Happy Hour : Valuing Valentines

kathleen
13 hours ago
3 min read

Every been in a restaurant when it turns "Happy Hour?" You notice the mood instantly changes as everyone is ready for fun. Whenever I'm having a Bad Hair Day, my cure is always a personal Happy Hour. Of course, I'm hopeless addicted to interiors; so for me, this hour is all about decorating. In this series, we'll look at some quick and happy mood changers for our very own Happy Hour. Each should take about an hour - a mere 60 minutes - to perk up our minds and our rooms. Let's get the party started.

My father (b. 1909) seemed to save all his Valentines. Every year, I get some of them out, along with ones I've saved over the years. Those little pieces of paper have sentimental value - small messages of friendship and love. This year, there's still time to send out Valentines. And of course, there's plenty of time to hand-deliver.

Let's take a look at some ideas.

My sweet Uncle Tom gave me some 1960's Valentines years ago. They bring back school memories of decorating a shoebox to act as a post box to collect classmate Valentines. If you have some ~ signed by a classmate or new, why not send out this year?

These are a fun little Valentine to give. Just get a few squares of felt from Michaels, cut out some hearts and handsew with embroidery floss. I stuff with kleenex. Easy peasy.

One year, I drew this little cartoon. I printed a bunch on pink paper, then used a marker to add definition and used another marker to paint the heart balloon.

I just glued one per white card and wrote a message inside.

When I lived in Portland, I used to buy a flat of primroses, wrap each little plant in tissue and added a color-coordinated heart. Fun to give to brighten someone's day.

I keep random coffee cups for gifts - this time, one orange and one yellow. I filled these with mandarins and chocolates. I used corsage bags and tie off with a coordinating ribbon and a homemade Valentine.

Ruthann gets my vote for most original and each year, I can hardly wait to see what she sends. Here's three of my favorites. She's used a photo, paint chips from the hardware store and an old map. She even has scissors that make fun edges. There's a zillion ways to make a Valentine. Maybe an animal paw print (have Fido step in a nontoxic little saucer of red tempra). One special sticker on a plain white card. A photo of you two as little kids. You get the idea.

I keep all my special old Valentines and heart collection in a bin for easy access and quick decorating. John&Jim gave me those two little Croatian Licitar hearts last year. Each has a tiny mirror on it. If you see your face, love is coming your way. "They are a traditional Croatian symbol of love, loyalty, and affection, featuring a small mirror in the center of a red-glazed, decorated dough heart. Dating back to the Middle Ages, these, often edible, ginger-like honey-dough hearts were traditionally gifted by young men to girls as a token of love. " ~ google

My P wasn't a big fan of the commerical side of Valentine's Day. In the above photo of my entry way, you'll see a big Snoopy valentine from him one year. Another year, I found the above on my desk. A 2" x 2" decorated piece of paper towel (remember when they were patterned?). It wasn't signed but I knew who it was from. It meant as much to me as any. That's really the point of a Valentine. An unexpected affirmation of love and friendship. Hope you can take a Happy Hour to help someone have a special Valentine's Day. In the meantime, enjoy your Sunday!