Our little household gets all confused when Valentine’s Day rolls around. While Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14th in Canada, it works a little differently in Japan (where my husband and I met and married) as women give gifts to men on February 14th and the men reciprocate on White Day – March 14th. And in Brazil, where my husband is from, Dia dos Namarados (Lover’s Day) is sometime in June. So, we’ve never really worked out which Love day to celebrate. And, to be honest, I’m okay with that. I’m not really a wine-me-dine-me-buy-me-roses-or-else kind of girl. In fact, my ideal Valentine’s Day would probably include a mailbox full of handmade cards (feel free to send me one!) and a chocolate-covered marshmallow heart (or two). Oh, and a cupcake!

That being said, I can definitely appreciate the abundance of Bee Mine and I Choo-Choo-Choose you puns, and over-abundance of pink and red hearts on everything! It taps into my innate love for cute & lovely things.

Now, I can admit, I may have been guilty of being a Valentine’s Day grump in the past, (surely a result of giant bouquets of flowers and life-sized heart-wielding teddy bears flaunted around high school hallways every February 14th) but I have learnt that holidays like Valentine’s Day are only miserable if you let them be. (Kinda like how New Year’s Eve is always a let down?) So stop being a Valentine’s Day grinch! Instead use February 14th as an excuse to embrace over-the-top pink & red & hearts-all-over, to indulge in something decadent (preferably involving chocolate) and to treat yourself or someone you love to something special.

No special someone this Valentine’s Day? Breathe a sigh of relief (pressure to find that perfect gift/card is off) and eat that cupcake anyway, bake heart-shaped cookies to share with your workmates or craft up handmade cards to share with your single friends. I’ll bet they’ll love them!

Make Something Special

1. Valentine Popcorn Invitation – Eat Drink Chic  / 2. Love Garland – This Is Glamorous

3. Sweet Straws – A Field Journal / 4. Giant Paper Rose – Green Wedding Shoes

5. Felt Heart Barrettes – The Purl Bee / 6. Je T’aime Coffee Cup Wrappers – Eat Drink Chic

7. Valentine Cards – Alisa Burke /  8. Love Tea Time – Rosaline

 

Bake Something Decadent

1. Cupid’s Arrow Cupcakes – Bakerella / 2. Conversation Heart Cookies – Martha Stewart

3. Valentine’s Day S’mores – Bird’s Party / 4. Gift Box Cake – Bakerella

5. Raspberry-Hazelnut Linzer Hearts – Babble / 6. Red Velvet Whoopie Pies – Annie’s Eats

7. Origami Heart Cupcake Toppers – Omiyage / 8. Valentine’s Sugar Cookies – Sweetapolita

 

Buy Something Lovely

1. Je T’aime Card – Popolo Press / 2. LOVE Print – Helen Dardik

3. Valentine Paper Dolls – Jordan Grace Owens / 4. Herkimer Diamond Ring – lumafina

5. You Are So Loved – Katie Daisy / 6. HELLO Print – Mengsel

7. Tiny Heart Studs – Rachel Pfeffer Designs / 8. For Like Ever – Super Rural

 

As for us, this Valentine’s Day is sure to be a quiet one. But there will be cupcakes!

How about you – Are you a Valentine’s Day lover or could you do without this holiday? Will you be doing anything special to celebrate this year?