I don't know why Valentine's Day isn't a more Popular Holiday for Styling and Decorating, since it epitomizes Romance? Especially since most of us Gals are all about the Romance, but it isn't.
Most Shops do a half-hearted Valentine's Day Inspired Theme and paltry Vignettes, compared to most other major Holidays anyway. And not very many even Blog about it.
And I can't remember too many Homes I've ever been in that Decorate for Valentine's Day like I do. So I feel somewhat like an anomaly in my Desire to ramp up the Romantic Styling to Create Valentine's Day Ambiance in the Home.
And I can't remember too many Homes I've ever been in that Decorate for Valentine's Day like I do. So I feel somewhat like an anomaly in my Desire to ramp up the Romantic Styling to Create Valentine's Day Ambiance in the Home.
And I really Believe it's a missed Opportunity, because Decorating and Styling for such a Romantic Holiday can be a perfect form of Expressing what Love looks like in the form of a Style to each of us.
What we find to be a Romantic Setting? A Love filled Setting? The Ambiance we'd Create to have a Romantic Interlude? Or have Created for us by the one we Love as an Expression of their Love?
It can take so many Forms, from Whimsical to Serious, from Kitschy to Sexy. Sugary Pastels of Pinks and Whites... or Sexy Deep Reds and Black.
I Confess that I don't have a great deal of Valentine's Day Commercially bought Decor because it simply does not exist for the most part... or the options are too limited to be Appealing to me. I have found some small Elements to Purchase for my Valentine's Day Decorating Theme, but generally I have to Create my own since necessity is the Mother of Invention.
Sure, if you Enjoy fresh Florals as much as I do they abound during this most Romantic of Holidays... when it comes to fresh cut Flowers, and Floral Arrangements, the Shops go all out and there's a Wonderful profusion of Gorgeous Bouquets and Arrangements to be had. And Candy Box Hearts... those abound too... and I'm glad about that even tho' I don't eat Chocolate.
Because after Valentine's Day is over, many of those Hearts end up in the Thrift Shops and can be had for a Song. And I always get to keep the Heart Candy Box I presented to The Man, who does have a wicked Sweet Tooth, especially for Gourmet Chocolates. But other than Candy and Flowers... it's lean pickins for Valentine's Day Decor.
I'm always Grateful to those few Shops that at least make it look like there IS an Important Holiday coming up and Style for Valentine's Day in Creative and Inspiring ways.
But it does make me Wonder, WHY this is such a Neglected Holiday when it comes to Decorating and Styling... at least for us Adults? Have we really, as a Society, become that jaded about True Love and blatant Romance? A Day Centered around Love and Affection SHOULD be Whole-heartedly Celebrated and Fun at any Age dontcha think?!?!??!
But it does make me Wonder, WHY this is such a Neglected Holiday when it comes to Decorating and Styling... at least for us Adults? Have we really, as a Society, become that jaded about True Love and blatant Romance? A Day Centered around Love and Affection SHOULD be Whole-heartedly Celebrated and Fun at any Age dontcha think?!?!??!
The only ones that really always go all out for it and revel in it are the Kiddos... check out any Elementary School just before Valentine's Day and you'll see Love in Action and Visually Evident by all the Heartfelt Valentine's Day Art so Proudly Displayed... and which will be Lovingly Presented to the Lucky Recipients these Precious Ones hold Dear to their Hearts.
How Excited the Kids get to pick out and Exchange their Valentine's Day Cards with their Classmates. Laboring over the pile of Kitschy Cards in scrawled newly learned penmanship that is a Labor of Love because it takes them so long to print their Name and each Classmate on a box of cards.
I recall picking out my very Favorite Cards that I Received and then seeing who had given them to me. Or sometimes your Favorite Card was your Favorite BECAUSE of who had given it to you! *Winks*
Your BFF or perhaps that First Crush you had in Grade School. You know, that Boy or Girl who didn't really realize they were the stuff of your Daydreams and Infatuation... but when you Received that obligatory Class Card from them, somehow it held way more Meaning attached to the Presentation of it than it probably really had. *LOL*
Those Memories came flooding back each Year when one of the Kiddos Excitedly showed me the Card from So-And-So, their Secret Crush that Year. *Winks* Or, look... look at the Card my Best Friend So-And-So gave me. And it made me recall some of those Vintage Valentines we used to Exchange as Kids, remember, back before the Images had to be PC... which is why this Vintage Valentine Exchange Card with a Fish Smoking cracked me up!!! *LOL*
Modern Valentine Exchange Cards are as Adorable as they ever were... each Generation having their Popular Themes and Trends of the Era that make them Distinctive during their Time. And of coarse during the Painstaking Selection Process of who would Receive which Card from your own Carefully Chosen Valentine's Day Box of Cards, you always picked your very Favorite Cards to Present to those very Special Classmates.
Only the Recipient of each Card probably Imagined theirs was your very Favorite one given especially to them, which is what made the Exchange particularly Sweet... because whether Popular or not, everyone got a Card from everyone else... and for that day everyone was Popular and Felt Loved, Valued and Appreciated by their peers. And isn't that what is the most Basic of Human Instincts... to Love and want to be Loved?
May you always Love deeply and Sincerely...
And Feel truly Loved my Friends...
Happy Valentine's Day from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian
Happy Valentine's Day from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian