22 Days of Valentine Series: Sheep Card

I knew today was going to be pretty hectic, so I opted to send a simple, no-fuss gift. Back at the beginning of the new year, Cardstore.com was running a promotional. I already knew that I was going to do a series of valentines, so I decided to take advantage of it and get a free card (sorry sweetie, your card is a discount card - but you never would have known otherwise! right?). 

"I love ewe!"

This highlights an important point in gifting: watching out for sales and discounts. Many card and photo sites run freebie promos throughout the year, so if you already have an idea of what you want to get someone you can stretch your gift fund just a little further. I don't normally do store-bought cards for people, but I found one that was cute and with free, you can't go wrong.

22 Days of Valentine Series: Doorstep Banana Bread

Day 1 of my Valentine marathon came and I was ready with a gift I knew his stomach would appreciate: banana bread. Earlier in the morning I took a short walk over to his apartment and placed it next to his door (out of the way where no one would accidentally step on it!). 

Now, in my mind, the difference between 'here, I made you some food' and 'here, I made this food as a present for you' is presentation. Thankfully, breads are quite easy to dress up. Wrapping the loaf with plastic wrap will help keep it moist and protected as well as keep it crumb-free. It also allows the bread type to be clearly displayed. The next step is to add a little bit of adornment. I happened to have some blue curling ribbon on hand so I chose to tie it around the loaf before adding a few curls on top. You could also wrap a small bit of brown paper and twine around your loaf or add a bow on top. 

I made a sweet little tag in part so that whoever opened the door and found it would know who it was for.

Last, I enclosed a letter I had written that morning explaining why he was getting food on his doorstep and the whole 22 day valentine idea. Words mean a lot to Billy, so I wanted to be sure and include some.

And that's it! Simple, easy, but appreciated.

Have a great Tuesday!

- Mei-Lyn

22 Days of Valentine Series

I love surprises. I love things that have been creatively thought out and things that have many different sides. Gifts, services, or words that span multiple moments are always cherished. I also happen love my fiancee. It was the combination of these factors that led me to try and find an act of love that would make my fiancee feel really appreciated. The thought of multiple gifts came to mind, and the idea of a valentine marathon was born. In some of the great romance novels we find suitors who are relentless in their pursuit of a love, wooing them with many gifts, visits, and the like. While my fiancee already shares a mutual love, it is a nice way of showing how much I care.

The result is a plan: 22 days of Valentines. Why 22? I'll answer that at the end. the important part is coming up with a solid list of 22 feasible tasks or tokens that will communicate something special. While these are all tailored to his particular likes, the basic ideas behind them can be used for anyone with a little tweaking. Some are grander than others; few cost any money, and all are within a tight budget. They can be borrowed for little touches of care here and there throughout the year. A group of them could be given at the same time for a bigger event. I think that with a little bit of creative thought about what you already have as well as a knowledge of what your beau likes, these can help breathe a little fresh air into your ideas for showing love.

The blog series will begin on January 24th, with one a day until February 14th (that's 22 days). I hope you'll join me in this adventure and in my first blog series.

Oh, and I suppose you're wondering about the 22. Well, this unrelated to Valentine's Day, but my beau happens to be turning 22 this January. I had already been planning some sort of valentine marathon when I realized that by tweaking the starting time just a little bit, it would be almost 22 days between his birthday and Valentine's Day, so I'm going to pretend that they do match up and he'll get a few extra gifts beforehand. I'm sure he won't mind.

Au revoir,
- Mei-Lyn

Welcome

Welcome to Simply Mei! I'm so glad that you stopped by. As this is the first post, I thought I'd write a few words of introduction.

What is Simply Mei? Simply Mei is my personal blog following exploits in crafting, frugality, and life in general. As this is my first blog, I'm sure that there will be hiccups and bumps along the way. I'm sure that years down the line I will look back at my early years and realize that I had no idea how to write a proper blog entry. I may take a few twists and turns as I continue figuring out my passions and talents and the blog may change as I seek to better define its focus and purpose. It is my journey through this stage in life. It is simply me - Simply Mei.

I hope some of you will chose to walk the journey with me and I hope that I can help you in your explorations.

- Mei-Lyn