Valentine's Day- Candy Hearts, Chalk Paint on cups, Homemade Cards and How to make a pretty vase

St. Valentine was ordered to prison for teaching Christianity and (since solders were not allowed to marry their sweethearts) performing marriage ceremonies for them against Roman rule. Once in prison it’s said that he healed the jailers daughter and before he was executed wrote a note to her which said, “From your Valentine” and that’s how this holiday got started - or so I've heard.

So Happy Almost Valentine’s DAY! Just a few fun things you can do to make your Valentines happy and easy. I started out by going to the dollar store and collecting different size glass containers to see what would inspire me.

Valentine's Day is for the most part a flower and candy day. I decided to mix them up. Just by placing a smaller vase into a larger one it gave me enough room to add some candy hearts around the perimeter.

Once that was done I added the water to the center (be careful not to splash onto the candy) and added the roses. Pretty.

Next I had two short round vases with one being slightly larger than the other and decided to fill the bottom with candy hearts and the top with M&M’s. Tape the two vases together and add a ribbon. Perfect teachers gift!

They can then use the containers for whatever they want.  I used these to store Q-tips and cotton balls.

How about this one. I got these cups at the dollar store and taped them off with that painters blue tape. One I taped just the top and bottom. The other I taped all but the front panels. Next I sprayed them both with chalk paint.

Use a stick of chalk to write whatever you feel. When you’re kids or your husband wakes up in the morning they can have a special note from you on their cups. You can use them every morning as little chalk board reminders of your love. (Birthdays, Anniversaries or simple calendar).

Lastly is a home made Valentine’s card. I did this on a plan index card but you can use colored cardboard as well. Mix up a tiny bit of confectionary sugar and water into a paste and this will act as a glue for your heart message. Place it in a clear sandwich bag and you’re off to the races. This one says: "Hey Babe - Whuz up? - Cutie Pie. You are awesome - sweet - my BFF. You have a real nice laugh. Ask me 4 one kiss. I hope u say yes. Call me - Love Gabe".


Valentine’s Day is a holiday of the heart so no matter what you do or don’t do just remember that it’s a lovely tradition to have one day to express your love. It’s a healthy habit to wake up every morning wondering what you can do to make your someone special feel like everyday is Valentine’s Day.

First blog of 2013-Reusing bottles, how to keep Olive Oil fresh, Homemade furniture polish

I have to apologize for my skinny photos. I spilt coffee on the desk and didn’t pick up my camera in time. Still takes photos but with a hazy ghostly look on the sides. I’ll get another or start using my iPhone - but for now - skinny is in. :D

We love Cholula Hot Sauce. It’s not stinging hot but has all the flavor of the peppers, vinegar and spices everyone can enjoy. Even kids! I especially like it on eggs in the morning. Cholula comes in a wonderful bottle that I just couldn’t throw into the recycling bin. It has a great shape and a cool wooden top.

So, I took the bottle and washed it out then replaced the contents with liquid dish detergent. If you shake the bottle it distributes just the right amount of liquid so you don’t waste any. Great way to use and reuse.

Olive Oil will go bad if left out in the light, air or heat too long. So you can open a vitamin E capsule and pour it in your oil. Vitamin E is a protective antioxidant and it will help make the oil last longer. Why not try it. Rancid oil tastes awful. If you’ve had your olive oil for a while smell it before you use it. You will know if it’s gone bad immediately.

Speaking of olive oil, I heard a great tip from Rick Dale of American Restoration on The History Channel. He restores everything from bicycles to Coke machines. Love that show. Sorry - I digress. The tip was to combine 2 parts olive oil with 1 part lemon juice in a squirt bottle to make home made furniture polish. Just shake, spray - leave it on for a minute or two then wipe to a shimmering shine.





Talk about restorations! We had an old coke machine that my Dad had given me from his office. It had been sitting in our garage for over 25 years.

We took it to Bob's Garage - not far from where we live and this is the end result.
We don't have it plugged in yet because we aren't sure where we want to put it. Talk about a wonderful restoration.

Just waiting now for the cold to set in so I can move a Japanese Maple that we have in the front yard. It’s a small one and gets lost in the landscape. From what I see in the forecast that will have to wait until February. So I’ll be back with more fun stuff while I patiently wait for spring.