Valentine's Day

My Valentine’s Gift

February 16, 2019 by 26 Comments

handmade cutting board Two weekends ago during a spell of warm weather, Mr. Handsome headed out the door on a “run.” An hour went by, and he wasn’t back yet, so I texted him. (Unless you’re a marathon runner, no one goes running for a full hour.) He responded saying he had gotten caught up talking to one of our neighbors and was helping him with a project.

This particular neighbor is a hobbyist woodworker, and his home studio makes Mr. Handsome drool. In addition to painting, Mr. Handsome also enjoys woodworking. It has been a hobby of his ever since he made a foosball table and wooden electric guitar 15 years ago in high school shop class.

Now back to my story. As I received that text, I was heading out on a walk with Mr. H Jr. As we passed that particular neighbor’s house, I received another text that read, “I may or may not be working on a surprise for you, so make sure not to stop by the shop.” I later learned that he had wanted to keep this surprise a surprise, but when he saw me walking by, he had to make sure I didn’t decide to come by to see what he was up to. handmade cutting board

With it being just a couple weeks before Valentine’s Day, I had a good feeling he was making me a present. Mr. Handsome always says I’m impossible to surprise, and I guess he’s right. (We still laugh about the time I saw a charge on our credit card from Vera Bradley and was sure that our card had been stolen, only to find out that it was for a wallet that he had bought me for Christmas.) I know some lades absolutely love surprises, but surprises aren’t my love language. (For that, Mr. Handsome is very thankful, since I’ve found out about several of his surprises over the past few years.)

Fast-forward to last weekend, when my mom was babysitting Mr. H Jr while Mr. Handsome and I were out on our first date since my the birth. He carried the gift all the way to the restaurant and presented it to me after we had eaten. It was a handmade cutting board, constructed using dark walnut. Absolutely beautiful! Too beautiful to actually cut anything on. I plan on using it as a serving dish and as a backdrop for my recipe photos.

Valentine’s Day Bridal Shower

February 13, 2019 by 36 Comments

Anne just threw another themed bridal shower! When she mentioned several months ago that she had been chosen as the maid of honor for her husband’s sister’s wedding and needed to throw a shower in February, I suggested she do a Valentine’s Day theme. So technically I came up with the initial idea, but Anne ran with it and made it into something truly lovely. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this wedding shower because I’m still trying to limit germ exposure for myself and Mr. H Jr, but everything looked so beautiful that I wanted to share photos. Happy Valentine’s Day! Visit my Bridal Showers and Party Planning pages for more ideas.

First, the decor…

The food looked delicious…

Speaking of chocolate fondue, when Mr. Handsome and I were dating, he made a Valentine’s Day meal of steak and chocolate fondue. The steak was perfect, but the chocolate tasted a little burnt. He insisted that it was a fancy type of chocolate that has a different taste to it. I knew better but since he went to so much trouble, I decided not to say anything. He told me the truth a few weeks later, and we had a good laugh….

Easy Crème Brûlée

February 28, 2018 by 14 Comments

On Valentine’s Day, I asked Mr. Handsome what he wanted for dessert, and he replied, “I’m always up for crème brûlée, but I’ve heard it’s hard to make.” I loved the idea but had also heard the same thing.

Hoping to prove them wrong, I Googled “easy crème brûlée recipes” and found a few that used instant pudding mix…yuck. After spending a little more time on the internet, I discovered that the ingredients in crème brûlée are very simple, and although the process requires the chef’s full attention, it doesn’t actually take that much time. I didn’t have a kitchen torch, but I learned that I could use my oven’s broiler setting.

Now I usually don’t copy other bloggers’ recipes, but I found the perfect, easy crème brûlée recipe. I have made it twice and have received rave reviews from Mr. Handsome and several guests, so rather than reinvent the wheel, I’ll just share the link. There’s a video, but I honestly didn’t watch it. The written recipe has plenty of detail.

I will say that in step seven, when you’re using your broiler setting to create a caramelized crust, turn the oven light on, and position the baking dish in the middle of the oven so you can keep an eye on your dessert through the window. Don’t just setting the timer for 3 minutes and walking away. Sit there and watch it the entire time.

The first time I made it, my crème brûlée burned after only 2 minutes (it was sitting on the second-from-the-top rack, which I don’t recommend). If that happens to you, just grab a fork and lightly lift the top layer off each crème brûlée, and voila…good as new! Then you can repeat the sugaring step and try again. Mine only took 1-2 minutes.

Also, I don’t recommend looking at the nutrition facts below the recipe. Crème brûlée is by no means healthy, but a little treat now and then never hurt anybody.

Working Hard or Hardly Working?

February 19, 2018 by 6 Comments

Several months ago, my brother-in-law purchased a fixer-upper house in the Nashville area. My father-in-law loves house projects, so he has spent quite a few weekends helping with flooring, painting, and landscaping. The two of them have done the bulk of the work, but the rest of us have chipped in, as well. (Last fall, I spent hours in the yard pulling out many years worth of weeds and overgrown vines.)

This weekend was especially exciting because we laid the last of the flooring. Before my father-in-law took all his power tools home, Mr. Handsome used them to build me a bookshelf.

As many of you know, I’ve been spending my free time refinishing our furniture (Mr. Handsome jokes that nothing in our home is safe from my dark walnut stain). I have been searching for a used, solid wood bookshelf to replace the junky one we currently have, but I haven’t had any success, so my talented husband decided to make me one for Valentine’s Day.

It was quite the project and took many more hours than either of us had predicted, but it looks spectacular. (I’ll post a photo after I finish staining it.)

Between cutting boards for the bookshelf and cutting flooring pieces, we produced an impressive amount of sawdust, but when it came time to clean up, everyone pitched in, and we were able to leave my brother-in-law with a clean house.

Valentine’s Day Date

February 16, 2018 by 14 Comments

On Wednesday, Mr. Handsome and I celebrated our fifth Valentine’s Day as a couple. (We started our relationship in April, so we’re just two months short of having spent six Valentine’s Days together.)For our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple, Mr. Handsome planned a fun-filled weekend trip to Chattanooga, Tennessee. We drove to the top of Lookout Mountain, visited Ruby Falls, walked through the Tennessee Aquarium, and stayed in an old Pullman railroad car at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel.

Last year and this year, Valentine’s Day fell on a weekday, so we celebrated at home. This year, Mr. Handsome randomly had the day off (his work schedule can be a bit wonky), so we were able to spend the entire day together.

After stopping by a lumber yard to pick up wood for a bookshelf that he is going to make for me, we went for a short drive through the beautiful, rolling, Tennessee hills. Then we came home for lunch, and he did a painting, while I started refinishing our kitchen table.

At dinnertime, he gave me roses, we exchanged valentines, and we enjoyed a delicious meal of oven-barbecued ribs with one of my homemade BBQ sauces. Our dessert was very last minute. I finally got around to asking Mr. Handsome for some ideas around 4pm, and he suggested crème brûlée. Having heard from many people how complicated it is to make, I happily accepted the challenge and headed over to the grocery store to pick up a few ingredients.

You know what I discovered? Making delicious, rich, and creamy crème brûlée is actually quite simple! Rather than purchase a kitchen torch, I used the broiler setting on my oven, and it worked well. (I still might invest in a torch at some point, just to make myself feel official.) Mr. Handsome said it was on par with the crème brûlée he had at a fancy restaurant a while back, which made me feel like a real pro.

Peacock Painting

November 20, 2017 by 7 Comments

It has been a while since I’ve shared one of Mr. Handsome’s paintings. Earlier this year, I showed you the flamingo that he gave me for Valentine’s Day, but I don’t believe I have posted the peacock. He gained his inspiration from a picture of a peacock with its feathers spread out that I took as a child.

During a recent visit, my father-in-law saw the flamingo and peacock paintings and told us that those were his favorites of all Mr. Handsome’s paintings. I was surprised, as I didn’t peg him as a bird lover (I expected him to choose one of the ships or country scenes), but I’m thrilled to see him enjoying Mr. Handsome’s art.

An Early Valentine’s Dinner

February 14, 2017 by 56 Comments

Mr. Handsome and I celebrated Valentine’s Day two days early this year. He is on a basketball league, and someone accidentally scheduled a game on February 14th (probably a single male). Mr. Handsome offered to skip, but I told him not to. The team is small, so if he didn’t show up, chances are good they would have to forfeit.

Rather than take me out to dinner, Mr. Handsome decided he would prepare something at home, which was very thoughtful. I don’t have a favorite food, so it wasn’t easy for him to figure out what to make, but he ended up cooking a delicious meal.

We stopped at Walmart on Saturday night to pick up a Redbox movie, and he ran in to pick up ingredients. When Sunday evening rolled around, I stayed upstairs while he cooked. Towards the end, I could tell by the smell that he was whipping up some sort of pasta dish.

It ended up being spaghetti with a homemade meat sauce that he made without a recipe (the tastiest I’ve ever had) and homemade garlic bread that was toasted to perfection. He also bought flowers, wrote a card, and pained this beautiful flamingo (the perfect choice because I love birds).

How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?

‘Priceless’ the Movie

January 9, 2017 by 24 Comments

Over the weekend, Mr. Handsome and I had the opportunity to screen Priceless, a movie that was in theaters last fall and will hit the stores on Valentine’s Day (February 14th). Have any of you seen it?

Inspired by true stories, the film is a drama that portrays the horrors of human trafficking. The main character, James (played by Grammy award-winning Joel Smallbone of the band For King and Country) is a man who has made a few wrong turns since his beloved wife passed away and his inability to support his daughter caused social services to remove her from his care.

Desperate for a new beginning, James finds one in an unlikely place. He naively accepts a job hauling unidentified “cargo” and inadvertently steps into the middle of a human trafficking ring. When he realizes what is happening, James makes the decision to risk his life to save the girls who are being exploited.

Priceless is by no means a lighthearted film, as human trafficking is a very real issue that is estimated to enslave more than 20 million victims worldwide. However, the film brings much needed awareness to this atrocity and will hopefully encourage individuals and organizations to join the fight against human trafficking.

Rated PG-13, Priceless is certainly not suitable for young children. Parents showing the movie to their teenagers should exercise caution and be prepared to answer difficult questions.

Although emotional and heavy, Priceless has a very good ending, and Mr. Handsome and I are both glad we watched it. It breaks my heart to think of all the innocent victims who are being exploited by human trafficking, and I am hopeful that Priceless will spur us all on to take a stand against this terrible injustice.

Priceless can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and forkingandcountry.com. The movie trailer and “Priceless” music video are embedded below.

Photo/videos property of Roadside Attractions

Valentine’s Trip to Chattanooga

February 15, 2016 by 36 Comments

As a combined Christmas and Valentine’s gift, my husband surprised me with a trip to Chattanooga, Tennessee.We headed down on Saturday morning and spent the rest of the weekend touring the area. Upon arriving, we drove to the top of Lookout Mountain. Instead of paying $20 each for admission to Rock City, we found our own scenic overlook and snapped a photo.

We were told that we absolutely had to visit Ruby Falls, so we did pay for that attraction. It was definitely the highlight of our trip. The tour began with an elevator ride 260 feet into the heart of Lookout Mountain.

After we exited the elevator into the cavern, our guide took us on a
1/2-mile walk to a 145-foot waterfall, located 1,120 feet underground. It was spectacular!

Have you been to Ruby Falls? If not, I highly recommend it.

Valentine’s Day Decorations

January 15, 2016 by 25 Comments

When it comes to decorating, my sister-in-law has a knack for making things cute (and for turning Pinterest ideas into reality). Her style is “classy but elegant,” and she does a wonderful job at creating decor that isn’t too simple or too flashy.What do you think of her Valentine’s Day decorations? They’re all made from items she had on hand. (She also has a talent for turning everyday things into festive accent pieces.)