So about 25 to 28 years ago I was cutting some dead Elm into fire wood. As the round dropped off I had the light go off. HEY that looks like a heart and Valintines day and my annaversey is coming up. So I cut a slab about a inch thick, set aside for later, I looked at the remaining amount of trunk and desided i had enough to make 40 or 50 heart shape slabs. The remaining trunk I put in the pole barn under my work bench and covered it to keep it safe from prying eyes. That one inch slab I took and sat it on my wood working table and hit it with the belt sander to smooth it some. then the orbital sander to finish it as nice as I wanted. Then I did the wood burner to make a old carve your love in tree bark with an arrow. A very cheap but most treasured Valintine/annaveresy keep sake my wife recieved from me. Beats the heart shape potato I gave her but that one also went a long ways, with the news paper story and picture that made the local paper. Al
I did the same thing for my wife one year. I didn't carve anything in it. She thought it was sweet but didn't want it in the house! The first place her mind went to was theirs probably bugs in it! She's not a real woodsy outdoor girl. At least I did have another gift to give her the heart shaped wood was just supposed to be a bonus.