Flower Arrangement of the Month: February

Trader Joe's is one of my favorite places to pick up flowers during the winter- they have a lovely selection to mix and match and have alternatives to the carnations and gerber daisies found in most grocery stores. I'm hoping to carry on with my fitful arrangement of the month series now that we're a bit more settled in. Things will be thawing out here any moment and spring flowers bring an almost painful pang of joy to my heart. Those first crocuses are mighty brave flowers, to poke through the snow and slush.

This arrangement features red tulips, burgundy godetia and, my favorites, orange roses. Pinch the blooms at their base when you are choosing them- they should feel firm but not too stiff. This signals that they are ready to open beautifully the way these did. Too firm and they stay tightly shut before withering. Too soft and the heads go limp. I would have added a berry of some sort and maybe a bit of curly willow, had money been no object. I love making romantic arrangements at Valentine's day that don't involve a dozen red roses. After my years at Dilly Lily, there is nothing I find more boring.

Did you get flowers this Valentine's Day? I loved Tahiti's take on being your own Valentine- great advice!

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's Day Gifts She Isn't Expecting!

Rare is the dude who reads this blog. But this post is dedicated to dudes anyway. Valentine's Day is the most cliched holiday of all. Satin Heart Shaped Box of Chocolates, Flowers, Fondue Restaurant reservations and you're done. And your lady will be delighted. But why not go the extra mile and really surprise her with something frivolous and unexpected? After all, that's what Romance is all about; the passion that comes from veering off the beaten path. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Sparkly, neutral and ladylike all at once, these heels would be a killer addition to any wardrobe. Don't these remind you of Britney at the VMA's all those years ago?

I've heard that this is the best blush money can buy. (It better be at $30 a pop!) Are they charging extra for that cheeky name?


Lingerie gifts are tricky. They can easily end up feeling cheap and tawdry. These silk tap shorts from HoneyCoolerHandmade strike just the right note- luxurious, pretty and sexy too.

Love the way these Valentine's Day flowers avoid cliche by mixing hard and soft, modern and romantic. They are anything but the usual tired dozen red roses.

This Gil Elvgren Book is full of old fashioned paintings of pin up girls that have gone from racy to amusing in the last 50 years. I'd love to add it to my collection of beautifully printed Taschen coffee table books.

What is the most romantic surprise you've ever gotten? (In the unlikely case that you are a dude, what's the most romantic surprise you've ever executed?)

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?