EventTrender

Valentine's Sweetness and Luminary Mason Jar Winner!

Happy Valentine's Day E-Trenders!

We wanted to share a last minute sweet treat idea and also asked E-Trender Contributor, Judy Rizzo to research the meaning of Valentine's Day! 

By the way E-Trenders...keep reading this post to find out if you won the ET Valentine's giveaway!  We had such great Mason Jar Luminary feedback on our blog and happy to hear how much everyone enjoyed the idea!  We can't wait to see your mason jar projects.  Please post your pictures on our facebook page.

Valentine's Day...

Taking a giant leap back in time, it is documented that the actual and precise truth about St. Valentine's Day is unclear...

Probably the most popular legend is that Saint Valentine was a kind hearted Roman priest who married young couples  against the wishes of Emperor Claudius the second, and that he was beheaded for his deeds on the 14th of February on or about the year 270.

Jumping ahead to the present and as long as any of us can remember, Valentine's Day is a time of special romantic sentiment and gift giving It seems to be universally agreed on how to celebrate this special day.

There are some interesting variations in other parts of the world.  For instance, in Japan there are two Valentine’s Days.  On February 14th, girls give dark chocolate to the boys they like and on March 14th boys give cookies or white chocolate to the girls they feel they care about.

In other countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and India, not everyone is allowed to enjoy this day. Students from college are totally free to celebrate but in high school, students are not normally allowed to recognize the day with celebration.

Well, here in America we can do whatever we choose, so get up on February 14th, put a smile on your face, fill your heart with love, enjoy the day with your most favorite person and why not create a sweet treat...

Check out this idea E-Trenders.

Place two small candy canes together creating a heart shape and place a vintage inspired paper straw at the bottom of the heart (as pictured).  Place all hearts on a cookie tray covered with parchment or wax paper.

Melt your favorite chocolate and spoon the chocolate inside the heart. 

Add sprinkles before the chocolate dries.

ET TIP:  Use a variety of colorful straws - don't you love the boyish blue straws?  Also cut the bottom of the straws so they are not so long.

Place the heart pops in cellophane bags and tie each heart with a whimsical ribbon!  You can also display a few heart pops in a small vase to give as a gift.

And now the moment you have been waiting for E-Trenders...

The winner of the mason jar luminary is...

comment number NINE!

Check to see if you are the lucky winner here.

Congrats and Happy Valentine's Day to all,

XOXO

Angela & Sue

  May your life always be filled of love!

 

Are you an E-Trender?

Subscribe to the EventTrender Blog here. 

Simply add your email address to the upper right corner of our blog and you will be the first to receive our updated blog posts filled with entertaining inspiration, inventive ideas and fabulous giveaways!

 

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Valentine's Mason Jar Luminaries and ET Giveaway!

Super Bowl has officially ended, but right around the corner is a red hot and exciting celebration called Valentine’s Day.  It's all about every kind of love and gift giving for your favorite Valentine!

Traditional gifts, as we know, are flowers, chocolates, stuffed animals, and for those of us who prefer to be a bit more creative, there's tons of inventive craft ideas to make for your valentine!

We can't wait to share the "how to" for this ET mason jar luminary creation incorporating a rustic-romantic feel.  The vintage look of a mason jar and lovely texture of lace offers a resurfaced modern look while keeping with the old charm. 

ET Valentine's Day Giveaway!
Good news E-Trenders - if you don't have time to make one for your sweetheart - we are giving one mason jar luminary away!  It's simple, post a comment (below) on this ET blog post and tell us the name of your favorite Valentine. 

A random winner will be announced within one week!  Good luck!

 

The luminary light represents LOVE - past, present and future...

Fond Memories of Past Love

 Excitement of Present Love

 Comfort of Future Love

 

Here is the official "how to"...

Select a yard of lace at your favorite fabric store. 

Cut a piece of lace fabric that is large enough to fit around the entire mason jar leaving extra fabric to cover the bottom of the jar (8x12).

After the fabric is cut paint the entire outside of the mason jar (including the bottom) with Mod Podge (one of our favorite ET crafting supplies).

 

 Tightly wrap the lace around the mason jar and add one additional coat of Mod Podge on top of the lace.

Place the jar upside down and paint the lace covered bottom of the jar.  Make sure the Mod Podge is evenly spread and not too thick.

Let dry for a full 24 hours.

ET TIP:  If the fabric has any bumps or lumps on the jar, press down on the fabric before it's completely dry to smooth over any areas where the fabric is not 100% smooth.  You will find the lace will be pliable when partially dry and easy to flatten any rough areas.

Now for the embellishments!  Twine, vintage buttons, beads and rustic swag compliments the romantic lace charm!

ET TIP:  You can find vintage buttons at the flea market or salvage store.  Etsy is another great place to find vintage buttons if you like shopping online instead.

 

Wrap the twine around the top of the mason jar and coat the twine with a thin layer of Mod Podge. 

 

Next - string the buttons on a thinner piece of twine and wrap around the top of the lid over the thicker twine.  Position the buttons in groups of two or three.

Glue other embellishments on the mason jar - we recommend Martha Stewart Craft Glue.

Love this flower swag!

Once the jar is completely dry fill the mason jar with sand or small pebbles and a votive candle to create a lace luminary!

LOVE IT! 

E-Trenders - don't forget to enter our luminary contest!  All you have to do is add a comment to the below blog post and tell us the name of your favorite sweetie.

Good luck and Happy Valentine's Day E-Trenders!

 PS:  A shout out to E-Trender Kerri Clawson who was part of the inspiration behind the mason jar - Kerri had several large boxes she needed to unload and gave us a great deal on the jars!  Look out Kerri we are working on a few other mason jar transformations!

 

 

Are you an E-Trender?

Subscribe to the EventTrender Blog here. 

Simply add your email address to the upper right corner of our blog and you will be the first to receive our updated blog posts filled with entertaining inspiration, inventive ideas and fabulous giveaways!

 

Find us on facebook! 

Chocolate Stuffed Raspberries

Hello E-Trenders!

We are getting ready for Valentine's Day and have lots of entertaining ideas to help you celebrate in style!  We also plan to feature an ET Valentine's giveaway later this week!  You are going to "LOVE" it!

Check out this sweet treat.  It's super easy to create and sure to please your Valentine!

Wash and rinse a container of fresh raspberries and drain them upside down on a paper towel or cutting board.

Open up a bag of your favorite chocolate chip morsels!  E-Trender Angela uses Nestle Milk Chocolate Morsels but white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chip morsels would also be decadent!

ET Tip:  The Andes brand also makes Creme de Menthe baking chips which would be perfect for a Mint Chocolate Stuffed Raspberry.

Insert one chocolate morsel into each raspberry and display in a shot glass or small crystal bowl.

Enjoy with your sweetie with a glass of sparkling champagne.

E-Trenders - stay tuned for many more "how to" Valentine's Day ideas.  Here is a sneak peek of some projects we plan to share with you...

Whimsical Heart Chocolate Pops...

OREO Cookie Candy...

Yes E-Trenders there is an OREO cookie inside this chocolate heart!

Rustic & Romantic Lace Mason Jar Luminaries...

  Be sure to stay in the EventTrender loop for all of the latest Valentine's Day news - see below for details.

 

Are you an E-Trender?

Subscribe to the EventTrender Blog here. 

Simply add your email address to the upper right corner of our blog and you will be the first to receive our updated blog posts filled with entertaining inspiration, inventive ideas and fabulous giveaways!

 

Find us on facebook!