Happy Valentine’s Day! I don’t know about your weekend plans, but the fact that February 14, 2009 falls on a Saturday that I am home… with no where to be all day…. is already leaving me feeling quite warm and fuzzy- and the day of love has only just started.
And because I feel as if I’ve been given a day of ‘reprieve’ from the normal rush and insanity of day to day life I’ve decided to dedicate myself to indulge in the pleasures that make this day special- and create a fantasy day with a little colorful and trendy insight, of course.
Finding color cues from the history of Valentine’s Day was a little less romantic then I had hoped ( pagans dying as martyrs is not really putting me in the mood) so I jump ahead a few centuries to the times of knights and maidens ( and all things TUDORS)-when the heart was thought to be the center of emotions and a woman gave a man a ribbon or piece of her lacey handkerchief to carry into battle to symbolized her love.
runway looks from Matthew Williamson, Marc Jacobs and Balanciaga from Style.com
In my mind today’s modern day maiden would be dressed as so…in silvery tones of pink and lavenders with jolts of fuschia and orange. With a lace-y motif print, a bit of sheer armor and a soft, pale scarf ( can’t you image taking off your scarf and wrapping it around your love’s neck after a long kiss good bye )- oh so romantic!
The tradition of presenting notes and tokens of admiration on the actual day of February 14th finds it’s root in England where the custom was embraced among all social classes through the 17th and 18th centuries. The card became quite ornate and colorful and by the 1840’s the trend moved on to the United States when the first American manufactured Valentine’s Day cards ( even back then we knew how to capitalize on a good idea ) were created by Esther A. Howland.
The woman known as ‘the mother of Valentines’ was inspired to create her own line of ‘English’ valentine card out of scrapes of lace, ribbons and colorful paper images- ( wow… she was an ETSY kind of girl way before her time!) Her designs are so intricate and cool… take a closer look at one of the few left in existience on the online museum of Emotion Cards.com.
Your might just be surprised by the brightness of it’s color palette, which I’m sure has faded over time.
I love the idea of making my own homemade cards but being short on time, and well face it motivation I think this modern day version is sure to tickle my love interest’s fancy…
Katis Kreations “Obama Family’ Valentine available through Etsy.com
Giving flowers to symbolize love has been around since the world was ruled by emperors and gods. Obviously one might first think of Red and Pink roses when thinking of Valentines day. In fact, the color of rose you chose to give may just have all kinds of secret meaning and messages- ( just a heads up so you don’t get yourself in a sticky situation with a platonic co-worker).
But with so many varieties of flowers available just a phone call away, one must no longer be confined to sending just roses. Since I’m in the ‘dog house’ with my true love today I doubt the FTD man will be ringing my bell today but if he were… all I can say to this Martha Stewart arrangement is “Yes Please!”
If you do send flowers today why not have a hand in the arrangement…according to AboutFlowers.com best color combination for flowers this year include:
- Red combined with orange
- Shades of pink and violet
- Raspberry pinks with oranges and deep purples; accent with lime green
- Shades of plum, pinks and magentas
- Soft shades of pink and lavender accented with the brighter greens
- Light to dark pink shades accented with the brighter greens
- Red and hot pink
- All green
- White
- Purples and reds
- Mango
My sweet tooth will most definitely not be denied today ( exercise bike here I come tomorrow ). Giving chocolate to the one you love on this day makes total sense since it is believed that chocolate produces the same brain chemistry as one first experiences when falling in love. Making this scrumptious treat a wise choice whether you’re attempting to seduce or simply attempting to feel seduced ( cue the violins, now).
The darker the chocolate the healthier it is… but before you devour an entire box of Godiva Darks in front of a crackling fire in the name of better health you could instead indulge your taste buds with a trendy box of Salted Chocolate Caramels… recently named by the NY Times as the trendiest flavor of the year ( who knew?)
And to round out the day ( last but never least ) a lovely bottle of wine…but do I want to taste sensous, glamorous or indulge in a glass that makes me feel wrapped in cashmere? WineAnswers.com has a lovely round up on the perfect grape for a romantic dinner for 2.
For myself this is one time I must remain a traditionalist… it’s champagne all the way. So as I pop open a bottle of my personal tried and true fave , Veuve Cilcquot and drink to my little heart’s content I can at least take solace that sometimes following your heart is the best trend around.
… though funny enough the color of the label does happen to look very much like Mimosa, Pantone’s color of the year.
