Sometimes it's nice to take a little break from leggings and really baggy sweaters.

Skirt and Sweater: J.Crew | Shoes: Michael Kors

Necklace: J.Crew | Bag: old, bought on a trip to Italy over 10 years ago

Photos by Andi Perullo for Freckled Italian.

I used to think that people were either really into Valentine's Day or really against it, but now I know that you can just be happy to eat chocolate and drink wine with someone you like a lot (although let's be honest, I think that's what life should look like every day of the year).

To celebrate Valentine's Day without being too cheesy, I decided to make some chocolate truffles (sounds impressive, super easy--exactly what I'm looking for in a recipe) and put them in cute little handmade bags for a festive truffle trade! It's like a cookie swap, but a little more lovey-dovey.

Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:

• About 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips
• One cup of heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• Toppings: cocoa powder (sweetened), powdered sugar, melted white chocolate

For the package:

• Tulle
• Tissue paper
• Ribbon

Instructions: 

1. Place the chocolate chips in a large bowl.
2. In a saucepan, heat the cream and butter over medium heat and stir until it begins to boil gently.
3. Remove from heat and pour the cream mixture over the chocolate chips. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Cover and place in the refrigerator until it hardens (overnight is fine).
4. Remove the truffle mixture and use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out bite-size truffles. If you want, you can use your palms to roll each one into a smoother ball, or you can just leave them uneven.
5. Cover with powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or a drizzle of white chocolate. Keep any extras in the refrigerator.
6. You can pack them up in cute little bags by using some tissue paper and tulle--I cut two pieces and crossed them before putting the truffles in the center. Then I bunched it all up and tied everything with a red ribbon.

I love chocolate and red wine--it's such a classic pairing. I'm really into Matanzas Creek's Sonoma Coast Merlot these days. If you make some truffles this Valentine's Day, let me know!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Matanzas Creek. The opinions and text are all mine.

Twelve months ago (tomorrow), Rob and I did our best to "puppy-proof" our apartment and on February second I got in the car to bring our puppy home from his foster family. It was a warm afternoon and I listened to Taylor Swift's "Fearless" album the whole way, which always brings me back to springtime in college. I carried him to the car and immediately he crawled onto my lap before heading back to the passenger seat and falling asleep.

What else can I say? Probably a lot.

I think he might be my best friend. I certainly spend more time with him than anyone else. We have our routine down, and these past few weeks of being out of town has brought me quite a bit of anxiety--I joke that I miss him more than Rob because I can always call or text Rob, but I just have to sit around and wonder if Ender is thinking about me, too. I know he isn't though, because he gets to go to daycare while Rob is at work and play with other dogs until he passes out.

This dog means the world to me, but there have been struggles. I knew it would be hard work, but there were a few things that sort of blindsided me in unusual ways. When we first got him, he would do puppy stuff and I would think that maybe he was a bad dog. I was constantly frustrated by him, but if Rob got frustrated by him, I would get defensive or insecure--somehow I translated his frustration with Ender into frustration with me. I have always been thankful to have a super solid relationship with my husband, but we actually had to find even better ways to get on the same team when it came to the dog. It was the first time we added a sometimes unpredictable element to our relationship, and I know a dog is not a child but I think Ender has been great training wheels for the day we decide to become parents.

Also, he's just really damn cute.

So for the sake of consistency, and to celebrate the fact that he's been part of our little family for a year, here's a list of things about Ender:

• Still only weighs 50 pounds.
• Is now one year and almost three months old.
• Has really sensitive skin, specifically his ears. He is always itchy and we're in the process of trying to figure out if he has a food allergy or not.
• Loves to cuddle on the couch with us (or whoever might be sitting on our couch).
• Runs with me a couple times a week and loves it.
• Now sits in this old chair we brought into our living room and would rather be there than anywhere else in the apartment. See here, here, and here.
• Makes me smile every single day, no matter what.