V a l e n t i n e

I know most people don't like to make a fuss about Valentine's day, but here's what I like to do:

Make a fuss. 

Not in such a fru fru way....but in a way that gives February 14 enough of a nod to say "You're worth it".

When else can you display pink and red hearts in excess?

And when else can you use the heart shaped doilies that have been in your craft box since 1996?

And don't you think after several long, cold, sleepy months of winter it's just about time for another celebration? Why not create one around a day so heartwarming? 

You don't need a lover to have a valentine. In fact, I almost think that Valentine's day is even less "trite" seeming when you celebrate with someone who is not...

(*if my husband is reading this...no, you are not off the hook)

All you need is something warm to bubble up inside yourself (this something is usually called love)....and then someone to share that warmth with.

Your valentine could be your mom, a friend, a brother or sister. A neighbor, a child, a random passerbyer.

Warmth can be given in the form of a card----but it doesn't have to be.

Give a sweet, a token, a kind word, some time. 

Just because Martha Stewart and Lady Godiva seem to have the Valentine Market cornered....don't believe for a second that their ways are the only ways to give....

Though I personally would never pass up a card that took 52 hours to make or a red velvet box filled with chocolate.

photo via jennifer ramos at etsy