L Is For The Way You Look At Me

Valentine's Day has become a gimme on the list of celebrations here at Unboundary.

For 2014, I wanted to do a hanging installation of candy hearts. 

The snow and ice thwarted the initial effort to hang them at the windowed entrance to the office,

but gave way to a better option: to hang them around the party venue 

(thank you, Jessie, for your vision!).

Large hearts showcased our names, and medium-sized and smaller hearts 

carried the usual candy-heart sentiments.

[Google seemed to be on the same candy heart bandwagon with their Valentine's Day homepage!]

Here's the party.

Wine, good food, and opening our Valentine cards . . .

it's a holiday, smack dab in the middle of dreary winter, 

that warms the soul like a summer sky.

[Photo credit: Tod Martin]

I really struggled with my Valentine cards this year.

Typically, I'd have them done by end of January, but the creativity just wasn't flowing, and it was approaching the week before the big day.

I brainstormed while browsing Pinterest, I lay in bed at night hoping a dream would 

jolt me awake with "the idea", I locked myself in my craft room and glued, bejeweled and trimmed with no outcome worth salvaging, much less gifting to my coworkers.

Then I remembered the quotes I had incorporated into a going-away event for our pastor. 

Done and done.

I went online and found all kinds of quotes about love.

I collected 24 of them, 2 for each coworker, 

and totally got into figuring out who would get which quotes.

I printed out the quotes on a nice matte-finish ivory stock. Cut them out.

Then sewed them onto fabric. Cut the fabric with pinking sheers so that it peeked out from the card.

I opted for a pretty pink floral and a primitive leaf pattern in black and blue/gray.

I tucked one-of-each-fabric quote into a glassine sleeve; 

for the girls I put the floral on top, and for the guys, the blue leaf.

Folded the envelope, and under the flap taped an ivory satin ribbon 

stamped with the recipient's name.

Then sealed the envelope with a printed circle "Happy Valentine's Day! Dawn E. girl"

For my card-collecting vessel this year (last year I used a vintage mailbox), I went with 

an IKEA planter tied with a pink ribbon and a glass heart-shaped charm.

The love didn't stop at the Valentine's Party! With Harleigh home for the weekend (a camp commitment helping with interviews), we were able to also celebrate her birthday! She turns 22 this Thursday. I got her a Betty Crocker cookbook. I don't care that she'll use her smartphone (googling, Pinterest, etc.) for finding recipes and looking up cooking tips; everyone needs this book on a kitchen shelf. I still refer to mine!

Since she's so smitten with lambs, I decided to get her something sheep-related and frivolous and adorable, something that she'd never get for herself. I found this resin lamb online. It's sort of like my ceramic Old English Sheepdog that has no use, but that I'd never part with.