earth to victoria

Exercise Equipment:  No girl wants to be reminded of her weight, especially on Valentine's Day.  There's no better way to kill the mood then to remind her of the fact that she probably should be running instead of eating that fancy dessert. Stuffed Animals:  Yes they are cute at the time, but what do you do with them February 15th?  These are better left at the store. Cheap Bath Products:  Girls get enough of these on Christmas to last until next year.  Go to Victoria's Secret , Lush, or even Bath and Body Works if you want to get her any kind of lotions, body sprays, or body washes since that's your safest bet.  Leave the ones from The Dollar Store , Marshall's , and TJ Maxx behind. Gift Cards:  Gift cards say, 'I wasn't sure what to get you, because I didn't want to think too hard about it because I'm lazy so I'll be taking the easy way out'.  No girl wants to be an afterthought.   An Animal:  Never buy an animal wi...

Secret Valentine's Day Santa :  Get some friends together, set a price range, and let the fun begin!  Picking out gifts for other people is always fun, especially friends, and receiving gifts is nice too (I like seeing what people pick out for me!)  Pick a theme, for example only buy candy or red and pink items. Dessert Dinner Party:  Throw a party serving only desserts, since it is Valentine's Day.  Everyone can bring their favorite sweet item, and maybe a savory one too.   Attend a Cooking Class:  With a little research there are all kinds of cooking/baking classes going on.  From learning how to make a three course meal to being taught how to decorate a cupcake there are options out there for everyone.  And this isn't just a couples thing.  Cooking/baking with friends can be super fun too! Pottery Painting:  Get artsy by going to a local ceramics or painting class.  Maybe even host your own painting party with cut...

For my boss' birthday I decided to make cupcakes I could bring in for everyone at the jewelry store.  I made these high heel cupcakes using Milano cookies, pretzel sticks, and a whole lot of homemade cream cheese and chocolate frosting. For Cake: 2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 3/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces 1 cup boiling water 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted 2 large eggs 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup sour cream Preheat oven to 350 F.  Stir the sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Set aside. Put the cut up chocolate in a large mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over it.  Let stand for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the butter, then the eggs, whisking after each addition until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla and sour cream. Whisk in the flour and sugar mixture in 3 separate additions, whisking until smooth after eac...