Greetings!

Welcome to Susan's Basket Store Holiday Newsletter! The holiday's are on thier way and it's time to remember your friends and family by showing them how much you care! Susan's Basket Store would like to wish all of our customers a Happy Holiday Season. We offer a large selection of holiday gifts, from caramel popcorn and, chocolate fudge bites, to cheese & crackers, truffles & champagne, you'll find something that will express how much you truly care this holiday season!

Shop Gourmet or Baby

Susan's Basket Store has a sister site: Susan's Baby Store. Now you can continue to find your favorite gourmet gifts for all occasions from Susan's Basket Store as well as a large selection of baby gift items from Susan's Baby Store, where you will find perfect gifts for new Mother's.

At Susan's Baby Store, you will find Baby Gift Baskets, Diaper Bags, baby Gund, Bedding & Blankies, Teddy Bears, Layette, Learning Toys, Nursery Artwork, Play Sets, Teething & Bonding items, Baby Diaper Cakes, and gift for Twins & Triplets. Be sure and bookmark Susan's Baby Store as your everything baby gift site.

in this issue

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VISIT "Susan's Baby Store"

• Terrific Trimmings - $69.99
• Holiday Heaven - $49.99
• Office Trimmings - $79.95

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Fill their party tables with delicious treats in generous portions, accompanied by a sumptuous bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Gift Basket includes: Cabernet Sauvignon wine, Chipotle Pepper Cheese Spread, Chocolate Toffee Almonds, Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares, Cinnamon Spice Tea, Chocolate Raspberry Cookies, Chocolate- covered Peppermint Sticks, Walker's Shortbread Cookies, California Crisps Crackers, Cheese Spreader, Chocolate Biscotti, Garlic Sausage and Dark Roast Coffee. --- Terrific Trimmings

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Send these four colorful, cascading boxes filled with celestial treats to the special angels in your life. From crunchy caramel popcorn and delicious almond cookies to chocolate Santas filled with raspberry, peanut butter and chocolate crème, and traditional chocolate non-pareils, this is a heavenly gift that anyone will appreciate. (13" tall) --- Holiday Heaven

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Brimming with gourmet fare, this gift basket gives any office something to talk about. They will enjoy sun dried tomato basil cheese spread, sesame crackers, salami, Mendocino mustard and California Crisps crackers. Cheese sticks, rich chocolate truffles, cookie morsels, chocolate chip cookies, tea cookies, pepper walnuts, cappuccino cookies, and Bellagio cocoa are also among the many delectable treats in this lovely basket. Also includes a handy cheese knife. --- Office Trimmings

A very nice and unique gift for someone that "doesn't want anything". Currently deployed to Iraq, kinda took a chance on this purchase - but it turned out great!! I've book marked the site for further purchases.

SFC Max B.

It seems there are two stories for the beginnings of Thanksgiving in the Autumn of 1621. The Center for World Thanksgiving at Thanks-Giving Square has thrown some light on this subject. The two original writings by Edward Winslow, Mourt's Relation and William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation are linked below along with an analysis of the roots of Thanksgiving. Enjoy the write up and don't forget that Thanksgiving is a time of year to remember your family friends and to be thankful for all the good things.

Read the Article

Fall Gift Basket with themed cookies, Jelly Belly candy corn, a large box of chocolate wafers, maple flavored hot cocoa, garlic and cheese pretzels, coconut crème candies, fall colored popcorn and Ghirardelli chocolates. Give this gift basket and spread joy this holiday season.

I am so thankful, somewhere along the way I have come to this new place and I love it!

Maybe its this time of year…Its starting to get cooler so the heat isn’t driving everyone insane, you start to get that cozy feeling of holiday spirit and your only two months away from a bran spanking new year, a clean slate where you resolve to make this year better than the last or just as good.

Maybe its all this exercising I have been doing. I ran seven miles yesterday and a total of 15 for last week. Endorphins have been suggested as modulators of the so-called "runner's high" that athletes achieve with prolonged exercise. While the role of endorphins and other compounds as potential triggers of this response has been debated extensively in the literature, it is known that the body does produce endorphins in response to prolonged continuous exercise.

Maybe its because I stopped trying to look like the girls in my shape magazine and started just being happy and accepting what I can and cant change about my body. I can’t change that I am 5’4, sure I would like to have longer legs but who has time to stare in the mirror and wish?

Maybe its because I started reading the newspaper and realized how much I take for granted and how lucky I am to be alive. Did you know that almost 20,000 people die every year from drunk driving accidents? I bet that most of us are not even fazed when the New York Times cover story is a picture of a solider walking through the debris of a suicide bombing. Hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless from the many natural disasters like Katrina, the tornadoes in Iowa or the huge earthquake that just hit in Northern Japan. Not to say that your problems are not important because someone is homeless or a bomb just went off in a café somewhere, its all relative, but whenever you think that you cant take what life is throwing at you it really puts things into perspective.

Maybe its because I started noticing the little things like how its funny that the birds chase the squirrels at school or how the clouds look beautiful around 5pm when the sun starts to set.

Maybe its because I am finally at a point where I am single and I actually like it! Where I don’t feel like I need a relationship to feel this happy. Finally to a point where I realized that I don’t need to be in such a hurry for things to happen to me, like finishing school, getting married and having kids. When those things happen I will have the rest of my life to enjoy them but I only have a short time to get there and so why not have fun while I am here, now. Guess I really understand the meaning of the cliché “Your only young once.”

Maybe its because my family and close friends are the most amazing, loving, selfless people that I know.

Maybe its because when I am sad my mom lets me call her four times a day at all hours so that I can request one of her famous pep talks that always make me stop crying.

Maybe its because my dad offers to beat up the X-boyfriend that hurt me or gets excited when he gets to be the first one to hear my latest news (before mom).

Maybe its because Becky loves me like a sister, tells me my artwork is beautiful when I think its awful and brings me flowers or cooks me dinner to cheer me up.

Maybe its because Amber, Bryson, and Roya accept me for just the way I am and let me tell them my long stories over and over because I forget what I have already told them.

Maybe its because my little sisters and little brother are four more people that I know love me unconditionally and will always be there for me.

Maybe its because of all these things and probably a lot more…maybe…but I do know that there is just too much beauty not to be happy!

JF

This is the season when thoughts of the family gathered around the kitchen and enjoying good food are on our minds. There’s something about homemade goodies that is hard to resist this time of year – even for those of us that rarely have the time during the rest of the year! All of a sudden, we are baking pies and cookies and spending much more time in the kitchen.

As a child, I remember times in the kitchen when my Mom would bake. There was always such a warm, loving feeling in the house. I worry that my children don’t get the same from me. Our lives are so terribly busy that I’m doing good most days if I get anything on the table for dinner at all! Many nights – I’ll put something quick together for the young ones, and the rest of us just fend for ourselves.

So, how do we manage to impart the same warm, loving environment to our kids that our parents did for us – and still live a modern life? I work two full-time jobs, unlike my Mom whose job was to stay home and take care of the family. So it only makes sense that I would not have the same kind of time that she did to care for my family.

I think that really, it comes down to loving your children and spending quality time with them. I may associate those feelings with food simply because that was where my Mom spent the majority of her time. Maybe my kids will probably associate those feelings with folding laundry instead! The point is that we all do the best we can with our time. If we love our kids and spend time with them – then they will feel loved and special regardless of what we are doing with that time.

The desire to make homemade goodies during the holidays is still there, but it has become increasingly harder to do as the years go by. This year, I’ll be sending home made goodies to some of my friends and family members, but they won’t be coming from my kitchen!

Susan’s Basket Store offers a variety of wonderful fresh baked goods that have that homemade quality. Mrs. Beasley’s muffins and cakes are a great choice. There are also lots of fresh baked cookie gift baskets as well as cookie arrangements.

Whether you are sending them as a gift or to yourself to help out during this busy holiday season, why not try the homemade goodness of these quality products this year! Bring a little warmth into your home without any effort on your part!

I grew up eating “comfort foods”. My parents were of the generation that did not know frying foods was bad for you. Or that there was any such thing as “too much” of anything! I’ll never forget playing outside all day and being called into the house for dinner – totally ravenous! Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, buttery home-made yeast rolls and, of course, dessert with every meal!

So, it’s no wonder that those foods denote “comfort” for me. However, it’s certainly not a diet I can maintain these days without ever-expanding my waistline in the process. Comfort foods now must be enjoyed only occasionally.

What causes food to give us comfort? First, “comfort food” is generally defined as “food that causes a psychologically pleasurable state for a person. Studies have shown that what we define as “comfort food” is determined at an early age and caused not only by hunger, but also by conditional associations.

Gender differences also define what we consider comfort food. Men tend to prefer foods that their mother’s prepared for them, while women tend to go for treats like chocolate or ice cream.

A common thought is that we indulge in these foods when we are sad. However, the opposite is more likely true, we indulge when we are happy, and celebrating or congratulating ourselves. Our moods can also affect what we reach for – chocolate when we are depressed – or maybe popcorn when we are bored.

A specific trigger often causes the desire for a certain comfort food. If your mother always gave you chicken soup when you were sick – that could be a big comfort to you as an adult when feeling ill. If your Dad took you for pizza after winning a baseball game, then that may be your favorite way to celebrate an accomplishment as an adult.

Food can certainly be a strong trigger for memories, both good and bad. If you’ve ever gotten sick after eating a particular food, you know what I mean! My Father, who passed away some time ago, loved buttermilk. And although I don’t like it myself, the thought of buttermilk brings fond memories of him.

Since indulging in our favorite comfort foods is a wonderful experience for anyone, it makes a perfect gift. This is especially true during the holidays, when the wonderful memories of great food and loving families are all around us.

This Christmas, consider sending yourself or someone you love the gift of the ultimate comfort food!

What is "good taste" when it comes to gift giving? Basically, it’s when you give someone a gift that is truly loved and appreciated. Having “good taste” is a very subjective thing. But one thing that is sure to be considered a gift in “good taste” is a gift that “tastes good”!

And there are so many wonderful choices for this type of gift! One idea is to remind your loved ones of times gone by and send them something fresh baked. A delicious basket of mouth-watering muffins, chocolate chip cookies, or gourmet brownies will make them think Grandma is in town!

How about a delectable lemon or chocolate chip fudge cake? Or maybe mini teacakes or chocolate chip truffle bars would be a great choice?

Another idea is to send something that will supplement their holiday efforts. Sending a gift basket filled with gourmet goodies is just what is needed during the holiday season when we are all entertaining guests. When I visited my sister for Christmas last year, I knew it would be a big burden! She has 5 children and I have 3 – so we were going to have a packed house. In advance of our visit, I ordered a very large gift basket filled with chocolates, sausages, cheese, crackers, cookies, smoked salmon, truffles and wine.

Everyone was extremely happy to see that gift arrive at the door! We all nibbled away on it for days and it made a great appetizer while waiting on the main meals.

If the occasion is more of a romantic one, why not send a lovely gift basket of wine and champagne? Romance begins with great food!

Fresh fruit gift baskets make a delicious choice for the health conscious friend or relative. At Susan’s Basket Store, there is even a great choice for the carb-conscious person on your Christmas list. The Low Carb Selection gift basket features a variety of tasty low-carb treats! Sure to please!

Whether your choice is fresh baked foods, gourmet delicacies, or wine and cheese, make your gifts this Christmas tasteful!

We will be closed on Monday 9/4/2006 in observance of Labor Day. All orders received after 9AM Central Time on Friday 9/1/2006 will not ship until Tuesday 9/5/2006.

All voice messages will be returned on Tuesday 9/5/2006.

Thank you!

Customer Service
Susan's Basket Store

We have all heard the famous saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach".
Well, if I wrote this saying, I'd say, "The way to a man or woman's heart", because being a woman; I know that women are at least as food-oriented as men, if not more. For me eating food can be extremely pleasurable. In fact, eating is one of my favorite things to do. I am not crazy about fast food, but I love anything gourmet. I seem to have expensive tastes or taste buds is more like it. And one of my favorite surprises is an invitation to dinner! I'd rather have a nice box of chocolates than a bottle of fancy perfume.

Giving the gift of food has always been popular, from greeting the new neighbor with a basket of cookies, to bringing chicken soup to your sick friend. Even throughout history, food has been a common gift. In ancient Rome, food was often given for the New Years celebration and continuing to our day elaborate feasts are often provided for the same occasion. Whether chocolate at Valentines Day, or Christmas cookies, whatever the occasion, food has a way of comforting the soul.

Often times the term "gift" is used synonymously with "present" However, It has been said, that a gift is something you give to someone because you want him or her to have it, but a present is something you give someone that you know they want. Do you know what foods your loved ones enjoy? Pay careful attention to what they say about food while eating. When you give food as a gift, consider choosing one that is specially suited to the recipient. This makes the gift become more of a present. For instance, if you guy is a beer fanatic, show him you care about what he likes by giving a Belgium, Beer & Chocolates gift. For the wine lover, consider A Perfect Pairing of Wine & Cheese. Both are available at Susan's Basket Store.

Sometimes, it's the presentation of the food delivery that sets the mood for the occasion. A beautifully wrapped basket filled with European cheeses, delectable chocolates, and a bottle of Le Brut de Charmis sparkling wine delivered as a wonderful surprise gift for your special Valentine is almost sure to provide a romantic conclusion to your evening.

Whatever your occasion, Susan's Basket Store has a wide variety of food gifts that can be the perfect avenue to your lovers heart. From Gourmet Gift Baskets to sweet Cookie
Bouquets, you will find an abundance of mouth-watering treats; perfect for that special someone in your life.

“It is much easier to become a father than to be one.”
— Kent Nerburn

Show the special father in your life that the saying is true by doing something special for him this father’s day! Father’s Day is just around the corner and even though your new baby is too young to help make breakfast or draw a picture for dear old dad, you can still let him know how much you love and appreciate him. Here are ten ways that mommy can show Dad that he’s appreciated, they will be sure to warm his heart.

1. Write a poem for Daddy from the new baby’s point of view and describe intimate moments that your baby and daddy had. For example, the way you felt the first time he held you or how you love the sound of his voice when he sings you to sleep. It will be something that you will both love for years to come and when your baby is old enough to understand, it will be a great way to remember and you can have your child continue the poem.

2. Make dad a coupon book filled with coupons like “One free day of no diaper changing!”
3. Make collage of baby pictures next to pictures of dad when he was a baby.
4. Go to any large hobby or craft store and buy a plaster kit, they have some that are safe for baby’s hands. Plaster your baby’s hand or foot and then paint it or bronze it. (It may be a good idea to do that when baby is sleeping)
5. An alternative to plaster is a stepping-stone with your baby’s handprints and other decorations. This is actually a great tradition to start, if you did one every year on father’s day you could eventually have a walkway, to remember and watch your baby grow as the footprints grow.
6. Father’s Day is not just a day for children to appreciate their dad’s but also a day for mom’s to show their husbands how wonderful they are and that they are appreciated. For 2006, Hallmark offers more than 2,100 Father’s Day cards across its brands, but instead of just buying a card that says something clever sit down and write a love letter to let him know how much you appreciate him for all he does. People don’t write love letters like they used to.
7. This is a very unique idea. Buy a tree that mom, dad, and baby can plant together and watch it grow as baby grows. If you stay in the same place the tree will grow to become a strong symbol of the bond between father and son/daughter.
8. Make a DVD slideshow of pictures of dad and baby, guaranteed to make him cry!
9. Give dad three wishes that will be fulfilled that day. Whether he wants to go to a movie, golfing, swimming or just wants to stay at home and play board games, dad gets his three wishes.
10. Bring him breakfast in bed! They say the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!

However you choose to celebrate Father’s Day just make sure to tell Dad that he is loved and appreciated. Also don’t forget to thank the other special father’s you know and grandparents! Happy Fathers Day!!

We will be closed on 5/29/2006 in observance of the Memorial Day Holiday. All orders received after 9AM Central Time on Friday 5/26/2006 will not ship until Tuesday 5/30/2006.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Thank you for shopping at Susan's Basket Store

At Susan's Basket Store we have a great selection of gifts for your special Father this Father's Day.

Surprise him with some of the best salsa that the United States has to offer with this Wicked Tomato® Salsa Gift Basket.

Filled with three jars of exclusive gourmet salsa that is not available at any other gift basket retailer.

Food is something we can’t live without! But it is also something we thoroughly enjoy. I don’t know anyone who eats just to stay alive. In fact, most of us live to eat!

Everyone has a favorite delicacy that they just can’t resist. At times I give myself a night off, away from the house and the kids (and sometimes the husband as well). On those nights I try to have the foods that I love very much but don’t get to indulge in that often. If you were to give yourself one of those nights – what would you choose?

Chocolate, of course, would be a very common choice for most women. Or for a romantic evening, maybe champagne and strawberries would be a wonderful choice. I have often wondered what makes us like or dislike certain foods. In my experience, it has seems to be genetic. Otherwise, why does one small child love carrots, and another one hate them at first taste?

Genetically, we all have a preference for sweet and salty and a dislike for sour and bitter. Psychologists believe this genetic preference/dislike is a built in survival measure. Most foods in nature that are poisonous have a bitter taste.

However, once exposed to these flavors, we can grow to like them. One interesting fact is that most likes or dislikes of foods has more to do with texture and smell then with actual taste. Sight and touch can also play a part in whether or not we like certain foods.

Each experience we have as a child with food will influence whether or not we grow to love or hate that particular food. Peer pressure seems to also have a great influence over whether or not we learn to like certain foods. If your best friend in first grade loves peas, and you watch them eat peas for lunch over a period of time, you may also decide you like peas.

I personally watched my Mom enjoy avocados for years before I finally decided to give them a try. At first, I still didn’t like the taste. But over time, each time I tried one it tasted better. Now I love them!

There are certain foods that just about everyone loves and that make awesome gifts. Luscious chocolate truffles, fine wines and delicate cheeses, fresh baked muffins, or assorted cookies – all make wonderful gifts.

So, the next time you are struggling to decide on a gift, consider sending something that will be sure to please – send a food gift basket!

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Gift Baskets - Mother's Day; Consider giving one of our wonderful Mother's Day Gifts, whether its gourmet food or some other special gift, Susan's Basket Store is sure to please.

Read the latest news on the wine industry in Florida and the entire US. The business of wine and wine gifts or even wine gift baskets amounts to a $26 billion dollar plus business in the United States. Americans are heading to the top of the list in wine consumption. The United States is expected to be the number one consumer of wine and wine gifts in the world by 2008.

You can read the full story on how the smaller wine retail outlets are being affected by this multi billion dollar industry.

Read On

This Mother’s Day I’d like to share an article that I wrote in 2000 on being a successful parent. I think that every Mother at one time or another wonders if she is making all the right choices for her children. I hope you enjoy the article and as you read, think about how important, often difficult and sometimes thankless the job of being a Mother really is. Sometimes the weight of responsibility can be overwhelming. This Mother’s Day, show your Mother how much you appreciate all she has done for you.

Raising children is not an easy thing. Much of your time is consumed taking care of their physical needs, doing their laundry, preparing their meals, and organizing the events of their day. The majority of your energy is consumed taking care of their emotional needs, listening to their stories, talking to them, settling their differences with each other or others, advising and teaching them. When they are very small, it’s wiping their noses, changing their diapers, feeding them, rocking them, playing with them, and trust me there is no time for anything else. Parenting is like being a manager, a secretary, and a servant at the same time only as a parent you know that your only compensation is that hopefully they will grow up to be decent, contributing members of our society, who make you proud! That is if you’ve done your job. Of course there is always the fear that if they don’t turn out exactly like you expected, it all falls back on you, much like a project at work that fails or a program you’ve written that doesn’t perform.

Taking a look at the last 15 1/2 years that I’ve been parenting my eldest child, it seems that most of the time just flew by. I wish that I had taken a step back every couple of years to see what wonderful transformations she had made, instead of just having it hit me one day when she was talking about getting her drivers license! It’s too bad that often as parents, our lives are so full with other things that we have no time to enjoy our most important job! And all too often, some of that job gets pushed aside until later. Only later, the kids are grown. Just what is a successful parent? Is it measured by the success of our children? Is it measured by how close we are as a family? Or is it simply making it through another day without pulling out your hair?

If we want to look back on our lives someday and remember the beautiful memories, we have to work hard today to create them. So plan that next vacation as a family, a trip to Disneyland, a road trip, or a week at the beach or even a walk in the park. And remember to take pictures. They are nice to look at now, but they are a vital part of your history tomorrow. For today, for me, being a successful parent, is remembering to stop and smell the roses. Time waits for no one.

Contributed by Wendy Layne

Mother's Day is May 14th! Don't forget to tell your Mother how much you love her this Mother's Day!

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Chocolate Gift Basket A chocolate lover's dream come true! It's all here in this sweet selection of dreamy chocolate treats.

Gourmet Gift Basket This magnificent gift basket is abundantly filled with many savories and confections. This basket will definitely leave them with a lasting impression.

We have experienced server outages over the past few days because of high rates of spam being directed to our servers.

This issue is being addressed, sorry for the inconvenience.

Susan's Basket Store Customer Service

Just when you thought at sending flowers would be the easy thing to do for a friend or loved one; you learn that it can actually be a lot more complicated than that. Flowers actually have many different meanings so choose wisely when deciding what type and color of flower to send as a gift, I’ve done some research on a few popular flowers and found the symbolic meaning and other interesting information about them.

Daffodil

The Daffodil is one of the first flowers of spring. Both the Greeks and the Egyptians related the flower with death. The flower is used as symbols for unreturned love or vanity. According to a Greek myth a young wood nymph named Echo fell in love with a man named Narcissus who was granted great beauty by the gods. The gods told Narcissus that in order to keep his beauty he could not look at his own reflection. However Narcissus became so infatuated with himself and his beauty that he ignored Echo who was consumed by love for him. Soon all that was left of her was her voice. Angered by his treatment of Echo the goddess Nemesis led the vain Narcissus to a lake so that he could see his reflection and he faded away. The other gods thought that Nemesis had been too harsh and so they changed his fate from nothingness to a flower, the Narcissus. A more modern, popular meaning of the Daffodil is “you’re the only one.”

Daisy

An ancient Celtic legend tells us that daisies are the spirits of children who dies at birth, they believe that god sprinkled the flowers all over the earth to cheer up the grieving parents. This is the reason that this flower has the meaning of innocence. Other meanings of this flower are loyal love, I'll never tell, purity and is associated with the fifth wedding anniversary.

Forget-Me-Not

According to Christian lore when God was walking through the Garden of Eden after the Creation, He noticed a small blue flower and asked its name. The flower, overcome by shyness, whispered, 'I am afraid I have forgotten, Lord.' God answered, 'Forget Me not. Yet I will not forget thee.’ Another legend is about a man who jumped in the river to swim across and pick the beautiful blue flowers for his lover who was with him. She pleaded for him not to because the currant in the river was strong; he made it to the other side and picked the flowers. However, on his way back he got a cramp and could no longer swim; with the last of his strength he flung the flowers at her feet and cried, “Forget me not!” After he drowned she never forgot him and wore the flowers in her hair until her death. It is no wonder that this flower symbolizes true love and constancy.

Roses

There is a legend that suggests that roses became red when white roses were covered with Abel’s blood when his brother Cain killed him in the bible. Roses have many different meanings depending on the color. Here are some color meanings of roses:

Red

• The spirit of love. True love stronger than thorns.
• True red is the lover's rose.
• Cardinal red: sublime desire
• Carmine: deceitful desire (not true to color)
• Fiery red: flames of passion.

Yellow

• In Victorian times the yellow rose meant jealousy.
• Today it is given as a sign of friendship, sometimes as a sign of sympathy. It is the rose of familiar love and domestic happiness.

Pink

• Pink roses are associated with friendship and marriage, and for either gender, they express warm feelings, happiness or pride. Grace, gentility, elegance and refinement. The rose of sweet thoughts.
• They are wonderful given as a birthday bouquet, anniversary arrangement, or to celebrate landing that coveted job!

White

• A white rose symbolizes innocence and purity as well as youthfulness.
• Loyalty, penetrating and platonic love. Able to captivate secret thought, love stronger than death.

Blue

• Fantasy and impossibility. Hoping for a miracle and new possibilities.

Orange

• Also associated with fantasy but dealing more with want and desire.
• Also could mean I am proud of you.

If you are uncertain what to say, you can’t go wrong with a mixed bouquet and combining a multitude of emotions with your gift. The list of flowers and meanings could go on for hundreds of pages but these are just a few fun facts to help get you started in finding the perfect way to express what you feel with flowers.

Contributed by Wendy Layne

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Daffodil Gift Basket This Double Daffodil Basket of bulbs comes potted and ready to grow! Your basket contains 8 Assorted Double Daffodils.

Alstroemeria Bouquet, Peruvian Lily Deluxe bouquet consists of 20 Stems of Assorted Alstroemeria which is also known as a Peruvian Lily

We will be closed on 2/20/2006 in observance of the Presidents Day Holiday. All orders received after 9AM Central Time on Friday 2/17/2006 will not ship until Tuesday 2/21/2006.

We hope you enjoy the holiday and sorry for the inconvenience.

Susan's Basket Store
Customer Service.

Delicious Romantic Gifts
by Wendy Layne

Romantic gifts are probably the most difficult to give. Certain holidays like Valentine’s Day always elicit the same types of ideas for gift giving. Candy or flowers are standard choices. Other times, you may want to just say "I Love You", but not want to buy an expensive piece of jewelry to do so. Yes, you could just send flowers again, but why not open your mind to a more creative idea that will be thoroughly enjoyed by your loved one and yourself?

Next time you’re in a quandary over what to give, consider a romantic gift of food or wine. What about a decadent chocolate assortment like the "Say It With Chocolate" gift basket? This sumptuous basket was created with the chocolate lover in mind! Filled with a variety of Ghirardelli chocolates, chocolate-covered sandwich cookies, chocolate-covered espresso beans, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate-covered grahams, this gift will put your lover into orbit!

Maybe you’d like to plan a romantic weekend just for the two of you? Our "Wine Country Weekend" gift basket makes the perfect addition to an evening by the fireplace. Start with a perfect wine - Columbia Crest Merlot, a balanced fruity wine with deep color and flavor. A merlot-infused cheese spread, summer sausage and California Crisps crackers make the perfect accompaniment. We’ve added decorative cocktail napkins and wine glass markers as well. Finish it off with delicious chocolate-dipped almond biscotti, California pistachios and chocolate truffles – heavenly!

What could be more romantic than champagne? Adding chocolate truffles to the gift! Our "Champagne and Truffles" gift set is the perfect romantic gift selection. Enjoy a superb bottle of wine along with sinfully rich Joseph Schmidt chocolate truffles.

The next time you’re looking for a romantic gift for that special person in your life, don’t just send flowers. Think outside the vase and send a romantic gift basket!

We always see the label Chinese New Year on our wall calendars but did you ever stop to wonder why the Chinese have a different time to celebrate the new year and how they go about bringing in the new year? If you have then you have come to the right place! The Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. In America we have a linear perception of time, our years are dated from the birth of Christ, so if it is 2006 this means that it is 2,006 years after the birth of Christ. However the Chinese culture uses a cyclical method of dating. Meaning something is repeated time after time according to a certain pattern.

Read more!

Each year on the third Monday of January schools, federal offices, post office and banks across America close as we celebrate the newest American national holiday...

See the complete story at:
Martin Luther King National Holiday

I will never forget the scent of baking bread that flowed through the air and in through my nostrils, filling me with a sense of warmth and happiness. This wonderful aroma became a sort of trademark when it came to my grandfather.
With every visit to my grandparent’s house, I was exploding with excitement. The two-hour car ride there seemed like an eternity; the whole while absorbed in my own thoughts of the bread that I was about to consume. I would burst out of the car and into my grandfather’s arms.
“Will you make bread Papa?”
“Will I? I’ve already begun, would you like to watch me finish?”
And of course, I would watch. I sat with amazement as he carefully kneaded the dough. His hands would melt into the odd ball of clay as if he was becoming one with it. And there were always those few moments where his hands would disappear completely, only to emerge suddenly and dive once more into the midst. Ever so often he would shower the dough with the flour that was always close at hand. This was a very delicate process according to my grandfather.
“The importance of kneading is greatly under-estimated. It is a necessary step in bread baking for both taste and texture.”
He would use big words with me which at the time I did not quite grasp, but I would quietly nod my head in an effort to pretend.
There was a test, he’d say, in deciding whether to stop kneading or not. He would hold on to each side of the dough and begin to stretch it in opposite directions. If the dough stretched easily and did not break, it was ready to be left alone. If it broke, it was time to begin the kneading process again. The many shapes the dough could take on continuously baffled me. Papa would stretch it in every which way, and made it a point to make me laugh while doing so. Sometimes he would poke holes through the dough so as to show his face through the other side. Other times he would carve pictures into the moldable surface and tell stories with them. It was always an adventure.
Soon, the transformation would begin. The dough was left in a bowl to rise before we could begin to bake it. It was fascinating to watch, and would sometimes take up hours of my attention. Any attempt to lure me away would fail. I was determined to watch this mysterious metamorphosis from finish to end.
Beginning as a small lump the spherical figure would slowly begin to grow, encompassing anything in its surroundings. Bulging from the sides it would expand like a balloon, erupting and constantly changing until finally it would stop.
“Papa, is it ready?”
“He’d check it, and then begin once again to transform the bread. This was where he would get creative. It was as if my grandfather had turned into a sculptor and the bread was his masterpiece. He would twist and carve and sculpt the dough until it was exactly how he wanted it. Then, he would place it in the oven and I would watch anxiously.
The aura began to change. The smell of the bread would fill the room, and the saliva in my mouth would develop. I could almost taste the warmth of the bread with every breath. When my grandfather would open the oven the smell would plunge through the air filling ever corner of the room. I would place my face next to the bread and feel the warmth that was being released, and my grandfather would scoop me up in his arms and ask me the same question every time.
“You know why this is the best bread in the world?”
And I would always answer the same way.
“Why Papa?”
“Because I made it with a special ingredient. My love for you.”
That was when I realized that this was more than just bread. This was a legacy.

I love New Year’s because without fail every New Year brings a refreshing feeling. It’s like you can start all over again, forgetting whatever mistakes or troubles you had in the past year and start with a clean slate. Almost every country celebrates the New Year and in many different ways. People make resolutions, have parties, exchange gifts and attend religious ceremonies. In celebration of New Year’s 2006 here are some interesting facts about the ancient holiday.

New Year’s is one of the oldest holidays and was first observed in ancient Babylon over 4000 years ago. It has not always been celebrated on January 1st, around 2000 B.C., the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring). The history of New Year’s also goes back to 153 B.C., the Romans had a mythical king named Janus and they placed him at the head of the calendar. Janus had two faces so that he could look into the past and see into the future, he became an ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans began to look for forgiveness from their enemies and exchange gifts.
The most popular early resolutions were to return borrowed farm equipment. Today the top ten most common resolutions are:

1. Lose weight
2. Stop smoking
3. Stick to a budget
4. Save or earn more money
5. Find a better job
6. Become more organized
7. Exercise more
8. Be more patient at work/with others
9. Eat better
10. Become a better person

There are many New Year’s traditions, to start with it was thought that a person could affect the luck that they would have in the New Year by what they ate or did on New Year’s Day. That is why it is common that to have a party on New Year’s eve to celebrate the first few minutes of the year with friends and family. There are several foods that were believed to be symbols of good luck, for example, any food in the shape of a ring was said to be lucky because it symbolized “coming full circle”. The Dutch eat donuts on New Year’s Day. In many parts of the U.S it is common to eat black-eyed peas. Cabbage is another vegetable that is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity because the leaves represent paper money, rice and hog meat are also considered to be lucky foods for New Year’s.
A New Year’s Eve party would not be complete without singing Auld Lang Syne at the stroke of midnight. It is sung in almost every English speaking country that celebrates the New Year and has been a tradition since the 1700’s. Written by Robert Burns in 1741, it was first published in 1796 after his death. "Auld Lang Syne" can be translated to "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days." The chorus lyrics are:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

However you choose to bring in the New Year we hope it is a happy one!