Happy Chocolate Day Part Two

"More photos! More photos!" seems to be the topic of many emails I recently received since the Feb issue of Romantic Homes arrived on the shelves of stores around the country.
So, unlike the past, there will be more photos and less text in this posting....hmmmm.....not sure if I can keep my fingers from typing my thoughts though!

Below are photos that were not a part of the article and I hope you enjoy them. By the way, the photo of the lollipop wreath is shown without plastic over the candy...that was for shooting purposes only. Please keep them covered when you make the wreath. They get sticky and you'd be surprised how I had flick off little dabs of "floaties" that landed on the candy right before I took the photographs!

Oh - I also had a lot of questions about my coat. No that is not a ruffled scarf or glove - the coat has a fabulous collar and cuffs and even the bottom of the coat has about 8" of the same ruffle effect. I bought this coat last year at a tiny boutique - only after I had customer after customer come in and tell me that they saw a coat that was just made for me. After about a week of hearing this, I had to see what the fuss was all about and yes, as soon as I saw it I knew I would be pulling out my checkbook. The little boutique, The Time, was located down the street from my store, but it is now located downtown St. Louis. I can't say if that coat is available anymore or not - but it came in white, brown and black. And it is VERY warm and I just wish it would be cold enough for me to wear a lot more than I have yet so far.
Oh, and one more thing - I had a lot of people ask several questions me about the photo shoot itself. And so, I will answer some of them and I hope I don't burst your fantasy bubble...okay...that is fake snow! The shoot was done in Aug/Sept and yes, I am sweating in that coat! Because of the timing of publishing a national magazine, many articles are done months in advance. The candy is real, and yes, I made all of the crafts myself, yes I made up the poem for the nose gay, and yes, that door is really a door of a friend of mine. And finally, my hair is done by my fiance. He cuts and colors it! More on him later....

And once again - Happy Chocolate Day!
from my house to your house,
Elizabeth

A Healthy Heart Begins with Chocolate!

Just when we are all off to a wonderful start with our New Year's diet...along comes Valentines Day! No fair! Okay, I admit, I use February 14th to cheat on the diet - but I cheat all day long!

Just as I promised, I am posting a sneak peek at the next issue of Romantic Homes feature that I produced for Valentines Day. I believe it will be on the stands any day now. In this feature, I do something a little different: I use color! Yes, candy red, pinks, and shades in between. Why color now? Well, it is the dead of winter, no leaves on the trees, no flowers in bloom (well, for most of us around the country that is) and in some places, snow on the ground. A little color is needed this time of year and what a better way than to add some to your front door. After all, opening a colorful door helps us to cope with the dreary day we are about to leave behind as we enter our cozy home.

In this feature, I show one door, adorned three ways for Valentines Day. We have a tradition of hanging up a wreath on our doors for Christmas, and most of us adorn our door with a Fall wreath as well. I decided to add to the tradition by having a Valentines Day wreath on the door. When one enters your home, the "wreath of love" is a greeting and a welcome that all will enjoy.

In addition, my article also shows a new way of using a nose gay for Valentines Day, not just for May 1st, as tradition states. You will have to go out and read the article for yourselves to get more information on this "love thy neighbor" tradition that is bound to mend any fragile fences between neighbors or strengthen those already steady. Enjoy the photos and please pick up the Feb issue of Romantic Homes to see the article in its entirety. I have to brag for a moment about Romantic Homes...this magazine is fast becoming more and more popular and the editors are doing a stellar job in creating a magazine filled with photos, elegance, and practical tips for the readers. I love it!

In the meantime, remind yourselves that dark chocolate has been found to have health benefits! Ummm..yeah...right... Well, I am all for good health! If not a heart of gold, then a heart of chocolate will do for now. And a healthy heart is a heart open to receive love and to give love.

And may your February be filled with good health and your heart filled with love.

Happy Chocolate Day - er - I mean Happy Valentines Day!

From my house to your house,
Elizabeth

A Good Fling is Just the Thing We Need

Happy New Year!

Happy New Beginnings!

Happy New Memories!

Happy New Friends to be Made!

Happy New Places to Visit!

Happy New Clean Slate from which to Hope!

Yes, January 1st is always a day filled with anticipation for the next 364 days yet to come. It is a day to reflect on the last 365 days. So much can happen in just 365 days - it is amazing isn't it? In one year, we all may encounter anything and everything from new births, to burying a loved one, to buying a home, to losing a job, to getting a promotion, to finally taking that piano, French, or cooking class, or fighting an illness, to winning the lottery (okay, that is a stretch), to making a new friend, or losing a friend either to a death or to a death of the friendship in of itself.

We may encounter wonderful parties, picnics, a new love, a new hobby, or forgive someone that needs forgiving. We may encounter unfairness, heartache, emotional struggles, loneliness, or illness. We may have encountered moving to a new location, leaving friends behind, fearing a lab result, or taking care of a very sick parent or child. This is just the menu of life really. For some of us, I am sure, wish for a different menu at times, but basically, we humans all order from the same one. And sometimes our orders don't come as expected.

Yet, despite all the hardships the last 365 days may have brought to us, we humans are forever hopeful and even the most pessimists among us even feel somewhat optimistic on that first magical day of January. What a wonderful thing to experience, even if only for a day - hope.

I love this piece of stamp art (above photo) that is located in my friend's art gallery here in St. Louis. Henry's (my friend) gallery and day spa, Eve's Garden, has a collection of wonderful pieces from various artists. This stamp piece of a woman is my favorite. To me, she is leaning into the wind, without fear, her hair blowing freely and full of hope. Yet, she is made of paper - a fragile substance that can soften if rained upon with tears; can burn if caught in the crossfires, and fall apart at the seams if pulled in too many directions at the same time. I love that she is "well traveled" via her postage stamps. She is well traveled in emotions, experiences, heartache, joy, and she is stamped in the glory of it all. I especially like how she is leaning out, flinging herself out actually, into the wind of all what life has to offer - both good and not so good. But mostly in hope.

And that is what the first day of January is to me - a day to "fling myself" out into the new year with hope. To embrace fully all that awaits and to continue to "stamp" myself with new challenges, new awakenings, and new experiences. It is my wish, that if I get to be 90 years old, that I am so "stamped" up with life's experiences that any stamp collector would find me priceless - or at least worth a second look. And with that second look, one would find a multitude of "flinging" that I did in my day. And how my days continued to be filled with hope.

Happy New Year! And may your fling just be the thing that makes 2008 a year of beautiful new stamps on your hopeful soul.

From my house to your house,

Elizabeth

Note to all my cyber friends: I am doing better since my car wreck that took place on Dec 11th. My head still hurts but my heart is filled with joy to be here with you all. I realized after I wrote this post that I promised you a sneak peek of my photo shoot in my next post - well, I guess I got hit pretty hard on the head, as I forgot that promise until now. I will next post a sneak preview of that shoot and then a post about my beloved Randy. God Bless!