Happy Valentines Day!!

Happy Valentines Day to you All!!  

This is a wonderful day dedicated to showing those you love how very special they are to you.  Danny and I celebrate it a little differently than most.  We both are huge foodies and love cooking, so rather than go out to dinner.  We have started our own traditions.  I am always the cook on this day.  I start searching weeks before and plan out the whole menu.  There is usually appetizers and maybe a glass of wine, we then sit down for dinner and there are at least 3 courses, which I serve.  I break out the good china and glasses, candles everywhere and red and white roses.  I can't even remember the last time we went out to dinner on this day.  It started out just Danny and I sharing a romantic dinner at home, but for probably the last 8-10 years or so, we invite others who don't have someone to share this day with.  We have had single friends over the years who start to get depressed just thinking about Valentines Day, so Danny and I decided that we can have a romantic dinner, just the two of us, any day of the year, why not share this day with those that need a little cheer on this day.  Also, Chad, my son works up on the North Slope and I think he has only been home for one Valentines Day since he met Jayme, so it has become a tradition to share this day with first her and now the girls too.  Allie has informed her Daddy, "We go to Nana's for Valentines."  

Danielle, my daughter does the same thing in her home.  She plans a special meal and shares it not only with her husband and children, but they have always invited Jeremy's grandmother to enjoy it with them.

I know that Valentines Day can be viewed as an over commercialized holiday and it can become that way if you let it.  But to me, it's a day to show those that you love how much you really care and to make them feel special.  Last year, I can remember Allie's eyes lighting up when she told me she had helped mom make the chocolate dipped strawberries that we shared and when she saw the fancy table with candles and she got her own stemmed glass for her juice.  And the huge smile when she finally got her huge cookie all to herself!!
   
Danny and I always look forward to sharing this day, not only with each other, but with any and all those that we love that want to enjoy it with us. 

This year the menu is:

For the appetizer: seared ahi tuna with wasabi and soy sauce.
First course:  Spinach salad, with strawberries, almonds and a homemade poppy seed dressing.
Second Course:  Puff Pasty wrapped Salmon fillet with watercress mousse and a champagne, chive
                              butter sauce, with steamed broccoli.
Dessert:  Fresh strawberries, stuffed with cheesecake and topped with graham cracker crust and drizzled with chocolate. (Jayme found this recipe on Pinterest, it's pinned to her board, "Food") we thought that this recipe drizzled with chocolate would put them over the top!!


I'm also surprising Allie with a huge chocolate chip cookie!  I made her one last year and that was the only thing she wanted all the way thru dinner.

I truly hope you all have the best Valentines Day ever!!  Enjoy those that you love, whether it's with that one special someone or with those that are special, it's a day to go over the top to show your love!!

Scroll to Top

Cork Crazy!

                                                      Corks, Corks and More Corks!!

My 2011 New Years Resolution was to finally start an online Arts & Crafts business and make and sell all the things that I have been making and giving as gifts to friends and family for years.  Everyone has been bugging me to do this and I finally got up the courage to give it a try.  Well, I have been in business for a little less than a year now and it's slowly beginning to become a profit making venture.  Either on my online Esty page, at local Arts and Crafts Bazaars and my sweet hubby has
even shared some of his man cave with me so that I am able to have a display of all of my goodies for customers to drop by and check it out.  What a guy, right!!

Among the many things that I make and sell are hand painted wine glasses, cut and engraved wine bottles and misc. products made out of corks.  On occasion, I have been asked, "Do you drink all of  that wine?"  I kinda' have to giggle at that one.  Don't get me wrong.  I do enjoy a good glass of wine or two, but The answer is no, well, not all, I do save all of my bottles, jars and corks, but I also have friends and family who bring me bottles and  my best friend works at a restaurant that serves wine so she collects all of their corks and gives them to me.  Since my cork collection has been growing in the last few months, I've been trying to come up with some new ideas for corks.  So, where else would I go, but to my faithful and never disappointing Pinterest!!



These are both pinned to my board "DIY and Crafts"

The first picture is one that my daughter, Danielle has requested.  It's on my list Danielle, I promise!!

Since Valentines Day is right around the corner, I thought something to do with hearts would be a good idea and I had seen several cork/chalkboards that others had made on Etsy.com.  So using all of these ideas I came up with my own. WA-LA!!

Will soon have this for sale on my Etsy page, but if you wanted to make your own, it's pretty simple really. All you need is a simple wooden board, whatever size you like, then just paint the entire board with chalkboard paint.  I had some that I had bought at Walmart, but I have also seen on Pinterest, recipes to make your own chalkboard paint in any color you like.  I will definitely be trying that out one day soon.  Ok then just a few wine corks.  For the border, I cut the corks in half and glued them all the way around the edge.  Then for the heart I stood them up end to end and glued them into the shape of a heart.   I did get a little glue here and there on the chalkboard as I was gluing on the corks, no worries.  Just touch up with a little more paint!!

Here are a couple other ideas I have come up with.

Christmas Ornaments

Candle Holder

A friend was also telling me that she had strung corks for garland on her Christmas tree!!  I have seen lots of ideas and I still have lots more corks to work with, so be assured that I will be going to Pinterest for more inspiration.  Well, right after I get Danielle's jewelry board made.

Recycle those corks!!  Even if you don't want to use them, bring them over!!!! 

I will find a use for them!!