You know how important the day is to ideals of romance and love, and you might love the celebration of the day for that, or you just might hate it for the same reason.
But what do you really know about this day and why red, pink, and white suddenly become the décor everywhere, and satin covered, heart boxes of chocolates appear?
Saint Valentine
February 14 is His Feast Day
For those unfamiliar with “feast days”, these are days set aside in the Church calendar to celebrate specific events and, in this case, a saint of the Catholic church. Because the Catholic (Christian) faith was replacing the pagan beliefs of an area and culture, the days chosen for some feast days of the Church were to supersede those of the local religion . Sometimes the two muddled up and the old traditions continued under the new holiday.
The story of the Saint, himself, is somewhat mysterious. Little account is given of his life and what is told is mainly legend. Valentine, Presbyter of Rome is considered the saint that is commemorated on February 14th, and there are stories of his kindness to young people in love.
One source tells it this way:
The Story of St. Valentine
“In 270 A.D., marriage had been outlawed by the emperor of Rome, Claudius II. Claudius issued this decree because he thought that married men made bad soldiers since they were reluctant to be torn away from their families in the case of war. Claudius had also outlawed Christianity in this time period because he wished to be praised as the one supreme god, the Emperor of Rome. Valentine was the bishop of Interamna during this period of oppression. Valentine thought that the decrees of Rome were wrong. He believed that people should be free to love God and to marry. Valentine invited the young couples of the area to come to him. When they came, Valentine secretly performed services of matrimony and united the couples. ” [2]
He is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travelers, young people. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses.
The time of the feast day coincides with an old pagan celebration. Lupercalia, which falls at the ides of February, or February 15th, was a fertility and romantic match ritual which later became replaced with the official feast of St. Valentine.
*2 cite: Lutheran Ministry
Valentine’s Day – What’s on Your Romance List?
Do You Celebrate Saint Valentine?
As Shakespeare said:
“Sweets to the sweet.”
Kate Greenaway Valentine
The Valentine Card
Have you heard of Esther Howland? If you love sending and receiving Valentine’s cards in the United States, she is partly responsible. She helped to pioneer the Valentine greeting industry.
It probably helped that her family owned the largest book and stationery store in the town of Worcester, Massachusetts, but it was the charming Valentine sent from England by one of her father’s associates that sparked her love affair with Valentines and her career of making beautiful Valentines that popularized them throughout the United States.
Esther Howland was not the first to make or send Valentines, but she created lovely ones that captured the imagination and heart of the American public. Today examples of her New England Valentine Company are highly collectible- if you can find them. They may be exhibited in museum collections. These were not ordinary cards, but artistic flights of fancy and imagination, some with many layers, customizable with labels and mottoes to express the desired intent; constructed with paper lace, die cut graphics, and luxurious embellishments.
Include flower meanings in a note. Roses say “I love you”
This is a busy day for florists. Flowers are the number one gifts to give for Valentine’s day, often in tandem with chocolate candy. Besides the iconic one dozen red roses, there are many types and style of flower bouquets and one very romantic floral arrangement would have to be the Victorian Tussy Mussy. Using the language of flowers, a secret and romantic message may be sent, and decoded by your own special Valentine.
The nosegay is small, but very fragrant, and just the right touch for a Valentine Day gift of flowers.
Red roses = love and passion
Pink roses = joy and sweetness
Orange roses = fascination and desire
Lavender roses = love at first sight
Red roses stand for passion and love, but what do other flowers represent?
Carnation, red — “Alas for my poor heart”
China Pink rose — Beauty always new
Chrysanthemum — Love
Clover, four leaved — “Be mine”
Coreopsis — Love at first sight
Daisy — Innocence, new-born, “I share your sentiment”
Fern — Sincerity
Forget-Me-Not — True love
Gardenia — Ecstasy
Pansy — “I am always thinking of you”
Heather — Admiration
Ivy — Fidelity, friendship, marriage
Jasmine — Grace
White Lily — Purity, modesty
Find more on the Tussy Mussy hub, or in books available on the topic.
Fresh flowers are welcome for every occasion. Romantic Victorian roses max the message.
Valentine Candy – Conversation Hearts say it all
candy conversation hearts
The makers of NECCO Sweethearts Conversation Hearts have stolen the hearts of many people who love to send their little messages. They have become iconic of Valentine’s Day.
What is your favorite conversation heart message? Classics are “Kiss Me,” “Sweet Talk,” and “Be Mine.”, but every year a new batch of mottoes to their mix.
A Valentine Haiku
Valentine’s Day Candy Hearts
Sugary and sweet,
Holding your heart in my hand
Thank you for the treat!
-Anonymous
Favorite Conversation Heart Sayings
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MY GIRL MISS ME IT’S LOVE LET’S KISS BE TRUE
MY LOVE IT’S TRUE MY PAL MARRY ME I WILL
FOR YOU ASK MEKISS ME ONE I LOVE CALL ME SO FINE
LOVE YOU BETALL MINE CUTIE PIE HI LOVE
DEAR HUG MY DOLL TRUE LOVE FOR YOU MISS YOU
MY BABY WHY NOT YOU ROCK XOXO
Valentine Statistics
Half of all celebrants said they will buy candy, 36 percent will buy flowers and 35.6 percent will treat someone to a nice evening out.
~NRF 2012 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey
Delightful Heart-shaped Valentine’s Day Chocolates
For any special day comes this box of special chocolates, crafted in designer looks, and handmade out of premium dark chocolate. Orange, Raspberry, Chocolate and Espresso centers.
Romantic Valentine Ideas
Here are some suggestions to make your day special, or use them to jumpstart your own unique plans for a memorable February 14th.
Plan a Valentine Picnic – this one is easy, and fun!
Handmade gifts if you have time. Are you crafty? Use your talents to make something from the heart.
Valentine breakfast, like the picnic, but you get to make those fabulous waffles you always planned on trying.
No time for breakfast, and the weather just doesn’t feel like picnic time? Cook up a romantic valentine dinner.
Visit someplace that you both found romantic, or watch a romantic movie together.
Write an Old Fashioned love letter. Tie it with a satin ribbon.
Rose Petals- buy them, and strew them around the tables, the floor, the counters.
You May Learn More About Love Letter Valentines
Godiva Chocolate for Your Valentine – Smooth High Quality Chocolate
There is a difference! Better chocolate is worth the price difference. You can read about Chocolate history on the Godiva website.
Did you know Spain kept the discovery of chocolate a secret from the rest of Europe for more than a century?
Godiva- smooth, fine chocolate that is always welcome.
Traditions of St. Valentine’s Day – How we commonly celebrate the holiday
Cartoon is Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
It is considered a day for lovers, so every February 14th flowers are given, sweets and candies presented, and greeting cards, which are called “Valentines” , are sent with romantic greetings. A romantic meal with a special dessert , often made with chocolate, is part and parcel of the day.
But not only lovers celebrate the day. In schools, children often send valentines to every one in the class, and I have old memories of making “Valentine boxes”. Old shoe boxes with a letter sized hole cut into the lid, and covered with all sorts of gaudy Valentine decorations. These were to be the receptacle for the many little valentines that were customarily given. Cupcakes were often served to everyone.
Most Valentine greetings are now printed commercial cards, but in times past the tradition making homemade Valentines out of red paper and white paper doilies was common. These were decorated with bits and bobs of decorative paper ephemera, usually of birds, flowers, and cupids, and sometimes with pictures of young children or pets.
There also was the tradition of the “Vinegar Valentines” which we might deem “anti Valentine” cards. I always knew them as “Penny Dreadfuls”, but that is the term given a type of Victorian thriller fiction.
Does that describe you? There are many reasons to hate a holiday. Sometimes the associations of disappointed hopes, or heightened expectations ruin the holiday for you. There are probably many reasons for antipathy towards Valentine’s Day. Some people deal with that feeling of pain or dislike with Anti-valentines, even anti -Valentine activities.
If you are curious about those who decide to poke fun at this holiday, ‘Be My Anti-Valentine’ once provided some insights, maybe some laughs depending on your idea of humor. It is a site that seems to have closed, now, but there are plenty of people who wrote about those black-humored digital cards.
Geoffrey Chaucer
recorded the first Valentine connection with romance:
For this was on seynt Volantynys day Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.
In a nutshell, what a woman really wants on a romantic holiday like Valentine’s Day is to feel special. She also would like a little romance. So, what is the problem with figuring out what to give the special woman in your life, if every woman wants the same thing? Each woman is unique, and while each and every one would love to feel special, that might take a very different than the usual to achieve.
Luckily, this is a list of possibilities to choose from, although some are just what you would expect. There is nothing wrong with giving red roses or a box of candy, because it is the way a gift makes the special woman in your life feel that is important. Do you really know her and her interests? Find the romantic form of that and go with it. Try to stay away from what says you like what she does, and choose something that says you love who she is. SOME IDEAS FOR THE MAN IN YOUR LIFE, TOO Ideas for celebration, for that one special gift, and some illuminating videos to spark ideas and bring a little romance in that one day of the year set aside just for romance: Valentine’s Day. Some of the ideas are tried and true, some have a little twist, and others you may not have thought of before.
Here is your guide to making this day memorable. Mix and Match ideas to come up with a celebration that is uniquely the two of you.
Loved Specially
A few words on what is most important.
What Was Your BEST Valentine’s Day Gift Ever?
Choose from the list, or tell us your unique best Valentine gift
What was the best thing you ever received for Valentines Day?
Your Relationship
Being together is one of the most important things for Valentine’s Day. It doesn’t have to involve lots of money spent.
How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Show You In These Ways
Dress up the Occasion
You could choose one, you could choose several of these suggestions, or take off with an inspiration all your own. The important thing is to understand that your desire to make her feel special is the important ingredient for the celebration of Valentine’s Day.
Notes Are Romantic
Even little sticky notes that relay your love- just make them count with what bonds you together- romantic thoughts, cute little sayings, reminders of what you love about her (or him!),
…use your imagination
Romantic And Easy
Ideas To Make The Time Special
A special dinner at home. You can cook or bring home “take-out”, but be sure it shows you care about this being a special event. Include candles, serve it to her, put a bouquet of flowers on the table, add whatever special touches you know she loves.And of course, clean up, afterwards.
A special dinner out. Lots of people do this one, and the restaurants are crowded. Think ahead and make sure you have reservations, choose a place that is one of the more quiet restaurants, with great food. Women like conversation, make the effort to talk about her interests and make an effort to communicate about what you love about her.
Flowers. Do this the easy way, or the way that requires you to be a little more innovative. Red Roses, a dozen, will be the easy answer. If she loves the romantic message of a dozen red roses, go for it.If she loves other flowers, make the extra effort of ordering something that includes those. Or get an unusual bouquet of Hawaiian flowers, because you know she appreciates the unique or loves everything Asian, or you had a vacation to Maui together… details like that say “love”.
A little gem of an idea. An engagement ring? Or are you married to your one true love? What gems does she favor? Are earrings or bracelets the one piece of jewelry she loves to wear when she dresses up? Haven’t noticed? Then get her something you would love to see her wear.
The romance of scent. Perfume, the very word breathes romance, but which one to choose from the vast array? Find what she loves or give her the gift of scented candles, an aromatherapy session at the local spa, anything that smells wonderful.Let her have the luxury of the most wonderful bubble bath she ever had… try some bath bombs and gifts from LUSH.
Something Out Of The Ordinary
Your Photos on the Cover
MAKE A MAGAZINE COVER TO FRAME
Love Is …
Love is when I looked in your eyes
And I knew that I finally had realized
I want you, forever
~Liz B. Bridge
Free iPhone App to make your own magazine cover.
Ways To Give This Unique Gift
Personalized Magazine Covers A personalized magazine cover is a unique gift that your friends and family members will love! You can make these covers online and post them on social media sites like Facebook or MySpace. You can also have these magazines printed.
Free magazine cover maker – put your photo on a dream mag cover!
People magazine cover generator will make you the star of the next issue of famous magazine about celebrities. Create your fake magazine cover online!
Set the scene… rose petals, some candles, and your favorite, but simple, menu…
Valentine Menu
Whether going out for a dinner date, or making something special at home, food has always held a center stage for romantics. Maybe because of the inclusion of so many of the sense at one time, or perhaps related to that oldtime adage that the way to man’s heart is through his stomach, eating together is a traditional part of romance.
Valentine’s Day Breakfast Food: Recipe Ideas
This article details eight different breakfast food ideas for Valentine’s Day. Some of them are very simple ideas while others are multi-step recipes. There’s something here for everyone.
Valentine’s Gifts From The Heart – Out of the ordinary
The Best Valentine’s Dinner Menu
https://youtu.be/ufn0on3-IzA
Don’t Cook?
A Better Idea: Jewelry
Jewelry is always a welcomed gift, and classic pearls have the added value of representing perfection, femininity, class. The very name means “unique”. Give her a special gift of jewelry and then order take-out…. “Girl with a Pearl Earring,”
Pearls Are Romantic – Pretty cultured pearl jewelry set
Does extravagance say romance? Not always, sometimes a woman loves the fact that you get her something beautiful that still stays within the budget… after all, you planned that vacation that you dreamed about together, right? Show her you want Valentine’s Day to be more than a date on the calendar, though.
Is Yumminess Important? What is the Cuteness factor?
The Classic Box of Chocolates
Sweets Can Say I Love You
Why does chocolate say I love you?
It is sweet
The sugar in chocolate might be the energy boost needed, it can quickly but safely raise the blood sugar levels (dark chocolate is low on the glycemic index). That relieves the irritability and fatigue of low levels.
It makes her feel good
Why? It boosts those chemicals in the brain that are pleasurable, like serotonin levels.
Send some quality chocolate for a sweet surprise.
HOWEVER, CAN YOU GO WRONG WITH CHOCOLATE?
Yes, you can. Check through this list before you send chocolates:
Is there an allergy to chocolate? Or nuts?
What kind of filling is loved- or hated? Some people really don’t like crisp, or caramels, some don’t like really dark chocolate. Certain types of chocolates may be loved more than any other kind. If you don’t know, play it safe and get the assortment, or…. you could get another type of gift.
Is your budget low, and you can only get really inexpensive chocolate? Skip it, and try one of the other gift ideas to make a special and more memorable gift.
There are very good reasons that some gifts, such as flowers and candy, go together are are classic gifts for women. We like them! But what sets a gift apart is how well it conveys the meaning of how important the person is to you, how special, how. The gift is not a quantifier, it can’t say how much, but it is a modifier telling something about “in what way”. The more you can personalize it, the more it conveys the message.
Sometimes a dozen red roses is simply a dozen red roses, and no one needs to elaborate any further to what that gift means, but if you give chocolate… that can say something sweet in hundreds of different ways.
The luxury and novelty of form.
The excellence of quality.
How it is boxed, and whether it is her favorite or not.
The most important thing is that you know something about the person you are giving to, the more you know the better.
Does she love dark chocolate or milk chocolate better, or does she love all the same? Crunchy with nuts or creamy fillings?
Mix of all the above or something different altogether?
It usually isn’t too hard to find out. Just knowing a few details makes all the difference.
Used through the ages, follow the romance of how petals have imparted fragrance in so many sweet ways. Whether you strew aisles and tables, make jam or rosebeads, they’re delightful.
The Romance of Red Rose Petals
Red rose petals breathe romance and are a favorite for weddings, and romantic candle lit décor. They add fragrance and tactile luxury when you touch their soft and smooth, slightly cool skin between your fingers. They can add flavor to foods, and color as well. Explore and examine the beauty of Red Rose Petals…
Nothing is lovelier for strewing around a room than fresh rose petals.
Flower Girl can fling fragrant flower petals along the wedding aisle.
Perfect for the flower girl to scatter down the aisle.
Immortalized in Burn’s Poetry
Oh, my luve’s like a red, red rose, That ‘s newly sprung in June
Useful in so many ways
Fresh Petals – Perfect for weddings
If you want to use rose petals for food purposes, I would not purchase commercially grown roses. Only gather your own home grown blooms that are organically grown, without insecticides or fungicide. Use your own judgment for crafts, but I would only use the purchased flowers for decorative purposes.
For my daughter’s wedding we used fresh red rose petals on the reception tables and at the ceremony in the flower girls baskets. It was a very pretty touch.
List of Roses with Red, Fragrant Petals
Gather your own rose petals
Some of these are ‘old roses’ or heritage varieties which can be hard to find in the market, but all are worth growing. The hybrid teas will bloom throughout the season, the old roses bloom only in early summer. this list is not definitive, but will give you a base of named roses to look for when desiring red colored petals that are fragrant.
Mr. Lincoln
Charles De Mills, gallica
Fragrant Cloud
Rose de Rescht
Don Juan
Oklahoma
Red Masterpiece
Alec’s Red
Baron Girod de l’Ain
Chrysler Imperial
General Jacqueminot
Hugh Dickson
New Yorker
The Dark Lady
The Squire
Rose Beads, an Ancient Craft
Rose Petal Trivia
Reaching back into ancient time, as roses and their use and culture are from very early times, the making of rose beads is known to have been well established by the middle ages. Rose beads became favored for making prayer beads, known as the rosary.
Victorians developed the process with the use of fixatives and binders which made the beads stronger and able to retain their scent for a much longer time..[2] Gum Benzoin and Ground Orris root are two common and easily obtained fixatives.
Damask or Apothecary roses are the old roses which are still used to manufacture rose oils. Though not commonly available, they can be ordered from nurseries.
Cleopatra used roses to envelope herself in fragrance and allure. It is said that she had the palace floors carpeted with rose petals, her chamber filled two feet deep with red rose petals, and the fountains filled with rose water in preparation for Mark Antony. No wonder he was so taken with her.
Rose Petals and Flower Girls
In medieval England, it was traditional for the bride to be preceded by a flower girl on her way to church, who would strew fresh rose petals before her to signify happiness. Create an Amazon Wedding Registry
Create Your Own Rose Beads
Gather together the materials and make fragrant beads for jewelry or other crafts.
Make Rose Beads for a Rosary
Red, fragrant rose petals
Water
A saucepan
A needle
String for stringing.
Instructions
Gather the roses
Chop the petals as finely as you can
Put them in a saucepan and barely cover with water.Using a cast iron skillet will give a deeper color to the beads
Heat for an hour but do not let boil.
Repeat for three or four days, add more water if needed.
When the petals are the consistency of clay, start molding the beads.
Press out as much water as possible in a sieve.
Roll the pulp into balls.
They will shrink by half when dry, so make them about an inch diameter.
After somewhat dry use a large needle to make holes in the center of each beads
When dry, string them.
The warmth of your body will release rose fragrance from the dried beads.
Rose Bead Recipe #2 – Or Make A Necklace of Fragrance
Here is an alternative recipe from C. Jeanne Heida. This one replaces cooking the petals with repeated grinding.
Materials
You will need:
A meat grinder
A cast iron skillet
A box of thin picture nails- at least 3/4 inch in length
Jewelry string
Laundry basket full of fresh rose petals
Instructions
Grind the petals twice through the meat grinder.
Spread the petals in the skillet, cover and set aside.
Once a day, grind the paste through the meat grinder, then return the paste to the skillet.
After several days, you will notice the paste slowly beginning to turn black or deep brown. Continue to grind the petals daily, for 10 to 15 days until the rose petals have turned into a dense, putty like material.
After the petals have been turned into a dense and pliable paste,shape the rose paste into circles or squares.
Insert a nail through the center to create an opening for the thread. Wiggle the nail to enlarge the opening slightly larger than the nail itself.
Set the bead aside and let dry thoroughly.
After the beads have completely dried, remove the nails.
The beads can now be threaded onto the jewelry string.
Place small knots between the individual beads to prevent them from touching each other.
Floral Flavor
Try using rose syrup in cocktails, over vanilla ice cream or panna cotta, mixed into fruit salad, and drizzled over crepes. Desire something quick, on the shelf? Bottled syrup is available on Amazon.
Monin is considered a quality line of syrups.
Rose syrup
6 packed cups of rose petals
12 cups water
6 cups white sugar
Instructions
In large bowls add rose petals, have a large heavy platter that fits over the bowl snugly.
Bring to a boil 12 cups of water and pour over rose petals and quickly cover with platter.
Set aside till water cools.
Strain water and discard petals.
Mix water and sugar in a large pot and bring to boil till sugar is dissolved. But do not boil, only heat water enough to dissolve sugar.
If the color is not to your liking, you can adjust it. Add food coloring. Keep refrigerated. Will last about 3 months in fridge. Or you may also can it for longer storage. Use it drizzled over fresh fruit, in custard, on pancakes with fresh berries, in iced tea.
Note: To make the syrup pink you can add 1/8 cup or 2 tbsp. lemon juice to each cup of rose infusion. It is fun to watch it turn pink before your eyes. The lemon juice may also act as a preservative and lengthen the shelf time.
Culinary Red Rose Petals – Dried petals added to teas or foods
Teavana makes one of my favorite white teas with dried fruit, rosebuds and rose petals added to make a fragrant and indulgent tea. They named it ‘Snow Geisha’. You may not find this particular type now, but look for similar mixes in specialty teas.
Youthberry is another one of their teas which contain rose petals and has a very lovely floral nose to it. I found this is still available for purchase in teabag form at Target stores.
Culinary grade petals to use in your rose petal flavored creations
You could add your own petals to tea, using a culinary grade of dried petals.
Edible Petals
Roses are grown with the use of many pesticides and fungicides unless they specify otherwise. That is why you should never use roses from unknown sources for culinary use. Make sure you use organically grown roses. Better yet, grow them without poisons in your own yard.
In cooking, the essence of rose flavors cookies, cakes, and other confections.
Rose water is distilled from rose petals and Moroccan rose water is known for its high quality, made from Rosa damascena. Best type to use for skin care, in cosmetics or as a skin toner.
Scented Sugar
Make Rose Petal Scented Sugar
Make Rose Petal Sugar
1 Cup White Sugar
2 Cups fresh, fragrant Rose Petals, shredded or minced
Pound sugar and rose petals with a mortar and pestle.
Place in a covered jar for one week.
Sift out petal bits if desired and store in an airtight container. You can also add a vanilla bean.
Red Rose Petal Jam – Sweet, Fresh, Scented Jam
You can use ‘Eva’ hybrid musk rose petals or any type that is free from pesticides and has a good strong perfume.
Buying a good rose jam is also possible.This is a rose flavored jam that is ideal when paired with salty cheeses and great for a tea time snack.
3-4Tablespoons Meyer Lemon Juice(juice from 1 large Meyer Lemon with the zest )
Method
Cut the rose petal into strips with kitchen scissors, discardi the white base, which is tough and bitter.
Put the petals in a pan with water; cook for 10 minutes, then lift out and drain. reserving the liquid.
Add the sugar and honey and cook over medium high heat until thick syrup forms (about 20-30 minutes). Skim off & discard any foam.
Return the rose petals to the syrup and continue to cook gently for about 10-20 minutes more.
Add the rose essential oil and lemon juice. Simmer until set- temperature of 220-222F, another 10-15 minutes. (thread stage)
Ladle into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean with a dampened paper towel or clean cloth, put the lids in place and tighten down. Invert the jars for a few minutes, turn upright and let cool completely.
Floral Topics
Mr. Lincoln is a red rose of the hybrid tea type. I grow it, and it has been one of the few hybrid teas hardy in my Zone 5 garden (although I do grow it in a protected place). Mr. Lincoln has a strong, beautiful rose scent and deep red petals.
The Rose
The Rose is gowned in petaled grace and lovely beyond telling;
She always lifts a friendly face, regardless of her dwelling.
Her golden silence can express to us, no matter where, joy shared;
give solace in distress from those who fondly care. The Rose has ways of saying things we much delight to hear;
without a spoken word, she brings and keeps our loved ones near
Rose Petals, Buds, and Powder Profile Rose Petals, Buds, and Powder Profile Also known as Rosa spp (centifolia, gallica, and damascena are the most common varieties), Provence Rose, French Rose, Cabbage Rose, Red Rose, and Pink Rose. Introduction The rose has been valued for its beauty a
Some people get depressed by Valentines Day, but not me. Maybe because it didn’t mean romance as much as it meant romantic for me; we can be romantic just because we want to anytime we like. I like romantic styles and thought making homemade valentines with paper doilies and pretty flower stickers was so much fun as a kid. I liked cupcakes that my mom made with strawberry cream cheese icing and red cinnamon hearts, and later I baked my own. And whether I bought it for myself, or someone bought it for me I adored boxes of chocolates on Valentines Day. It is the chocolate that counts, and stores go all out to provide so many choices. If I waited until just after Valentines Day: Bonanza!
I always thought conversation hearts were cheery, even long after I stopped eating them (just extra sugar without much flavor if you ask me). However, they still say sweet innocent romance and friendship to me. Zazzle sells stamps that would be perfect for sending off Valentines. And I thought I’d pick some random things to say “Happy Valentines Day” which is coming up sooner than you know it.
Cupcakes: Bake any flavor cupcake you like from your favorite recipe or cake mix. Use the following recipe for cream cheese icing and add strawberry jam for a pretty pink color.
Cheesecake Icing: * 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened * 1/2 cup butter, softened * 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Add the strawberry jam at this point.
Always refrigerate cream cheese icing 🙂 Decorate with hearts: cinnamon or candy hearts
My true-love hath my heart, and I have his, By just exchange one for another given: I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss, < T’here never was a better bargain driven: My true-love hath my heart, and I have his.
His heart in me keeps him and me in one, My heart in him his thoughts and senses guides: He loves my heart, for once it was his own, I cherish his because in me it bides: My true-love hath my heart, and I have his.
~Sir John Philip Sidney
To My Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet(1678)
Everyone knows feeling loved lifts you up. Not everyone feels that way on Valentines Day, but I’ve always had a place in my heart for all the cheerful red and white (Isn’t this Le Creuset Heart Casserole sweet?), lacey, over the top Valentines and the general sentimentality of the day. It doesn’t hurt that lots of chocolate is involved, either.
The old fashioned homemade Valentines greetings especially intrigued me. Once upon a time people, particularly young men and women labored over creating special cards for one another. When I was a child I tried to recreate some of those with heart shaped paper lace doilies and flower cutout stickers, etc. They didn’t compare with the calligraphy and hand painting of some of the Victorian types, but I loved the result.
Tasha Tudor has some of the most endearing pictures, and her book embodies the type of Valentines described here. It is an enjoyment to spend a little time looking at the efforts of loves expression.
A Tasha Tudor book, -All For Love.
Usually people think of Victorian times as the beginning of Valentine greetings, but some sources report it as far back as Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife in 1415. It was in the Victorian times that the greetings became commercialized in cottage industries- groups of women making them in an assembly line type of manufacture- although they were put together by hand. These are the types I usually think of- with bits of lace, gold foil and pasted pictures.
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Set the scene… rose petals, some candles, and your favorite, but simple, menu…
“Girl with a Pearl Earring,”
), lacey, over the top Valentines and the general sentimentality of the day. It doesn’t hurt that lots of chocolate is involved, either.
