Quirky Picks for Valentine's Day

Say Anything Illustration from  Hello Small World

I don't know about you, but I have a love/hate relationship with Valentine's day. It's not because I'm bitter and sitting alone with a bottle of wine. I love the love part- I get a kick out of making valentine's and sending them out to EVERYONE I care about. In this regard, I dig the cheesy, corny, silly, kistchy, kid friendly nature of the day.

What so often goes wrong is the romance part. It so easily turns into something torrid- a flat sugared up version of passion that is sex-shop tacky. Think lacy red polyester lingerie, reservations at a fondue restaurant (Seriously, what's so romantic about melted cheese on bread cubes?) the obligatory FTD red rose arrangements and heart shaped Jacuzzis.

I'm looking for a Valentine's day that is quirkier, or more grown up than all the usual cliches. Although I confess, there is no color that screams passion better than RED. Check out my Etsy picks for Valentine's Day right over here. Also, make sure to watch Say Anythingagain this month sometime. I bet it inspires you to make a mix tape for someone you love. Don't forget this song.

Valentine Crafternoon!

I hosted a Valentine's Day "crafternoon" for a few friends the other weekend. It was such fun! We had tea and sweets and gathered around the table to potter on our various Valentine's day projects. It was such a fun way to relax, make something pretty AND catch up on gossip that we may even turn it into a regular thing!

I used a regular yellow cake mix doctored with a tablespoon of hibiscus extract. The frosting is from scratch- a bit of sour cream and lime zest keep it interesting. The little candy roses are pressed sugar- I'll post a DIY soon!


These peanut butter and jelly thumbprints were a big hit. They are a cinch to make too (for a Martha recipe anyway!).

You know The Fab Miss B- Any excuse to break out my tea set and Bando sequin heart!
Here is the Valentine I made- feel free to download it to print your own! I used Paper Source 5X5 cardstock in blossom and made my own envelopes with vellum. It's a quote from the film Annie Hall. Have you ever seen it? I highly recommend it for Valentine's Day viewing, though you should know ahead of time that the boy does not get the girl in the end. (Thank goodness!)

Are you working on anything special for Valentine's Day?