"As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea 

and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, 

and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell 

and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, 

I lost the empty feeling 

and began to be happy 

and to make plans."

- Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

photo taken in Rockport, MA, Summer 2011

Bring on the Hearts

I consider myself a very easy person to shop for.

I love a lot of pretty things and cozy comforts.

Head into any one of my favorite stores, 

or browse through any of my favorite online shops, 

pick something out, 

and there is a 99% chance I’ll love it.

I’m also one of the rare people that absolutely love Valentine’s Day.

It seems most people these days are anti-February 14th, 

filling the day with sarcasm, resentment, and eye-rolling. 

My love for this holiday has nothing to do with being in a relationship though, 

as many base their plans solely on that aspect. 
Case in point:

I’m in the middle of baking and crafting together treats for my girlfriends.

Since I was young, my parents have filled Valentine’s Day 

with sweet surprises and cards, and I have grown up loving 

the brownies my Mom shared with us and the sweet cards from my Dad. 

I remember fondly the year he bought a pack of children’s Valentine’s cards, 

filled out over 20 of them and hid them around the house 

for my sister and I to discover throughout our morning.

I love sweets and champagne, cards and carbs, little gifts and goodies on Valentine’s Day and I’m not embarrassed to admit it. 

And on that note, 

here are some gift ideas for the ladies in your life on this lovely day:

Kate Spade’s collection of whimsical jewelry 

J. Crew doesn’t disappoint with modern, preppy classics 

                                         

 Bauble Bar’s Valentine’s and Monogrammed collections are personal favorites 

Both Dogeared & Catbird are fantastic sites for more lovely, adorable jewelry & gifts 

Since the first time I saw these “love rings,” I’ve been in love with them. 

Variations can be found all over, including these from Etsy. 

  

You never say no to a sweet treat

And if comfort and a romantic experience is more your style, 

cozy throws, pillows, and thoughtful home items (found at One Kings Lane)

create a movie night on the couch that's fantastic to me.

And last, but never least, 

the gift of beautiful flowers is always special. 

all photos found on their respective online shots or  via Tumblr

Recovering

I’m hibernating.

For the past few weekends, 

I’ve veered away from most social activities, 

I’ve passed on going-out opportunities, 

in favor of staying home. 

Which is not to say, 

I haven’t been busy on these weekends.

I’ve done laundry, 

I’ve cleaned and tidied my apartment.

I’ve had wonderful meals with the boy 

and we’ve ran errands.

I’ve started into my never-ending pile of magazines, 

we’ve watched movies. 

I started a new workout routine

 and dived into organizational goals I have for myself.

But overall, I’ve been pretty anti-social. 

I’ve chosen my couch over bars and parties. 

And it has been wonderful.

My work weeks tend to be busy, 

tend to be scheduled to the brim. 

And I was started to break, 

to feel like I wasn’t on solid ground any more. 

After the holidays, 

I was worn out.

The new year is for fresh starts, 

and I wanted, 

I needed, 

to make one, 

to really take care of me. 

I don’t currently even have much desire to go out on a Friday night, 

but I know that I will again, 

when there is actually something worthwhile,

 to get dressed up for and head out on the town. 

So until then, 

my weekends are for recovery, 

recovery from my hectic work week, 

recovery from too little sleep, 

from too much stimulation and stress, 

my weekends are for physical, mental and emotional recovery.

With this recovery time, 

I’m hoping my creativity will grow, will renew, 

will inspire me for future projects and new ideas.

So on that note, 

I’m off to make a good dinner, 

and enjoy my favorite tv shows, 

as the boy is out of town tonight

and the remote and DVR is all mine.

And I don’t feel one bit guilty about it, 

because it’s going to be great.

I’ll let you know when I’m ready to come out of my hibernation.

It’s bound to be for something pretty fabulous.

photo courtesy of Glitter Guide’s Pinterest

Life Lately

Life lately is busy, 

my schedule is packed, 

the boy’s schedule is packed,

lots to do at work, 

lots to do at home, 

to get this home to become

 what I believe it has the potential to become.

Lots of writing to be done,

to grow this little blog I own.

Lots of cookies to be baked, 

to send to loved ones.

Lots of meals to be made

to nourish me

and the boy,

during these busy days and cold, winter nights.

Piles of magazines to catch up on, 

television shows waiting to be watched. 

Lots of dinner dates to be had, 

and with these gatherings, 

I’ve been reminded lately 

of how absolutely wonderful my girlfriends are, 

how vital they are to my existence,

and how blessed I am to have these relationships in my life.

I’ve been reminded lately 

to enjoy the little things, 

the little joys all around me.

Life lately is busy, 

but it is good, 

in fact, 

it’s pretty lovely.

photo from Glitter Guide Tumblr