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{angie}

Remember how I was talking about do it yourself Valentine's Day? Well if you're keeping Cupid at home, first thing you need to do is to set the scene. Sure, you can just cook a yummy meal and have a nice night in, but how often do you set a nice, romantic table for just the two of you? For me it's almost never. Start off by creating a mood for the evening with a beautiful table.
First I chose my color scheme. Red, white and black with accents of pink--it's Valentine's...that was easy. But I would recommend choosing a focus to make it come together.
Since our ceilings are fairly high I really wanted fill the area. Having decor hanging from above will always add some extra drama. I already had these lanterns (from the dollar store) from a bridal shower I hosted, so why not put them to extra use?
Because I had a lot of attention above (and it might be nice to be able to see each other) I wanted a lower centerpiece. I was able to find these cute glitter hearts on wires at a local craft store, filled a vase with white tulle and finished it off with a black bow to tie my color scheme together. Inexpensive and it took all of five minutes. I surrounded it with tea lights which not only add some romance, but also reflect really nicely on those sparkly hearts.
First I chose my color scheme. Red, white and black with accents of pink--it's Valentine's...that was easy. But I would recommend choosing a focus to make it come together.
Since our ceilings are fairly high I really wanted fill the area. Having decor hanging from above will always add some extra drama. I already had these lanterns (from the dollar store) from a bridal shower I hosted, so why not put them to extra use?
Because I had a lot of attention above (and it might be nice to be able to see each other) I wanted a lower centerpiece. I was able to find these cute glitter hearts on wires at a local craft store, filled a vase with white tulle and finished it off with a black bow to tie my color scheme together. Inexpensive and it took all of five minutes. I surrounded it with tea lights which not only add some romance, but also reflect really nicely on those sparkly hearts.

For the actual place settings I already had stuff to match my color scheme (on a side note, I've learned red is a great color to have for many occasions). I used my chateau stripe placemats and napkins, my regular black plates and silverware, the pretty wine glasses Ash gave us for our wedding and our Rebecca Moses dessert plates.

Finally, I put together a menu because, well, I'm a designer and that's my favorite part. It adds such a sophisticated element to dinner and really ties the whole thing together. With a cute little box on the side for a gift, dinner is all set to go.
So now, what should I fill the box with? What are your Valentine's Day gift ideas?
So now, what should I fill the box with? What are your Valentine's Day gift ideas?