Mine was pretty normal. Erik and I decided to keep it low key because we're lazy and busy and because we had splurged a little for Christmas presents.
We decided on making things for each other. I had just planned on decorating my room with subtle things and he told me he would make me dinner. Despite all this avoidance of making this dreaded or beloved holiday a big deal, it still seeped into my life somehow, all cutesy and exploding with reds and pinks and hearts.
THE DAY BEFORE
I did my nails, using the stamper again. They were supposed to be little hearts with random lines intercrossing, but the hearts aren't well defined so it just looks like weeds. I guess weeds will have to do.
I also made this absolutely cute candle holder during Project Compost's meeting from a reused jar and some scrap fabric from the new quilting store downtown. Clara came with the ideas and supplies, and we made these really pretty votives!
This one's mine, with the small floral patterns.
And once you put a tea light in there! So cute.
I lit this along with the five other candles I had to "set the mood" for eating ravioli while watching the second season of Flight of the Conchords. Definitely a great add to my expanding candle collection, and a good way to use my tea lights.
Natsuki also made these heart-shaped craisin shortbread cookies for the meeting. I saved one for 4 hours to give to Erik, but when I put it in my bag and biked home with it, it broke into three pieces. At the very least it broke so it resembles a peace sign. Maybe a very vague metaphor?
Heart cookie, so delicious (but not nutritious).
I trial-ran an easy decorative piece I saw on Craftgawker, which is how to make these paper roses and seemed pretty easy (this blog here shows how). However, I was significantly underwhelmed by these and just made one.
THE DAY OF
I had joked the day before that if Natsuki was so ecstatic about baking for the holiday, she should bake some for me to give to my boyfriend. I was obviously kidding.
But she didn't care.
She went all out and gave me five of what I'm assuming was probably a hundred cookie batch of these fantastic cookies. Chocolate dough, with a chocolate mousse core, and chocolate glaze on top. I'm not a huge fan of too much chocolate, but this seemed to be of the dark/baker's chocolate variety, so I highly enjoyed them, as did Erik. I love that baking fiend.
Then we went to the market and cooked dinner. He had found this recipe for Spinach-Artichoke Ravioli Lasagna from Rachael Ray and was really excited to make it for me because "it has a bunch of stuff my baby likes". I helped him cook it because there was a fair amount of labor to make it, meanwhile ducking in and out to prepare my very simple (yet hopefully endearing?) set-up.
This was my simple set-up: Natsuki's cookies (I gave her credit!), Ferraro Rocher's (my fav. chocolates which i got him hooked on), a Cadbury's creme egg (he loves), and a bunch of paint sample heart confetti
I also made these heart garlands!
I also made these heart garlands!
I had a bunch of aspirations and was planning on doing a bunch of cute crafty things, but these garlands ended up taking a lot of time since I cut the paint cards by hand and then took another two hours to try and figure out how to stitch them together using my roommate's machine. Maybe I will just gift the other ideas I have later <3.
Finally the lasagna was done, as was the dessert: ice cream and baked apricot I had whipped together using white wine, spices, and brown sugar
Here's Erik looking proud with his creation.
Healthy and delicous!
How was your Feb. 14th? Was it better or worse than your expectations?
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