Puppy Love Classroom Valentines and 2 creative etsy shops!

I was in school for a few brief elementary years before I was homeschooled.  One of my FOREVER favorite things about school had to be Valentine's Day.  Those February schooldays spent cutting and gluing big red hearts on decorated shoeboxes, setting my beautifully decorated box in the center of my desk, and waiting with expectation for my lil box to be filled with handfuls of sealed envelopes are among my most loved memories!

I've always felt love through words, creativity, and wonder.  Shaking out freshly sealed envelopes onto my desk made my heart swell.  I would open each one, make neat piles of my favorites, sort the candy to the side, and toss the envelopes.

 One Valentine School Day when I was around 8 years old, I discovered a big, full-size envelope in the mix of all the tiny ones.  I raced to open it and to my complete satisfaction, I noticed it was from a...B.O.Y.  The shiny big card had puppies with red bows on the front.  It was perfect.  I just held it to my heart and smiled (yes, I've always been a quiet romantic...even at age 8).  Then I read his words to me "be my Valentine", and I'm sure I did a dreamy sigh at that point.   However, my fluttery heart was instantly slowed when I saw his scribblings at the bottom.  He drew a picture at the bottom of my beautiful card of a sloppy, silly face of a stick figure boy with spiked hair, sticking out his tongue   My brow furrowed in little girl disgust.  Why would this BOY give me this perfect card and RUIN it with an ugly face?  Ahhh...I had SO much to learn about BOYS.

I liked lace and bows and all things pretty and I couldn't understand the mind of little boys.  Fast forward a couple decades later, and I'm no longer bothered by muddy prints and silly drawings.  God gave me three boys of my own to help teach me how the world looks through the eyes of the adventurous BOY.   Now when I see not-so-pretty scribbles at the bottom of a heartfelt note, I realize it was drawn with love, just in a different language.

The lesson learned was 

that love is expressed in MANY ways, 

it's up to us to literally open our hearts to receive all the types, 

not limit our hearts to only what we define as love.

I gathered my two younger heartthrobs around me this winter afternoon for some classic Valentine Day card creatin' fun!  

I discovered the most ADORABLE mini Valentines from an etsy store:

Jilly Bear Designs.  

Her cards are perfectly designed.  They are extra classy and super cute, perfect to deliver to all the little sweethearts in the classroom.  

It was love at first sight for me.  The hedgehog is my favorite!  Her designs are unique, a quality that is VERY important to me!  I've never seen cards like these.  When a card makes you instantly smile, it's a winner.  

The quality is obvious with Jilly Bear Design's cards.  The paper is thick and every cut precise.  She offers SO many more designs.  Visit her store to shop by clicking here for your own Valentine Cards!  Make it extra special by purchasing handmade and skip the big stores that line up the same same same cards every year.  ;)

Busy little workers:

For an extra treat to accompany the card, I bought kraft paper heart boxes to tuck little candies in.  For the little people, a lot of excitement is found in opening a lid and making a secret discovery inside!

It's all about the wonder.

I found really pretty and fun candy.  These are little cherry juice hearts!

 For a fun surprise I added handmade pushpins on the top of each box.  I found these pushpins again on  etsy!  I do so much of my shopping on etsy because it adds so much unique color to our lives in simple little ways.


These push pins are from: Yum Yum Buttons, 
a store on esty that creates the CUTEST handmade buttons, magnets, and more.  I chose push pins because I love the idea of adding creative and pretty pins to a corkboard.  Buffy, at YumYum Buttons is exceptional to work with!  

She creates and sells so many different designs.  Be sure to check out her store by clicking here to do some of your own shopping for unique home office accents and gifts!  I picked about 10 favorite designs!  Again, quality is KEY for me and her products are carefully and beautifully made.

Elementary Valentines: puppy love.

 

 There are so many creative ways to use these soft, fun, handmade magnets and buttons:  attached to gift boxes, hooked on cards, and slipped in an envelope and dropped in the mailbox.  Thank you Yum Yum Buttons adding your handmade goodness to our classroom Valentines!

Our Valentines are ready for delivery!

What encouraging,

little,

simple,

act of love

could you add to sparkle someone's day this month?

 Just find a little way to say:

"surprise!

I love you"

*The government makes me say that I was compensated for this post.  However, all thoughts and opinions are my own and always will be!

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This post is linked to: Under the Table & Dreamin, Nifty Thrifty,  Made by You Monday, Met Monday, Tuesday Tutorials and Tips, HOMEWORK: Be Inspired, Tip Junkie, Get Your Craft On, Works for Me Wednesday, Organize and Decorate Everything, Transformation Thursday, Tablescape Thursday, Strut Your Stuff, 36th Ave, Foodie Friday, I'm Lovin It, Tickled Pink, Friday Flair, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Weekend Wrap Up, Six Sisters Saturday