Be My Valentine

It is here!

My favorite holiday of the year...

VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

There are lots of reasons I love this holiday.

And most of them have nothing to do with the fact that it's a day that focuses on "LOVE."

Of course, I am all for celebrating love.  Romantic or not.

However, I don't like that people tend to either love or hate this holiday, based on whether or not they are actually in love.

Sure, it's nice to have a sweetheart to come home to, but why do people feel like they need to boycott Valentine's Day if they aren't in a romantic relationship?

~

When Valentine's Day would come around, and I wasn't seeing anyone...I would look at it as a day to celebrate my relationships with friends and family.

Why not have a girls night out with all the single ladies?

Okay....let's talk about why I love this day.

First of all....when you are a kid, you get to make those awesome Valentine boxes, and decorate them however you want.

Then, you get to have a party during school...and your cool box is filled with love notes from ALL your friends, and there was almost always candy attached.

Seriously...what is better than that?

And while that is going on....you would look at all of the cards from the opposite sex, and really read into them.  Like, if you got one of those nasty, chalky sweetheart candies taped to your little cardboard Valentine, and it said "Hot Stuff"....you would spend the rest of the day wondering "I wonder if Billy really thinks I am Hot Stuff?  I mean, he taped THAT SPECIFIC heart to my card...so he must mean it, right?!"

Good times!

~

I also used these opportunities to strategically place the extra romantic card from my Strawberry Shortcake valentine pack in the cute boy's valentine box.

You know....how there was always one or two in there that were a little more suggestive than the others.  Rather than just "Bee My Valentine" with a picture of a beehive, there would be the one that had the cute little cupid couple, that said "Hey Valentine....You're looking fine...Will you be mine?"

Oh yeah...now THAT meant business!

I also love this holiday because I really like red and pink.

And I really like flowers (which are often associated with this day.)

And I REALLY like chocolate....which, of course, was MADE for this day.

And which will go on SALE tomorrow!

I am also a sucker for these old vintage Valentines.

LOVE THEM.

And one of my FAVORITE pastimes is putting together gift baskets.

(I know, you probably just pictured some cheesy thing from a silent auction at some church, that consisted of a bunch of foofy stuff that no one really wants.)

Not THAT kind of gift basket.

I should find a better word for it.

Fabulous gift arrangement?

When I give a gift, presentation is everything.

Especially when it's for something like Valentine's Day.

I'm all about finding a theme of some sort, a color scheme...and creating a cool looking masterpiece.

Reason number 3485 why it is sooooo nice that I finally got that stupid craft room of mine organized.

~

And, finally, I love this day, because it begins my birthday week.

I like to think of it as my birthday prelude.

My poor husband gets a double whammy in February....as he has the pressure of Valentine's Day and a birthday within a week of each other.

I think this stressed him out for the first several years of our relationship.

He has it pretty much down to an art now.

For me, this week is a lot like Christmas into New Years....only I think I like it even better....because we are that much closer to spring.

AND

Valentine's Day is NOT a religious holiday, which means I DO NOT HAVE TO WORK.

Pretty much every other holiday during the year means crazy time for me at work....so this is one that I can enjoy, and not have to worry about preparing a big musical presentation for.

I also have to get every moment of bliss out of it as I can...because after my birthday, Lent is here...and that is one stretch of the year that I don't really look forward to.   I think it's the combination of really needing spring to arrive, having a long stretch of dark, dreary and crazy busy, and knowing that until I get through Easter...I'm going to be stressed out.

SO

I'm not even going to think about that right now!

Instead, I will share with you adorable pictures of sweet animals that were made to celebrate Valentine's day!!

I'm guessing Mark isn't going to get me a puppy like I wanted.

Maybe next year. ;)

Until then, I will just keep driving him crazy by showing him adorable puppy pics every chance I get.

~

By the way, if anyone needs a chocolate fix...you can stop by our house.

We have enough chocolate covered strawberries to feed an army (and this was AFTER Lexie took a bunch to her boyfriend's house.)

That giant heart is made from the leftover chocolate....if you REALLY need a fix!

AND

I have a double batch of cut out sugar cookie dough in the fridge right now, 

though I'm not sure I will get around to that quite yet.

~

I will be spending the day at Logan High School watching show choir....if you are looking for something to do with you Valentine's Day!

Who knows...I might even have some strawberries with me to share! 

~

Wishing everyone lots of love and bliss today!