Valentine’s Day Inspired

On this day of love I’m sharing Valentine’s Day inspired pretty pictures and FYI Valentine’s Day facts- a Valentine from me to you.

Handcrafted Valentine Inspiration- Photography by Mac Jamieson

Flower Magazine- Photography by Amy Neunsinger

“Love is a canvas furnished by nature
and embroidered by imagination.”

—Voltaire

Heart of Blooms Embroidery Digital Design, Floral Bouquet

Seeing that Valentine’s Day is the subject matter of conversation hearts and music of the heart, I have fittingly updated my Power of Love Spotify playlist.

Antique Heart Shaped Ring Boxes

Written in French by Charles Duke of Orleans in 1415, the oldest known valentine was a poem penned in words of love to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

I am already sick of love,
My very gentle Valentine,
Since for me you were born too soon,
And I for you was born too late.
God forgives him who has estranged
Me from you for the whole year.

I am already sick of love,
My very gentle Valentine,
Well might I have suspected
That such a destiny,
Thus would have happened this day,
How much that Love would have commanded.

I am already sick of love,
My very gentle Valentine.

Authored in 1477 by Margery Brews as a love note to her fiancé John Paston, the oldest English language valentine begins with the words “Unto my right wellbeloved Valentine John Paston.”

“Affection” ca. 1870s

Valentine’s Day cards were introduced to the United States in 1849 by Esther Allen Howland, a native of Worcester, Massachusetts.

Inspiration is everywhere.

Taken with an ornate English Valentine received at nineteen years old, Esther Allen Howland replicated the style of the card by using intricate paper lace together with decorative floral details.

Esther Howland

Pink is such a delicate and graceful color.

Proving a personal favorite choice, the color pink is known for its soft tones and shades never failing to command principal palette attention as well as serving as a complementary accent companion.

Photo by Jessie Daniella on Unsplash

Soft pinks, rich chocolate browns, and shades of regal red stand timeless as ideal shades and hues for a Valentine’s Day color palette.

Veranda Magazine – Photography by Melanie Acevedo

Murdock Solon Architects

British Vogue – Photography by Gianluca Longo

Adolf Heinrich Claus Hansen – (Danish, 1859–1925)
Summer Blooms in an Interior

Ever wonder why pink is used as the base color in many cosmetic and beauty products?

Valentine’s Day inspired interiors, colors, and accents get to the heart of the design and decorative matter through texture, craftsmanship, and design style application.

Valentine’s Day by the Numbers

Maybe I should say Valentine’s Day buy the Numbers.

Cupid’s consumers will be spending a total of 25.8 billion (that’s billion with a Be My Valentine) on Valentine’s Day, spending an average $185.81 on Valentine’s Day.

Source: National Retail Federation

Chocolate confections, strawberries, macarons, meringues, fudge, cheesecake, cupcakes, cookies and conversation hearts are served with Valentine’s Day love.

Raspberry and Dark Chocolate Macarons

“Where we love is home –
home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.”

—Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

Love lives on.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day Gift Giving Ideas

Valentine’s Day gift giving ideas are a red hot conversation heart for those ready to gift with love. Let’s take a gander at these bountiful bouquets of ideas for your Valentine’s Day gift considering ideas.

Red roses are the traditional flower and color most closely associated with Valentine’s Day, however, loveliness and meaning are found in a dozen pink, yellow, orange, or lavender roses.

Red Roses = romance

Pink Roses = love and gratitude

Yellow Roses = joy

Orange Roses = fascination

Lavender Roses = love at first sight

Knowing the likes and loves of your recipient(s) is a huge plus to scoring big points in the Valentine’s Day gift giving ideas game.

Domino Magazine – Photography by Caitlin Beyer

Unique accents and accessories for home or office make a lasting impression and style statement.

High Plains Drifter by Ray Whitson Buffalo Bison Prairie Framed Print

Formosa Stone Table Lamp

Set of 2 4.5oz Woodwick Candles Gift Whiskey + Oak & Leather + Embers

4-Pc. Vintage Gino Tin Gift Set – Refreshing Formula

Valentines Sweater Dog Figurine

Metal Wallet Card with Photo Leather Wallet For Him

New Balance Fresh Foam Roav

Top Leather Cognac Mid Century Modern Genuine Leather Accent Armchair

From fine to faux and every price point in between, a handsome watch rates as a nice Valentine’s Day gift giving ideas choice.

Relic By Fossil Mens Brown Leather Strap Watch

Geneva Mens Brown Strap Watch

Valentine’s Day gifts have long captured the hearts of both the giver and the recipient alike.

Set of 5 Art Deco Literary Vintage Books

Art Deco Literary Bookish Decor Bookshelf Set

Light Oak Small Heart Shaped Handmade Wooden Photo Frame

Gold Milagro Heart Wall Hanging

Gold Milagro Heart

Large Capacity Work Tote Bags

Ambrielle Pajama Capri Pants

Comfy Warm Slip-On Rose Heart Love Slippers

Queen of Hearts Bath Mat

Spring styles and patterns give hope to warm days will again be here before you know it.

Short Sleeve Notch Collar Top and Shorts Knit Pajama Set

These next treasures fall into the same category as Christmas stocking stuffers- fabulously festive.

Floral Embrace – Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle

Lindt Lindor Valentine’s Strawberries and Cream White Chocolate Truffles

Beloved Cherry Blossom & Tea Rose Bath Bomb

Lip Shaped Acrylic Claw Hair Clip – Red

Burt’s Bees Bee Mine Moisturizing Lip Balm – Strawberry

15oz Valentine’s Day Amor Mug – Threshold™

Valentine Ceramic Short Building Figurine Pink/White – Spritz™

10ct Blank Note Cards Rose Bush

Personalized Wax Seal Stamp with 3 Triple Initials Monogram

Floral Bouquet Soap Petals 20 Piece

Jo Malone London Red Roses Cologne

“The beauty of fragrance is that it speaks to
your heart and hopefully someone else’s.”

–Elizabeth Taylor

Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum

Gucci Bloom Ambrosia di Fiori Eau de Parfum

Fun is just a fact of fashion, and love and hearts make a fun and festive theme for a priced right for quality Valentine’s Day pink Mary Jane ballet flats, crew neck sweaters, day into evening clutch bag, and fashion earrings.

Mary Jane Square-Toe Ballet Flats for Women

Time and Tru Women’s Print Crew Neck Sweater

♥ this!

Tortoise Heart Top Handle Satchel

Carolina Herrera Lipstick Cap

Nina Shoes Evening Bag

Bijoux Bar Heart Drop Earrings

Gold Tone Heart Drop Earrings

Options are good, and these pull back Cupid’s arrow and take aim at the heart of the Valentine’s Day matter.

Initials Necklace Ampersand or Heart

Luxe 18K Gold-plated Lock Necklace

Personalized Envelope Locket

Rings, necklaces, and earrings sit even prettier housed in lovely organizers and trinket trays.

6″ Ceramic Trinket Tray by Ashland®

Shiny Heart Jewelry Organizer Box – A New Day™

Greenleaf Fairfield Kit Dollhouse

May I present an idea or two for Valentine’s Day gifts in the spirit of home is where the heart is.

Vintage Pink Botanical Print

Aged Rose Oval Tole Tray

10-Cup Elveden White Stove Top Kettle

Valentine’s Day Lazy Susan & Bowls

Emile Henry French Ceramic Ruffle Heart Pie Dish

Nathalie Lete Heritage Dinner Plate

ROSE BLUE FLOWER Area Rug by Kavka Designs

Coral Drift Rose Bush

Heart Shaped Forged Hand Hoe

Just remember in the winterFar beneath the bitter snowsLies the seed that with the sun’s loveIn the spring becomes the rose

For him.

For her.

For home.

With love in mind, these Valentine’s Day gift giving ideas get to the heart of the matter.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Valentine’s Day Sweets for the Sweet

February is fast approaching, and with that comes ideas for whipping up Valentine’s Day Sweets for the sweet.

The Graphics Fairy

Of course each is dished and served with lo♥e.

Focused on sweets for the sweet, this Valentine’s Day Sweets show and tell features recipes synonymous with delectable, delicious and delightful.

Click on the link below each image for the recipe.

Mini Valentine’s Day Cakes

Lemon-Date Bars – Photography by Anna Williams

Have you ever wondered how the symbol/letter X came to stand for Kiss?

Traced back to the Middle Ages, X was used to sign off on documents followed by the writer often kissing the mark signifying their oath. The gesture flourished as the common sign used to certify records, books, letters and paperwork.

X stood for Kiss, and the gesture gave life to the term “sealed with a kiss.”

Chocolate Marshmallow Sandwich Cookies – Photography by Mike Garten

No Bake Cheesecake with Berry Toppings – Photography by Brian Woodcock

Antique Rose Hand Painted Serving Plate – Germany

Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream

Treat roses keep fresh when stored in an airtight container with a sealed lid, and fresh cut roses keep best when following these suggestions:

If a packet of flower food is included with your rose bouquet you will want to use it. Dissolve the food in a couple of tablespoons of warm water, stirring to completely dissolve.

Take roses out of wrap and remove leaves that will be below your desired water line. Cut each stem at an angle which allows optimal water intake. add it to the water to promote the buds opening and to slow any bacterial growth.

Place the roses in your container of choice and arrange to your liking. Placing the arrangement in a cool area away from heat vents and out of direct sunlight prolongs the life of the roses.

When the bloom and the beauty is off the rose(s), drying the roses to keep for sentimental reasons is an easy project.

Gather the amount of rose stems you want to dry, remove all the leaves from each stem, and bind stems together with a rubber band. Hang upside down for 2 to 3 weeks in a cool, dark place free of humidity.

Valentine’s Day French Macarons

As you begin the beguine.

What’s a beguine, you may wonder?

beguine
(/bəˈgēn/ bə-GHEEN)

a dance and music form, similar to a slow rhumba

Lemon-Elderflower Waffles

Begin the Valentine beguine dance of delicious delight with a breakfast or brunch built for two starring this recipe for Lemon-Elderflower Waffles.

Dress waffles with a delightful dusting of powdered sugar, stemmed strawberries split in half, and edible flowers.

Stone Lain Brighton Round Body Marble Porcelain Dinnerware Set

Brownie Hearts

Heart Appetizer Plates

Valentine’s Day sweets for the sweet favorites include this perfect for the occasion mixtape cookies recipe from Constellation Inspiration.

Valentine’s Day Mixtape Cookies

Music fuels the power of love – a sweet symphony to serve the senses.

Mini Red Velvet Cakes

Breakable Chocolate Heart

Cupid delivers dessert inspiration for whipping up Valentine’s Day sweets for the sweet dedicated to the one you love.

Valentine’s Day Loveliness

Valentine’s Day loveliness treats heart, eye, and spirit to beauty on scroll.

“Love is the flower of life, and blossoms unexpectedly
and without law, and must be plucked where it is found,
and enjoyed for the brief hour of its duration.”

—D.H. Lawrence

Veranda

Valentine’s Day loveliness reaches far beyond one day of the year as demonstrated by the sublime antique gold gilt heart-shaped back dining chairs chosen as intended statement pieces in this timeless winter-white dining room designed by Alex Papachristidis.

Unique Homestays

Perfect pairings.

Woodward/Newman in The Long Hot Summer

“True love stories never have endings.”

— Richard Bach

Disney Enchanted

Love is in the air, and the word of the day affectionately defined by the look and the dance of enamored admiration.

Buttery Planet

House & Garden – Photography by Simon Upton

Valentine’s Day tradition dictates the implementation of a red and pink color palette into delectable sweets and décor treats.

“Whatever makes an impression on
the heart seems lovely in the eye.”

—Saadi

“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul
and makes us reach for more, that plants a
fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds.”

— Nicholas Sparks

Valentine’s Day Garland

Darling, I Love You Hand Stamped Spoon

“Sometimes the smallest things
take up the most room in your heart.”

— Winnie the Pooh

Neutral Farmhouse Heart Rag Wreath

Country Living

“I want the moment to start
when I can fill your heart
With more love
and more joy
than age or time
could ever destroy.”

—William “Smokey” Robinson

More is my word of the year.

More not driven in the vein of greedy motivation, but in the earnest desire to fill daily life with more love, more joy, more beauty, more Valen-TIME.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Words of Love for Your Valentine

Words of love for your Valentine ignite the celebration of love.

Flickr

Heartfelt words of love for your Valentine put to paper, post, text, or email (modern times, folks) are the sentiments that script a love story- a will you be mine token of love.

Brass Heart Shape Ink Well & Stand Circa 1900

Nat King Cole croons lyrics destined for Cupid’s bow.
I memorize every line
I kiss the name that you sign
And darling, then I read again right from the start
Love letters straight from your heart

♥♥♥♥