BECAUSE... BECAUSE I LOVE YOU

Give Me One Kiss And I'll Be Happy

Just, Just To Be With You

Give Me, Give Me, A Chance To Be Near You

BECAUSE, BECAUSE I LOVE YOU

(Dave Clark)

Frannie made the Valentine in the top picture, and together we baked and decorated cupcakes. Frannie's Valentine treat is going to be a trip to the movie theater to see "Hotel For Dogs". Grandma is coming along with the two of us - she's going to see to it that Frannie gets the full movie treatment - popcorn and drink to go along with the show. Frannie can hardly wait!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

View entire lyrics here.

S.W.A.K.

MY FUNNY VALENTINE

MY FUNNY VALENTINE

YOU'RE MY FAVORITE WORK OF ART

STAY, LITTLE VALENTINE, STAY

EACH DAY IS VALENTINE'S DAY

Another from the archives. Large oval paper mache box. Painted Folk Art Baby Pink and decoupaged with Mary Engelbreit Valentines. Crepe paper ruffle on bottom. Again, Mary Engelbreit border around lid. Top has large slit decorated with polka-dots and Be Mine letters. Love it!

Tissue paper nosegay sits next to the Valentine box.

Now, I know I usually just put some lyrics here, but ladies and gentlemen, THIS IS TOM JONES! Just have to have a video. Ladies, get your panties ready! :)

Tom Jones
(SINGING)
MY FUNNY VALENTINE

ENCORE!!! ENCORE!!!

Tom Jones
(DANCING - THAT MAN CAN DANCE!)
You've Got To Watch This
TREAT HER RIGHT

S.W.A.K.

P.S. If you ever get the chance to see Tom Jones live, grab those tickets, FAST! He puts on the greatest show. My husband and I have seen him three times so far and we'd go again in an instant. Last time, we brought our son, David, with us (he was probably about 14 years old at the time) - even he enjoyed it. We had third row, center seats at the Stamford Palace Theatre (one of those old refurbished theaters and there isn't a bad seat in the house). David had the pleasure of sitting next to Paul Schaeffer (you know, the orchestra leader for David Letterman). We've seen The Beach Boys and Johnny Cash there as well. Next time we go, I've got to bring Frannie with us, she'd love it!

THAT'S AMORE

WHEN THE STARS MAKE YOU DROOL
JUST LIKE A PASTA FAGIOLE

Moonstruck is one of my favorite movies and if you've ever seen it you know that the soundtrack features Dean Martin's "That's Amore". One of the reasons I enjoy it so much is because I am an outsider looking in. I have been married to a first generation Italian for just about, well, let's just say a long time, and I can tell you that throughout this time, I have come to know so many of those characters. Okay, maybe the movie is a little exaggerated, but only a little. :) It stars Cher, Danny Aiello, Nicholas Cage, Olympia Dukakis, and Vincent Gardenia to name a few. If you haven't seen it before, the Valentine holiday is the perfect time to do so. Order yourself a pizza, or, better yet, make yourself a big pot of pasta e fagiole, pour a glass of red wine, curl up on the sofa and watch the flick. Mangia!

THAT'S AMORE

When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella

When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fagiole
That's amore
When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk down in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming signore
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli
That's amore

View the entire lyrics here.

S.W.A.K.

MY BOY LOLLIPOP

I'M SWEET ON YOU, VALENTINE!

Every year Frannie and I make these lollipop flowers. We use a heart-shaped paper punch with a scalloped edge and punch out five hearts for each one. Fold each heart in half (down the center) and punch a 1/8" hole near the bottom. Insert a Dum-Dums lollipop into the hole of each petal, push up as far as they will go, and add a dab of glue to secure. Finally, cut out a leaf shape, make a fold down the center and punch a hole, add a "To" and "From" on the back of the leaf, insert the pop, and voila!, they're ready to go. Frannie loves to deliver them to her class in a basket, so I place a styrofoam square in the bottom and put the lollipop flowers in all around to cover the base. It really makes a "cute" presentation, and the lollipops are held snug and secure.

S.W.A.K.

MY BOY LOLLIPOP
Written by Morris Levy and Johnny Roberts

My boy Lollipop, you made my heart go giddy up.
You are as sweet as candy, you're my sugar dandy.
Ha, ho my boy Lollipop,
Never ever leave me,
Because it would grieve me,
My heart told me so,
I love ya, I love ya, I love ya so,
That I want ya to know,
I need ya, I need ya, I need ya so,
And I'll never let you go,
My boy Lollipop,
You make my heart go giddy up,
You set my world on fire, you are my one desire,
My boy Lollipop, my boy Lollipop.

---

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Can you feel it? Now that the inauguration is behind us, it's time to bring on the next holiday - one of my favorites - St. Valentine's Day. No, I'm not a candy lover, although I do love those fancy boxes they come in, and I'm not much for a bouquet, although I wouldn't turn my nose up at it either, ;) but I do love all those pretty Valentine decorations. I remember when my son was three years old and attending pre-school - it was his first Valentine party, and, of course, all the children were to bring in Valentines for each other. Well, I thought, great, let's make some. Looking back on it, I'm sure I forced him into it, and probably did most of the work myself, but we created our own cards with red paper hearts, doilies, stickers, the works. They were beautiful and I was really proud of them. I certainly never thought that we, I mean he would be the only one to make his own. I'll never forget his teacher's comment: "Oh, I didn't think anyone did that anymore". What have we come to?!! Well, I've never forced him to do it since then. Always went out and purchased those icky boxed things. And, yes, Frannie likes the boxed ones too (how can I compete with Angelina Ballerina - this year's choice - Polly Pocket or even Hello Kitty?). But all is not lost, Frannie also makes handmade Valentines for those people who deserve something special. Just her classmates get the store-bought ones (although we always include a special treat for her class (I'll show you that in a later Valentine post). I still make my own Valentines too, and I hope to send some to a few of you out there.

So let's spread some

Won't you

Valentine?

(I made those two giant conversation hearts a while back, and each year they sit outside the door of my husband's business, Franklin Philip Salon. And, yes, I hand-painted those letters - we're not talking decals here.)

S.W.A.K.

I almost forgot...

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

John Paul Young

Love is in the air
Everywhere I look around
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound

And I don't know if I'm being foolish
Don't know if I'm being wise
But it's something that I must believe in
And it's there when I look in your eyes

(Chorus)
Love is in the air
Love is in the air
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

Go here to see entire lyrics.

Oh, yes, I'm going to try and do a lot of postings leading up to Valentine's day - some projects I've created, some things that are just pink or red, or anything else that just says Valentine to me. Of course, I'm planning to put up a different song each post too. ;)