So, this post may seem a little premature. And you may find yourself thinking, "if one more person mentions Valentine's Day, why they love it, or flaunts their relationship status, I'm gonna..." Hear me out. Even though I personally have been single for more V-Day's than I've been in a relationship, I revere this long-celebrated Hallmark holiday (long is relative as Wikipedia says it began as a tradition in 19th c. England). I attribute this to the always anticipated sugar comatose gorging hours we had in elementary school a la Valentine's Day parties.
I know a lot of people despise Hallmark holidays such as V-Day (and with good reason) because they claim it is a planned consumerism day sinisterly disguised as a special occasion to show your devotion, show people you care about them, etc. And I agree. The fact is, that without prompt, the ever-present hustle and bustle makes it hard for many people (maybe most) to do this purely out of their own incentive for everyone they care about. So, when it comes to celebrating, curbing the daily grind, and giving people a reason to be especially excited about pink cupcakes and chocolate, I say damn the torpedoes!
It's been a tradition of mine to go all out for the day of love ever since I was a kid. Whether that translated to throwing girlie singles' parties, finding the most unique V-Day cards, or whipping up tasty treats for my beau, it was go big or go home. I hope this year will be no exception.
One crucial element of doing Valentine's Day right, to me, is crafting. I can think of few occasions that are as perfect an excuse for kitschy cute crafts as February 14th. In years past, I've had guests for parties make boudoir-style bottles to hold a take home gift of creme brulee sugar scrub, heart shaped decor/jewelry boxes, and hand-painted martini glasses.
Second on the list is plans for the day of. Like I said before, I usually opt for hosting parties for all the girls, but there's also the occasional date night that's been thrown in there (usually dinner and a movie, but nothing wrong with a safe call). I know Austin always ensures its city that there is plenty of fun to be had- Alamo romantic flick feasts, special spa events, museum charity cocktail parties, and the like.
Much like Whose Line is it Anyway, the list of priorities for V-Day is unpredictable as to the order of what ends up on top. So, my third ingredient for the essential day list should in no way be overlooked as the least important: food. Amy's makes special order chocolate-covered strawberries, Mangia unleashes their heart-shaped deep dish, Uchi has a waiting list of 2+ hours, and I'm almost certain Godiva stores everywhere implode.
So, what do y'all think? Do you hate Valentine's Day too much to dignify this post with a reply? Have you seen any awesome V-Day crafts? Should I shut up and not post about this for the next 2-2 and 1/2 weeks? Is there a delish recipe or food find you'd like to share? How do you see Austin (or your respective city) celebrate or give back for the day of hearts? Let me know because I'd love to hear!
~Action Jackson
Currently Listening: Eels Pandora Station
3 comments:
hey I have no problem with Valentine's Day, but I do think you might want to reconsider calling it "VD!" ; )
Haha. I actually was thinking about that when I wrote it and was wondering how many other people would think the same. May change it so my blog doesn't end up in the wrong search results.
You already know my general feelings on V-Day, but I figured adding a comment would be a nice surprise and might boost my interwebz street cred. Well, not really, but it was a nice effort.
I love Valentine's Day. I love candy and chocolate and the only time red and pink really look good together. I'd rather have flowers on any other day when they aren't marked upt 200%, but I don't care. I love any excuse to shower loved ones with love, food, and flora. I hate that so much pressure is placed on relationships and the perfect date for that day. I also hate when people pout about it. When we all accept it for the cheesy Hallmark holiday it is, we can start to really appreciate the important parts of it, like gorging on cupcakes with the ones you love the most :)
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