A Funky Valentine Day

Happy Valentine's Day..

Whether you are walking the deserts of India; sketching at the beach; gazing at each lazy flake of snow; eating way too much Valentine candy, hmmm cherry chocolates; walking the trails of a local park; sitting cozy at a cabin; gazing at a pond covered with ice; seeing a romantic movie; sketching palm trees or just "being"....wherever you are, may you be shown, and share, kindness and love with people who are special to you.

My husband and I have developed a serious case of CABIN FEVER!!! living in the land of the never ending snow! Excitedly I made the plans for a fantastic "cultural" Valentine day; first stop by the Baltimore Museum of Art, new Cezanne exhibit; second, attend a free Concert at a beautiful white steeple church in Baltimore. The musicians all teach at Peabody and/or play with the Baltimore Symphony. Great quality. Wow, we were excited!!

 We wiggled out of our snow packed drive way,  and began wondering where we would park with all the snow pushed into parking lanes. The hour drive proved the point. All roads were one lane, if someone shoveled out a street side parking spot they placed a "marker" like a chair, table or box to hold their place until their return. 

 An hour later we were at the BMA and not a CAR was in sight. Something wrong here. We drove up to the doors, sure enough two signs stating the museum was closed! You have to be kidding me. We had our sketchbooks in our satchel, pencils sharpened and full of enthusiasm.  Not fair! 

 Okay we still have the CONCERT. We drove around and around the beautiful white colonial church and again not a car in sight.  Determined I got out of the car and ran up to the door and pulled HARD. LOCKED !

 So now what do we do with our afternoon reserved for a touch of "culture"?  How about DINE at a really FUNKY, WACKY, BOHEMIAN restaurant.  Would it be opened?

 The pictures will tell the story because YES there was one parking space right by the front door!  May I introduce you to PaperMoon Diner in Baltimore, MD.

Yes, that is a bathroom sink full of snow, usually flowers!

 A magnificent bird house...love the snow on the roof blending into the clouds in the sky.

 This is FUNKY at its best..everything, including the kitchen sink was glued to the ceiling, walls, fans.....wonder if they used Gel Medium, tee hee!

Now what to eat at dinner...well there was everything from pancakes to salmon. But the HORSERADISH caught my attention.

 Don't be disappointed, it was really YUMMY. Foccacia bread, thin roast bread, cheese, tomato and lots of horseradish!! I only ate half because I had to have my very favorite dessert...for the moment that is.....

 Bread Pudding with sauce and whipping cream.  Yum beats out cherry chocolates by a mile!  

 

Sugar is Sweet

Sugar is Sweet, Violets are Blue, Hearts filled with Love, Only for You.

Silly, sweet rhymes bring back memories of the month of February and Valentine's Day ! In our family Valentine's was a BIG DEAL, full of fun traditions, crafts and lots of sticky sweet candy and cupcakes.

May I invite you to walk with me down MEMORY LANE and peek at a family tradition or two...well maybe more than two!!

Tasha Tudor, writer and illustrator of children's books served as a MENTOR OF TRADITIONS to me. 

She created stories and traditions borne of her own life and family. They inspired me, I wanted to be a modern day TASHA TUDOR

 

This is the book that really started it all, A Time to Keep.

This cotton-candy-pink flocked tree was bought at Michaels for 15.00. After Christmas it was brought back as a Valentine centerpiece. Best 15.00 dollars spent at Michaels.......love BUBBLE GUM PINK.

In A Time to Keep, the Tudor family had a small post office and all mail came by Sparrow Post. 

In our family each child and of course, mom and dad built their own "sparrow post"  to receive their own mail.

LULU is holding her own special Valentine. Of course, all mail delivered to Sparrow Post had to be handmade. LULU has been in our family for many years, made of fabric and hand-painted, dress fashioned from a soft linen hanky.

Fancy frosted cupcakes topped with roses, pink angel cake dusted with powder sugar, sweet strawberries....well, give us Valentine Heart Candies with cutesy messages and Heart shaped Peeps and we are just as happy.

Of course we like only the old fashioned valentine candies...too many new flavors!

My camera had just been set aside when the doorbell rang. It was our 'best friend' the UPS deliveryman! And what a delivery he left this day, a gigantic mystery box marked FLOWERS.

Quick to the kitchen, where are those heavy duty shears?

Clip clip clip

Who sent this box?

What is inside?

A bouquet of beautiful White Dendrobium (elegant ivory, lemon colored center, orchids.)

From dear friends, Dale, Alice and Ellen

One more photo!

Would you like to make a Sparrow Post ?

 

Constructed of foam core board, heavier has less warping. Think Gingerbread House when you cut two rectangular sides and two pointed ends. A larger rectangular base and two lids for roof. Make any shape you would like. 

Figure this out on paper to assure a good fit. 

I glued it all together..four hands are helpful. Half of the roof is glued to the house. Second half is loose in order to open and close.

Ribbons pulled through holes in the roof, hold it together, allowing the insertion of Valentines.

DECORATE WITH PAINT, COLLAGE, STENCILS, STAMPS, WALLPAPER.........

Fill with Valentines....such fun to get up in the morning and see what might be inside? Candy hearts? Cupcake? Letters? Decorated Cards?

ROSES ARE RED, VIOLETS ARE BLUE, ANGELS IN HEAVEN KNOW I LOVE YOU~

Adieu Dear Valentine

Roses are Red,

Violets are blue

Children are sweet

And love ART, too! Happy Valentines from the Boys and Girls Club

Two weeks before Valentines and all through the room, were the sounds of crinkling tissue and paper being clipped. Soft pastel was sketched on banners filled with hearts and hands. No one could resist the tactile softness of smearing pastel. Glue was applied by finger or brush. One cutie pie accidentally popped the lid off the Elmer's Glue and glue flooded down her new jeans and dripped into her "Lugg" boots. We nearly set off the fire alarm over that one!!!! One afternoon was devoted to creating valentines for loved ones and friends. They sure had a whole lot of friends, as fingers were flying creating little cards for giving. Some didn't forget a special card for a mommy or daddy.

The "teens" at the club put on a Valentine party for the "young ones" meaning those in elementary school.

Games, pizza, and staying an extra hour at the club.

Valentine Day was spent driving to North Carolina,

to visit Kayla, Luke, Hunter and Molly.

We haven't seen Luke since November. What a BIG boy he is!!! Personality, smiles and appetite galore!

His smile melts a grandparent's heart.

One doesn't walk very far holding Luke, sitting is much easier and safer.

We all think he will be crawling in March!

Miss Kayla welcomed us with adorable handmade Valentines all covered in candy hearts. Not a single candy heart was missing!

But in this photo, it would appear that she is getting away with something...hmm, maybe eating all those gorgeous blue and green "PEEPS."

Or perhaps it is Luke who is munching the PEEPS! He looks like he will keep his secret for awhile longer. Howard had some needed dental work done, spent one day driving around the Carolina countryside and playing with Kayla and Luke. Sharon was painting at a workshop, meeting more southern artists, and enjoying her Carolina artist friend, another Sharon. Sharon invited Sharon and a few other workshop attendees to her home for wine and "good old cold water," a tour of her home, studio and art and then dinner at a Thai restaurant. It was so much fun to go out with the painting ladies! Southern women are gracious, friendly and lovely to be around. The workshop was successful. Evenings were mostly spent at home with the children, tucking them in bed at night, reading and playing hide and seek. Grammy hid so well from Kayla, that when Kayla finally found her, and Grammy yelled "boo!" Kayla promptly shrieked and fell down on her bottom. We laughed a long time over that one. Our last day in Charlotte we drove to where Hunter has his dental practice, and ate at his favorite BBQ restaurant. Pretty good fare, especially tangy coleslaw on top of BBQ pork. Later in the evening we all went to see Madagascar at the dollar theater. Luke slept through the movie, along with Grammy, who was all tuckered out! Then the long drive home....to Havre de Grace taking with us sweet memories of a special Valentine week with Family.