I was up at 5:30 this morning with Chloe. You know that look that babies get in their eyes? The one that tells you that there is no way they are going back to sleep? That sheepish grin? I never know what I’m going to get when I peek into the crib, but this morning it was ‘GOOD MORNING MAMA!!!’

Since Craft Hope for Haiti has slowed down a bit, I’ve been able to spend some time making things with my kids. This year we are going to make all the presents for birthday parties we get invited to. ‘We’ not being me and the mouse in my pocket. The kids are going to help. Last week the kids were invited to Keegan’s best buddy’s birthday party and we made him a sock monkey.

Gratuitous monkey butt shot. I was even able to use up some of the chikaustin labels I had made for the fiesta dresses I made eons ago.

We’ve also been getting into the Valentine holiday spirit. I’m a HUGE fan of handmade valentines and gifts, not that I’ve been so great in the past of making anything really. So yesterday while the kids were at school Chloe and I ventured out to Michaels to stock up on felt and tissue paper to make all kinds of wonderful Valentines decorations.

We basically have Chloe’s naptimes to make things. She’s just mastered the grabby stage and likes to clear a table, or a desk full of sewing supplies.

We made this heart garland. I cut, the kids stacked and handed the hearts to me in the order they wanted them. There really wasn’t a system. Just feeding them into the machine randomly.

And as you can see the Craft Hope World Headquarters is expanding. Into the living room. We got another white bookshelf. Both of them were passed along to us by Miles parents. They are the Billy bookcases from Ikea. Did you see what they did on Bondi Beach in Australia with these bookcases? Pretty cool eh?!?

While we are talking about hearts, look what Dana made. I’ll be passing these along as valentines. She donated them to the Craft Hope for Haiti etsy shop and I snatched them up as soon as I listed them. There are benefits to listing items! The shop will remain open throughout the weekend and then we must close it as we resolve some issues with Paypal. Good times.

Today we are getting out the tissue paper, Elmers glue and hearts. Good ‘ole kindergarten crafts. My favorite kind.