Valentines Day Gift

The History of Valentine's Day

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Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones
One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Saint Valentine as a priest at the temple during the reign, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be jailed and put to death. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St. Valentine.
Some states that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity also attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured. Who was then killed and died on February 14, 269 A.D., this day had been devoted to love giving.
Some says that actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter who visited him during his confinement, whom he fell in love with. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed "From Your Valentine" an expression that is still in use today.
While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial.
Others claim that the Christian church may celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping and sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. The festival begin with members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. All the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn, city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February "Valentine's Day" should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year (the first was Christmas).Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages (written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400), and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. The first commercial Valentine's Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap".

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Thursday, July 23, 2009

Celebrating Valentine’s Day Apart

Celebrating Valentine’s Day Apart

Fun, Sweet and Personalised Cards at Moonpig.com

There are a number of reasons why a couple may find themselves spending Valentine’s Day apart. Couples who are in a long distance relationship, business trips, shifts which prevent couples from being together, sickness and family emergencies are just a few examples of reasons why a couple may find themselves spending Valentine’s Day apart. While you may certainly understand the reasons why you and your loved ones cannot be together on Valentine’s Day it does not make it any easy to deal with this situation. You may still feel sad and lonely if you find yourself in one of these situations. However, there is home for those who are spending Valentine’s Day apart from their loved ones, there are a few ways for making the day a lot more fun. This article will provide information on ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day apart in a number of different scenarios.

First we will consider the case of a couple who is in a long distance relationship. For this couple, they may be used to spending important days such as Valentine’s Day, anniversaries and other holidays apart so it may not be as difficult for them to deal with. However, there are ways this couple can still celebrate Valentine’s Day together. One way to do this is to both rent the same movie and watch it while on the phone together. This may run up your phone bill but if you have unlimited evening minutes you and your partner can chat away on your cell phones while you watch the movie together. You might even consider both ordering the same type of food such as pizza or Chinese food so you will feel even more together for a little while.

Next we will consider a couple who finds themselves spending Valentine’s Day apart do to an unexpected business trip. This can be particularly difficult because the couple is not used to being apart on important days and likely did not have a great deal of time to prepare for spending the holiday apart. In this situation the couple should discuss Valentine’s Day as soon as they realize they are going to be spending the holiday apart. While discussing it they can decide whether they want to celebrate before they separate or after they are reunited. It is also important for the couple to try to at least have some contact on Valentine’s Day even if it is over the phone or through email. This will allow the couple to feel like they are together in some way so they don’t get too lonely. Having flowers delivered to your loved one while you are separated is also a very thoughtful gesture.
Valentine Romance Gift Basket (large) - JustFlowers.com
5 x 7 Picture Frame 2 Sensual Votive candles Valentine Taffy Whips 6 oz Chocolate Malt Balls 8 oz Fudge Filled Shortbread cookies 8 oz Strawberries and Blackberries candies Chocolate covered almonds 12 oz Valentine Heart w/ assorted chocolates The Romance of Love Book 6" Taper Candles Red Decorative basket

Valentine Romance Gift Basket (large) - JustFlowers.com

Valentine's Day Gift box w/ 2 doz. Berries - JustFlowers.com
Our most popular gift. Our fancy foiled gift boxes, with plush black velvet linings, serve up tempting assortments of Sharis Berries gourmet dipped strawberries decorated with six of our original toppings.

Finally, we will consider the case of a couple who cannot spend Valentine’s Day together because one or both of them does work which involves odd shifts. This could include doctors, firefighters, police officers or a variety of other professions. Individuals in this type of situation are probably used to their odd schedule and making time to be together outside of working hours. In this case the best way to deal with being apart on Valentine’s Day is to send some gifts or flowers first then plan on celebrating together when it is more convenient. This may not seem like the most romantic option but sometimes it is important to remember that you love your partner every day of the year and you don’t have to be together on Valentine’s Day to prove your love for each other.

Mahogany Box Carved With A Heart + 2 Refills (45 pieces)
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Chocolate Box With I Love You Engraved In French (15 pieces)
Je t?aime!Give the priceless without spending a fortune. Declare your feelings in the language of love with Je t?aime a singular romantic offering. Astonish with this exotic and stunning assortment of hand-made French artisan chocolates - all nestled within a delicate heart themed box and topped with a brass plate engraved with the timeless message of love ? Je t?aime. We decided to seal this message in French because nothing conveys romance and seduction like a true ?I love you? in French

4 Love Boxes Filled With Heart-Shaped Chocolates (40 pieces)
When all the elements unite.Fire Water Air and Earth coalesce to create a magnificent harmony of 40 enchanting chocolates. Each facet of your love will be deliciously represented by this foursome of unbridled passionate expression composed of the world?s finest chocolate. This product has been competitively priced: get 4 elements for a little over the price of 2 elements!

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Beaded dog charms for the dog lovers

Beaded dog charms for the dog lovers
I think that Valentine's day should be for everyone you love and I literally mean everyone, even your beloved pets and this is specially for the dog lovers out there, here's a few free tutorial for making adorable beaded 3D dogs:
Free beaded chihuahua dog tutorial
Free beaded Poodle dog tutorial
Free beaded dog tutorial
Free beaded Schnauzer dog tutorial
Make these little beaded dog charms to hang on your mobile phone, key chains, bags or anywhere you can think of, especially if you can make one that looks like your pet dog, you can make two, one for you to carry around and one for the dog that goes on to the dog collar as a collar charm.

14k Diamond Dog Charms - Diamond Dog Charm in White Gold
14k Diamond Dog Charms - Diamond Dog Charm in White Gold Each diamond charm includes a lobster claw for easy attachment to a necklace or charm bracelet. 0.10cts total diamond weight 7/8 " long.

Dog Charms - 14K Yellow Gold Diamond and Orange Sapphire Daschund Dog Pendant
Dog Charms - 14K Yellow Gold Diamond and Orange Sapphire Daschund Dog Pendant 14K dog charm includes orange sapphires and 0.01 cts. of diamonds in the dogs eye. The charm is completed with a 14k gold lobster claw clasp for easy attachment to a charm bracelet or pendant necklace.

Diamond Dog Charms - 14k Diamond Dog Charm in Yellow Gold
Diamond Dog Charms - 14k Diamond Dog Charm in Yellow Gold Each diamond charm includes a lobster claw for easy attachment to a necklace or charm bracelet. 0.10cts total diamond weight 7/8 " long.

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Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Beaded cat kitten charms for the cat lovers

Beaded cat kitten charms for the cat lovers
I think that Valentine's day should be for everyone you love and I literally mean everyone, even your beloved pets and this is specially for the cat lovers out there, here's the free tutorial for a adorable beaded 3D cat kitten: Free beaded cat tutorial
Make this little beaded cat kitten charms to hang on your mobile phone, key chains, bags or anywhere you can think of, especially if you can make one that looks like your pet cat, you can make two, one for you to carry around and one for the cat that goes on to the cat collar as a collar charm.

Kitty Cat Ladies Bling Charm and Chain

Yellow Sapphire Gold Cat Charms - 14k Two Tone Cat charm with Diamonds, Yellow Sapphires and Green Garnets 0.05 cts.
Yellow Sapphire Gold Cat Charms - 14k Two Tone Cat charm with Diamonds, Yellow Sapphires and Green Garnets 0.05 cts. 14K two tone gold precious yellow sapphire are featured with green garnet stones as eyes. and 0.05cts diamond in set in the white gold collar. 14k white gold lobster clasp is included for easy attachment to most bracelets. Full cut diamonds are GH color, SI1 clarity. Approximately 5/8 inch long.

Cat Charms - 14K Gold Cat Gemstone Pink Sapphire Charm or Pendant
Cat Charms - 14K Gold Cat Gemstone Pink Sapphire Charm or Pendant 14k yellow gold Cat Charm features a familiar rear facing cat pose. A convenient 14k white lobster clasp easily attaches to any charm bracelet or necklace.

14k Diamond Charms - Diamond Cat Charm in Yellow Gold
14k Diamond Charms - Diamond Cat Charm in Yellow Gold Each diamond charm includes a lobster claw for easy attachment to a necklace or charm bracelet. 0.10cts total diamond weight 7/8 " long
Tag: beaded cat

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Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Valentine’s Day for Single Girls

Valentine’s Day for Single Girls

Metrodate.com - the Ultimate Singles Resource

For most people, being alone on Valentine’s Day is simply no fun. Women especially find being alone on Valentine’s Day to be depressing and lonely. However, just because you are not in a relationship does not mean you can’t have a good time on Valentine’s Day. With a little creativity, single girls can have a great Valentine’s Day that they will remember for years and years. In fact they may find they have a better time when they are single on Valentine’s Day than they do when they are in a relationship. This article will offer a few tips for how single girls can have a great time on Valentine’s Day.

Calling up your other single friends and going dancing is a great way for a single girl to celebrate Valentine’s Day in style. You and your friends can get dressed up and head out to a local nightclub together to spend the evening dancing. Many women will actually find they have a better time doing this than going dancing with their boyfriends because their friends are more likely to want to dance all night long. When they go out with a boyfriend the boyfriend may want to spend more time eating or drinking than he wants to spend on the dance floor. However, single girls who are out on the town often spend hours and hours dancing when they go out and barely take a break all evening.

Another fun idea for single girls on Valentine’s Day is to host a movie night at your place. You can invite over all of your single friends and rent a few romantic comedies. Instead of being sad and depressed you and your friends can watch the movies and make fun of all of the couples in the movie. It may not be the nicest or the most mature thing to do but it will help to prevent you and your friends from feeling depressed during the evening. Or if you prefer you can rent other types of movies such as horror movies or comedies. These will help to keep your mind of the fact that you are single on Valentine’s Day.

Single girls on Valentine’s Day can also have a great time by organizing a matchmaking game. You can call up all of your single friends and ask each of them to bring a single guy to your house for a get together. You can serve light appetizers and have music playing to keep the guests entertained. You can also purchase board games designed for use by couples and match up your single couples to play the game. Answering the questions will probably be pretty hard because the couples will not really know each other but it will be a fun way for some of your single friends and the friends of your friends to get to know each other.

Another way for single girls to celebrate Valentine’s Day is to simply go out to dinner. Restaurants can be extremely crowded on Valentine’s Day because going out to dinner is a very popular idea for couples. However, even single girls have to eat on Valentine’s Day. You and your single friends can plan ahead and make reservations for dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in town. You will likely be surrounded by couples celebrating Valentine’s Day but it does not mean you still can’t have a good time. Get all dressed up and maybe even organize an outing to a spa beforehand so you and all your friends can get manicures and pedicures before you head out for the evening. This will help to make your dinner together even more fun because you will have a great bonding experience beforehand. While you are out to dinner with your single friends, start out with some great appetizers, order a few great dishes to share and don’t forget to finish your meal with an awesome dessert. Leave the dinners of salad and water to your friends who are trying to impress their dates and feel free to indulge in some great food while you are out with your single friends.
Tag: single girls

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Friday, June 26, 2009

About Romantic Love Songs

About Romantic Love Songs
Almost everyone like or need to use some love songs in their lifetime! Especially for the very romantic holiday "Valentine's Day".
Although love songs are usually associated with either Valentine's day or Weddings, lots of people listen to them day in day out as those love songs always seems to reinforce your feelings when things are rough or when things are great!
This post is also a personal tribute I would like to pay to one of the greatest star in our world, Michael Jackson who I realised passed away yesterday!
Need some ideas for romantic love songs? Here's a list of ideas which you can pick a few that you like best.

Classic Love Songs suggestions:

Love Songs - Michael Jackson - Album Length Compact Disc - release date 1/15/2002 - Classic Motown
Michael Jackson:
1. Who's Lovin' You
2. A Fool For You
3. Everybody's Somebody's Fool
4. Got To Be There
5. We're Almost There
6. We'Ve Got A Good Thing Going
7. Maybe Tomorrow
8. Call On Me
9. You Are There
10. One Day In Your Life
11. If I Don't Love You This Way
12. Wings Of My Love
13. I'Ll Come Home To You
14. I'll Be There
Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection [BOX SET]

Aerosmith: I Don't Want to Miss a Thing
The Bangles: Eternal Flame
The Beatles: And I Love Her
Tony Bennett: The Way You Look Tonight
Bon Jovi: I'll Be There for You
Toni Braxton: Breathe Again
Belinda Carlyle: Circles in the Sand
Chicago: You're the Inspiration
Celine Dion: The Power of Love
Nat King Cole: When I Fall in Love
Gloria Estefan: Live for Loving You
Peter Gabriel: In Your Eyes
Faith Hill: Breathe
Foreigner: Waiting for a Girl Like You
Etta James: At Last
Elton John: Can You Feel the Love Tonight?
Elton John: Your Song
Michael Penn: No Myth
The Police: Every Breath You Take
Elvis Presley: I Can't Help Falling In Love With You
Elvis Presley: My Wish Came True
REO Speedwagon: Can't Fight This Feeling
Lionel Richie: Hello
Lionel Richie: Truly
Seal: Kiss From a Rose
Simon and Garfunkel: Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Percy Sledge: When a Man Loves a Woman
Rod Stewart: Have I Told You Lately?
U2: All I Want is You
Shania Twain: From This Moment On
Shania Twain: Forever and For Always
Luther Vandross: Always and Forever
Stevie Wonder: I Just Called to Say I Love You
Trisha Yearwood: How Do I Live

Careless Love - Madeleine Peyroux - release date September 14, 2004

Popular Love Songs suggestions:

Ultimate Love Songs: Vision of Love

Aaliyah: One in a Million
Ashanti: Only U
Natasha Beddingfield: These Words
Beyonce: Crazy in Love
Mariah Carey: We Belong Together
Vanessa Carlton: A Thousand Miles
Kelly Clarkson: A Moment Like This
Coldplay: Yellow
Nelly Furtado: Childhood Dreams
Hoobastank: The Reason
Lil' Romeo: My Cinderella
No Doubt: Underneath it All
Oasis: Wonderwall
Ja Rule: Put it On Me
Usher: U Got it Bad
Usher and Alisha Keys: My Boo

69 Love Songs [BOX SET] [LIMITED EDITION] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] - Vinyl (September 22, 2009)

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

Make a pair of cute beaded shoe charm, one for you and one for your Valentine!

Make a pair of cute beaded shoe charm, one for you and one for your Valentine!

Need I say more, shoes come in a pair, lovers comes in a pair! I love making things in a pair and keep one for myself and one for my Valentine! The best thing is if you made them yourself, there's no way there's duplicates anywhere else in the world!
That makes it extra special, doesn't it?
You can hang it as a keychain charm, mobile phone charm, bag charm or anywhere you would like to!

Make it with sparkling beads and Swarovski crystals with the favorite colors of your own choice!

Here's a free tutorial link that has written and pictorial to help you make one or many! Beaded Shoe Charm Tutorial

Or if you still prefers to give a ready pair of shoes or charms, here's a few suggestions:
Shoe Kicks Iced Out Pendant Free 30 Inch Hip Hop Chain

Shoe Kicks Iced Out Pendant Free 30 Inch Hip Hop Chain

Shoe Sneaker Kicks DANGLING Dogtag Dog Tag Pendant 30 Inch Ball Chain Bling

3D Sneaker Shoe Iced Out Hip Hop 36 Inch Chain Silver Tone3D Sneaker Shoe Iced Out Hip Hop 36 Inch Chain Silver Tone #2128s * Premium Pendant * Measures 2.25" Tall X .8" Wide X 1.25"

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Planning a Trip on Valentine’s Day

Planning a Trip on Valentine’s Day

Whisking your partner away on a surprise, two week long exotic vacation may seem like an extremely romantic idea for a Valentine’s Day gift but it does not always work out that way. In theory a surprise vacation is incredibly romantic but in reality it can often be filled with complications which put a damper on the trip. However, it is possible to plan a trip for Valentine’s Day and have it turn out to be an absolutely incredible gift which your partner will remember forever. This article will provide some information on how to plan a trip for Valentine’s Day without running into a number of snags.

A trip on Valentine’s Day can be a great gift idea for both you and your partner but it will be most effective if you pay careful attention to the timing of the trip. This is important because work and family obligations can make it extremely difficult for one person to plan even a short getaway without at least some input from their partner. This is especially important if you are planning a trip which is longer than a weekend. This longer trip will require you and your partner to take time off of work or to make arrangements for someone to take care of their place of residence. However, work is not the only potential complication. Family obligations can also have an impact on the planning. For example if your partner routinely picks up her niece from school and watches her for a couple of hours, she may want to find a replacement for this family obligation.

These types of scheduling conflicts can be avoided by simply making your partner aware of the plans and soliciting feedback on the proposed dates of the trip to make the planning easier. You don’t have to give away the whole surprise by telling your partner where you will be going but letting her know the dates of travel will help to avoid problems which could result if you do not consult her beforehand.

Another thing to consider when planning a trip for Valentine’s Day is whether or not you want to actually be traveling on Valentine’s Day. This becomes especially important if you are planning a trip to a faraway destination. If this is the case you might want to plan on either leaving after Valentine’s Day or before Valentine’s Day so you can spend the holiday relaxing together instead of traveling. Travel can be very stressful and tiring so if you want to avoid problems which may result from this, it is a good idea to plan your trip so you will not be traveling on Valentine’s Day.

Finally, when planning a trip for Valentine’s Day it is very important to make sure you select a location which both you and your partner will really appreciate. There may be a number of activities you enjoy as well as a number of activities your partner enjoys but these activities will not necessarily overlap. However, there are likely to be some activities which you have in common. It is important to make sure your vacation destination is one which will have plenty of activities for the two of you to enjoy together. For example you may be really looking forward to a golfing vacation but if your partner does not play golf it will result in the two of you spending a great deal of time apart during your vacation. By selecting a vacation where there are activities for the two of you to enjoy together you will be spending a great deal of quality time together on your Valentine’s Day vacation.

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