Happy Valentine's Day

Here's hoping you have something special planned for your weekend. Need a few last minute ideas for sharing the love? Buy a bag of candy and a few boxes of matches. Save the matches in a ziploc bag for that camper in your life, and wrap the boxes to hold the tiny candies.

Go through your scraps of pretty papers in reds & pinks, get out the scissors and clip some hearts while you're watching TV or sipping your coffee. If there's a candle lover on your list, make a pretty little ring to surround a new white candle. Use thread, string, or even wire, adding a few pearl or seed beads between the hearts. Don't have those within reach? Get some of those tiny little straight pins to push into the wax.

I loved this idea as soon as I found it on Martha's website. Tear off a long piece of wax paper and fold it in half. Use a handheld pencil sharpener to shave some crayons in shades of pink, blush, rose & red. Sandwich the shavings inside the folded wax paper, sandwich the wax paper inside sheets of newsprint or brown kraft paper, and iron to melt the shavings. Then it's just a matter of cutting out the shapes, stringing them, and hanging them in front of a window so the light can shine through you very own sun catchers. How divine is that?

If you're planning a trip out today for candy, why not pick up some little paper bags in red & white. Add doilies or hearts cut from pretty scraps of paper, before tying on tags & ribbons. Fill them with store bought candies or bake some cupcakes to tuck inside.

If you're looking for a really quick & easy gift, buy some Hershey candy bars and wrap them with pretty papers. Add embellishments, ribbons, paper hearts, paper flowers or buttons for that perfect finishing touch.

If you're like me and you love to collect bottles, this one is perfect only if you're willing to give away part of your collection. Make sure the bottles are clean before filling them with tiny candies. Tie on your tags, add labels if you choose, and share the love.

We're headed to my mother's tonight for one of her fabulous dinners, and then we'll play dominoes til we can't stay awake another minute. Tomorrow we're off to the big accessory sale at Bullock's in Rocky Mount. (This is where we found our green Chinese chest, one of our many elephant tables, our monkeys that stand guard in the foyer, and far more eclectic pieces of furniture that I'd be embarassed to mention.) Next we'll visit my mother-in-law in Williamston since she's now been moved into the main building at the assisted living facility and she's scheduled for surgery on Wednesday. And then it's back to Mom's to collect the puppies in the afternoon before heading back home for dinner and a movie.

My schedule is as full as my heart. Wishing you love and joy in whatever form that may take for you. May there be paper hearts in your future...