Your Weekly Inspiration: Post 2 of 14

About the Authors: A family-run design team based in Austin, Texas, Cathy Heck Studio is happy to have been working with C.R. Gibson for more than 25 years.  Over two million babies own one of Cathy’s C.R. Gibson baby books , and her studio continues to be known for creating imaginative, adorable collections for children and babies. Now, Cathy works with her daughter, Ellen, on designs for giftware, keepsakes, fabric, home decor, and paper products – they adore working together and love brainstorming new ideas.

We are both inspired by all things blank and empty.  Standing in the “storage and organization” aisle of any department store is electrifying.  Blank white ceramics, plain kraft boxes, empty clear containers … “Ooo, what can we make with that?” If you were a child who couldn’t walk away from an empty cardboard box without imagining the palace it could be, you know what we’re talking about.

So, when I thought about something that inspired me this week, I chose this empty egg carton … just brimming with possibility.

Every time I empty an egg carton (which is often, because I eat a farmhand breakfast every day), I wonder, “Surely, I could use this for something.”  Happily, this week, I actually had an excellent seasonal need for my humble egg carton … it was transformed into a Valentine’s Day surprise.  (Ellen and I usually work together on our guest blog posts, but she is a recipient of this one, therefore, she has been banned from this post writing, since this surprise is in the mail as we speak.)

We once featured this Valentine DIY project on our blog, and it has been re-pinned more than any of our posts, which made me think that an egg carton could be a slightly smaller, easily-mailed version of this popular DIY valentine.  All of our girls are now living from sea to shining sea, so I wanted to be able to mail their V-day loot, since they won’t wake up to the surprises left by the Valentine fairy, like they did each Valentine’s morning when they were growing up.

And, if you need a quick, easy, and fun Valentine surprise for your loved ones, you might give this a try.  I have included the Valentine-ified package labels for you to download here.

I chose favorite candies in the bulk section of my grocery store, and then filled little plastic baggies with them and tied each with ribbon.  This way the candies won’t spill in transit.  But, my favorite part of this gift is the inside label, upon which you can write 12 favorite things about your valentine.  After the candy is but a memory, this list will most certainly be saved in the ‘Feel Good File.’  (You do have a Feel Good File, don’t you?)

And, if looking at this carton full of sparkly sugar makes your teeth ache, you can also fill it with all kinds of other favorites for your valentine: little soaps, sachets, springtime bulbs, garden seeds … you name it.  But no matter how you fill it, I suspect you will find that the part that is cherished the most is that list of “12 things I Love About You.”  Well, unless you fill it with money … that could go over really well, too.

So, the next time you start to throw away that empty egg carton, just imagine the possibilities.  And, Happy Valentine’s Day from the Valentine elves at Cathy Heck Studio!