It was way dark when the alarm went off and I grumbled when with one eye I saw that the time was thirty minutes earlier than usual. What was I doing last night to set the alarm so early? Then from the back of my sleepy brain a thought pushed forward … slowly … very slowly … oh yeah … today could be the day. I fumbled for the TV remote, held it close to my face so I could dial up the correct buttons and anxiously waited for the screen to come alive. Oh how I hope it will be today.
Then, there it was, running across the bottom of the monitor; a declaration of freedom; a permission slip for indulgence; a mandate to go back to sleep for four or five more hours. Mansfield ISD Closed. Oh how giddy those three words make me feel. But the best part is really yet to come … the best part is being able to share this happiness with the child who is still dreamily slumbering in his room. Because you know, most of the time as mothers, we only get to report the bad stuff … clean your room, do your homework, stop picking your nose … so it feels sooo wonderful to finally be able to report the good stuff.
Now because I have had a hand in raising this groggy and a bit grumpy child, he does not believe me when I tell him school is closed and insists on seeing the TV ticker line for himself. And as we paddle off in search of confirmation and affirmation, one for him, the other for me, I relish in the extraordinary possibilities of the day.
I love snow days. These are the days which you are expected, almost commanded, to stay home and go nowhere. These are the days you get to play outside for an hour or two and then warm up with a long soak in the tub. These are the days you get to spend the afternoon curled up on the couch watching movies or old TV shows. These are the days you play board games by firelight and eat “really bad for you” snacks.
And the best part of these days, even better than waking up the child with good news, is that everything is guilt free! I mean, after all, “they” told you to stay home; you have no choice but to do your civic duty and stay off the roads. And I’m all about being a model citizen. And I’m even more all about less guilt and more snacks! Who isn’t?
The only disappointing thing about snow days is that in the state I live in (and I’m not referring to my mental state) there aren’t enough. In fact, we are lucky to get ONE every few years. Well, actually, every SEVEN years. The last time we had enough snow to make a decent sized snowman or throw a snowball with a decent sting to its wallop was Valentine’s Day 2003.
But yesterday the seven year dry spell ended. And boy did it end BIG! Yesterday’s almost twenty-four hours of continuous snowfall brought the area almost 9 inches of white stuff. It was truly a winter wonderland that no one will forget! Well, at least until we hit day 56 of 100+ degrees in mid-August.
And even though yesterday was technically not Valentine’s Day, more like the Eve of the Eve of the Eve of Valentine’s Day, I think if it happens in nature twice, it might as well be an expected event from now on. So I say from this year forward, if the calendar says Valentine’s Day, it must be snowing in North Texas! It’s a perfectly logical assumption don’t you think? Not that I am in the least bit perfect or logical, but I can make a darn good assumption! Just ask my husband : ).
So in honor of our local record breaking snow and of Valentine’s Day, I give to you dear reader a gift. It is the gift of brevity; for my entry today is brief. It comes in well under my usual 1000+ word count. And maybe that pithiness comes from the fact that snow was not the topic I had originally planned on sharing this week. I had a whole thing on love and the things I love. Sappy, I know.
But the historic nature of, well, Mother Nature trumps love lists and so I’ll save the love for another time. Maybe I’ll go scrapbook the love lists. Or watch the snow melt from the front window. Maybe I’ll catch a few episodes of Hazel on the TV. Or better yet, climb back in bed to nap with my cat and wait for the magic to happen all over again next year … or the next … or maybe the next …
And while you’re waiting with me, here are some Valentine table décor ideas for you try. You still have time to use them this year … trust me, they can all be done within an hour … and even while the power is flickering.
Start with a simple table runner made from paper doilies. I picked these up at the dollar store and got a lot of bang for my buck! Just lightly hot glue the hearts together, point end to double-bump end. Easy with a capital Ease.
Accordion fold and trim a strip of pattern paper into a length of connected hearts and use as a napkin wrap. Embellishing the wrap with a chipboard heart and a ribbon tie makes it even cuter but without consuming much more crafting time.
Grab some clear contact paper from your craft supply stash and apply it to silhouette paper for a quick two-step placemat. Cut two pieces of contact paper about an inch larger than the silhouette paper and apply to both sides. Trim edges and viola, you have pretty and practical spill protection.
This centerpiece is simply made up of die cut shapes hot glued to bamboo skewers and then arranged in metal pots of raw beans. I added some paper shred to the tops of the pots to cover the beans because the pintos I choose to use didn’t work with my color scheme. The paper shred? Just a few sheets of plain white copy paper run through my shredder and crumpled for effect. Necessity is the mother of invention you know : ).
With some very stale pretzel sticks and some even older candy perils, I made these favor bags for my guests (aka my family) to take with them (aka back to the couch) for later munching. Inserting a jump ring to the top of a die cut strip makes attaching it to a ribbon tie easier.
And last but not least, a placecard for added fun (but it wouldn’t be fun if you were doing these in large numbers … save this project for small guest lists or adapt to be food labels for a buffet). Cover an empty thread spool with paper and insert a flower made from the lacey edges of a doily. Add a chipboard heart with the person’s name written on it and embellish with ribbon and another heart. There you go, another easy way to “thread” your theme throughout your table. Wahahaha.
Happy Valentine's Snow Day!
~ Elizabeth (ekb)