Mason Jar Valentine Votives

last year i thought it would be a kick to have a valentine's day party. one that was actually on valentine's day. first off, it's murder to go out on that day. it's crowded, expensive and can often require getting a sitter; a herculean feat any night of the week. and i had some friends who were single or going through a divorce or just feeling topsy turvey in their love life so i figured that having a party would eliminate some awkward life stages along with the "what do i do with my kids" question that can come up on a romantic holiday. PLUS! i wanted an excuse to have a candy bar! you know, those adorable ones with apothecary and mason jars filled with red, white and pink candy, chocolates, candy necklaces and little metal scoops for pouring everything into cellophane bags. the house gets "loved up", as my husband calls it, and there's valentine decorations all over.  even for the candles.

putting votive candles into decorated mason jars isn't anything new and i don't have any kind of tutorial to go with this post. the pics are pretty much self explanatory. i had the yarn, ribbon and trinkets already (you can pretty much use anything and, of course, any color you want). i picked up a box of candles from michael's and the conversation hearts came from the dollar store. believe it or not, i had the hardest time finding the red hots. knew i could get them at powell's (fancy candy store in our neighborhood) but wanted to keep that as a last resort. kinda pricey there and i'll save that for some of the candies i'll serve in the bar.

aren't they fun?!? i'm soooo looking forward to lighting these! now i just need to finish decorating my house, painting valentine words on the wood pallet i found and plan my menu. last year i went mexican. kinda thinking about doing it again. or lasagna. or pulled pork sliders or chili...

check back because i'll definitely give an update of how the party went and post more pics! until then, happy early valentine's day!!!