Lover-ly

Happy Valentine's Day. 


I like this holiday.  I like it because you can do whatever you want with it.  There are no traditions that are set-in stone.  You can acknowledge the day, you can gripe about it and wear black, or you can wake up the next day and realize you didn't do much at all. 

We celebrated our anniversary last Monday.  Five years.  It was overshadowed with K starting his final semester and me taking that very-important-test.  Still, we celebrated, we loved.  And then we did it again on Saturday, because celebrating Valentine's Day on the 12th is just as cool.  Plus there's less of a crowd. 

K loaded up the byo bag and tucked in the four mini bottles of Rose Asti that we meant to drink Monday night. They were pink, and that's why I bought them, I'll own up to that.  We had a drink at the Firehouse, and then headed over for some Hibachi, Central Pennsylvania style.  No seriously, it's good stuff and I even trust their sushi. 

Hibachi is an interesting time.  Especially here, because so many different types of people can sit at the table with you, act normal, and make you look like the most refined, polite couple in the world.  So, we toasted-- to life, to love, to an early Valentine's Day, with hicks. 

I love love.  That's cliche, I know.  I love the pinks and reds that sprout this time of the year.  I love that everywhere you look, there's lace and paper valentines.  I love turning sandwiches into hearts and tucking in little love notes here and there.  I love that I can look at my phone and see seven different love texts from our closest friends. 

This is not the day to mourn.

Today is the day to love.  If you have someone to love, that's great.  Otherwise, love on you.  Love on what's around you.


Here's what I love right now:

I love how lately we've been lounging around.  Like, a lot.  But that's okay, because I totally have a dog that agrees with my lifestyle.  So much in fact, that she lounges anywhere she can. 

Like, for instance, right next to the bookshelf,  or more specifically, with her head on the bottom shelf. 

Which, you can see, is very dusty. 

I love that even though we still have about two months of winter left, we don't have to stay inside.  It's preferable, but we have options. 

Like loading up the car and heading to Little Buffalo, which is pretty great in the winter. Yes, almost a year to the date when we went last year, we headed back. We were prepared for snow and for the cold, but forgot about the possibility of ice.  

I really hate you ice, but I'm not going to dwell on that because this is a love post.  

  I love that I received flowers for my performance on Monday.  But, I didn't have a sunny space to put them in, and the tulips were starting to suffer.  And I'll be DAMNED if I let a tulip suffer this time of the year.  They're like endangered species.  So, I improvised with an old chair, and you know what? I loved how it looked.

I love that I can do whatever I want right now while I'm looking for a new job.  Like lounge and take snow adventures.  And literally rearrange flowers. Oh, and you know, plan a wedding.  So, I have decided to convert my desk from school mode to craft mode. 

Which just involves putting books away. 

Notice the empty packet of Pseudafed.  It's been that kind of winter.

Oh, and what is that I spy?  Why it's a wedding party letter, which I made last week.  A little Martha Stewart paper punch goes a long way.  It's also lacy which goes with this time of the year.



I could only do the corners though.  I'll practice.  And Nettie, if you're reading this and haven't received your letter, SURPRISE!!

I love having nothing to do, but making most of the day.  Make your bed, put the blinds up, put on some make up, and a sparkly headband.  You can get back in bed, but it at least looks like you did something with your one, wild and precious life. 

I love looking at Nordstrom.com and "shopping" for all the outfits that I want to wear this year.  A flowy maxi dress with flower-topped sandals for a July wedding shower.  Black heels and skinny black pants with a military-style jacket and soft blouse for the Thursday before the wedding.  A glittery gold dress with dark violet heels that K thinks is too flashy for the Rehearsal Dinner (a girl can still dream).  I don't hit purchase, but they can stay in the shopping cart. 

And I really love taking advantage of today by embarassing the dogs. Pouffy red scarves, tied appropriately for male and female pup.  It's every non-mother's dream.



Happy Love Day.