LoVe iS iN tHe AiR!!!

Hey all you lovebirds! Are you going crazy trying to think of the perfect gift or idea for your special someone this valentines?!?! Well here are a few ideas... if you need some help :)
First off is to find that special someone and love them to pieces!

Step One: CHECK!! (yup the sexy ski model below is none other than my goofy hubby! I am one lucky girl!)

And just to be sure I do not get in trouble for posting the above picture, I will include the usual skiing "steez" that I see daily! Yes the below picture is Kurt and him and his tricks scare me to death!!! But lets be honest... he looks good doing it! :)

Okay... now for step two.. Think of something they would like ... either a special treat, a surprise, a cute date night... anything! Really... this is where you need to think, and if you're like me, there are just too many options! Lucky for me usually Kurt has valentines day covered, he has made me the sweetest candlelight dinner of steak and lobster for the past two years along with snuggling, a movie, and flowers! But this year we both have work and Kurt has school till 9pm, so even though I hate that we cant carry on our cute tradition, I still want to make it special! Alright so here are some ideas that I have been thinking of!

My first choice was to make a cute photo/memory book...  you can design and personalize your own book  on sites like shutterfly and snapfish! I personally LOVE these sights and have been working on a book for almost a year now! Yes I am a procrastinator! But sooner or later it will be done... sadly it will just not be done in time for valentines day (which is pathetic really since it was originally planned to be a christmas present! whoops!).  All in all if you were hoping to make a book, I am hoping you are far more on top of things than me! 

Another idea could be a treat bar! Or any cute treats that you know they'll love! Here are a few that I have experimented with over the past few days. (Yes I know it is a little too soon, but I figured what the heck, i might as well make it last a few days.. right?!?!?)

The first is some fudge! If you have your own recipe it will work too... It was my first time making it so bear with me.

Ingredients

·         1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

·         2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz. can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

·         2 tablespoons butter or margarine

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         2 cups miniature marshmallows

·         1 1/2 cups (9 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

·         1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

COMBINE sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

STIR in marshmallows, chocolate morsels, nuts (if desired) and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. 

(FOR MILK CHOCOLATE FUDGE:

SUBSTITUTE 1 3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Milk Chocolate Morsels for Semi-Sweet      Chocolate Morsels.)

Pour into prepared baking pan... or desired candy molds! and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan or mold. decorate as desired :)

This is what I used as a mold and candies....  

And sorry I am new at this blogging thing and forgot to mention that you will want to put a thick color of your candy chocolate in the mold to act as a shell .. before making the fudge... like this...

 Okay so now fill the molds with the fudge mix and place in the refrigerator. I used 3 different molds and rolled balls as well to make an assortment.   After letting the fudge cool in the molds for awhile, it is time to decorate! Get creative and have fun! Here are what my little treats looked like in the end...

Complete with chocolate covered strawberries, fudge filled hearts, and fudge bites. 

I also wanted to do a framed chalk board to add a little more festivity to my decor... I started with this.. (I will not include steps, but if you are interested, just let me know and I will be happy to help you out!)

Here is my finished product... To be completely honest I haven't written on it just yet... Is it bad that I am afraid to ruin it! haha I am just so happy at how it turned out!

I used a stencil in the corner to add a little contrast. Here is a little glimpse of valentine bliss... a table full of goodies!

Here are a few other goodie Ideas... Cake pops... or fudge pops... crepes, cute gift bags as seen above for families and friends, candy glasses, cookies, and much more... (I used the gift bags, along with a plate of goodies for family goodie plates. It is a super easy gift idea for any holiday.)

Alright all you love birds... These are just some ideas so go and get busy! Tell your sweetheart that you love them and no matter what else you decide to do, just have fun and enjoy! Happy Valentines Day!