Canadutch
Money is tight in our household this year, after a big bad surprise from the belastingdienst (tax office) that I never got into here on my blog. I don’t plan to, but basically they screwed up and now we owe them over 2000 euro.
So we agreed that Valentine’s Day wasn’t going to be an expensive event this year. Not that it usually is but we made sure that this year we were really good. No meals out, no expensive gifts and I’m so glad! It turned out to be a homemade Valentine’s here and I love it!
On Saturday my husband locked himself in the man cave and wouldn’t let me in ALL DAY. He told me he was working on something for me as a gift, and after hours and hours passed I was getting really curious. All I knew was from the bits and pieces he told me.. 1) it wasn’t expensive 2) it might take a long time to make 3) I’d like it. Grrr… I wanted to know!
He made me ten hand made long stemmed red roses. One for every Valentine’s Day we’ve been together. He sat in his office for hours practicing on plain white paper until he got it right, and then made them in red. He also made the stems and leaves and put it all together into these beautiful roses.
You know why I love them so much? Beside the fact that he took the time and effort to make them for me, and that they are so lovely, it’s that he knows me so well. One thing I’ve always said about Valentine’s Day is that it’s always about flowers and chocolates. I love them both but within a few days the chocolates are gone, the flowers are dead and what do you have to show for it? A few extra pounds and some dead flowers. Plus it’s so commercial nowadays, with all the tacky Valentine’s Day crap in all the stores. I love something with a personal touch and he never fails to come through.
When Xander gave me these flowers, he told me that it’s one flower for every year we’ve been together and that they won’t die! I thought it was brilliant! It was the perfect gift for me, from the perfect husband! Now I can put them in my china cabinet where they will be safe from the dogs and the dust, see them year round and remember our 10th Valentine’s Day together.
I made sure to pamper him all day. I printed off ‘love coupons’ (a footrub, movie night of his choice, slave for a day and other unmentionables) hid them all over the house and sent him off on a treasure hunt when he woke up. I made him blueberry pancakes for breakfast and a great dinner with orange ham in the slow cooker, scalloped potatoes and cottage pudding for desert. I will share the recipes for these a little later. Whoever said the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach really knew their shit!
We hung out together, snuggled up for a nap in the afternoon, and spent the day relaxing. I had such an incredibly happy day, and I know he did too. I am so glad that I get to spend every Valentine’s Day, and every other day, with him for the rest of my life.
They look great. I’d be interested in finding out how to make them.
.-= InvaderStu´s last blog ..The Magic of The Theatre =-.
Simply awesome…they definitely make a perfect gift. I always love such hand crafted items and got one this valentine :)
Oh my gosh! I am swooning over here!! Those are just beautiful, you lucky girl.
.-= Just a Plane Ride Away´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday ~ 31: I am pretty sure I don’t look this cute when I’m on my bike. =-.
How thoughtful!!
.-= Kara´s last blog ..Me Update: New Meal Plans =-.
I know *sigh* I’m still all starry eyed haha Is V-day a big thing up there in the cold white north? I assume it is since it’s STILL Canada and we always love Valentine’s day!
Of course it is! But we don’t go all out. I got a handmade card out of pink construction paper from all the men in my house and three pairs of homemade earrings from a local crafter that I get to pick out myself. And we hired a sitter for an hour so we could hit our one restaurant kid free! Simple and perfect!
.-= Kara´s last blog ..Me Update: New Meal Plans =-.
What a wonderful blog you have! I’ve just discovered it, following the comment you’ve just left on mine.
That was a great idea your husband had! Those roses look like the real deal and, like you say, they’ll last forever. How thoughful of him.
About what you wrote in the comments in my blog, I suggest you take a look at a previous post of mine about Valkenburg – you might find it useful.
Cheers,
A.
.-= Aledys Ver´s last blog ..Going South: Maastricht, the most beautiful =-.
Thanks for visiting Aledys! I’ll check out your Valkenburg post. That’s another place we keep meaning to visit. Every single year I say I’m going to go there to the Christmas markets and something always gets in the way. I’m going to try like heck to get there for x-mas 2010!
That man has a future as an origami artist.
.-= Michele´s last blog ..Really? =-.
Actually he’s always loved origami. As a child he dabbled in it and he’s always folding our receipts into birds and stuff. So I guess this really was right up his ally too!
Wow, wow, wow!! :) They turned out beautiful. He is a very smart, loving guy, isn’t he?! Glad you all had an amazing day together!
He is, I’m so lucky to have him I swear. I guess like everything else in life it’s easy to take for granted sometimes. He always manages to do something to remind me of how awesome he is though.
Will you be in NL for Valentine’s Day next year?
I doubt it, as it’s very early in the year. My own Dutchy is coming in March and then, we get to wait and see. I have to take the civic integration test, and start my paperwork… And once that’s handled by the embassy, it’s about 3 months before I get a reply from the IND. And then once the stamp is on my passport, I have 6 months to go there (for a whole new process for the verblijfsvergunning, yay, lol). So, we were aiming for the first half of 2011 for my move! Now, let’s just hope it all goes well!
Xander is sooo definitely a keeper! :D I am convinced Dutch guys are the best out there, lol. I kept hearing about my “in-laws” male acquaintances having girlfriends that were foreign. And I made a comment along the lines of the one above, but then my guy just cracked his joke saying “Or something is seriously wrong with Dutch women!” lol.
Okay, I’ve talked enough for today. :$
Eish, that’s a lot of crap to go through! When I came here 10 years ago, I got on a plane and came. My husband called city hall and asked what we needed to do, they said we had to go to the ‘alien police’ within 3 months. We went to them, they looked at my husband’s work contract, asked if he planned to get me Dutch lessons. STAMP STAMP Welcome to the country! That was it haha I’ve been here ever since! I don’t know if it’s different because I’m Canadian or if it was just easier back then, as I know they are trying to cut down on the amount of foreigners coming in. Either way it’s a bummer that you have to all this!
I’ve also wondered what’s wrong with the Dutch girls that all the Dutch men seem to be with women from other countries. There are SOOOOOOO many!! I often wonder how the Dutch girls manage to find men of their own nationality at all haha
LOL, yeah! It’s funny! Dutch girls have to compete with the whole world!
And I think it might be slightly different for you if you are Canadian, even now. But it has gotten progressively harder over the years. They just want people to be integrated before they even hit the country. I’ve been picking up on Dutch on and off since 2006 and now more seriously into it with a fantastic book I picked up while I was there last time.
And while I was there, I went on a bus adventure like 3 times. And talked to people in Dutch. That was cool to do for me. My favorite was at the liquor shop, my honey had sent me there to ask if they had certain beer… The guy just replied in a really long sentence and I just looked wide eyed, nodded and then told my honey he said something about white beer and summer… lol. I think I should do fine! It’s just nerve wrecking in the mean time!
Beautiful!
Thanks Monica :) Did you have a good day over there?
We’re watching Olympics all day long, all weekend long!
glad you had a nice valentine’s day and very cute roses. i agree Xander should share how he made the roses for us crafters! haha
I’m working on it! I guess this time next year you’ll be up to your ears in baby! hehe
Awwww…esome. What a great guy!
.-= alala´s last blog ..once more into the breach =-.
I know, I think he’s a keeper :) How was your first v-day in NL?
uuhhmm…Xander needs to make a tutorial of making those roses! thats a perfect paper craft for me! WOW what an awesome husband:) I think the best gifts sometimes are those that are made by hand or don’t cost anything. Edwin and I went on a walk yesterday and we loved it.
.-= Sonya´s last blog ..Sunday’s In My City.. =-.
He IS an awesome husband! I told him about the tutorial, I’ll bug him until he does it. He found a tutorial online for the roses but they were just stems stuck into the flower without the green bit underneath the bulb etc, so he added leaves and stuff to make it look more real. He did a great job!
so beautiful….
Thanks Suz :) I love them! Hope you had a good Valentine’s Day too!
They are absolutely beautiful! Great job Xander!
Hmmm ham. Got any left overs?
There is some ham left but it’s going quickly! Xander’s been pigging out on it!
Wow, those are spectacular! What a lovely gift. :-)
They are! They look even better when you see them in person. I’m shocked, tbh!