be my valentine

The Hystory of Valentine

2009-02-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial -- which probably occurred around 270 A.D -- others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.

The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February -- Valentine's Day -- should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)

Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages (written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400), and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. The first commercial Valentine's Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap".

2008-02-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

Brown Paper Bag Album - Valentine Theme

2008-02-06T12:48:00.000-08:00

Materials :
2 Brown Paper Lunch bags
4 sheets of 12x12 Patterned Scrapbook Paper (1 page per pattern)
1 sheet of 8 1/2 x 11" Red Cardstock
1 sheet of 8 1/2 x 11" White Cardstock
1 sheet of 8 1/2 x 11" Black Cardstock
1 sheet of 8 1/2 x 11" Silver Cardstock
Sheer White Ribbon (approx. 2.5 yards)
White Ribbon (approx. 2 yards)
Silver Ribbon (approx. approx 2 yards)
Black Chipboard Letters ("L", "O", "V" and "E")
Valentine?s Day embellishments/stickers or stamps
Black inkpad
Srapbooking Adhesive (dry)
Glue Dots

INSTRUCTION :

This unique scrapbook is created out of brown paper lunch bags. What a creative way to say, "I love you!" The scrapbook includes six pages and several tags, hidden in pockets, for additional photos/journaling. It also features a pull away "door" flap, which reveals an additional decorative journaling area. Shades of red with accents of white, black and silver help

to capture the feeling of romance. The contrast of textures and hidden surprises makes this scrapbook exciting to both create and receive!

Tools Needed:
Hole Puncher
Scissor
Paper Cutter
Ruler
Stapler and staples
Tag Punch

1. Take one paper bag and lay it down horizontally on your work surface
with the bottom of the bag facing up and to your left hand side. Next,
lay the second bag down directly on top of this bag with the bottom of the
bag facing up, this time to your right hand side. (alternating ends)

2. Fold the bags in half from left to right, forming a "spine" for your scrapbook. It is very important to make a crisp seam.

3. Punch five holes running along this seam, slightly less than a half an inch outwards from the spine. Holes should be equally spaced apart. Start punching your holes beginning a half an inch from the top and ending a half an inch above the bottom of the scrapbook.

Decorating Directions:

Below you will find step-by-step directions on how to re-create the cover design and page layouts seen here. However, feel free to abandon these decoration tips and get creative!

Front and Back Cover:

1. Choose one sheet of 12x12 patterned paper that you would like to use for the front and back cover of your scrapbook. Cut your paper into four 5x5" squares. Take two squares and set the other two aside.

2. Take your scrapbook and open it to the center of book. From your left to the right, flip the book upside down. The back and front cover will now be face up. (Front cover to the right, back cover to the left)

3. Slip out the bottom bag, re-fold it along the spine and set it aside for later. Now, glue one 5x5" square on the left (back cover) and the right (front cover). This paper will cover up your punched holes. Once firmly secure, flip your bag over and punch holes through the patterned paper, using the pre-punched holes as your guide.

4. Fold your paper bag up, so only the front cover is exposed and facing up. Choose a different sheet of 12x12 patterned paper and cut a 5 x2" strip. Glue it down on the left hand side of the front cover. Again, this strip will cover up your punched holes. Once firmly secure, open the bag and flip it over and punch holes through this strip, using the pre-punched holes as your guide.

5. Add a Valentine?s theme embellishment (not 3-D) in the area to the right of the strip on the front cover. In this sample, a paper heart was used. Any Valentine embellishment, sticker or stamped image will do.

6. Next, take your paper bag and drag the three sides of the front cover along the edge of your black inkpad. This will give it a somewhat distressed look. Do not add ink to the edges of the strip area. Repeat this step with the back cover. Let dry.

7. Take your black chipboard letters and add glue dots or other strong adhesive to the back. Arrange the letters to spell out the word "LOVE" on your front cover. Chipboard letters add dimension to this project, however, one can easily use stamped letters, stickers or rub-ons if desired.

Page 1 & 2:

1. Open the book and insert your already folded, second bag. Line up the seams and make sure the bottom of the second bag is on your right. You will now design pages 1 & 2.

2. Choose another new sheet of 12x12 patterned paper that you would like to use as the background for these pages. In this sample, a distressed black paper is used. Cut out two 5x5" squares. Discard the remainder of the paper (save it for another craft project!) Punch holes through paper as previously instructed.

3. Take 6" of white satin ribbon and add glue to the back. Horizontally place ribbon 3/4" down from the top of the paper. Wrap ribbon excess around sides of paper and glue to back of the paper. Glue this paper to left hand section (page 1). Glue your second 5x5" square to the corresponding page (page 2)

4. Take your final remaining sheet of 12x12 patterned paper and place it down in front of you on your work surface. About 1 3/4" in, start slowly ripping your paper from top to bottom. Gently moving your hand slightly from left to right during ripping will help generate a more natural ripped look.

5. Cut a 5" long piece from this ripped strip and discard the rest. Turn piece upside down and add glue along all three straight edges. Do not add glue along the ripped edge. Glue this ripped strip along bottom of page one.

6. Next, cut out two tags from red cardstock using a tag-shape punch. Add one 2" piece of white satin ribbon, folded onto the top of each tag. Affix with one single staple. Beneath the ribbon, stamp a small black heart (drawing the heart or using a sticker would also work.) Page 1 is now completed and ready for you to add a special message on each of the tags.

7. Out of red cardstock, cut out a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" square. Next, take 5 " of white satin ribbon and add glue to the back. Horizontally place the ribbon 1/4" up from the bottom. Wrap ribbon excess around sides of paper and glue to back of the paper. Glue this red square to the right hand section (page 2). This red box is designed to hold a photo.

8. Out of white cardstock, cut out a small triangular piece of paper. Stamp three small, red hearts on the triangle and drag the three sides of the triangle along the edge of your black inkpad. Pages 1 & 2 are now complete!

Page 2 & 3:

1. Turn page two of your scrapbook, so that page three and four are now exposed. You should see the bottom flap of this bag face up, on your right hand side.

2. Take the bottom flap of the bag and slightly raise it/ pull it up with your finger tips. With your scissor carefully cut horizontally along the top and bottom seam of this flap. Pull back area that has been cut and now carefully cut along the inner crease upwards, in order to fully open the bottom of the bag and form what looks like a door. Be careful not to cut through the entire bag here.

3. Take the two remaining 5 x 5" squares cut out of patterned paper (matching the front cover and back cover) and add glue to back. Affix squares to pages 3 and 4. Punch holes through paper as previously instructed.

4. Out of black cardstock, cut out a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" square. Add glue to back and glue it down onto page three. This black box is designed to hold a photo.

5. Out of the same patterned paper used to make the strip on your front cover, cut out a 3 x 5" strip and two small triangular pieces. Glue the triangular pieces on the upper left hand corner and lower right hand corner of your black cardstock square. Glue the strip onto the front of the "door" piece on the right hand side of page 4.

6. Take 4" piece of white satin ribbon and add glue to the back, leaving a small section in the center unglued. Horizontally place ribbon 1 1/2 " up from the bottom of the "door" strip. Wrap ribbon excess around sides of paper and glue to back of the paper. Take a 3" piece of white stain ribbon and feed it underneath the center of the glued ribbon on the strip. Tie in a knot and trim edges. Take a 6" piece of white satin ribbon and glue vertically along the left hand side of strip.

7. Open "door" and add two Valentine?s theme embellishments (not 3-D) onto page four. In this sample, a paper heart and quote was used. Any Valentine embellishment, sticker or stamped image will do.

8. On the inside of the "door" glue down a 3 x 5" strip of white cardstock. On the top, stamp or hand write a special title. Here, "XOXOX" was hand stamped, along with two small red hearts. This area can be used for journaling a special message. Pages 3 & 4 are now complete!

Page 5 & 6:

1. Out of red cardstock, cut out two 5x5" squares. Glue one square directly onto page five. Punch holes through paper as previously instructed.

2. Cut the second red square diagonally in half, forming two triangular pieces, Set aside one triangular piece, and discard the other.

3. Out of the same patterned paper used to cover your "door" on page four, make another ripped strip. About 1 1/4" in on your patterned paper, start slowly ripping from top to bottom. Gently moving your hand slightly from left to right during ripping will help generate a more natural ripped look.

4. Cut a 5" long piece from this ripped strip and discard the rest. Glue this ripped strip vertically along the left hand side of page five.

5. Out of the same patterned paper used for the ripped strip on page one, cut out one 3 x 4 1/2" rectangle and one 5 x 5" square. Glue the 3 x 4 1/2" piece directly onto page five. This rectangle is designed to hold a photo. Glue the 5 x 5" piece directly onto page six.

6. Next, add glue to the two sides of the red triangle that form a 90-degree angle. Leave the third side unglued, as this piece will now serve as a pocket where you can slide in loose photos, memorabilia, notes, etc. Glue triangle down to lower left hand corner of page six.

7. Finally, decorate both pages with a valentine?s themed embellishment, sticker or stamped image. Here, we used to stickers that read "kiss" and "passion". Pages 5 & 6 are now complete!

Binding:

Now that your scrapbook is assembled and fully decorated, it is time to bind it!

1. Cut out five pieces of sheer white ribbon, each measuring 5 - 5 1/2". Open book to its center and begin to feed one piece of ribbon horizontally into one hole and out through the next. Once this process has been completed for each of the holes, carefully flip your scrapbook over (cover side up).

2. With your book still open to its center, firmly tie each ribbon in a knot, forming five knotted ribbons, which will serve as your books binding. Be careful not to tie ribbons too tight, where it would cause the paper to rip.

3. Close your book and tie sheer white, satin white and silver ribbon, of a variety of lengths onto all five of your binding ribbons. Trim as you see fit.

Tags:

Between pages 2 & 3 and 6 and the back cover, you will find two pockets which once were the openings of your paper bags. You can use these pockets to hold loose photos, notes, memorabilia or tags. Here, two tags were created.

Tag #1 (for pocket between page 2 & 3):

1. Cut out two 4 x 4" squares out of your silver cardstock. Set one square aside.

2. Cut out one 3 x 3" square out of your white cardstock. Drag all four sides of the square along the edge of your black inkpad.

3. Cut out a 1 x 4" strip from the patterned paper used for your front & back cover. (You may already have a scrap suitable for this from prior cutting)

4. Punch a hole on one side of your square, approximately one inch down from the top. Measure one more inch down and punch your second hole.

5. Parallel to your punched holes, vertically glue down patterned paper strip in the center of your silver square. Next, center your white square and glue it on top of your strip.

6. Feed sheer white and silver ribbon through holes and tie knots. Ribbons can be of a variety of lengths. Trim as you see fit.

Tag # 2 (for pocket between pages 6 & back cover):

1. Cut out a 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" square and a 4 x 2 1/2" rectangle out of red cardstock.

2. Take 3" piece of white sheer ribbon and add glue to the back, leaving a small section in the center unglued. Horizontally place ribbon 1 " up from the bottom of the red square and glue down. Wrap ribbon excess around sides of square and glue to back of the paper. Take a 3" piece of white stain ribbon and feed it underneath the center of the glued ribbon on the red square. Tie in a knot and trim edges.

3. Glue red square down on an angle, appearing as a diamond shape. Decorate red square with valentine?s theme embellishment, sticker or stamped image. Here, a paper heart was used.

4. Cut out several pieces of sheer white and silver ribbon in a variety of lengths. Group together, fold pieces in half and staple down onto bottom right hand corner of tag.

5. On the opposite side, glue down the red 4 x 2 1/2" rectangle in the center of the tag.

6. Finally, cut out a 3 1/2 x 3 1/2" square out of the same piece of patterned paper used on page 6 of your scrapbook. Glue this square on top of the directly in the middle of your tag.

Please note: While the majority of scrapbook supplies and papers are considered acid and lignin free, paper bags are not. So please make sure you use duplicate photos when making this project. Non-digital photos can easily be color copied or scanned and printed in a copy store or photo lab.

Greeting Card Puzzles

2008-02-06T12:45:00.001-08:00

These simple-to-make puzzles will delight your little ones.

You need:

Greeting Cards
Tacky Glue
Jumbo Craft Sticks
Scissors
Exacto-Knife with Sharp Blade
Tape

Instructions:

Cut off the front of the Christmas card and trim up or cut into a shape. Lay out enough craft sticks to fit the card. Use tape to hold them together on the back side. Spread a layer of tacky glue over the back of the card. Burnish down the card so all edges adhere. Wipe off any excess glue with a damp cloth. Let dry. Remove tape from back. Use a sharp exacto knife to slice through the card where the craft sticks meet.

Cheap-O Valentine’s Day Gifts That Won’t Break Her Heart

2008-02-06T12:40:00.000-08:00

Think spending less than twenty bucks on a Valentine’s Day gift means selecting something from the seasonal aisle at the drugstore? Think again! There are plenty of ways to say “be mine” on a budget, and they don’t all involve flowers and candy (which we’ll still happily accept). It just takes a little savvy shopping, and if that’s not in the cards, we’re here to help with a savvy shopping guide covering the best Valentine’s Day gifts under $20! You’d be surprised how far that amount can go, so to make the most of it, look out for final sales and specials like we’ve done in our slideshow. (And guys, take a hint, the toast stamper and heart mold are plenty adorable on their own, but we have three words for you: breakfast in bed.)

La Perla Undies, Definitely Worth the Benjamins

2008-02-06T12:38:00.001-08:00

Time to toss out those granny panties and slip into something sexy this Valentine’s Day! One of our faves? La Perla. This luxe lingerie brand is known for its sexy cuts, lush silky fabrics, and girly embellishments - but it doesn’t come cheap, we’re talking a couple benjamins for their pretty pink bra. But hey, if it makes you feel like a million bucks, some things are worth the splurge, yeah? We’ve put together a slideshow of our fave La Perla underthings (in a variety of price ranges), so get clickin’.

Give Her Flower

2008-02-06T12:36:00.001-08:00

Flowers are great. They’re pretty, and thoughtful, and often expensive, which makes them really nice to receive on Valentine’s Day, or anytime, really. On the other hand, they just sort of sit there, and then wilt, and then die, which is kind of sad and a little too far in tune with reality for my liking, especially on such a commercialized - excuse me, light-hearted - holiday like Valentine’s Day. So what are we saying? Change it up!

Super Sexy Valentine’s Day Outfit

2008-02-06T12:31:00.000-08:00

We all know that Valentine’s Day is a day for showing affection. This Valentine’s Day why not buy yourself some handmade designer outfits that will show your true style along with your affection? We’ve found five sizzling looks and some fun accessories that you will want to explore.

From KONI-Art’s luxury handmade lace skirt to Tied Up’s adorable 60’s style silk crinkled chiffon mini dress, the style is spicy and fun. Head on over to Smashing Darling to see Tied Up’s sexy looks, the flirty fun will spice up your plans for sure. And if you are really daring, try one of DesertOrchid87 corsets.

Top it off with “flirty little treats” (blindfold included) from Greygoat. Or, if you are ready to DIY, make some sexy string panties with a little help from One Hour Craft. This simple little pattern is super easy to follow and will be just the right accessory.

Heart Venice Bustier Set

2008-02-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

beautiful stretch Mesh Bustier Set with heart trim and lace-up cleavage. This Bustier Set provides a soft form fit with long line torso, 6 adjustable garters and adjustable straps. The matching G-String as well as Glovettes are included and make our Mesh Bustier Set to something special. Try it and surprise him for Valentines day.

Blythe Clothes Handmade Valentine Candy Hearts Dress

2008-02-06T12:16:00.000-08:00

This dress for Blythe was designed and sewn by me in my pet free, smoke free home.

Features:

100% quilter's cotton fabric - candy hearts in pretty pastels.

Empire-Waist Bodice is lined with a lightweight cotton fabric; pastel pink bow for accent. Small velcro closure in back. (If you'd like a different colored ribbon, I have ribbon to match any of the pastel colors in the dress. Just let me know).

Length is slightly below the knee.

Valentine Champagne Chocolates

2008-02-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

A special Valentine edition: these chocolates, made with an award winning California sparkling wine and fine dark chocolate, are considerd by many to be the finest "Champagne Truffles" made. Each chocolate is individually hand-made... to order.
We make our Champagne chocolates with a locally sourced award winning sparkling wine and the finest Belgian and American dark chocolates. These chocolates are all hand-dipped to order and we think are the finest "champagne truffles" available.

ontents
nuts: No, sugar: Yes, all kosher: No, all fair trade: No, traces of nuts: Yes, dairy: Yes, eggs: No, gluten: No, all organic: No

$20.00 here

Heart-Shaped Mother of Pearl

2008-02-06T12:07:00.000-08:00

This 10K gold pendant has one heart-shaped mother-of-pearl and is accented with a flower formed of five round lab-created rubies and one round diamond accent. The rope chain is 18.0 inches in length and includes a spring-ring clasp.

Details:

Stone Type	Mother of Pearl
Stone Shape	Heart
Gold Karat	10K
Length	18.0
Chain Type	Rope
Clasp Type	Spring-Ring
Metal Color	Yellow
Metal Type	Gold

$99.99 here

The Love Indulgence

2008-02-06T12:02:00.000-08:00

The chocolate that launched a thousand romances! This ultimate assortment of beautiful hand-decorated, heart-shaped chocolates will help you fulfill your dreams - and fantasies - with that very special someone. Flavors include Passion Fruit Caramel, Strawberries 'n Cream, Grand Marnier Truffle, Amaretto Latte, Minty Julep, Irish Cream Coffee and Gold Peppermint.

All of our luscious Love chocolates are hand-decorated, heart-shaped and enrobed in our rich, bitter-sweet, yet fruity dark, creamery milk or snowy white chocolate couvertures. Each red-ribboned leatherette box comes with an... Read More

illustrated Sweet Words tag (Desire, Passion, Seduction, Joy or Delight), plus our Q-card with your own sweet words of love. Flavors include Passion Fruit Caramel, Strawberries ‘n Cream and Grand Marnier Truffle, Gold Peppermint, Chocolate Caramel in Dark Chocolate, Minty Julep, Mandarin Orange Caramel, Minty Julep, Irish Cream Coffee and Black Cherry Caramel.

Contents
nuts: Yes, sugar: Yes, all kosher: No, all fair trade: No, traces of nuts: Yes, dairy: Yes, eggs: Yes, gluten: Yes, all organic: No

$60.00 get it here

Large Velvet Heart

2008-02-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

38 pieces of the finest acclaimed chocolates. Show your love just how much you appreciate them with this special edition heart box adorned with a hand tied bow in platinum ribbon. To view the flavor profiles of the chocolates,

Rosemary Pecan
Rosemary steeped in fresh cream, organic dark chocolate, toasted pecan
Trebbiano
12 year Balsamic, organic dark chocolate with red currants
Lavender Flower
Locally grown lavender steeped... Read More

in fresh cream, organic milk chocolate, enrobed in 63% cacao
Lemon Tisane
Lemon Verbena steeped in fresh cream with milk chocolate
Cacao “3” ways
Intense bittersweet ganache, enrobed in 63% cacao, crushed nibs
Local Blueberry Port
Local blueberry port, Peruvian dark chocolate, whole blueberry
Grapefruit Confit
Fresh brewed Kenya coffee, candied grapefruit rind, organic dark chocolate
Vanilla Flake Salt Caramel
Vanilla bean caviar infused in fleur de sel caramel, 63% cacao, Australian flake salt
Chipolte Ginger
Chipolte Chile infused 68% cacao, candied ginger, bourbon vanilla bean
Noisette
Organic dark chocolate, Frangelico liquor, toasted hazelnut
Molokai
Kaffir lime leaf infusion, toasted coconut, crushed macadamia nut
Champagne Truffle
Veuve Cliquot Champagne, organic dark chocolate and powdered sugar (59%)
Mint Pignoli
Pacuare milk chocolate, mint leaf, whole Pignoli nut
Pistachio Pavѐ
Pistachio gianduja, organic milk chocolate, crushed pistachios
Mission Fig
Pedro Ximenez steeped Mission Figs, dark chocolate, fresh lemon and 23k gold leaf (with gold leaf and acetate, chef rubber best price)
Pepita
Toasted coriander and lime zest infused in milk chocolate, whole pumpkin seed
Juniper Cranberry
Juniper berry infusion in 68% Cacao, New England cranberry
Chamomile Honey
Chamomile flower infused light amber caramel in white chocolate, locally harvested honey
Late Harvest
Late harvest Long Island wine, organic dark chocolate, golden raisin
Single Malt 16 yr
16 yr. Old natural cask aged single malt Scotch, dark chocolate, organic cocoa powder
Bergamot
Earl Grey tea steeped in fresh cream with orange confit
North Fork Red
Local award winning Merlot with Pacuare dark chocolate
Raspberry Almond
Freshly pureed raspberries, 68% cacao, whole toasted almond
Strawberry
Freshly pureed strawberries, organic dark chocolate, white chocolate heart drop

Contents
nuts: Yes, sugar: Yes, all kosher: No, all fair trade: No, traces of nuts: Yes, dairy: Yes, eggs: Yes, gluten: Yes, all organic: No

$66.00 get it here

Reasons Why

2008-02-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

Our love is the long lasting kind;
We’ve been together quite awhile.
I love you for so many things,
Your voice, your touch, your kiss, your smile.

You accept me as I am;
I can relax and just be me.
Even when my quirks come out,
You think they’re cute; you let me be.

With you, there’s nothing to resist;
You’re irresistible to me.
I’m drawn to you in total trust;
I give myself to you willingly.

Your sweet devotion never fails;
You view me with a patient heart.
You love me, dear, no matter what.
You’ve been that way right from the start.

Those are just a few reasons why
I’ll always love you like I do.
We’ll have a lifetime full of love,
And it will happen because of you.

By Joanna Fuchs

If Not For You

2008-02-06T11:41:00.002-08:00

If not for you, I wouldn’t know
What true love really meant.
I’d never feel this inner peace;
I couldn’t be content.

If not for you, I’d never have
The pleasures of romance.
I’d miss the bliss, the craziness,
Of love’s sweet, silly dance.

I have to feel your tender touch;
I have to hear your voice;
No other one could take your place;
You’re it; I have no choice.

If not for you, I’d be adrift;
I don’t know what I’d do;
I’d be searching for my other half,
Incomplete, if not for you.

By Joanna Fuchs

No Love So Strong It Needs No Sign

2008-02-06T11:40:00.000-08:00

No love so strong it needs no sign,
Nor feeling deep it needs no light:
So will you be my Valentine?

Love loves the days that loves define,
When words bring souls to silent sight.
No love so strong it needs no sign,

Nor can we our own souls divine
Without the music of delight:
So will you be my Valentine?

And will you let yourself be mine
As I am yours, of need and right?
No love so strong it needs no sign,

Nor is it wrong to draw a line
And need with hungry need requite:
So will you be my Valentine?

For love grows old like sun-drenched wine
That sweetness brings to evenings bright.
No love so strong it needs no sign:
So will you be my Valentine?

Be My Valentine, My Love

2008-02-06T11:38:00.000-08:00

Be my Valentine, my love,
As I will be for you,
And we will love the whole day long,
And love our whole lives through.

For love has no parameters
And does not end with time,
But is the gift of paradise,
A pinch of the sublime.

So let us take this holiday
To resubmit our love
To those within that know no sin
And with the angels move.