Love Means Never Having To Buy Them Roses

I should apologize, dear readers, for shirking my responsibility and leaving my blog at the bottom of my priority list for too long. My life has been busy but I should not let all of that get in the way of sharing with you.
BUT, the good news is that I have a few things stored up for you all regarding the upcoming (though totally fabricated) holiday....Saint Valentine's Day.

Now, please don't get me wrong, I love love love the holiday that's all about love love love.
My only concern is that people get in trouble trying to top their last year's event by making the declaration of their love too involved, too fancy and too little about what they truly feel.

In these days of financial difficulty, why not put in a little thought and a little effort to make your offering about tenderness, love and your individual feeling for your beloved rather than buying a bouquet of  over priced (just for the day) roses and being done with it?
Believe me, I'm not asking you to break the bank or even spend weeks preparing gifts or special meals - unless you want to do that...then I say, have at it and reap the rewards that will surely come your way.

No. I am going to share some ideas that have always landed me in the "I can't believe you are so amazingly thoughtful" seat and that's a really nice place to be.

First, the easiest.
The Love Letter. Now I know we all can't write sonnets and other poems without feeling and/or sounding like an ass. But try this - Find a nice card - either fine stationery or a simple but elegant greeting card - it doesn't even have to be a Valentine, per se - preferably blank inside.
On a piece of scrap paper, decide what you want to write. Be concise. Simple. A simple "I Love You" will work if inspiration fails you.
Date the inside of the card simply Valentine's Day 2011 and say what's in your heart. If you want to write a poem, go for it. If you're moved by somebody else's poetry, quote it and MAKE SURE to attribute the quote!
Make sure to write legibly and cleanly. Then, before you put it in the envelope, try to find a photograph of the two of you from a day that you both really enjoyed yourselves and remember fondly and add that to the envelope before you seal it.
If you can't find a photo like that, remember where you had your first date or your first kiss or asked them to marry you and go THERE and take a picture of the PLACE. It will mean so much.

My next installment will be a menu, and recipes, for the perfect, easy and impressive restaurant quality meal to make for your beloved. Come back and see!