to tinker around in Google's free photo software, Picasa. It was fun, clean, and my end cost was around 12 cents per valentine. Cheap mothers unite...


I can't recommend Picasa enough. There are 2 available options to download (both FREE). One is a photo software for your computer that allows you to crop, add text, tint, skewer, whatever...and it's perfect for those that aren't savvy enough on photoshop and/or don't want to spend the money.

The second Picasa download allows you to upload your photos online. Anyone who has lost their photos from a computer crash can appreciate that (that would be me....twice).

Lastly, Picasa is awesome if you love to blog! It makes adding pictures a bagillion times easier than the stupid standard blogger photo system.

Nuff said. Here's me waxing creative for once.



Here's one of my favorite pictures of The Buddha Baby. He used to give me kisses on demand, but I think I'm in overdraft (SEE EXHIBIT: Talk to the hand). I saved 2 copies of this print then merged them as a collage in Picasa. I added the text after making it a collage. After printing them up as a 4X6 print, I cut them in half and inserted a Valentine treat. Here's the end product.



This next one is for my middle child. Once again, I created a collage but added a thicker red border around it. We made 2 different Valentine rhymes for variety, and had fun making it a little on the grody side.



Cut them apart, insert a wrapped treat (and make sure to tape it on the back) and you have this:



For Rainbow Girl, I took a picture and tinted the whole thing green. This one turned out okay, but was probably a bit of a stretch. I added characters and symbols to make her more alien-like, but in the end, I think the picture was too dark. I will admit Photoshoppers would have dominated this project better than I...but the kid likes it so we're all happy!

Here's the image sent to the printer:



We punched a hole and added black pipe-cleaners to make her an alien...and here is our end product.



For more Valentine inspirations, visit these blogs:

"Cute Valentines"
Loved this healthy (and simple) valentine inspiration here.
Here's a short YouTube video about Picasa.

Happy Loveliness!
Mrs. Olsen

I am shocked! shocked I tell you...that Christmas is 9 days away. I'm still in the middle of my learning curve of being the mom with the magic at Christmas-time, and every year it creeps up on me earlier and earlier. But fortunately for my sake, I married into the family whose mother made Christmas a science. She teaches classes for crying out loud! And so we're still sponging off of her traditions for now, plus adding a few of our own. Here's how we're getting lathered up for the holidays around here.

Today I drove 100+ miles to my chosen Birth Center to get my single appointed ultrasound for the offspring growing in my gutt. The argument for moms that wait until the birth to find out the gender applies to those who get their 20 week ultrasound as well. It's still Christmas morning with a glittering mystery unveiled beneath the tree. Except now I get to paint, clean, organize clothes, and name my kid before I'm sleep-deprived, exploding with milk, and hormonal.

But those darn ultrasounds never quite make it as real as you want. You see in shadows and types, and take the doctor's word for what is what. You still have to wait to hold that kid, see if the eyes are brown like yours or blue like your man's. Plus my favorite trick has to wait which is this: sticking my upper lip right in the crease between baby's toes and the pad of the foot. Those little toesies curve the lip like a kiss.

So yeah, today I found out if Rainbow Girl gets a sissy or if she's going to be surrounded by little brothers all the day long. Drumroll please....



It's a boy!



It's not quite the same. My trick will have to wait. Good night.

1) Little boys that get a cut the size of a pin-hole taking care of it themselves.

2) Baby boys developing curls! Curly-headed boys getting into mom's mascara (that darn stain is still on that shirt).

3) Big girls and Halloween just around the corner.

The eternal laws of porch loving requires me to sustain a resin goose as the keeper of my gate. It gives me common ground with the grannies. Here's Gwendolyn's view recently:

Spring has found its embodiment of life, innocence, promise, and soft fluffy feel-good-ness with some new baby chicks. Check it out!

Hmmm...maybe it's time to get rid of my winter wreath. Ya think? Yesterday we looked pinch perfect (not the same as looking perfect for a pinch). We were seeing green in more than just textiles. Try lawns as well (wahoo). And bathrooms.

Vanilla Wafer came home from school and explained to mom & dad all about leprechauns, rainbows, gold, and treats. So we asked for a recap with the video camera, and got an extra "treat" when baby brother heard the "word for the every day of his life".

Remember the movie UP. I'm Charles Muntz and it's such a....[pause] delight to have you over for dinner.

Inspired by this crap, I decided to have some fun for valentine cards this year. Here's what school kids will find in their envelopes today:

Da Buddha Baby.



Yay for crappy point and shoot cameras!



Look familiar?

Happy Valentine's Parties Today!

Love From,
The Valentine Train
...cuz I choo-choo-choose you to be my Valentine