Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Your Mouth Was Made to Suck My Kiss

I'm a holiday whore.

I am well known for going overboard for all holidays. And it's not just gifts either. Cards, food, you name it, I exceed everyone's expectations and have complete excess.

Valentine gift from Amy

This year, I'm working towards holding it back a little.

First of all, it's absolutely exhausting going overboard for everything. It is stress for the mind and the pocket book.

Valentines I made for Griffin's preschool classmates.

No one really benefits from the excess anyway. It's just more stuff. And most of it, in the past, has been prepurchased items to boot.

We are all loving the handmade items, they mean so much more.

Little felted heart card from LLA.

So this year, we are keeping Valentine's day rather low key around here.

Handmade card from Aaron, hidden under the computer this morning.

I'm going to make Aaron and the boys some handmade valentines (no gifts this year).

Dried clay heart brooch, made by Griffin.

And after dinner we'll have some strawberry sorbet.

And enjoy each others' company.

23 comments:

Angelina said...

I have never been known for going overboard on Holidays. Quite the opposite actually. I'm more known for my curmudgeonlyness. (not an actual word until right now) Especially Valentines Day.

Not that I hate Valentine's or anything. Max is super excited at the prospect of eating candy.

Mostly PHilip and I just give each other chocolate and buy nicer champagne than we normally would buy.

I love that festive bundle at the top of this post with the ric rac. And the cards made for school are super cute too! Where did you get the envelopes?

PamKittyMorning said...

Pace yourself, you have tons of years to go overboard. Believe me, I know.

Anonymous said...

I really love handmade cards. BC and I are going to make some today for his dad. You have some really nice Valentine's shown!

Anonymous said...

I give Tim a valentine (some small thing with a note - usually with a pun involved) every day from the 1st to the 14th of February. After 9 years, I'm starting to repeat myself. But I am such a believer in the thought that EVERY day should be celebrated, that I like to make a big deal out of every special day. I mean, come on. How many people celebrate Kansas Day and Groundhog Day. Just give me an excuse and it's a party at our house.

jennpal said...

so very true. Love the handmade turtle cards and it must have been a nice surprise to find the valentine card under the computer!

lera said...

so many pretty things! that brooch is completely adorable.

beki said...

Happy Valentine's day to yoU!!

Oil Cloth Junkie said...

I came home to some cookies made by Matt and Maisy, it was one of the best V-day presents in a very long time.

Anonymous said...

Have a great Valentine's Day, friend. Hug those boys for me.

Anonymous said...

Happy valentine's day! I am celebrating in my slackerly style, with store-bought valentines. It amazes me sometimes how we've been conned into buying all this crap for minor holidays... but then our kids can't be the only ones not bringing valentines, can they?

Anonymous said...

Look at all those sweet mail goodies! Awesome. :)
And good for you on taking out the excess.
simple is good.
Happy Valentine's Laura.
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Bloglines won't tell me you have a new post and I haven't been able to even come here through it...WT? So sorry I haven't been commenting...I'll go read and catch up now.

amy h said...

Happy Valentine's! We're pretty low-key this year, too. We always make cards, I always get flowers, Chris gets a sweet of some sort (choco-strawberries this year). That's pretty much it. If Chris bought jewelry or something, I'd be mad that he spent our money on that. :)

Anonymous said...

Handmade always says "I love you" better than a bought-something

Anonymous said...

Simple is good...I love that felted heart. I want to touch it.

Anonymous said...

The History of Saint Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.

The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.

Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.

The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feaSt. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.

laura capello said...

i think anonymous has a fabulous point, i'm all about "feasts in honour of a heathen god"

good idea.

Meegan Blue said...

Happy Valentine's Day sweet family! xoxo!

LLA said...

I think that your idea of how to celebrate the day sounds fab! (You holiday whore, you...)

The turtle cards are wonderful - the glassine envelopes are just the perfect finishing touch...

xoxox

Anonymous said...

i'm impressed by your aaron's craftiness.

Joanna said...

Yup. Big fan of handmade here too.
Mmmmm. Strawberry sorbet. Happy valentine's day! :)

Chickenbells said...

Happy Valentine's Day! Everything looks lovely...and the pocketbook? Horrible to open it after these things and find moths flying out...I actually looked at my mantle this evening and felt a little sad about having to take all the sparkle-hearts down.

Erin said...

all about the hand made stuff. Means so much more I think. Cute clay heart.

MichelleB said...

Love the Chili Peppers - that song is not my favorite, but it grows on you.