12 Days of Kiss-Much, down day and snowflakes

Yesterday I didn't do anything for our 12 days of Kiss-Much. I was tired. We've been feeling a bit under the weather. So, mostly we wrapped presents. It was a lovely, romantic, day in it's own ordinary way, what a joy!

Today, it snowed, and we've been watching Christmas movies with our four year old. I've been on the computer getting some work done and in the background I hear Will Ferrell acting like an Elf. Josh cleaned the kitchen and has kept Scotty busy, playing with him all afternoon. That is romantic too. Life is good.

I hope you're finding as I am that daily romance is so much more about your state of mind, and less about stressing over the little things. Remember, if it isn't fun, if it doesn't make you smile, if it isn't feeding your soul but rather creating stress, it is not romantic.

Ideas for tomorrow's 12 days of Kiss Much

-Hang Snowflakes above our bed, attach notes of gratitude to strings
-Read Dickens
-Give Josh a special ornament

12 Days of Kiss-Much, last three days update...

Whew, we have been so busy lately, let me see if I can catch my breath. 12 day of Kiss-Much has been happening, sometimes in unexpected not exactly as planned ways....but the spirit of romance has definitely been here, which is the whole point anyway :)

Day Three: I baked Josh's favorite cookies with our four year old!

Day Four: Josh absolutely indulged ME this time, and we had a two hour couples photo shoot at St. Martins college, in the freezing cold, and down pouring rain...I wore a pink vintage dress and a cardigan, we took shelter under an umbrella. It was crazy, cold, and SOOOOO much fun! A great big THANK YOU to the most amazing photographer in the world (Liz Cloudman) for putting up with that weather! I can't wait to see the pictures!!!

Day Five: I scrubbed our bathroom clean! Added a few new wall sconce candle holders, washed the towels and tonight we are taking a bubble bath. Nothing like sharing an apartment size bathtub to make one feel close to their love!

I made this collage depicting my epic love for bubble baths when  I was in 6th grade.  My obsession with all things romantic strongly rooted itself within my soul at a very young age.

Tomorrow's plan? I'm thinking after the kiddo is in bed....there will be dancing to Christmas music! I plan to hang snowflakes from the ceiling. If I have time, my super awesome ambitious plan is to make actual invitations, I'm going to have a hay day coming up with the dress code!

More ideas for 12 days of Kiss-Much

-Drive around and look at Christmas lights
-Go see a play or musical performance (There is a lot going on at the moment, I want to go see The Nutcracker for part of our 12 days)
-Decorate sugar cookies together
-Have a hot chocolate tasting, try different flavors and recipes!

12 Days of "Kiss-Much" Wreath and Rose Petals

As I walked into Michael's craft store I saw the most magnificent wreath hanging in the entrance. My eyes glazed over...."ooooh how muuuuuuuuch....?

$80.00

No.
Maybe?
No.
Please?
No.
Sigh.

I walked away.
I walked back.
I walked away.
I walked back.

I noticed something, a big sign I'd somehow missed before "All wreaths 60% off".

Yes!

I took it to the checkout counter. "It's military Wednesday, if you are military you can have an additional 10% off your purchase, including sale items!" The clerk says to me.

YES! I proudly procure my military ID.

"Hmmmm, this wreath is not ringing up at the right price...Just wait a minute I'll try this again." He apologizes.

I stand there blissfully day dreaming of hanging the wreath on our bedroom door. How beautiful it will look, how romantic. I'll hang notes from it. I'll tuck love birds into the branches. He'll slowly open the door and peek past the greenery, and golden ribbon, and see....

Our beautifully made bed!
With rose petals...
OH, YES! ROSE PETALS!
Glorious, heavenly, rose petals.
Oh my goodness, how perfect.
Sheer perfection!
Tra, la-la, la-la! My heart is singing!

Hmm? What's that?

"You have been so patient with our delay in getting this wreath wrung up,
you can have an additional 10% off!" The clerk smiles.

That eighty dollar wreath, is now 80% off!

Merry Kiss-Much to me!

-Domestic Diva

More romantic ideas:

-Cover his dashboard with compliments written on sticky notes
-Decorate the mantel and light a fire, sip your favorite drink in your best glasses
-Drink hot chocolate by candle-light
-Bubble baths....

12 Days of "Kiss-Much"

Today as I was vacuuming in occurred to me that today is 12-12-12, what a once in a lifetime date! I thought it would be really fun if I came up with something clever to commemorate this date when an idea popped into my head..."What if I do something clever and romantic for Mr. Nickerson for the next 12 days! Leading up right up to the night before Christmas Eve! The Twelve Days of 'Kiss-Much!'"

The more I thought about it, the giddier I got, indicating that this is a winning idea! As fate would have it, last night around midnight I felt inspired to write Josh a love note and leave it by his car keys to find this morning on his way out the door to work. So day one was covered, before even getting the idea! Yet another indication that this is a truly inspired idea! 

So, day one of my "Merry Kiss-Much" was a love letter.

If you'd like to join me in my 12 days of Kiss Much with your sweetie, please join in the fun and let me know in the comments what romantic idea you came up with for your Love! I need all the ideas I can get, I'm sort of singing this one by ear, which actually makes it pretty fun!

Ideas for day two:

Hang a wreath on our bedroom door

Make Josh white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies (The ones that one his heart back in highschool)

Dance to Christmas music

Make a paper stocking with a love coupon inside

-The Domestic Diva

Racer

I think it's really cute how on the package of all the Halloween costumes at Toys R' Us, there is a picture of a totally subdued, smiling kid standing perfectly still. HA! Put this racer outfit on any four year old and he'll take off faster then you can say "Smile"! I was laughing as my son ran circles around me while I tried to catch a picture of his new costume! 

What was your favorite costume as a kid?

-DD

Little White Coat

By Heidi Nickerson

August 14, 2012

For another lost little one.

So soft and white

Lined with satin bows

A little hood with bear ears

Hanging sweetly in the boutique.

I touch the velvety fluff

Pull it off the shelf,

And into my eager arms.

As I clutch it to my chest

The world around me fades,

I no longer stand in the little shop,

I am outside.

And I can see her

A perfect little girl

Sunlight dancing off her golden curls

Toddling toward me in fall leaves

Now she’s

Tripping over her first snow

The wind kissing her cheeks,

Turning them bright pink.

And oh!

The giggles!

 As she

Splashes

Through showers of spring

Tears.

Tears?

A downpour of tears!

I can’t see her anymore!

I can only clutch this coat

And wish…

Wish with all my heart

That this is just a nightmare.

I’m still pregnant

I’m still dreaming

Smiling

Counting the days

The weeks

The months.

Two more days till I can hear the heartbeat.

Three more weeks and I’ll feel the baby kick.

Seven more months and she’ll be here!

I'm busy filling my nest

With baby things

Like this beautiful coat!

A coat she’ll never wear.

She has no need for coats in heaven.

But here on earth, we need coats.

Coats to keep us warm 

When our hearts are bitten with cold.

Coats to keep us dry 

When we are drowning in a fallen ocean of tears.

Coats to hang in the closet for another season

With  pockets to hide a hope in

That we reach into later,

And find a long forgotten smile there.

So soft and white

Her angel wings must be…

So soft and white,

Like this little coat.

Five Minute Romance

Today, as I was making my bed, on a whim I decided to spritz a bit of my favorite perfume between the sheets. I smiled as the lovely scent wafted through the air as I billowed the top sheet up and down getting it perfectly straight. After the bed was made, I opened the window and the sun poured in, the soft scent of my perfume still lingered, and I knew that tonight when I crawled into bed, I would be ensconced once more in the lovely scent, it's feminine softness permeating my night gown. The perfect touch of romance, to woo my soul, for a wife desperately missing her deployed husband.

The thought then occurred to me, I wish there was a book or a blog, with dozens of little ideas like this for me to apply on a daily basis. Just fast, inexpensive ways to romance the soul, woo the day, and fill my heart with that deeply satisfying feeling of the romantic. A book I could just flip open and find an idea that I could implement immediately, with little or no cost, but fills my heart with the richness of romancing the day.

Then I smiled, well, I could write something like that! I have a blog, and I'm pretty much in love with love itself...I've been spritzing perfume between my sheets since I was twelve years old. I have hundreds of ideas pass through my mind on a daily basis about how to make the day more beautiful, enhance the serenity around me, more fully live in the moment, and isn't that romance too? Absolutely. Romance can happen anywhere, at any moment, if you are present, and aware of it's influence.

So, for the next few entries, and here and there, I will be adding to my "Five Minute Romance" collection on this blog! So all you lovely readers out there can enjoy the little things that bring incredible richness and romance into the everyday.

Have a romantic day!
-The Domestic Diva