I Love You Because... Board Tutorial

I was going through the old dilema of what to make/get Jacob for V.D., and while going through my Pinterest boards for inspiration, found this again. Ah ha! Not really "guy", but something I wanted to make anyway. :P
It's simple and cute, and a perfect way to keep those sweet love notes coming! 

I Love You Message Board Tutorial
This was supposed to be made using an 8 x 10, but I didn't have one, and I figured the 5 x 7 from the Dollar Store I did have would work just dandy. It did.

Mess work in progress. At this point I wasn't sure how to decorate it, so I had ideas everywhere.

I printed the wording off on colored card stock, glued it to scrapbook paper cut to size, and added some ribbon scraps. The fonts I used are Century Gothic and the "love" is Pea Annalee Script.

And for the flowers, I crocheted a chain (not sure how long, just eye balled it) of yarn and  string together.

And attached it to a small square of fabric with the glue gun, winding it slowly to make  a  rosette. I glued it to itself every so often so it wouldn't separate.

This is what the back looked it like when it was done. I did three of them. One with two strands, one of  just yarn, and one with two strands of string. I added buttons to the center, glued  them to the corner...

And there you have it! You can use a regular dry erase (fine tip) marker, or a Vis-O-Vis  marker.

Oh For the Love of Scrubs!

I've been collecting recipes for body scrubs on Pinterest for a while now, and really wanted to try some. So, today I was inspired finally to dig out the ingredients and do it! I tried two different kinds, one salt and one sugar, so here is the results!

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Scrub
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup raw oatmeal (I used quick oats)
1 cup olive oil


Combine all ingredients. Massage onto body with circular motions. Take you time, and when you're done, jump in the shower. Your skin will be SO soft! You may want to stand on a towel to catch the runaway bits. The oil can be messy!
I halved this recipe, and it made about half a pint.
Overall: Loved it! It was mildly abrasive, and left my dry hands super soft and smelling sweet! I have a Mary Kay hand kit, and this was a very similar effect to that, and much cheaper!

Measure out ingredients...

Mix 'em together...

Recipe source: Glamour & Beauty

Lemon Salt Scrub

5 tablespoons sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lemon

Combine salt and olive oil. Juice the lemon into mixture and combine. This one separates quickly, so keep a spoon or popsicle stick with it to stir it around, or put it in a jar large enough to reach into.

I didn't have sea salt, so I used Kosher salt. I'm not sure how much difference this made, but I liked it all the same. I also doubled it for a half pint.

Overall: I love the scent of this one. It is, however, very abrasive. This one I will probably use more for my body, rather than my hands. It did leave my hands very soft. It works great for a foot exfolient! 

Doesn't that look yummy? I almost wanted to taste it. :P

Source: The Beauty Department

I had fun making these, and plan to try more! They would make great gifts. Oh-so-easy to make, they look pretty, and people always need scrubs, right?