Frilly Fawn Necklace
Red blouse: Lily White, Alloy
Yellow blouse: Bongo, Sears
Skirt: Stoosh, Macy's
Shoes: Bongo, Kohl's
Bag: American Eagle, Payless
Belt: Apt. 9, Kohl's
Sunglasses: Mudd, Kohl's
Sweater: Takeout, Marshalls
Skirt: Xhilaration, Target
Shoes: Madden Girl, Macy's
Bag: Princess Vera, Kohl's
Sunglasses: Michaels
Maroon top: Free People
Pink top: Liz Claiborne, Marshalls
Skirt: Marshalls
Shoes: Payless
Bag: Candie's, Kohl's
Sunglasses: Mudd, Kohl's
. . . I love you. I love your homemade valentines and lace-edged everything and desserts doused in clouds of pink frosting. I love your heart-print night shirts and satin-wrapped chocolates and roses wrapped in cellophane. I love your sappy commercials and secret admirers and restaurants with couples reconnecting. Simply put, I love your style, which is frilly yet heartfelt.
It's no wonder, then, that I loved giving and getting valentines back in grade school. First, there was the decorating of the special bag or box to hold them all. You'd scour your house for stickers, buttons, ribbons, and any other odds and ends that were red, pink, or purple, then bring them to school to work your crafty magic. Then there was the choosing of that year's valentines to distribute. For me, this meant Rainbow Brite or Strawberry Shortcake or that old perennial favorite Barbie. Popular toy characters were always the go-to valentine designs then, just like they are now. I suppose that's why, in the second grade, I was so surprised to get one of those die-cut valentines featuring a 1950s-looking fawn with some pun hinging on the homophones deer/dear and a heart-shaped cherry lollipop speared through the middle. It was all orange and pink curlicues and retro, doe-eyed charm -- wordplay and a treat! -- decades before old school was trendy, and I was struck by it. I couldn't help but reminisce about it as I worked on this week's necklaces, all of which feature a kawaii-style deer cabochon. I love their vintage appeal and their winking rhinestones and their adorable, sunny, smiling faces. But most of all, I love how they remind me of the magic of days gone by.
So, move over Pepe Le Pew. There's a new amorous animation in cahoots with Cupid. Well, there might be. If I make the leap to Bambi, which I'm not sure I should. Disney might not appreciate that, and also, of course, there's the sadness.
Fortunately, the husband and I had a wonderful, not-at-all-sad, happy heart day. We enjoyed a tasty Tex-Mex meal (because nothing says romance like refried beans), then went to see The Choice, the latest Nicholas Sparks adaptation. It was lovely and, for the most part, true to the book, but for once I'm not going to dissect it.
On that note, here's a bunch of feathers that once topped my Christmas tree. The husband colorfully corralled them into the best kind of bouquet, which is to say, one that is everlasting. Which means that it can be Valentine's Day -- instead of Christmas -- in this house all year long.
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