From My Heart

Oh my Luve's like a red, red rose . . .

                            -Robert Burns

                                               1794

Did you wear RED today?

I did.

And I wore my charm bracelet with

 HALF a heart and my cupid pendant, 

the one my father gave

 my mother a long time ago.

I love all the details of Valentine's Day . . .

Red and Pink and White

Antique Red, Pink, and White French Toile de Jouy

Lace and Feathers and HEARTS

Lovers on quilted antique French toile, ca. 1860

HEARTS are a BIG deal to me.

I am a sentimentalist and an authenticist, which I am sure you may have surmised!

I try to ALWAYS put my HEART into 

whatever I do whether it is personal task

 or my design work.

YES, I do love this celebration of HEARTS,

St. Valentine's Day . . .

and every detail and memory
associated with it.

Rosemary is for "Remembrance"
I love it for Valentine's, Christmas, and Weddings

Antique French Toile de Jouy, ca 1860
This toile with cherubs really reminds me of Valentine's Day!

I remember the excitement of making Valentine's "mailboxes" in elementary school and carefully selecting just the right valentine for each classmate . . .

Then waiting to see which ones I received!

I actually still have a box of red hots that 

a special boy gave me in the sixth grade.

Okay, I know that IS a bit overboard, 

but I can't help it!

And some of those early 1970's valentines.

By the time I was in the fifth grade, I loved to MAKE valentines.  Every year for several years, I purchased this Hallmark kit for making valentines.  

The box contained lots of goodies, including one special white feather and one special clear plastic red heart for the MOST special valentines.

I was so tempted to order this kit

 on Etsy this year!

It is a grown up version of my little 

Hallmark kit from long ago.

Antique Cotton Toile with HEART shaped strawberries in a basket.
I love strawberries all the time, but especially at Valentine's

And of course I still have every 

love letter I have ever received!

A few of them were even sealed with real wax.  I love that!

My sister Susan's birthday is in late January, so her birthday often had a HEART theme way back then.

I think of her as my HEART sister.

What do you love about Valentine's Day?

The romance?

The flowers?

Red Roses which mean love are my absolute favorites,
and I am loving carnations more for certain things like this

The chocolates?

The jewelry?

My sister Susan's ruby encrusted heart pendant 

My Mother's gold and ruby HEART bracelet
she has had since she was a child

There is one person who has literally 

held the other half of my HEART for . . . 

oh, about forty years. 

Susan and I each have half of a HEART on our charm bracelets
that we have worn for over forty years

Can you guess who it is?

Susan in her red mink

Susan, my HEART sister

Happy Valentine's Day!


What is your favorite Valentine's memory?


What is your favorite Valentine's detail?


Do you collect HEARTS?


Do you love antique toile?

photo credits: Marilyn Storey, via Little Blue Deer, Pinterest, Etsy,Susan Trainor Mincey, Elle Decor