Pucker Up! Cupid's Coming!

Valentine's Day is on it's way. I know it's only January 2nd but still, we have just six weeks til the big love fest begins and it's something to look forward to! I love cooking and baking and letter writing, and all that good stuff (and now I'm living on pinterest.com for more ideas, thanks to Shannon Penkrat), Valentine's Day means a lot to me. It means that I get to bake heart-shaped cookies to mail to family and friends, and hang heart die cuts all over the house. I get to cook a special meal for W, and I get to send out Valentines. I always loved that. As a kid in the 70s, we had those super cute ready-made Valentines. I know that they still make them, with Spongebob and the like, but they never appealed to me. Since my son was born, I've made die cuts with his photo on them, and sent those out. Recently, I started doing a photo card with the three kids on it. It's fun, because everyone doesn't do them, so they stand out and are even more special. Plus, they celebrate LOVE!

Will you be sending out Valentines this year? 

My God, so many people I know are getting divorced. It seems that most of the conversations in town center around who is getting divorced or who is having an affair with who. I'm divorced myself, but I don't identify as divorced anymore. I identify as married, because I feel married. W and I have been together for a very long time, and to us, we are as committed as committed can be, so when I hear about all of these splits, it makes me sad.

If you have love in your life, why not celebrate it?

Celebrating love, and years of a fabulous life together, K + M kiss for Ward Vogt's camera. You can, too!

Maybe you are in the process of healing, or you haven't been struck by Cupid's arrow just yet. Still, there is love in the air. Non-romantic love like between friends, or parents and children, are joyful. All love is celebrated on Valentine's Day. That's the fun part of the holiday.

Julia Child once said, "Valentine cards had become a tradition of ours (hers and her husband's), born of the fact that we could never get ourselves organized in time to send out Christmas cards." That being said, if you didn't send yours out (or you didn't like the one that you did send), now's your chance. Each year, the Childs sent out Valentine's Day cards like this one:

A Child's Valentine's Day card.

On Friday, February 3rd, which is First Friday, a celebratory night, on Boonton's Main Street, Savannah Hope Vintage is hosting a kissing booth. Ward (of Ward Vogt Designs) is going to set up his camera for loved ones to come and smooch for a photo. It can be a romantic kiss, or one friend planting a kiss on the other's cheek, while the recipient looks surprised. It can be a child with parents, siblings, you name it. Ward will take a few photos, you pick the one you want, and then he emails you the digital photo and mails you a 5 x 7 print. We have also designed three different Valentine's Day cards for you to choose from (and you can personalize a message, or just have your initials in a heart like T + W), should you follow in the footsteps of Paul & Julia (like Ward and I) and mail out Valentine's Day cards.

Check out the Valentine's Day cards we will have available (and you will get them in plenty of time for Valentine's Day). We custom created each of these cards.:

Blue Valentine card.

The Conversation Heart card.

The Love on Hearts Wing card.

The Sweethearts card.

In addition, there will be champagne and strawberries in the shop, and each couple/group to participate gets one free Domestic Goddess La Cioccolata di Amore Bacia votive (named by friend and contest winner, Ginny Longo). It's going to be an amazing night and we are expecting a sell-out, so we are asking that you reserve your time increment to ensure getting your kissing photo taken (call me to reserve at 973-809-7880). It's such fun -- you'll have to join us.

La Cioccolata di Amore Bacia votive

Privately, Ward and I always do kissing photos. We usually do them impromptu, with his tripod set up, like the ones below. This year, we will kiss in the booth. Separately, we will have our kids doing it -- one in the middle, being kissed on either side by the other two.

Us, under the mistletoe...

...and in the woods. Next is the kissing booth.

For more information on the kissing booth, contact me or Ward at wardvogtdesigns@yahoo.com. Come join the fun! This event is being held at Savannah Hope Vintage, 906 Main Street, Boonton, NJ 07005, on Friday, February3 from 6 - 9 p.m. Schedule your appointment with us today or just drop in (reservations appreciated but not necessary).