"No matter how long the winter is..."

"...spring is sure to follow." ~Proverb

That's a nice little thought. Happy Groundhog Day! (Belated, if you're reading this afterward. I did start the post late on Groundhog Day)

Even though there is still ice and snow on the ground, my heart is looking forward to the loveliness of spring. And the loveliness of Valentine's Day is inspiring me to create. Normally, I don't really make a fuss over the holiday. Hubby and I do something together perhaps, usually without gifts involved. One year we went to Erie for the weekend, which was a nice little trip. But all in all, no biggie.

This year, I'm way into hearts. I am decorating the house (not like crazy, but with enthusiasm!) and have stumbled across all types of craft projects. And I've insisted we get each other gifts. Gifts that are wrapped and not given until the actual day. I'm so excited!

I came across this little set of crochet hearts that can be strung up and hung wherever you please. The picture at the top of this post is of one of the hearts I've crocheted. Mine aren't exactly turning out as nicely as the project creator's. I had some trouble finding the right thread, so I used a substitute at first. (It didn't turn out well, quite lumpy and uneven) I finally found a thread that is close to what I needed, but because the crochet hook and thread are SO tiny, it's tricky making the correct stitches. And perhaps because I haven't crocheted anything in at least 3 years, I had some trouble with the pattern. Oh, I understand what the different stitches are. But I think there was some detail left out of the pattern that I'm just now understanding exists. Each of the six hearts I've made so far have turned out a little differently. I think I realized that something I was doing was wrong, so I kept doing it differently to figure what the "correct" way was. And I think I've finally got it! But there is charm to my non-perfect little hearts, which my hubby pointed out. I agree and will keep them. After all, who's perfect? And what I love most about this project is that I have decorations that will last me a few Valentine's Days. Instead of hanging a string of paper hearts, or something inexpensive that will fall apart the day after and will get tossed, I'm inexpensively creating my own lasting decoration.

My other top-secret project is a card for my hubby. HUBBY: STOP reading if you are reading this post. I mean it! I check my visitor stats! OK, back to you other readers.....

I'm not going to post all of the pics here, in the hopes that if hubby continues reading, he won't bother to go to my flickr stream. Here's a little teaser pic for you, however. If you check out the Flickr pics of my card, you'll notice there is no text in it. Not yet, anyway. I don't mind sharing my project with you, but I'll keep the personal thoughts intended for my hubby just that. I came across the construction idea here. Since I'm not a member, I can't see all of the pictures. But I got enough of the idea to construct it on my own. Apologies for the lighting on the pictures. Some have flash, some don't. Because of winter hours being what they are, there is no daylight by the time I get home. I have to work with my indoor lighting. It is what it is.

I love this card idea so much that I might make a few cards for friends. I have smaller paper bags at home that would be perfect. Anyway, check out the link below for more detailed pictures. There's a spot for a hidden letter and a hidden gift as well. I don't believe my hubby didn't read this, so I can't post any more info just yet!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nightowldesigns/sets/72157625842653297/