Valentine's Day Favorites From Shabby Apple!

This post contains affiliate links, regardless all opinions expressed below are my own.

I recently shared how much I love my Nutcracker Dress from Shabby Apple, so it probably comes as no surprise that I want to share more of my favorite pieces in their collection. With an amazing 30 to 75 percent off of everything sale happening RIGHT NOW, you are bound to find something stunning to add to your wardrobe!

Plus, with Valentine's Day coming up on us quickly, I wanted to share a little shopping guide (and/or wishlist) of the perfect flirty frocks to rock! So go ahead and grab your credit card, you're about to meet your soul mate in dress form!

We'll start with this beauty, the "With this Ring Rose Dress" features an antique pink under a layer of cream lace. This dress just exudes class and femininity and would be perfect to wear on a Valentine's Date... and don't be surprised if your date wants to say I do when he sees you in this gorgeousness.

If you want to have a fun Valentine's Day, you have to dress the part! With a rainbow of colors and a playful diamond print, this Tutti-Frutti pencil skirt is bound to have you playing the leading role in a rom-com type romance by the end of the day!

The "Kissed with Gold Dress" is another funky little piece on my wishlist! This eye-catching dress features a gorgeous shade of hot pink and a stunning gold print over the top, totally fun and quirky. If you want to make people stop in their tracks, this frock is the one to rock!

The next item on my list is the Morgan Skirt. With a fun, flirty floral print and a chic tulle overlay, this feminine piece makes for a romantic outfit for a day date with your honey!

The Ornament dress is an eye-catching mixture of festive and adorable, making for fun all year long. With a gorgeous floral print and a fitted cut, you'll wow everyone in this number.

The last item on my Valentine's Day wish list is this gorgeous bright "Magenta Moment" dress. It's a long gown and one of the most stunning dresses I've seen in a long time. If you're planning on having a ball, literally or figuratively, this gorgeous dress is the perfect one!

So tell me, which dress on the list is your favorite? Did you spot a dress on the Shabby Apple site you just have to add to your closet? I'd love to hear all about it in the comments below!

Photo Credit: Shabby Apple

Heart-Shaped Strawberry Rice Krispies: The Most Delicious + Simple Valentine's Day Treat!

This post contains affiliate links, regardless all opinions expressed below are my own.

I know what you're thinking, it's still January... Talking about Valentine's Day may seem a bit premature, but if you think about it - there's only FIVE weeks to figure out what you're getting your honey! So instead of procrastinating and buying something lame last minute, start planning how you're going to treat your sweetie now! 

Are you the type to send your darling flowers at work or do you want to bake something special for your other half? Do you want to surprise your hubby with a laser tag war when he gets home from work or are you the type of guy that wants to sweep your wife off of her feet for a Valentine's weekend getaway? No worries - I'll be sharing all kinds of Valentine's Day fun over the next few weeks, but today I want to share a super delicious (and simple) recipe to make for everyone you want to share a little love with! From your kiddos to your coworkers, they'll all love this special treat and I bet your valentine will love these Strawberry Rice Krispies the most!

These tasty Valentine's Day Rice Krispy Treats are the perfect way to show you care, with a delightful strawberry flavor and the perfect amount of marshmallow gooey-ness! I'll be honest, you may actually have a little trouble saving any of this tastiness to share with those you love.

Valentine's Strawberry Rice Krispies Treats

 

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons of butter
1 - 16oz bag of mini marshmallows
1/2 tablespoon of strawberry JELL-O powder

9 cups Rice Krispies cereal

 8 oz bag Jet Puffed HeartMallows strawberry flavor 

To begin this recipe, you need to spray a sheet cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Add gelatin powder and mix well.

Remove from heat and mix in cereal until fully mixed. Add strawberry marshmallows and mix lightly so they don't melt.  Spread the cereal treats in an even layer in the sheet cake pan. 

Spray your hands with non-stick spray to gently press the cereal treats into a flat, even layer.  Cool for one hour. Use various heart shaped cookie cutters to cut hearts out of the cereal treats.

Now that I've shared my super tasty recipe for Strawberry Rice Krispies Treats, I'd love to hear all about how you plan on celebrating Valentine's Day this year! Tell me all about your plans for the day of love in the comments below!

Surprise Your Sweetie With This Super Simple & Adorable Reminder of Love for Valentine's Day - Valentine, You're My Main Squeeze Free Printable

I can't believe Valentine's Day is here. While today is Friday the 13th, another awesome day to celebrate in it's own right, I had to share one last Valentine's Day treat for your loved ones before it's officially The Day of Love! This super fun reminder you care is the perfect way to make your "main squeeze" smile!

I made this "Valentine, You're My Main Squeeze" printable for you to download here; all you have to do is cut and tape and these adorable Valentines are ready to hand out to all of those you want to treat! If you plan to host a Valentine's Day party or want to surprise your man with a six-pack, these would be adorable around adult beverage bottles as well!

I also made cute little bow ties to mix up how my bottles looked, easily crafted with some red card stock! I love making cute little treats like this and although hubs may think it's a little cheesy, I'm certain he enjoys being treated to reminders of my love - because we all love love, right?

Even if you are certain your Valentine feels loved, a little reminder like this on Saturday morning with some donuts could really make your sweetie feel special! I'd love to know, What kind of sweet little Valentine's treats do you have planned for your sweetie?

DIY {Last Minute} Valentine's Day Treat Bags with 2 FREE Printables

As you've probably already read on all the other Valentine's post I've shared recently, I can't get enough of celebrating the day of love so today I want to share a super simple DIY Valentine idea!

Whether you are looking for Valentine's for your little one's to share with their classmates that aren't just the regular ol' store bought variety or you want to surprise your coworkers with something a little cutesy - these FREE printables are the perfect little reminder that you care!

I made two printables, one that I paired with twizzler bites that says "I love you to bits & pieces" and another that says "Happy Valentine's Day, Love Bug!" that I attached to a whole baggie full of gummy worms! You can download the printables here.

These are super easy to make. Just cut the printables, place candy in bags and staple the printable to the baggies! If you are looking for a last minute classroom Valentine idea, this is an amazing option! Especially because you can find both candies at the $1 store!

Everyone deserves to receive a Valentine, maybe even hand these out to strangers to make their day brighter! I'd love to hear who you plan to surprise with one of these cute little reminders of love?

Banana Split Valentine's Day Pudding Cups

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. With that said, this tasty Banana Split Snack Pack Pudding Recipe and opinions expressed below are all mine. #SnackPackMixins #CollectiveBias

Valentine's Day is all about sharing the love, right? I'm all for getting creative and we all know "it's the thought that counts". So when I was brainstorming up a few ways to spoil my love bug, I started to think about a few of the things we enjoyed together... Then it came to me, I combined a few of everyone's favorite treats together to make the ultimate dessert for Valentine's Day - Banana Splits made with Snack Pack Pudding!

This little Banana Split Station, with all the fixings, was super easy to put together! I just took a trip to Walmart and grabbed everything I needed, including Snack Pack Pudding Cups in Chocolate and Vanilla, bananas, cookies (because cookies are good on everything), Reddi-Wip, nuts, and of course, cherries to make these banana splits "official"!

I decided to make this sweet treat even sweeter, I designed a set of cute, banana-loving monkey printables and decorated my cups! You can download both FREE printables here! Make your own Snack Pack Valentine's to surprise your little one, their classmates, or even your main squeeze!

Banana Split Valentine's Day Pudding Cups 
 

Chocolate and Vanilla Snack Pack Pudding Cups
Reddi Whip
Cookies
Bananas
Cherries
Nuts

These little babies are super easy to make. I almost feel silly spelling this out, but directions never hurt anyone, so here we have it:

1. Open Snack Pack Pudding, they have new packaging so this is even easier than it used to be!

2. Crumble a cookie into pudding.

3. Layer bananas (cut up into little pieces) on top of cookie crumbles.

4. Add just the right amount of Reddi-Wip and nuts (or sprinkles? YUM!).

5.  Put a cherry on top (to make it official)!

Enjoy!

What sweet little things do you have planned for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day? I'd love to hear how you plan to spoil the one's you love! Don't forget to treat them to something sweet with a Banana Split Pudding Cup they'll just go bananas over!

Sometimes I play with my food, especially when it's this tasty! Check out my instagram stopmotion video I made:

A video posted by Lauren Paints (@sunkissed_sweetheart) on Feb 9, 2015 at 1:28pm PST

DIY Valentine's Day Craft: You're Foxy, Valentine!

Valentine's Day is probably the best holiday in the world, in my mind. Celebrating love and anything pink is filed under favorites... So when an entire holiday revolves around shades of pink, celebrating love in all forms, and simply romancing each other - what is there not to like? It's fun to be flirty and getting crafty to take being flirty to the next level, is really what makes me smile when I think about this holiday.

Today I want to share a simple fox valentine that you can make with cardstock, scrapbooking paper, or even paint samples!

Begin by drawing a heart onto a deep pink or red piece of paper, then add triangles to make the ears and two tiny circles for the eyes.

Next you'll need to cut a heart smaller than the one you draw (which will become the nose area) and cut tiny white triangles to fit inside.

Cut a tiny black triangle out to make the nose and cut a banner out of a lighter shade. To make a banner - simply cut a rectangle, then two triangles on each side.

Color in eyes above the white "fur" and add a tiny white mark inside of eyes to give them a "glimmer".

Lastly, write a message to your Foxy Valentine!

Now you can use this cute little valentine as a gift tag or even just hand it over to your sweetie! Valentine's Day really is a fun reason to be romantic, isn't it?

Romantic Places to Eat in the Tampa Bay Area

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, it's time to start getting creative and planning an evening for your sweetie that they'll cherish forever. Today I'm sharing a list of some of my favorite romantic places to eat in the Tampa Bay area, just in case there are any love birds looking for somewhere to celebrate their day together in my neck of the woods.

I have several favorite places, so I can't really say these are in any specific order. I do suggest calling most, if not all of these establishments, regarding reservations as well.


1. Salt Rock Grill - This amazing place is high-end yet laid back. With a tiki dock on the bay and a menu full of delicious dishes, it's sure to wow your sweetie. The two-top tables make for an intimate setting and the views during sunset are indescribable.

{via SaltRockGrill.com}

2. Bobby's Bistro - Low light in a romantic, yet comfortable atmosphere. This little gem in Clearwater is the perfect place to spoil your sweetheart.

{via SweetPollysFood.com}

3.  Ciro's Speakeasy and Supper Club - This unique restaurant is an amazing experience, offering a truly authentic 1920's vibe and an evening you'll never forget.

{via tampabay.com}

4. Island Way Grill - With a super romantic view and a good variety of dishes on the menu, can you imagine eating anywhere more tropical?

{via TampaBayWeddings.us}

5. Columbia Restaurant - This Tampa Bay staple is unlike any other Cuban/Spanish food you've ever tried. The environment is upscale but the food is truly top-notch. Your date will love the authentic vibe and beautiful surroundings, no doubt about it.

{via ColumbiaRestaurant.com}

If you don't live in my area, stay tuned - I'll be sharing some other amazing Social Fabric blogger's Romantic Restaurants lists on my blog soon!

Sweet Treats for Valentine's Day: Gluten Free Cookie Sandwiches with Peanut Butter Filling

Valentine's Day has to be one of my absolute favorite holidays, my hubby on the other hand thinks it's a cheesy holiday so this year I'm trying to get him more in the spirit by giving him treats that I know he will love. I'm going to be leaving little surprises for him around the house and just trying to set the vibe for the most romantic holiday! They say you win a man's heart by pleasing his stomach, so of course I treated my man to something tasty this week.

I know I'm dieting, but my sweetheart is one of those lucky people that can eat whatever they want and not gain a pound. That means I spoil him with sweets regularly so this time I really had to make something extra special and I must say I absolutely outdid myself, I made him the most delicious cookie sandwiches on the planet!

I'll note: My filling didn't turn out as planned, it was a bit runny and I ran out of confectioners sugar(noted in my recipe)... But the good news about my "mishap" is that the runny filling makes the treat that much more delicious, gooey peanut butter filling on a M&M cookie sandwich, the perfect treat to surprise your Valentine! I'm also happy to say that the recipe is pretty easy to make as well! I love a quick recipe that tastes beyond delicious and this one won't disappoint... so grab your apron and oven mitts and get mixing!

Gluten-Free Valentine's Day M&M Cookie Sandwiches with Peanut Butter Filling M&M Cookies: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, melted 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1+ cup Valentine's M&M’s Peanut Butter Filling: 1/2 container Cool Whip 1/2 cup Peanut Butter 1/2 container Yoplait 100 Greek Yogurt (I used a full container and it was very liquidy so I suggest 1/2) 1 tbsp Vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups Confectioners Sugar Cookie Sandwich Recipes: In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, granulated sugar and salt. In a different bowl, mix together the melted butter and brown sugar. Mix until well combined, then mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined; do not over mix. Fold M&Ms into dough. Preheat oven to 325F/165C. Line pans with foil or parchment paper and cut shapes using cookie cutter. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown at the edges and the center is still soft. Let cookies cool for a few hours, then prepare filling. Peanut Butter Filling: In a mixing bowl, combine cool whip, yogurt, and vanilla extract with a mixer. Add confectioners sugar into the mixture in small amounts at a time. Add in peanut butter and mix completely. Allow the filling to thicken in the fridge or add additional confectioners sugar to the mixture. Apply a thick layer of filling/frosting to one heart cookie bottom and place another cookie on top. Enjoy!

Are you as jazzed for Valentine's Day as I am? What fun activities and tasty treats do you have planned for your sweets? I'd love to hear all about your plans for V-day below!