Photo a Day May: Altered Composition Book

The photo for today is a series. 

I wanted to start writing assignments down in a composition book for my 10 and 14 year old.  When I've done this in the past with my older kids it has been really helpful in keeping myself organized.   However, when I looked at our stash of composition books in the supply closet I quailed at their bleakness. 

I guess it's because I've been browsing through Pinterest more often recently that I thought of looking up altered composition books.    Turns out it is quite easy and there are lots of beautiful examples online.  

I decided to experiment on a notebook for me, before trying notebooks for my sons.

I mostly used this tutorial,  but I didn't follow it exactly -- I didn't have spray adhesive, for one thing, and I didn't want to worry about using an X-acto when I was just playing.

Anyway, here are the pictures -- the light wasn't too great -- we are getting a lot of rain here in the CA Sierras.    I am reasonably happy with the results!  As one site said, the part that took the longest was choosing the coordinating paper!  Making the book took only 15 or 20 minutes. 

Some of the scraps I used

The scrapbook paper I used was a gift from Paddy's godmother. 

The finished product

The inside front cover

The inside back cover

I used regular scrapbook adhesive instead of spray, scrapbook paper instead of cardstock, and it seems fairly solid so far.   I put some contact paper on the outside binding to reinforce it since it seemed like the most fragile part.   I don't like the shininess of the contact paper but it doesn't show too much. 

This tutorial shows how to make altered books with Mod Podge.   I am trying that with the boys' notebooks.  

Saint Valentine Table and Other Ideas......

I finally got our table ready for an inbetween time.....between Christmas Season which ended on February 2nd and Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 22nd this year.

I remembered the little Valentine Tree decor that Sarah, Malachy and I created for last year, inspired by this post at Cherished Hearts at Home.  It was right where I stored it!  No small feat, that!  The branches were recently trimmed from our apple trees....so that was an easy find as well.

Since we were having a family dinner last night (meaning all who live in this country were present for the meal), I tried to pretty the table up with a red Valentine theme. We can enjoy this for a couple of weeks, before we go with the purple Lenten theme.....which really is a dark burgundy theme for my table since I have not yet found a purple tablecloth.....

I had heart-shaped candle holders from a Christmas gift from my girls in 2010 and red candles, too.  The white candles were made by the offspring at a Pioneer Days outing at a local state park.

All simple.  But perfectly lovely.

Since my sweet Sarah is gone from us for a year, spent in Austria as a Rotary youth exchange student, and her 19th birthday is the day after St. Valentine's day.....it also has a nice way or reminding me of her, every time I see it.  We miss you, Sarah.

Gae has a lovely blog at Cherished Hearts at Home.  I subscribed to the email from the blog so it is one of the blogs that I actually read.  :)

Gae has other St. Valentine ideas, too, all of them easy and sweet.  This year she posted this Valentine Ribbon Banner.   It is adorable, and if I had time, I would do it.  Maybe next year......though it is inspiring me for a possible Lenten version......maybe take one of the ribbons off each day of Lent?

The rest of her Valentine's Day ideas are here.

On another St. Valentine note........there are a few links explaining who this dear man is......

Here....and here.

 

And finally here....not too bad for a Wikipedia page.

The Story of Valentine by Wilma Pitchford Hays was a favorite book of ours when my children were younger.  I found it at out local library.

I know it is only a few days till the feast day, but some of these ideas are very easy to carry out....and you can enjoy them till Lent starts!  Do not think you do not have enough time to do a little

something.  You can!

Last year, I searched and searched for my heart-shaped cookie cutters, to make some Valentine cookies...but they were no where to be found.......a dear friend was going to lend hers to me....but she could not find them....so she went and bought a set for me......and of course, I finally found my own!

And, just now when I went and looked for those heart-shaped cookie cutters......they were not there!  Looks like I am in the same place as last year, shoot!  Oh, St. Anthony, where are you????

Prayer to St. Valentine
Almighty God, grant we beseech You,
that we who celebrate the glorious martyrdom of St. Valentine, Your
servant, may by his intercession be filled with the love of God and
neighbor and be delivered from all the evils that threaten us.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

O glorious advocate and protector, St Valentine,
look with pity upon our wants,
hear our requests,
attend to our prayers,
relieve by your intercession the miseries
under which we labour,
and obtain for us the divine blessing,
that we may be found worthy to join you
in praising the Almighty for all
eternity: through the merits of
Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

A PRAYER TO ST. VALENTINEDear Saint and glorious martyr; Teach us to love unselfishly and to find great joy in giving. Enable all true lovers to bring out the best in each other in God and in God in each other. 

LOVE
Love is Patient and Kind,
It doesn't envy or Boast and it's never proud,
Love is not rude or selfish,
It doesn't get angry easily or keep track of wrongs.
Love doesn't delight in bad things
But it rejoices in the truth.
Love always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres.
Love never fails.
--- St. Paul to the Corinthians

Saint Valentine prayers for you,

Chari...........who will be spending all the day trying to figure out where those cookie cutters have been hidden!