Send HIM a Valentine......

I LOVE Valentine's Day.

S-E-R-I-O-U-S-L-Y.

I love everything about it. I love red. It's my favorite color. I love pink. I adore rows of boxes of chocolates. I love flowers, all different kinds of roses and what not. I love having an excuse to act like a newly married couple again. I love dates. I love heart shaped anything. I love old love songs, like 30's not 80's. :) Truthfully, as my sweet sis Dawn and I used to say to each other:

"I just love, LOVE!"

And I finally have some proof to show just HOW MUCH I truly adore anything and everything Valentines. I guess you can say that Valentines is IN MY BLOOD. hee hee

So get a good look at my right wrist......... Yep, that's a heart folks. And no I am not getting into some, "Take pics of parts of me to post," But c'mon, THIS is somethin'. Here's one more just so you can get a second look:

It's a heart, no doubt about it. Of COURSE I have known this was here just in case you were wondering! While getting check-up's when they check my pulse I show them and say that my "Heart" beats for Joel.

Yes I am pathetic.

So back to V-Day and it's mysteries.

This year I am deciding to post each Friday in February to let you all in on the happenings here on Haywood to hopefully inspire and challenge you use Valentine's this year as an excuse to celebrate ALL MONTH, smothering your spouse with affection and having a ton of fun yourself.

You up for it???

Good!

Ok here's my romantic plan. Now by romantic I mean, "Fun, cheap, and special to us." What's romantic to us is quite possibly hilarious to you and vice versa. Who cares! Just have fun!

I started something last year which I love and decided to implement it again this year. I celebrated Valentine's each Friday in February by having something special for Joel at work. I gave my gifts to our secretary at church and had them numbered so she would know which gift to place on his desk each week. She would put the items on his desk during chapel when she knew he would not stumble upon them while she was being my sneaky deliverer.

This year I found these dandy cards at a bookstore going out of business. The price on the back says 3 dollars, but I got them for 50 cents a piece. Be creative and find a deal. A great idea are those handy little cards you find by the wrapping paper. You know the ones. They are meant to coordinate with the paper and meant as tags to go with the gift you wrap. I use these all the time folks. I love that they are small and inexpensive. You usually can find ones with a heart on it or even just a solid color one. So these cards I found this year are perfect. Here is how my Friday surprises are goin' down.

I decided to take the familiar phrase, "I love you in BIG ways, I love you in small ways, I love you this minute and I'll love you always," and let this represent my gifts each Friday. This Friday the gifts will be jumbo candy bars and such. The second week will be small almost insignificant items that would only mean something to him. The third week I am getting him a watch because he has needed one for months now since his broke. This just is too perfect for the "this minute" part of the poem. The last week will again be just a small token of some sort, something he loves and doesn't buy himself.

You can wrap these gifts, but I usually just slap a bow on or around whatever the item is and attach the card. Now really, how easy is this? These gifts can be presented each morning before he leaves, with a different special breakfast item, or whatever. You can be creative there. I find that children's books are a great resource for fun, creative ideas like this one which I just LOVE.

It has given me terrific ideas. Now along with my surprise gifts I have added a new element this year. I am cooking Joel a romantic dinner each week, and yes it is Friday also....This just works for us and will be so special to have the gifts and dinner on the same day. I got the idea from this book:
Is is a Rachel Ray cookbook and has some great date night dinners. Now you can join me in this friends!! If you do not have a sitter or place for your kiddos, you can feed them first something they will enjoy :-) and then have a camp out downstairs or fort for them to play in while you have your dinner upstairs. Just enough time to light some candles and pretend you are at an exquisite restaurant. For us this week our menu is:

Pasta with Citrus Cream Sauce
Veal Medallions with Lemon on a Bed of Spinach
Chocolate Caramel Pecan Cakes

These things are like Food Network level and intimidating yet exciting for me to attempt. Check back late Friday night to see how I do! I will show you pics of my dinner each Friday and would love to see yours if you decide to jump on board!!

And now I leave you friends with a favorite poem of mine from a favorite poet in hopes to rekindle that excitement for Valentine's Day!

Send Her (or HIM) a Valentine

Send her a valentine to say
You love her in the same old way.
Just drop the long familiar ways
And live again the old-time ways
When love was new and youth was bright
And all was laughter and delight,
And treat her as you would if she
Were still the girl that used to be.

Pretend that all the years have passed
Without one cold and wintry blast;
That you are coming still to woo
Your sweetheart as you used to do;
Forget that you have walked along
The paths of life where right and wrong
And joy and grief in battle are,
And play the heart without a scar.

Be what you were when youth was fine
And send to her a valentine;
Forget the burdens and the woe
That have been given you to know
And to the wife, so find a true,
The pledges of the past renew.
'Twill cure her life of every ill
To find that you're her sweetheart still.

Edgar A. Guest