My VD....

No No No....not venereal disease....Valentine's Day!!!! Had ya going huh.....

For my son's classroom Valentine's party...I decided to make cupcakes. I used the Rainbow Cake recipe for the cupcakes and the cream cheese frosting. I made two colors. Purple & Pink.

I poured one color in each cupcake paper, then poured the other color on top. I was hoping for a layered affect. I really wasn't sure if they would melt together and turn out ugly...

With the leftover batter, I poured it into a loaf pan to make a cake for the teacher's lounge. It wasn't until after I had that in the oven for 5 minutes did I remember that I had a heart shaped cake pan...darn, there's always next year.

Next came the yummy cream cheese frosting...

I don't have the most steady hand, or the right decorating tools...so just a simple heart is all I did. Simple...and yummy.

The Centers did turn out good! I had to crack one open to see!

Then came the decorating of the teacher's cake. Again, I go for a more messy artsy abstract kinda look.

For my husband and my son Xavier...I created these redeemable coupons. I found these pre-cut foam hearts for $5. (After V-Day, I found them on sale for $2.50...so I bought 2 more packages and plan to use them for children's church sometime.)

I scooted River up to the table with some paper and a pen...to keep him occupied. Of course...doesn't everybody do their artwork with their feet up on the table? He is so darn cute I can't even handle it.

I then wrote 10 coupons for each of them. These are some of Xavier's

Some of them I was smart enough to write "Must have 1 day notice". Some of them...I didn't think to. I will remember that for next time. Because the first one he redeemed was "Breakfast in bed"...on a school day....which he needed at 6:00 AM. Mama is not a morning person. But...I did it. Because I love him.

I then used a paper hole puncher to punch two holes in each heart. Connected them all with these rings I found in the office supplies aisle.

One for My Love...

One for my first born son.....

Each of them had 1 heart added on the back with a special note telling them how much I love and appreciate them. Daddy's had an outline of River's hand on the back.

Xavier has been the only one to redeem his certificates so far. His second one he redeemed was "Wii family fun night". We used it last Sunday. It was a lot of fun. Xavier absolutely thrives from things like this, notes in his lunch box, notes hidden under his pillow...I am so proud of how much he has matured in the last year. We have come a long long ways from a year ago.

How about you? How did you spend your Valentines Day?