Signature Creations: So Many Ways To Say Be My Valentine

I love making Valentines. There are so many good ideas. Here is one of my favorites... chocolate covered strawberries. This arrangement is something that I made a couple of years ago for my husband's birthday. First I started dipping strawberries in chocolate (I like using almond bark). I covered some with sliced almonds and others with coconut. I had a red container that I put a piece of floral foam in the bottom. I covered it with kale. After the strawberries were set up I put then on a kabob skewer with a piece of kale right under the strawberry and then stuck it in the foam. I will say if you're going to deliver this you will need someone to hold it while you drive. I also love putting a variety of dipped strawberries on a plate for something a little simpler, yet just as yummy!

This year since my husband will be on a business trip I had to go with something that isn't quite so perishable. Chocolate covered pretzels! I dipped the pretzels and then drizzled a little pink chocolate across the top in the spirit of Valentine's day!

One last idea for this year was inspired by one of my friends. She told me she was going to take a deck of cards and cover them with cute scrapbook paper and then write things she loves about her husband. It's a brilliant idea, and perfect for sneaking into someone's luggage! (Which is what I was looking for). I started thinking though... if I cover all the cards in paper it's not going to fit back into the box, which would be fine at home, but I needed these babies to fit back in the box and be nice and compact. We found these Valentine cards at Michael's for $1! Amazing deal... saying I love you doesn't have to be expensive, just thoughtful!

So here's what I did... I sanded the face cards so that I could write across the top! It worked like a charm.

Light sand paper is perfect for this and I found that paper worked even easier than the block. I used a red and black Sharpie to write the love notes and then I inked the edges just to finish it off.