February is a funny month. It always seems so much shorter than any other month, even though it’s just a few days shorter. But with Rob’s birthday, Valentine’s Day and our engagement party at the end of this month, I know this one will fly by even faster than normal.

In the past, my dreams of writing Valentine’s cards for friends and family has fallen to the wayside and been forgotten, so this year, I decided to get a jump start and actually make it happen! I set aside some time this past weekend to sit down, write them all and stuff them. And today, they’re going out in the mail!

The cards will probably hit my friends’ mailboxes a little early, but if you haven’t started, the good news is that you still have a lot of time. I rounded up a collection of some of my favorite cards below. Not surprising, but a fair share are from Rifle Paper Co.

Do you send Valentine’s cards to your friends and family? Or just save it for that special someone?

one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine

Is it just me, or is calligraphy suddenly trendy? I’ve been seeing calligraphy workshops, books and starter kits popping up everywhere! Maybe I notice this more since I decided to do my own calligraphy for my wedding and have been trying to teach myself the basic skills, figure out how to properly hold my pen holder, deciding which nib(s) I like the look of best, and which ones work best for me. And then there’s the practice. Lots and lots and lots of practice.

When I started off down this path, I did some research on what to get and it turns out, there’s a lot of great things out there to help you get started. I bought Molly Suber Thorpe’s book titled Modern Calligraphy and it’s been a great reference. There’s plenty of great starter kits too! These two, one from LH Calligraphy and the other from Everly Calligraphy, are beautiful! They also come complete with a manual, nibs, a pen holder and ink!

If you’re looking to get started, here’s a few things I ordered and love…

• pen holder, oblique is recommended for right handers and straight for lefties! (I’m right-handed and have been practicing with a straight pen holder, but just ordered the oblique pen holder)
• assorted pointed nibs
• super black india ink, this probably isn’t the fanciest, but it’s good for practice

And at the end of the day, you decide you just want to buy a pretty font for invites or just for fun, Snippet & Ink has a list of 50 gorgeous fonts!

It’s been a while since I’ve done any DIY projects around the house, but I’ve been so busy, that finding the time to do anything more than what’s necessary hasn’t happened.

I’d been pondering a project every since seeing this really awesome coffee table at Salvage One, and I finally decided to make it a reality, or at least do some research on it. The construction of the table was relatively simple, so really all I needed was a gorgeous slab of wood and some stain. No biggie, right?

Actually, that was right. I thought finding a good slab wood would be expensive and a little bit difficult, but I came across Keim Lumber during my first Google search. They had a HUGE selection of wood slabs in all different types of woods, sizes and price points. I wanted something on the less expensive side and went with the hard maple — they have some really awesome round pieces right now!

The hairpin legs were repurposed from the first time I updated the coffee table. I stained the slab with the dark walnut Minwax wood stain from Home Depot and then polished it with a few coats of Briwax.

One of the things I love about this table is the size. It’s smaller than my first one, but I think it’ll be perfect in whatever apartment Rob and I move into next summer. So, what do you think of the new table? Is it something you’d make?

Well, it’s been many, many months since I decided I was going to paint my own piece of DIY abstract art, but finally the big one is done!

After I found the canvas and had it shipped, I have to admit that it sat in my living room, blank, for another few months. I decided to do a smaller practice canvas first. It was a huge help in learning how to better mix colors and use my brushes. The final big one didn’t look anything like the first one, but I really love both of them and have them both hanging in the house. The color schemes are different and the design/pattern/texture is also quite different, but they make me happy when I look at them and that’s all that matters I suppose! The big one also made for a nice back drop when Christine was helping me shoot pics for the Sweet Lemon Mag feature.

I enjoyed painting this big canvas so much and couldn’t believe how much of a stress-reliever it was at the end of the day. Maybe someday when I have fewer obligations, I’ll devote some real time to painting. Until then, it’ll be random projects I guess!

If you’re not ready to tackle your own abstract art, you can get my prints in any size from 8×8 to 40×30 on Minted!

A while back ago, like in January, I decided I was going to paint my own abstract piece of art. A big one. A few months went by and I finally purchased a canvas, then a few more weeks and I acquired paint. Several weeks later I decided to get to painting and started practicing on a small canvas.

It turns out that I really enjoy painting! It’s soothing and the perfect activity after a stressful day. I finished this smaller painting — 20 by 20 inches — a few weeks ago and realized I never shared it with you guys. Though it started out looking bad, it eventually turned into this, and I really like it. It’s now hanging in my hall and is the perfect bright decor when I first walk out of my room in the morning.

Since finishing this one, I’ve started on the mega painting. I’m sort of laughing to myself, because it looks nothing like this one, but I love it equally as much, maybe even a bit more. Let’s hope that I complete that one here in the next week or so and get it hung before my new chairs arrive!