"Tweet Me" Valentine's hearts could end up in your Valentine this year. Credit: Sloanpix, Flickr
Ashton Kutcher isn't the only Twitter heartthrob out there; even Valentine's conversation hearts are twitterpated these days. This year's sweet nothings from Sweethearts candy hearts includes an order to "tweet me."
"We've always been short and sweet," Jackie Hague, vice president of marketing at New England Confectionery, maker of the Sweethearts brand, told USA Today. "In this case, the
technology merged with the ritual."
A maximum of two words with five letters can be stamped on the larger version of the Valentine's conversation heart, making them the 144-year-old precursor to Twitter's 140-character declarations of love (or desire, or whatever else is on your mind). So it was only natural the two would join up this year, not only with the offer to shoot off an abbreviated missive but with Twitter-able candy creations. They've also teamed up with Twitter in the form of a
new iPhone app that allows you to create a virtual box of Valentine's hearts -- with your own twist on tender thoughts -- and share them via a public Tweet or private message.
This isn't parent company Necco's first attempts to keep the 19th century brand tech savvy. Up until 1990, the original list of sayings that included "Be Mine," "Be Good," "Be True," "Kiss Me," and "Sweet Talk," was all you'd find. But Necco Vice President Walter Marshall
brought Valentine's hearts into the 20th century with "Fax Me," in the nineties.
They'll send out 8 billion candy conversation hearts this Valentine's Day, but with 80 different sayings, your chances of landing a "Tweet Me" are about as small as one of those three-
calorie morsels.
Check out Slashfood's article on Twilight Conversation Hearts Sayings.
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Beautiful Birthday Cupcakes
By Kendra Smoot
Whether they are store-bought or made from the box, cupcakes are a delightfully simple go-to dessert for any birthday party. Following are tips and ideas on how to take your cupcakes from blah to brilliant.
Share the Fun
Being the birthday girl or boy means you get to blow out the candles, but a truly generous host or hostess will let everyone join in the fun! A plate of cupcakes covered in candles is a quirky ode to the traditional birthday cake -- and lets every guest get a candle to lick clean.
Seth and Kendra Smoot
By Kendra Smoot
Whether they are store-bought or made from the box, cupcakes are a delightfully simple go-to dessert for any birthday party. Following are tips and ideas on how to take your cupcakes from blah to brilliant.
Share the Fun
Being the birthday girl or boy means you get to blow out the candles, but a truly generous host or hostess will let everyone join in the fun! A plate of cupcakes covered in candles is a quirky ode to the traditional birthday cake -- and lets every guest get a candle to lick clean.
Seth and Kendra Smoot
The Cupcake Makeover
Making homemade cupcakes look like they're from a professional bakery is easy to do with the right tools. Using an extra large pastry tip like one of these makes beautiful mounds of frosting. Also,
gel food colorings come in much prettier shades and are easier to use then the traditional liquid kind that you find in the supermarket. To make your cupcakes extra special, try wrapping them in a paper bands with a colored string tied around them. Last, insert homemade signs that are taped to toothpicks.
Seth and Kendra Smoot
Not Just for Eating
Cupcake liners make sweet, festive decorations. Here they are transformed into a colorful garland when strung with twine. Stagger the layers by changing direction every few liners.
Seth and Kendra Smoot
Fake it, Don't Make It
If making perfect frosting decorations to top your cupcakes feels a little beyond your grasp, take a visit to the toy aisle or dollar store for inexpensive and cute toppers. This farm theme will delight young guests, and they can take home their animal as a favor.
Seth and Kendra Smoot
Eat Your Words
Making frosting decorations is a cinch if you use wax paper. Print out what you'd like to "say" -- whether it's letters or polka dots -- on a regular piece of paper. Then tape a piece of wax paper over the paper and place on a baking sheet. Mix up a batch of stiff royal icing and add color. Pipe the icing onto the wax paper using a thin tip for letters or a big tip for shapes. Freeze overnight and use an artist's trowel to lift and deposit shape onto the cupcake.
Seth and Kendra Smoot
Lovely Layers:
My best friend inspired this creation -- every time she gets a cupcake she twists it in half, breaking it into two pieces. She then turns the top upside down so that she's made a sandwich with the frosting in the middle -- now the frosting is evenly distributed from the top to the bottom! Here, I cut my cupcakes in half and then layered them with whipped cream and fruit. You can also just opt for frosting. I love the look of a high stack of three layers.
Seth and Kendra Smoot
Mary Ann,1-20-2010, 8:26AM
How about the candy front and center "URA TIGER"????
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lynneashleyc,1-20-2010, 8:49AM
Nobody even knew about "Tweeting" until that American journalist got arrested in Egypt and tweeted his arrest.. Now this crap has gotten sooo out of hand. I understand some people wanting to know what their favorite celeb is doing,, but random people telling other random people what they are doing CONSTANTLY is soo ridiculous!!! Tweeting is the new way to 'cry for attention'.... VERY overrated..!!lol
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gop4me,1-20-2010, 11:50AM
Totally agree Lynne. Sad people don't have lives with better things to do. Pathetic actually.
mrmarvingc,1-20-2010, 9:18AM
Three comments- and two of them spam!!! And that is the way it is no matter which AOL blog you go to. What does that tell you? As far as Necco, they are just keeping up with the times so they won't become outdated, keeping stride with the lateest and most popular trend. Nothing wrong with that.
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mrmarvingc,1-20-2010, 9:20AM
Make that four!!!!
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Brenda,1-20-2010, 10:01AM
"Ashton Kutcher / Twitter heartthrob"???? How about TWIT? He never seems to know where he is when he appears in public and he's married to his mom. UGH!!
Reply
TJ,1-20-2010, 10:06AM
that's "so sweet", I love those little cany hearts. I sure hope a few of them will "be mine" this valentines day. Maybe a few will even "kiss me". I'm really "lonely 4 U", and "URA Peach", I'm "thinking of U" on this Valentines Day.
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Lisa,1-20-2010, 10:20AM
Maybe they should do away with the message that says U R a Tiger! They are sweethearts not cheating hearts!!!
Reply
Monzy,1-20-2010, 10:39AM
This is totally retarded. If anyone gives me a "tweet me" candy, I'll throw it at them. I hate social networking sites and find them a pointless waste of time. I don't have a myspace or facebook or twitter acct. and I don't want one. I have better things to do than waste time with that garbage. How sad that there is now one less thing one is able to enjoy without having some social networking tie stuck to it and thrown in our faces.
Reply
sugarlover,1-20-2010, 11:24AM
Monzy, with that attitude, I'm sure no one will give you anything. You probably have no friends anyway!!
April,1-20-2010, 1:31PM
Oh, dear. For someone that wants to make it well known that they don't spend their precious time on social networks or communicate via them, you sure did take the time to comment on a public blog forum.
Methinks that perhaps there are not enough real life friends to fill up those social networks.
linda,1-20-2010, 6:19PM
DEAR UNHAPPY PERSON JUST BECAUSE YOU DO NOT WISH TO TAKE PART OF THIS DAY, DO NOT RUIN IT FOR OTHERS. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY YOUNG & OLD LOVERS & ANYONE WHO GETS A THRILL OUT OF THIS DAY.
Reply
Dwehrietke,1-20-2010, 1:31PM
This candy tastes horrible.
Reply