I Love You A Latte – Valentines Wreath

On February 14, 2023 By take2createIn Crafts, Holidays, ValentinesLeave a comment

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope all of you are feeling the love today whether it’s from a significant other, some close friends, or showing yourself a little self-love (maybe a facial or a cupcake from that little shop around the corner are a few suggestions). A little cup of warmth and love I give myself in the morning is coffee. It’s no surprise for anyone that’s been here for a while that I am a coffee enthusiast – I will drink everything from a cup of joe boiled over a campfire in a percolator to the grande iced caramel macchiato at Starbucks. For me, the taste of coffee reminds me of waking up as a kid and smelling the fresh pot my dad had made for himself. It reminds me of going to a late football games in college and drinking so much coffee beforehand to make sure I stayed up that I’m pretty sure it was an all nighter from the caffeine (and game) buzz. Coffee is a comfort to me in a very similar way that crafting comforts me. It gives me a chance to feel relief from any current stresses and for a few minutes be in my own little Zen place.

One of my favorite projects to do of all times is to make wreaths. I love them because no matter what, I feel like every wreath is different even by a little giving them each a unique character. For Valentines this year I wanted to couple coffee with love in a fun and whimsical wreath. I’m excited to show off the end results below. Let me know how you like your coffee in the comments below!

Easy DIY Valentine’s Button Sign

On February 6, 2020March 21, 2020 By take2createIn Crafts, Holidays, ValentinesLeave a comment

Ah Valentine’s Day, the perfect time to decorate our little apartment with all different shades of pink and red hearts galore. This cute little button sign was inspired by a button wreath sign I saw scrolling through Pinterest and thought, “That would be a perfect craft for Valentine’s Day”! While putting my new Valentine’s decoration up in our apartment, the history buff in me started to wonder how the heart became a symbol of love and why does this universal heart shape look different than say a human heart?

First off, thanks to TIME I found out that prior to the 13^th and 14^th centuries, the heart was used for only decorative reasons. The symbolism began to grow as romantic love began to take shape in the medieval period. The connection between love and the heart was more religious than romantic at the beginning. Eric Jager, a medieval literature professor at UCLA, said that “at that time period people thought of hearts as books of memory, a place where God’s commands are written, and feelings for the beloved were somehow written on your heart.” There were stories imagining “female saints whose hearts are said to be cut open after their death, and inside their hearts are inscriptions indicating their love for God or Jesus.”

So the heart shaped does tie back to actual hearts everyone! Even if it is a little bit of a dark history. The article later goes on to express that cardiologist Carlos Machado says that the familiar heart shape we recognize today does somewhat resemble the human heart in an echocardiograms but even more so the look of a bird or reptile heart. I highly recommend reading the whole article! The link is below.

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Sweethearts Wreath

On January 20, 2019 By take2createIn Crafts, Valentines, Winter2 Comments

Walking down the aisles of a store from January to mid-February is a bombardment of Valentines gifts, colors, and candies. Tucked away in the aisle is also a piece of nostalgia… Sweethearts. The chalky hard candies with phrases from “Call Me” to “Be Mine” (or the newer additions like “Text Me”) bring back sweet childhood memories.

The candies have evolved quite a bit from the original form. The Smithsonian describes that the candy maker Necco created a version of the current treat when the company started in 1847. It started out as a scalloped shell with a paper fortune in the middle. The red writing was added 14 years later in 1861 by the founder’s brother who invented a machine that could press red vegetable dye into the candy. The shape went through many different forms before settling into its heart shaped delight in the early 1900’s. Even though they have made adjustments to the phrases and flavors, Sweethearts still hold a sentimental place in my Valentines memories. sweethearts_wreath Continue reading “Sweethearts Wreath” →