Fun. Funnest!!!!

Funnest Valentine's party!!!!!  Oh my gosh?  Did I say funnest?  It was even better than that!!!!


A couple of my friends thought making Valentines was nuts.  At the end of the party we agreed it was the best ever.  We shared our hearts and laughter....and Valentines.

I had everyone bring their wedding pictures and as we sent them around the table, they told their "love story."  Everyone loves their love story and it was fun.  And some funny wedding stories.
I LOVE those.

I made Valentine's bags for everyone with a special goofy Valentine that represented them on the fronts.  Here are some:

Terri is married to a Catholic boy so we have fun with that.

 
Tauna takes water aerobics each morning.....

I turned this:

into this. 

 When you're friends forever, you remember all the silly conversations from years ago.  Elaine used to say she used to fantasize about being a mermaid rescued by a handsome pirate.

 And this is me.  Recognize my birthday mask?

 

The Valentine's from the friends were wonderful.  Here are a few:

 

Loretta is a fabulous artist and loves to recreate my favorite artist, James Christensens fantasy art.  She painted this and made a multi-medium picture for us.   Fabulous!!!

 

 BFF Cathy loves to go to the gym and workout (ugh!) and to travel, decorating (a color swatch)  and LOVES See's chocolates (bag attached!)

 Brendalyn is a card maker extraordinaire.  She made these darling boxes and they are filled with chocolate gummies....since she's a Baer.

 Funny Kathy is a gardener.  Maybe a master gardener.  She's been a gardener at the Salt Lake Temple.  Her Valentine was perfect!

 All in all, we all got a fun stash of love and goodies.  We know each other so well- have shared life's ups and downs and been there to share and support each other.  How blessed we are!!!  My text message has "dinged" all morning with everyone exclaiming how much fun it was.  Success!

 

And David had flowers for me this morning!  Tru Luv.  I got him cashews and pistachios since I'm NUTS about him.  Then I'm making his favorite dessert tonight.

 

 

Elaine- my favorite poet wrote a beautiful poem about our friendship.

 

Again, Moon and Magnolias

 

My lamp reflects in the black window pane.

Look, two lamps,

one here, on the dresser,

one outside in the magnolia tree.

It shines steadily from invisible branches

that rattle against the rain gutter.

 

With the lamp turned off,

the tree peers in at me,

might blooming in its boughs.

Shriveled leaves, not yet twisted free,

wait their turn to touch the ground they've watched

for three seasons.  I've heard the wind

call out their names, lying here,

wondering when the moon will look in on me.

 

Magnolia leaves have southern names:

Savanna, Charlotte, Georgia, of course, Scarlet.

Never men's names on a magnolia tree.

Strange that a tree can be a whole group of friends

blessing me with their willingness:

  to start over each spring.

  to share swelling, furry pods of possibility,

  to flower with uninhibited joy,

    exultant in waxy pinks and lavenders,

  to watch our blossoms brown,

    wilt away, petals undone.

 

The moon, in one of here phases-

I'm never sure is she's waxing or waning-

arrives, takes a turn sitting in the branches,

pretending for a moment she's a Carolina moon.

Good night, she croons,

and the wind blows her up, up across the sky.

More Val's

 Okay, sorry but I'm posting more Valentines.  One of the things I love about old Valentines is the cheesy retro sayings.  They make me laugh,.

We spent HOURS pouring over each message and which one to give to who and anticipating what "who" is giving to you.  I have such memories of Valentines day growing up.

 

 

 

The one for Funny Kathy is perfect because this is the kind of crazy she is constantly doing. (Feeding lions in Peru on this one.)

 

 

Friend Loretta is ALWAYS flying somewhere!  Honestly, to Norway, to Paris, to Hawaii, to Denmark, back to Paris, to Venice to Germany.  All separate trips. Denmark and Paris several trips.  And this year. (She has flight privileges with Delta. )   I bet she's only home a few days a month.  I adore her.

 

 

Okay, maybe I never grew up but man, I heart Valentines!!!

Fun Valentines

Here's a few ideas for Valentines.  I've done 1 and 4 already.  Bring it on!!!

1. Tic Tac Toe Valentines via Dixie Delights
2. Candy Heart Box Labels via Aesthetic Nest 
3. Valentine’s Day Tags via Embellish Goods
4. Valentine Heart Garland via Landeelu

Cute Valentines

 Saturday friendie Brendalyn and I ran some errands and ended up at one of my favorite consignment stores- Home Again (in Midvale.)  I loved this blackboard idea and think it would be cute for a family setting.


I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day.  When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon.  ~Author Unknown

More Valentines Past Eye Candy

I love looking at cool pictures of Valentine's projects and put some of my favorites in collages last year. Hope they inspire you!

And don't be forgetting about making your own Valentine's card! Then send me one! I HEART Valentines!

Past Valentine's Projects

Here are a few Valentine's projects I've made in years past. These little containers are easy enough. Just make a cylinder and double-stick tape the bottom closed. Turn and pinch the cylinder the opposite way from the bottom line and close it the same way. It looks like a little container you get sour cream in at a restaurant. Fill it with goodies, not sour cream.



Brendalyn and I also made a slew of these cute Valentine's cards. You get the clear plastic heart cups for the project from StampinUp.

After much trial and error, I learned you need to freeze your Rice Krispie treats before attempting this. Also, poke a hole into the Rice Krispie square with the end of the stick, then put a little melted chocolate melt inside the hole, then push in your stick. When the chocolate melt hardens, it also helps keep your stick in place. I dipped mine in caramel, then chocolate. Then added M & M's or sprinkles. Half of a store-bought Rice Krispie is a better size than a full one.

I look at this project and wondered what in the heck I was thinking! I don't know, I just fell in love with these cute downloadable boxes. Which meant I made to make the little apple pies. When really, my husband would have been just as happy with a store-bought mini pie. More work than the punch probably but I just couldn't resist the box.

Fortune cookies are easy to make. Make your own personal fortunes. Easy peasy.

Look over to the labels at the right and click on Valentines for all my Valentines posts and instruction or where-to-finds.

Julins Gordon- Love is not blind - it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less.

Smore!

OOMS-Lisa (Our Own Martha Stewart) made these for our Creative Cooking class last week. I thought they were so cute, I've been making them for my kiddos as well. She did hers couple-sized and wrapped just enough candy, graham crackers and heart-shaped peeps for a cute couple's treat. Loved this idea!

Since I am doing mine for my 5 kids families, I had to get a bigger box. I wrapped ribbon around the box before putting on my labels so that the ribbon was secure...and I could tie my box shut.












I later got an email from OOMS. She didn't have time to put the little sayings on the back of the S'more parts. Here they are plus her joke she made up. She must have had too much caffeine!


Chocolate Bar: Valentine... You melt my heart.
Graham Cracker: Honey... will you be my Valentine?
Marshmallow: Baby you light my fire!


What did the Graham Cracker say to the Marshmallow & Chocolate Bar? You complete me! Ha ha ha


(thank you, OOMS, you ALWAYS make everything better!)

Love List for Valentines

In no particular order, here are my top chick flicks.

1. While You Were Sleeping

2. You've Got Mail

3. Steel Magnolias (really about mother love/friend love. )

4. Ever After

5. Enchanted

6. An Affair to Remember

7. Best Friend's Wedding

8. Somewhere in Time

9. Return To Me

10.The Holiday



Alternatives: Funny Girl, Funny Lady and The Way We Were (all Barbra S.) August Rush, Sleepless in Seattle



Not as easy, my favorite love songs of all time (and these cover many years!)



1. Unchanged Melody (by Righteous Brothers or LeeAnn Rimes)

2. Keep You (Sugarland)

3. I Told You So (Carrie Underwood/Randy Travis)

4. Looks Like We Made It (Barry Manilow)

5. To All The Girls I've Loved Before (Willie Nelson/Julio Iglesias)

6. Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (Neil McCoy)

7. The Gift (Jim Brinkman)

8. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack or I love Leona Lewis's version)

9. Breaking Up is Hard to Do (the slow version by Neil Sedaka...not the fast version)

10. At Last (Etta James)



Runners Up: My Girl (The Temptations) Somebody's Me (Enrique Iglesias)

What's your favorites?

The Party to Be To Today!

Today is Creative Cooking at my house. So excited! This is always a party.

Today we are doing restaurant knock-offs, Mexican style.

The menu:

Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes- a clone from the Cheesecake Factory. I've posted the recipe earlier so look in the recipe file. It is served with a salsa verde and a southwestern sauce AND an avocado guacamole garnish.

Steak tacos- from Lonestar Taquira. Paula Alverez is making these....she will demonstrate making homemade corn tortillas. Double yum.

Cheese Enchiladas- there used to be a big restaurant in Salt Lake called Tampicos. In the 70's, it used to be the place to go. It has been closed for years. Fortunately, the owners daughter lives by Valene and has shared their enchilada recipe. I attended a cooking class that she did a year ago and may have posted the recipe but I'll repost it later today.

Pineapple Cilantro Rice- sounds yummy, doesn't it?

Then dessert. Dessert isn't restaurant knock-offs but rather Valentine's treats. I've made several.

Remember these?

I'm totally pie-ed out....

Then I made these. They are rice krispies in the middle (on a stick) then dipped in caramel, then chocolate, then sprinkled. They are killers!

And how can you not love polka dot treat boxes. I made these cut boxes from the Stampin'Up Big Shot...it is a great little machine.

They are how I made my favors for Thanksgiving. But these are filled with all the right Valentine colors.

So......do you want to come???

Valentine's Countdown 4

Check out all the sites that offer free vintage Valentine's downloadables. Here's a good one:

http://vintageholidaycrafts.com/ Remember to personalize by putting your own head on the picture! Have fun!

Click on the below picture to see the collage larger.

Valentine's Countdown 5

Valentine's Countdown 6

More Eye Candy- Countdown 7

Click on the collage to make it bigger. For the upper middle fortune cookies, buy fortune cookies and dip half of the cookie in melted chocolate chips. Let the chocolate set up before bagging. Try pulling out the old message and putting your own inside. Or make your own fortune cookies. They aren't hard. Google on the Internet.

Valentine's Countdown 8

EYE CANDY! Click on picture for a bigger treat. Get inspired!

Show and Tell

Look what Brendalyn and I accomplished last night! We made our "pie boxes" (posted this past week) and also homemade cards for our Visiting Teachers, friends, etc. You know...those people we love!

Look at how cute these little plastic heart enclosures are. I loved these cards. The products are all from Stampin' Up. We haven't made the little tag that you put on but that is another day.

If your husband is like my husband, he watches us doing "projects" and just shakes his head.

"Why are you making Valentines?" he asks.

"Well, because we can!"

And reader Cindy, I laughed at your comment the other day. No Valentine mojo going on there so you hit See's and $45 later you were done. That works too! I'm just so right-brained that if I don't have a little creative mess going on, I'm antsy. And I love just being with friends. I really do love being with David but he's not real fun making Valentines with.....

Valentine's Countdown 10

Have I mentioned how much I love Valentine's Day? And one thing I really love to do is make my own Valentines. I really should have used one of the kiddos pictures .... but I have 13.....and so who do you use? So, sorry, you get stuck with silly ol'me. Let your imagination soar.

Here are two I've made this year. They aren't THE Valentine....meaning my Valentine for this year but it is to give you some ideas.


I just realized that on the prior Valentine, I said "I'm heads over heels for you." I'm pretty sure I only have one head. Not heads. Oh well, you get the idea!


Here is a Valentine that friend Sophia made for me

Here's my last year's Valentine, with my retro 80's picture. To personalize, I put each of my friend's heads in the mixing bowl. Strange but true. Rosebud loved it.



My personalized Valentine for BFF Cathy. She always remembers what she wore. I always remember what I eat....

Here is one I made for Penny...re-creating our fond memories of sticking our heads in lion's mouths at ruins in Mexico.

Here is a plethora (laughing, Kim?) of Valentines from my Bucket Valentine's party a couple of years ago. I had everyone bring homemade Valentines that represented their personality. They were MARVELOUS!