This past weekend, a gang of our bestie couple friends got together to celebrate love and friendship.
My McHendy “sister,’ Jill, and I collaborated to plan what we called “Valentine’s Couple Camp.”
Those of you that have been hanging around here at TheCreativeLifeinBetween for a while might remember our first Couple Camp Weekend Retreat that I posted about here.
Unfortunately, we missed a year… I guess weddings, babies, life… got us too involved. But when Jill called a couple weeks ago and said we should do another Couples Camp for Valentine’s Day, I was all in and offered to host at our home.
And so we did.
Bubby and Glenn were assigned appetizers, and boy did they rock the theme! Check out all the ways you can make food into hearts!
I created a special “Love Potion” cocktail to toast the beginning of our time together. I mixed 1/3 Grand Marnier Signature Collection No. 2 Raspberry Peach with 2/3 champagne and garnished with a fresh red raspberry. Yum!
Jill is our illustrious “camp” activities director. After a silly group photo,
Jill and I sent the rest of the gang to the bar, while we laid out the all the materials for everyone to create their own “Love Shack” out of chocolate graham crackers and candy (a Valentine gingerbread house of sorts). Everyone was given a flag to name their Love Shack and 20 pennies to distribute into shot glasses after everyone finished and presented their masterpieces to vote on the best.
We had some serious creativity going on. Check it out!
Hubby made his into “Camp Happy Beginning” reminiscent of the early days of love and not having much but feeling like everything is a rainbow …. or something like that… if you can imagine…
Mary made hers into “Mary’s Cozy Cottage” decorated with a comfy couch and chairs and a big colorful outdoor patio…
I was much busier laughing and taking pictures under the guise of “hosting” to focus too much on mine, but came up with this pretty lame “McKinney Love Shack.”
Bubby lovingly created the “McKinney B&B.”
and her Glenn created “Glen’s Gang Bang Getaway.” No explanation here. You can use your own imagination.
Jim cracked us up with his creation. Simple, but with a funny and politically-inspired statement. His “American” themed love shack had three characters involved… “I’m a Russian” on his way to the love shack, “Himalyan” in the love shack, and “He’s a Finnish” leaving the love shack…
Jill’s was a fabulous “Jill’s Sweet Shack” with a candy paved lane.
But Todd stole the show with his outhouse-themed love shack complete with cut out crescent moon doors.
We assigned Mary the entree knowing she would make all of our tummies happy, and she did not disappoint! In fact, we were so into her amazing stuffed shells, meatballs and spare ribs in homemade Italian sauce, I forgot to photograph it! Thankfully, she left a few for us to enjoy for dinner the next day, so I took a quick photo of our leftovers. Which, by the way, tasted just as magnificent! Thanks Mar!
I made a simple salad and sliced up some fresh bread to accompany Mary’s entree,
and we gave another toast to friendship!
I had fun preparing for our guests by tidying up the guest rooms,
including a quick convert of the nursery with an air mattress bed,
and placing heart-shaped Dove Red Velvet Chocolates on pillows.
I set the table with red plates and chocolate heart treats…
and even little heart shaped spoons!
Aren’t they adorable!
I was assigned dessert, so a chocolating I went. You already know about my chocolate-dipped wafer cookies and Ultimate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies which I had out, but I also made a bouquet of chocolate-dipped strawberries,
and the most amazing and simple No Bake Chocolate Ganache Cookie Crust Tart I saw on another blog.
I’ll share this recipe soon. It is seriously amazing and uses only a couple simple ingredients!
We talked the guys into playing Couples Scattegories and had fun staying up late drinking and talking until later than any of us ever stay up.
Hubby made omelets to order the next morning after we all awoke… later than we usually get up.
What a joy to have such wonderful friends to share time and our home with!
And quoting Jill from last time, I once again share:
“I recommend that all of our friends coordinate a Couple’s Camp weekend. Great fun. Lots of laughter. Many life stories shared. And the realization that life long friends and connections are priceless! So go make some memories!”
Thanks for the memories dear friends!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
What a creative, perfect way to celebrate friendship and love! Beautiful !
I love the little teddy bears in your gingerbread house and your dessert look so yummy!
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lol – I guess you figured out they were Marty and me 🙂 ❤
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Haha! Yes I kinda guessed that. ☺
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❤
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This is a wonderful way to spend time with good friends. I am definitely bookmarking this idea.
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Oh my goodness!!! This looks so incredible Jodi. Beautiful and fun and memorable, just amazing.
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lol! Remember me telling you about? 🙂
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What a wonderful way to share the love! You are lucky to have such great friends. (K)
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I really do feel lucky to have such great friends! ❤
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Such a perfect weekend of love and friendships! What an amazing and funny set of friends you have, Jodi! 🙂 ❤
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I am very blessed to have them in my life 🙂 ❤
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And a fun time was had by all!
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🙂
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Looks like a great time was had by all!
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🙂
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Wow what a special and lovely celebration! Thanks for sharing
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thanks lynn! I bet you are having fun too! 🙂 ❤
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oh yes
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Wow! How fun! What a wonderful idea! Loved reading about your Valentines Couples Camp, Jodi. You are so creative and fun! You have some wonderful friends!
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I am fortunate to have such great friends ❤
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Yes, you really are!
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What a wonderful way to celebrate love & friendship❤Looks like a good time was had by all!
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we did have fun! 🙂 thanks Lynn!
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Lots of fun Jodi – and great memories too. Thank you for sharing, have a happy day. 🙂
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thanks terry – can’t wait for you and gary to come visit! ❤
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Such fun, such food!!! And your home is so lovely Jodi! ❤🌞
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we did have such a great time. Thanks John. 🙂
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What an amazingly creative weekend of fun and friends. Somehow I knew you’d be assigned liquid refreshments and desserts.😊
Thanks for sharing, Jodi!
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LOL! Might have something to do with me doing the assigning 🙂
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Wow Jodi! 😍 You are so creative! I loved seeing all your special touches like the heart shaped spoons!! ❤ And your hubby’s love shack cracked me up!! 🌈💕😂 Wonderful to have such special people in your life! Thanks for sharing such memories with us! 😘
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awh! thanks Jill – – but I’m not nearly as creative as you and my bff Jill – LOL! Must be something about that name! 🙂 ❤
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Lol! 😂 I think you sell yourself short!! 🎨👍
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Wow this is such a fun 😍Jo you are a great host! Cheers to you 👍🏼
You all are so enthusiastic. Thanks for sharing 😀
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we like to have fun 🙂
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Amazing friendship celebration, Jodi! Heartwarming & tummy warming! Made me smile! Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤ Christine
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Thanks christine! I’m still smiling too 🙂
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Wha a great idea, Jodi … and SOOOO much fun … what a fantastic time you all had making happy memories among friends! Oh, and you have a beautiful home! Anita 🙂
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Thanks Anita – the best thing about my home is who I share it with! ❤
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What an amazing weekend Jodi! Wow, wow and wow! And the Love Shack creations are incredible! Y’all have too much fun in Mars PA! So nice everyone could spend the night and not have to worry about travel, I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate anything like a weekend with old friends, food and fabulous fun!
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We have been friends since our kids were babies, and now are kids are having babies! We are all grandparents now – and having as much fun as ever! 🙂 ❤ So fortunate to have great friends to go through life with!
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You and your friends have SO MUCH FUN together, I just love it!!! Very creative, goofy, fun, great food, drinking (good idea for guest rooms!), silly games, and it’s never a bad thing to celebrate friendship and love! xoxo
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we do! life is too short not too! We all have moments – but overall – we try to make the best of it! 🙂
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Jodi, you continue to amaze me! This looks like so much fun…great friends, scrumptious food, entertainment and cozy quarters. So lovely. Thanks for sharing.
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So fortunate to have such wonderful friends to share good times with! 🙂 ❤
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That’s wonderful!
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I love your house and decor too!😉
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awh! Thanks Mary! 🙂
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Oh my gosh, that looked like so much fun! You are lucky to have such good friends, and they are lucky to have you go to so much trouble for a couples camp! Looks like a good (and delicious) time was had by all…. And please do share the recipe for that chocolate tart! Happy Valentine’s Day, Jodi!
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🙂 we sure did have fun, and I will be sure to share the recipe soon! xo Happy Valentines Day back to you Ann!
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You guys sure know how to party! Looked like a fun time:) On Mon, Feb 13, 2017 at 6:05 AM the creative life in between wrote:
> Jodi posted: ” This past weekend, a gang of our bestie couple friends got > together to celebrate love and friendship. My McHendy “sister,’ Jill, and I > collaborated to plan what we called “Valentine’s Couple Camp.” Those of you > that have been hanging around here” >
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we love to have fun 🙂
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Loved the silly group photo of you all. You look wonderful!
It sounds like a wonderful week-end. Thanks for sharing your home, and friends with us.
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we are silly – that is for sure! LOL! 🙂
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Love this idea.
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