WELCOME TO THE VALENTINE’S DAY EDITION OF SISTER SATURDAY!
Time to link up those great Valentine projects and ideas!
This is also the first edition for Sister Saturday here
At The Picket Fence!
Now we don’t have to share our Sister Saturday on TWO blogs but we can combine them on ONE!
Confession Time from Heather
my Sister Saturday contribution is not only from last year…sigh. Don’t even ask what we’re doing for Valentine’s this year..pizza? maybe? I feel lucky right now to get my laundry done…if I wash all of my red and pink laundry does that make it more Valentiney??
Also, in all honesty I would not have invited Vanessa let alone her whole family to celebrate last year’s Valentine’s Day with me. Not only would it have traumatized them all but it might have been a little crowded since Bama Boy and I spent Valentine’s Day locked away in our bedroom..now I’ve got your attention. I hope you enjoy this “post from the past”, please ignore the bad photography and just enjoy the sentiment behind it. grin.
I Love My Funny Valentine
I love my husband..”Well, of course you do”, I can hear you saying. But in today’s world that’s not a given anymore. After almost 18 years (*now 19!!) of marriage and 20 years together, I can honestly say I love him more today than I did then, and I love him more than I did 5 years ago or 1 year ago. I am so blessed that I get to love him a little more each year, each day….can’t wait to see what 50 years looks like!
Because I love him and because he gives me the gift of providing for me, and allowing me the blessing of staying home each day to educate our children in our home and the opportunity to be a homemaker in a beautiful house, because he never denies me really anything….I decided to do something special for HIM for Valentine’s Day. Really, who decided that Valentine’s Day was a “ladies only” holiday?
I wanted to surprise him, so I had to do a lot of secret behind the scenes preparation. This involved finding a place for all four “children” to go, two who are human and two who are canine. And then, deciding where to take him…This is where we ended up
no this wasn’t some fancy hotel room, or a bed and breakfast tucked away somewhere (okay maybe you already figured that out) but it was special, it was secluded, it was free….it’s our bedroom. And what better place to spend Valentine’s with my husband…
now I knew he was coming in from a long day of work (really it’s been a long week of work) and I knew I needed a few more minutes of prep time for dinner, so this is where he ended up waiting for me
in a hot bubble bath, with a nice glass of red wine and even some cheesy love songs playing in the background…just to torture him a little..heheh.
and then he got to sit down to a dinner that would rival the menu of any fancy restaurant you could hope to be taken to on Valentine’s Day:
Strip Steak
Citrus Marinated Shrimp
Wild Mushroom Risotto
and
Artisan Bread with Olive Oil
Citrus Marinated Shrimp
Wild Mushroom Risotto
and
Artisan Bread with Olive Oil
and for dessert
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting
and
Champagne (of course)
and
Champagne (of course)
after a wonderful dinner and delicious dessert, it was time for a movie. It was so nice to move from our table, to curling up on our bed to watch a movie (chocolates and champagne included) where he indulged me, by watching…Twilight with me. Isn’t he the best?! I figured it had just the right mix of romance..sigh, action, and drama..really a perfect guy/girl movie, right?? (I like Twilight. No judgin’ okay…grin) And this my readers is where the curtain will draw on our romantic get-away, because the rest was for “our-eyes” only….grin…
oh but wait!, I’ll let you in on one more thing…a night away isn’t complete with out breakfast delivery to your room, right?
Champagne Mimosas
and Maple and Pecan Baked French Toast
Total Cost of Evening: $27.82
(for dinner, dessert, wine, champagne and breakfast!) but really it was……priceless!
(for dinner, dessert, wine, champagne and breakfast!) but really it was……priceless!
and because I know he’s reading this:
I love you my funny valentine, all there is and more than you will ever know.
(And because I know, you my dear husband, are reading this..again this year…lol…Thank you for supporting my blogging efforts for the last year. Thank you for not minding that everything we do/eat/decorate/celebrate is photographed and written about..lol. Thank you for understanding my NEED, my LONGING to put my thoughts into words, my creations into photographs, my heart into this blog. Thank you for not minding the hours V and I spend on the phone talking “blog-shop”. Thank you for being…you. I love you my sweet man.)
Heather
Now it’s Vanessa’s turn to confess…
I recently realized that my life has now been divided into two time periods.
B.B. (Before Blogging)
and
A.B. (After Blogging)
There were many things I didn’t do B.B.
For example, I didn’t put items in odd corners of my house
just so I could get the best light for the photo.
just so I could get the best light for the photo.
I didn’t know what what HTML code was and I certainly didn’t know how to make a “button”. I did know how to sew one on a shirt though.
And one of the things I am most ashamed of about my B.B. life was that I did not decorate for Valentine’s Day!
There.
I said it.
I own it.
I just might not be able to look you in the eye for awhile.
So, last year I picked up one little Valentine Decoration (that’s it up there) just so that I could assure myself that I am not traumatizing my children. I could just picture them on the therapist’s couch.
“No Dr., my mother did not have heart-shaped doilies plastered to the walls of our home. It’s just…Oh, it’s just too painful for me to talk about.”
And then I entered the A.B. time period.
And had to live with the shame.
Not decorating for Valentine’s Day in Blogland makes me feel like I should go around wearing a Scarlet V on my shirt.
So this year, I tried. Only a little bit, mind you.
But maybe, just maybe, I will be able to break free from the shame and rip that Scarlet V right off…or even just half of it!
My daughter helped me pick out something for our front door.
The little wooden heart nestled in just perfectly to my $8 bargain. A Smith & Hawken wreath I found on clearance at Chez Tar-jay.
I also realized that I could use this Christmas arrangement for Valentine’s Day. Placed inside this urn with the holiday ribbon tucked inside it now does double duty.
And my little cloche (another thing I didn’t have B.B.) now has some “faux” rose petals placed inside.
But, I’m pretty sure that no matter what I do, it won’t ever hold a candle to my friend Julie. As far as I’m concerned, she put the ‘V’ in Valentine’s Day!
Last week I showed you this wonderful Valentine Advent she does for her children.
She also has things like this around her home.
Her mom saved many of the Valentine’s cards Julie received as a child and Julie now uses them as garland hanging in her bay window.
And she tucks little things like this around her home.
But, my most favorite thing that Julie did this year was to send out this darling Valentine’s Day card. I actually manged to sneak it away from my daughter to share it with you!
The front of the card is darling.
But, it is what is printed on the inside that makes it so special.
Amen!
Vanessa
Vanessa
So now we want you to share your Valentine’s Day posts! Recipes, Tablescapes, Decorating, Crafts, Stories, Devotionals, Poetry…if it is related to Valentine’s Day than we want you to share it with us!
**Before linking up we’d love it if you’d take a second to become a friend of At The Picket Fence through google friend connect, email or our RSS Feed. We’d love to get to know you better!**
Now Link it on up friends!
Here’s how…
1. Add your Permalink to your entry but not your General Blog Address. To get your Permalink, click on the title of the blog post you are wanting to submit and copy and paste the address into the URL box. You will also have to add your email address but it will not be visible to anyone else.
2. Do not try and Link up until you have actually published that particular post on your blog.
3. Please link back to the host blog, At the Picket Fence using our Sister Saturday Button located in the sidebar, so that those who visit your blog will be able to find some wonderful Inspiration from everyone else. (mandatory)
4) Give some linky lovin’ to some of the other Sister Saturday link ups! It’s always nice for others to hear how hey they’ve inspired you! Of course we love to hear from you too so leave us a comment and say hi!
We can’t wait to see your lovely Valentine’s Day Ideas!
Thanks so much for…meeting us at the fence!
And a reminder! You can still link up to Inspiration Friday through the weekend! If you have something inspiring to share and it’s non Valentine related…or even if it is…link up to Inspiration Friday!
Heather and Vanessa
I loved BOTH of the valentine’s posts from the sisters. I could relate to each one too. Not only have I had a bedroom getaway a time or two myself, but like Vanessa, I’m actually not a big V-Day decorator.
That’s why I only had one Valentine post this entire week. I can’t bring it. My daughter has threatened rebellion if I retell her puppy love to one more corner of blogland.
Kids…
I LOVE that advent idea! I also love making cards for V-Day. Who says they are only for Christmas?
So sweet Vanessa. You are funny the BB and AB..how about the DB, during blogging…LOL! Have a wonderful weekend.XO
Love both of your Vday posts ladies! I too feel like my life is divided into BB & AB! 🙂
Have a great weekend!
Lauren @ tickled.
I feel a bit obnoxious posting all these Valentine’s links! I love Valentine’s! I may be back later with another one…IF I can get my act together! My husband has taken the kids away for the day and my house is clean (a first!) Now, I feel guilty bc I haven’t planned a thing for him! Arg…Heather, I love this idea of setting up in the bedroom…never thought of that! Clever! So lovely! Vanessa, you are so funny! I know I always say that, but it is true! I only need to come over here to get a good laugh! You both write so well and I know the Lord has great plans for this special gift! You are able to articulate what so many people feel, but like me, are unable to write it so eloquently(sp?) And I am going to ‘steal’ some of your friends ideas! Very cute…AND your Valentine’s decor is perfect! I am lovin’ the petals displayed in the apothecary jar…clever! Have a WONDERFUL Valentine’s weekend girls! Christie
Confessions girls – you both were brave! Thanks for hosting and I almost didn’t get this one in – in time! But, it’s a life-saver & a keeper. Hope you both will try it, my boys love it!
Loved reading your Valentine posts. How many of us do things around the house specifically for our blogs now??? And yes Vanessa, I am from Oregon, Portland to be exact!
Vanessa – I have the same BB and AB syndrom and NO I never decorated my house for Valentines BB!!! 🙂 I think you did a GREAT job this year!
Heather – can you come cook at my house tomorrow! LOL 🙂 That sounds like a wonderful menu!