Music Composer Valentine Cards (Set of 12)

I made this set of 12 printable Valentine's Day cards for my High School Men's choir. Yes. They want to have a Valentine's Day party, complete with DIY Valentine's mail boxes and everything. So, I figured I'd make my own cards to pass out, and I figured I'd share too. You're welcome!

These would also work for private piano/voice/instrumental studio students. Just print on cardstock, cut to size, and sign your name on the back!

Click Link HERE for your own pdf! {{Printable Music Composer Valentine's Day Cards}}

14 Days Of Love by Emma (Reused)

Last year my friend Megs from Mmmboppin' had a "14 Days of Love" series on her blog. She highlighted some of her favorite bloggers (Including ME!!! Yes -- ME!!!) and asked us to write out 14 things we love. Then, during her February Countdown to Valentine's Day, she spotlighted one of us per day.

I had sooo much fun with it, I initially thought I would just like totally copy her this year and get 14 of YOU to do the same for MY blog. But, who am I kidding? I am too disorganized and crazy-busy to pull something that well-orchestrated off on my blog at the moment. In lieu of that, I figure, what the hay -- I'll just copy her by actually copying her, which would mean I would copy me and what I wrote for her, but since it's me, it's not really copying her then, is it? Whoa~ Stop the ride. I wanna get off.

Moving On. Here is my post as featured by Megs last year. Enjoy, and Happy Valentine's Day!!! Bloggy Love to all of you, dear readers!

____________________________________

14 Days of Love, By Emma

Here are 14 things I love:

14. That split second after I've finished sneezing and realize I haven't peed my pants. Truly a celebratory moment!

13. Biting into some dark chocolate, confirming I've made the right candy selection.

12. Hot Irish men with accents... (have you see, "PS, I Love You"???)

11. Finding just the right tune from John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Keane or Jamie Cullum, etc. that sums up how I am feeling right then and there, and then downloading it to my iPod, setting it to repeat and listening to it 200 times in a row until I know every word, every breath, every ooh and every ahh... (What do you mean, "Compulsive"?)

10. Cheese! Glorious Cheese! (Get a "big" brie wheel from Costco. Bake on sheet of foil @ 250, 10-15 minutes and delve in with Triscuits... OH.MY.GOSH.GOOEY.GOODNESS!!! You won't regret it!)

9. Making late night runs for Mexican Food... yumm-o! (Washed down by a Diet Coke, of course!)

8. (Something I have NEVER told ANYONE till now) Caltoy Hand Puppets that I secretly started collecting a few years ago from thrift shops. Seriously - they are so stinkin cute! (I only have 6 so far...not sure what I am gonna do with them... I may just have to blog about this.)

7. Finding a decent smelling bath gel for like a buck and then pouring HALF of its contents under running hot bath water for a luxurious long soak!!! (Now, if only I had a deep-enough tub to actually submerge the girls!)

6. Massages... they are like crack-cocaine. For reals. If you haven't had one, get one.

5. When my kids look at me, talking with their mouths full, telling me I am like the best cook ever and can I please, please, please make this again?

4. Improving my time on the treadmill or trail...It's empowering!

3. Vintage spoon rings. This is a new obsession... totally cool. Best ones I've seen are on Etsy, for reals!

2. That moment leading up to like the best kiss ever... A little nibble on the ear, face to palm, mouth to tongue... Whew! Is it like getting hot in here or is it just me???

1. That moment when I realize that I *AM* on the right track, and that I *CAN* do hard things, and that my Heavenly Father *DOES* love me... and that in the end, no matter what happens... I *WILL* be okay. Yeah... I love *THAT* moment.

___________

Ok -- 2 of my favorite comments from that post (I've just gotta share) are these...

JWise said, "wow!!! Amazing list. No wonder you love this Emma. Anybody who can use the words "crack-cocaine," "mouth to tongue" and "Heavenly Father" in 6 sentences knows what's what!"

RhondaLue said, "I heart Emma. She makes me laugh...and she makes me feel normal! Lol!"

haha! Happy Valentine's Day!!! Mwah!!!

Look What I Got!!!

(This Post is a week overdue!)

I got the following goodies from my "Secret Bloggy Valentine!" How cool is she, right?

The ABCs of My Valentine Weekend

After leaving work on a not-s0-good Thursday, I was grateful for the extra long weekend. Since I divulged my not-so-good-job-issue to you yesterday, I will not mention it again in this post. In addition to the on-again-off-again tension headaches, my Valentine weekend included, but was not limited to, ALL of the following:


{A}bstinence
{B}ig-D
{C}hurch Dance
{D}etour to nephew's Birthday Par-tay!
{E}ars. ('Nuff said.)
{F}ood
{G}iggling over passages from random books at Barnes & Noble
{H}olding hands & Hugs of comfort
{I}nnapropriate comments at opportune times!
{J}oking around
{K}ids playing with cousins
{L}eis (I really needed a Lei, too! lol!)
{M}elty Moments
{N}ot So Usual adventures
{O}il line replaced in van
{P}oli-Sci homework & tutoring
{Q}uiet moments which spoke volumes
{R}estaurants
{S}tories
{T}ender touches
{U}ncontrollable Laughter
{V}arious other "Activities"
{W}heezing from laughing so hard
{X}eric weather (well...at least not snow!)
{Y}abbering
...and finally...
{Z}ero Fatalities

Valentine Pleasers

Ok men, yesterday I told what NOT to get her. Today we are going to go through a checklist of ideas she just might like. For MOST women, because we are emotional creatures, we want something "romantic". And many women equate "romantic" with "thoughtful surprise". Notice, I placed the word "thoughtful" before surprise. Remember the "couple's toilet" from yesterday? Yeah, that'd be a surprise all right... just not the "thoughtful" kind.

(Ladies, some of these might work for you too!)

Traditional: Dinner & A Movie.
Guys, I hate to say it, but this is like the one time of year where you get to attend a chick flick. Save the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie for your birthday or something. I know many couples that "compromise" on Valentines. He gets to choose the restaurant, and she gets to choose the movie. I think that is a great idea. Another couple I know alternates years for planning the "date night" all together. He'll plan their Valentine's Date one year, and she do the next, etc. Also, if going out is out of the budget, then what would totally make her smile is if YOU cooked dinner. I'm talking table cloth, candles, the works. Put the kids to bed early - or send them to grandmas! Rent a flick from the Red Box, or watch an old fav that you two haven't seen in a long time.

Indoor Picnic.
This is awesome if a) you can't cook b) you don't have a lot of money and even better if c)you have a fireplace. Finger foods are awesome here. Splurge on the fresh strawberries. Get some cheese. Make some sandwiches... maybe something a little fizzy to drink. Lay a blanket on the floor in front of the fireplace and remind her all of the reasons you love her. And cutting out little PB&Js with a heart-shaped cookie cutter is just soooo cute!



Fast Food Frenzy.
Ok - this one is a little out there, but I've actually done this with a boyfriend of mine once. I wrote out little "clues" or "riddles" and the answer was a menu item from a local fast food joint. He was only allowed to get THAT one item thru the drive thru. Finally, by the time we were done we had a "full-course" meal and dessert too! We didn't spend very much, and trying to get him to figure out the clues provided for lots of entertainment, which was the best part.

Picture This!
As far as gifts go, if you decide to do something, what about framing a nice photo of the two of you. Or getting one of her from your wedding day umpteen years ago? Or how about a pic of your names in the sand? (if you can find sand somewhere!)

Candy Gram!
Write her a note using those chalky little ant-acids disguised as candy. What are they - like 29 cents a box? Make her a little note. Tell her why you love her. Of course, pair with something else you know she wants... like that gift card to the book store, or for a massage or the homemade coupon for a Girls Night Out while YOU watch the kids. Or go bigger with your candy gram and use a poster board and attach candy bars.

Love Letter
Ok, even if you don't go for the candy, write her a romantic love letter. Tell her how much she means to you!

Tokens
There are all sorts of things you can do. Get her little tokens that remind you of certain memories you have... Like maybe a shell reminds you of a summer vacation you took together. A certain candy bar might remind you of the time she craved that particular candy bar while she was pregnant with your first child, etc. Wrap up each little item separately, and attach a little note explaining the symbolism.

Flowers
If all you do is get her a dozen roses, then accompany the flowers with a dozen reasons you love her.

Massage
I think we touched on this one before, but what about a gift certificate for a massage? Or a Couple's Massage?
Night Sledding & Hot Cocoa
If you live where it is cold, take her night sledding and then for some hot cocoa and a slice of pie or something afterwards. Feeling like "kids" again can be a lot of fun!

Recreate your First Date.
Even if that date was bowling and ice cream. Talk about the memories. Maybe even "pick her up at the door".

Drive and a View.
Take a drive into the "country" and find a cliff or a nice place with a view. Or -- if you're daring, go up to a make-out point like you did when you were back in high school! hahaha!

Local Performances or Art Galleries
Ditch the traditional movie. Check your local paper for local plays or theater productions. Even a high school drama production might be fun. Many times a library might have an art display going on. Maybe there's a performance at the local college. Check their website. Many of them range from $0-$10!!! And if it isn't any good, you can just enjoy making fun of them!

True Story: I knew this couple from back in college. As young students, money was tight. He was sitting in the library on campus on Valentine's Day and was feeling down that he didn't have anything to give his new bride; not even a spare dollar to buy her a card. Looking down at his college ruled notepaper, he begin to doodle, and then had an idea. Using stick figure drawings he wrote a love story; their love story! He folded and creased and folded and creased and tore out several "half" sheets of paper for his "story book". He even drew a "cover". It started out with the "once upon a time", and each "page" was devoted to pinnacle moments; how they met, their first date, the moment he knew he loved her, the proposal, the wedding, and things he loved about her. Then, borrowing the stapler from the library, he put his "book" together, and rushed home to make her dinner. He picked a wildflower on the way (which was totally illegal, cuz it was in Hawaii) and when he got home he placed the flower in the cutest cup they owned, since they didn't even have a flower vase, and placed it in the center of the table. Anyway, he cooked dinner and set the table and placed her "gift" at her place setting. When she saw it her smile broadened across her face and she squealed. She read each page with delight, giggling over the stick figure drawings and crying over the sentiments behind them. She absolutely loved it. She has kept that little Valentine's Day "book" tucked away in her journal ever since and pulls it out every year!

I guess what I am saying is, it doesn't have to be extravagant. In fact, most women just want to feel like you've put some thought into it. Remember, think about her, and think outside the box, but don't think tooooooo hard. KISS (keep it simple, stupid) :)

Good luck!


What was YOUR best or most romantic Valentine's Date or Gift ever?

Valentine Love-Me-Nots!

I realize that most of the readers here at Not So Usual are of Female Persuasion. However, I wanted to pass on a few little tips of What Not To Give For Valentine's Day for any male readers out there too!

1) Stuffed Animals. Nothing says, "I totally spaced this romantic day, and the stores were wiped out of everything but this" more than a stuffed animal. And, as one article put it, "Unless your girlfriend actually collects stuffed animals, or is 12, do not buy her a stuffed animal for Valentine's Day. (If your girlfriend is actually 12 and you're not, you have other issues).

2) Lingerie. First of all this s a BIG no-no if you have never been intimate with each other. Second of all, even if you have been intimate, you'd better make sure you really know her styles before going out on a limb with something like this. I mean, what a man might find "sexy" a woman may just view as trashy. On the other hand, if you go too conservative she might get her feelings hurt, thinking that YOU think of her as OLD (gramma). Now, ladies, if YOU bought some lingerie (for you), and then wrapped it up for your man... well, then he'd probably like that! lol!

3) The Gas Station Rose. Um... no. I know, I know... you're thinking, "Hey! A Rose! And it's only $1.99!" Trust me. We'll know. We'll know that you totally spaced the whole Valentine's Day thingy until you were on your way home from work and just HAPPENED to stop by for a fill-up and just HAPPENED to see the el cheapo rose in the plastic tube-sleeve thingy. Trust me... we have spidey senses when it comes to stuff like that! Of course, the ultimate abomination would be to pick up the Gas-Station-Rose-and-White-Teddy-Bear-Holding-Red-Heart Combo. Put the bear and the rose down, and walk away!

4) The cliche heart pendant. Again. You see it is a heart. Your male brain is thinking, "Valentine's Day, good. Jewelry, good. Heart Necklace, Great!" However, what we're thinking is, "Could you be a little more original?" Seriously... like the next day in the office all of the other gals won't also be wearing the "blue-light special" heart pendant too! Oh, and for the record? The heart keychain is totally worse. For reals...

5) Any Jewerly in a Ring-Sized box! (This is if you are just dating!) Nothing gets a gal's hope up more then when you're sitting down at a fancy restaurant and you reach inside your jacket pocket, producing a small heart-shaped or ring-sized box. What do you mean you don't get it? **sigh** Dude, she thinks you are going to propose! I don't know where she got that idea either... maybe it was the HEART-SHAPED BOX!!!

6) Clothes are "iffy"... Most women would rather try on their own clothes. So, unless your track record is tested, tried and true... don't tread there! If you get something too small, she'll feel bad and feel she is "fat". If you go with the larger size "just to be sure" and it is a tad too big, she'll think that YOU think she is fat. And - if you happen to get Just.The.Right.Size and she hasn't TOLD you her size, she'll think you've went snooping through her clothes and checking her tags and that's just creepy!

7) Household appliances. Yeah, um... nothing says I love you more than "Can you iron my shirt?" or "how about another George Foreman Burger?" Now -- if she ASKS for an appliance, that is different. Otherwise, be safe. Stay away from the appliances.

8) Anything DIET related. This would include (but not limited to) a new bathroom scale, sugar-free chocolate (unless she is diabetic) or a gym membership or treadmill (unless she specifically asked). You'll have to just take my word for it. I know, I know.... SHE is the one with the New Year resolution to exercise more, get off the sugar, etc. So you think the gift says, "Baby, I'm listening. I know what you want, and I want to support you!" But - what she "hears" is, "Hey Fatso!!! Lose some weight already, nom, nom, nom!"

9) Self-Help Books. The reasons are similar to #8. If you can't read between the lines, then just trust me on this one.

10) A Tool! Men, don't get her something YOU want for yourself, such as a tool or the newest electronic device. She will see right through your half-baked attempt at a gift, and you will be in the doghouse. And don't play all dumb too ("The last time you used my power sander you thought it was cool, so I thought a cordless drill might be right up your ally!")

Remember, the gift (if you both agree to gift-giving) should be about the other person, and not so much the item. Meaning, the item should "represent" her.

Is she easily stressed? Would a massage be beneficial? What about a couple's massage? She just might think you are totally awesome for going with her! If she has a hobby, like scrapbooking or reading or crafting, how about a gift card to her favorite "hobby" store? What about a little gift card and homemade "coupon" towards a girls night out and YOU watch the kids? Honestly, I don't think it has to be HUGE... just show that you were thinking of HER.

That being said... here are a few other "gifts" you'll want to avoid!

She'll never cook for you again if you get her this! And if you ever want a shot of intimacy, let's just rule this one out...shall we?

And I understand that you might enjoy spending time together, but there are some places a woman just wants her privacy...

Tomorrow, I will have a few more ideas for simple yet sweet Valentine's Day gifts and activities.

What was your WORST Valentine's date or gift?

Tales of the Amish Gnome

Ok - so last weekend, I told you that there was a church Valentine's Dance down at the stake center. My neighbor across the street is the Activities Chairperson, and I am on her committee. Ergo, I could not get out of the dance. I joked about taking a blow-up doll as my date, but 1) I didn't have one and 2) what would "he" have done while I was busy on my kitchen/food prep shift?


Anyway, I get there early to help set up the food. The place looks great. The decorations are awesome. Here are a few pics I snagged before the party began. (they are taken with my phone and the room was sort of dim, so sorry about the quality.)

Anyway - I am on the first "kitchen shift" for refreshments and food. As I am carrying veggie trays and scooping ice cream floats, I notice this apparently single guy with his eye on me. And when I say his "eye", I mean that, literally. One eye was on me while the other one was looking in another direction, and sometimes it changed. He was about 5'3" in height. He had a blacker-than-black uni-brow and a full-on Amish-Style beard. Honestly, the way his one eye and then the other kept peering at me, I was a little uncomfortable. Actually, I was a lot uncomfortable. He made me nervous, and sort of gave me the creeps.

Now, perhaps, I was being a little too judgmental. Perhaps he is a lovely little fellow. Perhaps he is totally harmless. Nevertheless, I just didn't feel "safe" around him.

After my shift, I joined a few of my friends at a table. I told them about the guy that was watching me. They ask me which one. I sort of blurt out without thinking, "The one that looks like an Amish Gnome". Even though that induced some laughter, I couldn't help but think how accurate that description was, given his height, full beard and sort of scrunched up face with uni-brow.

Desperate Housewife thought that perhaps I was imagining the whole "keeping an eye on me" thing. So, I tested this theory. After checking the refreshments and refilling the ice water, I made my way back to the table. Amish Gnome seemed to be coming right towards me. I didn't want to give him the chance to ask me to dance, because I didn't want to have to say no. So, I sort of veered off to the left. Then HE veered off to my left. I then turned slightly to the right. HE turned slightly to my right. So I did one of those fake-out moves; a quick right then left. I lost him, arrived at the table. It was unanimous. Everyone at the table agreed that Amish Gnome was after me. I didn't want to be mean and turn him down if he asked me to dance. But I just couldn't bring myself to dance with someone who sort of creeped me out. (I know what some of you must be thinking... but I asked the Lord for mercy on this one.)

So, my friends and neighbors being the generous people they are, let me "borrow" their hubbies. It's true. I danced a few dances (not slow ones) with them, and sat by other ones at the table. I was hoping that Amish Gnome would get the hint. By the same token, I was hoping that everyone else in attendance didn't think I was the town slut or that our table was involved in some sort of Swingers Club or something. And when I wasn't busy dancing with other people's hubbies, I was engaging in riveting repartee via text with the PersonalTrainer. Between him and my table posse, I laughed almost all night long while exfiltrating cavorting with Amish Gnome. Good times.

Update... So following the weekend, I get a few scoops regarding Amish Gnome; who he is, what he's like, etc. Apparently, he shows up at every dance in the area; Adult dances, singles dances, and even YOUTH regional dances. Ewww. The teenage girls get a little creeped out at the various eyes that seem to follow 2 different girls at one time. Also, one report indicated that at one dance they had to have a committee member guard the refreshment table, because he continued to eat practically everything they had to offer. And finally, a third source gave an account of a time he rode a horse into the church wherein the dance was being held. They had to chase him out of the building and explain that horses do not belong inside, and inside a church at that. Poor Amish Gnome. I am sure he isn't all there, and it's unfortunate that someone hasn't been able to teach him basic things like don't go riding horses into a church building.

So, there you have it. My big exciting un-eventful Valentine's weekend. As my bloggy friend Kaye would say, "I know y'all are just dying to be me!" Seriously, I couldn't make this stuff up.

V-Day Doesn't Totally Suck

All right, so I said my little "prayer for love" and hope that all of you Happy-In-Love Saps People have a great National Single Awareness Day Valentines Day.

Myself, you ask? No. No big date. No exciting plans with the man of my dreams. Just me and about 200 other people. What the freak? I know, I'll explain.

I was in charge of our party last night at Church. We had a "King of Hearts" Pageant (a total spoof). It was a riot! I will be sure to explain more and post some pics next week. Tonight, I am helping my good friend and neighbor, Desperate Housewife, pull off a 50's style sock-hop Valentine's Dance. She is in charge and I'm a committee member. The Bad News? I have no date. :( The Good News? I LOVE 50's style sock-hops I'm not sure yet... I'll have to get back to you. Just kidding... I am not really into that musical era, however she has got the most fun dance/party planned. We always have a good time at her activities, plus there's free food, right? So - I know I'll have a good time, dateless or not. Think anyone would notice if I toted around a blow-up date?

Well, I suppose the weekend isn't/wasn't totally a bust. I did help my kids create some pretty awesome Valentine Day Card "mail" boxes. Oh - who am I kidding? They didn't do a thing - I made them all by myself! Of course, being the kind of crazy, insane person who works best under deadlines, I didn't really get to it until around midnight the night before their class parties. I know pride is a sin. But I gotta tell you - I rocked out on these puppies and I think they are awesome if I do say so myself. Without further adieu...

1) The Lego Valentine Mailbox

I got 2 Papier-mâché boxes from the craft store. Painted 1 yellow and 1 blue. I cut an opening in the top of the bottom lid, as well as in the bottom of the top box (got that?).
I glued the top box to the lid of the bottom box.
I used 4 round chip-board circles, painted them blue, and glued them to the top box, cut an opening in the top and... voila!

2) The iPod Valentine Box

My daughter wanted a purple iPod for her box. I used a 12" cereal box, so the 12x12 scrapbook paper would work easily. On the back I even added the "apple" logo, but I told her I had to do it backwards so as not to infringe on any copyright laws ... (actually I just accidentally glued it on backwards and realized it too late!)

For the click wheel, I cut out a white circle, and then cut a smaller circle in the middle. For the "screen" I used black paper, a white gel pen, and a color copy of one of her favorite album covers.
I used her real headphones and poked them through a small hole in the side of the box.

The bad news? Turned out we were 2 Valentine Cards short and I had to make a midnight run to Wal-Mart (bleh) and scour through the picked over goodies to find 2 individual Valentine card-treats. But I got them and was back home and in bed by about 2 am.

The good news?? After school she told me that the class thought it was the best box ever.

Even better news??? It took about 10 minutes to whip together.

A Prayer for Love

My neighbor sent this to me. Sort of fits me for the moment. Nothing like a good prayer in time for "National Single Awareness Day" (what you happy-in-love people call "Valentine's Day".)

A Prayer for Love

As I lay me down to sleep

I pray for a man I wish to keep.

One who is cute with a smile to share

Who makes me laugh without a care.

One who remembers to call when he can

Who isn't a boy - but truly a man.

I pray for him to be sincere and true

To admit when he hasn't got even a clue.

He'll open the door and ask what I need,

Holding my hand, and taking the lead.

Oh find me a man who's not easily annoyed

Has a good job and gainfully employed.

A man who knows how to make me feel good

Loving me as only he could.

I pray that this guy will have a heart of gold

And that our love will grow as we get old.

I know you will find him, before it's too late

So as for now, I will patiently wait.

Amen.

If I could add some P.S.'s, maybe a man with some of these qualities...