Valentine Vintage Place-setting Tablescape

January 30, 2024January 24, 20246 Comments

Good morning! I was able to set up my table for Valentines this weekend. After Lauren set up her Valentine table last week, I decided to put one together too. I received the pretty glass pink plates from my mom a couple of weeks ago and knew right away they would work for Valentines. The plates came from my great aunt. I always love using pieces that have been passed down from my family. The white and blue teacups and saucers were my wedding dishes. I love being able to pull them out once in awhile and use them.

One of the reasons I enjoy Valentines Day is from an experience in high school. I went to a private high school with small classes, about 75-80 kids in each grade. There are a lot of special things you can do when the school is so small. What I remember most is Heart Sisters.

Heart Sisters was a special time for just the girls and it included all the female students and teachers. Each of us would pick the name of another person and secretly give them gifts each day leading up to Valentines Day.

My freshman year is the only year that really stands out to me. I got a seniors name, which was really intimidating to a shy freshman like me. I remember my mom and I shopping for little things to give her each day.

On Valentine’s Day, we all met in the gym at lunch time. We sat in a big circle. The person you had sat on one side of you and the person who had you sat on the other.

This was the 80’s, mind you. I can still remember what I was wearing, partly because the teacher who had my name commented that the sweater I was wearing was pretty. It was royal blue with white angora clouds on it.

It was such an awkward lunch! What do you say to a senior girl and a teacher when you are only a freshman? I’m sure I didn’t say too much!

Even though it was so awkward for me, I still enjoyed the idea of giving secret gifts to someone during Valentine week. It was fun to see what you would get and all the different ways you would receive your gift.

When my girls were small, we even did it as a family. It was a little difficult with only 4 of us, but it was still fun.

For the past few years, we have even done it at the preschool where I work. We have 9 of us ‘girls’ working and it’s fun to have a little something special for us to do for each other. Some days are hectic and stressful, so it’s great to have a little something to encourage us each day.

I hope you enjoyed my Valentine table today and thanks for coming by!

Five Easy Valentine Ideas to DIY

January 18, 2024January 11, 20242 Comments

Good morning! This is a post from a few years ago, but I still think these are all cute projects to make for your special Valentine!

I’ve enjoyed seeing some of the Valentine ideas I have been seeing, so I thought I would share a few of my own. I am even adding a new DIY for you!

Valentine Gum and Candy Basket

Get your Valentine’s favorite gum and candy and put it all together in this cute little basket! Add some pretty ribbon as an accent.

2. Valentine Pixie Stix and Flower Vase

Here is another candy idea, but with flowers! It’s a great way to up-cycle a tin can too! This would make a great teacher gift!

valentine mantel pixie stix flower vase 2016

3. Faux Flower Heart for Valentine’s

Here is another project with flowers, this time shaping them into a heart! Of course, you could use any color you want!

4. I Love You Wooden Blocks

This is a little simple project to decorate your home for Valentine’s Day! You could use blocks and letters to spell out whatever you want.

5. Stamped Heart Treat Bag

Here is another sweet idea to make for your Valentine! You could fill the little bag with stickers, jewelry or candy!

I started with a plain muslin bag, pink paint, heart shaped cookie cutter and foam dauber. I wanted to use a rubber stamp, but I couldn’t locate one in my stash, so a cookie cutter was my next choice. It worked great! Just make sure to wash it well before you make your Valentine cookies! 🙂 I added a little bit of paint to the foam dauber and added it inside the heart. Be sure to put a piece of paper or cardboard inside the bag so the paint doesn’t go through.

Once the paint was dry, I got out my letter stamps and some black ink. I picked out the letters I wanted to use. I started with the word ‘love.’

I pressed the stamp into the ink pad and then pressed it onto the bag and the heart. I didn’t worry about keeping the letters straight or even. Obviously!

Don’t they look cute! They are perfect for adding just a little something for your special valentine!

Aren’t these fortune cookies the cutest!! I found them at the Dollar Tree and they come with a special fortune inside. I can’t wait to see what the fortunes will be!

pink painted valentine bags fortune cookie

pink painted valentine bags i love you be mine

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentines Day! If you create one of these projects, I would love to know! Have a great week!

Let Me Introduce You To My Town-China Alley-Part 13

January 16, 2024January 11, 2024Leave a comment

Last year, I found that Walmart was selling the game Hanfordopoly. It’s like Monopoly, but for my town. Well, I had to buy it! Then Lauren and I went around town and took pictures of each of the places on the game board. It was so much fun! I can’t wait to introduce you to our sweet little town and some of its history.

Part 1-Freddy the Firetruck and Carousel

Part 2– Hanford Mall

Part 3– Fox Theatre

Part 4– Civic Auditorium and Civic Park

Part 5 – Downtown

Part 6 – The Plunge

Part 7 – Kings Art Center

Part 8 – Hanford Library

Part 9 – Renaissance Faire

Part 10 – Centennial Park

Part 11 – La Fiesta Restaurant

Part 12 – Hidden Valley Park

Today’s post is featuring our little city’s China Alley. There is so much history here!

“China Alley in Hanford, California is a short street featuring eleven historic buildings near Seventh and Green Streets in downtown Hanford. The alley entrance is on Green Street just north of Seventh Street.

China Alley traces its roots to 1877, when the Central Pacific railroad was extended westward into the area and the new town of Hanford was formed. Numerous Chinese came to the area, many initially to help build the railroads, but others came for farming and agricultural purposes.

The alley grew rapidly and the Chinatown prospered to include restaurants, homes, boarding houses, grocery stores, laundries, herb shops with reputable herbal doctors, sundries stores, gambling establishments, a Chinese school and a Taoist Temple. It soon became known as a “city within a city” with buildings lining both sides of the alley made from bricks formed and fired on site.

Visiting Hanford’s China Alley Historic District is a fascinating adventure that allows us to step back into history. As visitors enter China Alley today, they are met with a sense of historic ambiance that is reminiscent of a strong cultural heritage. Many of the buildings lining the alley are visually unaltered and remain largely as they did over 100 years ago.” (ChinaAlley.com)

Many years ago, when the girls were young, we toured the Temple here on China Alley. Unfortunately, in 2021 the temple had a fire.

“On the night of May 12, 2021, the Taoist Temple Museum in the China Alley Historic District of Hanford, CA was heavily damaged by fire. While the building is stable, the fire caused severe heat and smoke damage to the temple room and its artifacts on the second floor, which will require significant clean up and conservation.” ChinaAlley.com

Imperial Dynasty has the fancy restaurant we would go to when you had a special night out. Oh, the food was so amazing!

“In 1958, the Imperial Dynasty opened its doors and gained reputation and honors, as Uncle Ernie’s wine collection and Uncle Richard’s cuisine acquired award-winning accolades.

After millions of meals had been served and just as many memories had been created, in November 2005 my family announced the Imperial Dynasty, which had anchored Hanford’s fading China Alley, would soon close its doors. On Feb. 18, 2006, the lights in the Imperial Dynasty went dark, thus ending the 123-year run during which my family had a restaurant business in China Alley.” Hanford Sentinel

This restaurant isn’t actually in the alley, but very nearby. This is our favorite Chinese place to go to, Hong Kong Chop Suey.

The Chinese Theater is a local community theater and my kids did several plays here in their Jr. High and High School years. They learned a lot and met a lot of good friends. The first year, one of the performances was on the night of Lauren’s winter formal, so we had several of the kids come over and we had our own formal at home. The kids had a lot of fun!

“The old Chinese school at 514 Visalia St. in Hanford was built in 1922 for $3,500, according to information supplied in Michael Semas “Kings County Postcard History Series.” Children from the town’s Chinese district were sent to the school to learn Chinese history, language and culture. Known as the Chinese Center for Knowledge, it closed in the late 1940s.

The Kings Players, established in 1963 by Audrey Leibold and other community members, turned the school into the Temple Theatre the following year. It offers four plays per year during its regular season and has a supportive foundation called Friends of the Players.” The Hanford Sentinel

I know there is a committee that is working to preserve China Alley, but I don’t see that much has been done. I’m sure it will be a long process. It would be wonderful to see it as a thriving place once again.