DIY: Valentine’s Gifts

DIY 1 Minute

Birch Candle

I love, love, love this candle.  It does require being able to drill the hole for the tea light though.  Hubby and I are going to attempt these.  We have tons of birch trees around!

Equipment

Knife

Drill with drill bits including 1 3/8″ spade bit or slightly larger

Materials

1 section birch wood

Tealight candle

Colored pencil(s) light brown

Pencil

Instructions

Trace the tealight in the center of the birch wood piece using a pencil.

Begin drilling with the spade bit, placing the center of the bit in the center of the tealight circle. Rock the drill back and forth a little while drilling to get a good hole.

Sketch the design you want on the front of the birch pillar using a pencil.

Carve the design on the pencil lines using a knife.

Shade in the design using a light brown colored pencil.

Put a tealight candle in the top of the birch candle holder to finish.

Heart Bookmark

The instructions for this bookmark use a cricut machine but I think there’s an abundantly easier method for those of us without those machines.  Simply cut a heart out of construction paper.  Cut a second heart the same size, but add ¼ inch tabs to the sides of the heart.  Place the 2 hearts together, fold and glue the tabs around to the back of the second heart.  Write your message on the top.  Easy peasy. 

SOURCE: THEPIONEERWOMAN.COM

The gift basket in the opening picture is my idea of the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day: a mug, a little Styrofoam, whatever candy the giftee loves the most, some ribbons and doodads from the dollar store and BOOM! A happy valentine!

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Published by pat frederick

Published

148 thoughts on “DIY: Valentine’s Gifts”

        1. Morning GA!
          you lucky duck!!
          we were going to go out this morning to run errands and then have lunch out (kids gave us a gift card to our favorite restaurant) but the driveway looks like an ice skating rink!
          it may never go away…LOL

          Liked by 1 person

    1. Morning, Pat! The wind woke me up around 4 am so I went out to bring in the WP block – no sign of Wheezer but when I got up again about an hour ago, there was Wheezer waiting by the door. Still pretty windy & cloudy but temp is 38 at least. There will be some light snow but to the north & east of me – I don’t expect to see any here.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Morning Filly!
        everything froze last night. we got a rive of ice down the driveway. hubby wants to let it warm up a little and see if he can drive over it with the tractor to get some traction. i have my doubts.

        Liked by 1 person

          1. yeah me too. he has told me repeatedly over the years that the tractor has spiked chains on it. that’s why many times over the years, we park a vehicle near the end of the driveway and ride the tractor up and down. but it’s dang bitter out there with the winds this morning. our errands can wait till tomorrow.

            Liked by 1 person

    1. FBI is about to get a complete reformation, reorganization, redirected focus and mission.

      We now have a top grade CEO in our highest office.

      Liked by 2 people

  10. TheseTruths

    TheseTruths(@thesetruths)

    Offline

    Wolf

    February 1, 2025 01:49

    Exclusive: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency, sources say

    Aides to Elon Musk charged with running the U.S. government human resources agency have locked career civil servants out of computer systems that contain the personal data of millions of federal employees, according to two agency officials.

    Since taking office 11 days ago, President Donald Trump has embarked on a massive government makeover, firing and sidelining hundreds of civil servants in his first steps toward downsizing the bureaucracy and installing more loyalists.

    Musk, the billionaire Tesla (TSLA.O) CEO and X owner tasked by Trump to slash the size of the 2.2 million-strong civilian government workforce, has moved swiftly to install allies at the agency known as the Office of Personnel Management.

    The two officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said some senior career employees at OPM have had their access revoked to some of the department’s data systems.

    The systems include a vast database called Enterprise Human Resources Integration, which contains dates of birth, Social Security numbers, appraisals, home addresses, pay grades and length of service of government workers, the officials said.

    “We have no visibility into what they are doing with the computer and data systems,” one of the officials said. “That is creating great concern. There is no oversight. It creates real cybersecurity and hacking implications.”

    Officials affected by the move can still log on and access functions such as email but can no longer see the massive datasets that cover every facet of the federal workforce.

    Musk, OPM, representatives of the new team, and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment…

    MUSK INFLUENCE

    A team including current and former employees of Musk assumed command of OPM on Jan. 20, the day Trump took office. They have moved sofa beds onto the fifth floor of the agency’s headquarters, which contains the director’s office and can only be accessed with a security badge or a security escort, one of the OPM employees said.

    The sofa beds have been installed so the team can work around the clock, the employee said.

    Musk, a major donor to a famously demanding boss, installed beds at X for employees to enable them to work longer when in 2022 he took over the social media platform, formerly known as Twitter.

    “It feels like a hostile takeover,” the employee said.

    The new appointees in charge of OPM have moved the agency’s chief management officer, Katie Malague, out of her office and to a new office on a different floor, the officials said.

    Malague did not respond to a request for comment…

    David Lebryk, the top-ranking career U.S. Treasury Department official, is set to leave his post following a clash with allies of Musk after they asked for access to payment systems, the Washington Post reported on Friday…

    Liked by 2 people

  16. Troublemaker10

    February 1, 2025 1:12 am

    Six Americans freed in Venezuela after Trump envoy meets with Maduro

    https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/01/americas/americans-freed-in-venezuela-intl-hnk/index.html

    Troublemaker10

    Troublemaker10

    February 1, 2025 2:54 am

    Reply to  Troublemaker10

    Grenell and hostages arrive home…

    We are home. 🇺🇸

    God bless these Americans. pic.twitter.com/L36mNkvEom

    — Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 1, 2025

    Liked by 1 person

  24. sync

    February 1, 2025 8:49 am

    They call it a mistake?

    “So, Biden’s staff didn’t double check the ACLU’s list of “nonviolent drug offenders” and gave clemency to a drug lord in Connecticut who murdered an 8 year old boy and his mother to stop them from testifying.”

    So, Biden’s staff didn’t double check the ACLU’s list of “nonviolent drug offenders” and gave clemency to a drug lord in Connecticut who murdered an 8 year old boy and his mother to stop them from testifying.

    CT Sen. Blumenthal : “someone dropped the ball… This was a really… pic.twitter.com/DpAhBCyfFX

    — Max Meyer (@mualphaxi) January 26, 2025

    Liked by 1 person

  27. “Bill Maher Goes Full RFK Jr. in a Scorching Takedown of America’s Failing Healthcare System — Something is not right with how America does health, and Bill Maher just dropped the receipts to prove it.”

    The Vigilant Fox, Jan 31, 2025

    Share

    EXCERPT: “Bill Maher just dropped his latest episode of Real Time. While there were plenty of moments filled with Trump Derangement Syndrome, he also delivered some surprisingly great takes on the Washington plane crash, government spending, and, most importantly, healthcare.

    The first standout moment came when Maher said Trump was “exactly right” to mock a reporter over their “stupid question” about the plane crash site. “They asked him a question about the crash, and they said, ‘Will you visit the crash site now?’ Every other politician would go, ‘Of course, it was a tragedy.’ “And he went, ‘It’s the water. What do you want me to do, swim there?’ And I was like, exactly. F*ck right. You’re exactly right. It’s a stupid question. And you got just the answer you deserve.”

    Listen to Maher’s Trump impression. It’s actually pretty good….”

    Video clips: https://vigilantfox.news/p/bill-maher-goes-full-rfk-jr-in-a

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Here’s the really good stuff from the proclamation (emphasis mine):

      Throughout our history, black Americans have been among our country’s most consequential leaders, shaping the cultural and political destiny of our Nation in profound ways.  American heroes such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Sowell, Justice Clarence Thomas, and countless others represent what is best in America and her citizens.  Their achievements, which have monumentally advanced the tradition of equality under the law in our great country, continue to serve as an inspiration for all Americans.  We will also never forget the achievements of American greats like Tiger Woods, who have pushed the boundaries of excellence in their respective fields, paving the way for others to follow. 

      This National Black History Month, as America prepares to enter a historic Golden Age, I want to extend my tremendous gratitude to black Americans for all they have done to bring us to this moment, and for the many future contributions they will make as we advance into a future of limitless possibility under my Administration.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Here’s the really good stuff from the proclamation (emphasis mine):

      Throughout our history, black Americans have been among our country’s most consequential leaders, shaping the cultural and political destiny of our Nation in profound ways.  American heroes such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Sowell, Justice Clarence Thomas, and countless others represent what is best in America and her citizens.  Their achievements, which have monumentally advanced the tradition of equality under the law in our great country, continue to serve as an inspiration for all Americans.  We will also never forget the achievements of American greats like Tiger Woods, who have pushed the boundaries of excellence in their respective fields, paving the way for others to follow. 

      This National Black History Month, as America prepares to enter a historic Golden Age, I want to extend my tremendous gratitude to black Americans for all they have done to bring us to this moment, and for the many future contributions they will make as we advance into a future of limitless possibility under my Administration.

      https://redstate.com/terichristoph/2025/01/31/president-trump-kicks-off-black-history-month-with-a-major-plot-twist-n2185070

      Liked by 1 person

  29. EXCERPT: “Remember the scandal over the infamous CBS “60 Minutes” interview of Kamala Harris before the 2024 election that was edited so that they cut out a lot of her word salad in response to a question about the Israel-Hamas war? 

    It went from something that was basically incomprehensible to something that sounded a bit better, albeit was still pretty empty. 

    Then when people realized that it had been edited, CBS faced huge blowback, with people like former CBS journalist Catherine Herridge calling for the full transcript to be released. Others called for release of the full footage, to see if anything else may have been changed. But CBS refused, basically sticking a fork in whatever legitimacy they claimed to have as a news organization. 

    Now, CBS staffers are reportedly fuming that their parent company Paramount may settle with President Donald Trump in the $10 billion lawsuit he filed in the matter: 

    Journalists at the Tiffany Network’s news division are up in arms as Paramount chairwoman Shari Redstone green-lighted talks with the president’s representatives over a payout, the Status newsletter reported on Friday.

    According to Status, both CBS News president Wendy McMahon and “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens don’t want to settle, claiming press freedom. The report alleged Redstone may want to settle because she wants Trump administration approval of a merger between Paramount and Skydance. But the report also said she is worried about bias at CBS. 

    They’re concerned about “press freedom,” but they don’t seem to be very concerned about basic transparency with their audience about what they are presenting. They want to act like they’re being put upon by Trump when it’s their editing that was in question. 

    On top of that, now the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has demanded the transcript and the footage of the interview from CBS:

    The commission requested “the full, unedited transcript and camera feeds” from the interview with Ms. Harris, which aired on “60 Minutes” in October.

    “We are working to comply with that inquiry as we are legally compelled to do,” a CBS News spokesman said on Friday.

    So, one way or another, that transcript/footage is going to come out, and we’re likely to see if there was anything else changed. It sounds like they’re going to be paying out something to Trump, if they follow through on a settlement. 

    This is only the latest case that has turned in Trump’s favor. The most recent one before this one involved Meta paying out $25 million in a settlement over banning Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in 2021.”

    https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2025/01/31/more-winning-cbs-staffers-fume-as-company-agrees-to-turn-over-kamala-transcript-may-settle-with-trump-n2185064

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Red State: “Donald Trump sent former diplomat Richard Grenell, who served as the Acting Director of National Intelligence for a stint under the president’s first term, down to Venezuela to—as our Ward Clark put it—“explain to [strongman/dictator Nicolás] Maduro what the new rules are.”

    It didn’t take long for Grenell to bring home results—in fact, after meeting with Maduro, Ric returned to the United States with six freed hostages:

    The president took to social media to congratulate Grenell, who he named Presidential Envoy for Special Missions in December:

    “Just been informed that we are bringing six hostages home from Venezuela. Thank you to Ric Grenell and my entire staff. Great job!”

    The visit showcased a sharply different tone than we’ve seen in Venezuela’s recent, more tense interactions with the American government:

    Grenell’s trip was believed to be the first direct meeting between a U.S. official and the autocrat since 2022.

    Venezuela’s state-owned broadcaster showed Grenell shaking hands with a smiling Maduro in the Miraflores presidential palace, a striking image to capture the Trump administration’s first visit to Latin America. Later Friday, Grenell tweeted that he was returning to the United States with the six Americans.

    Grenell, a former acting director of national intelligence, and Maduro, the authoritarian socialist who has ruled Venezuela since 2013, met to discuss the Americans detained in the South American country, as well as deportation flights, cooperation to confront the Tren de Aragua gang and energy, according to one person familiar with the plan, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details.

    Leading up to the trip, the White House made it clear that Grenell wasn’t headed down there to play around:

    “I would urge the Maduro government, the Maduro regime in Venezuela, to heed special envoy Ric Grenell’s message,” said [Trump’s special envoy to Latin America, Mauricio] Claver-Carone, a former top national security aide to Trump during his first administration. “Ultimately there will be consequences otherwise.”

    Sounds like, for now at least, Maduro got the message.

    It’s almost hard to get used to so much activity and so many decisions—and let’s be honest, so much winning—after four long years of the Biden malaise. It almost takes some mental adjustment to acclimate to seeing a president answering questions, taking decisive action, and making positive things happen. It’s an adjustment I’m more than happy to make.”

    Liked by 1 person

  31. Oh, shame on you, Newsmax!!! Seriously, James Rosen??!!?? WTF are you thinking by hiring this jackass??!!?? TRUMP TALKS LIKE WE DO!!! She handled that well!

    EXCERPT: “Talk about a profane waste of a question! On Friday, James Rosen of Newsmax presented White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt with a meandering, scolding query about President Donald Trump’s use of cuss words. No, really! Leavitt deftly answered with what most of us already knew.

    Here’s their exchange. (WATCH)

    Coco: “Oh my goodness, an expletive! Heavens”

    https://x.com/CoClarified/status/1885401241842512209

    ‘A practice that certainly sets him apart from all of his predecessors’ is not a true statement. President Joe Biden liked to cuss as well. Posters were quick to point it out with examples. (WATCH)….”

    https://twitchy.com/warren-squire/2025/01/31/karoline-leavitt-profanity-reporter-offended-n2407664

    Liked by 1 person

  32. “Brandon Herrera Has Interesting Take on What ATF Should Do”

    Bearing Arms, By Tom Knighton | 5:29 PM | January 31, 2025

    AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File

    EXCERPT: “One of the more amusing names floated for President Donald Trump to nominate as ATF director is YouTuber and former congressional candidate Brandon Herrera. 

    The AK Guy would make a fascinating choice to helm the agency, in part because he promised to burn pretty much everything to the ground before dismantling the agency. That alone endeared him to me as a choice.

    Yet, on Thursday evening, Herrera offered up a video that he figured might be a somewhat controversial take in the gun community. See, he says we shouldn’t abolish the ATF…yet. Hear him out.

    Nothing in that video, for those uninterested in listening, is a defense of the ATF. Herrera, like most of us in the gun community, isn’t exactly a fan of them, even if many of us would love to see every employee of the agency call him “Boss.”

    However, he brings up some important points, particularly about how the laws and regulations being enforced by the ATF wouldn’t go anywhere simply because the ATF ceases to exist. Instead, they’ll simply be handed off to some other element, such as the FBI or the Department of Justice. Herrera also notes that both entities have far more resources than the ATF, which means more opportunities to make things difficult for lawful gun owners and gun dealers….”

    https://bearingarms.com/tomknighton/2025/01/31/brandon-herrera-has-interesting-take-on-what-atf-should-do-n1227535

    Liked by 1 person

  33. Just The News: “President Donald Trump has removed the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Rohit Chopra, who announced his departure on Saturday.

    “Every day, Americans from across the country shared their ideas and experiences with us,” Chopra posted. “You helped us hold powerful companies & their executives accountable for breaking the law, and you made our work better,” he added.

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who helped create the agency when former President Obama was in office, reacted to Chopra’s departure on social media.

    “If President Trump is serious about lowering costs and capping credit card interest rates, he needs a strong CFPB and a strong CFPB Director,” she said. “If he and Republicans decide to cower to Wall Street billionaires and try to destroy the agency, they will have a fight on their hands.”

    Chopra had previously said he would leave his post early if Trump asked. CFPB directors are able to serve a five-year term.”

    Liked by 1 person

  34. “Star-Spangled Awesome” — The Kash Patel Hearings

    Robert W Malone MD, MS, Feb 01, 2025

    Share

    EXCERPT: “At a donor meeting for CPAC, where I was asked to speak in 2023, I had the honor of spending an hour with Kash Patel. My honest opinion is that this man is extraordinary. He is sharp as a knife, witty as heck, with a cutting sense of both humility and humanity. Kash is a highly experienced federal investigator and a litigator. Patel, a former Department of Defense (DoD) chief of staff, is also qualified to manage a large organization like the FBI. He played a key role in investigating Trump and Russian interference in the 2016 election, challenging the FBI’s inquiry and its misuse of FISA warrants.

    As one of the FBI’s most vigorous critics and having directly investigated their corrupt methods during Trump’s first term, he is in a position to weed out the corruption at the FBI. I believe this may actually be one of the most critical positions in Trump’s cabinet.

    After we heard him speak and I personally spoke with him at CPAC, Jill and I listened to his book: “Government Gangsters.” It was one of the most enjoyable audiobooks we have ever listened to. Not only will you truly get to know and understand the man – who has an extremely compelling life story- but you will also be highly entertained and come away with a renewed love of country.

    His nomination for director of the FBI is brilliant, and I believe he may be the best- and most honest- director that the FBI has ever had.

    To that end, below are some of the more entertaining as well as important clips from the Senate hearing on Kash Patel’s confirmation for the position of Director of the FBI.

    “I think you’re star-spangled awesome”

    The clip below is just downright funny. Honestly, Senator John Kennedy is a hoot!….”

    Video clips/commentary: https://www.malone.news/p/star-spangled-awesome

    Liked by 1 person

  36. EXCERPT: “The U.S. Department of Education announced Friday that it has ended the Biden administration’s dangerous sexual and social experiments on America’s school children by reinstating the first Trump administration’s rules governing Title IX.

    The Biden administration’s Title IX overhaul was poised to do significant damage to schools and students — K-12 through college and throughout the country — but was halted in multiple states until it was ultimately thrown out nationwide for attempting to change the definition of sex to include claims of multiple genders.

    “The Biden Administration’s failed attempt to rewrite Title IX was an unlawful abuse of regulatory power and an egregious slight to women and girls,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a Friday press release. “Under the Trump Administration, the Education Department will champion equal opportunity for all Americans, including women and girls, by protecting their right to safe and separate facilities and activities in schools, colleges, and universities.”

    Biden’s Title IX, as Trainor noted, ripped apart civil rights protections for women and girls in school. It would have effectively turned separate facilities, such as restrooms and locker rooms, into civil rights violations if they remained off-limits to individuals of the opposite sex (so long as these individuals claimed an incoherent gender identity). Obviously, this put girls at risk every day in school, as boys would be allowed to enter their private spaces and make them feel uncomfortable. As Americans found out in 2021, this also opened the door for sexual violence against girls. The rewrite would also have forced girls to sleep in the same rooms as boys on events like overnight field trips…..”

    https://thefederalist.com/2025/01/31/trumps-education-department-ends-bidens-harmful-title-ix-social-experiment-on-children/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The org running that medical flight also had another recent Lear jet crash; Mexican maintenance requirements are sub-standard compared to the US.

      Liked by 1 person

  38. Oh, I love this! It’s a good question: why should the taxpayers pay for their removal??? Oh, and BTW, labor camps should be established at ALL US prisons!!! Let them work to pay for their keep!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  39. Photo of beautiful water flow that I just opened in California. Today, 1.6 billion gallons and, in 3 days, it will be 5.2 billion gallons. Everybody should be happy about this long fought Victory! I only wish they listened to me six years ago – There would have been no fire! pic.twitter.com/Oaz92ZeiTh

    — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 31, 2025

    Liked by 1 person

  42. WeThePeople2016

    February 1, 2025 12:21 pm

    This morning I ordered precision Military air strikes on the Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia. These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies. The strikes destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians. Our Military has targeted this ISIS Attack Planner for years, but Biden and his cronies wouldn’t act quickly enough to get the job done. I did! The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that “WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!”

    https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/113929767736564719

    Liked by 1 person

  43. Apparently, when the pilots (med flight) departed, they missed the radio calls – the tower was trying to raise them on the frequency and they didn’t respond: indicative of a crew that “may be completely saturated with dealing with an emergency or incapacitated.”

    Liked by 1 person

  45. NF: I posed something like this on the wing of a Cessna at an airplane show in KS! LOL – I was wearing a t-shirt (with undies, of course!)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. so some guy(s) have pin ups photos of you they’ve been drooling about for years??? cool!

      hubby’s gonna love these when he comes in…we argued over the benefits of throwing out some salt on the THICK dang ice and then trying to run the tractor over it versus staying inside where it’s warm and dry…sigh

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hmmm…dang! I never thought of that but yeah, I guess maybe! I have no idea who took pics!! LOL – is he going cabin-crazy or something? What can’t wait a day or two???

        Liked by 1 person

        1. we need to bring more firewood down into the garage and he wants to see about picking up a truckload of ash the guy on the road into town has for sale. ash is ready to burn without the year of seasoning like most other woods up here.

          Liked by 1 person

  48. “Johns Hopkins University has multiple studies and projects related to aging and movement, including the Human Aging Project, research on wearable activity trackers, and the Community Aging in Place project.

    A federally funded study found that wearable accelerometers are a more reliable way to measure physical activity than surveys. The study found that physical activity is a better predictor of mortality risk than traditional factors like age, smoking, and diabetes

    The study also suggests that physicians could use wearable devices to help patients increase physical activity and change unhealthy behaviors. 

    Sounds a little too ‘Big Brother is watching’ to me. Juss’ sayin’…”

    Liked by 1 person

  49. “Remember Bishop Mariann Budde lecturing President Trump on The Invasion and The Deportations? Well it turns out that the good Bishop wasn’t as altruistic as she wanted us to believe. She works for The Episcopal Migration Ministry which in 2023 earned 53 million in tax payer funds to bring over and help settle immigrants primarily from Afghanistan and other nations.

    In 2023 they imported 3600. So they fly them in settle them and now they become immediately eligible for Medicaid and housing assistance. Now they can sponsor their family and friends which is chain migration. Now this growing group sucks up taxpayer funds for decades to come.

    So this church earns $15,000 per immigrant. Overall, they’ve raked in over one and a half billion dollars of your money. The Episcopal Migration Ministry is one of many NGOs that have helped facilitate The Invasion. They are not quite as large as Catholic Charities which raked in 1.4 Billion in 2021 for this human import business.

    Bishop Budde is not as altruistic as she wants us to believe. There is a happy ending to this story, however. Trump just put them out of business.

    The Episcopal Church’s long-standing history of helping refugees resettle in the United States will begin to wind down next month, an early casualty of the new Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies.”

    Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, in a Jan. 31 letter to church leaders and staff, announced that Episcopal Migration Ministries will begin winding down its core operations by Feb. 14, and 22 EMM employees will be laid off. EMM was one of 10 agencies with federal contracts to resettle refugees on behalf of the State Department, but that work ground to a halt last week when President Donald Trump suspended the refugee program as one of his first acts after taking office Jan. 20.“

    Liked by 1 person

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