Happy Valentine's Day to All Our Lovey Friends and Family!

I went to write a Valentine's Day post tonight and I realized, in someways for the first time, that is was Valentine's Day that (sort of) brought me and Josh together. My friend Jennifer had given me a book for my 35th birthday on 101 Ways To Flirt, which, by the way, I found ever so slightly insulting, because if there was anything I knew how to do it was HOW TO FLIRT. Nevertheless, I read the book, and in it there was a suggestion to throw a singles only Valentine's Day party. I started planning the party in early January of 2002, and on January 18th I went to a party (also with Jennifer!) armed with a stack of party invitations.

The theme of my Valentine's Day party was "Black Friday." The date was February 15th, and my idea was a kind of "pity party" for all of us grieving, miserable singles. The invitation instructed attendees to wear all black, and I promised black food and black drinks. On one side of the invitation I had altered a bunch of Valentine's Day sweet hearts to say things like LUV SUX and GO AWAY and YOU WISH.

I met Josh at the party on January 18th, and even though we had a very cool conversation, I freaked out when Josh joked that he was "in process." I had told my therapist that very morning that I was done with guys who were, to quote myself exactly, "in process." So I got spooked, and ran away from the cool conversation. Later that night I tracked Josh down again and gave him a copy of the invitation. He seemed pleased.

A few days later I decided that in a man-poor town like Pittsburgh, Josh could easily be dating someone by Valentine's Day, and so I emailed him and asked him out for a date. He agreed, and the rest is, um history, right?

Anyway, by the time of the infamous singles only party Josh and I were pretty seriously not-single! The party had worked its magic and it hadn't even started yet!

In honor of this bizarre holiday, which I have definitely felt conflicted about over the years, I post this year's offering----cinnamon rolls made with red-dyed sugar, and shaped into hearts. I made them this morning for an impromptu brunch at Dan and Erica's house. Oh, and the secret to photographing food? Never use a flash! The secret to a happy marriage? Let your spouse sleep in if he/she must, go on lots of dates, and let your spouse watch whatever he/she wants on TV if he/she is willing to rub your back. Ha ha. Seriously, I don't have any secrets. But I think the rolls turned out pretty nicely.



Heart rolls rising....


Heart rolls baked!